National Eat Dinner Together week is coming up

As the school year begins and schedules get hectic, don’t let the family dinner table suffer.

To bring attention to the importance of the family eating together, Sept. 16-22 has been designated 12th Annual National Eat Dinner Together Week.

The National Pork Board is helping America’s families ditch the drive-through and fix family-friendly dinners without stressing-out or spending hours in the kitchen.

According to a recent “Together For Dinner” survey conducted by the Pork Board, 88 percent of families believe it is very or extremely important to eat together, (up 10 percent since 2005), while the top three barriers to making it happen remain the same including conflicting schedules, work schedule and kids’ activities. That’s why during this hectic season, more than half of Americans (58 percent) said they spend 30 minutes or less preparing dinner.

The Pork Board asked “Too Hot Tamales” Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, celebrity chefs and owners of Border Grill Santa Monica, Border Grill Las Vegas, and Ciudad in Los Angeles, to create pork recipes that are simple and require few ingredients. Milliken and Feniger created plum pepper pork that makes enough for two meals and the leftovers can be used in a curried pork and apple salad.

Beginning Sept. 16 through Oct. 13, home cooks can visit www.TogetherForDinner.com to enter or mail in their family’s favorite, yet demanding pork recipe, along with a short description of why they should be chosen for a “recipe makeover.”

One grand prize winner will have their time-consuming dish simplified by the “Too Hot Tamales,” and also receive a $1,500 gift certificate for Dream Dinners and a $1,000 gift certificate for family cooking classes.

Here are recipes from Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the “Too Hot Tamales.”

Plum pepper pork
2 whole pork tenderloins, about 12 ounces each
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallot or red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups chopped ripe purple plums or pluots
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil to pan. Sauté pork in oil until browned all over, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer pork to an ovenproof dish and roast in oven for 12 to 13 minutes, until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin reads 150 degrees.

Meanwhile, return sauté pan to stovetop over medium heat and add shallot, salt and cracked black pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add plums and sauté until they start to soften and brown. Add brown sugar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and bubbling. Add wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the browned bits. Continue cooking, for about 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced by half and mixture becomes a chunky sauce. Stir in butter and remove from heat.

Remove roasted pork from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to rest for 5 minutes under a foil tent until a final internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. Cut pork into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices and arrange on serving plates. Add any remaining pork juices to the sauce. Spoon sauce over the pork and serve immediately. Save remaining pork and 1/4 cup leftover sauce for curried pork and apple salad recipe. Makes 4 servings.
Each serving: 330 calories, 13 g. fat, 90 mg. cholesterol, 300 mg. sodium, 19 g. carbohydrate, 28 g. protein, 1 g. fiber.

Note: If you prefer, substitute 1 cup chicken broth in place of the red wine. After reducing, finish the sauce by adding the juice of 1/2 lemon before stirring in the butter.

Curried pork and apple salad
1 1/4 cups leftover roasted pork, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 leaves green leaf lettuce
1/4 cup of the leftover plum pepper pork sauce, for serving

Combine diced pork, apple, celery and scallions in bowl. Set aside. Combine mayonnaise and vinegar and curry powder or garam masala. Add to pork mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Line two serving plates with lettuce leaves. Divide pork salad in half and place a mound in center of each plate. Serve with leftover plum pepper pork sauce. Makes 2 servings.

Each serving: 340 calories, 18 g. fat, 75 mg. cholesterol, 270 mg. sodium, 16 g. carbohydrate, 25 g. protein, 2 g. fiber.