Balsamic Pork Loin

Lately I've been getting very into economical cooking. Over the past few years I've loved trying out new recipes and exotic dishes just for fun, but unfortunately that's not really in my current weeknight meal budget. My new challenge for myself- rather then seeing what fancy new dish I can create, is to shop smart and make something tasty for less dough.

This has been going relativity well. I've been shopping the sales and cooking in bulk to cut down on both the expense and the kitchen time. I've been freezing things and then defrosting later. This seems to work really well with Chili, and also Chicken Tortilla soup. Kevin and I make pork tenderloin all the time, but I notice that pork loin was much cheaper. I had never cooked a pork loin before but I figured I'd give it a whirl! This turned out really really good. It has a long cook like but very little hands on time. The piece of meat was too big for us to finish (the photo is just half of it!) So I marinated and froze the other half.

Balsamic Pork Loin
serves 4


1 Boneless pork loin (2.5 lbs)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup minced garlic
salt and pepper
rosemary
ground fennel

First prep your meat with a generous coating of fresh ground salt & pepper. Sprinkle on rosemary ground fennel. Firmly press the spices into the meat with your hands, making sure all sides are covered. In a large plastic bag combine olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Add pork to the bag. Squeeze out any air and make the marinade is evenly distributed. Marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperate and bake for an additional 1.5 hours. Check with a meat thermometer to make sure internal temperature has risen to 145 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

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When you're preparing don't be shy with the spices! Grind on lots for salt and pepper and add in any other herbs you enjoy. If you remember to flip the pork over in the morning so that the marinade isn't just soaking on the bottom half. I served this with baked sweet potatoes and sauteed zucchini.

Mussels in White Wine with Saffron

Recipe Review- Perfect for a romantic dinner or a small get together- Mussels are an easy way to make a sumptuous meal that is sure to impress!

Before meeting Kevin I had always thought of mussels as an ingredient. I had them before in chowders, seafood soups and the like, but never as a main dish. Early on in our dating while we were at the Blind Lady Alehouse Kevin ordered us some mussels. I was perplexed. "Just a plate of mussels?" I thought. Then they arrived, and we ate them, soaking up the broth with french fries, and I was hooked.

Last weekend my friend Amber came over, and she suggested that we made mussels for dinner. I couldn't believe how simple it was- and affordable too. The Mussels were only 3.99 a lb at Whole Foods! We ate them with some crusty french bread and a Gorgonzola and pear salad on mixed greens. It was a great dinner and cooking at home (glass of wine in hand) was the perfect way to end a busy week and relax. Now that I know how simple it is I'm excited to make mussels at home more often. It feels like a fancy indulgent dinner, but its really not.

Mussels in White Wine with Saffron
adapted from Barefoot Contessa
serves 4

3 lbs mussels
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Clean the mussels, by putting them in a large bowl with 2 quarts water and the flour and soak for 30 minutes (This removes any sand). Drain the mussels, then removed the "beard" with your fingers. If needed scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Be sure to discard any mussels with shells that are not tightly shut.

In a large stock pot heat the butter and olive oil over medium head. Add the shallots an cook for 5 minutes. Add the Garlic and cook 3 more minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium for 8-10 minutes. With lid on shake pot once or twice during cooking to be sure mussels do not burn on the bottom. Once all mussels are opened pour into a large bowl with sauce and serve. Discard any mussels that do not open.

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BBQ Pulled Seitan with Maple Slaw

Recipe Review: Saucy and Tangy and full of flavor and protein, I didn't miss the meat!

This past weekend my good friend from high school visited San Diego to compete in a Triathlon. She chose to do the SheRox triathlon and raise money for ovarian cancer research in honor of her mother who is a survivor. Erica's mom and I went to the triathlon to cheer her on- and she did awesome! The Tri was an all women's race, and there were participants from ages 9 to 70. It was incredibly inspirational to see all the women out there racing for this cause, and all the people there supporting them.  Its actually not too late to donate! If you are interested in making a donation or want to know more check out Erica's fundraising page here.

Once the race was over she stayed with me for a few days and we got some serious eating of yummy things done. Erica is a vegetarian and opts for vegan whenever possible. I was stressed about finding vegan options for her, but turns out some of my favorite restaurants had some really great vegan options. We had breakfast (and mimosas) at The Naked Cafe, some awesome eggplant enchiladas at Ranchos Cocina, and the most incredible Ethiopian food from Muzita Abyssinian Bistro that we ate entirely with our hands.

For a long time (7 years!) I didn't eat any meat, but I ate fish so I had never learned to cook things like tofu, or veggie proteins. (I was also in high school/college so mom or the dining hall was the one doing the cooking anyways.) I fell off the wagon at the end of my spring semester freshmen year. I was sick all the time and started getting nosebleeds. Probably because I was eating a steady diet of grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches, beer, and not much else. I never went back to being veggie, but I'm totally open to meatless meals, and prefer fish over meat.

We cooked at home one night and made BBQ pulled seitan sandwiches with maple broccoli slaw. I had never tried a meat substitute other than tofu (which I don't like the texture of) so I was a little dubious. The seitan was packed in water, and once drained looked a lot like chicken. Plain and uncooked it tasted like bread, but with a more meat like texture. Also the seitan was more dense than tofu, which I liked. The meal was easy to make and really tasty. We bought most of the ingredients at Trader Joe's, with a quick side trip to Henry's Sprouts for the Seitan.

BBQ Pulled Seitan

serves 4

Seitan

2 packages chicken style seitan
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red bell pepper

1 small orange bell pepper

1 medium onion, diced

18oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

4 onion buns

Slaw

12 oz package of your choice:

Broccoli or Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup
1.4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Prepare the slaw first so it has some time for the flavors to soak in. In a medium bowl combine all Slaw ingredients. Toss well and refrigerate. 

Dice bell peppers, and onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat 10 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Drain seitan and chop coarsely into strips. Add seitan and barbecue sauce to pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the sauce has absorbed.

Toast buns and top with seitan and slaw. Serve immediately.

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Spicy Chicken Cakes

Recipe Review: A favorite recipe for a twist on weeknight chicken!

I got a food processor!! Wahoo! So very exciting. This is one of the last major purchases that has held me back from having a fully functioning kitchen with all the necessary gadgets and appliances. Thanks so an amazing sale at Bloomingdale's I now have a Cusinart food processor. I brought it home, unpacked it got to cooking right away.

The summer before I moved to San Diego this recipe was published in cooking light. I remember being so excited when I read it and pestering my mom for when we could make it for dinner. 5 years later i still remember how much I liked this meal, and I have wanted to make it many times since then, but I've never had a food processor. Naturally this was the first thing I made. Its simple and easy to make. Almost all of the prep is done in the bowl of the food processor so it doesn't create a huge mess which is nice. Also you could make the patties ahead of time and just pop them in the frying pan when you get hungry. Finally something different to do for week night chicken!

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli
from: Cooking Light
yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
Cakes:
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 lb chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil

Aioli:
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons horseradish
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare cakes, place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup. Set aside

Place chicken in a food processor; pulse until ground. Combine chicken, chives, 2 tables spoons of mayonnaise, seasoning, salt egg whites, and breadcrumbs in food processor. Divide mixture into 8 equal portions. shaping each into a patty, 1/2 inch thick. 

Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare aioli. combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with cakes.
Nutrition Info: Serving size- 2 cakes 2 teaspoons aioli. Calories: 242. Fat: 7.1g. Saturated fat: 1.3g. Protein: 29.5g Carbohydrates: 12.5g. Fiber: 0.5g. Cholesterol: 66mg. Sodium: 749mg.

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I know I haven't been blogging much lately. Summer seems to bring on all sorts of social obligations that eat up my time. Also my work life has been a mess. What used to be a somewhat predictable schedule has now gone all helter skleter and I never know what to expect. I wish I could do awesome cooking projects every night. I'm hoping that as summer calms down I'll be able to be in the kitchen more. We don't have A/C so its a bit hot for baking projects but I have a whole list of cupcakes I need to make!

Fennel & Rosemary Encrusted Beef Tenderloin

Recipe Review: comfort food all dressed up.

I had a really crappy day at work. I was tired, and crabby, and I had just about had it with people asking me how long the 2 hour harbor cruise lasts. I needed a cooking project to throw myself into. Something adventurous that would help me unwind and make me forget about work. I was looking something comforting, and I came across Beef Wellington. Which looked awesome- but oh crap that was a bit over my head and involved a full day (or even days) of prep. I liked the idea of beef though, so I came up with the idea of doing spinach instead of mushrooms, and stuffing the beef- then covering it in puff pastry. I had my mission and set out to the store- tenderloin was on sale- score!

Fennel & Rosemary Encrusted Beef Tenderloin

adapted from Fine Cooking & Cooking Light

yield: 4-5 servings

1 2lb beef tenderloin, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package frozen spinach

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

freshly ground salt & pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 sheets of puff pastry

Preheat oven to 350.

Defrost spinach and drain well. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots and sauté 4 minutes.  Add spinach and garlic to shallots and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon each fresh ground salt & pepper. Place spinach mixture into a colander and press with the back of a spoon to drain any excess liquid. 

Use a knife to poke a hole through the middle of the tenderloin, and the handle of a wooden spoon to increase the diameter to approximately 2 inches. Stuff with the spinach mixture.

In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, rosemary, fennel, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to make a paste. Rub the paste all over the outside of the tenderloin. 

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large pan. Gently sear tenderloin for 1 one minute on each side.

Lay out 3 pieces of puff pastry, brushing each lightly with butter before layering on next piece. Gently wrap the paper around the beef, sealing edges with butter. Bake for 35- 40 minutes, until internal meat temperature reaches 120°F for rare, 125° to 130°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Nutrition Information: Calories 577, Fat 31.3g, Sat. Fat 12.6g Cholesterol 188mg, Sodium 406mg, Carbohydrates 16.4g, Fiber 2.2g, Protein 56.3g

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I could tell right away from how this smelled that it was going to taste good- but it was far better than just good. It was rich beef with a savory crust and tender spinach. Things just rolled together to make an excellent meal. I love when trying something new and experimenting yields great results. The combination of the fennel and rosemary was a perfect mix of flavors, and very fragrant while cooking. The original recipe said to tie the tenderloin with butchers twine, but since I wrapped the roast with the puff pastry sheets I skipped that step. Honestly most of the pastry fell off while carving the meat so I'm not sure how necessary this step was. I served this with baby carrots and a mixed mash from three potatoes. I used one russet potato, one sweet potato, and one yam. It was a nice change up from regular mashed potatoes and a little sweet but not too much. This was a little labor intensive- but totally worth it. I would absolutely make it again for a special dinner. Making the rub for the outside of the meat was very easy however. If you skip the stuffing and wrapping in puff pastry this could be a quick weeknight meal.

***Side Note: Blogging has won me something!! I entered a cookbook giveaway from Galexi Cupcakes... and I won!! I can't wait to get my new dessert cookbook in the mail :-)

Pulled Pork Carnitas & Cowboy Beans

Recipe Review: Pulled Pork Mexican style with a sweet tangy sauce. Plus Bacon makes everything better- including Pinto Beans.

This Sunday I made a late Cinco de Mayo dinner, (Ocho de Mayo?) Pork Carnitas Tacos, Cowboy Beans, and Mexican Red Rice. I've made the pork once before- from a Rick Bayless recipe that called for achiote seasoning, that version has a slightly smoky flavor, while this one has a more true pork flavor with citrus notes. "Real" carnitas involves a dutch oven and cooking for two hours but I cheat and use a crock pot, and then finish by broiling the meat to add a little crisp.

Starting to Scallop

*** I need to vent how incredibly frustrated I am with blogger. I posted this last Tuesday, and then Blogger went down. Since then they have been undergoing maintenance, and announced that they had rolled back to an older version of blogger- aka before Tuesday, aka before I made my post. They assured people that their posts would be restored. Well I've waited a week and this post didn't come back so I had to recreate it. Blogger is posting happy little updates about how all blog posts have been restored when that isn't the case. Very very frustrating. ***

Recipe Review- Bay Scallops in a white wine and garlic sauce, simple yet elegant, a perfect summer meal

"Are you sure you want to blog this one? You do an awful lot of scallop recipes..." -Kevin
"Yes! I love scallops- the more scallops the better!" -Me
"You might have to rename the blog Starting to Scallop if you keep this up" -Kevin

So- here's yet another scallop recipe- I hope that you're not getting tired of reading about scallops because I'm not tired of eating them.

Mediterranean Turkey Burgers and Spiced Couscous

It was a beautiful Sunday, slightly warmer than its been, clear and sunny. I slept in and then spent a few hours hanging out poolside with a friend who was visiting. HBO had just started re airing season 3 of True Blood and so I was looking forward making dinner and watching it in the evening. Last summer that was Kevin's and my Sunday routine- spend the day outside, cook dinner, watch True Blood. Except this weekend my favorite sous chef was sick. I still enjoy cooking when its just me, but this Sunday made me miss our summer Sundays, I can't wait to for it be consistently nice weather so we can get back into that routine.



I went for a Mediterranean theme with turkey burgers, using whole wheat pitas instead of buns, and a spiced couscous with fennel and roasted red peppers. I'm into fennel big time right now. A few weeks back I did a fennel risotto, and just love the complex flavor that fennel brings to a dish. If you haven't had it before fennel has a mild black licorice/anise flavor, crossed with a little bit of onion, and slightly sweet. I've never had it raw before but apparently you can eat it both ways. Back to dinner... I've made turkey burgers previously using a variety of spice combinations but this is my favorite so far. It's really pretty easy to just add in a few ingredients to your burgers and it makes a huge difference in flavor.

Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Cakes

This is a very exciting blog post for me. To start off its my 50th blog post! Since I started blogging in the fall I have really come to love it and look forward to every post that I write. Blogging has lead me to try making new things that I never would have tried, and I now have new hobbies to pursue, (cake/cupcakes decorating, and food photography) that are fueled by the blog!

Second- Kevin and I invented the most delicious food! Usually I cook from a recipe, and I was making a sweet potato and spinach hash that I had seen in Real Simple magazine, Kevin was watching the process (which involves grating the sweet potatoes) and suggested that we make them into cakes and fry them like latkes. Since this was a huge departure from the recipe I let Kevin take the lead, and we mixed in an egg and some bread crumbs to the spinach mix, fried them up, and oh. my. goodness. They were amazing! We were both incredibly surprised by how great these tasted. No they aren't the prettiest, and we probably should have baked them instead of fried but wow. Just wow.

Grilled Scallops & Fennel Risotto

Recipe Review- My very favorite scallop recipe that my family has been making for years, accompanied with creamy fennel risotto and a simple spinach salad

I love all foods- but if I had to pick a favorite it would be scallops. Kevin agrees with this sentiment- If there are scallops available on a menu at least one, if not both of us are sure to order them. My favorite way to make scallops is on the grill. The recipe that I use has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember (it was originally published in 1987). It's quick and easy to make and turns out amazingly every time. Kevin and I had both had a pretty crummy week, so I decided to make some scallops to cheer him up (I had originally intended to treat him to dinner- but he ended up helping make most of it).

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Recipe Review- Basic Tomato Sauce & Meatballs over Spaghetti- Traditional Italian Comfort Food

A lot of times I do food projects on Sundays. Usually if I'm going to attempt something new or fancy I like to give myself a good amount of of time. Except this Sunday I didn't have the cooking bug. It was rainy and cold out. I was sore from a long run the day before, and totally had that curl up with a blanket with hot chocolate vibe- not my normal "I'm gonna cook! I'm so excited!" enthusiasm. I did want to cook something... just not something labor intensive. Apparently when I read the recipe for homemade tomato sauce and it included blanching, peeling, seeding and chopping 4 lbs of tomatoes, my brain didn't think that was labor intensive. Instead I had visions of sauce simming on the stove for hours, my house smelling like Italian spices food, me leisurely stirring the sauce every once in a while, sprinkling in a little extra basil here, some oregano there.

Chicken Yakitori & Asian Vegetables

Recipe Review: Easy to Make Asian Marinade to use for grilled chicken (and veggies!)

I cook all the time. Everything from fancy recipes to easy dinners, and I'd like to think that I'm a pretty good cook. In general most of what I make gets good feedback from the people who have tried it, but the most enthusiastic review that I've ever gotten back from Kevin is for Chicken Yakitori that I made for the first time this fall. The recipe was originally from the New York Times and passed on to me by my dad. We made it again this week and it was just as good as we remembered.

Weeknight Steak

Don't get me wrong, I love a good cooking adventure, but sometimes you just wanna eat dinner- right now! Just because its a weeknight doesn't mean you should have to eat something boring though. After a run Kevin and I threw together a quick dinner that took less then 30 minutes and after we ate I sat there thinking- "Hey even though this isn't fancy its really good! There's no reason I shouldn't write a blog about it"

Spinach & Pesto Chicken Rollatini

Recipe Review: Chicken, Pesto and Spinach- whats not to like? Looks fancy but its not- Can be prepped early and thrown in the oven later, 

I get so tired of just marinating and grilling chicken. It's quick and easy to make, but I get burnt out on chicken really fast that way. So I was looking for a new way to make chicken to jazz things up. Last fall I made asparagus stuffed chicken and really enjoyed the way the pesto tasted on the baked chicken. Some googling (and perhaps some olive garden ads) led me to the idea of doing a chicken "rollatini". Basically its a way to make stuffed chicken where you pound the chicken really thin and then roll it up with the stuffing inside. If done right when sliced you will have pretty little chicken pinwheels. I thought this would be good to make ahead and just pop in the oven, and it was!

Eggplant Parmesan

Recipe Review: Your traditional Eggplant Parmesan, lightened. Great classic Italian flavors

How come when I have the whole day off to cook I still end up rushing around and not having dinner made on time? Maybe because I'm always being overly ambitious and trying to make at least 3 things at the same time and have them all come out of the oven at the same time. The whole point of this dinner was to make things ahead of time so that I could throw them all in the oven half an hour before we wanted to eat, but naturally I bit off more than I could chew so everything ended up being cooked right away- and even then dinner was half an hour late- but more than worth waiting for!

I got new issue of shape magazine in the mail this weekend and it had a recipe for revamped Eggplant Parmesan that looked yummy so I went for and Italian theme for the evening. I made spinach and pesto chicken rollatini to go with the eggplant "nonparm". If you've been following the blog for a while you probably know that my boyfriend hates cheese, so I left out the Parmesan and only sprinkled mozzarella on half of the eggplant. I hate to admit it since I love cheese, but when you're trying to be health conscious, leaving the cheese out of things certainly does help cut calories. I'm writing up the recipe as intended, but know that if you are lactose intolerant, have food allergies, or are just plain crazy and don't like cheese this still tastes great without it.

Citrus Seared Scallops & Polenta

I absolutely love when I have a whole day free and get to spend time cooking. Usually I breakout the back issues of Cooking Light that I haven't gotten to, or my computer and browse around to find recipes while I'm on the couch drinking coffee. Then I finalize my grocery list and hit Henry's. I really love browsing the aisles when I'm not in a rush and usually end up buying way too much stuff! Once I get it all home I like cooking while watching cooking shows on TV. This was exactly the process that went into making these scallops for dinner last weekend.

Pan Seared Pacific Snapper & Mashed "Fauxtatoes"

Pacific Snapper Review: Tasty fish with minimal prep and cooking time.
Mashed "Fauxtatoes" Review: Tasted so real I'm never eating actual mashed potatoes again.

I'm going to jump right in with the Fauxtatoes, because I'm absolutely elated with how good they came out. I was dubious at first, thinking nothing could taste as good as real mashed potatoes, but this was amazing! My senses were completely tricked into thinking I was eating delicious carby mashed potatoes, when I was actually eating mashed cauliflower.

Sweet Potato Pot Roast

Quick Review: The pot roast turned out incredibly tender, and I really liked using a crock pot for easy prep. I used a little too much wine so cut that down a little when I wrote up the recipie and next time will put the veggies in half way though cooking

Its fall and much cooler in the evenings in San Diego. Whenever this happens it makes me crave hearty comfort food. Kevin must have been on the same page as me when he brought up that he loves pot roast and brisket. I have never made a pot roast (it's actually quite possible that I've never even eaten it) and then didn't even know what a brisket was. (Turns out its a cut of meat, usually cooked slowly at a low temperature) After much googling I decided that I wanted to make the pot roast in my crock pot. I had used the crock pot to make pulled pork this summer (it was soooo yummy. I should make that again soon) but never done a whole dish, with meat and veggies in the crock pot.





Stuffed Peppers

Per Uncle C's request I've included a review of this recipe at the beginning
This recipe is for healthy stuffed bell peppers made with lots of veggies, ground turkey, and brown rice
Kevin's Review: "this is delicious" 

Lately I've been big into pre-making and freezing things. I'll do this with spaghetti sauce, chili, chicken stew, pesto sauce, etc, but really hadn't tried freezing an entire entree before. A few other blogs and websites said that stuffed peppers freeze well, so decided to try it. I got the recipe for these peppers from my friend Amber who is an excellent cook.  





Pesto Baked Chicken with Asparagus

I had half a jar of pesto sauce leftover from making some pasta salad a while back and was trying to figure out a way to use it other than just dumping it on pasta. (I had previously used the pesto to make a really yummy pesto and spinach pasta salad that I found on the food network website. It was a total hit at a bbq and I had to throw together a quick second batch when people gobbled up the first one.) Some quick googling led me to the idea of brushing the pesto onto chicken. Sounded simple and yummy enough! I decided to fancy it up but stuffing the chicken with asparagus and mozzarella, and made some sauteed spinach on the side.