Hasselback Apple Pork Loin

This recipe comes from 12 Tomatoes. I found it on Pinterest. You can find it Here  







Printable Version Ingredients:
2 pounds pork tenderloin                 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 apple, thinly sliced                        1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups baby carrots                        1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups baby potatoes                     1/2 - 1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced                    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons honey

Method:
1. Using a knife, make a series of small, parallel cuts across the length of the pork loin and fill each cut with a thin apple slice.
2. Place carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the apple-filled pork loin on top.
3. Whisk together honey, soy sauce, mustard, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon and minced garlic together in a small bowl, then pour over the pork and vegetables.
4. Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
5. Serve hot and enjoy!

Fried Okra

 okra mixed with the egg whites that have been whipped    okra with corn meal, salt, pepper, flour

okra that has been fried in 1/4 cup vegetable or Canola oil

Ingredients

1 egg white whipped to meringue consistency

3 cups okra cut in rounds

1/4 cup corn meal

1/8 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Cut your fresh okra in rounds and set aside.  

2. Whip your egg white to meringue consistency

3. Add salt and pepper, then add corn meal and flour.  Mix well to coat.

4. Heat 1/4 cup of Canola oil or vegetable oil in a iron skillet. When the oil is hot add the okra and fry until it is done to your liking.

Grazed Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

Found this on Facebook from 12 Tomatoes. We love the Texas Sheet Cake, so thought I would give these a try.  They are easy and good. I call that a good combination.






Printable Version Ingredients for Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1`/2 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, or until fluffy and lightened in color
3. Mix in egg, then once incorporated, add in vanilla extract.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt, then gradually add dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Fold in melted chocolate until just combined.
6. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, drop small spoonfuls of dough onto lined baking sheets.
7. Place baking sheet in oven and bake cookies for 9-10 minutes, or until just set on the outside, but still soft inside. (it took mine 9 min.)
8. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
9. While cookies are baking, make your icing by mixing butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
10. Once melted and smooth, remove saucepan from heat and stir in powdered sugar until smooth.
11. Pour or drizzle icing over cooled cookies and let set.

P.F. Changs Spicy Cicken

We love P.F. Changs and we usually get lettuce wraps to share and this Spicy Chicken to share. I wanted to have the recipe so I could make it more often.  This is a really good knock-off.






Printable Version Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic ( 3-4 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (about 3 onions)
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts or 4 tenders
1/3 cup cornstarch
Preparation
1. Make the suuce by heating 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Saute' the garlic and onion in the oil for a few seconds, not allowing the ingredients to burn, then quickly add the pineapple juice, followed by chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
2. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and add it to the sauce ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to simmer on medium/high heat for 3-5 minutes until thick and syrupy.
3. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a wok or medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. While the oil heats up, chop the chicken breast into bite-size pieces.  I like to chop the chicken while it is still a little frozen because it is easier to cut.  In a medium bowl, toss chicken pieces in the 1/3 cup cornstarch until well-dusted.
5. Saute' coated chicken in the hot oil, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Remove chicken to a rack or paper towel to drain. Pour chicken into a medium bowl, add sauce and toss well to coat the chicken. Serve immediately with rice on the side.

Mexican Fiesta Bowl

One of us has to have meat on the fiesta bowl. This is a really good recipe that I will make again and again.




Ingredients:
1 avocado peeled, seeded, cut into 2" pieces
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 cup cooked rice (I used farro), but brown rice would be great
4 cups lettuce
1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
1 1/2 cups canned, rinsed and drained black beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Method:
Peel avocado and remove the seed. Cut into 2" pieces. Place kin a bowl and toss with the lime juice. Cook the rice according to instructions on box. Divide the lettuce between two large bowls. Spoon corn on one side of the lettuce, black beans on another side, tomatoes on a third side, and black beans on the remaining side. Place the avocado in the center. Mix the jalapeno pepper and dressing together in a small bowl and drizzle over the corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Sprinkle the almonds and cilantro on top.

Black Bean Burger

These black bean burgers are really good.  I cut the recipe in 1/2 and made 4 nice size burgers.  I liked frying them in olive oil and butter because it gave it a crispness and flavor that I loved.  I also added about 5 cremini mushrooms chopped really fine.
This is Ree Drummond's recipe. I found it on facebook. You can find her recipe Here



Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) black beans
1 cup Seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated White onion
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
Hot Sauce (she used Choloula)
8 slices Swiss Cheese (I used Havartii)
Olive Oil, for frying
Butter for Frying and Grilling
4 Whole Kaiser Rolls or Good Hamburger Buns
Mustard or Mayonnaise
Lettuce
Sliced Tomato
Method:
Drain, but do not rinse, the black beans. Place them in a bowl and use a fork to mash them.  ( I used a food processor and just pulsed) Keep mashing until they are mostly broken up, but still have some whole beans visible. Add the breadcrumbs, onion, egg, chili powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir until everything is combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil with an equal amount of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Form the bean mixture into patties slightly larger than the buns you are using. The patties will not shrink when they cook. Place the patties in the skillet and cook them about 5 minutes on the first side. Flip them and place sliced cheese onto each patty, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Place a lid on the skillet to help the cheese melt if needed.

Grill the buns on a griddle with a little butter until golden if desired. Spread the buns with mayonnaise and hot sauce or mustard. Place the cheese patties on the buns. Top with lettuce and tomatoes.

Puffed Pancakes in Muffin Tins

 I found this recipe in the Austin American Statesman. You can read it Here The recipe calls for making blueberry compote, but I made mine savory. I cut the recipe in half because I was just making 6. Since I was making them savory, I did not add the vanilla or cinnamon.
Printable Version
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add cinnamon or nutmeg if desired. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. This allows the flour to fully absorb the milk and eggs.
Cut each tablespoon of butter into 6 equal pieces and place a piece in 6 or the 12 muffin cups, spacing them in every other cup; repeat with the second pan. Place pans in the oven until the butter melts, about 1 minute.
Measure 1/4 cup of batter into each buttered cup. (about 2/3 full)  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.Once out of the oven, the puffs will immediately begin to deflate, forming a cup for the blueberry compote. Run a knife around the edges to remove, then fill and serve immediately.
Bacon/Mushroom filling
Cut two slices of bacon in small pieces, Fry in a skillet until almost crisp. Add about 4-5 mushrooms cut in small pieces. Dice one green onion and place in the pan. I added about 1 tablespoon of flour and cooked for about 1 minute.  Add about 1 cup of milk to make a gravy. Fill your cups and enjoy.
Blueberry Compote
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
3 tablespoons water,
2 T. sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Cook in a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup blueberries, 3 tablespoons water, sugar and lemon zest or juice. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the berries start to break down. Add remaining blueberries and cook for 5 additional minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.