Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig Chutney

I had called my sis to ask what kind of fruit would go with pork.
She didn't really know, but didn't like my pear idea (she just doesn't
like pears) so she mentioned figs. Figs? Hmmm, good idea, but where to
get them in Walkersville MD???

I finally found some sunmaid dried figs in Safeway. I also thought
of looking for preserves, but didn't have to.

So I made a spice rub of kosher salt, fennel seeds, garlic, pepper,
sage and cardamom. I ground it in my morter & pestal to open up
the oils and flavors, then rubbed a little olive oil on the tenderloin
and spread the spices all over it. I then let it rest a few minutes
while I got my pan hot and started a potato and preheated my oven.

When my pan was good and hot, I seared the tenderloin on all sides.
I then deglazed the pan with a little Fume Blanc, but a dry reisling
would be nice too. Covered it and put it in a 325 oven, for around 20 min.

While the tenderloin was roasting, I carmelized an onion and my dried
figs in a 50/50 mix of butter and olive oil. when they were good and
brown I added a sprinkling of salt and some Fume Blanc. Let that warm
through and reduce a little, then I put in a chopped pear. Stirred
in a pat of blue cheese and about 1/3 of a log of goat cheese,
let it melt then kept it warm while I finished up the tenderloin.

When the tenderloin was med rare I removed it from the oven and let it
rest for about 10-15 min. I served it with the chutney and for sides
I chose a potato and roasted asparagus.

It was very yummy! Mark even said I should write the recipe down
and asked if he could make it for his hunting buddies. I said sure,
but he would need a lot more meat! LOL

Thanks Mary, for the idea of figs!!

My Fav Fried Green Beans

This has been posted before as my hot green beans, and
you will notice the similarities. They are a great side dish
and with a few changes can be made to compliment any meal.

First prepare some green beans. OK, OK...I get frozen
whole beans and thaw them; they are available all year round
like that, and don't take nearly the time to prepare. However,
fresh beans are to die for, and if you are impressing the honey,
go for it!

Then slice a red pepper into strips approximately the same thickness
of the beans. Crush some garlic. Heat a large fry pan(non-stick is
best)very hot. Add you olive oil to the hot pan and dump in the beans,
peppers and garlic.

Now be quick, this is where you want to add your flavorings...
Sesame seeds and a drissle of sesame oil; or hot pepper flakes
and soy sauce; or balsamic vinegar and honey; or basil and cherry
tomatoes then sprinkle with parm; or lemon zest if serving with fish;
or rosemary....or....you get my drift. Anything that will carry
over your meal. Saute only till blistered, still crispy and packed
with vitamins.

Very scrumptious and very healthy!!
Eat up and enjoy experimenting.

Sausageand Rice Stuffed Chicken

As I was asking Mark what he wanted for dinner, and he was again
rolling his eyes to the ceiling, I came across a recipe from
Emeril for something similar to this. I say similar, because I
changed it so drastically, you would not recognize it if you came
across it yourself. I only changed it for personal tastes and
allergy considerations.

I got some prepacked sweet italian sausage and browned it off with
some celery, onion, garlic and s&p. I then threw in some rice and
coated it with the sausage fat before adding chicken stock and some
Chenin Blanc (yum yum). Let that cook till rice is done.

I then made some orange/apricot glaze by taking the zest of an orange
(in fact I used a tangelo...it smelled the best at the store) and it's
juice, some apricot preserves and of course some hot peppers.
You can omit those, but I was cutting the sweetness and, of course,
love hot peppers. I simmered it all down till it was a sticky goo.

I took some boneless chicken breasts and cut a little pocket, sweeping
my knife side to side to make the pocket big, but the hole small. I then
submerged each breast in my orange/apricot glaze. Then I stuffed them
with the rice. Of course I had extra rice, which I put down in a baking
dish, set the breasts lovingly on top and baked them off in a 400
oven till done. The rice was tender, the chicken sweet but hot...
all the things I love.

Serve them with whatever side you like...Sophie's slaw would be good,
or my fav fried green beans.

Bon Apetit!

Sophie's Book Club Cole Slaw

For the same book club evening that I made the coffee
crusted filet, Sophie made this. Not only is it delish, but
it has no raw carrots...a plus for my allergies!

Basil Dill Coleslaw

Ingredients

6 cups finely shredded cabbage (one bag)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper


In a serving bowl combine the cabbage, basil and dill.

In a small bowl whip the dressing ingredients until blended.

Cover and refrigerate both bowls until serving.

Just before serving, Pour the dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

Coffee Crusted Beef Filet on Greens with a Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Uggh! I was trying to copy and paste here, but it isnt working.

So I used this for book club last weekend...and it got 5 votes
of "you shoulda been a caterer". High praise, if you ask me.
There were only 6 at book club, counting me.

I mixed a loose paste of molasses, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt,
pepper, garlic, onion, olive oil and a splash of lime juice. Coated
the filets and let them stand in the frige while I did this other stuff.

I made tortilla bowls by lightly frying corn tortillas and draping them
over some small ramekins, but you could use an upside down muffin tin
as well. I then baked them off (at 450) till crisp. Then let those cool
while I continued.

I made my chili lime sauce by processing a tomatillo, serano chiles
until smooth. Then added s&p (salt and pepper) garlic, lots of cilantro
olive oil, zest a lime and it's juice. Processed again then added
sour cream and blended. Chilled it in the frige till ready to serve.

I mixed freshly ground coffee (flavor and caffeine to your liking)
with dark brown sugar (about 50/50) on a plate then coated my filets
on all sides, grilled them off to perfection and let rest.

I then put some mixed greens and black beans in my tortilla shell.
Topped with slices of my steak, and drizzled my dressing over top.

Yum Yum...the girls loved it. It is a perfect starter for any romantic
dinner you're planning!!

Afghani Meatballs and Noodles

I found this recipe online and thought the name sounded good.
However, I didn't have much time to look it over and tweak it to my
spicy liking. Also, I couldn't find ground lamb in the market that day,
so I used a combo of pork and beef. Of course, I took the easy way out
and just sauted my meatballs in my family skillet, and they turned out
overdone and tough. So, I am going to tell you how I will make it next time
and if you try it, then you can email me and tell me if it worked or not.
Or, what the hey, put your spin on it and email me the recipe you came
up with.

Make meatballs with ground lamb or meat of your preference. Spice
them up with cinnamon, coriander,tumeric, cayenne, nutmeg, garlic,
salt and pepper. Be careful not to overmix, and roast them in the
oven till just done.

Boil some egg noodles in salted water.

Make a sauce by sauteing some chopped onion, garlic, canned tomatoes.
Cook over med heat for a few minutes. Then add a little white wine and
reduce. Turn the heat down to very low and wait until mixture has cooled
down before adding plain yogurt and sour cream (about a 50/50 mix).
Then add some sliced sundried tomatoes(in oil and drained), some oregano
and parsley in generous amounts. Throw a dash of worchestershire in
at the end and pour over drained noodles. Serve meatballs on top.

The original recipe called for mint instead of oregano, but for
the people I was feeding, I substituted. Feel free to use mint though
with the lamb, it will be delish!

Let me know how the new tweaked recipe tastes! And you know,
I look forward to seeing your variations.

Till next post, good eating!

Morrocan Couscous from Katie S.

Chop into bite size pieces some butternut squash. Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender.

Meanwhile, boil the stock of your choosing with some saffron and cumin.
Add your couscous and let stand. Saute some onion and garlic till
translucent then add some diced zucchini and yellow squash. Saute lightly
till just tender. Add these and your squash to your couscous. Stir and serve.

I find that some morrocan dishes have cinnamon and/or cloves, so add some
if you like. Traditionally morrocan couscous has raisins, so add those
if you like. Sprinkle with some fresh herbs and serve cold as a salad,
or warm as a side dish. This can also be the bottom layer under a stew.
I give you permission to play with your food and come up with what you
like and eat it up! Remember, this would travel well to a pot luck also.
Happy eating!

Katie S.'s Wonderful Vegetarian Chili

Normally I wouldn't print a chili recipe because we all have our own
that we like to make. But since I was just enjoying the Chili Cook-off
in Baker Park today, I thought, what the heck.

Beans: use any you like or that will go with your fav additions.
Generally I rinse mine and you probably will want to if you are
making this truely vegetarian, or make sure you buy beans that are
not packed with lard or any animal by-products.
Tomatoes: crushed, diced, fresh, canned, whatever you like and have.
Garlic; and lots of it: minced, crushed, pasted or whatever,
Onion
Cumin, Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes
Here Katie likes to add in whatever is on hand: green beans, bell pepper,
fresh kale or spinach. Feel free to substitute anything you want. And we
all know about chili toppers, do we not?

Remember Chili, much like Lasagna, is everybody's recipe. So make one you
like to eat. Have fun! Join in an amateur chili cook-off near you. As I
learned today, anything goes and your favorite is relative.

Wild Rice Salad from Mary M.

Mary doesn't have permission to print this, so I'll see what I can do
about changing it up so we don't run into copyright issues.

First, pick your rice. As the name implies, you can use wild rice,
but I find most rices are mixed with wild rice, and that's perfectly
alright. Remember, it's a 2-1 ration: liquid to rice.

Dice some red pepper or Fire roasted red pepper or pimentos.
Dice some fruit, like apricots or mangos. Chop some pecans or walnuts.
lightly steam some fresh peas (ok you can just thaw some frozen ones).

When the rice is finished, stir in the fruit, veggies and nuts.
Toss with the zest and juice of one orange, a little olive oil
and some fresh chopped parsley. Salt and Pepper to taste.

This can be served chilled or room temp. Great to take to a
pot luck dinner! Enjoy, and thank you Mary for the wonderful recipe.