A Worthy Repost: The Other White Meat

We ran into some JAG friends on the hike and got a family pic other than a selfie - WIN!

 So we have been exploring a bunch this summer and it has been great!  (However, while I write this I am sitting on my couch, possibly still in my PJs because we are taking a knee this weekend!)  A few weeks ago we went for a family hike to Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park.  It is a short hike down to the falls but it feels twice as long heading back up ALL THOSE STEPS.

Not Pictured: two teenage girls striking poses in bikinis for their father who was smoking an e-cig.  It was so amazing.

 
Owen has become quite the little hiker and only complained a little bit.  Ever seen "The Jerk?" He is my little Steve Martin because he insists on bringing along the treasure de jour on every adventure.  On this particular day it was a bug catcher and binoculars. 

He said he thought he saw *something.*

Am  I the luckiest girl or what?

Now for the food.  Oh the food.  We have been grilling a bunch this summer (doesn't everyone?) and one of my favorites is this tasty pork tenderloin from my BFF Ina.  I made this Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork from Back to Basics via the oven back in 2010 and blogged about it - I was actually wearing the same Kansas t-shirt in that post - HA! (check it out here!) and it was delish!  But I have worked out the kinks and it is so much better to grill as all the heat is outside and Jeremy does all the heavy lifting!  The key is marinating it overnight!  But I will pat my own back and let you know that I did in fact make this recipe on a girls weekend and did all the grilling to perfection.  Girls grill too!

Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork
~Serves 6~

{Ingredients}

1 lemon, zest grated

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)

Olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each - I only used 2 loins to feed my fam of four)

Freshly ground black pepper

{Instructions}

1) Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1 gallon resealable plastic bag.  Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.  Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.  I cannot stress this enough, DO IT OVERNIGHT.  It makes all the difference.

2)  When you are ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill.  Brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the pork from sticking.  Remove the tenderloins from the marinade discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat.  Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.  Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the heat of the coals) until the meat registers 137* in the thickest part (and that, my friends, is the magic number - we always use this as our temperature gauge and it makes for perfect pork tenderloin!). 

3) Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Carve in 1/2" thick diagonal slices.  The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (its just fine!  Don't be scared of the pink!  It is SO MUCH BETTER PINK) and the thinnest part will be well done.  Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect on the platter.  

Bon Appetit my friends!

Eating in the Rain

Elliott has become very helpful at rearranging my cabinets.  Super helpful.

We have had a very wet and hot summer.  If it isn't pouring rain, then it is blazing hot.  Under both circumstances we don't go outside.  Poor little boys stuck with a mama from California who only likes it outside when the weather is perfect.  So we make up inside games, like pull all the dishes out of the cabinet!  Whoo hoo!

But today was different.  It was a little humid, not too hot and we finished the day with a light rain.  Light enough that we ate dinner on the deck under our umbrella.  It was delightful!  But don't let the above picture fool you, Elliott was a bit impatient and squawked with indignation if we didn't get food onto his tray quick enough.  This smile was a rarity at dinner tonight.  Clearly we are starving him.

Tonight we dined on Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Bacon Salad.  Double the Pig, Double the Fun!  I got this little gem from Cooking Light - I generally don't like their recipes simply because there are a million steps to cutting out the fat and making the food taste good.  But this recipe was delish and we all loved it!  I tweaked it a bit based on what we had in our fridge so I'll give both variations.

Grilled Pork Chops with Nectarines

~ serves 4 ~

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3 1/2 teaspoons EVOO, divided

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 (6 oz) bone-in-center-cut pork chops (about 1/2" thick) (I bought boneless because they looked better and I could get more for my money and feed the masses.  Elliott was only interested in Annie's Mac N' Cheese but Owen was all in.  Yay for my good eater!)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray (I never used it, just EVOO)

2 ripe nectarines (I used white peaches from the farmers market)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 teaspoons mascarpone cheese (Trader Joe's didn't have it and I am only willing to make one shopping stop with my two little monsters)

Instructions

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Combine thyme, 1 tablespoon oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  Rub oil mixture evenly over pork chops; sprinkle with salt and black pepper (Owen helped me with this step and I just have to say I love cooking with my soon to be big 3 year old).  Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Let stand 10 minutes.

3.  While pork stands, cut nectarines in half; discard pits.  Combine sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, cumin, and red pepper in a small bowl.  Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over cut sides of nectarines.  Place nectarines on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender.  Cut nectarines into wedges; top evenly with mascarpone cheese (I bet this would take it over the top - we'll try it next time!).  Serve with pork. 

Bacon Herb Salad

2 center cut bacon strips

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (6 oz) package herb salad mix (I used spinach and arugula because I am not a fan of the dill in herb salad mix.  Not sure what it is but it is extremely off-putting to me.)

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan; crumble.  Pour drippings (I didn't use all of the drippings because this seamed excessively bacony) into a medium bowl.  Add vinegar, mustard, honey, pepper and salt into bowl; stir with a whisk (NOTE: if you let it sit for a bit, the bacon drippings will begin to harden.  Just throw it in the microwave for a few seconds and voila!).  Add herb salad mix; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with bacon.

Bon Apetit!

My sweet boy.  Can't believe he'll be three in a few weeks!

Smokey Joes

I'd like to meet the cook who saw these little guys and came up with this little gem of a dish! Seriously, I doubt I would have perused the deli aisle and said, "Yum, tiny little wieners all mashed together in some juices, I need to get me some of those!" But someone clearly did. And then they added bacon. Be still my heart, I'm in love. And I'm happy to report, that I now am not afraid of aesthetically unpleasing food :)

I've used this recipe for brunches and cocktail hour - its great for both. In fact, I made them for a baby shower for my girlfriend Julie (who just asked for the recipe and is now living in El Salvador - not sure where she'll be getting the smokies unless there is some sort of commissary...) and they were a hit!

Get some tiny little wieners and some bacon and get wrapping!

Little Smokey Wraps
Serves alot - although I usually double the recipe...

Ingredients
1 pound little smokies
1 pound bacon
3/4 box brown sugar
toothpicks

Instructions
Slice bacon into thirds. Wrap sliced bacon around each smokey. Secure wit a toothpick. Place on a 2 piece broiler pan (I usually get the disposable aluminum foil pans as this recipe makes a giant mess that I am unwilling to clean up - if you still want to go with the broiler pan, at least line the bottom with aluminum foil). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 2 hours at 250*.

Bon Appetit!

I always eat dessert first.

I will admit first, that this post has taken me about 24 hours to finish due to complications with our internet connection and the fact that every time I try to type above the photos, the font looks like a hyperlink - I can't figure it out so I am adding the information under the picture. Argh!!

So, I don't really "always" eat dessert first - but when it comes to Creme Brulee, I strongly consider it. And the phrase "I always eat dessert first" harkens back to my UC Davis days. This kid Albert (ensconced in his maroon sweat pant suit) used to roam around the dining commons muttering under his breath that he always ate dessert first. And that he did.

Anyhow, I made two divine recipes this weekend. The first was Prosciutto-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce. My dear friend Angela sent this recipe to me ages ago, and I finally mustered enough nerve to actually try it (tying meat with twine freaks me out a bit and it takes me outside my culinary comfort zone). I feel like a whole new woman having taken on this recipe. Two words: Um Yum.

Prosciutto Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

2 lbs pork tenderloins

3/4 lb mushrooms, sliced

8 thin slices prosciutto (8x2 inches)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (from French bread - however, I cheated and used plain bread crumbs brought to me by Progresso)

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1. Lay tenderloins side by side - overlap prosciutto strips cross-wise down the length of the pork. Mix breadcrumbs, 1 tsp each of rosemary and thyme (be generous!) and 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle on top of prosciutto - fold prosciutto over the stuffing and roll 2nd loin over first and tie with kitchen twine.

2. Mix salt, pepper, 1 tsp each of rosemary and thyme (again, be generous!) - rub over roast. (The first time I made this recipe I just sprinkled everything individually - it was MUCH better mixing them all together and rubbing onto the roast.) Let roast stand for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet (I used my AllClad and it was a little too small and I had a difficult time rotating the roast. The second time, I used my oval dutch oven and it worked much better). Add roast and saute until brown, turning often. Place skillet and roast in oven - roast at 350* until thermometer reaches 145* (about 35 minutes).

3. Add mushrooms and garlic to skillet over medium heat for 6 minutes (may need to add butter - I took this instruction as mandatory - everything is better with butter). Add wine and broth. Boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, approx. 6 minutes (both times I've had to add a little corn starch to thicken the sauce). Season with salt and pepper - serve over pork.

My resting roast - doesn't it look yummy?? You can see the prosciutto peaking out on the ends. It was so good, my mouth is watering just looking at this picture.

Sauteing the 'shrooms in my delightful dutch oven.

The finished product with a yummy orzo, tomato and walnut salad topped with feta. Also a great recipe. So good, that I'll go ahead and give it to you:

Ingredients:
1/2 lb orzo pasta (this amount is not merely a suggestion - I did 1 pound and I think Jeremy and I will be eating orzo salad for the rest of our lives)
1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
2-3 stems fresh oregano, leaves stripped from stems, finely chopped (the fresh oregano really made the difference - I've made it before with dried oregano and it just didn't compare)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper


Cook orzo in slated water to al dente. Toast walnuts while you cut up tomatoes and place in a bowl. Cool nuts slightly, chop and add to tomatoes. Add the zest and juice of a lemon, 2 tbsp oil (you can go easy on this...), feta, and oregano. Drain pasta, toss with tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.


DELISH.


Finally, to top off the evening, we indulged ourselves in Classic Creme Brulee. My dear sweet Mother-in-Law got me a Creme Brulee cookbook and all the accouterments (the torch is Jeremy's favorite kitchen tool). It was actually easier to make than I thought - although I did have to call my Culinary Mentor (my mom) several times to make sure I wasn't making any wrong turns!


Ingredients
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
4-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp Cognac (optional - I actually used Brandy as I have it on hand for cooking and its a tiny bit more affordable!)
6 tbsp oven-dried brown sugar or granulated sugar for topping


1) Pour the cream into a medium saucepan, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream, and add the vanilla pod. Place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat and let cook to room temperature (I was super impatient and it felt like it took literally hours for it to cool). Remove the vanilla pod and scrape any remaining seeds into the cream.


2) Preheat oven to 275*.


3) In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale in color. Whisk in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar until dissolved. Gradually whisk in the cream. Stir in the Cognac, if desired.


4) Place six standard-size flan dishes in a baking pan. Divide the custard mixture among the dishes. Pour warm water int o the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes (this has two purposes: it creates a moist environment for the custard so its nice and smooth, and assists in the cooking time - I used cold water and ended up having to cook the custard for about 60 minutes). Back in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center of each custard still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and lift the dishes from the hot water. Let cool briefly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.


5) When ready to serve, place the dishes on a backing sheet. Evenly sprinkle 1 tbsp brown or granulated sugar over each custard. Using a hand-held blowtorch, caramelize the sugar. (We had our guests sprinkle their own sugar and torch their own custard - it was tons of fun. I recommend two layers, so much fun to crack and dive in!)


Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the finished product as we dove in immediately and devoured the divine dessert! We have two left over that will be savored this evening!

This little piggy went to market...

I just made the best dinner for my man and I! He LOVED it. And it was so easy - seriously, from start to finish it took 30 minutes. That is my kind of meal in the middle of the week when I've been working all day!

Gorgonzola Topped Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp bottled, minced garlic
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Cooking spray (I used olive oil...)

Preparation

1. Cut the tenderloin crosswise into four medallions. Place between sturdy plastic wrap and pound down to 1 inch (I went to town and accidentally pounded it down to 1/2 inch - didn't make a difference).

2. Salt and pepper both sides of pork and rub a nice amount of garlic on both sides as well. (The recipe actually says to combine salt, pepper, and garlic to make a rub for the pork - it was easier for me to do individually.)

3. Heat your skillet to medium high with non-stick cooking spray (I drizzled olive oil as we need our "healthy oils!") Place medallions in your skillet - I browned them 3 minutes per side (if you only pound your medallions to 1 inch, the recipes says brown 5 minutes per side); or cook until desired doneness - I like my loins juicy (how gross); I HATE dried out pork. I'd rather eat packing peanuts than dried out pork. Remove from skillet and keep warm (AKA cover with foil on a plate - as the pork rests, it will continue to cook a bit).

4. Pour the beef broth and wine into your skillet and deglaze, making sure to get all the brown bits from the bottom. Reduce to 1/3 cup (about 6 minutes).

5. Spoon about 2 table spoons over your pork, and sprinkle (generously) with Gorgonzola or other blue cheese.

DELISH.

This little piggy likes mushrooms and wine!

So I finally got my Le Creuset oval dutch oven in "Sonoma Green" and I put it to good use on Sunday. I laaauuuvvee it! I decided on the oval shape rather than round because I specifically wanted to make pork tenderloin. And let me just say, it was perfect!

I got this recipe from a girlfriend from law school - it was delish! I served it over quinoa instead of rice as it has more nutrients and I personally think it tastes better. We also had broiled zucchini - yum.

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin

2-3 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used fat free - couldn't taste a difference)

1/2 cup or so of white wine

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced - I mixed different varieties

1/4 c. onions

fresh thyme

olive oil

(I'm not v. specific on this one as it doesn't really need to be, it all depends on your taste.)

Preheat oven to 400*. Marinate for one hour, t-loin in olive oil, crushed garlic, generouse amounts of thyme, salt, pepper, and chopped onions. If you have gone easy on the oil in the marinade, add a little to your pot in order to brown the t-loin. Place the t-loin over high heat in order to brown all sides - should take about 5 minutes. Transfer pot to oven and bake at 400* for 10 minutes. Remove and add 1/2 cup of white wine; place pot back in oven for 10 more minutes. Continue cooking until meat thermometer reaches 150* in the thickest part of the t-loin. Remove from pot, place on cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, add mushrooms to the bottom of pot you just took the t-loin out of. Saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Add the mushroom soup and blend in extra wine if it needs to be thinned out a bit. If you are opposed to extra wine (shame on you) you can use water as well.

Slice pork and serve over rice (or quinoa) and drench in the delish mushroom gravy!

Seriously fabulous and it didn't take too long!