When I had children, I wanted to have a Sunday dinner every week like growing up. When I was little, we ate at Mema’s house, at one of my parent’s friend’s houses, at a restaurant, and on occasion at home. Very occasionally…
I remember looking forward to Sunday dinner because it was usually a prepared meal from scratch with thought and care. I loved Sunday dinner at Mema’s house because we played cards after dinner. Family members would come over, and suddenly it got very loud with talking and singing to Italian music playing in the background.
I made Sunday dinner almost every week when the boys were young and living at home. I missed our Sunday dinners when we were still vending at the Schenectady Farmers Market. Taking Sundays off was the best decision we made to recharge our batteries; being home for Sunday breakfast and dinner is priceless.
Yesterday, I was craving a comforting rainy day dinner even though it is summer. I ended up making roasted pork tenderloin with a pan sauce, mashed potatoes, and caramelized maple carrots.
Pork Tenderloin is my go-to protein of choice if I am looking for a comforting flavor but roasts in less than 40 minutes. I remove the silver skin from the pork, rub it with olive oil and sprinkle it with some kosher salt, freshly grated black pepper, granulated garlic, onion, and paprika.
I roast the pork at 400-degrees for 30 minutes and check the temperature. I roast my pork tenderloins until they reach 145-degrees, remove them from the oven and cover with foil.
When people hear pan sauce or gravy, it sounds intimidating and fancy. It isn’t hard to make and adds a home run to your meal. When I make a pan sauce or gravy, I remove the protein from the roasting or sauté pan and let it cool covered in foil on a platter.
Next, I use a wooden spoon to scrape up the pan juices and bits in the bottom of the pan. I add a cup of hot water and scrape some more, making a broth right in the roasting pan. I give it a taste to see if it’s too salty; I add more water a little at a time until it isn’t anymore.
I melt a tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan or the saute pan I used and add 1-2 tablespoons of potato starch, depending on how thick I want my sauce or gravy. For every cup of broth or stock, I use 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon of potato starch.
I add the brothy water with the scraped-up bits and pan juices to the butter and potato starch and whisk. It will start to thicken as soon as it comes to a simmer. I give it a taste and season as necessary. That’s it. Done!
Dinner last night was delicious and was exactly what I was craving. It was pouring rain, and the meal really hit the spot. I always make more than we need because Sam takes leftovers to work the next day. He works the overnight shift and doesn’t have the time to get anything. He usually eats his “dinner” around 2 or 3 am in under 2 minutes because it’s so busy. The smells coming from the microwave in the ER make people drool sometimes. Lol!
When we were clearing the table, I put together his leftovers. I like using the Tupperware-type containers that are like TV dinners. While I was filling the container, Sam said, “Throw one of those cheddar bay biscuits in and pour that maple sauce on the carrots.” He smiled and was licking his lips, looking forward to his leftovers. I can’t tell you how much I love this.
We still have more leftover pork which will turn into Cuban sandwiches for us, and bbq pork sliders for Sam for his Tuesday night shift. Planned leftovers are not only delicious but make quick and easy lunches or dinners.
Today, I turned the leftover mashed potatoes into gnocchi. Making potato gnocchi is super easy to make and requires adding only 2 ingredients to the mashed potatoes; an egg and potato starch.
Egg and potato starch are mixed with the mashed potatoes to make the gnocchi dough. The dough is then kneaded until smooth and rolled into ropes. The ropes are cut into half-inch pieces. The pieces are rolled down the tines of a fork, giving the gnocchi the traditional ridges.
The gnocchi is lowered into gently boiling saltwater. The gnocchi is simmered until they float. They are drained, and I place them on a baking sheet pan and coat them with a little butter or olive oil, so they don’t stick.
Tonight, I pan-fried the gnocchi with brown butter and sage, finishing it with some cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I am served the gnocchi with steak Florentine. The steak is prepared how they make it in Florence, Italy, not with spinach.
When I was packing up Sam’s work leftovers last night, I knew that I would be making gnocchi today. It takes some practice, but if you can get at least one more different meal from your leftovers, you are great at menu planning. If you can get two meals, you get a gold star for the day. ⭐️