Birthday Fiesta!

Barb made this birthday meal a few years ago. She was inspired by the May 2001 edition of Bon Appétit. Here are the recipes:

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ORANGE-CHIPOTLE SAUCE
(LOMO DE PUERCO CON SALSA DE NARANJA Y CHILE CHIPOTLE)

For a flavorful side dish, brush carrots, green onions, zucchini strips, and asparagus with vinaigrette, then grill. Pour a Mexican Nebbiolo or Spanish Garnacha blend.
10 SERVINGS

3 1/2 pounds pork tenderloins
6 cups orange juice
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles

Divide pork between 2 re-sealable plastic bags. Pour 1 cup orange juice and 1 teaspoon salt into each bag; seal. Turn to coat. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; saute until soft but not browned, about 2 min­utes. Add wine; boil until reduced to glaze, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups orange juice and broth; boil until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 45 minutes. (Can be made1 day ahead. Cool. Cover and chill.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drain pork; pat dry. Grill to desired doneness, turning often, about 18 minutes for medium. Transfer to work surface; tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring sauce to simmer; mix in cilantro, chives, and chipotle chiles. Slice pork. Serve with sauce.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH ROASTED GARLIC
(PURE DE CAMOTES CON AJO)

10 SERVINGS
2 heads of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Cut tops off garlic. Place on foil; drizzle with oil. Enclose garlic in foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Squeeze garlic to release from skins. Cook sweet potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Add milk, cream, butter, and roasted garlic. Using handheld electric mixer, beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Re-warm in microwave)


TORTILLA SOUP
(SOPA DE TORTILLA)

6 SERVINGS
6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed
2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed
12 5- to 6-inch-diameter white corn tortillas
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons corn oil
2 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 small white onion
2 large garlic cloves
1 large sprig fresh epazote or 2 large fresh cilantro sprigs
Pinch of baking soda
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
1/4 cup crema mexicana or sour cream
Cut slit in 1 long side of each chile; pull open. Remove seeds and membranes; press chiles flat. Cut pasilla chiles into 1x1/4-inch strips. Cut 6 tortillas into 1x1/4-inch strips. Heat 2/3 cup oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.

Working in batches, add tortilla strips to skillet; toss until crisp and golden, about 1 minute. Using slot­ted spoon, transfer strips to paper towels. One at a time, fry 6 whole tortillas in oil until golden and almost crisp, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels. Working in batches, add guajillo chiles to skillet; press with spatula until chiles begin to blister, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels. Add pasilla chile strips to skillet; stir 10 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Combine tomatoes and next 5 ingredients in heavy large pot. Coarsely crumble whole tortillas, then guajillo chiles into pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until water is almost absorbed and chiles are soft, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Working in 3 batches, puree mixture in blender until smooth, adding 1/4 cup broth to each batch. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomato mixture; stir until thick and deeper in color, about 2 minutes. Add 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Simmer 8 minutes to develop flavors. Season with salt.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with tortilla strips, chile strips, cheese, diced avocado, and crema.

Master Recipe for Seared Scallops

This is a follow-up recipe to my entry about seared sea scallops. It's from Fine Cooking and it's written by Molly Stevens and serves two to three:

Ingredients:
1 pound dry large sea scallops

Ingredients for 1 sauce recipe:

Classic Herb Butter Sauce,

Spicy Coconut Curry Sauce, or Spicy Red Pepper & Cilantro Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, peanut oil, or a mix of oil

unsalted butter

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

How to make:
Prepare the ingredients for the sauce. Remove the tough abductor muscle from the side of each scallop (some scallops are sold with the muscle already removed). If you feel any grit on the scallops, rinse them under cold water. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels; surface moisture impedes browning. Heat a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter, if using, and heat until quite hot. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer. Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot. Let the pan cool for a minute before you make the sauce.
Dry the scallops well to ensure a golden crust.
For a deeply golden sear, use medium-high heat and don’t crowd the pan. To avoid tearing the scallops while turning them, use a nonstick skillet and handle them gently.

Fine Cooking #72, pp. 49