All the President’s Menus (29 page)

I covered my mouth with my hand. “That’s got to be devastating for him.”

“It is.” The president and Gav exchanged another look. “We will be doing our best to help him acclimate. Once Tibor spilled the truth, Cleto was very quick to request asylum as well. He will be facing charges here, of course. The good news is that with neither man returning to Saardisca, the government there has no idea what transpired. They only know that Cleto and Tibor have decided to stay.”

“What about our diplomatic relations with Saardisca?” I asked. “How will they be impacted?”

President Hyden spread his hands. “That remains to be seen.”

*   *   *

Gav and I had the following two days off, too. We slept late both days and didn’t leave the apartment until mid-afternoon the second day, when hunger drove us into civilization on a quest for quality carry-out. On our return, Mrs. Wentworth met us in the hallway. “What’s with you two?” she asked, taking in our uber-casual clothing and sniffing around our aromatic bags of tacos, guacamole, chips, salsa, and practically the entire left side of the local Mexican restaurant’s menu.

“Day off,” I said. “How’s Stan?”

“Much better.” She turned toward the open doorway and spoke loudly. “He’s feeling better because he started listening to me. Totally on the mend now, thanks to a lot of rest.” She held a hand up near her mouth and whispered, “And some powerful antibiotics.”

“Good to hear,” I said.

As we made our way past her, she asked, “Not much new at the White House these days, is there?”

I turned as Gav unlocked the door. “Nope, nothing much at all.”

“Except for that emergency drill they ran the other night.”

“Oh?” I asked innocently.

“Didn’t you hear about it? They roped off Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to practice how the hazardous materials teams would perform in an emergency. I thought for sure you’d be in the middle of something like that.”

“Sounds like I missed the excitement this time,” I said. Ahead of me, Gav pushed the door open. I was pretty sure he stifled a snort.

“Yes, well,” she said with a dismissive wave, “this was just a drill. Whenever you get involved, it’s the real thing.”

“Too true,” I said. As I made it through my apartment door, I waved to my neighbor. “See you later, Mrs. Wentworth.”

CHICKEN PITA SANDWICHES

1 Roma tomato, diced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ chicken breast (leftover works best, especially pan-seared; you want this to have been cooked already, and preferably with some nice caramelization, for extra flavor)

Garlic powder

Cayenne pepper

Dried cilantro, chervil, basil, or other herbs

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

½ white onion, diced

10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise

1 pita (two halves of a pocket pita or one whole non-pocket)

1 tablespoon Italian dressing (oil and vinegar based, not creamy), optional

1 cup romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts only; omit leafy part)

Drizzle Roma tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper. Set aside.

Dice chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Season with garlic powder, cayenne, and herbs, all to taste. Set aside.

Heat skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add grapeseed oil and heat until the surface of the oil shimmers slightly. Add onions and kalamata olives and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in chicken pieces and sauté until everything is hot and well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl.

If using a pocket pita, fill each pocket with a drizzle of Italian dressing (if using), then add in half the romaine, half the chicken, half the cucumber, half the green onions, and half the tomatoes. (Note that in my family, no two of us build our pitas in the same order, so mix it up. Surprisingly, you’ll have a slightly different experience depending on how you build it, so experiment until you find your own preferred order.)

If using a non-pocket pita, simply build your sandwich on the pita following the same steps as above, fold it over, and enjoy.

Yield: 2 sandwiches

FALL HARVEST QUINOA AND CHICKEN SOUP

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, excess fat removed

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat removed

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped celery

1 (10 oz.) bag frozen corn

1 clove garlic, minced

8 cups chicken broth, divided

1 teaspoon dried thyme (leaf, not ground)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½- to 1-inch cubes

½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

4 cups chopped fresh kale

Crusty whole-grain bread, for serving

Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Heat a large (5-quart or larger) soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat through. Lower heat to medium, season chicken breasts and thighs, and cook approximately 8 minutes per side, until no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan (add a little extra oil if necessary); season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add frozen corn and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and the thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add sweet potatoes and quinoa. Shred chicken and return to pot. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add kale and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serve with crusty whole-grain bread. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

(Note about reheating leftovers: You may wish to add more chicken broth, or even water, when reheating. The quinoa tends to absorb much of the liquid as it cools, so you may need to add more to reach the desired consistency.)

PECAN-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ORANGE-MAPLE GLAZE

1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more as needed, divided

1½ cups toasted pecan pieces, plus more as needed, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 oranges (1 juiced, one cut in half and then cut into moderately thin slices)

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steamed or sautéed green beans, for serving

Slice pork into ¾- to 1-inch-thick slices, then lay flat and flatten further with the heel of your hand. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place 3 tablespoons maple syrup in one bowl and the toasted pecan pieces in another bowl. Set up a station next to your cooktop with the pecans closest to where your skillet will be, the maple syrup next to the bowl of pecans, and the pork slices next to that.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and allow to heat.

Working quickly, place one piece of pork into the bowl of syrup, turning to coat thoroughly, then press into the bowl of pecan pieces, covering only one side of the pork with the pecan pieces. Carefully place into skillet, nut side down, trying to keep as many pecan pieces adhered as possible. Repeat with the remaining pork slices. (You may need some additional syrup and/or pecan pieces to cover all the pork.)

Pour any remaining syrup over the pork in the skillet, then press any remaining pecan pieces onto the pork slices, distributing them as evenly as possible.

Cook the pork for 5 to 6 minutes until browned, then flip and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until fully cooked. Transfer to a platter and cover lightly.

Combine orange juice, remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup, cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl and whisk to mix thoroughly. Add to skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over pork.

Serve pork over a bed of steamed or sautéed green beans, with 3 to 4 orange slices for garnish.