Pork Tenderloin with an Orange Glaze

I took advantage of the short flight home from our Thanksgiving holiday to glance through the latest Cooking Light magazine.  I found 2 meals that I wanted to try and made one of them last night.  It was very flavorful but took longer than the recipe called for in cooking time to reach the internal temperature.  I was so tired from the travel that I forgot to buy honey (which the recipe called for) but I think it turned out well regardless.  It's a light and tasty dinner!

The cook times below are from the original recipe.  I ended up increasing the temperature to 375 degrees and cooking for an additional 10 minutes.  

The pork when it came out of the oven

Our meal

Ingredients:
1/3 c orange marmalade
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1-1/2 tsp honey
2 tbsp canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients and whisk together.  Reserve 2 tbsp of mixture
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat
Salt & Pepper each side of the tenderloin and place in pan
Cook 5 minutes, until browned.  Turn pork over and brush 1/4 cup of orange sauce on top
Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn pork over and brush with 1/4 cup of orange sauce & cook another 10 minutes - or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees
Remove from oven and place pork on cutting board to rest.  Brush with reserved 2 tbsp orange sauce.
After the pork rests about 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Enjoy!

Skillet Mac & Cheese

As I was preparing the chicken dish (recipe here), B asked what we were having for sides.  I told her I was planning on corn and buttered noodles (both of which she loves).  She then announces that she wants Mac & Cheese.  What?!  This is the girl who I couldn't get to eat mac & cheese - ever!  I knew I had all sorts of cheese in the 'fridge and a variety of pasta in the cupboard so I quickly went to Epicurious and tried to find a recipe that looked appealing.  I found this one and it turned out really delicious!!  I didn't have dry mustard and after digging through the spices, I decided to sub in Cajun seasoning.  I loved the way that tasted and would make it that way again!  This side isn't hard but there's a lot going on at the end of the preparation (aka - I was a bit stressed that it wouldn't all come together well).  Thankfully, this one turned out and will be made again!  I added some Panko breadcrumbs to the top of the mac & cheese before broiling it too.

Ingredients:
3/4 package elbow macaroni (any pasta works)
1 tbsp butter
1-1/2 c milk (I used 1%)
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
2 to 2-1/2 c grated cheese - I used Locatelli; Parmesan and Mozzarella
4-5 tbsp all purpose flour
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions
Meanwhile, heat cast iron skillet over high heat.  Once it's hot, add butter.  It should melt quickly and start foaming.  Add in milk and stir.  Then add in the Cajun seasoning, Paprika & Salt.  Stir to mix well.
Set aside 1/2 of the grated cheese for topping.  Begin to add the rest of the cheese, 1 handful at a time, to the skillet.  Whisk to mix & melt the cheese.  After you've added the cheese and it's melted, add in 1 tbsp of flour at a time and whisk.  Continue adding flour until the consistency of the mix is pretty thick.
When pasta is done, drain well.
Turn your broiler on low.
Add pasta to the cheese mixture and stir to mix.  Top with remaining grated cheese and sprinkle Panko bread crumbs (a very thin layer) on top.
Place in broiler and cook for about 4-6 minutes, until bubbly.  Be careful when removing the skillet from the broiler (I put a pot holder on the side of the oven to remind me to use it!).
Let the mac & cheese sit for about a minute and serve.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Balsamic

I pulled out 2 chicken breasts before heading out to work yesterday and figured I'd come up with something to do with them.  I found a recipe that called for stuffing them with all sorts of things (very few of which I had & things I didn't think B would like).  I was going to try to get to the store but ran out of time - so, I figured I could just wing it and stuff them with whatever was in the 'fridge!  Thankfully, it turned out really well and is something I'd make again!  It's an easy weeknight dinner too since the cooking time is under 30 minutes!

This isn't the best pic because the steam is shown in the picture - but here's the chicken all rolled up

 Here's how the chicken looks when you cut into it

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin

1 slice of Virginia baked ham (deli meat)

4 slices of Oven Roasted Turkey (deli meat)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Italian Seasoning

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

After you pound the chicken breasts, lay them flat on a cutting board

Place 1 slice of turkey in each; then layer 1/2 slice of ham on top; then the other piece of turkey; then a little Mozzarella and sprinkle some Italian seasoning in.

Roll each chicken breast, starting with the smallest end, into a jelly roll

Secure with 1 toothpick

Salt & Pepper the outside of the chicken 

Brush a little Balsamic vinegar on all sides of the chicken

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat and place chicken in skillet.  Sear all sides of the chicken, about 1-2 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of water to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for about 15 minutes, turning a couple of times.  

Slice chicken and serve.  

Enjoy!

Costco Marinated Rack of Pork

I won't take credit for any of the rub on this pork but it's really good!  It's stuffed with shallots and garlic too - just adding to it's amazing flavor!  I bought it at Costco and made it for friends on Friday night.  We had 10 people over and still had left overs!  I'm not sure how long Costco will have these but they are definitely guest worthy and serve the masses!  If I were going to be cooking Thanksgiving, I'd give this serious consideration over the traditional turkey!
The cooking method was shared by a friend that made this for me and B last weekend (we had to have it again - that's how good it is!).  It's one of those easy - pop it in the oven & let it go type of meals!
If you can't find a pre-marinated one, try drizzling the pork with olive oil and Montreal steak spice.

Ready for the oven on it's bed of veggies

Resting after cooking

Ingredients (for already pre-marinated pork):
1 onion, rough chopped
Several carrots, chopped
4-5 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
Bring pork out and get to room temperature
Place veggies in bottom of roasting pan and add 1/2- 1 cup of water (depending on how big pan is).  Place pork on top of veggies (fat side up) & roast for 10-15 minutes - until slightly golden.
Back temperature down to 325 and cook for 2 hours.  I roasted mine in a darker pan so the cook time was a little faster.

Mushroom & Lemon Orzo "Risotto"

I was looking for a side dish to accompany my whole roasted chicken.  I found this recipe and thought it sounded good and slightly less time consuming than actual risotto.  I added about 1/2 cup of baby bella mushrooms to mine since I had some on hand.  The lemon and thyme make this dish so light and tasty!  This would be a great side for many dishes!

The recipe below is for 8 servings.  I cut the amounts substantially since I was only cooking for 2.  

The mushroom orzo - along with the chicken and broccolini

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used dried thyme & it was just fine)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add orzo; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in 6 cups boiling water and salt. Simmer uncovered until orzo is tender, liquid is absorbed, and risotto is creamy, stirring often, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in thyme and peel, then parsley.

Amazing Roasted Chicken

I was looking for an easy dinner to serve that I could put in the oven and let it go.  I found this recipe and after reading the reviews decided to try it.  Unfortunately, I could only find an almost 7lb chicken so the cooking time took a bit longer but aside from that, it was delicious!  If you get a bigger chicken, use a 15-16 minute per pound rule to adjust the cooking time.  The meat was so moist and tender.  This is worthy to serve to guests - and I guarantee they'll ask for the recipe!
You make the chicken in an oven safe skillet and the real trick (as I found out after reading the reviews) is to thoroughly dry the chicken - inside and out - with paper towels.
The recipe called for unsalted butter to be rubbed on the chicken after it comes out - but I didn't do that.  I'm not sure I'd add that step in next time either since we don't eat the skin.

Here's the chicken when it came out of the oven - perfectly golden!

Here's our meal - with mushroom lemon orzo (I'll post that separate); broccolini

Ingredients:
One 2-3lb whole chicken
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
2 tsp minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted Butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—"rain" the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven.  Leave it alone—don't baste it, don't add butter; you can if you wish, but it creates steam, which I don't want. 

Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Serve after it's cooled 15 minutes.  

Vanilla Cupcakes

B watches Cupcake Wars all the time and always says she wants to open her own shop someday.  We had some time this afternoon, so we decided to make cupcakes.  She wanted vanilla ones (seemed easy enough!) and we had most of the ingredients already.  A quick trip to the store for a couple things and we were baking!  She whipped the batter, filled the muffin tins; frosted them and decorated them!  A fun afternoon!  I found the recipe here for the cupcakes.

Edited to add - We made these again today and added 2 tsp of plain Greek yogurt to the batter.  They are so moist and much better with that in them.  The recipe below reflects that change.    

Here's B mixing the batter

B filling the muffin tins

Decorating the cakes

Her finished product

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups (lightly spooned in the measuring cup and levelled with a knife) flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
6 Tbs (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup water
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 yolk from a large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 tsp Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) – I have an unusually hot oven so I set mine to 180°C). Line 12 regular-sized (2 ¾-inch diameter) muffin cups with paper or foil liners (I used silicone cupcake cups).

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium or large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Put the melted butter, water, egg and yolk, vanilla and Greek yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk until well blended and smooth, about 1 minute.

Portion the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. (I poured the batter into a large measuring cup with a spout, which makes pouring easier and neater.) Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Move to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan, set them on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Stuffed Pork Chops

I was in the Acme and saw their version of stuffed pork chops and thought, "I can do that...and better!".  So, I bought thick chops and the rest I already had at the house.  I searched online for how long to cook them and as I suspected, the recipe I found was way too short of cook time for these.  It originally called for browning the chops on the stove for 4 minutes per side then in the over for 7 minutes more.  It ended up being more like 12 minutes in the oven.  All in all, this was a tasty meal though!

Here are my "fillers" - Parmesan, spinach, roasted walnuts and mushrooms

I put a little olive oil and panko on the outside after stuffing them

Here's our meal - stuffed chops, Parmesan Rosemary potatoes and corn

Ingredients:
1/4 c walnuts
1/2 c mixed mushrooms
A few handfuls of spinach
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp olive oil
2 thick cut pork chops

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Once preheated, put walnuts on a cookie sheet (line with parchment paper for easy clean up) and roast in oven for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 1 tbsp margarine in a skillet and saute spinach.  Once wilted, set aside.  In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp margarine (if needed) and saute mushrooms until done, about 5 minutes.

Make a slit in each pork chop, making sure not to cut all the way through.

Combine ingredients and stuff into each chop evenly.

Carefully coat outside of chops with a drizzle of olive oil.  Put panko in a shallow dish and roll chops around to coat.  

In a cast iron skillet (or one that can go in the oven), heat olive oil.  Place chops in the skillet and brown each side for 4 minutes.  Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until done.  Let the chops rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into them.  

Meatloaf "Muffins"

I have been wanting to make meatloaf in a muffin tin for a while.  Since it's so cold out, that seemed like a fun dinner for last night.  I used my usual meatloaf recipe and added French's French Fried Onions (crushed up) to it.  I'm not sure if I just cooked it a little too long or if I need the fattier beef, but this turned out a little dry for me.  The spice was really good and I'll make it again but play with ingredients / cook time. 

Ready to put in the oven 

Our Dinner

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I used the 96% lean)
1 egg, beaten
A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
A few dashes of onion powder
20 saltine crackers, crushed up (I usually use 20 but probably had half last night which is why I added the French's Onions)
1/3 c crushed up French's French Fried Onions
A few dashes of Montreal Steak Spice

For the topping:
1/3 c ketchup
A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 tsp brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients for the meatloaf and mix well
In a separate bowl, combine ingredients for topping, mix well
Scoop meat mixture into 12 muffin tins (spray with Pam first).  Distribute evenly
Place topping evenly on each "meatloaf muffin"
Bake for 30 minutes & serve

Chicken with Mushrooms

I had boneless skinless chicken to use up and a baggie of various mushrooms.  I did a Google search and came across this one.  It was really easy to throw together and I think it tasted great!  I served it with broccoli and some buttered noodles (the "sauce" & mushrooms over the noodles was pretty yummy!).  An easy work night meal! 

Chicken with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 cups of mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella and button mushrooms)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded
1 egg beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp butter (I used olive oil)
6 oz mozzarella cheese
3/4 c chicken broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place half the mushrooms in a 9x13 pan.
Dip chicken in egg then in bread crumb mixture
In a skillet, heat the butter (or oil) and brown the chicken on each side.  Put chicken in 9x13 pan.
Cover with other half of mushrooms; sprinkle on cheese and pour in chicken broth.
Cook for 30-35 minutes

Mushroom & Jalapeno "Poppers"

I was in the mood for mushrooms on Sunday so I decided to create a little appetizer.  They turned out pretty good but could use more "kick" next time.  I only used 1 jalapeno & I stripped the seeds from it.  I may include some seeds next time to give it a little more flavor. 

The measurements are estimates because I just eye-balled everything. 

Mushroom & Jalapeno "Poppers"

Ingredients
1-1/2 c diced mushrooms (I used baby bella & button mushrooms)
1 jalapeno (seeds & membranes removed), diced
1-2 tbsp butter (or margarine)
1/4 c shredded pepper jack cheese
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
8 wonton wrappers
Canola Oil for frying

Directions
In a medium pan, melt butter and add mushrooms & jalapeno.  Saute over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes (until water is out of mushrooms)

Add shredded cheese to pan but don't allow it to melt too much.  Stir to mix together.

I lightly moisten my wonton edges with a little water to help them "stick" together.  Assmble wontons with a little filling in each, fold into a triangle & press edges together to "seal".

Heat canola oil in larger pan over medium high heat.  Place wontons into oil and allow to brown on each side, approx 1 minute per side.

Place on a paper towel to allow oil to drain off & serve. 

Roasted Green Beans, Mushrooms & Walnuts

We hosted Steaksgiving IV last weekend.  I saw a recipe that had beans, mushrooms and walnuts and thought it sounded like it would compliment a steak well.  I think the dish would turn out better if done on the stove top instead of the oven because the mushrooms give off so much water.  Next time, I'd roast the walnuts then saute the mushrooms for a bit.  I'd add the beans to cook and then the walnuts just to get warm.  The flavors were good but I think it could be better on the stove.

Here are the beans ready to serve

Here is one platter of the bone in rib eyes that we had for Steaksgiving IV

Ingredients

8 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
8 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
olive oil cooking spray or mister
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. truffle oil (you can omit this if you don't have it on hand)

InstructionsPreheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss green beans, mushrooms, and walnuts together on a rimmed baking sheet. Spray with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and stir in truffle oil, if using.

Pecan Crusted Chicken

This chicken has the taste of Fall in it!  It smells yummy while it's cooking and tastes amazing!  I love that it's a great dinner that can be completed in under 30 minutes too!  Easy for a weeknight but good enough to serve to guests!  The only change I made from the original recipe is to sub cinnamon for nutmeg.

A picture of the chicken ready to be cooked

The chicken getting crispy in the pan

Our final dish

Ingredients:
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup crushed up saltine crackers
1 egg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Season chicken with salt & pepper.
In a small shallow bowl, whip up the egg.
In a separate bowl, mix together the pecans, crackers & cinnamon
Dip the chicken in the egg, then into the pecan mixture.  Be sure to push down & coat both sides
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.
Place chicken in skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until crispy.

Enjoy!