My sweet celiac and youngest, Izzy

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Lunch Bunch - Mommy and Me

So tomorrow a fantastic friend, Stella, and her sweet, adorable kiddos are coming for a playdate and lunch.  For some people this can be stressful...DO NOT WORRY, feeding friends can be easy and less time consuming that you think.  We're talking 30 minutes or less.  What's on the menu?  Sweet and Smoky Pork Tenderloin and sweet pea salad for the adults and homemade "lunchables" for the kiddos.  For me, it's always important for me to have something a little more elegant for the adults and a little more kid friendly for the kids when I have people over for playdates and lunches....this does not mean twice the work.  I will prep this meal while I cook breakfast in the morning and it will take no time at all. 

Let's get started:
Sweet and Smoky Pork, Sweet Pea Salad

1 lb pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 16 oz frozen sweet peas
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
half a red onion thinly sliced
1 red pepper chopped
1/2 organic baby carrots chopped
1/4 c feta crumbled
3Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tsbp olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. remove pork tenderloin from packaging and rinse, pat dry.  Combine the next 6 ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine then rub all over the outside of the tenderloin.  Put the pork tenderloin in a lightly greased baking dish and cook 20-30 minutes.  Pull out and let rest.  Meanwhile  steam the sweet peas according to package directions in steamer or microwave and let cool, I love to add a dash of garlic and onion powder and salt while they steam for flavor.  Chop lettuce and add the next 5 ingredients and toss plus the green peas.  Combine the Red wine, oil and salt/pepper in a small bowl and toss at the last minute.  Slice the pork on the biase and plate salad putting the pork across the top in bite sized pieces and serve.

Homemade Lunchables:

sliced gfree deli meat of choice or variety (ham/turley/salami), cut in cookie cutter rounds that will fit on crackers
sliced cheese of choice (our fav is munster but cheddar or swiss also works) cut out for crackers as well
2 pkgs gfree glutino crackers (multi grain, chddar or veggie)
cucumber thinkly sliced
cherry tomatoes halved
1Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice
salt/pepper
8 oz strawberries, hulled and halved

Take a 1 inch  cookie cutter and cut the meats and cheeses into rounds that will fit on the crackers.
One a plate take a mi of meats, cheeses and crackers. Combine the cucumber and tomatoes along with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Add a side of strawberries as well. I love to add a frozen tube of organic frozen yogurt as a "dessert"


Perfect mommy/daughter lunch with friends!!!!!!

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