Insubordinate Housewife

Pork Stew

2012-03-08T09:17:00.000-05:00

This probably my last cold weather post of the year. Oh how I yearn for stews and soups in late summer, yet this time of year, I crave fresh fare. Go figure? I made this about a week ago when we had a lull in the weather. I swear, Ohio weather is crazy sometimes. One day it's 65, the next day it's 30. It's so hard to know what to wear, let alone cook.

This pork stew is fantastic! Best of all, it's quite inexpensive and very easy to make since the oven does most of the work for you. It's one of those stick it in the oven and walk away type meals - my favorite! The pork comes up perfectly tender and delicious! Boil up some egg noodles and your done. If you get another cold day this year, definitely give this a go. You'll be saving the recipe for next year.

This recipe makes enough for about 3 people. Double or triple as you see fit.

Ingredients:
3 lb Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt), trimmed, bone discarded, and cut into 1&1/2" pieces
1-2 Tblsp Vegetable Oil
1 Leek, sliced 1/4" thick
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tblsp Flour
3/4 Cup Brandy
2&1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tblsp Dried Thyme
1 Tblsp Dried Tarragon, scant
1 Fennel Bulb, diced
3 Large Carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tblsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tblsp Corn Starch, heaping

Directions:

Here are your ingredients. I love that my grocer will cut a pork shoulder small for me! We used to shop at Kroger when we lived in Mason, and their meat dept. was literally worthless and horribly annoying. I've actually gotten into fights with the employees behind the meat counter. Andrew would just sit and laugh. They wouldn't even cut up a fryer for me. Thank God for Dorothy Lane! I swear that market needs to go global.

Preheat your oven to 325. Grab a dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Trim your pork shoulder and season it with some salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tblsp of vegetable oil in your dutch oven. Add the pork and brown the pork on both sides (don't cook thru, that will make it tough - just lightly brown it).

Remove to a plate. (Best to not use a paper towel so you get all of those juices, I screw up sometimes.)

Next we are going to add some oil and our leeks to the dutch oven, but first I thought I'd show you how to cut and clean leeks. As you can see from the picture above, cut the green leafy stuff off of the top and cut off about a 1/4" from the end of the bulb.

Then slice it in half vertically.

Now dice those pieces to desired thickness, in this case about 1/4".

Leeks are extremely dirty. I have no idea why, but it's true. Look at that dirt. Yuck!

Grab a medium bowl and add cool water. Put all of the leek piece in it and shake them around a little with your hand to help break them apart. All of the dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl...and there will be more than you expect.

Ok, back to our meal. After you've removed the browned pork, add a scant tblsp of veg. oil to the pan. Then add your leeks and a 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook stirring often for 5 minutes until leeks are wilted and lightly browned.

Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tarragon and thyme, stir well.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Then stir in the brandy. It will sizzle, but this helps get all of those delicious brown bits from the bottom of your pan. Use a spatula to get in there and really scrape up the brown bottom. The bottom of your pan should be almost smooth after this.

Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and bring to a simmer.

Add in the pork pieces and accumulated juices and bay leaves. Cover pot, place in oven, and cook for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir in carrots and fennel. Cover and return to oven for another 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven. Mmm...it should be smelling good in your kitchen about now.

Discard bay leaves. Gently stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice.

Stir in corn starch to thicken stew. I used a little over a tblsp, but it's up to you. I suppose it depends on the consistency you prefer for stew and how much fat you left on your pork (leaving all of the fat would surely give you a juicier stew, but delicious of course).

Serve over a bed of egg noodles.

Grilled Swordfish topped with Cucumber-Cantaloupe Salsa

2012-02-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

Surely this recipe is more fitting for mid-July, but with February bringing 60 degree weather, who isn't in the mood for fresher fare? Not me. I've been craving raw vegetables, fruits, and things that taste of lime and fresh herbs. The quinoa salad that this is served atop fits all of those requirements. It's truly both Andrew and my favorite summer salad. For this meal, I made it the same as usual, but with super-sweet, yellow tomatoes and cucumbers. Delicious, light and fresh! If you've never made quinoa salad, please please try it! It's heavenly! Click here for my recipe.

As for the swordfish, our grill was out of gas, so I used a lightly oiled grill pan on the stove - proving that a grill pan or cast iron skillet works perfectly for swordfish. I topped the fish with a cucumber-cantaloupe salsa. The flavors of the three items on this plate couldn't have worked together better. When you eat this, you'll want to get some of everything in each bite. The salsa is super easy to make and delicious next day with tortilla chips (I know because I hovered over my kitchen counter shoving them in my mouth just yesterday afternoon).

Minus the quinoa, which is best after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours, the fish and salsa were the easiest thing I've made in quite some time. Rest assure, this is a fast and easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients for Swordfish:
2 Swordfish Steaks, about 1" thick
1 Tblsp Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tbslp Honey
1 Tbslp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Ground Coriander, heaping

Ingredients for Salsa:
1/2 of a Seedless Cucumber, chopped small
1/4 of a Cantaloupe, chopped small
1 Tblsp Cilantro, chopped
1 Serano Chili, diced (surely jalapeno would also work)
Juice from 1 Lime
1/2 tsp Salt, more to taste

Directions:

Make the salsa first so it can sit in the refrigerator for a while bringing out the sweetness of the cantaloupe, 30 minutes or so. You'll need to marinate the fish too, so don't worry, the timing will work out perfectly. To make the salsa, chop everything up, throw it into a bowl and mix it up. That's it! Stick it in the refrigerator.

Get your fish out. I opted to show this picture so you can see the grey skin (do fish have skin?) that needs to be cut off of the sides of the steaks. Slice that off and wash and pat dry the steaks.

Next, make the marinade for the fish. This too is super simple. Stir everything in a bowl - the lime juice, honey, veg. oil, and coriander.

Then pour the marinade onto a plate. Place your fish on the marinade. Turn once to coat fish. Let marinade at room temperature for 20 mins (no longer, you still want to taste the meaty swordfish when it's cooked).

Heat a grill pan or cast iron pan brushed with vegetable oil over medium heat. Grill the swordfish steaks for 3-4 minutes per side. Don't move it around much, you want nice grill lines, plus it will stick at first and you'll tear the fish. Swordfish will be done at a maximum of 8 minutes. Trust me.

Serve over quinoa salad and top with cucumber-cantaloupe salsa. Enjoy! It's fresh and delicious!

Homemade Granola

2012-02-27T09:26:00.001-05:00

Another Monday here and it's as brutal as ever. (If only the weekend could take as long as the week.) For this reason I'm posting a simple, but truly excellent recipe that I devised for homemade granola.

If you know me, you know that I love granola. I eat various types of granola bars for snacks and almost everyday I start with a yogurt parfait - Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, granola, topped with fresh berries...it's my favorite. Andrew loves the parfaits too. He had one for dessert last night. LOL!

Please give making your own granola a try. It is super easy, cost-efficient, stores for about a month, and tastes better than any of those bagged varieties on your grocer's shelf.

Feel free to add your choice of mix-ins to this recipe. You can use any type of nut desired or you can omit them altogether if allergies are an issue, just add more oats. After the granola has cooled, feel free to stir in some extras if you want. I like dried cranberries or cherries, as well as chunks of dark chocolate. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 Stick Unsalted Butter (1/2 Cup)
1/2 Cup Honey, heaping
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Tblsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tblsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1&1/2 Cups Nuts
1 Cup Wheat Germ
3&1/2 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats (do not use any type of quick cooking)

Step one: Preheat your oven to 325 and melt the butter in the microwave. Transfer the melted butter to a large bowl and stir in the honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar.

Stir in the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Crush your nuts to various sizes, leaving a few whole, for texture. I put them in a plastic bag and use a meat mallet to smash. We use cashews and almonds. Cashews are Andrew's favorite and almonds are mine.

To the large bowl, stir in the nuts, wheat germ, and oats. Combine well.

Spread the granola mixture out on a large, foil-lined baking sheet with sides.

Total baking time will be about 20 minutes for a chewier granola - that's how we like it (bake longer if you want a purely crunchy granola, but I implore you to leave it a little chewy). Bake for 10 minutes at 325 without stirring. Stir and return to oven. Bake for approx. 10 more minutes stirring every 2-3 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, break apart into bite-sized pieces. You'll have some crunchier pieces that don't need broken up too. It makes for the perfect mixture of chewy & crunchy. You can sorta see that from these pictures - how you can pick it up, but there are crumbs too.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Fennel and Italian Sausage Pasta

2012-02-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

This is a fantastic and surprisingly easy pasta dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal...even though my photos sorta stink. I must have been too hungry to deal with photography that night. It happens.

In this dish, the fennel and sausage marry perfectly. The fennel really brings out the sausage's flavor. And the cheese, garlic, and pine nuts - mmm - it all works so wonderfully together. Needless to say, Andrew and I both really enjoyed this meal! He saw me sizing the photos the other night and said "now that was a good dinner!" As for me, I always appreciate pasta dishes like this. You know, something less common than spaghetti and marinara, like Shrimp Fra Diavolo or Butternut Squash Lasagna (drool).

Of course I love this dish most with fresh pasta. I always prefer fresh pasta, but I find it to be even more important when the noodles aren't drowning in marinara and need to speak for themselves.

This recipe makes a little more than enough for 2 people, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:
2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt
1/2 to 3/4 lb Sweet Italian Sausage, either ground or links with casing removed
1 Fennel Bulb, sliced thin
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted - chop some and leave some whole
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Tblsp Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan-Reggiano
Pasta Noodle of your choice

If you're uninformed as I was, and have no idea how to cut a fennel bulb, here's how I learned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0OCAnBYq8

Directions:

Here are your ingredients. That's 3/4 lb sweet Italian sausage packaged in paper.

First toast the pine nuts. Remove to plate and cool. Chop/crush some and leave some whole.

Note: toasting nuts & seeds maximizes their flavor, so it pays to spend a few minutes to toast them. To toast nuts, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the skillet occasionally to prevent scorching and toast until they are lightly browned and fragrant, approx. 4-7 minutes.

You'll need to make some pasta too! I made fresh, thick-cut Fettucine, though I'm sure any noodle will do.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

Brown sausage in a non-stick skillet. I used ground sausage (look at that unappetizing brick - ha!). Use a metal spatula to chop it into bite-sized pieces.

When it's done, remove to plate.

Without rinsing skillet, continuing over medium heat, throw in the fennel and a dash of salt.

Sautee stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes. It will start getting brown and soft.

When fennel is soft, clear a well in the center of it and pour in the olive oil mixture.

Use a fork to smash the olive oil/garlic mixture into the fennel. We're trying to bring out flavor and combine flavor here. Do this for about 60 seconds, until garlic is fragrant.

Stir in the sausage.

Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped basil, pine nuts, some of the grated Parmesan-Reggiano, and a sprinkling of black pepper.

Toss with noodles and remaining Parmesan-Reggiano.

Serve and enjoy!

French Buttercream...For Michelle

2012-02-23T13:32:00.000-05:00

A quick definition for those of us who aren't pastry chefs:

"French buttercream is prepared in the same way as Italian meringue-based buttercream, except egg yolks or whole eggs are used in place of the egg whites. This icing is very rich, smooth, and light. French buttercream tends to melt faster than other buttercreams due to the high content of fat from the egg yolks and butter. This type of buttercream is best suited for use as a filling or an icing, but not for decorations."

This recipe is adapted from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook. They pair it with "Rich and Tender Yellow Layer Cake." Based on some of my buttercream browsing, I believe that is the traditional application...and it would surely be heavenly. Due to the egg yolks, the frosting naturally has a yellowish tint, so it would be perfect on yellow cake.

I must note, Andrew LOVED this frosting. He's one of those people who I don't completely understand – he doesn't like thick, super sweet frosting. Personally, I've never met a buttercream that I didn't want to take home with me, marry, and make cupcakes with – but to each his own.

Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs
1&1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tblsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt
6 Sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature, cut into quarters

Directions:

Here are your ingredients. If you are looking for the Cooking Light website, you have not found it.

First, crack your eggs into a medium, heat resistant bowl. Gently whisk.

Add in the sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Create a double boiler: set egg mixture above 1" of boiling water. Pull up a chair, you're going to be stirring for about 10 minutes.

Whisk constantly, but gently until mixture reaches 160 degrees (that's when it's safe to eat eggs).

Immediately transfer the mixture to a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high until light, airy, and cooled to room temperature, approx. 5+ minutes.

It should create a nice ribbon at this point.

Reduce speed to medium and beat in the butter a 1/4 of a cup at a time.

I should have cut the butter before starting on the frosting. I thought my assortment of cut butter with a piece missing here-and-there was funny!

Once all butter is added, increase speed to high and whip for 60-90 seconds until light and fluffy.

Clearly I added food coloring too.

Give it a taste! It's fantastic! Like no frosting I've had. The French always do things so well!

Tuesdays with Dorie - Chocolate Truffle Tarts

2012-02-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

This is my first treat baked for the Tuesdays with Dorie challenge and it is fantastic. The recipe is by David Ogonowski, who once showed Julia Child how to make it on her PBS Show.

I LOVE THESE! Not only are they delicious, they are adorable. Let's face it, I love anything done in miniature, but especially tarts. The crust is delicious - it's somewhere between chocolate dough and a cookie, with the enticing taste and smell of cocoa and sugar. It was surprisingly easy to work with too. I'll definitely be using this dough a lot in the future. I'm thinking creme fraishe topped with raspberries and whipped cream for the perfect summertime dessert.

The chocolate filling is fantastic as is, but there is potential to get very creative with it. I thought about substituting orange extract for the vanilla and garnishing with orange zest. Anything to add texture to the filling will work - think pistachio, dried cranberries or cherries, any chopped cookie, and of course chocolate chunks, yum!

As part of Tuesdays with Dorie, I'm not allowed to post the recipe. Instead they ask that I provide links to the designated hosts, which are my fellow food bloggers, who have posted the full version of the recipe on their blogs. Support home cooks and bloggers by visiting the links below.

A Whisk & A Spoon
Spike Bakes
Good Eats Blog
Cook Book Habit

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

2012-02-16T10:09:00.001-05:00

...over Lemon Risotto.

This was my first attempt at making sea scallops and if I don't say so myself, I nailed it. I did a little research regarding "how to tell they are done," but besides that, I winged it so to speak. They are so easy to make! Seriously. If you like them, stop only getting them for special occasions at restaurants and make them yourself. It's so easy! After you make them once, you'll be wondering why you never made them before.

As for "how to tell they are done":
- Ina Gartner said they take 10-12 minutes
- Bon Appetite uses a touch test, which says: Poke them with your finger. You should feel a bit of bounce and resistance, almost like the top of a semi-flexed bicep. The scallops shouldn't feel mushy—if they do, keep cooking.
- I read somewhere randomly that when you see the 1st cracks, they are done. Any longer and they will be too tough.

Guided by the factors above, mine took 10 minutes and were literally done perfectly. It's safe to say that Andrew was astonished by my culinary abilities on Tuesday. If I had to guess, this is probably his favorite thing that I've made in a long time. He loves seafood.

Like the lemon risotto, this makes enough for 2 people. 3 scallops each.

Ingredients:
6 Large Scallops
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
Approx. 2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tblsp Butter
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tblsp White Wine
Juice from 1/2 of a Lemon
Dash Red Pepper Flakes, optional - omit if you're heat/spice sensitive

Directions:

Here are your ingredients, nice & simple.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Rinse and pat dry scallops. Make sure they are very dry. Sprinkle with salt & fresh pepper.

Set scallops in hot oil. Give them space so they don't stick together. Don't move them for a few minutes. We want a nice sear.

Flip them using tongs. Throw in the butter.

Add the white wine, garlic, a few red pepper flakes if desired, and squirt the lemon juice over the scallops.

Cook until done, don't move them around in the pan (see my note in paragraph above to check for doneness). At this point, it should only be about 7 minutes.

Plate and serve!

Yum! Look at how lovely this dish is! Andrew was getting so mad at me because I was taking pictures of his dinner plate and wouldn't give it to him. LOL!

Lemon Risotto

2012-02-16T09:41:00.002-05:00

This is my 100th post! I can't believe it! When I started writing this blog, I new that if I tried, I could keep up with it, but seeing the number 100 makes it oh-so real! 100 recipes so far. Wow. Until now, I didn't even realize that I had that many recipes up my sleeve. Here's to 100 more! Cheers!

On to Lemon Risotto. Do not be afraid of the "lemon" in this, it is very light, yet just enough to be amazing! Andrew doesn't really like lemon things and he LOVED this risotto. The lemon is very faint, yet it's delicateness pairs perfectly with the Parmesan-Reggiano, salt and black pepper - yum! It's a match maid in heaven. Lemon Risotto also happens to be the perfect compliment to any seafood dish, so go ahead and try it. I promise that you'll be glad you did. I could eat an entire pot of this stuff.

If you've never made risotto before, don't be intimidated. After you've made it once, you'll totally understand how it works and it will be easy. For first timers, my only advise to you is: just go slow and be patient. If you need further clarity, I have a previous post for basic risotto that you may find helpful, just click here.

This recipe makes enough for 2 people, with some leftover. If you are serving more than 2, be sure to double, triple, whatever it.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 Cup Risotto Rice (Arborio, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli)
1&1/2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tblsp Butter
1 Shallot, diced
1 Tblsp White Wine, heaping
3 Cups Chicken Stock, kept warm in a pot
1/2 Cup Parmesan-Reggiano, freshly grated
2 Tblsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Lemon Zest
1 Tblsp Fresh Parsely, chopped
Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Here's our line-up of ingredients. That's Vialone Nano rice in the red measuring cup. Pour your chicken stock in a pot and set on a burner to keep warm.

First heat the olive oil in a thick pot over medium heat. I always use a thick bottomed pot or braiser for risotto. Once it's hot, add the chopped shallot and the butter.

Saute until the shallots are tender and just start to brown, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the risotto rice. Let cook stirring often for about 3-5 minutes. The idea here is to first let the rice soak up a bit of the fat and embed some of the shallot flavor. You'll notice the rice will get more opaque too.

Now we are going to start adding liquid. The foundation of risotto is: let it absorb as much liquid as it can! You'll be surprised as to how much that is. We want plump and soft risotto. Start by adding the white wine, just eyeball a little more than a tblsp. Stir frequently, yet gently until rice has absorbed all wine.

Next start adding the warm chicken stock. (I always add a dash of salt here too.) Add chicken stock to the risotto about a 1/2 cup at a time, only adding more once the previous stock has been mostly absorbed. Stir rather frequently. You also may need to turn the burner to medium-low after a few additions of stock.

Once you get all of the chicken stock in it, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan-Reggiano, parsley, lemon juice and zest, another dash of salt and some fresh cracked pepper.

That's it! You're done. Give it a taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Valentine's Day! Today I sent red velvet cupcakes to Andrew's office. Instead of cream cheese frosting, I made a ridiculous butter cream called a pate a bombe. It's so light and buttery. If you don't like an extremely sugary frosting, this one is for you. Click here for the French Buttercream recipe post. My red velvet recipe can of course be found on the Recipes Page, just add an extra 1/2 cup flour to sturdy the cupcakes.

"Pâte á bombe: Sometimes referred to as a French buttercream. A buttercream here is made with yolks and hot sugar syrup."

Here they are all packaged up in tupperware, ready for Andrew to take to work.

Enchiladas Verde

2012-02-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

First of all, I apologize for my lack of posts over the past week. I've been out of town for work, so I wasn't busy in the kitchen every night creating delicious recipes. Hopefully you will forgive me.

The other night, I branched out and got a little exotic with dinner by making enchiladas verde. If you're looking for a Mexican dish that is a tad unexpected, yet still utterly delicious, try this one! Andrew was amazed by the amount of steps, but it honestly wasn't hard. He's just normally not around to watch me prepare meals. In the end, Andrew loved these! I was surprised by his extreme amount of pleasure he took in eating them. After all, vegetables are not normally his thing and I thought he may be put-off by the tomatillos. Totally not the case. He devoured his meal. I think he polished off half of the pan. No harm done with these. Minus the extreme amount of cheese that sits atop this dish, the enchiladas aren't that unhealthy. Chicken breast, corn tortillas, and vegetables - not so bad when compared to their popular cousin, red sauced enchiladas that are stuffed with beef laced in cheddar.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 tsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Onion, chopped medium
1/2 tsp Cumin (for chicken)
1&1/2 Tblsp Cumin (for verde sauce)
3 Garlic Gloves, minced
1&1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
15 Tomatillos, cut in half & seeded
3 Poblano Chiles, cut in half & seeded
1 Jalapeno, cut in half & seeded
1-2 Tblsp Sugar, more or less to taste
1/2 Cup Cilantro, minced
8 oz Jack or Monterey Jack, shredded
4 oz Cheddar, shredded
12 Corn Tortillas
PAM or similar Vegetable Oil Spray

Directions:

Check out these lovely ingredients!

Let's start with the chicken component. Over medium heat, heat 2 tsp of veg. oil in a pot that has a lid. Add the onion and cook until soft and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the cumin and 2 cloves of minced garlic, just until garlic becomes fragrant, 30-60 seconds.

Reduce heat to low and add the chicken broth and chicken. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Don't overcook, it's easy to dry out your chicken when boiling.

Once chicken is cooked, remove to plate and set aside. When it is cool enough to manage, dice into small, bite-sized pieces.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. While your chicken is cooking, make use of time by working on the verde (green) enchilada sauces. Peal your tomatillos. Cut in half, remove stem, and seed the tomatillos and peppers.

Then lay the totmatillos and peppers face-down on a rimmed baking sheet covered in foil. Drizzle with oil (any kind will due) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 500 degrees for approx. 10-15 minutes. The tomatillos will be soft and losing their juices, while the peppers will also be soft but their edges will be turning black.

Allow them both to cool for a few minutes. Then peel the skins from the peppers.

Reduce oven heat to 350.

Transfer the tomatillos and peppers, as well as any juices that collected in their pans to a food processor. Add a tsp of salt, a dash of black pepper, the remaining clove of garlic, cumin, and 1 tblsp sugar (to start) to the food processor.

Hit the magic button, give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added another tblsp of sugar. Tomatillos are very tart. In the end, all of the flavors come together, but make sure you use enough sugar and salt.

We want to make the tortillas more soft and pliable...and frying is out of the question. I've done that before, but it just leads to a huge mess. Instead, spray both sides of each tortilla with PAM. Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 3 minutes.

In a 13x9 baking dish, spread a layer of verde sauce.

To a corn tortilla, add a small handful of chopped chicken, some Monterey cheese, and pinch of cilantro. Roll it up and place in the dish seam down.

Cover with lots of cheese! I have no shame!

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil at 15 minutes if the cheese needs assistance melting.

Serve immediately. Add your favorite condiments. I love sour cream, Cholula, and Jalapeno Tabasco.

Andrew and I aren't the only ones who ate enchiladas that night. The puppies also took part in the action.

In the end the results were the same. I'd say my job is done here.

Spicy Fish Tacos

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Fish tacos are always hit or miss. They can be prepared in so many different ways - breaded or unbreaded, grilled or baked or fried, various toppings, hard or soft shells. The varieties are endless.

For me, there's only one way I like them: unbreaded, baked or grilled, and with some sort of avocado dressing. I really hate when the fish is deep fried. That's the worst.

These are definitely a hit! Some of the BEST fish tacos I've ever had. I can't take credit though. I didn't invent the recipe, took cues from PatioDaddio over on Tasty Kitchen. I changed a few things - I used Cod instead of Talapia, as I always prefer Cod, and I baked the fish instead of grilling it. After all, it is February. Besides, I'm sure the Cod would have fallen apart on the grill since it cooks up so flaky and tender.

There are three components to this recipe: the slaw, the avocado cream sauce, and of course the fish. I am going to break down each individually. Start with the slaw since any slaw is better if you let the cabbage dry a bit.

Ingredients for the Southwestern Slaw:
1/2 Head Red Cabbage, grated medium
1/3 Cup Red Onion, diced
2 Tblsp Cilantro, minced
Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
Juice from 2 Limes
1 Tblsp Adobo Sauce, from a can a chilies in adobo sauce
1 tsp Garlic Salt
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Avocado Cream Sauce:
1 Avocado
Juice from 1 Lime
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 tsp Jalapeno Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 tsp Garlic Salt

Ingredients for the Fish:
1 lb of Cod, approx. 3 good sized filets
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
Juice from 2 Limes
2 Tblsp Adobo Sauce, from a can a chilies in adobo sauce
1 Tblsp Hot Sauce, plus additional for brushing onto fish
1 tsp Garlic Salt

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Directions for the Southwestern Slaw:

Here are our slaw ingredients.

Well before dinner, shred your cabbage and mince the cilantro.

Put it in a colander set over a bowl. Toss with a tblsp or so of Kosher salt and let dry for a few hours, tossing occasionally.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, adobo sauce, and garlic salt.

Transfer the cabbage and cilantro to a medium bowl. Add the onions, then pour on the mayonnaise mixture and combine.

Southwestern slaw is done. Refrigerate until you're ready to eat.

Directions for the Avocado Cream Sauce:

Here's what you need.

Mince the cilantro. I love using my food processor for this task.

Add in the avocado. If you don't have a food processor, no biggie. Chop the cilantro by hand. Use forks or a potato masher to smash the avocado.

Transfer avocado/cilantro to a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, lime juice, garlic salt, and hot sauce.

Voila! Avocado Cream Sauce done. That wasn't hard.

Directions for Preparing the Fish:

Here's what you need for the marinade.

Whisk together all ingredients: the canola oil, adobo sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, and garlic salt.

Rinse your fish and stick them in a large zip-lock bag.

Add the marinade. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Spray whatever pan you are using to cook the fish with PAM. I bought this tiny pan with a grate. It's perfect for fish.

Put your fish on the pan you are using. Brush the top of each piece of fish with hot sauce.

Bake at 450 for approx. 12 minutes. Fish cooks fast! Start keeping an eye on it at around 10 minutes. Look at how lovely this fish is! Beautiful!

Spray a cast iron pan with some PAM and brown your corn tortillas a little. This warms them and makes them sturdier.

Cut up that fish and start making your tacos.

Yum!!! Fish Tacos!!! Don't be scared. Just make them!

Southwest Dip

2012-02-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

It was Tuesday at 4 p.m. I was sitting at my desk working, yet badly craving a snack. And I mean badly. Nothing in the refrigerator sounded even remotely interesting, so luckily I wasn't feeling lazy. Hunger and laziness all too often go hand-in-hand for me. I got off of my tush and created this dip! It was delicious. Totally hit the spicy, smokey, salty note that I desperately needed. I ate a good portion of it before I decided that like all dips, it would probably be better if I let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Plus I figured that I should save some for Andrew.

Give it a try! Maybe this weekend, it would be great for the Super Bowl. Lots of depth on these flavors, at first it tastes smokey, but as you eat it the flavors start to come out. (Andrew actually pointed that out to me. He said that was the reason he liked it so much). I suppose it's quite addicting in that way. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 8oz. Package of Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 oz. Cheddar Cheese (half of a brick), shredded
From a can of Chilies in Adobo Sauce - 1 Pepper & 1/2 Tblsp Sauce
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Red Hot, Cholula, etc.)
1/2 Tsp Jalapeno Tabasco
Generous Handful Cilantro, minced
Juice from 1/2 Lime
1 Tsp Salt

* Use less of the chilies and tabascos if you don't tolerate heat/spice well. I say bring it on!

Directions:

Here are our ingredients. All stuff I tend to have on hand at any given time.

To start, shredd your cheese. And for the love of God, do not buy bag cheese. It's horrible and embarrassing. I can't even believe they sell cheese in a bag. I can honestly say that I haven't bought bagged cheese in at least 12 years. Why does it have a dusty film on it and why doesn't it melt right? Buy a box grater, people. Once you get good at it, you'll grate a block of cheese in less than a minute like me.

Pick off your cilantro leaves, a few stems are okay obviously. Dice small or use a food processor like me.

I am lazy, so of course I used a food processor for this entire recipe. After all, that's why Andrew bought it for me. He knows I'm lazy and that's not going to change, but he still wants delicious food. Thus the food processor and his willingness to do the dishes on a nightly basis. He's really is the best husband!

Combine everything except for the shredded cheddar in a food processor, stand mixer, or by using a strong hand.

Process until it is well combined, scraping down once or twice if needed.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheddar by hand.

Give it a taste. YUM! Eat a few bites to let that taste come out. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. It will stay good for a few days in the refrigerator. Still tastes great today - 3 days later. :)

I think that I'm going to try this same recipe with the addition of chicken at some point. It would be outstanding! Let me know if you get to it before me.

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

2012-02-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

I have been making some seriously epic pizzas lately. After about a year, I think I finally have it down-pat. Good thing too. My husband, Andrew, is a pizza junky. He could eat pizza every day and be perfectly content. A matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that when we first started dating, he did eat pizza almost every night. At least 5 out of 7 days.

If you've never made pizza, it's actually not that easy. Not because the process is difficult, but more so because there are a TON of bad recipes out there. A lot of people are making mediocre pizzas in their kitchens. That said, homemade is pizza is not as easy as calling your local Papa John's, but when you get it right - man - you get it RIGHT. The difference between a take-out or frozen pizza and a good homemade pizza is EXTREME! It's fresh and delicious with a crust that has the perfect chewiness with great flavor. In my house, there's never and uneaten crust with this pizza.

You guessed it, a good crust recipe is hard to come by, but this recipe is simple and by far the best I have found. Tips: 1) Let it sit for a few hours before use. 2) Use Bread Flour. I've used All-Purpose before, but it's not the same. Bread Flour is better for pizza crust - it's no match.

I also wanted to mention: turkey pepperoni - AWESOME! We like it better than regular pepperoni. I know that sounds crazy. It has half of the calories of regular pepperoni, but that's not the reason I prefer it. It doesn't get grease everywhere and cooks up crispier. The end result is a much neater pizza with more pepperoni.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients for the Crust:
4 Cups Bread Flour
1&1/2 tsp Salt
2&1/4 tsp Dry Rapid Rise Yeast
2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1&1/2 Cups Water heated to 110 degrees

Ingredients for Basic Pizza Sauce:
1 28oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, minced or pushed thru garlic press
1 Tblsp Italian Seasoning, heaping
1 tsp Salt, more to taste

Toppings: Your choice. Obviously I did cheese & pepperoni. Who doesn't love that?

* Makes enough for 2 14" pizzas. If making 1 pizza, the other half of the dough can be saved for a couple of days.

Simple easy ingredients that you probably already have on-hand. This is why pizza is so cheap.

In a food processor fitted with preferably the dough blade, combine the bread flour, salt, and yeast. Pulse a few times to mix.

With the food processor running, slowly add the oil and then the water thru the feed tube.

Process until it forms a ball, 30-45 seconds. Let rest for 2 minutes. Then process for another 30 seconds.

Lightly flour the counter top with a sprinkling of bread flour. Knead dough by hand for about 1 minute until it comes together more like a ball.

Grease a large bowl with olive oil and put the dough ball in it. Cover with a piece of plastic sprayed with PAM and leave on the counter. Let raise for at least 2 hours before using.

Go ahead and make your sauce at this time too. It only takes 15-20 minutes and it's better if made earlier so the flavors come out. Once again, very simple ingredients. Don't ever buy pizza sauce, that would bring shame to your family.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, until it starts sizzling good and starts to turn straw colored.

Add in the can of crushed tomatoes, salt, and Italian seasoning. That's it! Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes stirring often. Cover it and let it sit out until you are ready to make the pizza. No need to refrigerate right away. (However, sauce will save for 1 week in the refrigerator.)

When you're ready to make your pizza, preheat your oven to 450 and go get that dough. It should have risen significantly.

Punch it down. (Always fun.)

Go get your pizza pan or pizza stone, if you are lucky enough to have one, and lightly grease it with olive oil.

Divide dough in half. Remember this recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas. Flatten it out into a disk. No need to roll-out this dough. Just put it in the center of your pizza pan and use your hands/fingers to stretch it. This will take you a few minutes, be patient. It will eventually fill your pan.

Important: once dough is shaped, grab a fork and poke holes all over it. This ensures air bubbles don't form in the oven.

Now load up your toppings. Start with the sauce you made. I like to take my toppings to the edge. Add your cheese and then whatever else you feel like.

In my oven, this pizza cooks perfectly at 450 for 14 minutes. Don't judge doneness on color. At around 13-15 minutes, take it out of the oven and use a spatula to lift it up so you can peak at the bottom. If it's firm, it's done.

Let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes before slicing into it.

Mustard Dip & Pretzel Bread

2012-01-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of my go-to quick dips. It's super easy and totally addicting. Give it a try for your next gathering. Everyone will rave and no one will know that it only took you two seconds to whip up.

My friend, Jackie, made this for a Kentucky Derby party last year and I loved it. I think Andrew and I may have polished-off the entire bowl by ourselves. I asked her how she made it and the response was so vague that I thought she had to be kidding. I went home and played around and no joke, it really was as easy as she described.

Ingredients:
1 8oz. Block of Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tblsp Worchestire sauce
1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
Dash of Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne
A squirt of various types of Mustard from your refrigerator, approx. 1-2 tsp each
(I had regular mustard, spicy brown mustard, and dijon)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer. Beat until creamy.

Serve with pretzel bread. Dorothy Lane Market carries pretzel sticks, above photo. I choose these if available because they are easy to slice into bite-sized pieces.

Creamy Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

2012-01-29T16:57:00.002-05:00

Ever so often, Andrew and I have "fancy grilled cheese night." It may sound ridiculous, but it is oh-so good and always hits the spot. We do real tomato soup and an adult version of grilled cheese. Even though I'm in my 30's, I could eat grilled cheese once a week for dinner and be completely happy.

The grilled cheese sandwiches that I made tonight were quite basic. Feel free to add whatever your pleasure to the sandwiches. I love the added touch of honey, it's especially wonderful if you decide to get super fancy and use cheeses like Raclette and Havarti. Also try crispy bacon or tomato slices. Both an excellent addition to grilled cheese.

I also wanted to make note of how purposeful and wonderful canned tomatoes are. For some reason people always think real/fresh grocery store tomatoes are best. It's simply not true. Once I watched an entire Alton Brown episode (he is a genius) about how much better canned tomatoes are. The reason you ask. Well, canned tomatoes are normally grown in a climate that is best for growing tons of tomatoes and are then canned onsite - equaling a better tomato that was immediately preserved. The tomatoes you purchase at the store are often imported from hundreds of miles away and are chosen for their size, color, shine, etc. - not their flavor.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients for the Creamy Tomato Soup:
2 28-oz Cans Whole Tomatoes - drained, tomatoes seeded, juice reserved
1&1/2 Tblsp Brown Sugar
4 Tbslp Unsalted Butter
4 Shallots, minced
1 Tblsp Tomato Paste
1/8 tsp Allspice
2 Tbslp Flour
1&3/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tblsp Sherry
Dash Cayenne
Salt & Pepper to taste

ps. I halved this recipe since it's just me and Andrew. Was the perfect amount!

Here are your ingredients, for the most part. The flour & brown sugar are hidden in the little bowl.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray with PAM. Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juices in a measuring cup. To seed the tomatoes, standing over the sink with a paring knife, slit each tomato and pull out the seeds. Spread the tomatoes on the cookie sheet open-side up. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the tomatoes. Roast for about 25 minutes.

While your tomatoes are roasting, go ahead and get the rest of the soup done. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, nutmeg, a dash of salt, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Whisk in the flour stirring constantly until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Whisking constantly gradually add the chicken broth.

Then whisk in the reserved tomato juice.

And then the tomatoes you roasted.

Cover, increase heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes stirring occasionally.

Either use an immersion blender like me to blend. Or you can ladle into a food processor or blender to blend.

Whatever your choice, you want a smooth soup. Add heavy cream, stir, and let cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the sherry and cayenne. Taste and add salt & pepper.

Let the soup sit while you make your grilled cheese sandwiches.

Tips for making excellent grilled cheese... First tip: use a quality bread. I like to buy a loaf of Sour Dough from the bakery and cut it myself so it's nice & thick. Second tip: melt your butter slowly in the microwave. Use a pastry brush to apply it to the bread. You can even go over it a second time or add butter to both sides of the bread to make it extra buttery and delicious.

Third tip: Use good cheese of a few varieties. Tonight I used Gouda, Tillamook Cheddar, and Mozzarella. Fourth tip: shred your cheese! This is key to quick melting. Plus it will blend the different cheeses together. Slices of cheese won't blend. Fifth tip: Use a non-stick pan. When you sandwiches are cooking, cover them with foil to speed up the melting process.

Sixth tip: get creative. Bacon, tomatoes, onions, spinach - all additions. I love a thin layer of honey. It adds just a hint of sweet and brings out the cheesy flavors.

Enjoy! I hope you too have a "fancy grilled cheese night."

Ultimate Turtle Brownies

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe in my Cook's Illustrated Cookbook a few weeks ago. Somehow Andrew gave me the willpower to not make them. The Christmas holiday hit my waistline hard so I didn't have much ammunition to fight him with. Yet I kept thinking about these brownies. There's me, sitting on the couch, bulldog on my lap, watching The Bachelor thinking about Turtle Brownies - typical night for Katie. So when my neighbors decided to come over for dinner last Sunday, I knew exactly what I'd be making for dessert.

It always amazes me how differently real caramel tastes compared to the stuff candy bars are made out of. I'm not going to say that candy bars taste bad because that would be a complete lie. I love me so candy bars. Twix, Snickers, Almond Joy, Reeses. I don't think I've ever met a candy bar that I didn't like. But there's something about real caramel that is sweeter and creamier, instead of sticky, that makes you know for sure it's the real deal.

These brownies certainly delivered. I liked them way more than I thought I would. Normally I'm not into turtle brownies, now I know it's the canned, store-bought caramel and boxed brownies that have been ruining them. The brownie portion of these bad boys is quite frankly amazing! The caramel that you pour into the batter gets absorbed to create the moistest and most-dense brownie flavored with a hint of caramel. Yet they are in no way over-powering like some bakery creations that require 8 oz of milk to get them down the hole. These brownies go down easy! Perhaps too easy.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients for Caramel:
1/4 Cup & 2 Tbslp Heavy Cream
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tblsp Light Corn Syrup
1&1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tblsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Ingredients for Brownies:
8 Tblsp Unsalted Butter, cut into tblsp
4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2/3 Cup Pecans, chopped

Directions (for Caramel):

1st: Turn a burner on your stove to medium-high (we don't want to start the caramel on a cold burner). Then combine heavy cream and salt in a small bowl and stir until salt is dissolved.

Combine water and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed 2-3 quart saucepan.

Add the sugar to the center of the saucepan taking care not to let the sugar granules touch the sides of the pan.

Spread out the sugar a bit so you can get it all moist.

Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook covered without stirring for 5 minutes.

Take the lid off and allow it to cook for another 5 minutes. The mixture will start forming light golden bubbles. After 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook for 3 more minutes. During this process, do not stir. You may pick up the pan and swirl it once or twice, but that's it.

Remove from heat and pour the cream into the center of the pan.

Stir it with a spatula. It will start getting violent. Stir until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides.

Then stir in the butter and vanilla.

Caramel done. Let it sit there while you finish your brownie batter, which you probably got a good start on while the caramel was cooking.

Directions (for Brownies):

Preheat your oven to 325. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and grease with butter. (This makes a sling so you can simply lift up the foil to remove the finished brownies from the pan; no cutting in the pan.)

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, put your chopped up bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and the butter. Melt slowly in the microwave.

Stir frequently. Chocolate and butter both burn very easily. The stirring will help it along.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In another bowl of medium/large size, whisk the eggs.

Add to the eggs the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk to incorporate well.

Pour in the melted chocolate and whisk until combined.

Stir the flour mixture in using a spatula.

Then stir in the chopped pecans and our batter is done.

Pour half the batter into your prepared pan.

Pour in about a 1/3 cup of the caramel sauce. Spread it around using a spatula or knife.

Top with the rest of the brownie batter and spread evenly.

Bake for 35 minutes. (The recipe says 35-40 minutes, but 35 was perfect for my liking.) Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once the brownies are cool, warm up the rest of your caramel sauce, chances are it's hard as a rock from sitting for the last few hours. When it's pourable, pour over the brownies and spread evenly. Put the brownies in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Remove brownies from pan using the foil sling. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2012-01-25T05:01:00.000-05:00

First I apologize for my lack of final product photography. It was eaten so quickly there simply wasn't time. Next time I make it, I will update this post with a lovely picture of dip being scooped up on a tortilla chip. Normally I would wait, but I felt that the public service announcement that I am about to make trumped photography.

I love Buffalo Chicken Dip...when it's done right. Unfortunately, it's a down-right shame what some people have done with it. I hate to be so upfront, but something must be said and I don't care what the back of Frank's Red Hot says: if you are one of those people who uses canned chicken (I shudder) to make this hot dip, you should take a serious look at your cooking methods. And I mean a serious look. You shouldn't bake canned chicken. It's disgusting. Please stop doing it. For this reason, I am afraid to eat it at other people's houses. I can't stress enough. Please stop using canned chicken. Use boiled breast meat, rotisserie chicken meat, I don't care - use last night's leftover roasted chicken. For the love of God, just stop using the $#^& in the can.

Okay I'm done. Thank you for listening. Now onto my recipe. You can use a small crock pot or the oven.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts*
12 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (1&1/2 packages)
1/2 Cup Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese, heaping
2 Tblsp Crumbled Blue Cheese
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Dip, heaping
1 Cup Hot Sauce, heaping
Salt & Pepper to taste

* You can use the meat picked from a rotisserie chicken. Super delicious. I used breast because it's healthier and I had it on hand.

Directions:

Here are your ingredients, including those for the Blue Cheese Dip.

First wash and trim your chicken breast. Cover with cold water add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done.

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dip, cream cheese, shredded cheddar, hot sauce, and a dash of salt & pepper.

Shred the chicken using two forks. Add to the dip. Stir well.

Transfer dip to a small crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours, stir occasionally. I'm sure you can also bake it in the oven. I've never done it because I like to prepare any food possible way before the arrival of the crowd. To bake in the oven, I'd imagine you'd want to cover and bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes.

Blue Cheese Dip/Dressing

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the blue cheese dip/dressing that I make all of the time. Once you know how to make blue cheese dip/dressing, you'll never ever buy it again. It couldn't be easier. It's literally 4-5 ingredients and some stirring. I make it for wings, buffalo sliders, buffalo chicken sandwiches, and buffalo chicken dip. To turn it into a dressing, simply thin it out with a tablespoon or so of milk. Easy peasy.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Sour Cream, heaping
1/3 Cup Blue Cheese Crumbles, heaping
3 Tsp White Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small-medium bowl. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Cream Cheese Topped with Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves

2012-01-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

Cream Cheese Topped with Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves - the easiest snack ever and my new obsession. I can frequently be found hovering over the kitchen island devouring this dip at record speeds. To my surprise, Andrew also loves this stuff - I didn't peg it for his style at first.

It only requires three things which somehow work perfectly together - cream cheese, hot pepper raspberry preserves, and pretzels. You may already own these items, in which case I say "get your butt to the kitchen". There isn't even anything to stir. Just smear down a block of cream cheese and cover it with the preserves, serve with hard pretzels and call it a day.

Thank you Jackie's friend Mim, who brought this to a football party and let me shovel it into my face. From this point forward you will find this snack stocked at my house. Not that eating entire blocks of cream cheese is something that I should be doing, but I can't help myself. Self control is not something I have even a mere ounce of.

Put this in a pretty container surrounded by mini hard pretzels and you've got a spectacular dip to add to any snack table.

Chicken & Dumplings

2012-01-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Chicken & dumplings, the ultimate winter dish...and my favorite winter dish. That's right, I've declared it my favorite, a big statement considering I love so many foods. I can't even believe how good it is! It's like chicken soup on crack and blinged out. More flavor plus dumplings. It's incredible. If you've never had it, you've gotta try it. Andrew had never tried chicken & dumplings until I made it for him about two years ago. Now he's hooked. It's one of his favorite meals. Sometimes he has cravings for it in the summer. He's really cute like that.

I add noodles to my chicken & dumplings. It feels right to me. Homemade noodles are of course best, but if you don't have time for that, buy one of the Amish brand egg noodles from the grocery store. Throw a couple handfuls in towards the end of the cooking time and wait for them to be tender before adding the dumplings.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 Cut-up Frying Chicken
Flour (to coat chicken)
Salt & Pepper
2 Tblsp Butter
1 Tblsp Virgin Olive Oil
3 Large Carrots, diced
1 Cup Celery, diced
1/3 Cup of Celery Leaves, diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
1 Tsp Thyme, heaping
1/2 Tsp Tumeric, heaping
6 Cups Chicken Broth, more if needed - depends on how thick you like it
2 Handfuls Egg Noodles or 1/2 Batch Homemade Noodles
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream, optional but delicious
Salt to Taste

Ingredients for Dumplings:
1-1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1 Tblsp Baking Powder, heaping
1/2 Tsp Salt
1-1/2 Cups Half & Half

Directions:

Gather your ingredients. It already has winter written all over it. Dice your vegetables, that's going to be the most time-consuming portion of this whole thing.

Heat your olive oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium heat.

Wash and pat dry your chicken. Sprinkle with with some salt and fresh ground pepper.

Lightly dredge the chicken in flour.

Fry your chicken in the hot oil/butter. Fry until just browned. It's going to go back into the hot broth, so no need to cook it all of the way; you don't want to dry it out.

Turn chicken halfway through.

Remove to paper towel covered plate.

Do NOT discard the fats and juices out of the dutch oven. Add the diced carrots, onions, and celery to the dutch oven. Stir so the veg. is well-coated in the chicken remnants and cook for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the thyme, tumeric, and two tsp of salt. Stir well to coat the veg.

Then pour in your chicken broth.

Add the browned chicken back in. Let simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes.

If you are making homemade noodles, go ahead and do that while your chicken simmers. I used the left-over dough from my Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

Roll it out to medium-thin and fold it over to cut it into strips.

Cut it into strips.

When your chicken broth time is up (25-30 mins), remove the chicken from the broth and set aside. Add your noodles and let cook until they are done.

Remove the meat from the bones using a fork.

Add the meat back to the dutch oven. If using cream, stir in now with chicken.

While the chicken is finishing up, go ahead and start on the dumplings. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Stir in the Half & Half.

Drop the dumpling batter by heaping tablespoons on top of the soup. Let cook for about 10 minutes. You don't want the dumplings too dry. I personally like mine sorta wet.

That's it! Spoon it into a bowl and enjoy!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Fresh Linguine

2012-01-16T14:01:00.000-05:00

Ahh...charting unknown culinary territory on a Sunday night, that's me.

Last night I made Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Italian for Devil Brother. Some say it's named for the red pepper flakes that provide (as Andrew said) "a hint of spice" or the flambe method in which the shrimp is finished. The latter is definitely the highlight to making this dish...we got to light a pan on fire! Yes. On fire. It was such a rush, even if Andrew did almost burn my eyebrows off.

I have no idea why this classic Italian entree isn't more popular in the U.S. It's fantastic! Andrew and I loved it. The thin sauce made Andrew think of his visits to Italy in his early 20's. It is much more authentic compared to what most Americans are used to. It cooks up fast, making it a great weeknight meal, if you aren't making homemade pasta of course. The shrimp and sauce only take about 15 minutes from start to finish. However, in dishes like this, I feel the pasta is crucial. Since it's not drowned in marinara, the pasta needs to be so hearty and tasty that it can stand on it's own - something boxed varieties can't deliver.

I hope you try this one! I guarantee you'll love it. I must note that you can use scallops in place of the shrimp to create Scallops Fra Diavolo. Both versions should be served with linguine.

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Pasta, Linguine (click here for the recipe)
Salt
1 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Cup Cognac
12 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 28-oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup White Wine
1/2 tsp White Sugar
1/4 Cup Italian Parsely, minced

* Serves 4. I halved this recipe since it was just Andrew & I.

Directions:

If you are making pasta, go ahead and do that first. This is some of the most beautiful pasta dough I've ever made! Since it was only 30 degrees last night and dry as ever, I used 5 whole large eggs and about a 1/4 cup of water in my regular recipe. After all, I'm sure Italy doesn't experience the same freezing & dry temperatures.

Cut into linguine. I love how long the noodles can be made. Some of mine were 18". Love it! Cook noodles in well-salted, rapidly boiling water until al dente, 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. Strain and set aside. (Andrew was eating them out of the colander. Nothing makes me happier than seeing him enjoy my cooking.)

Note: Cook's Illustrated suggests reserving a little of the water you cook the pasta in. If the sauce is too thick, you can use this to thin it.

Gather your ingredients. All I had to buy was shrimp & Italian parsely. After factoring everything in, this meal cost me about $12 total. Can't beat that.

First toss the shrimp in 2 tblsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 3/4 tsp salt.

Heat a skilled over high heat. Once it's good and hot, add the shrimp. Cook one side of shrimp for 30 seconds. Turn shrimp and remove from heat (do not cook the 2nd side).

Add cognac. Wait 5 seconds. Light it on fire! All you need to do is wave a match or candle-lighter over the pan and it will immediately ignite. That's how the shrimp cook, and I must say, they are beautiful in the end. This may be the best way to cook shrimp ever. They were perfect!

Let the fire die out.

Rest pan for 3 minutes, then remove shrimp. Do not dump out the drippings, put skillet back on stove. (Told you the shrimp came out beautifully!)

Return skillet to stove using medium heat, add 3 tblsp of olive oil and 3/4 of the minced garlic. (The whisk will eventually clog due to the garlic being sticky, so I recommend a fork for this.)

Cook and stir frequently until the garlic become sticky and straw-colored, 5-10 minutes. (Will look like the picture above.)

Pour in the white wine.

Then add the tomatoes, sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.

Combine and let simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes.

Once sauce has thickened, add the remaining minced garlic and the Italian parsley. Let cook for 1 minute.

Add shrimp and any juices that accumulated on their plate. Simmer until shrimp have warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.

All that is left to do is toss it with the prepared pasta. I removed the shrimp prior to tossing so that I could place them on atop of the pasta dish.

Be sure to serve immediately. Any tossed pasta dish gets cold fast.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2012-01-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

We finally had some much-needed cold weather here in SW Ohio last week. Perfect for a night in with a bowl of homemade soup. I was originally inspired to create this recipe a few months ago when I purchased a to-go soup cup from our local grocery store, Dorothy Lane Market. Normally their food is excellent, but their Stuffed Pepper Soup missed the mark. It majorly lacked in flavor, the consistency was pathetic, and it was much too watery. The broth was the worst part. It was basically a red, pepper-flavored water that lacked spice and any flavor depth.

Even though I didn't like Dorothy Lane's Stuffed Pepper Soup, I liked the concept. I scoured the web for a better version only to find that everyone else was making a Stuffed Pepper Soup in similar lackluster fashion - full of ground beef, water, and simple green peppers. Looked like I was on my own. Thankfully soup making is not something I shy away from. What I came up with is leagues better. It was utterly delicious! And like every soup, it's even better the next day. I ate two huge bowls of leftovers!

{Click Here for the Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 lbs Italian Sausage (either all ground or ground & links)
2 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced
3 Medium Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Peppers (I did 2 orange, 1 yellow, 1 red), diced medium
2 32-oz Containers Chicken Stock
1 28-oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 28-oz Can Tomato Puree
1/2 Cup White Rice
2 tsp Dried Thyme, heaping
1 Tblsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Basil, heaping
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Gather your ingredients.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions until they start to become transparent, approx. 5 mins. Then add the ground sausage.

If using links of sausage, add in after the ground sausage has cooked for a few minutes. Simply because you need to break up the sausage in the pot. I used a combination of mild Italian & hot Italian sausage. Next time I plan to use all ground because I didn't like dealing with the casing; but plan to keep various sizes of chunks of ground sausage in it.

Once the sausage is just browned, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the diced peppers, plus a little fresh ground pepper for good measure. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes or however long it takes you to open the tomato cans and get situated.

Add the thyme, oregano, basil, diced tomatoes and tomato puree, plus a tsp of salt. Stir.

Then add the chicken stock. It may seem like a lot, but it will take it. The rice is going to absorb a lot of liquid. If you want, start with 1&1/2 containers and add the rest after you've cooked the rice.

Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid partially on. Stir occasionally.

Add the rice and cover. Continue cooking over low heat for 15 minutes. When you take off the lid your rice will be done.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

There you have it! A really delicious Stuffed Pepper Soup! Thick and good! No watery, tasteless broth here.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as me!

Black and White Cookies

2012-01-12T13:21:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought the world was telling you to try a recipe? Well, that's how I felt earlier this week. I received two different cooking magazines that both included Black & White Cookies as their feature. What are the chances? It's such a specific thing. Not just everyone makes Black & White Cookies. A matter of fact, you rarely see them here in Ohio where I live. After reading the two-page article that accompanied the Cook's Illustrated recipe, I learned that they have been a much beloved New York treat for decades. A neighbor of mine who lived in Boston even said "hey, they make those in New York." Guess they are even more popular there than the magazine led me to believe.

They really are spectacular cookies. To the eye they are huge and striking with their bold, contrasting hues. To the palate they are soft, flavorful, and pair perfectly with a cup of coffee. The batter is delicious - it barely made it to the baking stage. I couldn't stop eating it. Lemon and vanilla and butter and sugar...come on, how in the world am I ever going to lose any weight!?!

Also, Andrew LOVED these cookies. He called them "dangerous." In his vocabulary, that term is reserved for the utmost delicious treats that are easily accessible to him.

See, two magazines...

Ingredients for Cookies:
4 Cups Cake Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
16 Tblsp (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
1&3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract, heaping
1/2 Lemon Extract, heaping
1 Cup Whole Milk (I used Half & Half since I didn't have milk)

Ingredients for Icings:
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1/3 Cup Water
5 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, melted
2-4 tsp Water (a little more if needed)

* Recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Directions for the Cookies:

Gather your ingredients for the cookie dough. (I was so excited to use lemon extract!) Preheat your oven to 350. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together your dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.

Add the vanilla and lemon extracts and beat until combined, about 30 seconds or so. Scrape down the bowl.

Using the "stir" speed or lowest mixer speed, beat in the flour mixture and the milk about a 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between each - start with and end with the flour mixture. Of course, scrape down as needed.

The easiest way that I found to get the cookie batter onto the baking sheets was to use a pastry bag. After attempting it different ways, I You Tube'd it and found this method by some New Jersey bakery owner. It's a clutch move.

I ended up taking the tip off of my pastry bag. Meaning that if you just put the batter into a freezer bag and cut a hole in the bottom corner, you are good to go.

Squeeze the dough out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. These are big cookies, they're suppose to be. Squeeze out about a 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dough.

Get your fingers wet (actually, keep a little bowl of water next to you to dunk your finger into); and press down the tops of the cookies trying to keep a circular shape. Don't worry about them being perfect. Somehow they get round when they bake. It's a mystery to me. Also, I have pretty big cookie sheets and they fit 6 to a sheet.

Bake 1 sheet at a time, with the oven rack in the middle of course, at 350 degrees for 15 mins or until edges just start to turn golden brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing.

When my cookies were cool, I put them in an air tight container and frosted the next day. I simply ran out of time, so if you need to do this, by all means do. The cookies save for days, and were actually moister on the 2nd day when I frosted them.

Now onto to our icing. We're going to use the same base for both. It's super simple. Above our the ingredients needed + water.

Combine the corn syrup and 1/2 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla.

Add water as needed by the tsp to make icing smooth. (Sorry, I didn't actually use a tsp, just eye-balled it.)

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Use a low heat and stir often so you don't burn it.

Divide the icing in half. (Half is for the vanilla and half for the chocolate, just like the cookies.) For the chocolate half, pour in the melted chocolate and stir. Add a little water if needed.

Start by icing the vanilla side of the cookies by using a butter knife. Me being a perfectionist, I was scared about icing these cookies; wasn't sure I could make them look good. No worries, somehow the icing dries much smoother and things sorta find their way.

Once the vanilla side has hardened, then do the chocolate side. Let them dry for an hour or so.

Seal in air tight containers. Use parchment paper to make layers inside your container so the cookies don't stick together.

I wish I had gotten picture of them dry. They are even prettier. Very smooth looking.

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Makes approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients for Cookies:
4 Cups Cake Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
16 Tblsp (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
1&3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract, heaping
1/2 Lemon Extract, heaping
1 Cup Whole Milk (I used Half & Half since I didn't have milk)

Ingredients for Icings:
1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1/3 Cup Water
5 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, melted
2-4 tsp Water (a little more if needed)

Directions for the Cookies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition. Add vanilla and lemon and beat until combined (about 30 seconds), then scrape down the bowl.

4. Using the "stir" speed or lowest mixer speed, beat in the flour mixture and the milk about a 1/2 cup at a time, alternating between each - start with and end with the flour mixture. Scrape down as needed.

5. Put cookie batter into a pastry bag and squeeze out cookies onto parchment-lined baking sheets, approx. 1/4 - 1/3 cup per cookie. Use wet fingers to press down cookies trying to keep their round shape.

6. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden brown. Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Directions for Icings:

1. Combine corn syrup and 1/3 cup water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Remove mixture from heat and whisk in the confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Add water as needed by the tsp to make it smooth.

3. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Divide icing in half (half for the vanilla icing & half for the chocolate icing). For the chocolate half, pour in the melted chocolate and stir. Add a little water if needed.

4. Ice the cookies using a butter knife, starting with the vanilla side first. After the vanilla side has hardened, do the chocolate side.

Guacamole

2012-01-10T11:14:00.002-05:00

I bet this isn't a recipe title that you expected to see in January. It couldn't be farther than seasonal, or at least I think, but here's the strangest thing. Right now avocados are the cheapest I've seen them at 5 for $4. And they are nice avocados, far better than the ones I bought this summer. They're a steal at that price.

My guacamole is simple and the only way I've ever known how to make it. Yet it always gets the very highest reviews. With it being so budget-friendly in January (who knew?), I've made it twice recently for get-togethers. My brother and his family absolutely loved it, even my 6 year old nephew couldn't get enough. I also took it to a football party last weekend where one woman proclaimed "This is the best guacamole I've ever eaten. It reminds me of some I had in Mexico when I was in my 20's." Hey - pour on the compliments! I'll take it, even if it's over something so simple. A friend of mine once told me, "Flattery will get you everywhere with me." Well, me too, welcome to the club.

To make guacamole, all you really need to do is make a Pico de Gallo & mash up some avocados, then combine. That's the basic premise, but I'll show you just in case.

Ingredients:
4 Avocados, ripened - halved, pitted, and pulp reserved
2 Large Tomatoes, ripened - seeded and diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
Juice from 2 Limes
Cilantro Leaves, minced to yield about 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp Lowry's Seasoning Salt, more to taste
1 tsp Salt, more to taste
Dash Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

Here are your beautiful ingredients. So fresh! I can feel my nails & hair getting stronger just by looking at them.

First we need to make our Pico de Gallo. Seed your tomatoes, dice, and put in a medium bowl.

Stir in your diced onion. Note: if while sitting a lot of juices pool up in the bottom, pour them out before the next step. Some tomatoes are so watery.

Now, since I'm lazy and dread cutting herbs, I use the food processor to chop the cilantro. Besides, I'm going to be lazy again by using it to mash my avocados. It's all going to the same place, so no need to clean it afterwards.

Add the cilantro, juice from 1&1/2 limes, salt, Lowry's seasoning salt, and some fresh cracked black pepper to your Pico de Gallo. Stir and set aside.

On to the avocados. Slice them in half and remove the pit. The easiest way to remove the pit is to slam your knife into it. The pit with effortlessly and cleanly remove when you withdraw the knife.

Use a spoon to scrape out the insides and then add them to your food processor. (You can also mash the insides by hand using a metal spoon or fork or a potato masher - I used to roll this way until I got this sweet, new machine.)

If you are using a food processor, process using the "Pulse" button. Push it 5-6 times holding it down for just a few seconds.

All that is left to do is to combine the Pico de Gallo with the mashed avocados.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I used the rest of my 2nd lime, which I figured I would; and a little more Lowry's and regular salt. I always underestimate the salt in Mexican foods.

Ingredients:
4 Avocados, ripened - halved, pitted, and pulp reserved
2 Large Tomatoes, ripened - seeded and diced
1 Medium Onion, diced
Juice from 2 Limes
Cilantro Leaves, minced to yield about 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp Lowry's Seasoning Salt, more to taste
1 tsp Salt, more to taste
Dash Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Combine diced tomatoes and diced onion. Drain any excessive juices that have pooled. Add the cilantro, juice from 1&1/2 limes, salt, Lowry's seasoning salt, and some fresh cracked black pepper to your Pico de Gallo. Stir and set aside.

2. Pit avocados and reserve pulp. Mash pulp to desired consistency using a food processor, potato masher, or large metal spoon/fork.

3. Combine Pico de Gallo and mashed avocados. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (You'll most-likely need a little more salt and/or lime.)

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Herb Pan Sauce

2012-01-08T12:03:00.000-05:00

This is a rather simple and fast dinner that will have your hubby oohing and ahhing at you. My Andrew is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, really what guy isn't? So when I served him this last Thursday, he proclaimed "baby, this is the best dinner you've made in a while." He then proceeded to grumble noises of food pleasure. Ha! It was so easy, I didn't feel like I deserved such an extreme reaction, but I'll take it.

I should note that you can wrap the tenderloin hours before cooking. That's what I did. Nothing like handling raw meat while enjoying your morning coffee...but hey, it made for a quick dinner.

Ingredients:
1 Pork Tenderloin (plain or pre-marinated version), trimmed
8-10 Pieces of Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Thyme Sprigs
2 Tblsp Vegetable Oil
1&1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tblsp Flour
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice, scant
3 Tblsp Chives, minced
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

If your tenderloin has a fat pad on it, cut it off. You can see that mine did, top of the tenderloin.

Also, I purchased an "Italian Marinated" tenderloin. I gave it a good rinse and patted it dry. It was full of flavor.

First we're going to wrap our tenderloin. Here's what you'll need for that.

Lay down a long piece of cooking twine. Lay down 4-5 pieces of prosciutto.

Top it with your tenderloin, a few cracks of fresh pepper, and some sprigs of thyme.

Layer 4-5 pieces of prosciutto on top of the thyme.

Tie the ends of the twine together.

Cut 3 pieces of twine and put them vertically underneath of the tied twine.

Flip the wrapped tenderloin and tie the twine.

Now that the tenderloin is ready to go, here's what you are going to need to complete the herb pan sauce. Preheat your oven to 450. Yep, there's not much fat on this cut of meat, so we're using a high temperature.

Heat 2 tblsp of oil over medium heat in a skillet or braiser. Add your wrapped tenderloin and brown each side (5-7 minutes per side).

Once browned, transfer the tenderloin to a wire rack set in a foil-lined baking sheet. (Do not rinse out the skillet you used to brown.) Bake the tenderloin until the internal meat registers 145 degrees, approx. 15-18 minutes.

While your tenderloin is in the oven, deglaze the pan that you browned it in by pouring the chicken stock into it. Use a metal spatula to get all of the crusty particles off of the bottom, those are flavor. Heat until simmering.

Once simmering, whisk in the flour. Be sure to whisk well to help break up the flour chunks.

The sauce will start to get thick. Whisk in the garlic, thyme, and lemon juice. Let cook until desired thickness whisking often, approx. 5-10 minutes.

Off heat, whisk in the chives...plus a dash of salt and fresh pepper for good measure.

When the tenderloin is done, allow it to rest for a few minutes. Then cut off the twine and slice him open.

Serve with your choice of sides. Mine were obviously mashed potatoes and broccoli. Drizzle the pan sauce atop the tenderloin.

If you have super spoiled puppies like me, let them partake in the action. I know, I'm ridiculous! Alice loved her's. Dozey filtered the broccoli LOL! No worries, Alice cleaned it up for me.

Ingredients:
1 Pork Tenderloin (plain or pre-marinated version), trimmed
8-10 Pieces of Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Thyme Sprigs
2 Tblsp Vegetable Oil
1&1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Tblsp Flour
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice, scant
3 Tblsp Chives, minced
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top of it.

2. Rinse and pat dry the pork tenderloin. Season with fresh cracked black pepper and overlay with thyme. Then wrap tenderloin in prosciutto.

3. Heat 2 tblsp oil over medium heat in a skillet or braiser. Brown each side of your tenderloin, approx. 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer meat to wire rack set in foil lined baking sheet. Bake until meat registers 145 degrees, approx. 15-18 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, deglaze pan used to brown tenderloin by pouring in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Then whisk in the flour until sauce begins to thicken. Whisk in garlic, thyme, and lemon juice. Cook until sauce is desired thickness, whisking often (approx. 5-10 minutes). Off heat, stir in the chives and a dash of salt & pepper.

Allow tenderloin to stand for a few minutes before slicing. Serve topped with pan sauce.