Apple and Parsnip Soup, Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa and Whole Carrots, finished with Pear and Almond Cake with Almond Mascarpone Cream

As you'll notice, my blog is seriously lacking phots this week (Nov 1st)...I can explain!
As it turns out, I had a guest for dinner last week, which completely mixed me up. I was so busy preparing and hosting, I totally forgot to take my snaps!!!!
We were finished dinner before I even realised I hadn't taken the pictures for my blog...so here's what I do have.
Gotta say though, the meal WAS fabulous.


Pear and Almond Cake with Almond Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients

4             large eggs

¾ cup    sugar

½ cup    soft butter, plus extra for greasing cake pan

1 1/3      blanched almonds, finely ground

4 tbsp    flour

1 tsp      baking powder

3              firm pears, peeled, halved, cored and sliced, keeping their shape together

1 cup     mascarpone cheese

3 tbsp    icing sugar

½ cup    whipping cream

1 tsp      almond extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10 inch cake pan with removable bottom and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Slowly beat eggs and gently add in sugar until well-mixed. Beat on high until pale and very thick, about 5 min. Beat in soft butter, fold in almonds, flour and baking powder.

Transfer mixture to cake pan and arrange sliced pear halves, round side up. Push pears into batter until they are half submerged. Sprinkle pears with 2 tbsp sugar.

Place in oven and bake for 35-40 min or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cool to room temperature.

Beat mascarpone and icing sugar until fluffy. Add almond extract. Beat whipping cream until stiff and fold in mascarpone. Serve with cake.

Apple and Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp    olive oil or grape seed oil

2              leeks, white part only chopped

2              garlic cloves, minced

3              parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 ½ c      chicken stock

2              large thyme sprigs

1 tsp      ground turmeric

½ tsp     ground ginger

¼ tsp     ground cardamom

3              large apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Salt and pepper

Cilantro sprigs

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add leeks and garlic and sauté until soft. Do not brown. Add parsnip and continue to sauté over med-low heat until almost soft, then add chicken stock, thyme seasonings and apples. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 min or until apples are soft.

Remove thyme stems. Remove from heat. Cool mixture before pureeing. Then puree and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat. Serve topped with cilantro and parsnip crisps (recipe follows).

Parsnip Crisps

1              large parsnip

                Grape seed oil

Peel a large parsnip and thinly slice on a mandolin. Heat ¼ inch grape seed oil in pan until very hot, almost smoking. Fry slices, several aat a time, until golden brown, about 2-3 min. Crisps will curl and twist slightly. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt. They will stay crisp for several hours.

Apple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Quinoa and Whole Carrots

Marinade

1 cup     apple cider

2 tbsp    grape seed oil

2 tbsp    tamari soy sauce

1              clove garlic, minced

1 tsp      fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

¼ each  salt and crushed chillies

Tenderloin

1 lb         pork tenderloin

1 tbsp    butter

Press tenderloin into marinade and rotate to evenly coat. Tightly seal and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours or overnight. Turn tenderloin several times.

Remove pork from marinade, reserving juices for sauce.

Melt butter in a heavy sauté pan over med-high heat. Add tenderloin and cook for 5 min, turning several times in pan until lightly browned on all sides. Add a splash of water if necessary.

Cover and simmer for 12 min – until tender and a hint of pink still remains.

Remove from pan and place on platter to rest for 5 min before serving. Cover to keep warm. Cut into thick rounds to serve.

Sauce

2 tbsp    unsalted butter

2 tbsp    flour

½ cup    water

3 tbsp    brown sugar

1 tsp      Dijon mustard

To make sauce, melt butter in pan. Whisk in flour until crumbly. Whisk in water, sugar, Dijon and remaining marinade juices stirring until smooth.

Continue to cook until reduced and thickened.

Quinoa - follow package directions