Wish Upon A Chef

The Italian dish of risotto is typically prepared by adding liquid, small amounts at a time, to rice and stirring almost constantly until the liquid is absorbed each time and more can be added. Ain’t nobody got time to be standing over a stove all day long.

And that’s why I like this recipe for Italian Sausage Risotto from Farmstand Chef. It only takes a few minutes for the wine to absorb and beyond that you can dump in all the stock and forget about it with the exception of a few stirs here and there.

I used hot pork breakfast sausage for this – I have it in the freezer from my Windy Hill Farms CSA and I’m not much of a sausage eater so I’m always trying to find creative ideas to use it. I also had pork stock in the freezer from some previous kitchen project involving pork. And speaking of things in my freezer – I’m not a red wine drinker either but anytime I entertain and have red wine for Boy Toy or friends, I pour any leftover wine (WHO has leftover wine??) into a container and freeze it for use in recipes. It never freezes solid so I can chip off as much as I need and thaw.

Serve this dish with a green salad and dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes. I love easy, simple and delicious recipes like this. It’s a man-pleaser too - Boy Toy loved it.

Italian Sausage Risotto
servings = 4-6

From Farmstead Chef

1 lb. Italian pork sausage (I used hot breakfast sausage)
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/4 cup Arborio rice
½ cup red wine
3 cup chicken stock (I used pork stock)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

Fry sausage in a large skillet, breaking it up into small pieces. When lightly browned (about 8-10 minutes), remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

To the same pan, add butter and onion and cook over medium heat until onions soften (about 3-5 minutes.) Add rice and toss until well coated in butter, stirring constantly.

Add wine and stir until it is absorbed. Add sausage back to pan and stir.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook 15-20 minutes until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and salt and pepper. Serve extra Parmesan cheese alongside for sprinkling on top.

My Crock Pot and I have a love/hate relationship.  I love the convenience of using it and I love most of the foods that come out of it (we can count the so-called "lasagna" as a colossal failure.) But I hate the fact that I can never seem to find more recipes that float my Crock Pot boat, and believe me, I spend alot of time surfing Pinterest for recipes when I should be doing my real job in my spare time.

Whereas Boy Toy uses his Crock Pot incessantly, I use mine mostly only for roasts (this one being my favorite), an occasional soup (although none of them have turned out to be blog post worthy) and for making these caramelized onions from the lovely Becky Turner of Random Musings of a Deco Lady (we miss you Becky!)  Maybe I should take a Crock Pot lesson from the Boy Toy because he cranks out some tasty dishes from that thing. 

This recipe is one of my favorites to prepare when I catch pork roasts on sale.  I served it with BBQ sauce instead of the gravy as a sandwich for the kids and actually got two compliments from the Little Miss and the Teenage Boy ate FOUR sandwiches, which I deem to be an unspoken compliment.  I enjoy it alongside typical BBQ trimmings - a helping of homemade mac & cheese and coleslaw. 

It is fall-apart tender and any leftovers can be frozen and enjoyed later.  What's not to love?


Crock Pot Pork Roast with Gravy

printable recipe

4 to 5 lb. pork loin roast
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Rub roast with salt and pepper. make tiny slits in meat and insert slivers of garlic. In Crock Pot put 1 sliced onion on bottom. Add roast then remaining onion and other ingredients. Cover and cook 1 hour on high. Turn to low and cook 9 to 10 hours or until done.

GRAVY: Remove roast, onions, clove and bay leaf. In separate cup or bowl, blend 2 tablespoons cold water with 2 tablespoons cornstarch to form smooth paste. Set Crock Pot on high and pour in paste. Stir well and let come to a boil (10 to 15 minutes) until thickened.

I'm a couple of months into my real food journey and some days I feel like I'm trucking along pretty good and other days I feel like I've stalled out on the side of the road.  As I mentioned in this post, changing your eating habits to include more real food is not something you can just wake up one morning and decide to do and go at it 110%.  It takes planning and thought (both of which I'm good at doing) and patience (which I'm not so good at having) but it just cannot be done overnight and is not the easiest thing I've ever done.  Check out this article for some tips on getting yourself started in the right direction and budgeting for eating healthier and more real. 

My pantry still contains some processed food from previous shopping trips and I do still use them because I don't want to be wasteful, but as they are being depleted I am buying more suitable real food options.  Can you imagine how long it has taken/will take just one person to deplete the overloaded pantry shown above??  I no longer buy the various brands of crackers that I loved, instead opting for Triscuits since they contain whole wheat and less than five ingredients (and I've even started making my own crackers).  I've added coconut oil, whole wheat flour, and honey to my staples. I snack on nuts and seeds now instead of chips and cookies. I have only purchased one bag of sugar since early December and that was used to prepare treats for Boy Toy's kids (as I don't intend to push my eating habits/beliefs on kids who aren't my own.)



I've also started purchasing meats from Windy Hill Farm, a small family-owned farm located in New London, NC.  They focus on humanely raising animals with no antibiotics or growth hormones.  They offer a CSA program (where you basically invest in a share of the farm in exchange for receiving a share of the crops) or you can shop their products online and have them delivered to one of the three drop-off locations nearest you.  They are also available at area farmers markets (check their website for schedules and locations.)  The folks from Windy Hill were super nice when I met them for pickup and they told me that the whole chicken that I ordered had just been processed a few hours prior.  How's that for fresh??  Check out their products online and make plans to stock your refrigerator and freezer with fresh eggs and meats. 



Another service that I'm currently trying out is ordering organic and locally grown produce and having it delivered right to my door each week from Backyard Produce.  They've got a very wide delivery range including Wilmington, Triangle, Triad, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Greenville,New Bern and Richmond (check to see if you are in a delivery zone.)  They offer several different levels of service and each week you shop with points that you accumulate according to your specific plan.  I get a box every other week simply because it takes me awhile to eat all of what I receive, and that's one of the great things about Backyard Produce - you can put your orders on hold any time you need to.  Their offerings change based on the season and availability.  It's not just produce either - they have North Carolina-made products like cheese, bread, salsa, granola, etc. 

Using these two services has made it much easier for me to make the change to natural, organic meats and produce because I am not tempted to shop strictly based on price for the cheaper non-organic and natural items in the grocery store.  In actuality, I don't feel that I pay any more for these conveniences than I would if I were making weekly trips to the grocery store.

Stay tuned for some fun recipes using the Backyard Produce items and Windy Hill meats. 

This was taken 5 minutes into the party.  A quick photo snapped with my phone before these became nothing but a figment of everyone's imagination.

A few months ago Boy Toy and I invited some friends over to watch a football game.  We had the standard party fare - his awesome chicken wings, shrimp, cheese and crackers, chips and dip, and one of my favorite party foods, mini ham and cheese rolls.  Half-time hadn't even rolled around when I realized that both pans of rolls were completely gone. There was nothing but a few crumbs left to verify their existence.

I later found out that Boy Toy's best friend Zo was the culprit for hogging all the ham rolls.  I met said friend during the summer and was really excited to do so because I knew he was Boy Toy's BFF but much to my dismay, our first few meetings were less than cordial.  The friend totally ignored me and barely said three words to me all day.   I mentioned it to Boy Toy but was reassured it was nothing to worry about. It happened the next time we saw each other and yet again a third time and so on.  I took it very personally because I wanted nothing more than to be a nice happy group of friends.  I later came to realize that Zo is just....well, he's just an odd person to say it politely, and it's not just me that he totally ignores.

So fast-forward to this party where he scarfed down 48 of my ham rolls before half-time.  It seems that I hit a soft spot within Zo with these rolls. Information was leaked to me by a reliable source that he declared these rolls "pork heaven" and I haven't been able to attend a gathering since that also included him that I wasn't requested to bring these.

So even though Zo still can't bring himself to do more than grunt a greeting to me and it's still not clear what he thinks of me as a person, it's pretty clear that he likes my cooking. Maybe it is true that the way to a man's heart is through is stomach, but it's not his heart that I'm after. A simple "hello" would totally suffice. I do still take it very personally that he is not at least friendly to me, but every time I make these rolls for him I think maybe this will be the time that he breaks down and slips me a smile or something.  I'm beginning to wonder if there are enough dinner rolls in town to make that happen. 

In addition to great party food, these rolls also work well for breakfast or brunch. I usually prepare them the night before and pour the butter mixture over them just before baking. Sometimes the right kind of dinner rolls can be hard to find - I'm only able to find them at Walmart in my neck of the woods.  The recipe as written is enough for 2 packages of rolls but you can easily cut the recipe in half.  They are good and they will go fast!  If you want to be all fancy pants, I suppose you could take these out of the foil pans and bake them in a baking dish and then serve them on a nice platter but I like the fact that they have their own built-in baking/serving dish and you don't have to worry about accidently leaving your nice stuff at the party (guilty as charged!)

These are my favorite kind of dinner rolls to use.

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

20 slices honey ham
20 slices cheese (Swiss, mozzarella or provolone)
Dijon Mustard, to taste
2 Tablespoons poppyseeds
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Remove dinner rolls from foil package.  With a serrated knife, slice rolls in half lengthwise.  Spread Dijon mustard on both sides of rolls.  Place bottom half of rolls back into pan. 

Layer ham and cheese on bottom half of rolls and replace top half.  Using the serrated knife, cut each roll into individual sections, taking care not to cut through the foil pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the poppy seeds and next 3 ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.

I was probably about 8 or 9 years old when I started showing an interest in cooking, thanks in part to the 4-H Club in my elementary school and to my mom for letting me help when she was in the kitchen.  I started out making simple things like cookies, biscuits, and corn muffins and I was also responsible for tearing up the cheese slices for my mom's homemade mac & cheese, which was a very important task because that was some seriously good stuff! 

I'm always delighted when Boy Toy's 10-year-old daughter wants to help me in the kitchen.  She already has some really good slicing, chopping and stirring skills and so far her attention span is long enough to pretty much see a project through until the end (minus the cleaning up part, of course).  She doesn't know it yet, but she's getting her own apron for her birthday in March.  Shhhh! 

When working with kids in the kitchen, you have to keep in mind that they are probably going to make a mess and it may not turn out quite the way you planned, but that's okay because the whole point is to get them involved and keep it at their level.  Show them, teach them and fine tune their skills and know that you are teaching them a life skill that will benefit them many times over. 

I had to whip up a quick appetizer for a New Year's Eve party (quick because I had totally forgotten that I was supposed to take something), and I chose these Spicy Sausage and Cheese Tarts that I found on Pinterest from Plain Chicken.  I like Plain Chicken's blog because she has alot of "Football Friday" recipes that are perfect for entertaining or watching sports and I've bookmarked alot of her stuff because Boy Toy occasionally has friends over during football and baseball season and I'm always looking for quick and easy "dude food."

My sous chef pretty much completed this task all by herself - she chopped the pepper, browned the sausage and then mixed all the ingredients together.  She did a bang up job of filling the phyllo cups and even decorated the tray and plated them.  She claimed the whole time that she didn't like sausage and even when she tried one after they were baked she said she didn't like it, but I'd almost swear I saw her sneak one later in the evening when she thought no one was looking. 

Could you say "No" to this tray of treats? I thought not.

Spicy Sausage and Cheese Tarts
inspired by www.plainchicken.com

1 lb pork sausage
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz Spicy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
5 (2.1 ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink.   About halfway through cooking the sausage, add bell pepper.  Drain.

Combine the sausage, cheese and Spicy Ranch dressing in a large bowl.

Fill each phyllo shell with a heaping teaspoon of the sausage mixture. (Freeze at this point, if desired.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cheese melts. (Add 2-3 minutes to baking time if baking frozen tarts.)

Makes approximately 75 tarts.

Everyone should have at least a couple of tried and true dinner party recipes to use for entertaining.  You need something delicious with a lovely presentation, obviously, and ideally you want something fairly easy to prepare or at least where most of the prep work is done ahead of time so you won't be laboring in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying themselves. 

This fruit stuffed pork loin, inspired by a recipe I found in the November 2011 edition of Southern Living, is a must-have for your next dinner party.  I served this for an early Christmas dinner with my parents and Boy Toy's family and was able to relax with a glass of wine and nosh on appetizers while it roasted in the oven because the prep had been done earlier in the day.  Everyone was impressed - even the children, who asked for seconds.  I served this with homemade french bread, sauteed green beans and twice baked potatoes. 

I used one package of dried fruit that I had on hand that contained cranberries, cherries and blueberries and added the dried figs for variety and fresh apple for color, but if your dried fruit already contains all of those things, just rehydrate two packages on the stove and call it even.  You may also prefer to roast some Golden Delicious apples alongside the pork and onions instead of the pears.   


Fruit Stuff Pork Loin with Roasted Pears and Onions
Inspired by Southern Living

PORK LOIN

4 oz. dried mission figs, chopped

1 (7-oz.) package mixed dried fruit bits

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 cup port wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 apple, diced (I used a Granny Smith)

1 (4-lb.) boneless pork loin

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper, divided

Kitchen string

2 tablespoons olive oil 

ROASTED PEARS AND ONIONS

3  firm, ripe Bartlett pears, cored and quartered 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 (10-oz.) packages cipollini onions, peeled 

1. Prepare Pork Loin: Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat and cool completely, about 40 minutes or longer (The fruit will soak up most of the liquid during the cooling process.)  Stir in fresh apple. 

2. Meanwhile, butterfly pork by making a lengthwise cut down center of 1 flat side, cutting to within 1/2 inch of other side. (Do not cut all the way through pork.) Open pork, forming a rectangle, and place between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.

3. Using a slotted spoon, spoon fruit mixture over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Roll up pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Tie with string at 1 1/2-inch intervals. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 375°. Brown pork in hot oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat until browned on all sides (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Place seam side down in pan.

5. Prepare Roasted Pears and Onions:  Stir together butter and next 5 ingredients. Stir in onions; gently stir in pear halves. Spoon mixture around roast in pan.

6. Bake at 375° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of stuffing registers 135°, stirring pear mixture halfway through. Cover with aluminum foil, and let stand 15 minutes.

Pork has long been touted as "the other white meat" because its versatility is much like chicken and also because nutritionally it's just as lean and healthy as compared to chicken.  Unfortunately, some cuts of pork have been trimmed so lean that they are hard to prepare without them turning out dry and tough.

Boneless pork chops is one cut that I have problems with but since my grocery store regularly has them on sale for "Buy One, Get One," I wanted to find an easy, no-fail way to prepare them.  This recipe for Tomato Basil Pork Chops has simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and is very easy to put together, but it does take about an hour to simmer.  Start it on the stove as soon as you come home from work, help the kids with homework while it's simmering, and soon dinner will be  served.  Serve over rice or egg noodles and with a green salad on the side.      


Tomato Basil Pork Chops
Serves 4

4 (1-1/2 inch thick) boneless pork chops
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
28 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 tsp dried basil leaves

Using a sharp knife, butterfly pork chops and pound lightly with mallet. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and brown on both sides (approximately 4-6 minutes). Remove from pan.

Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper to pan and cook until crisp-tender, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and side aside.

Return chops to pan. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and water. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chops are tender (approximately 50-60 minutes).

Remove chops from pan and keep warm. Add cornstarch in a small bowl and mix with some of the liquid from the tomatoes. Stir cornstarch mixture into hot tomatoes and stir well. Add peppers, onions, and pork chops.

Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and vegetables are tender (approximately 5-6 minutes). Serve sauce over pork chops.

The battle between "stuffing" and "dressing" has waged for years.  What is the difference anyway?  Some say "stuffing" is prepared and cooked inside the turkey while "dressing" is baked separately and served alongside the bird.  Michele Kayal does an excellent job of outlining the differences in this article for Associated Press and it all appears to boil down to being a regional thing.  Where I come from, it's referred to as "dressing."

Call it what you will, but this recipe for Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Dressing is and excellent accoutrement to your Thanksgiving turkey.  It's also great any other time of year served with pork chops or pork roast and gravy.


Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Dressing

1 lb. turkey sausage (breakfast flavor)
1-1/2 cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 tsp. fresh sage, minced
1-1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 Golden Delicious apples, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 cup turkey or chicken broth
1/4 butter, melted
6 cups homemade bread cubes, toasted*

*Make homemade bread cubes from your favorite sandwich bread. Stack bread 6 slices high on a cutting board. Using a bread knife, saw all the way through the stack, making 1/2 inch strips of bread. Turn bread and cut strips into 1/2 inch cubes. Toast cubes on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the sausage and onions together. Break the sausage into small pieces using a spatula. Cook until onions are cooked through. Add celery, apples, sage, rosemary and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes and dried cranberries. Add the fresh parsley and toss well. Add meat mixture and butter and toss well. Spread the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and pour broth over stuffing. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stuffing can be prepared up to the point of baking the night before. Add 15 minutes to baking time if baking from a refrigerated state (I also wait to pour the broth over just prior to baking.)

'Tis the season that most of my fellow food bloggers are talking about their holiday dinners, cookie baking, candy making, and tree trimmings. But not me. No sir. My blog will not be filled with holiday musings nor will my kitchen smell of gingerbread this year. There will be no cookie swaps and no cocktail parties. Nope. None of the above. Just call me The Grinch.

Now, don't go seriously thinking I've gone all Ebeneezer on you as I am very much a conformist when it comes to participating in the holiday hub-bub and there's nothing I'd like more than to tell you all about the party invitations I have and about all the Christmas goodies I've baked and consumed. But sadly, it's just not going to happen this year. At the very moment that I type this, every single item that I possess in this world is crammed stacked neatly from floor to ceiling in a 26' Penske truck and if the weather cooperates over these next two days, my belongings will complete the final leg of the 900+ mile journey and be unloaded into my new home in Charlotte, NC.

My transition has been a smooth one for the most part and I am so excited that I will be settled once and for all but it hasn't been without a lot stress and a few bumps along the way. I'm so thankful that my friends and family have circled the wagons around me and given so unselfishly of themselves to help me. But even with their sympathy and support, there comes a time when you feel yourself giving under all the pressure and you know what's coming next.....the inevitable crack in your calm, cool exterior facade. And that's exactly what happened last week while planning a cross-country move and dealing with mortgage brokers and attorneys. I spent a few hours wallowing in salty tears and misery and when I finally pulled myself up by my bootstraps, I decided it was time to soothe the soul with some good ole' home cooking.

Nothing cures the mental melt-down blues like this Pork Chop and Potato Bake...thick, juicy pork chops nestled in warm cheesy hashbrown potatoes. Throw in a handful of french fried onions for the topping and you've got an instant remedy for whatever ails you. The world will be right once again.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pork Chop & Potato Bake

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Casseroles/ Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 each pork chops
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
24 ounces hashed brown potatoes -- thawed
1 cup cheese -- shredded
1 cup french fried onions

Brown pork chops in greased skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine soup, milk, sour cream, more pepper & salt, to taste. Stir in potatoes, cheese and diced onions. Spoon mixture into a 9x13 pan. Arrange pork chops over potatoes. Bake, covered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Remove cover and top with french fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes, uncovered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Even though I have about 5 pages of entree choices on my catering menu, I find the majority of people are suspicious about food they aren't necessarily familiar with. Tending instead to stick with their favorites even though they've eaten it a thousand times before. There's certainly nothing wrong with that but I, on the other hand, have redundancy issues and tire easily of the same ole', same ole'. Tire of eating it myself and tire of preparing it for others. But alas, being in the catering business isn't all about what I want to eat. Such a shame too, because I have good taste!

So I love it when out of the box thinkers commission me for a catering job as was the case this week. The group of 17 from Louisiana was driving up to Hot Springs to spend a week on a houseboat on Lake Ouachita. Their entree selections included this yet-to-be-discovered-by-the-masses Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Mustard Sauce that sits on page 3 of my menu all lonely and gathering dust. I was thrilled when I saw the order. So thrilled, in fact, that I prepared an extra loin for myself because sometimes it is most definitely about what I want to eat!

The recipe originally hailed from Cooking Light, but I tweaked the marinating and cooking techniques just a bit. So c'mon folks....live a little and break out of the box!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pork Tenderloins with Blackberry Mustard Sauce

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup blackberry mustard -- recipe below
3 cups chicken broth -- divided
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme -- minced & divided
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup blackberries
Blackberry Mustard:
1 cup blackberries -- fresh or frozen
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons hot dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Prepare blackberry mustard by putting all mustard ingredients in a food processor & mix well. Set aside.

Combine 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tsp fresh thyme and next 6 ingred; stir well. Trim fat from pork and marinate overnight. Remove pork from marinade; reserve liquid.

Add oil to skillet and place over medium high until hot. Add pork; cook 4 mins or until browned on all sides. Remove pork to a baking dish and pour about 1 cup of reserved marinade into dish. Preheat oven to 400 and bake tenderloins about 20-25 minutes or until thermometer registers 120. Remove tenderloins and let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Add remaining 1 cup chicken broth to deglaze pan. Bring to a boil; cook 5 mins or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Strain mixture; discard solids.

Place cornstarch in a small saucepan; gradually add water, blending with a wire whisk. Stir in strained mixture, brown sugar and 1/4 cup blackberry mustard. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, 1 min. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tsp minced thyme.

Cut pork into 1/2" thick slices. Spoon sauce evenly onto 6 serving plates, and arrange pork evenly on top of sauce. Top servings evenly with blackberries.

Source:
"Inspired by Cooking Light 5 Star Recipes"

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been running the "No Day Off Anytime Soon" marathon at work. After returning from my convention, I made some personnel changes in the kitchen and I've been making my presence known by spending quite a bit of time in there myself. A little fine-tuning of the remaining staff and we'll be running smoothly once again.

A client waltzed into my office this past Thursday interested in a cocktail party for 200 people. "We'd love to help!" I told her, "what date are you interested in having your party on?" She very calmly answered "Tuesday." I politely picked myself up off the floor and regained my composure. If she could be so calm as to try and pull off a party for 200 within 2 business days, so could I. I am, after all, in the business of catering, aren't I? Since I just returned from an intense 3 day bombardment of fresh and new catering concepts, I really wanted to try and sell some of my new ideas but I knew better. I had to make arrangements for an extra food delivery, find staff, clean serving trays, and Lord only knows what else! "Stick to what you know," I told myself and I sold her on twelve of our most popular appetizers. Her menu was as follows....

Stationary hors d’oeuvres displayed on silver trays and garnished with fresh flowers

Smoked salmon spread served with Bella Cucina crackers
Endive leaves stuffed with crab salad
Bleu cheese and walnut dip served with fresh vegetable crudite
Hot spinach and artichoke dip served with pita chips

Cream cheese and bacon stuffed mushroom caps
Domestic and imported cheese board
Fresh asparagus spears encased in proscuitto
Baguette slices topped with roasted eggplant, red pepper and mozzarella

Marinated pork tenderloin medallions served on freshly baked dollar rolls
Mini croissants filled with shrimp salad
Shaved roast beef with horseradish cream sauce served on Parmesan crisps
Parmesan crusted chicken tenders served with honey dijon dipping sauce
The food was ordered, the staff was in place, and we successfully delivered the food on time. No problems...I am in the business, after all! We picked up our trays today and received alot of compliments. I'll leave you with a couple of recipes of my personal favorites from this menu....



* Exported from MasterCook *

Crab Salad on Endive

Recipe By : "Party Appetizers"
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 heads Belgian endive
6 ounces best quality crabmeat
1 tender inner celery stalk -- finely diced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt
radicchio leaves or chives

Trim the base off the endives and separate the heads into leaves; rinse the leaves and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix the crabmeat, celery, mayo, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Spoon the crab mixture onto the bottom 3rd of each endive leaf (about a heaping teaspoon for each). Nestle the leaves inside the larger radicchio leaves, or criss-cross two 1" pieces of chive over the crab.

With the time crunch, we weren't able to find decent looking radiccho, but I think it looks great nonetheless. I love to add fresh dill to this recipe in place of the chives.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Party Pork Tenderloins

Recipe By : "Celebrate!"
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers Pork

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
MARINADE:
5 each pork tenderloin -- about 1 lb each
1 cup sherry vinegar
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
8 cloves garlic -- finely minced
2 tablespoons tiny capers, drained plus 2 tbsp. brine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
COOKING & SERVING:
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Wipe the pork tenderloins with damp paper towels and place them in two large bowls or plastic containers. Combine all the marinade ingredients with 1 cup water in a bowl and pour it over the tenderloins. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Transfer the tenderloins to a colander, wipe them clean of any marinade pieces, and let them drain for 15 minutes. Then pat them dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade, reserving 2 cups of the liquid. Preheat oven to 400. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in each of two large nonstick skillets over medium high heat. Sear the tenderloins well all over, in batches, if necessary, turning the meat as it browns. It will take about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the pork to two 15x10 inch shallow roasting pans (2 in one pan, 3 in the other) and add 1 cup of the reserved marinade to each pan. Roast the tenderloins until slightly pink in the center, 10 minutes. If you prefer to lose the pinkness,
cook 2 minutes more). Place the tenderloins on a cutting board and let them rest for 10-20 minutes. They will continue to cook as they rest. Cut the tenderloins into 1/2" slices and arrange them on a large round platter, overlapping the slices slightly.

I think these tenderloins are more eye appealing when sliced and fanned out on a serving tray as the recipe indicates with the dollar rolls served in a basket and little ramekins of romanesco sauce or various flavors of mustard & mayo, but our client wanted the sandwiches pre-assembled. I prep a smaller version of this recipe for an entree alot of times too. It is delish! Don't let the short roasting time and the pinkness of the finished product scare you. Since it is marinated with vinegar, the meat has a reaction with the acid and actually "cooks" while marinating. Please remember also to only marinate in glass or plastic when using an acid based marinade. Enjoy!!