Dining in Santa Fe and a Yummy Recipe in November

Back again for a brief update on our goings on out here.

First off...we had a dinner out at a great restaurant in Santa Fe called Dinner for Two, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs K, my in-laws. (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!)

The cuisine is probably what I would call French-American. We invited Mr and Mrs B to go with us, as it was kinda last minute.

When Mr K told me he got us a reservation to dine, this was my reaction:

As you can see, I was excited to eat out and get all fancified. Ta-dah!

And because I liked my 30s/40s inspired makeup, here's a glamor shot of that.

Hehehe. It's so much fun to dress up.

But anyway...
If you're ever looking for a great little place to try, try them. Their food was divine. The service fantastic and if you get there on a Saturday, they have live music. We had a classical guitarist play softly in the background the entire time we were there. What's not to like?

Suggestion: order a bottle of wine for the table if there are more than two people who like wine. Three of us had a chardonnay. Lovely.

Mr. K had the Buttermilk fried chicken. I had the coq au vin with a pear and cranberry gastrique and duck confit. Mr and Mrs B had Buttermilk chicken and a delicious looking tuna. Both of them said theirs was delish.

And sadly, because the food was just so amazing, there are no pictures.

But just trust me. It was good. I recommend it.

The server was a real doll and when an error occurred, he gifted the entire table with Bananas Foster.

Oh. My. Word. I'm not usually a person for that dish, but it was perfect.
Made table side, flambé, and then caramelized, you have to try it.

Even Mr. K, who doesn't like bananas, liked it. So there you go. It's a crowd pleaser.

When we got home, I told Mr. K that he can take me there any time he wants. He was shocked.
I was shocked he was shocked.

And what was more shocking?
Nothing really.

I just wanted an excuse to take a shocking photo!
Haha.

Yup. We're dorks.

Anyway...

I made an easy and delicious winter meal the other day. Mr K approved too, so you know it's yummy.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pork Tenderloin.

One word.
Scrumptious.

Easy recipe actually. Keep in mind though that I am baking this at 7,500 feet above sea level, so the cooking times might be a little off if you're at sea level. Just check on your meat periodically during the cooking.

Alright! Now for the recipe!
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Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).

Peel and gut a medium butternut squash. Dice it up. Throw into a vegetable plastic bag (the kind you get at the market for tomatoes and such). Dice up a zucchini. Add a chunky chopped onion. And three cloves of garlic, roughly chopped. Drizzle in two tablespoons olive oil. Add about a teaspoon and a half to two teaspoons of Herbes de Provence (mainly thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano, and bay leaf if you don't have a mix available). Then toss in some salt and pepper to taste. Spin the bag twice to close the top. Then shake and shake until everything is coated. Pour into an oven roasting pan.

Now, take your pork tenderloin and put it into the same bag. Toss it around in there and then dump it ontop of the squash bits. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and some extra herbs if you desire.
Cut two thin slices of salted butter and put on top of the meat. Drizzle everything with a little bit more olive oil if you want more of a sauce.
Then cover it with aluminum foil and toss that baby into the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Take the foil off, raise the temp to 390 F (200 C) and let cook for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. (Use a meat thermometer. I live by that thing up in these mountains now...)

Move the whole thing up to the broiler bit and broil for about three minutes, just to get a crispy exterior.
Remove the meat and let rest.
SERIOUSLY. Let it rest for at least three minutes! You want those juices to stay in the meat.
(I like to let mine rest about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.)

With a slotted spoon, take the veggies out and set them into a bowl. Use the remaining juices as a sauce and put into a container. Now, slice the meat into 3/4 inch slices (2cm) and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Our town is gearing up for the holidays. Saw this on the walk home the other night.

So pretty. I love this time of year.

Well, I guess that's it for now. Oh! But before I forget...

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Until next time,
Bisous!