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.

Results of Boeuf Bourguignon and Flat Apple Pie!

So I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon last night, and it turned out very very good! The smell of the dish was unbelievable. It was a little time consuming because there were so many steps involved, but non the less easy. I did find it to be a bit salty, and I didnt even use salt! Next time I will just throw in the pearl onions and mushrooms without cooking them separately because I feel those two steps were unnecessary. The flat apple pie which turned into a flat pear pie (I didnt have any apples!) turned out awesome too! I forgot to take pictures of the bourguignon ( I know, all that work and nothing to show for it), but I did of the pear pie.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Tonight I am making Boef Bourguignon as a continuation of the French food week I have embarked on. This recipe is the infamous Julia Child's and it seems to have A LOT of steps, but whatever, I am going to try it anyway. I tried making boef bourguignon before and it called for a whole bottle of wine, and it turned out tasting like pure wine, and my husband and I hate it. We don't drink so maybe thats why, but it was just way too much for us. This time I will be using much less wine, and I know it will still turn out very good. Wish me luck, I will let you know how it goes!

Ingredients

One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups red wine, young and full-bodied (like Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

A crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 white onions, small

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)

1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Directions

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Croque Monsieur

The first meal from the week of French food was croque monsieur! I've never made it before, but always wanted too, so I turned to the trusted Ina Garten for the recipe. This recipe can be found on Food Network.com or from her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris (highly recommend getting the cookbook). It turned out very good! The only thing I would do differently is make it with much better bread, and maybe switch out the ham for chicken or turkey (I am not a big ham person but my husband is and he loved it in the recipe). I used the leftover bechamel sauce and made mac and cheese with it for tomorrow night! Good luck!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

French Cooking!

So I just finished watching Julie & Julia again, and every time I watch it I leave feeling inspired and hungry! The first time I watched the movie, the first thing I did when I got home was order Julia Child's cookbook. When I received it in the mail I was so excited to try my first recipe, but as I looked through the book I realized that her recipes were not anything that I was used too, and not my style of cooking. I closed the book, very disappointed, and have never opened it since.

This is were Ina Garten comes into play. Several years ago I bought her book, Barefoot in Paris, and had tried many of the recipes which all turned out awesome. I never realized how similar her recipes were to the Julia's until I saw the movie. Ina, being a huge Julia Child fan, seemed to have redone most of Julia's recipes and made them understandable and doable, which are two very important factors in trying new recipes. So having said all that, I am going to dedicate this upcoming week to French cooking. Starting Monday, February 8th, 2010, I will be cooking French food, and maybe gaining a few pounds as the week goes by, but who cares! Here is the menu for the week!

• Croque Monsieur
• Beef Bourguignon
• Eggplant Gratin
• Vegetable Tian
• Mustard Roasted Fish
• Croissant Bread Pudding
• Creme Brulee

Wish me luck!

Apple Turnovers

This recipe is so good! It's just like an apple pie, but you can pick it up with your hand and eat it if you wanted too! I usually serve it with vanilla ice cream. This recipe is Ina Garten's and you can find it on Food Network.com.

Apple Turnovers

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/4 pounds tart apples, such as Empire or Granny Smith (3 apples)
• 3 tablespoons dried cherries
• 3 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 package (17.3 ounces, 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the orange zest and orange juice in a bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and then cut them in 3/4-inch dice. Immediately toss the apples with the zest and juice to prevent them from turning brown. Add the cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Flour a board and lightly roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12 by 12-inch square. Cut each sheet into 4 smaller squares and keep chilled until ready to use.

Brush the edges of each square with the egg wash and neatly place about 1/3 cup of the apple mixture on half of the square. Fold the pastry diagonally over the apple mixture and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, make 2 small slits, and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sinigang ( Tamarind Soup)

So the other day I made Sinigang, which is a Filipino soup made from tamarind mix. My best friend Ashlee made it for me once, and I fell in love with it! It's a sour soup, but in the best way possible! It is also the easiest soup you will ever make! So I have to give credit to Ashlee and her husband Duke for this recipe (because it's theirs)! The powder mix can be found at your local oriental market. I use a pressure cooker because you can make the soup in 20 minutes, but you can also use a regular pot, and cook it longer on the stove.

Sinigang

Ingredients

• 1 pork loin, cut into chunks
• 5 cups water
• 1 packet of Knorr tamarind soup mix
• 2 cups baby leaf spinach
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 3-medium sized Malanga, or potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions

1.) Put pork loin into pot and add water. Make sure there is enough water to cover the pork by 2 inches or so. Add the diced tomatoes. If your using a pressure cooker, seal it tight and bring to a boil over high heat on the stove and cook for 20 minutes once it starts to whistle. If your using a regular pot, bring pork and water to a boil, cover and lower to medium-low heat, allowing to cook for about 1 hour, or until pork is cooked through and is soft.
2.) Once pork is cooked, open pressure cooker (carefully!) or pot and add tamarind powder mix, malanga or potato, and boil until malanga is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
3.) Add spinach and cook for 30 seconds, or just until spinach is wilted, serve hot!