Dinner tonight

Well, the pork tenderloin from the other night turned out fabulous, capers and all ;-)  We used fresh sage and rosemary in lieu of dried, and it was mighty tasty.  Yum!  Mix up some potato pearls and some pork gravy, and  everyone will be happy.  We were, at least.  Tonight I'm going to a cooking class at Sur La Table to learn how to make tamales.  So be prepared for some future recipes!  Dinner tonight is the old standby of black beans and rice with linguisa.

Nothing's shocking

Yeah, so I kind of got asked to serve in the YW as the Personal Progress leader.  Don't know if that's a good bit of inspiration on the part of the new YW's President, but we shall see.  Needles to say, Carly is super excited that I am going to be in YW with her, and Vince was thrilled (okay, smug) that I get to go to mutual every week.  Wish me (or them) luck.  Dinner tonight is going to be a tasty one.  That's a good thing for sure!

Rosemary-Sage Pork Tenderloin with Pancetta and Fried Capers

Yields 8 servings

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage

1 Tbs. fennel seeds, crushed

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed, about 1 1/2 lb. total

4 garlic cloves, quartered lengthwise

4 thin slices pancetta

For the fried capers:

1/4 cup capers, drained and patted dry

1 Tbs. fine cornmeal

1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, sage, fennel seeds, kosher salt and pepper and mix well. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 8 crosswise incisions 1/2 inch deep evenly spaced along the length of each tenderloin. Insert a garlic quarter into each incision. Rub the rosemary-sage mixture over the tenderloins. Wrap 2 slices of pancetta around each of the tenderloins in a spiral pattern. Place the tenderloins, side by side, in a baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.

Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Transfer the tenderloins to a small roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150°F, about 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Remove the pancetta slices and finely chop them. Set aside. (The pork can be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance. If doing so, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate along with the chopped pancetta until 30 minutes before serving.)

To fry the capers, in a bowl, toss the capers with the cornmeal until lightly coated. In a nonstick fry pan over high heat, warm the olive oil. When it is hot, drop in the capers and fry until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Lightly sprinkle the capers with sea salt.

To serve, thinly slice the pork and arrange on a serving platter. Scatter the fried capers and pancetta over the pork slices.

Breakfast for Dinner

Don't judge me. I love having breakfast for dinner, and this one is now one of my favorites, because it's like having breakfast and dessert at the same time. Oh so good! And no, I did not feel guilty that I wasn't preparing a sophisticated (I did try the "blooming" technique it recommends though, so I'm totally counting that as my sophistication for the day) or healthy dinner for my family. At least I didn't after I had the first bite. It's that good. And yes, I found this on Pinterest, but still had to share it on here. :)

Carrot Cake Waffles

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Recipe by: Adapted using the following recipes:

-Rich Buttermilk Waffles: Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of Mark Bittman.
-Maple Cream Cheese Spread by Carolyn R. Shaw.
-Spice blooming technique by America’s Test Kitchen

Yields: about 7 waffles (using 1/2 cup batter for each)

Waffle Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups buttermilk* or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots
Cooking spray for waffle iron

Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Bloom the spices in butter**: Heat 4 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is light brown and has faint nutty aroma, 2 to 4 minutes. Add spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda.

3. Mix together the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) and the egg yolks. Stir in the spiced butter and vanilla. Spray the waffle iron well and preheat it. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients.

4. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a whisk or electric mixer (make sure bowl and mixer are spotlessly clean) until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Add carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Stir gently to combine.

5. Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Spray iron with cooking spray between waffles as needed.

6. To make Maple Cream Cheese spread, simply combine nuts, syrup, and cream cheese and mix well. Serve waffles immediately with a schmear of Maple Cream Cheese spread (which will get lovely and melty), or keep them warm for a few minutes in a low oven.***

Notes:
* The buttermilk can be substituted with 1 1/4 cups of milk at room temperature, mixed with two tablespoons white vinegar, left to clabber for 10 minutes.
**If you prefer a quicker breakfast, you can melt and cool the butter plain instead of browning it and blooming the spices in it — but doing so does add flavor. If you do skip the spice blooming, simply add the spices to the dry ingredients in step 2. Add your plain melted, cooled butter instead of the spiced butter in step 3.

Love me some JIF

I was heartbroken when I last went to Costco to purchase more JIF peanut butter, only to find that they have stopped selling JIF and are now opting to sell Skippy.  This is a point of contention in our household, and the kids have even done taste tests (JIF won, obviously).  JIF is our peanut butter of choice.  At least for most of us.  The other day I received an email from JIF announcing a JIF New Classics Recipe Contest, which I promptly entered.  This is a take on one of our favorite meals - Szechwan Noodles.  I made some changes to the basic recipe, and I must say it turned out delicious!  In fact, I think I impressed my good friend (who is a caterer) when I served it last night.  Hooray for JIF!

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Chicken

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk, divided

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1/2 cup JIF creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil (or as much as you like)

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or tenders

1 (15-oz.) can chicken broth

1 pound spaghetti

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

1 cup snow peas

4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white and green parts)

6 tablespoons chopped, dry-roasted peanuts

Place chicken in a large saucepan; add broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes. Drain; cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.

While the chicken cooks, start heating your water for the spaghetti.

Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, 1 cup of the coconut milk, tahini, JIF peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce, adding more coconut milk as needed until you reach the desired consistency.

Add a splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with 3/4 of the sauce. Add the red peppers, yellow bell peppers, snow peas and chicken; toss well, adding more sauce as desired.  Garnish with scallions and peanuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Rob's cooking spree

Two nights in a row our family has enjoyed the man of the house cooking dinner for a change. Well... since ever. Last night Rob made a honey mustard glazed salmon, which was really delicious, and tonight was ground chicken tacos, which was my favorite. Considering the ingredient list for the tacos, I'm super impressed he felt like he was up to the challenge! I'm hoping this is a new hobby he will enjoy on a more regular basis... sure is nice just kicking back and giving the random instruction or where to find an ingredient. Here are both recipes: (found on foodnetwork.com)

Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon Fillets

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and ground black pepper
Cooking spray

In an oiled shallow baking dish, combine lemon juice, Dijon, honey, and lemon zest. Stir together. Season both sides of salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place in the baking dish. Flip salmon to coat in glaze. Bake immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake 10 minutes or until fish is fork-tender.

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Ground Chicken Tacos with Creamy Salsa

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon (1 packet) sazon seasoning (we couldn't find this at the store so we just used taco seasonings)
1 pound ground chicken
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
12 taco shells, kept warm in a 200 degree oven
Shredded lettuce, for serving
Creamy Salsa, for serving, recipe follows

In a large saute pan with straight sides over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the red and green bell pepper, onion and then season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Saute until the vegetables are tender then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and sazon seasoning. Cook for a minute or so then add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon while stirring. Make sure to really break up the ground chicken on this step so there are no large clumps.

Once the chicken is cooked through, sprinkle the flour over the top and stir while cooking to allow the flour to blend into the chicken for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock then raise the heat to a simmer and cook until the stock thickens a bit, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve in warm taco shells topped with shredded lettuce and a dollop of Creamy Salsa, recipe follows.

Creamy Salsa:
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, scallion, sour cream hot sauce, garlic powder, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate

Who doesn't like a little (or a lot) hot chocolate on a brisk autumn day?  I don't know about you, but last night as the kids were getting home from candy hunting, it was getting downright C-O-L-D.  Sadly I wasn't a good mom and didn't have a steamy cup of hot chocolate waiting for any of them.  They survived.  I remember one of the last times I visited Mom and Dad, Dad made me a mug of some delicious hot chocolate.  It was good.  Very good.  I think this one will be just as good.  Sorry Dad.

Belgian Hot Chocolate
yields 4 to 6 servings

1 quart half-and-half or whole milk – or you can use skim…whatever floats your boat

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped – preferably one that has 30-40% cacao

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Warm about one-third of the half-and-half or milk, with the chopped chocolates and salt, stirring until the chocolate is melted.

Whisk in the remaining half-and-half or milk, heating until the mixture is warmed through. Add the cinnamon.

Use a hand-held blender, or a whisk, and mix the hot chocolate until it’s completely smooth. Drink.