Archive for Pork
Spice Rubbed Pork with Peach-Avocado Salsa
Posted by: · Aug 13 2012 · Comments
Okay, I said I wasn’t going to share recipes while I work on my book, but I couldn’t resist with this one. So easy and so good. I used the leftovers from this dish on sandwiches the following day which was also amazing even when served between rice cakes given my wheat allergy. Yes, the girl who always dove enthusiastically into the bread basket is now on a strict wheat-free diet per my food allergist. There is another interesting nugget we discovered at the allergist. I am allergic to dogs. I recall having a very thorough allergy test as a child and I half wonder if this dog allergy was apparent then and my parents chose not to tell me because there was no way the dogs would be ousted on account of me. I couldn’t blame them if they did. Regardless, enjoy this lovely meal for dinner and lunch!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Pork
- I pork loin, about 1.5-2 LB’s
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Salsa
- 1 peach, diced
- 1 plum tomato, diced
- ¼ cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 2 avocadoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- ½ a chili pepper finely diced, about 1 tablespoon
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt for seasoning
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Trim all the visible fat form the pork loin and place on a baking dish. Mix the paprika, garlic salt, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Using clean hands rub this mixture onto the pork. Place the pork in the oven and cook for 20 minutes per pound without turning. Once the meat is cooked through (don’t be afraid to cut into the meat to be certain) turn the oven setting to broil and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until you have a nice crusty outside.
While the meat is cooking make the salsa. Combine the peach, tomato, pineapple, avocadoes, red onion, cilantro, chili pepper, lime juice and sugar in a large bowl. Season with the salt according to your preference.
Cut the pork across the width of the loin. Serve a few pieces of the meat topped with a generous helping of the salsa.
Baked Pulled Pork Egg Rolls
Posted by: · Jul 10 2012 · Comments
I made these the other night and wasn’t able to enjoy them myself because I am likely allergic to gluten. While I wait to get results from my food allergist, gluten is strictly off limits. My husband, however, demolished these and all of their gluten wonderfulness. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover pork and much healthier than a traditional egg roll because they are baked and not fried.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-2 cups warm pulled pork
- 1 cup julienned carrots
- 1 cups julienned cucumber
- ¼ cup plum sauce
- 8 eggs yolks
- 8 egg roll wrappers
-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven broiler.
Lay the egg roll wrappers onto a baking pan. Brush the wrappers with the plum sauce. Equally distribute the carrots, cucumber and pork in the center of each wrapper. Use your fingers to make a small indentation in the pork and vegetable pile where you will place the egg yolk. Pull two opposing corners of the wrappers over the egg yolk being certain not to break the yolk. Gently brush the outside of the egg roll wrappers with olive oil and transfer to the oven. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the outside of the wrappers are crispy and golden brown. Serve two rolls per person and enjoy.
Baked Shrimp and Sausage Burritos
Posted by: · Mar 22 2012 · Comments
Okay. This picture definitely does not look like a burrito. I guess I didn’t really know what to call this creation. More like tortilla pockets than burritos and for the sake of the picture I sliced them to show the cross section. Whatever you choose to call these tortilla wrapped delights, they are really quite tasty.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 cup corn- cut off the cob
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 LB shrimp, shelled and deveined
- ½ LB sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 4 oz can green chiles
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- Juice from ½ a lime
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 8 whole wheat tortillas
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 450°.
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Meanwhile, in a separate large sauté pan cook the sausage over medium- high heat until cooked through and all major clumps are broken up. Add the shrimp and continue to cook until the shrimp turns a bright orange hue on both sides. Add the corn and tomato mixture to the sausage and shrimp. Cook for 2 additional minutes.
Spoon 2/3 cup of the mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and a dab of sour cream. Fold the tortilla over the mixture and into a pocket. Spread sour cream on the top of each burrito and finish with another sprinkle of cheese. Place the burritos on a baking dish and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and serve.
Sausage and Brussels Sprout Pizza
Posted by: · Dec 19 2011 · Comments
Sleep has not been kind to me lately. Blame it on being 39 weeks pregnant or on my sinus infection or on the 2 AM visit from Chicago PD to inform us that an arsonist had set our fence on fire. Whatever the source, I am sleeping less than I thought humanly possible and something tells me this is only going to get worse very soon. Grumpy and uncomfortable, I am taking all kinds of shortcuts in the kitchen and opting for quick and easy recipes. Luckily, skimping on time doesn’t mean skimping on taste as is evident with this pizza.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
Topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ LB mild sausage, removed from casing
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup shredded Brussels sprouts
- ¾ cup chopped plum tomatoes
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella
- Finishing salt (I used a truffle finishing salt)
Instructions:
Start with the crust. Mix the yeast and the water in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast is fully dissolved- this should take a few minutes. In a standing mixer fixed with a dough hook combine the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed and slowly add the water/yeast mixture. Mix until smooth adding additional water one teaspoon at a time if necessary to hold dough together. Manually roll the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl coated with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for one hour.
For the topping, heat the olive oil over medium- high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Continue to cook the sausage and break up the clumps until the meat is nicely browned. Stir in the ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, sugar, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Roll the dough out to 1/8” thickness on a flat and well floured surface. Place the dough on a baking sheet and top with the sausage/Brussels sprouts mixture and then with the cheese slices. Lightly sprinkle the finishing salt on the edges of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Cut and serve.
Rosemary Encrusted Pork Tenderloin with Cherry-Grape Sauce
Posted by: · Aug 25 2011 · Comments
The Ranch. Those two words when said in front of our two dogs illicit the most exuberance and honest excitment I have ever witnessed. I mentioned a few weeks back that our dogs, a.k.a. “the girls,” summer vacation in Montana had met its end. Well, we reconsidered. Realizing that life in our household is about to change dramatically for the girls, we splurged and shipped them out to Montana for a pre-baby end of summer blow-out. Our first stop was the aforementioned ranch before heading north to the lake house.
The ranch has played a particularly important part in the girl’s lives. When we used to reside in Montana full time we would frequent my husband’s family ranch on weekends. Chasing Justin on his ATV, hiking to the top of the butte and camp fires near the spring – this place is dog heaven and no doubt holds a fond spot in the girls hearts. This trip to the ranch came 4 years after their last visit. The mere sound of the car rolling over cattle grates set them spinning as we entered the property – at last they were home and as if no one had missed a beat Madison immediately positioned herself on the porch with her nose pointing towards the wind and Ellie started on her prowl for wild animals. I often insert my own words into what I believe the dogs are thinking and at this moment I was convinced they were both set on, “life is really good.” We can learn a lot from these canine companions – the comforts of home, the value of the little things that prompt a good memory and time together as a family. The Ranch…
This recipe is all ranch to me and is a variation on a recipe my mother-in-law makes with venison. I have made a few modifications to produce this rustic, comforting and delicious meal.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Rub
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 1-1.5 LB pork tenderloin
Sauce
- ½ cup dried tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup red wine
- ¾ cup beef broth
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ cup Black Corinth grapes
- 2 tablespoons red currant jelly
Instructions:
Place the tenderloin in a size appropriate baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour on top of the tenderloin and use clean hands to press the rosemary and garlic into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 425°. Bake the tenderloin uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400° and continue to cook for 30 minutes or until done. Don’t hesitate to cut into the middle of the tenderloin to ensure it is cooked thoroughly, i.e. no longer pink on the inside.
While the meat is baking, make the sauce. In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the wine and cherries and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat. In a small bowl whisk together the broth, water and cornstarch and then stir into the wine/cherry mixture. Stir until the sauce begins to thicken, about 7 minutes. Once the sauce thickens, fold in the grapes and the jelly. Continue to cook for 3 minutes and remove from the heat.
Slice the tenderloin along its width into 3/4” thick slices. Plate a few pieces of meat topped with a generous spoonful of sauce per person.
Apricot and Ham Stuffed Phyllo Shells
Posted by: · Aug 09 2011 · Comments
Yesterday was a momentous day in our family. We had the pleasure of seeing our healthy little baby on an ultrasound and with that we discovered the baby’s gender. As a result, I had the opportunity to see fear, shock and joy all present themselves simultaneously on my husband’s face at the news that another female would be joining our household. As the day progressed the shock slightly wore off and Justin jokingly said, “But we already have enough females in this house.” He of course was speaking to our female dogs and me. Despite his fear of an estrogen overload, he will no doubt be a sucker for this little girl, much the way that my father was for his girls.
Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death and I only see it fitting that this wonderful news came in such proximity to what is usually a very sad day. I also can’t help but reminisce about dad today- a brilliant, kind and wonderfully silly man who adored his family. He was a man who never missed his kids sports events, always managed to cheer up the most ornery teenage girl (me) and set a profound example for the type of man I should marry. There is no question that my husband and father are very similar- almost annoyingly bright, competitive to no end, talented craftsmen, consistently loyal and wonderful husbands. I am certain Justin will be just as great as a father to this little girl as dad was to me.
This meal, of course, has nothing to do with the above but it was quite delicious and eased the nerves of the most anxious future father.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 LB boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat, cut into 2”x 2” pieces and pounded to ½” thickness
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ LB Bucheron cheese, cut into ¼” slices (can be found in most fine cheese stores)
- 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 slices black forest ham
- ¾ cup apricot preserves
- 2 packages Pepperidge Farm Ready Bake Phyllo Shell thawed to room temperature
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 400°.
Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and begin to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt and sugar. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and the balsamic has thickened, about 8-10 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the heat and set aside.
Lay the pastry shells on a buttered cookie sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spoon to remove the interior circle of the phyllo puff leaving an indentation for stuffing the remaining ingredients. Start by placing half a slice of ham at the bottom of each shell followed by a few tablespoons of chopped spinach then one piece of chicken then one tablespoon apricot preserves and topped with a few sliced of cheese. Return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Baked Stuffed Eggplant
Posted by: · Jul 27 2011 · Comments
Cheese and fresh colorful vegetables are at the top of my pregnancy craving list. This dish was the perfect combination of these two hormonal favorites and just gorgeous on a plate.
Serves 4
Instructions:
- 2 large eggplants cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 LB hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 2 cups shitake mushrooms, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 2 cloves minced garlic
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up the chunks with a wooden spoon. Season the sausage with the salt and continue to cook until the sausage is slightly browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in another large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes stirring frequently.
In a large bowl combine the cheeses and garlic. Mix in the sausage and mushrooms.
Next step is to scoop out a section of the interior (seed side) of each eggplant half. To do so, use a paring knife to cut a ½”deep groove along the perimeter of the interior of each eggplant half keeping a distance of 1/2“ from the edge of the eggplant. Use a spoon to scoop out the eggplant that is enclosed in the knife cutout.
Spoon the cheese/sausage mixture into scooped out section of eggplant halves and close the halves back together. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Cook for 35 minutes. Let the eggplant cool for 10 minutes before cutting in half across the width and serving.
Raspberry-Honey BBQ Ribs
Posted by: · Jul 09 2011 · Comments
I have always been slightly jealous of people who have their very own barbeque sauce that never fails to please. My sauces have historically changed from one meal to the next and tend to leave me satisfied but yearning for a little more wow factor. That was until tonight. Yes, tonight I hit BBQ sauce jack pot and I can finally say I am now among the grillers I had previously envied. The raspberry jam lends a welcome hand caramelizing the outside of the meat without being overwhelmingly sweet and fruity.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 racks pork spareribs
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Worchester Sauce
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup red raspberry preserves
Instructions:
Place the ribs in a large shallow dish, meaty side facing down. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, Worchester Sauce, honey and jam in a medium size bowl. Whisk until the jam is full incorporate into the liquids. Pour over the ribs, cover and refrigerate for ½ and hour.
Pre-heat the grill over medium- high heat. Place the ribs on the grill, meaty side facing down. Baste the ribs with the remaining sauce and flip every ten minutes for 30-40 minutes. Cut into one rack to make sure the ribs are done. If they are no longer pink inside they are ready. Cut the ribs along the contour of the bones and serve while hot.
Chinese Slow Roasted Pork
Posted by: · Jun 23 2011 · Comments
This dish was the first real meal I had after weeks on not eating much of anything thanks to our little one due in December. You have probably been wondering where I have been these past few months. When the time came for me to jump back in the kitchen my first thought was pulled pork and my second thought was egg rolls. Closely adhering to pregnancy cliché’s I combined these cravings together to make this dish. What a delightful introduction back into the world of the eating- crunchy, flavorful and filling!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 whole pork shoulder, about 3-4 LB’s
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste (available in the Asian food section of most grocery stores)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice powder
- 5 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 2 medium sized Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 cup baby corn
- 8 sheets pre-made egg roll wrappers
Instructions:
In a medium size bowl whisk together the ketchup, sugar, red chili paste, Chinese Five-Spice and the broth. Place the pork in a crock-pot. Pour the mixture over the pork. Turn the crock-pot on and set to high heat. Cover and let cook on high for 3 hours then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 4 hours or until the pork is tender and pulls apart easily.
Remove the pork from the crock-pot and let cool at room temperature until it can be comfortably handled with your hands.
While the meat is cooling, ladle one cup of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Discard the remaining liquid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and quickly reduce to a simmer. Whisk in the coconut milk and continue to cook until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°.
Return to the meat and shred apart with two forks.
Heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat in a large wok. Stir in the vegetables and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the shredded meat and the sauce and cook for 3 more minutes.
Lay the egg roll wrappers over a shallow ramekin. Gently push the wrapper down into the mold of the ramekin, allowing the excess wrapper to fall over the edges. Fill with a few spoonfuls of the meat mixture. Bake for 5 minutes or until the egg roll is crispy and browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. I suggest 2 ramekins per person.
Grilled Honey Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Chutney
Posted by: · Apr 27 2011 · Comments
By the time my husband and I got engaged our parents had still not met. We decided perhaps we should get them together. After discussing a few meeting spots my father insisted we spend a weekend at his bird hunting club in southern Colorado. The outdoors, hikes with dogs, late night chats by the fire- it seemed like a great idea.
Marc and Colby, my future in-laws, soon arrived in Colorado. We quickly discovered that each party had appropriately named their meeting, “The Meet the Fockers Weekend.” The impending question was which family would take home the title of “The Fockers?”
The weekend started off wonderfully. The parents immediately hit it off. The setting was spectacular and I was quite certain nothing could go wrong. That was about the time that things swiftly went downhill. The hunting dogs refused to hunt for anyone other than my dad and husband leaving Marc and I desperately trying to get in on the action. Ellie the dog, our enthusiastic but horrible hunter, ran into the butt of Justin’s gun creating a huge gash on her forehead and forcing me to carry her back to the lodge as she wept like a baby. Meanwhile, the moms were up to their own trouble. While hiking, my mom brushed up against an electric cow fence electrocuting herself to the point of losing bodily control. She farted and out of embarrassment and inherent honesty she admitted her flatulence to my future-mother-in law. Stumbling to her feet from the shock that ripped through her body she said, “Oh my goodness, I think I just farted.” They immediately erupted into hysterical laughter and a friendship was born. At night we ventured out to the only local restaurant. We feasted on undercooked burgers and stale beer in the company of an over served county-western band and a group of fairly rowdy locals. Not exactly the refined weekend I had imagined. Despite the hiccups, we ended the weekend with a great story, two united families, many laughs and a clear winner of “The Fockers” crown.
The greatest gift from this weekend, however, was the friendship that spawned between the moms. While we had brought them together, their similar qualities of kindness, humility and loyalty had made them pals. When my mom fell ill with cancer years later and was hospitalized at MD Anderson in Houston, Colby came to visit. The look on her face when Colby arrived was pure happiness. Mom and Colby spent the afternoon alone – laughing, chatting and speaking to mom’s wishes for me if she should pass. She wanted Colby to take care of me. From individually wrapping all my Christmas stalking presents like mom did, to letting me tell the same fond memories of my dad over and over to just being a good friend – Colby has no doubt taken care of me and I love her. I know mom and dad are looking over me with ease and happiness knowing I have her. Marc, my father-in-law, isn’t so bad either and turns out he is quite the hunter when the dogs cooperate.
So what does this story have to do with this meal? Not much except that Colby cooked the ham and I needed a moment to reminisce. Enjoy!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Sandwich
- I fresh loaf of whole grain bread, cut into ½” thick slices
- ½ LB Saint- Andre cheese cut into ¼” thick slices , can be bought at most grocery stores in the gourmet cheese section
- 8 slices honey baked ham
- Handful fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chutney
- 10 ounces diced yellow cherry tomatoes (you can use red cherry tomatoes if yellow aren’t available)
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Instructions:
Start with the chutney. Combine the tomatoes, shallots, peppers, sugar, salt and vinegar in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Stir frequently until the ingredients thicken, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ingredients to a bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes before using.
Once the chutney is cooled, assemble the sandwiches. One or two slices of ham, topped with a slice of cheese, a handful of spinach and a spoonful of the chutney. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat with the olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the grill pan and cover. Using a spatula flip the sandwiches over after 5 minutes, re-cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
