recipe

Pecan and Herb Crusted Pork

November 16, 2016

Every so often I get on these kicks where everything I seem to make has the same ingredients. Last month, it just about everything I made had pumpkin. This month, it seems like everything I’ve made has had pecans in it. Well, not just pecans, but maple syrup, too. First it was this cake. Now it’s this pecan and herb crusted pork tenderloin. And it’s not the last pecan recipe you will see this month, either.

I have been trying to come up with some Fall recipes that could also double as a Thanksgiving turkey substitute. I know…no turkey on Thanksgiving is practically un-American. But 1) not everyone likes turkey, and 2) not everyone wants to commit to to making a turkey if they aren’t serving a dozen or more people.

Since my husband and I rarely travel home for Thanksgiving, this pecan and herb crusted pork is something I would make for just the two of us and still feel like we are having a hearty Thanksgiving meal. In fact, the crust itself smells just like Thanksgiving. It has all your those delicious Thanksgiving flavors you’d probably find in your favorite stuffing recipe: sage, thyme, rosemary, pecans….yum, right?

To get the pork nice and flavorful, I first, marinated it in a puree of the herbs, olive oil, garlic, and maple syrup. After the pork had rested overnight, I rolled it in some crushed up pecans. Since the pork was covered in the sticky herb pesto (thank you maple syrup!), the pecans stuck right to it.

Now all that was left was to roast the pork.

I placed the pork loins on a baking sheet and covered them with tin foil so that the pork stayed moist and the pecan crust wouldn’t burn. Since the pork took an hour or so to roast, I decided to use that time to multi-task and roast up a nice side of maple coated brussels sprouts. Why not put maple syrup on everything?

This pork recipe lived up to every expectation. I didn’t even miss the turkey. Sorry, turkey…you’ve been replaced. What I love about the pork is that it stays so much more moist than turkey, and this particular recipe had so much flavor! Sometimes I am disappointed with my Thanksgiving turkey because not only is it dry, but it’s kind of bland. Which is why I make sure to have a bite of stuffing along with every bite of turkey. But this pork is practically coated in all the flavors in stuffing….and….it’s actually pretty healthy!

And if you are like me, that means you can have an extra helping of pie later.

PIN NOW, MAKE LATER

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White Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Brittle

October 23, 2015

Do you need any more pumpkin recipes? I sure don’t! Well this technically isn’t a pumpkin recipe…it’s a pumpkin seed recipe! Got to use the other parts of the pumpkin, right?

This recipe was inspired by my love for brittle. Growing up, my aunt would make brittle for the holidays and I would demolish it, it was so good! This is pretty much her recipe but instead of peanuts I used pepitas (or shelled pumpkin seeds) and added just a touch of pumpkin pie spice.

My “signature” ingredient to any brittle recipe I make is a touch baking soda. The baking soda reacts with the sugars and causes it to puff up (like you can see above) and also creates lighter and not so dense brittle. If you have ever had honeycomb candy, its what they add to the sugar to create all those air pockets and the honeycomb effect.

To really knock this recipe out of the park, I added some white chocolate on top. Pumpkin pie spice and white chocolate is such a great combination. I highly recommend adding white chocolate to just about any pumpkin recipe you might make.

Anywho…once the chocolate sets up, I break the brittle into pieces. Of course, all little itty bitty pieces are for taste testing. Only the big pieces are worth serving. That’s my rule of thumb for any sort of baked good.

I will probably be making this or some version of it from now until the New Year!

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Butternut Squash Soup

October 16, 2015

My mom made butternut squash soup all the time when I was a teenager. At the time I didn’t totally appreciate it. It seemed too healthy! But now I definitely appreciate how creamy, healthy, savory, and satisfying a good butternut squash soup can be on a crisp Fall day!

Because it is so light, it is a great accompaniment to a hearty salad, cheese bread, or grilled meat. My husband and I made this a few nights ago and paired it with some juicy steak. We both couldn’t get enough, which is really saying something since my husband can be a pick eater. I was afraid he, like me at 16, would think it was just too healthy so there is no way it could be good. But he pretty much licked his bowl clean! I will take that as a vote of confidence in this recipe!

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Chicken Chili Verde

September 14, 2015

Do you need an extremely easy recipe that will basically make itself while you’re at work? Well, I’ve got one for you! This chicken chili verde is really easy and just requires a bit of prep, but the slow cooker does all the hard work for you so that you can have a yummy bowl of chili when you get home from work.

The night before, I jsauteed up some peppers and an onion. Then the next morning I dumped a can of white beans, a half bag of frozen corn, and the peppers and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker. I topped that with two frozen chicken breasts. 1 carton of chicken stock, and some spices. Then I went off my merry way to work, and let the slow cooker do the rest. When I came home my kitchen smelled amazing and dinner was already made! What’s better than that?

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White Chocolate Brownies

April 18, 2014

These sweet little cake-like bars posed a challenge for me. Not in making them. No, they were really easy to make. In what to name them. Can you call something a brownie if its not brown, but it is made with chocolate? Maybe calling it a white chocolate blondie would have been more appropriate.

Making these brownies was far less complicated. And honestly, they came to me on whim. I wanted to make something using the Easter candy I had picked up at CVS when I should have been buying allergy medicine. After scarfing down half a bag of M&Ms, I knew I had to use up the rest.

I adapted a brownie recipe using white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate, which worked out surprisingly well. I used a bit less butter and sugar since white chocolate has more fat and is more sweet. But whipping them up was rather fool proof. If I were making them any other time of the year, I probably would have left them plain or added normal chocolate chips. But because Easter is around the corner, and like I said, I had the candy, I decided to throw those in for some color.

I was pleasantly surprised how rich the white chocolate flavor actually was. I thought they may just taste like vanilla cake, but the chocolate flavor really stands out and makes these brownies fudgey-er than cake. Which is how a brownie should be, right?

So, tell me. Should I have called these blondies instead?

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Perfect Baked Chicken Wings

April 14, 2014

Who am I to tell you what the “perfect” baked chicken wing is? To be honest, I didn’t eat chicken wings until I started dating my husband. Well, I shouldn’t say dating…because wings are a horrible date food. I started eating wings when my then-boyfriend, now-husband, and I were in a deep, committed relationship. The kind of relationship where you can get sauce all over your face and rip crispy flesh from tiny chicken bones. It is probably what cemented our relationship.

Whoa. Sorry for the tangent. But really, my husband loves chicken wings, so it takes a lot to impress him.

The perfect baked chicken wings aren’t about the sauce you use. We all have different flavor preferences and spice tolerances. No. It’s about how you bake them (and how many times) to make sure they are nice and crispy.

First, I lined the chicken wings on a rack (like a cooling rack you use for cookies), over a foil lined baking sheet. Then I seasoned the chicken wings with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and baked them at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Next, I tossed the baked wings in my favorite barbeque sauce and baked them in the oven for another 5 minutes.

The final step might seem trivial, but I think that it makes all the difference in the wings. After they baked a second time, I coated them again in sauce then I threw them on the grill to caramelize the sauce ans get a little char on the wings.

In the end, we had crispy, juicy, and flavorful wings that rivaled some of our favorite (fried) versions.

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Whole Wheat Tortillas

April 9, 2014

Like pizza dough and pasta, tortillas are one of those things that you can actually make yourself at home pretty easily. Sure, it might take a bit more time than just running to the grocery store, but I kinda like knowing exactly what is going into my food.

And tortillas really are pretty easy. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. If you have a partner, it will make the process that much faster. My husband and I have worked out an assembly line of sorts. I roll out the tortilla. He cooks them on the skillet. Roll. Cook. Roll. Cook. We are such a good team.

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Roasted Chipotle Salsa

April 7, 2014

Do you think there is anyone out there who doesn’t like chips and salsa? I am sure there is, but I can’t imagine my life without the tasty pair. Thank you Mexico for this lovely import!

To make this salsa a bit more interesting I decided to throw the veggies in the oven and roast them instead of using them in their raw state, like most pico de gallos. I quartered up 2 tomatoes and an onion then tossed them and a couple garlic cloves with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Once roasted, I threw the veggies in a food processor with a chipotle pepper (from the can), cilantro, and lime juice and pulsed until almost smooth but with some texture.

What I ended up with was this sweet, smokey, and a little spicy salsa that was absolutely delicious. We served the salsa to a group of our friends who have very discerning pallets and they completely cleaned the bowl.

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Hawaiian Pizza

April 4, 2014

Until very recently, I would avoid Hawaiian pizza like the plague. I never understood it’s appeal. 1) Fruit on pizza? Gross. 2) How does the combination of Canadian bacon and canned pineapple equal Hawaiian? However, my husband and I have gotten more adventurous in our pizza making (and eating), so I thought I would give the “traditional” Hawaiian pizza a makeover. And frankly try to make it more Hawaiian.

To achieve a good pizza, you need to start with a good foundation. After a couple years, I think I have finally found my perfect pizza dough recipe and technique (I will a full pizza dough post in the near future). I always make whole wheat pizza dough to try to be a bit healthier, but you can always substitute all purpose flour if you so desire.

But if making pizza dough isn’t your thing, you can purchase pizza dough from your grocery store or even your local pizzeria.

Once the pizza dough has risen, rolled out, and pre-baked, it’s time to add on the toppings. For our Hawaiian pizza I used Teriykai sauce, slow cooked pork using the Skinny Taste’s Kalua Pig recipe, fresh pineapple, and a little red onion and cilantro.

Because I pre-bake the crust to get the bottom crispy, once the toppings are on, the pizza doesn’t take long to cook. For the last 2 minutes of baking, I turn the broiler on to get the cheese nice and bubbly and onions and pineapple a bit caramelized.

My husband and I were so incredibly pleased with this pizza and we will definitely make it again. I will add more pineapple to it next time. It really helps balance out the salty pork, and guess what. Fruit on pizza isn’t that gross after all.

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Homemade Cookie Dough “Oreos”

March 31, 2014

There may never be two things on this earth quite so divine yet humble (especially to my sweet tooth) than cookie dough and Oreo cookies. If you find the previous sentence offensive or utterly ridiculous, then you are probably a better person than I, and we probably won’t ever be friends. I’m sorry….or, you’re welcome?

While I would love to take credit for such a glorious collision of childhood treats, I cannot. You should thank the good people in the Nabisco test kitchen for this flavor combination. I will, however, take credit for sharing with you how I recreated this treat so you can have yourself a homemade and all-natural(ish) take on a classic. I might even venture to say they are better than the original.

Like any ~~good~~ sandwich cookie, there are two key parts: the cookie and the filling. An Oreo cookie is light, crisp, and a bit crumbly so I knew I did not want to make a soft and chewy cookie. To get the cookie consistency I was looking for I employed the same technique you would to make a delicious, crumbly biscuit (full circle, people): cold butter. Before getting all my other ingredients together, I cubed up some butter and popped it in the freezer to get extra cold while I assembled everything else.

My other not so secret ingredient to make the cocoa flavor extra bold was espresso powder. You don’t taste the espresso flavor at all, but it adds depth and richness to the cocoa that will really make the flavor pop.The standard Oreo filling seems to be your basic buttercream, which is just butter and sugar…maybe some vanilla. To make the buttercream for these cookies a bit more cookie dough-like, I used both brown sugar and powdered sugar, a bit of salt, chocolate chips, and some flour to thicken it to be more “doughy”.

Assembling the cookies is the easiest part of the whole process, as you might imagine. But just be sure to let the cookies cool entirely or else you will have a melted puddle of butter and sugar (doesn’t sound so bad to me, actually). I scooped about 2 tsp to 1 tbsp of filling onto a cookie, then topped it with another. You may want to vary this depending on the size of your cookie.

Also, like normal cookie dough, this is also great to eat out of the bowl.

Or just lick straight off the cookie. No judgement here.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

March 26, 2014

This is another old recipe, but it is one of my favorites. The cookies are so unexpected. Sweet yet spicy. Crispy and gooey. Rich, but not overpowering.

What kicks these cookies up a notch is the cayenne pepper and cinnamon. I used just a hint of both, and while they don’t take center stage, they add incredible depth of flavor. Upon your first bite, you may not know that these cookies have some extra spice, but you will know it’s no ordinary chocolate cookie.

And of course, what good cup of hot chocolate doesn’t have a few marshmallows. On my first attempt making these cookies, I baked the marshmallows IN the cookie. Big mistake. So on my next attempt I melted some marshmallows down (marshmallow fluff would also be acceptable), spread them on top and put the cookies under the broiler to get the marshmallow nice and brown.

Seriously, what’s not to like? Make these cookies.

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Apple Streusel Muffins

March 21, 2014

For those of you who happened to follow my old blog (hi, Mom!), you may remember this recipe. For some reason is has been one of my more popular recipes on Pinterest so it made a good candidate for my “test” blog post.

I made these muffins after a trip up to the mountains near Charlotte this past Fall. We had so many apples I need to find creative ways to use them all. They turned out wonderfully. So much so, I will probably make this a Fall staple.

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