Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1 package boneless pork tenderloins (2 come in a package, about 3 lbs. total)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

olive oil

For the glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, sliced 

Drizzle tenderloins with olive oil and then sprinkle both sides with sage, salt, and pepper. Place in 420 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tenderloins (155 degrees internal temperature, and let it rest for 10 minutes and temp will rise to 160).   While the pork is cooking, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Boil and stir until mixture thickens. Spoon glaze over tenderloins 2 or 3 times during the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end if you'd like the pork to be really brown on top.  Serve with remaining glaze on the side.  

Ham and Cheese Frittata

This post should be subtitled: I was too exhausted to cook dinner because I spent the day at the pumpkin patch with 100 kindergarteners.  Wow, I don't know how teachers do it every day.  They certainly don't make enough for what they do!  

Ham and Cheese Frittata (serves 2)

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup-1 cup chopped leftover ham
6 eggs (I use 3 whites and 3 whole eggs)
splash of skim milk
2 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat broiler to high.  Saute onion in a drizzle of olive oil in a non stick pan until lightly browned.  Add ham and stir until ham is heated through, less than a minute.  Add eggs beaten with skim milk and stir for about a minute.  Let the frittata cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until eggs begin to set.  Add the cheddar cheese to the top, then put the entire pan under the broiler until browned and fluffy.   Add the chopped basil and Parmesan cheese and cut into wedges to serve. 

Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes

Tonight's dinner was Baked Ham and Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes.  I had never cooked fried potatoes before tonight, but growing up in Arkansas, I've of course eaten them many times.  Mine did not come out perfectly, but boy, they were good! I think the key is not to mess with them too much and a heavy pan (I don't have a cast iron skillet, but that's what I imagine would be best). 

Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes

4-5 large potatoes
canola or vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan
1/2 large vidalia onion, choppped
salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes (if you like to do that, go for it, if not, skip it) and slice into 1/2 inch slices.   Cut the big slices in half.  Heat heavy skillet to medium high and add oil.  Add the potatoes and toss them around in the oil.  Add salt and pepper and then the onion on top, but don't stir.  Put the lid on halfway, and then leave it alone for a few minutes until the potatoes are brown on the bottom.  Take the lid off, stir, and then continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the potatoes are as brown as you like. 

Ham, Cheddar, and Peach Panini

We're right in the middle of peach season, and my Sam's has got some great ones right now.  I like to buy produce locally when I can, but these Sam's peaches are so good that it's hard to pass them up.  We've been eating them with every meal!  Anyway, we had this delicious ham, cheddar, and peach sandwich with a simple green salad dressed with only lemon juice and salt and pepper for dinner.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 slices whole wheat bread
1 peach, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
4 ounces sliced ham
6 ounces thinly sliced sharp Cheddar

1. Preheat griddle or panini press.
2. Spread mustard on bottom half of each slice of bread, and add half a slice of cheese.  Arrange peach slices on top. Lay ham slices on top of peaches. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the peaches, and top with a half slice of cheese, then remaining bread slices.
3. Put sandwiches on buttered griddle or press in panini press, and cook until brown and crisp, 4 to 7 minutes.

Ham and Cheese Party Sandwiches

After coming home from a long weekend in Mexico with John, and after having eaten way too much guacamole, I probably should have cooked something really healthy.  But I didn't.  My girls wanted these sandwiches and a chocolate cake.  So that's what they got.

Ham and Cheese Party Sandwiches

There are tons of versions of these sandwiches.  This is how I like to make them.

small bakery rolls
deli ham
sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 stick of salted butter
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Melt butter and add seasonings.  Brush onto both inside sides of cut rolls.  Add slices of ham and cheese to each sandwich.  Bake at 400 covered with foil for 10-15 minutes or until hot.

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This is another recipe I learned from Barefoot Contessa.  Sure, she's annoying with her "good" olive oil and her Hamptons bridge parties, but her recipes are simple and usually really good.  I simplified the recipe I typically use because I was short on time and didn't have any fresh herbs (it's winter around here, you know).

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan* over high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on one side until golden brown. Flip them and then place the saute pan in the oven and roast tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. You NEED a meat thermometer to cook them perfectly!

Cover tenderloins tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

We ate the tenderloin with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes (I like mine served with just salt, no butter, no sugar). 

*I don't have a pan big enough for the pork tenderloin. so I seared it on the stove top griddle and transferred it to a hot cookie sheet to roast in the oven. 

Grilled Ham and Cheese

I was going to make a frittata (basically a baked omelette) with leftover ham, potatoes, and cheese for dinner, but I was out with the kids and when I got home John was making his special grilled cheese sandwiches with ham (I don't know what he does to them, but they are so good, and that's why we call them "special"!). Who can turn down a handsome husband who is cooking dinner for you? Not me! So the frittata will have to wait for another day.

We served the grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with raw veggies instead of chips.  We got into this habit a while back, and after a while you really don't miss the chips anymore.

See I told you I was going to use up all that ham!  I'm going to have the rest in an omelette for breakfast.  

Ham and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

My kids LOVE ham.  Who knows why, but they do.  And did you know that ham is incredibly easy to cook? 

First, I'll say that I tried to save a little money this week and get an inexpensive random brand name ham.  That was a mistake.  Can you see from this picture that the ham is kind of dry?  I usually get a bone in half Petit Jean Ham (Arkansas product) for the 5 of us.  It costs about $30.  This is really expensive for one dinner, but just wait: we'll eat 3 dinners from this one ham (and a couple of lunches).

Just put the ham, bone side down, in a roasting pan with a rack.  Add about 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the pan and roast the ham for 10 minutes per pound.  Let the ham rest when it comes out of the oven.

Roasted sweet potatoes are so different and good!  Peel the potatoes, cut into smallish pieces, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and about a tablespoon of regular sugar.  Roast at 400 until browned, about 15-20 minutes. 


Mine here are black, because well, I had about 150 things going on at once and I forgot them.  But you won't do that. 

Carnitas

I'll preface this post by saying I'm not a big fan of pork roast.  Ham, yes.  Bacon, heck yes.  Pork tenderloin, sometimes. Ribs, occasionally.  But even so, I decided to try to make carnitas, based on a delicious meal I had at a NWA restaurant called Table Mesa.   I combined 5-6 different recipes to come up with this one.

And my recipe was just ok.  Everyone really liked it except me, however, like I said, I don't really care for pork roast.   But I will say that everything is better with cilantro, lime, and avocados, especially pork roast!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

2-3 lb pork shoulder roast
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
a pinch of red pepper flakes
a splash of orange juice
1 cup beef or chicken broth

Combine the vinegar and spices in a small bowl a rub over the pork roast.  Add a splash of orange juice, and about a cup of beef broth.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Shred the pork and return it to the crock pot to keep warm until ready to serve.   Serve with warm tortillas, avocado, cheese, limes, and cilantro.