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. 

Roasted Eggplant

I discovered roasted eggplant by accident a couple of summers ago.  We we members of a CSA, and one week we got a whole box of eggplant.  I was feeling a little like Bubba from Forrest Gump with all the eggplant recipes, but what I learned is that it's really good just simply roasted with salt and pepper. 

Peel a large eggplant with a potato peeler and cut into bite size chunks.  Drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan and then spread the eggplant on the pan.  If you put the oil directly onto the eggplant, it will just soak it all up and you'll end up using too much.  I like to chop up a red onion, too, and add it to the pan.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.  It will be brown.

Refried Bean Quesadillas

You can make the leftover pinto beans into tacos, burritos, or quesadillas and it's really all the same.  Mash up the beans, add some cheese, and put it on a tortilla.  Dinner is served in about 5 minutes.  Perfect for a busy night!

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

My friend who used to live in New Mexico served us these beans a few years ago, and they instantly became a favorite in our house.  My kids could alternate between pinto beans and pizza for dinner and be happy forever.  Read the directions carefully because you really have to plan ahead for this one!  You'll be glad you did, though.

New Mexico Style Pinto Beans

1 pound of dried pinto beans
1 ham hock/bone (I often leave this out if I don't have it)
1/4 onion, as a chunk
2 whole cloves of garlic
8 cups of water
8 beef bouillon cubes (you could also use beef broth if you have a thing against bouillon)

Rinse the dry beans (check for rocks) in the morning the day before you want to eat them, cover with water, and let them soak throughout the day.  That night, rinse them again and put them in the crock pot the with the remaining ingredients.  Make sure the water covers the beans by a couple of inches.  Cook on low all night and through the next day (about 20 hours).  Remove and discard the ham hock, onion and garlic.  Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, and a little fresh lime juice (sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions are all good on top, too).

Pan Roasted Chicken

Pan roasting chicken is the absolute BEST way to cook the ubiquitous  chicken breast.  Trust me.  You need:

3-4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
a non-nonstick skillet with an oven safe handle (got that? one that is not non stick)

To cook the chicken:
Preheat oven until 400 degrees.  Dry chicken breasts with paper towels.  Salt and pepper both sides.  Drizzle olive oil in a hot skillet and cook chicken breasts on one side for 3-4 minutes, or until very brown.  Don't mess around with them while they are browning or they won't get good and crusty.  Flip chicken and immediately put the whole skillet in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken feels firm to the touch (the time depends on the thickness of the chicken).  Remove chicken from skillet, cover with foil, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes or so while you make the pan gravy.

To make the pan gravy:
Pour the stock (you can use broth, white wine, or even water) in the hot pan and cook, stirring up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in any juices from the resting chicken. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken.  You can also add a tablespoon of butter or some cream at this point, but I didn't to keep the calories down.

We had our chicken with Red Onion Roasted Eggplant and a green salad with Fresh Orange vinaigrette.  I'll post those recipes later.  I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat...

Spicy Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa

Sounds fancy, right?  It's not.  But it is super fast, healthy, and reminds me of vacation (which is good when it's 35 degrees outside).  The downside is that your kids might not like it (mine didn't).  But it's so quick that you'll have time to make them some mac and cheese and cook yourself and nice dinner, too.  Here's what ya need:

tilapia (or mahi mahi)

cajun seasoning (Tony's, y'all)

about a half of fresh pineapple (NOT canned, not ever)

half a small red onion

a bunch of cilantro (I use a lot)

juice of a lime and salt

Chop pineapple, red onion, and cilantro and add lime juice and salt. Salsa is done and done. Make the salsa early in the day if you want and keep it in the fridge until dinner. Try really hard not to eat all the salsa with chips before dinner, though.

Thaw tilapia and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning. Cook in HOT nonstick skillet drizzled with olive oil on one side until it's brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip fish and cook the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Serve with rice and pineapple salsa.

Out to Dinner

I haven't cooked a darn thing since Thursday! No excuses here, though. We've just been out and about having fun!! I was all prepared to cook dinner Sunday night and came home to a note Alpha had taped on the door for me.  She likes to leave notes.  It's really cute.  So we had pizza.

Smoothies

We went out for dinner last night, so I thought I'd tell you about something my kids love for breakfast and snacks: smoothies.  I'm sure you've been making smoothies for years, but I've recently discovered making them at home.  I always thought smoothies were just milkshakes, because they are so darn good, but they don't have to be!  Add a piece of toast and you've got breakfast.

Start with frozen fruit in a blender (go easy on the blackberries because of the seeds; kids don't like seeds), add some yogurt (I use vanilla nonfat because it's sweet), and some skim milk. You can put in a banana or any fresh fruit you've got, too. And I've heard tell of healthy folks putting spinach, kale, broccoli, and things like that in them.  My kids watch me make the smoothies and that would never fly with them.

Just blend it up.  Add more milk if you need to make it thinner.  We like our smoothies to be thin so we can drink out of crazy straws...

Banana Bread (um, cake)

My kids are fickle when it comes to food.  Are yours?  Last week, the baby loved bananas.  Couldn't get enough of them.  Ate a dozen in a week.  This week he hates them.  He won't even look at them.

So I made banana bread with those bananas just lying around getting brown.  I'd actually say it's more of a cake;  I mean, it has a cup of sugar and a stick of butter in it!  It's a Paula Deen recipe, you see, so just know it's not good for you.  Eat a little, not a lot.  But this is my go to recipe for banana bread since you don't have to drag out your mixer.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar; mix well. Add the salt, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder and bananas. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes.

Butter Chicken

I've never had "real" butter chicken, seeing as how we have ZERO Indian restaurants in town and I've never been to India, so I don't know how this recipe compares. I sure sounded like a hick just then....Anyway, you must try this recipe even if it's not authentic butter chicken.  My children liked it, too.  Even the one who doesn't eat red, green, or white things, so she says.

Butter Chicken (from Tasty Kitchen)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cardamom (maybe you have a good friend who will let you borrow some like I did!)
1 whole lime, juiced
1 whole onion, diced
¼ cup butter
1 can (14.5 oz. can) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz. can) petite diced tomatoes
1 pint whipping cream
1 bunch chopped cilantro, to taste (I use a lot)
2 cups rice (I used Jasmine rice)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream and cilantro just before serving over rice.