Blackened Pork Tenderloin with Grits and Red Bean Salad

Ingredients

5 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 can red beans (15–16 oz), drained and rinsed
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 teaspoons blackening seasoning (we thought the pork was a tad bland so maybe more seasoning or add salt and pepper too??)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15-oz) bag frozen gumbo vegetable blend (okra, corn, onions, and sweet peppers)
1 cup quick-cook grits
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (use dairy free)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Prep

• Chop green onions and cilantro (1/2 cup each).
• Drain tomatoes. Drain and rinse beans.
• Cut pork into 4 equal pieces 

Directions

1. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Coat pork with seasoning. Pour oil in pan, then add pork; cook 4 minutes, turning often, or until browned on all sides. Stir in vegetable blend; cover and cook 7–9 minutes, turning pork occasionally, or until vegetables are hot and pork is 145°F.

2. Meanwhile, combine grits, water, and salt in microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave 7–9 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time, or until grits are tender. Stir in butter until melted and combined.

3. Combine in medium bowl: tomatoes, beans, cilantro, green onions, and vinegar; stir to blend. Salt and pepper to taste.  Divide grits evenly among 4 serving plates; top with even amounts vegetable blend and pork. Serve with bean salad.

New Years Day Hoppin John Soup

I have made this recipe for years, always what's for dinner on New Years Day to bring luck to you in the new year.  :)  

Recipe: (can also do on the stove)
1 onion, chopped in fairly small pieces
1 cup celery, chopped in fairly small pieces
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
2-3 cups diced ham
8 cups homemade chicken stock (this is key)
2 16 oz. packages frozen black-eyed peas
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2-3 cups chopped collard greens

Saute onion and celery in oil in instant pot until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and chopped ham. Saute a few minutes more.  Add chicken stock, black eyed peas and thyme. Stir to combine. Set pressure cooker to soup 15 minutes.

Release and add chopped collards. Season to taste here. I didn’t add anything but a little salt and pepper. I had a little bit of broth left so I added what I had. Set pressure cooker to 8 minutes.  If you are cooking on the stove, it cooks for a few hours.

I let mine sit on warm until I was ready – released then took an immersion blender and blended a bit to help thicken up the soup. Not too much or you’ll end up with no whole beans to eat!

Serve with a side of corn bread!

Dijon Garlic Pork and Veggies

I am a big fan of recipes that can be done in one pan or pot. This recipe was really good, the potatoes kind of being the star of the dish. Next time I’d make more sauce or double it so we had some to serve with the pork. Whole family liked this one so it’s a keeper!

Recipe:
1 pound cut up potatoes, quartered and pat dry with paper towels
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pork tenderloin
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (mild and smooth)
4 cloves garlic crushed
Handful green beans, trimmed and halved (don’t skip this step! I did and the whole beans took forever to cook!)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary or thyme

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in cast iron skillet. When skillet is hot, add in the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fry for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp on the edges.
While potatoes are cooking, pat pork dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey, mustards, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Pour two thirds of the sauce over the tenderloins to coat evenly, and reserve the remaining sauce for cooking later. (or for serving with the pork?)

Push the potatoes to one side of the skillet and add in the tenderloins, searing them for a couple of minutes on all sides. Baste the pork with the remaining sauce, sprinkle with the fresh herbs and transfer skillet to the hot oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are 'just' fork tender. Remove skillet from oven, add the green beans to the skillet/dish around the tenderloins and potatoes; and transfer back into the oven. Continue cooking until the pork is cooked to your liking and the green beans are tender (about 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven)

Once the tenderloins are cooked, let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. (I kept my skillet in the oven while the pork rested)

Spiced Cedar Plank Salmon

We have had cedar planks for grilling in our cabinet for years.  Still brand new, never been used.  Seemed like it was time to pull them out and give them a go.  They even had a recipe on the back, which is super convenient because I had no idea what seasonings to try since I've never grilled with a cedar plank before!  This turned out so good, one of my new favorite salmon recipes to make at home.  Finishing with the honey is what really made this salmon so good.  Wasn't too spicy for the kids either!

Rub
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salmon
4-6 ounce salmon filets
1 Fire & Flavor Cedar Grilling Plank, soaked for seveal hours
Honey for drizzling

First
Preheat grill to medium-low heat, about 350 F

Next
In a small mixing bowl, combine rub ingredients. Rub salmon with desired amount of rub and set aside.

Last
Place soaked plank on preheated grill, close lid, and heat for 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn plank over and place salmon on heated side of plank. Close lid and grill for 12-15 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove cedar planked salmon from grill and drizzle with desired amount of honey. Serve immediately.  

Enjoy!

Smokey White Bean and Ham Soup

I love a good soup and so does my oldest daughter.  She would eat some sort of homemade soup or chili night and day if I'd make it.  I came across this great recipe on What We're Eating and decided to give it a try.  We made this soup just after Easter to use up some of the ham we had left.  I made a bone broth with the leftover ham bones to use as the broth for this soup, but you can always use water if you don't have bones.  The original recipe calls for water and a ham hock - you can choose which you'd like to do.  I also used canned beans instead of dried.  Just personal preference here!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig rosemary
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb dried small white beans, rinsed and picked through (you can also use canned, I did)
1 lb ham steak, fat removed then diced
1 smoked ham hock (I didn't use this b/c I used the bone broth)
10 cups of water, plus extra if needed (I used as much bone broth as I could, then water)
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Place a large pot over medium heat. Add oil to pot. Once the oil is hot, add diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Stir. Saute over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened.

Add the dried white beans, garlic, bay leaf, dried oregano & basil to the pot. Stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the ham hock, diced ham, parsley and rosemary sprig to the pot. Cover the ingredients with about 8 cups of water. Add 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Stir.

Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once you reach a boil, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer soup over medium low heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until the beans are tender. If soup starts to get too thick, add a bit more water.

Once beans are soft, remove the ham hock and rosemary sprig. Taste then season as necessary with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Sweet Potato Pizza

A family member sent me this recipe when I first found out that I couldn't eat gluten anymore.  It's from iFOODreal.com and if you love sweet potatoes, definitely give this a try.  Whether you eat gluten or not.  Mine didn't turn out like pizza though.  I felt it was more like a eggplant parmesan but with sweet potatoes instead of the eggplant.  Seriously delicious though.  I ate half the pan in one sitting!

Below has the changes to the recipe that I made.  To see the original, click here.  

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2.5 oz mozzarella cheese (to keep this dairy free I used Vegan Gormet Shreds, melts nicely)

Toppings: really whatever you like, here is what I did

1/2 pound ground sausage

handful chopped broccoli (not sure I'd add this again with the meat)

sliced mushrooms

cooking spray

3/4 cup pizza sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray baking tray with cooking spray.  Wash and dry sweet potatoes.  Cut off the ends.  Slice each potato lengthwise into 1/8 of an inch thick slices.  I tried using my mandoline for these but really struggled getting them sliced all the way through.  So I ended up doing most of them by hand.  Put in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.  

Lay potato slices in a single layer, making sure they overlap by 1/8 of an inch.  

Add your veggies.  Spray the veggies with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes.  

While the potatoes and veggies are in the oven, start cooking your sausage until completely cooked through.  

After the sweet potatoes have been baked for 20 minutes, pull them out and sprinkle with a handful of your cheese.  Drizzle tomato sauce on top.  Sprinkle turkey pieces and cover with remaining cheese.  Return pizza to oven and broil on hight for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly.  

Cut into slices and serve. 

Mine did not hold together enough to be able to pick it up and eat it with your hands.  We ate ours with a knife and fork.  The next day, while cold, it was much easier to pick up and eat with your hands.  This was a great dinner and would even be good served as an appetizer.  I am looking forward to making this again and playing with the toppings.  Yum!

Enjoy!

Asian Grilled Salmon

I am not sure if you like this salmon recipe anymore but you've grown up eating it so I figured I should include this in here.  It is really easy and super flavorful and impressive if/when you have guests over for dinner.  :)

Ingredients:
3 pounds salmon, skin on, cut into 4 pieces (I like to keep it as 1 big piece)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos as a soy substitute)
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Directions:
Light grill.  Brush grilling rack with olive oil to prevent salmon from sticking.

Whisk together mustard, soy sauce, oil and garlic.  Drizzle half of the marinade on the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Now, as reading the original directions, they state to put the salmon skin side down on the grill.  I've always put it flesh side down to get the nice grill marks and never had problems doing it that way.   So that is the way I will write to do it in recipe. Feel free to do it as you wish!  :)

Place salmon flesh side down.  Grill for 4-5 minutes.  Turn carefully, not flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes.  The salmon will be slightly raw in the center.  Spoon reserved marinade over the top of salmon.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes, it will keep cooking as it sits.  Serve with rice and a salad.

Jambalaya

My husband made a comment the other day that my cooking is distinct.  Meaning I tend to cook the same way all the time.  When I asked him to clarify he said, "You always do some sort of meat with a rub, a complex side and a simple side."  Well.  I don't know why, but that rubbed me the wrong way.  I don't want my cooking to be "distinct"!  Honestly, I don't feel it is but his perception is his reality - so off I went to find a recipe that was out of my normal cooking methods.

I stumbled across this jambalaya recipe and thought it looked delicious and fit the not my typical distinct way of cooking.  :)

This was too spicy for the kids so if you have a family you'll need to make something different for them.  We had left over pasta e fagioli so that is what our kids ate.  You can control the amount of heat that goes into this dish.  The recipe below is how I made it to my liking.

There is a lot of chopping in this recipe.  It took me about an hour and a half from start to finish.  A little long for a weeknight meal.  Would be great to make on Sunday and have to eat during the week.  It makes a ton!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 white onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño finely chopped, with seeds (you can put in 2 jalapeños if you want more heat or leave the seeds out if you want less) 
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into rounds, precooked
3 cups chicken stock
1 14 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 uncooked white rice
1 tbsp cajun or creole seasoning (I used cajun as that is what I had on hand.  If you want a more heavily seasoned jambalaya, add another Tablespoon)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup thinly sliced okra
salt and pepper
thinly sliced green onions
hot sauce

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue sautéing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. (Don't forget to stir, or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and okra and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and no longer pink. Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce and additional Cajun/Creole seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and serve with sliced green onion.

I did not need to add additional seasoning for my tastes.  My husband did add hot sauce to his bowl.  

Black Bean Soup

We have some black bean lovers in our family.  If I make a soup or chili, one of my children will just eat the beans out of it.  So why not make a soup that is all beans?  Both girls loved this recipe and told me I needed to make it more often. If the 5 and 7 year old are happy,  I call that recipe a winner!

Next time I will probably double the recipe for our family of four.  We didn't have enough left over for another full meal.  But it is a very good recipe.  The lime and cilantro addition at the end are a very nice touch.  And it has bacon in it.  It's got to be good, right!

Ingredients:

10 slices bacon, chopped
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, pressed
14.5 ounces chicken broth (use gluten free brand to keep this a gluten free dish)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
4 cans black beans
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
thinly sliced scallions
sour cream (use vegan sour cream to keep this dairy free)
grated cheddar cheese (use vegan cheese to keep this dairy free)

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Cook until  crisp.  Stir in the onions and cook until they turn translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire and chili powder.  Stir in the beans, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is bubbling gently, turn heat down to about medium and cook for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is cooking, wash and chop cilantro coarsley.  Stir it into the soup after it has cooked for 10 minutes.  Cook until the soup has thickened, about another 5 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice.  Serve with scallions sprinkled on top, grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Coconut Thai Curry Chicken Breasts

YUM.  EASY.

That's all you need to know about this recipe!  Now go get the ingredients and make it asap!

I found this recipe at Slender Kitchen and we loved it.  I made it with 2-3 oz of curry paste and no jalapeños because our children were eating this too.  My oldest liked it okay - the 4 year old didn't care for it at all.  Next time I would make this spicier for us and just give the kids something else to eat.  It has great flavor and is so easy!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken breasts
1 14 oz can coconut milk
up to 4 oz green curry paste or to taste (I would say we like about 3 oz)
3 T brown sugar
1 12 oz bag Asian vegetables
Optional: up to 2 whole jalapeños
Serve over rice or noodles

Directions:

Add chicken to slow cooker.  In a bowl, whisk together coconut milk, curry paste and brown sugar.  Taste and add more curry paste if needed.  Add sauce to crockpot.  Stir to combine.  If using jalapeños for extra heat add them whole to the crockpot.

Cook on low for 4 hours.  Add vegetables and cook for 30 minutes more.   Now is a good time to start cooking the rice or noodles you are serving this on top of.  (I did salt and butter the rice)  I served over rice to keep this gluten free.  Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Soup

When your husband participates in pork cooking competitions you almost always have leftover pulled pork that you aren't sure what to do with.  Sometimes we make pork nachos, pork burritos and I have just recently found a recipe for pulled pork soup.  Yay!!

We all thought this soup was super yummy.  I thought it was missing something, maybe collards or kale?  The next time I make this I will throw in a handful or two of kale in the last few minutes of cooking.

Ingredients:
1 cup each diced onions, carrots, celery & bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
1 quart chicken stock
1 large can or leftover baked beans
1- 12oz beer (I used gluten free to keep this a gluten free meal)
4 generous handful's of leftover pulled pork

Serve with cornbread.  Again, I used a gluten free brand but you don't have to.

Directions:
Lightly salt and add ground pepper to vegetables.  Lightly saute for a few minutes, then add chickens stock.  Add baked beans & beer along with the pork.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce, cover and simmer for 2 hours.  (10 minutes before serving I would toss in 2 handfuls of chopped kale, taste season if necessary)  
Serve with cornbread and side salad.  Enjoy!

 

Becca's Tomatillo Enchiladas

We went to Becca and Morgan's house for dinner one time and Becca made these tomatillo enchiladas.  went to my friends house for dinner this Spring and she made us these tomatillo enchiladas.  I had never heard of tomatillos before and it was so yummy and fresh tasting!  You absolutely loved them - so much so we decided to grow tomatillos our my garden that year.  This makes enough to fill one 9x13 pan and another small 8x8 pan.  I froze the 8x8 pan to use another night.

Ingredients:

4 T olive oil

2 small diced zucchini

1 small red onion diced

1/2 cup corn

1 rotisserie chicken shredded (2 .5-3lbs)

1.5 c shredded monteray jack cheese (can use vegan if needed)

Salt/pepper

12 6” corn tortillas

1 jalepeno seeded, diced

1 lb tomatillos (husk removed)

1 c fresh cilantro

1T fresh lime juice

 sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Heat 1T oil in skillet, add zucchini, onion, corn and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Set aside in large bowl.

Add to the bowl chicken, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper.  Rinse skillet, then heat 1 T oil in the skillet.  Dip each tortilla in oil to heat for app. 10 sec., place on a plated lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.  I had to add more oil to my pan as I went along.

Roll tortillas with chicken inside.  Sprinkle extra cheese on top.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

While your tortillas are in the oven cooking place tomatillos, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno and a dash of salt in processor.  Blend for a chunky consistency.  

Pour over tortillas and top with sour cream to serve!  We served ours with black beans, yellow rice and tortilla chips.  Enjoy!

Stacked Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This is one of the first recipes I made after realizing I needed to remove gluten and dairy from my diet.  You, Rowyn, Dad and Granny and Papa really loved this. It is pretty forgiving, add or take out what fit your likes.  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups red enchilada sauce (enchilada sauce can have gluten so read the label!)
• 16 corn tortillas, halved
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 6 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
• 4 cups (about 1.5 pounds) shredded cooked chicken
• 3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese (use less for vegan)
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro
• sour cream for serving (tofutti brand)
• tortilla chips for serving

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in the baking dish, and spread until the bottom of the dish is coated. Top with a layer of about 8 tortilla halves so that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn and a fourth of the green onions. Then sprinkle with a heaping cup of the chicken, and about 3/4 cup shredded cheese.

Repeat with a second layer of tortillas, then sauce, then beans, corn, green onions, chicken, and cheese. Then a final layer of tortillas, sauce, beans, corn, green onions, chicken and cheese. Then conclude with a final layer of tortillas and sauce (reserving about 3/4 cup of cheese to add partway through baking).

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan and remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas evenly with the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese, then return to the oven (uncovered) and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove pan, and sprinkle with avocado, cilantro, and remaining green onions.  We also serve with a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips on the side.  Homemade salsa would probably be nice too.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

This. Was. So. Good.

Yum.

Really, this salad was good warm and great the next day cold out of the refrigerator.  My oldest daughter liked it, minus the spicy factor.

I found this recipe on PreventionRD's website.  Great meal for lunch, dinner or to bring as a salad to a party.  Will definitely be making this again and again.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups broccoli
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 crumbled blue cheese
4 green onions chopped

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Directions:
In a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water for 1-2 minutes.  In a medium pot over medium high heat, combine quinoa and 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat to low.  Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, hot sauce and seasoned salt in a small bowl.  Whisk and set a side.

Heat the pot used to cook the quinoa over medium heat, adding a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes or until nearly cooked through.  Add the broccoli and saute for about 2-3 minutes or until bright green and slightly tender.  Remove from heat and stir in carrots and cabbage.  Add about 1/2 of the buffalo sauce and stir.

Transfer the chicken and the veggies to the bowl with the quinoa and toss with remaining dressing.  Add the blue cheese and half of the green onions.  Toss again and serve warm or chilled.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples

I stumbled across this recipe on Inspired Taste and I thought I'd give it a try.  This was so delicious.  One of the best pork recipes I have made in a while.  The apples in this really make the dish.  Served with potatoes au gratin and steamed green beans.  Yum! 

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins (one package usually has 2 tenderloins in it)

2 T vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T dijon mustard

1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (I just used dried)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 apples, cored and sliced

2 onions, sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 T butter

(The only changes I would make for next time is to double the apple/sauce ingredients.  We had enough for 1 tenderloin but the 2nd one could have used a little more.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Trim each tenderloin of silver skin.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Rub tenderloins all over with 1 T with oil, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of salt.  Rub until both tenderloins are evenly coated.  

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron skillet.  Ad the pork tenderloins and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly brown all over.  It should take about 10 minutes.  Transfer tenderloins to a large plate.  

Add additional oil if needed.  Add apples and onions, then cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned around the edges, about 5 minutes.  

While the apples and onions cook,  rub the pork all over with the mustard, sprinkle it with 2 teaspoons of the thyme and black pepper, and rub until it’s evenly coated.  Add the remaining teaspoon of thyme to the apples and onions, stir. Then, place pork tenderloins on top of apples and onions and slide into the oven.  

Roast 10 to 15 minutes or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers between 145 and 150 degrees F 

Transfer pork to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest about 10 minutes.

While the pork rests, place the pan with apples and onions back onto the stove and turn heat to medium. Add chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan, lifting any brown bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add butter and stir until melted.  

Slice pork into 1 inch slices and serve on bed of the apples and onions with the pan sauce drizzled on top. 

Pasta E Fagioli

This used to be one of your favorite soups.  When you were 5 and we lived at Nani & Bumba's house you were sick and asked for this for dinner 4 nights in a row!  

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart of tomatoes (or 2 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes)
1 15-oz. can red kidney beans (w/ liquid)
1 15-oz. can Great Northern Beans (w/ liquid)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth (check for gluten)
2 cups tomato juice
1 T. white vinegar
1 ½ t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
½ t. pepper
½ t. thyme
1 box gluten free elbow macaroni

Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a large stock pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.  Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.  

At 50 minutes in, cook the pasta in a separate pot. Add more tomato juice or beef broth to the soup at this point if you feel it needs more liquid. Put a spoonful of macaroni in a bowl and ladle soup on top. You cannot put gluten free noodles in this soup to combine or the next day the noodles will turn to mush. I serve with gluten free garlic bread or tortilla toasts. Enjoy!

Frito Tacos

(Please, excuse the photo.  It was pitch black when we were eating.  It's super yummy though!)

We have been on two camping trips with the girls in the past month and finding yummy and somewhat healthy meals to bring is a bit of a challenge!  Of course, hot dogs and smore's are easy and yummy but definitely not high on the healthy side.

With frito tacos, you can buy small frito bags and put your toppings inside the actual bag.  This is definitely cool for camping, that means no dirty plates!  But we couldn't find the small frito bags so we just put them on the plate.  I cooked the hamburger meat at home and just warmed it back up over the fire.  Bring whatever toppings you like and viola, dinner is served!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
chopped lettuce
shredded cheddar cheese
fritos
sour cream
avocado
tomato
salsa (we used a black bean and corn salsa)

This is great for car camping since you cook the meat at home.  Put the fritos on a plate, top with warm taco meat, cheese and the rest of your toppings.  Even my 4 year old loved this.  She had two helpings and asked if I would make this when we were home!

Enjoy!

Taco Stuffed Shells

I don't know about you but I love stuffed shells.  I stumbled across this taco stuffed shell recipe on Cook Au Vin's blog and knew I had to try them. She has a ton of interesting stuffed shell recipes that I can't wait to try, Pumpkin Stuffed Shells being one of them.  :)


I thought this was really good. Both girls ate it too which is always a bonus.  :)


Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 package low sodium taco seasoning
4 oz cream cheese
14 cooked jumbo pasta shells
1 jar salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded cheese, taco blend
3 green onions, diced
sour cream, diced tomato (I used a freshly made salsa) avocado, and shredded lettuce for garnish

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the meat of your choice.  I went with ground turkey for a little healthier choice..  Add the taco seasoning (and water if required), stirring to combine.   Add cream cheese, and stir until cheese has melted and is fully incorporated. 

Pour salsa on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Stuff each of the shells with the taco filling.  Place each shell, open side up in the pan.  Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, add shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.   Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.


I put the lettuce on the plate, shells on top then topped with sour cream, chopped avocado and pico-de-gallo.  Yum, yum!

French Onion Soup

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• (Please excuse the photo, under the broiler it bubbled and made a bit of a mess of the white dish.  
• I promise it's delish!)
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• When we were in Amsterdam I had this wonderful French Onion soup for lunch.  It was probably the best French Onion soup I've ever had.  When we got home we had a ton of onions from our CSA boxes so I thought, when you have a ton of onions, you make onion soup!  ;)
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• This was a very nice soup and easy to throw together.  I had everything on hand except for the baguette and the Gruyere cheese.  Served with a salad and you have a great week night meal.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but made a few small changes.  My changes are shown below.  
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• Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) can beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 thick slices French or Italian bread
• 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, room temperature
• 4 pinches paprika

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.

Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and Worcestershire sauce into pot.  Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.

Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.

Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slice Gruyere cheese and 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.

Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!

Spaghetti with Scallops, Olives & Capers

My eldest daughter had earned (by behaving appropriately) the treat of going out to dinner. We still needed a few things from the store so I made a mad dash to Whole Foods around 6:00 in the evening - before we were going out to eat.

They had a ton of things to sample out that night. The girls had apples, chips, shrimp salad and this scallop, olives & capers dish. They loved it! The lady working there was so nice she ended up giving us 4 little cups for the girls to eat! I couldn't believe they ate scallops and liked them. So of course, I bought the ingredients I needed to make the dish right then and there! Great marketing Whole Foods! ;)

I served mine over spaghetti noodles but you could serve it as an appetizer or as a side dish. Both girls chowed this down when I made it. Definitely give it a try!

Ingredients:
1 pound small scallops
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped kalmata olives (I used black and green mixed)
1 T capers
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used the 365 organic from Whole Foods)
Cooked spaghetti if you choose to serve it over noodles

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium heat. Once hot put olive oil in the pan and coat the bottom of the pan. Place scallops (blot dry first) in the skillet. Let sear for 3 minutes or until they are opaque about 1/4 or 1/2 way up. Don't shake the pan - just let them sizzle. :)

Once they are opaque about 1/4-1/2 way up flip all of them. Add olives and capers. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Depending on how you are serving this will determine how much spaghetti sauce you use. I used about half a jar but if you serving this alone I'd only use about 1/4 of the jar. Pour sauce in and stir gently to combine and warm through.

I served over spaghetti noodles with garlic bread and a salad.



This was enough for our family of 4. If you have a larger family definitely double the recipe!

Enjoy!