A New Twist for New Year's Day Dinner - Marinated Pork Tenderloin

I spent most of this New Year's Day wrapping Christmas ornaments and other assorted decorations putting them in their appropriate containers and storing them away until next time, so I left New Year's dinner totally up to the Mister.

He didn't disappoint.

We had the obligatory collard greens. Ours was sautéed with a little bacon drippings and white wine. 

Corn bread, of course.

This year he used THIS Hoppin' John recipe from Garden and Gun magazine.

But the best thing ever was the pork tenderloin as seen above.

Very tender...and oh, so good your mama better watch out for that slap!

You might even want to slap her twice!

Take one pork tenderloin about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and place in large zip-lock bag.

Mix together:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup Dijon stone ground mustard

1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic

salt

pepper

Pour the mixture over the pork tenderloin.  Zip the bag and store in the refrigerator. 

Marinate at least four hours, turning the bag every 30 minutes or so.

After four hours remove the pork and discard marinade. Grill the pork on low until it reaches 145 degrees internally.  

Slice and listen for the compliments!

Serves 8

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Zucchini Gratin

Okay, so it's been a year since I added a new recipe.  I've been a bit busy elsewhere including publishing a book during that time. I ran across this recipe, however, and had to try it as we eat a lot of zucchini.

We are already thinking of great ways to use it and pair it....with risotto, shredding the zucchini into long strands like spaghetti and add some pasta with it, too. 

You might have some ideas. 

Tonight's pairing was with grilled chicken breast.  

I doubt the leftovers will be around for long.  It is THAT good!

4 T. butter
4 large zucchini, sliced
4 medium shallots, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 t. oregano
salt
pepper
green onions for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter.  Add shallots and garlic.  Cook till translucent, a minute or two.

Add zucchini, cream, salt, pepper, oregano and parmesan cheese.

Let mixture cook 8-10 minutes.  Do not leave it alone.  Stir it the entire time till mixture thickens and bubbly.

Keep mixing while cooking. Add cheddar cheese, and mix till blended.

Transfer mixture to greased 9x13 dish.   Lightly sprinkle with more cheddar cheese.

Bake 10-14 minutes till cheese is bubbly.

Top with green onions.  

Serves 4

White Chicken Chili

Folks here in Georgia are cold…..colder than normal, and over the next couple of days the forecast states we are going to have a short period sleet/freezing rain that will be followed by a dramatic drop in temperatures and high winds. Temperatures are going down, down, down below freezing and are expected to stay there for two to three days.

So…

It’s PERFECT soup weather.

The Mister tried this recipe yesterday. We had it for dinner last night night and again for lunch today.

It’s a keeper!

Ingredients

2 (14.5-ounce) cans white beans

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced

2 medium poblano peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 limes, juiced, plus lime wedges, for serving

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Sour cream, for topping

Tortilla chips, coarsely crushed, for topping

Directions

Drain and rinse the canned white beans. In a medium bowl, mash half of the beans with a potato masher until chunky. Reserve the beans until needed.

Add the canola oil to a large Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt, and pepper, to taste. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and continue to saute for 1 more minute to toast the spices. Stir in the chicken stock, and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes.

After 20 minutes of simmering, taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken and cilantro and simmer until heated through, about 5 more minutes. Serve the chili in individual bowls topped with a dollop of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

A little shredded Monterey Jack added to your bowl or cup is nice, too! 

Serves 4-6

Prime Rib Soup

So when you have prime rib for Christmas Day dinner what do you do with the bones?  Well, you make Prime Rib Soup, of course.

Ingredients:

4 beef ribs, trimmed from a cooked prime rib roast

2 cups beef stock

1 potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Place the ribs in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is falling from the bones, about 2 hours. Remove the ribs and allow to cool. Trim the meat from the ribs and cut into bite sized pieces; refrigerate. Continue simmering the broth until reduced to 1 cup; refrigerate until the fat congeals to the top.

Skim and discard the congealed fat. Pour the broth into a saucepan along with the meat trimmings, beef stock, potato, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives to serve.

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. dried onion
2 T. ketchup
1 T. oil
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T. water
Sesame Seeds

Put chicken in the crock pot.

Combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, and garlic powder. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on the high setting for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or till chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot leaving the sauce.

Dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in 3 T. water and pour into crock pot.

Stir to combine the water/cornstarch mixture with the sauce. Replace the lid and cook on high for ten minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and return to crock pot.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Great served with Fried Rice and Broccoli!

Grilled Shrimp and Bacon with Lemon and Crisp Red Potatoes wth Garlic-Herb Oil

Never underestimate the abilities of a man once you send him off to the kitchen with a Martha Stewart magazine. Over the weekend the Mister was hungry. It didn't look like I was going to let go of my work anytime soon, so as he usually does on the weekends the Mister cooked...and it was great.

Grilled Shrimp and Bacon with Lemons

16 large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), shells split, but not removed, deveined
2 lemons
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 6 oz.)

Toss shrimp in a large nonreactive baking dish with zest and juice of one lemon, the Old Bay seasoning and oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium-high. Slice remaining lemon into 1/4-inch slices. Grill lemon slices, shrimp and bacon directly on grates until lemon slices are caramelized (2 to 3 minutes per side), shrimp are cooked through (about 3 minutes per side), and bacon is lightly charred and crisp (4 to 5 minutes per side). Transfer lemons and shrimp to a bowl, and the bacon to a plate. Let cool slightly.

Tear bacon into 2-inch pieces, and add to bowl with lemons and shrimp.

Toss until well combined.

Serves 4

Crisp Red Potatoes with Garlic-Herb Oil

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
Large flake sea salt
3 T.  extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely grated

Heat grill to medium-high. Place potatoes in a large pot, and fill with cold water. Season with salt, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 12 to 13 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Halve potatoes, and toss with 1 T. oil.

Meanwhile, whisk together parsley, garlic, and remaining 2 T. oil in a large bowl.

Grill potatoes directly on grates, flipping until slightly charred and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Toss with garlic-herb oil.

Season with salt.

Serves 4

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad

This is a great way to use those garden items that tend to overtake your kitchen during the summer.

Grill up some chicken breasts....and you've got a great meal.

3 medium cucumbers, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

3 medium tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

I slice up the cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes and throw into a large mixing bowl. 

Then I mix up the remaining ingredients and pour over the veggies.  Toss well and pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours....at least.

I visit the fridge three or four times during the afternoon and toss the contents around to make sure everything is soaking well. 

Great the next day, too!!!

The Easiest Roast Ever!

I'm a bit busy these days trying to keep several projects spinning in the air. Cooking has basically taken a back burner position. I'm not exactly happy about it, but for now I'm looking for the easiest way to prepare decent food for us to eat without spending two hours to prepare and watch over the cooking.

This roast recipe is simple as far as ingredients go, and it cooks in the crock pot while you can be off doing other things.

Take a three pound chuck roast

 

Brown the roast on all sides.  I used a little olive oil in my pan.

  



Open three separate envelopes - 1 envelope Italian Salad Dressing mix, 1 envelope Ranch Dressing mix, and 1 envelope Brown Gravy mix

Mix the dry ingredients from each envelope with two cups water.

Add the roast to your crock pot and pour the water/dressing/gravy mixture over the roast.

Add the lid to crock pot and turn it on.

The roast will be done in four hours on HIGH or 8 hours if you use the LOW setting.

All you need to do is add some steamed carrots and mashed potatoes or other vegetables.

This recipe is most certainly a keeper!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 T. Olive Oil

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 medium carrots, diced small

1 medium onion, diced small

Salt and Pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 ¾ pounds  boneless chicken breast

6 ounces vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into 1 ½ inch pieces

In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat add celery, onion and carrots and cook till celery and carrots are crisp tender; about five minutes.

 

Add salt and pepper. Add broth and 4 cups water and bring to boil.

Add chicken, reduce heat to simmer and cover.

Cook until chicken is cooked through, about ten minutes. With tongs remove chicken and chop or shred into bite-size pieces.

Add pasta to pot and cook until tender, about four minutes. 

Stir in chicken pieces and serve.  

Squash Casserole

I got rid of the written version of this recipe years ago. It's one I just "know" how to cook......

Take a few squash.....six to seven medium to small squash.  Wash them and trim the ends. 

Slice the squash and add to boiling salted water.  Cook about five to ten minutes.

While the squash cooks. Chop one medium onion and two carrots.

Use a colander to drain squash. While it's draining....it should not be watery....open one can Cream of Mushroom soup and add to it one small container of sour cream. Mix together and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add drained squash to the soup/sour cream mixture.

I used a whisk to mix in the squash. You don't want to puree it.....just break it up into manageable pieces. Stir well.

Melt one stick margarine or butter in a microwave safe container.  Add one-two cups Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing Mix to the butter. Stir well. Add more stuffing mix if you need to in order to get the butter mixed in. Spread some of the stuffing mix....just a little.... into your casserole dish. Reserve most of it.

Pour the squash mixture on top of the stuffing mix and spread evening in dish. Top with remaining stuffing mix.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

The recipe was my mother-in-law's....I made a few changes to it, and have made it for years and years. It's one way I managed to get a few vegetables down my the throats of my children when they were little.

This dish is always one we rely on for big family dinners......or like tonight....when I want a little "comfort" food.

Ham and Swiss Breakfast Pie

This "pie" is a simple recipe that I'll use again. It's real easy to substitute other ingredients depending if you are using the dish for brunch, breakfast or dinner. Change it up with sausage, bacon. Use Gouda cheese or Parmesan  Add in some chopped asparagus for a brunch type dish.  

No matter what.....it will be great!

I followed the recipe exactly last night and paired it with sliced tomatoes and fruit topped with a little mixture of sour cream and brown sugar.

1 1/3 cups water or chicken broth (I prefer the broth, but if you use it omit the salt)

1 cup whipping cream

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) shredded Swiss Cheese

8 large eggs, divided

1/2 lb. cooked ham, diced

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup milk

Garnish with fresh chopped chives

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking occasionally 5-7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup cheese stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes.

Lightly beat 2 eggs, and stir into grits mixture; pour into a lightly greased 10-inch, deep dish pie plate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  

Saute ham and onions in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. 

Layer ham mixture over grits crust. Whisk together milk and remaining 6 eggs; pour over ham mixture.  

Sprinkle remaining cheese over mixture. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and cut into wedges. Garnish, if desired.

Chicken Casserole

Everyone seems to have their own version for a Chicken Casserole and my mom and my mother-in-law were no different when I first married. Each wanted to know that I was using their recipe with some regularity. 

It was a little stressful considering I wanted to put my own mark on the whole thing. After all......it was MY kitchen, right?

So....I combined the two recipes.  Well, actually I combined the parts of both recipes that I liked, and this recipe has seen us through busy school days, nights at the ball field, and serves as a type of comfort food when we need it.

It's one of those things I make with NO recipe.  I just know what it should look like.   So.....I'll try......TRY to get it written down here.

First take one box (16 ounces) of linguine and cook it according to the package.   I salt the water and add a little olive oil.  I sample the noodles while they cook to make sure I don't get them too done......I generally take the pot off the stove once the noodles reaches the al dente stage.   

Drain the noodles.

In the meantime chop one medium size onion.   Throw it in a bowl with 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup.  

Mix in one 8 ounce container Sour Cream, salt and pepper to taste, a small package of slivered almonds.

Add in 2-3 cups of diced, cooked chicken.   I generally buy 2 packages of the diced, cooked chicken at the grocery store to save myself a step.   I stick to breast meat.....

Mix everything well.  

Add the noodles and mix again very well to coat the noodles.   

Pour the noodle/chicken mixture into a glass 13 x 9 baking dish.  

Melt 1 stick butter in a 4-cup glass container.  Once melted mix in 2 cups Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix. Coat the dried breadcrumbs with the butter.

Spoon the breadcrumbs over the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.   

I generally serve this casserole with a nice green salad and rolls.  

Great Balls of.........Ice!

 More and more as we order drinks here and there my husband and I noticed that many places are choosing to use ice balls rather than the boring smaller cubes when serving their cocktails.  

You might not realize it, but ice is the most important ingredient to a cocktail.

Ice keeps what you are drinking at the appropriate temperature...and while you might not like the fact that the ice melts....it's actually a good thing.  Water seeps into your drink and balances the blend and helps various ingredients to harmonize.

The ice ball is perfect for sipping whiskey....and as many bartenders advise...it just looks sexy cool.  

The trend to use ice balls actually started in Japan.  They carve the balls out of mineral water using an ice pick or a very sharp sushi knife.  One of the tasks that must be completed if someone wants to join the National Bartenders Association in Japan is to be able to carve a perfect ice ball quickly.  

So, what do you do if you want to have a drink with an ice ball at home?  Well, my family rarely lets me around a knife due to my "handicap".....being left-handed, but other methods exist besides carving them yourself.

You can purchase an ice ball maker for an insane amount of money.....over one thousand dollars or, you can go to the silcone mold route even though they tend to leave a seam mark around the sphere.

Check out this post from theKitchn.com where two types of silicone molds are discussed.

Anatomy of a Shopping Trip

I've been spending most of my shopping time lately in the housewares departments of various stores including HomeGoods.......

Now I like dishes, glassware and linens almost as much as I enjoy shopping for clothes, for jewelry or shoes....but sometimes it's not as much fun when the trip is a "have to go" trip and not just an impromptu "fun" trip.

My trips lately have been to help Dear Daughter purchase things for her first apartment........so, I did some fun things while shopping to keep my boredom at bay while we looked at basic things she needed.

For example......these lovely martini glasses with a brown tint.     There were six in the set, so I snapped them up.   They now reside at MY house.

Fell in love with these wonderful chairs, but I can just see them with motor oil stains or ink.....or anything else that will head like a magnet in my house.   Even with grown children my furniture is still a magnet.  Still.....they are pretty.   

I snapped a picture and then walked quickly away.

                                              

Now this chair is a little more feasible in design, and I like it......Cataloging it in my memory for a hunt at a later time.

I've been wanting to move my dining room lamps on my buffet cabinets to the master bedroom which means i need new lamps for the buffet cabinets.   These might work....but then I decided they were a little too plain.   

 I've only been hunting for lamps for the last year.......

I was drawn to this piece of wall art, but when I tried to think about where it could go I decided I was basically drawn to the arrangement of plants on the steps and decided that's what I really want.

Perhaps the Mister will see this and make it so.....one can only hope.   I mean.....I saved him some money by NOT puchasing the the picture, so......

I'm always drawn to black and white art..........again, I wasn't sure where I would put it so I kept walking.

Dishes.....my real weakness.  

I loved these so much I took two pictures.   I loved the square plates....especially the small plates.    I loved the colors noticing right off the bat how they would match my kitchen/dining room.   

I kept talking myself into getting them.

The good girl in me fought back.....I knew I already had now many sets of dishes?   How many sets of dishes stored all over my house?>   I quickly snapped a picture and posted it on Facebook and instantly had several comments regarding how pretty they were.   

Just goes to show my friends have good taste.    So, then I admitted how weak I was with dishes.   How I buy them on whim and was very, very close.   That's when the Mister zoomed in and commented......"What?  More dishes?   Where are we going to to put them?"

I mentioned how I loved the square plate.......the scalloped edges of the bowl, and the very tall coffee cup..............but I knew I needed to keep walking.   

I mentioned how he had yet to build me those cabinets in the basement to store my various dishes, serving pieces, cutlery, linens, and glassware, but I knew I really didn't need them.

I was proud of myself when I walked away.   I had my martini glasses after all, and I really did need them......

.....But  I wonder now - a couple of weeks later - if those dishes are still there waiting for me.   :)

They wanted to come to my house so, so terribly bad.

I hope they found a good home, but.....if I go back this week, and they are still on the shelf.......

The Best Chicken Marinade Ever

The bad news......I had to wait until close to 9 p.m. last night for dinner.   The Mister wanted to grill some chicken, and he was late getting off the golf course. 

The good news....it was worth the wait.   Seriously.    I've decided our chicken should be marinaded using this recipe from now on......it's THAT good.

Recipe source:    The little old website you will find here.

Put the amount of chicken you want to grill in the bottom of a big bowl. 

In another bowl combine the following using a whisk:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (10 oz) bottle Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

3 T. Italian Seasoning

1 T. Salt 

1 T. White Pepper

Pour the mixture over the chicken, and refrigerate overnight, or for 4-5 hours...at least.

Remove chicken from the marinade to grill......Enjoy!!!!

Strawberry Sangria

8 cups fresh strawberries, halved and trimmed

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 750 ml bottle white wine....such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

2 cups sparkling water, chilled

1 orange, sliced

To prepare syrup, in a large saucepan combine trimmed and halved strawberries, sugar and water.  Bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat.   Cover.   Cool to warm temperature.

Press mixture a little at a time through a mesh sieve, discard solids (you should have about 3 cups syrup) in a 2-quart pitcher stir together the syrup, wine and sliced strawberries.  

Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

Before serving stir in the sparkling water.  Serve in glasses with orange slices.

Makes 8...8 oz servings

Yet Another Speckled Heart Grits Recipe

The other day I wrote about my trip to Callaway Gardens and my love affair with their speckled heart grits......if you forgot you can see the post here. 

Here is another recipe.....

1 cup Speckled Heart Grits

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups grated sharp cheese

1 stick margarine

Dash of Tobasco

Cook grits according to a traditional recipe above.   Combine all ingredients.  Pour in a casserole dish.  

Bake 1 hour in a 325 degree oven.   

Serves 4-6

Pasta Primavera

12 ounces Spaghetti

1 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, 6-8 ounces, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium zucchini, cut into half moons

1/4 cup water

Salt

1 can (14-14.5 ounces) no salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

1 medium carrot, grated

1/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 T. )

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Heat 6-quart saucepan of water to boiling on high.  Cook pasta as label directs.  

Meanwhile in a 12-inch skillet. heat oil on medium.  Add onion and garlic; cook 2-3 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.

Add grape tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.   Add asparagus, zucchini, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.   

Cover and cook 5-7 minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst.  

Stir in beans and carrot; cook 2-3 minutes or until beans are heated through.  

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta; return to saucepot and add vegetable mixture, Parmesan, lemon juice, reserved cooking liquid, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss until combined.   

Divide among serving plates

Sour Cream Chive Biscuits

I had these wonderful little biscuits at The Farmhouse restaurant down at Serenbe recently.  

I loved these little bits of joy so much I searched on the Internet until I found the recipe, and I discovered why they are so good.......simple is always best, and this recipe is simple.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

Take 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour and add in 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Then add in 1 cup sour cream and 2 sticks ( 1cup) melted butter.

Stir mixture gently until combined.   Do not over stir. Put approximately 1/4 cup of mixture into each greased muffin tin.

Bake 12-15 minutes till lightly golden brown.  Frozen chives can be used.   Yield:  12

I love baking these in a muffin tin so that you get a nice crust around the outside of each biscuit.  

Don't they look great?

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I like this recipe because I usually have the ingredients on hand.   

These bars can be used for breakfast or a snack....a dessert as well.

 It suits the craving for something sweet......satisfies the craving fairly quickly, but the bars aren't overly sweet......and most importantly since you use an 8 x 8 pan there are tons of leftovers to feel guilty about later.

Short and sweet......and done.

1 ½ cup quick cooking oats

¼ cup light brown sugar-packed

½ t. kosher salt

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. vanilla extract

½ cup milk

1 lightly beaten large egg

Mix everything listed above together.

Add 1 large mashed banana and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter.

Pour the mixture into a greased 8 x 8 pan spreading the mixture evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cut into squares after cooling.

Top with Peanut butter if you like.