Leftovers are becoming a way of life here at Chez Carr. Having cooked for six at one point in my life with four of the family members eating prodigious amounts of food through their teenage years, you might imagine that I had to learn to cook large quantities of food. But those days were hectic but all too swift. And then there were two.

Still under fifty, and living busy and physically active lives, the amount of food required at Chez Carr dropped considerably. Now that the two of us are in our seventies, with medical conditions to take into consideration, cooking has become a whole new ball game. And I still can’t quite get it right. I simply am unable to fix the appropriate amount of food for a two-person meal with no leftovers. And until recently I was never a fan of leftovers. However, I have evolved into a true believer! Especially if it means that I don’t have to produce a new gastronomic work of art every single evening.    

And granted, our appetites have diminished appreciably as we have gotten older. And in my own defense, there is the relevant fact that some dishes cannot be constructed to serve only two people. (At least, not just enough for one meal.) For example, who can make homemade chili for two? Or chicken noodle soup or eat two pork tenderloin at one sitting? Maybe some folks can, but it’s not happening at our house. So, dishes like today’s featured recipe are fast becoming de rigueur.

But like I stated above, leftovers have been given a new and honored place in making my life easier. Even if the leftover ingredient becomes a whole different dish. Dinner prep just somehow feels easier if even one ingredient is already cooked.

So, if you too ever find yourself with extra cooked pork tenderloin, may I suggest you prepare this recipe. It’s very tasty, and quite easy to prepare. I found the bones of this recipe on the slenderkitchen.com site. And as far as the polenta goes, just make it. It is really wonderful, and the perfect base for this pork tenderloin dish.

Well, as always, have fun in your kitchen. Keep cooking fun and interesting dishes. And sit down and eat together. Discuss your day even if you have been in each other’s company since breakfast. There is always something you read or learned that your dinner companion(s) might find interesting.

Peace and love to all.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 T. tomato paste

¼ c. sliced pepperoncini

2 T. pepperoncini liquid

1 c. chicken broth, or more as needed

1 leftover pork tenderloin, cut into small bite sized pieces

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or covered oven proof pan. Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, sliced pepperoncini, pepperoncini liquid, chicken broth, and pork tenderloin pieces. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 1 hour or until the pork is fork tender. If more liquid is required, add additional chicken broth.

When the pork is tender, serve over Parmesan Polenta (see recipe below), rice, or al dente noodles.

PARMESAN POLENTA

4 c. chicken broth

pinch sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 scant c. polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal) (not instant or fast cooking variety)

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth, salt, and pepper to a boil in a medium-sized, covered saucepan. Whisk the dry polenta slowly into the boiling broth until all of the ground corn is stirred in with no lumps remaining.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking continuously until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. (Polenta mixture should still be slightly liquid.) Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 7 minutes or so. (When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon.) Polenta is done when the texture is creamy, and the individual grains of ground corn are tender.

Remove from heat and gently stir in the butter until partially melted. Then add in the Parmesan until the cheese too has melted.

Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken. Stir, then taste to see if additional salt or pepper is required.