Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apple Gravy

Pork! I never really cook it, but wanted to take off my training wheels and dive in- best plan, roasted pork tenderloin. Best garnish Apples! Duh! This has to be the easiest, most tasty way to cook a tenderloin in my opinion- however not the only way, for sure. I hope you enjoy.

What you need

2-3 lb Pork tenderloin (fat on, good quality)

1 Apple (I used gala)

1 Shallot chopped

2 C. veggie broth

1 T. apple cider vinegar

S&P

Step 1: Rinse and pat dry pork, salt and pepper entire piece of meat.

Step 2: In a hot dutch oven lay pork fat side down. Allow for fat to render, you will know this once your kitchen starts to smell like breakfast.

Step 3: Remove roast and add cubed apples and shallot saute lightly, then deglaze with 2 C. hot broth- bring to simmer and put pork back in.

Step 4: Cover with lid and put in a 325˚ oven for about 45min. Depending on size of roast cook it till it's internal temp is 140˚ for medium to 160˚ well done. 

Step 5: Remove the roast to rest, and put dutch oven back on stove, add 1 T. apple cider vinegar and bring to boil- mash apples with a potato masher, reduce till apples make a thick sauce.

check out that beautiful crust!

Step 6: Slice, Plate and Serve! (my dinner was accompanied with sauteed polenta and braised swiss chard) 

bon!

Creamy Potato, Fennel, Celery root Soup!

warm, easy and nutritious....shall I say more? 

What you need:

2 1/2 C. Cubed peeled yukon gold potatoes 

1 C. Celery root peeled/cubed

1 Bulb Fennel diced and divided

1 Leek (white part) chopped

1 shallot 

2 cloves garlic

2 T. EVOO

1 T. butter 

6 C. hot broth (veggie or chicken)

1/2 C. white wine (optional)

1/2 C. Soy/Almond milk

1 tsp Cumin

pinch of red pepper flakes

fresh parsley and sage

Step 1: Heat 1 T. EVOO in a heavy bottom pot, add in leek and sweat about 6 min. Then add butter, finely chopped shallots, garlic and 1/2 chopped fennel bulb, cook for a few more min. until browning starts to happen throw in S&P at this time.

Step 2: Add in celery root and 2 C. potatoes, gently sauté for a few min.

Step 3: Raise heat and de-glaze pan with white wine, a little at a time until absorbed. You will start to notice the starches being released and becoming almost sticky.

Step 4: Add in 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover for 30min.

Step 4.5: While you are simmering get out a saute pan and add 1 T. EVOO and remaining potatoes and chopped fennel, allow to saute till lightly caramelized.

Step 5: Once veggies are tender blend quickly (this meaning don't over blend unless you want glue)

Step 6: Bring puree back to stove and a gentle heat, add in milk and the gradually add remaining broth until it gets to a consistency you like, dump in sauteed potatoes and fennel, add cumin, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs and S&P to taste, cook on med. heat till potatoes are completely soft.

Step 7: put in bowl and garnish with fresh herbs and creme fraiche or croutons if desired.

bon!

Quick Meyer Lemon Grilled Chicken with Lemon Couscous and roasted winter Vegetables

Unfortunately I am one of those working stiffs, who pulls out their creative cooking juices on the weekends aka weekend food warrior? hmmm I am sure I can come up with something better, but alas it is a work day and my brain is tapped. I made this dinner the other night and it was just perfect, fast and lo-cal...., just because work can beat you with a stick it doesn't mean frozen pizza should be what you have to look forward for dinner tonight!

Meyer Lemon Grilled Chicken

2-4 Chicken Breasts

1 Meyer Lemon juiced and zest

1 Shallot chopped

EVOO

fresh parsley chopped

salt and pepper

Step 1: make marinade with lemon juice/zest, garlic, parsley and whisk in EVOO.

Step 2: rinse chicken and pat dry, sprinkle S&P to season and put the chicken in marinade, refrigerate for at least 15min. flipping to make sure it marinades evenly.

Step 3: heat BBQ or grill pan, once heated brush with EVOO. Put chicken on hot grill for about 5-6min. each side depending on size of (.)(.) breasts, (I couldn't help it......). I use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, I hate the days where I would rest my meat only to find out it's raw....

Step 4: rest meat.

Lemon garlic couscous

1 C. whole wheat couscous

1.5 C. water

1 T EVOO

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 meyer lemon (thin sliced)

1 tsp. Cumin 

S&P

chopped parsley

Step 1: with a dash of EVOO lightly sauté garlic (I used green garlic here), before it browns add water, lemons and bring to a boil.

Step 2: when water reaches a boil add couscous and cumin. Cover and remove from heat for about 10min. 

Step 3: Fluff with fork and season with S&P and sprinkle in parsley.

Roasted Winter Veg.

whatever you have in your fridge that looks like it wants to commit suicide for me it was the miniature trees and root things.

EVOO

S&P

lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic rough chopped

Step 1: pre-heat oven to 350˚,  chop all sad veggies up into 1" sized pieces (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots et al.), put in a big bowl.

Step 2: add garlic, lemon juice and drizzle with enough EVOO to cover all vegetables, season with S&P.

Step 3: place in a single layer on a backing sheet and roast till vegetables turn lightly brown.

put all items on a plate and eat!

King Trumpet and his merry friend Spaghetti!

When I hear the name king trumpet mushrooms I have flashbacks to this weird place in San Diego, but unlike waffles with a crown these are actually very meatie fungus sans crown...confusing? Not really, I am just typing for typing sake...anyways here is what I did with some majestic King Trumpets last night...I thought it was pretty damn good!

What you need:

1/2 lb. King Trumpet Mushrooms

2 Tlbs EVOO

2 Tlbs Butter

1 Shallot chopped

1 Stalk green garlic or 3 cloves garlic chopped

fresh oregano, parsley and thyme roughly chopped

a splash of lemon

enough pasta for 2 or 1 really hungry person (any strand pasta would be fine)

Step 0: boil a pot of water give it a bunch of salt

Step 1: in a large saute pan add EVOO, and toss in shallots cook till tender.

Step 2: add in garlic, butter and a pinch of salt- saute till lightly brown NOT BURNT!

Step 2.5: put pasta in rapidly boiling water, cook till just above al dente

Step 3: toss in mushrooms (if they are long and thick, slice down the center, smaller ones leave whole) cook for 5-7min. until lightly brown, reduce heat.

Step 4: you will notice the mushrooms sucking in all the moisture from the pan, at this point add your lemon juice and rough chopped herbs. (you can also de-glaze with a bit of white wine if you have some, I didn't so that's why I am not including it).

when pasta is ready...don't drain!

Step 5: bring pan heat back and add pasta straight from pot to pan with mushrooms, toss lightly, then grab 1 C. of pasta water and gradually add to the Mushroom/pasta pan,  at first it should be absorbing quickly if not the pan is too low, toss pasta gently and allow to cook for a few moments- add more liquid if you prefer more of a sauce-add S&P to taste and red peppers if you like a bit of punch.

Step 6: Place pasta in a bowl and sprinkle with Parm.

delish!

Roasted herby lemon chicken, braised carrots and lemon cucumber tom. salad

As noted in my post from yesterday I was going to make a meal with the majority of my CSA box, this is the dinner I have come up with. It's a mixture of Winter comfort and Summer flavors (winter because SF is 50˚ in August). I will also show you how to flatten out a chicken for quick and even roasting, stuffing is for thanksgiving. I learned this technique in the Joy of cooking cookbook, but it took me awhile to figure out their drawings- I hope my images help you out.

Lemon Herby Chicken

what you need:

lemons

garlic

EVOO

fresh herbs 

half onion quartered

S&P

whole roasting chicken (veg. fed)

3 cloves garlic, fresh lemon basil, lemon thyme, rosemary and sage

2 tlbs lemon

and a chicken for roasting

Step 0: Preheat your oven to 375˚, get out a baking dish and get ready to get gross.

Step 1: In goes lemon juice, EVOO, herbs and garlic into food processor (or blend and cut by hand), should be a nice light green slurry.

Step 2: In baking dish add the lemon remains from step 1, a few cloves garlic and the onion. Pile them in a nest like fashion for the bird to land on.

Step 3: Get into the Bird! Open the bad boy up and take out the sac o' stuff and set aside (we will talk about this later). Rinse the chicken and pat inside out with paper towels. Once that is done place the bird spine side up, or as I like to call it the nasty extra skin side up.

Step 3.5: Time to cut!!!!! Get out some poultry sheers or a knife (if you are crazy) and cut between the spine (or that nasty extra skin thing), cut through the bones all the way to the other end. Do it on both sides. 

the joy of cooking only has confusing drawings.

Once cut on both sides rip it out! (place spine to the side)

Step 4: Breaking some Bones, Breaking some Bones!!! Flip the bird over (as you will notice it seems like the joints are loose now, they are). Place your hand in the CPR position and Push! you want to hear some cracks and when you notice the legs and thighs are lying flat you've done your job.

Step 5: Make a small incision (button hole) in the extra pieces of skin around the thighs and tips of legs, then tuck the tips of the legs in the button holes. This eliminates the need for string ever!

Step 6: Grab your herby slurry and start to cover the bird with it, make sure to go underneath the skin (do this by finding a skin "entrance" and wiggling your little hand gingerly inside being care not to tear the skin) once the bird is totally covered begin to salt and pepper it, I strongly recommend a kosher or sea salt as well as fresh ground pepper, table salt and old pepper don't do a good meal any justice. 

Place the covered and smothered creature on it's lemon, garlic nest, tuck the tip of the wings under the bird so they don't burn. Add some remaining lemon segments in the joints to get some extra lemon flavor, throw it in the oven for about 20min/lb. (4 lb=80min or so) and call it a day....

Step 7: When you feel that the chicken is almost done (you will know when it is done if the leg and thigh pull away from the bird easily), but may need some more browning crank the oven and let it go- don't forget to baste the chicken every 20min or so. When the chicken is nice and brown pull it out and let it rest for 10min DON'T FORGET! you can always stick a knife in it after it's rested to check for doneness, if you do it before all the juices will run out and you won't actually be able to tell.

Wait!!! there are sides!

Braised Carrots

what you need:

Carrots

thyme

1 T. butter

1/4 C. chicken broth

garlic

S&P

Step 1: Heat butter in pan, on a low temp.

Step 2: Clean carrots but don't peel, cut in half or more if larger (if small carrots leave whole). Throw into melted butter add thyme, garlic and S&P cook till tender, not brown about 10min then add broth.

Step 3: Put in oven for about 30min (till broth is absorbed into the carrots).

Lemon Cucumber Tomato Salad

what you need:

lemon cucumber (or reg. but it won't be as cool)

cherry tomatoes (sliced)

fresh basil

1 T. lemon juice

  1 T. EVOO

1 tsp. rice wine vin.

S & P

Step 1: Slice cuc. put it in a bowl, add toms and basil (lightly tear it).

Step 2: whisk lemon juice, EVOO and rice wine together till it emulsifies.

Step 3: pour and mix in to salad add S&P to taste.

your plate should look like this: