This is something special, if you like pork, and you are having guests. Ist so easy to prepare and so tasty... it just works wonder everytime you invite somebody. Whenever I made it - and invited friends over for dinner - it was a success... and everybody was asking for the recipe... I try not to eat pork at all... but since I tried this recipe, it's very difficult to "manage" (one month) without it...

Marinated Pork Fillet with mushrooms and green beans:

For 2 personnes:

2 pork fillets (300 gr each)

250 gr /8 oz Pleurotte mushrooms

250 gr /8 oz Portobello mushrooms

250 gr /8 oz green beans

4 garlic cloves (with the skin on)

Olive oil

Sea salt & pepper

For the marinade:

3 tblsp Soya sauce

2 tblsp vegetable oil

2 tblsp honey

1 tsp dried whole chilli pepper (crushed)

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

2 tblsp lemon or lime juice

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Pour into a resealable freezer bag (17,8X20,3cm) together with the pork fillets. Keep it in the fridge for at least 30 min.

Preheat the oven (400 *F/200 *C) . Clean and cut the mushrooms into big pieces. Wash and pat dry the green beans. Prepare 4 garlic cloves - but leave the skin on. /or 1 whole garlic/

Take out the pork fillets from the plastic bag, fry them 4-5 min each side in a little olive oil (very hot temp.) - turning just once.

Put aluminium foil on a big oven tray. Arrange the green beans, mushrooms and the garlic cloves/or the whole garlic (with the skin) on it; pour over little olive oil; salt and pepper to taste. Then put on top of the vegetables the 2 pork fillets. /Or you can do separately, the veg. on a different tray/

Cook in the oven about 10-15 mint - check with a meat thermometer (it has to be 145 *F), this is the only definitive way to know that your meat is cooked properly... When you take the tray out of the oven, leave the meat to "rest" for 5 minutes.

Pour the marinade into a saucepan and "bubble" just once.

Serve (with the syrupy sauce) after the 5 min resting time immediately and enjoy the compliments about your cooking ability and tasteful dinner...

Velvety carrot-ginger soup:

A colourful bowl of silky-smooth carrot soup sets the mood for a decadent holiday dinner. It's so rich and velvety you may think it's made with cream. Not at all!

 

3 garlic cloves

1 large onion

2 tbsp. (30 ml) butter or olive oil

6 large carrots

1 large or 2 small parsnips (optional)

1 tsp. (5 ml) grated fresh ginger or 1-1/2 tsp. (7 ml) bottled minced ginger

1-1/2 tsp. (7 ml) ground cumin

1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt

1/4 tsp. (1 ml) ground nutmeg

4 cups (1 L) water

2 (10-oz/284-mL) cans undiluted chicken broth

Carrot Coleslaw Garnish (recipe, below)

Coarsely chop garlic and onion. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and stir often until soft, 5 min. Meanwhile, peel carrots and parsnips. Slice into 1/2-inch- (1-cm-) thick rounds. Grate ginger. Add all to onion mixture. Sprinkle with cumin, salt and nutmeg. Stir in water and undiluted chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are very tender, 30 minutes.

Ladle about one-third of soup into a food processor. Whirl until puréed, scraping down inside of bowl as needed. If you like your soup with a velvety silken texture, press through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Discard anything that doesn't pass through sieve. Repeat with remaining soup in 2 more batches. Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated, at least 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.

When ready to serve, heat soup over medium-high, stirring often until hot. For an hors d'oeuvre, pour soup into shot glasses or demitasse cups. For a first course, serve in warm bowls. Spoon some of Carrot Coleslaw Garnish (recipe, below) in centre of each. Swirl a little sour cream on top, if you like.

• Carrot Coleslaw Garnish: Grate 1 large carrot using large holes on box grater to create long carrot shreds. Finely dice 1 large celery stick. Place carrot and celery in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) each salt and granulated sugar. Stir in 1 tsp. (5 ml) white-wine vinegar. Taste. Add more salt or sugar if needed. Stir in 2 tbsp. (30 ml) chopped fresh chives. Use right away or cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours.