Hello again! Well, I have been gone for quite a while because I kinda got lazy! hehe. But I am back and have tried many new recipes that I am dying to share! My new obsession is finding recipes that incorporate apples into them. I love apples, but besides desserts, I have not really cooked with them. So tonight I have tried this new recipe by Rachel Ray, and boy is it good! Especially with the cold nights that we have been having. So...here it is!

Potted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Onions and Apple

• 2 pork tenderloins, well-trimmed and cut into large chunks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground fennel or fennel pollen
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour, for dredging
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 medium onions, cut into thin wedges, root end attached
• 2 medium Macintosh apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• A few sprigs fresh sage, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  

Directions

Season the pork with fennel, salt, and pepper, and dredge in flour. Heat a few tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a couple turns of the pan, in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown the meat. Do this in 2 batches if your pot size demands it. Use a little extra oil if necessary for a second batch. Remove the browned meat to a plate and add the butter to the pan. Reduce the heat a bit and add the onions, apples, bay leaves, and sage. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan to sweat the onions for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover the pot and raise the heat a bit. When the onions start to brown, add the stock and vinegar, slide the pork back in, and simmer to cook through a few minutes more. Serve from the hot pot.

You can serve this with either rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Pork, Coucous, and Tomatoes!

Pork Kebabs with Orange and Thyme

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 tablespoon freshly grated zest, and orange wedges for garnish
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

1. Whisk together orange juice and zest, garlic, thyme, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until emulsified. Add pork; toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let pork marinate 20 minutes at room temperature
2. Heat a grill or grill pan until medium-hot. Thread 5 or 6 cubes of pork onto each of 4 skewers; season with salt and pepper. Discard marinade. Grill pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 12 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with orange wedge.

Corn and Couscous Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1 tablespoon white-wine or sherry vinegar
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chile, minced (optional)
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together curry powder, mustard, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons oil; whisk until emulsified. Set aside.
2. Place couscous in a large bowl. Bring 1 cup water to a boil; pour over couscous; stir to combine. Cover with a plate; let steam until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; set aside.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until bright yellow and just tender, about 2 minutes. Stir corn mixture into couscous. Add curry vinaigrette and cilantro; toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chopped Tomato Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1/2 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes
• 1/2 pound ripe cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 sprigs oregano, leaves picked from stems
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 avocado, diced into 1 inch pieces
  

Directions

1. Core beefsteak tomatoes, and cut into small bite-size chunks. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Transfer tomatoes to a serving dish, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook just until it is golden brown. Remove from heat; let cool slightly, and add oregano.
3. Season tomatoes with the salt and pepper. Pour warm garlic mixture, including olive oil, over the top. Add vinegar and olives; toss well to combine. Serve.

Tonight for dinner I made Pork Kebabs with Orange and Thyme, Corn Couscous, and Tomato and Avocado Salad! It was all so delicious! It reminded me summer, and now I can't wait for the balmy summer nights to come! All of these recipes can be found in Martha Stewart's book: Dinner at Home. Literally every recipe that I have tried in that book has turned out so good, and I have tried a lot of them! Enjoy!

Loin of Pork with Fennel

Tonight I am making pork loin with fennel and onions! I have never tried this recipe, but it seems to be an obvious delicious one! I am also making Creamy Rosemary Polenta and Green Beans! The polenta and pork are recipes of Ina Gartens and you can find them on Food Network.com!

Loin of Pork with Fennel

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups sliced fennel (1 large bulb)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon Pernod or white wine
• 3 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) loin of pork, butterflied

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

For the stuffing, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. Add the onions and fennel with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook over low to medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and fennel are tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Pernod and cook for another minute, de-glazing the pan. Cool slightly.

Add the bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt to the stuffing mixture. Lay the pork on a board fat side down, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing evenly on the pork and roll up lengthwise, ending with the fat on the top of the roll. Tie with kitchen string, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Place the rolled pork loin on a baking rack on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the interior of the pork is 137 degrees F. (If the thermometer hits stuffing rather than pork, it will register a higher temperature, so test the meat in several places.) Remove from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the strings, slice thickly, and serve.

Creamy Rosemary Polenta

Ingredients
6-9 servings

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, chopped finely
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 cup half and half, I substitute for skim milk to make it healthier
  
• 1 cup milk, I use skim milk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  

Directions

1. Heat butter and olive oil in sauce pan, add rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Add chicken (or veggie) stock, half & half (or skim milk) and milk. Bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat, and slowing sprinkle cornmeal into the hot milk while whisking constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly. Turn off heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!

*Pictures of results to follow!*

Awesome Bread Recipe!

My husband is the bread maker in the family, and he is getting pretty good at it! I was looking through Martha Stewarts February Issue of Living magazine and came across this bread recipe. My husband decided to try it, and it turned out to be the best bread recipe that we have tried so far! Here it is!

White Bread

Ingredients
Makes 2 loaves

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 7 cups all-purpose flour (we needed about 8 cups in the end)
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup warm water. Add 2 teaspoons of honey. Whisk until yeast dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle or dough-hook attachment. Add butter and remaining 1 3/4 cup warm water and 3 tablespoons of honey. Whisk flour with the salt; add 3 cups of flour to yeast. Mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing until dough comes away from sides of bowl and formes a ragged, slightly sticky ball (we need 8 cups or so to get the dough this way). Butter a large bowl.
2. Kneed dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic but still slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Shape into ball and transfer to buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Let dough stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume ( it should not spring back when touched) about 1 hour. Butter two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2 inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; divide in half.
4. Shape 1 dough half into an 8 1/2 inch long rectangle. Fold long sides of dough in to middle, overlapping slightly. Press seam to seal. Transfer dough to pan and repeat with other half of dough. Brush each loaf with butter, or dust with flour for a rustic look. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drape dough with plastic wrap and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce heat of oven to 400 degrees. Bake, rotating pans after 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, turn out loaves. Let cool completely before slicing.

Results!

Pot Roast

Creme Brulee

Brownies

So the results from Yesturday turned out okay. The Pot Roast for some reason was a little bland, which could be because I doubled the recipe and maybe I had to adjust the seasoning more. The Creme Brulee turned out awesome! Everyone loved it! Everyone liked the brownies too, but for me, they weren't as chocolatey as I like them to be, but all in all, they were good. Here are some pictures of the food!

For tomorrow's Valentines Day dinner with the family, I am also making brownies! I have never made this recipe before, but courtesy of Martha (once again!) I found this brownie recipe that looks oh so delicious! I will let you know what happened and if they are delicious! I will also be posting pictures of the results. Thanks Martha!

Ingredients

Makes 1 dozen

• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, (optional)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 8 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona
• 5 large eggs
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread chopped walnuts on a baking pan; toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.
2. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; set aside.
3. Combine chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler. Set over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate mixture has melted. Remove from heat; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs, sugar, and espresso at high speed, 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add melted-chocolate mixture and the vanilla; beat until combined. Slowly add flour and salt; beat just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and toasted walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan
5. Bake until edges are dry but center is still soft, about 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 3-inch squares, and store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Creme Brulee

I'm making Creme Brulee for my family Valentines Dinner tomorrow! I am making them today and finishing them off with the sugar and kitchen torch tomorrow (that's what is so good about this recipe; you can do it up to 3 days ahead!). I've made this recipe before and it is soo good! The recipe is Ina Gartens and can be found on Food Network.com or her cookbook Barefoot in Paris (highly recommended cook book). I have had Creme Brulee before that tastes like pure scrambled eggs, which is not so good. But this recipe is perfect! I'll post pictures of the result tomorrow. I am also making brownies too, and will post that recipe next! Picture courtesy of Martha Stewart.com!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 extra-large egg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
  *I do not add the liqueur*
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.