Roasted Pork Loin and Potatoes with Mustard Dressing

Since I have started working again I am trying to prep meals ahead of time. This recipe is easy to pop into the oven when you get home from work and have it ready with in an hour and half.  My 3 year old liked the pork but was not a fan of the dressing.  My husband loved the dressing and asked for me to double the recipe next time.    

Ingredients

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs boneless pork loin

2 lbs of small potatoes sliced  

6 slices of bacon 

6 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tbs whole grain mustard

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

pinch sugar

Combine garlic, oregano, coriander, cumin salt and pepper and rub pork with spice mixture.  Wrap pork tightly with plastic wrap.  In a gallon ziplock bag place potatoes, bacon and 2 tbs of olive oil. Press out air and seal.  Place pork and potatoes in fridge for an hour or up to 24 hrs.  

Mustard Dressing

In a small container combine 4 tbs oil, parsley, onion powder, mustard, white vinegar and pinch of sugar.  Cover and refrigerate.  

Preheat oven to 325 and place rack 6 inches from the Broiler.    Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and burst with oil.  Place pork fat side up in the middle of the pan and surround with potatoes and bacon. 

Roast pork and potatoes until  pork registers 130 degrees.  40 to 60 minutes roaring sheet halfway.  Once pork reaches 130 degrees, turn on broiler and Broil until pork is spotty brown and reaches 140 degrees.  

Transfer pork to carving board and tent with foil and let set for 15 minutes before slicing.  Return potatoes back to oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Whisk Dressing and drizzle over pork and potatoes.  

Ham and Bean Soup

Happy New Year!

For the holidays I bought my first Honey Baked Ham!  Needless to say we had some leftovers.  
I tried making a few soups with the leftover ham and this one tasted the best.


2 15 oz cans Navy Beans drained and rinsed
1 large onion chopped
2 cups celery stalk (about 4)
1 bay leaf
1 tbs dried thyme
1 cup cubed ham pieces
4 cups chicken broth (I use unsalted)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

In a large dutch oven heat butter over medium-heat until melted.  Add celery and onions until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme and ham and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Blue Cheese, Raspberry Appetizers

Its a crusty white baguette with melted blue cheese, topped with a raspberry and balsamic glaze.
Must I say more?

These appetizers are easy to make and as they sit, the blue cheese taste intensifies.


Ingredients
1 Crusty white baguette sliced into rounds
12 oz of Raspberries
8 oz blue cheese crumbles
Balsamic Glaze
Softened butter

Set oven to Broil.

Lightly butter sliced rounds and lay out on a jelly roll pan.  Place about 1 teaspoon of blue cheese on each round.   Broil until the cheese begins to melt and the bread starts toasting.  Remove immediately out of the oven or they will burn.  Place a single Raspberry on each round and drizzle balsamic glaze.

Serve warm or cold.

Stuffed Mushrooms

One of the teachers at my daughter's school makes stuffed mushrooms about once a week and they look delicious.  She has a different recipe but it inspired me to work on one as well.


Ingredients
24 ounces of baby Bella mushrooms, wiped clean
2 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
5 ounces prosciutto, chopped into small pieces
4 oz cream cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel (or lemon zest)
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Topping (optional)
1/4 cup panko
1 tablespoon butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Remove stems from mushrooms and chop enough mushroom stems to equal 1/3 cup.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add Prosciutto and chopped mushroom stems.  Cook until Prosciutto is crisp.  Reduce heat to low and add mustard, cream cheese, lemon peel, tarragon, and pepper.  Stir until the mixture is combined.  Remove from the heat and begin to spoon about a teaspoon of the mixture into each mushroom.

In a small skillet over medium heat combine the panko and the butter until lightly toasted.  Once toasted, top each mushroom cap with a little bit of panko.  Bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately.

Doughnut Puffs

My neighbor surprised me with a fryer for Christmas (yes I know some pretty terrific people).  I think she was just sick of me borrowing hers all the time.   As soon as we opened the fryer my husband says, "Oooo you have to make doughnut puffs".  I had no idea what those were.  I called my mother in law for the recipe.  They remind me of apple fritters with out the apple.  I should also mention I do not know how to make this without a bread machine.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup flour
1 pkg dry yeast or  2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
2 eggs

For coating combine:
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Place ingredients into the bread machine and run the dough setting.  My bread machine takes about an hour and a half to finish.

Once machine is done, heat oil to 350 degrees (enough to deep fat fry).  Once the temperature of the oil is reached dip a tablespoon into the oil and then use that tablespoon to drop dough into hot oil.  Make sure to dip the spoon each time.   Fry for about 1 to 2 minutes turn and fry until golden.
Drain puffs and roll in cinnamon sugar coating.

Coming Soon!

I am currently working on a Pho recipe that can be made at home.  What is Pho?   It is a fabulous Vietnamese noodle soup made with bone broth, rice noodles and meat.

The first recipe I did, while it was good, lacked some flavor.  I am working on amping up the flavor of ginger, anise, and clove without having them over power the dish.
 

Tetrazzini

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this is a good recipe for leftover turkey.  I made this version with boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Most recipes have mushrooms as part of the ingredients, but  my daughter is not a big fan of them so I omitted them and added carrots and peas instead.


Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 tbs soy sauce (low sodium or regular)
5 ounces of spaghetti, broken in half
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 onion chopped fine
1 tbs all purpose flour
2 tbs dry sherry
1 cup unsalted chicken stock or broth
3 ounces cream cheese (regular or 1/3 less fat) softened
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup panko bread crumbs (toasted)
salt and pepper


Combine chicken and soy sauce in a Ziploc bag or covered bowl to marinate for 30 min to an 1 hour in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot.  Add pasta and 1.5 tsp of salt.  Cook, stirring often until pasta is al dente (for Barilla it's 11 min).  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the remaining pasta.

In a 12 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add onions and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook until browned.  Stir in flour and cook until golden.
Whisk in broth, sherry, and reserved pasta water.  Gently scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the browned bits.  Whisk in cream cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Simmer until lightly thickened.

Stir in marinated chicken, peas and carrots.  Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes( chicken will not be fully cooked).

In a casserole dish or 8 x 8 baking dish, combine mixture and pasta.  Toss toasted panko and remaining Parmesan and sprinkle over top.  Bake until hot about 12-14 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.