Roast Pork Loin with Rood Vegetables

This is a recipe from ina-garten and you can find it Here
I forgot to take a picture with the root vegetables. This was what was left and I took a picture the next day so you could see it.
 As usual I cut everything down for two people.





Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 (3pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed and tied
3 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
8 carrots, peeled, and thickly sliced 
10 small potatoes (red or white-skinned), cut in quarters
2 yellow onions, thickly sliced
4 tablespoons good olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
With a mortar and pestle, or in a food proce3ssor, fitted with a steel blade, grind together garlic, 1 tablespoon slat, and thyme leaves. Add the mustard. Spread the mixture over the loin of pork and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulbs in thick wedges, cutting through the core. Toss the fennel, carrots, potatoes, and onions in a bowl with the olive oil, melted butter, salt and pepper to taste. Place the vegetables in a large roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pork loin to the pan and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the pork should read exactly 138 degrees. ( I think I like mine a little more done) Remove the meat from the pan and return the vegetables to the oven to keep cooking. Cover the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the strings from the meat and slice it thickly. Arrange the meat and vegetables on a platter. Sprinkle with walt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Creamy Pico de Gallo Shrimp

I got this recipe from Becky Upchurch. She found it in the May 2012 issue of Express News. Can't believe I am just now trying it.  It will be my go to shrimp dish. I used a serano pepper that we got from a friend. Thanks Bill and Becky. I cut this recipe in 1/2.





Printable Version
Ingredients:
12 large wild-caught (16-20 count) shrimp--cleaned (I used about 8 because I was just making it for 2)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup purple onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 Tablespoon cilantro, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a hot pan, melt butter and sear shrimp for 30 seconds on each side. Remove shrimp and set aside. In same pan, saute' onion, garlic, jalapeno until onion becomes soft. 4 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine. Let wine reduce by 1/2. Add tomato, cilantro, cream, lime zest, juice of lime, salt pepper and shrimp. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Taste for seasoning. Serve over rice.

Ritz cracker crusted chicken

We had a whole sleeve of ritz crackers that were crumbs. I decided to put them in the food processor and make them into a meal to coat the chicken. It was a great success. I may just have to keep some in the pantry for just this purpose.





Ingredients:
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg for coating chicken
ritz crackers that have been processed into a fine meal
canola oil for frying
Method:
Pound the chicken into an even pieces
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken
Coat both sides of the chicken with an egg that has been beaten
Dredge chicken in the cracker crumbs
Fry on both sides
 

Angel Biscuits

I have had this recipe for a very long time. It is pretty easy to find on the internet so I'm not sure where it originated. I love this recipe, because when I want to have homemade bread and don't have time to let bread rise, this is the way to go.  I didn't have buttermilk, so I just used the milk I had (1%) and added a little lemon juice. You can also use vinegar. Let it set long enough to curdle. 



Printable Version

Ingredients:
1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil (I used Canola oil)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon melted butter
Directions:
Sift dry ingredients. Add yeast, that has been dissolved in warm water, oil, and buttermilk. Knead 5 times. Pat out on floured surface and cut with biscuit cutter.
Bake 400 degrees - 15 minutes. 

Crispy Potato Patties with Creole Shrimp

Here is another recipe from my "Good Housekeeping" November 2014 issue. I made this recipe just how it is in the magazine. I cut everything in 1/2 since I was only making it for the two of us.  







Printable Version
Ingredients:
3 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 large stalks celery

1 small green or red pepper
4 cloves of garlic 
1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 pound large (16-20 count) shelled, deveined shrimp
2 teaspoons Louisana-style hot sauce
Sliced green onions, for garnish
1. Form potatoes into patties. Brush tops with egg and sprinkle with 1/2 of bread crumbs, pressing to adhere. Turn patties over and repeat on other side. Place patties on large platter and freeze 20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop celery, bell epper and garlic.
2. In 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add celery, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Add garlic. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes. Heat to simmering. Reduce heat to maintain simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While sauce simmers, in 12-inch skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add potato patties to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Transfer to paper towel lined platter.
3. To saucepan, add shrimp and hot sauce. Cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are opaque throughout and cooked, stirring occasionally. Serve shrimp mixture over potato patties; garnish with green onions.

Chicken-Mushroom Risotto

I found this recipe in the November 2014 issue of Good Housekeeping. My sweet sister-in-law always buys me a magazine to leave in the guest room when I go visit her. What a great idea! These were recipes to use with left-over turkey, but I used a baked chicken from the grocery store.



Printable VersionIngredients:
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 T. olive oil (divided use)
12 oz. mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, button, oyster, and shitake, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded chicken
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used all chicken broth)
2 T. butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat broth on low heat. In a deep 12" skillet, heat 2 T oil on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and pinch of salt. Cook 4-5 minutes or until softened, stirring twice. Add chicken; stir 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
2. In same skillet, heat remaining oil on medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring. Add wine or broth, cook 2 minutes or until mostly absorbed, stirring.
3. Stir in hot broth, 2 ladles full at a time, waiting until mostly absorbed before add next 2 ladles full. Stir frequently. Cook 22-30 minutes or until rice is just tender, stirring and adding broth.
4. Add butter and turkey mixture to rice. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves about 4 large servings--740 calories, 40 grams of protein, 88 grams of carbs, 27 grams of fat (8 grams saturated fat, 6 grams fiber, and 495 mg sodium.

Apricot Scones

I had made a recipe of Ina Garten's recipe but used apricots instead of strawberries. You can find her recipe here








Printable Version
Ingredients:
4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for final sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
3/4 cup small-diced dried apricots
zest of one orange
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 T. baking powder, and 2 t. salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended.. Toss the apricots with 1 tablespoons of flour and add them to the dough along with the orange zest. Mix quickly. The dough may be sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.