Friday, October 28, 2011

Crispy Pork Medallions and Roasted Root Vegetables

I found this recipe in Cooking Light November 2011. This is definitely an easy, weeknight meal, and super inexpensive to make. It was my first time to eat parsnip (I actually had to google search it's picture in the grocery store), but I really enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy!
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 (1-lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 medallions (OR thin boneless pork loin chops)
  • 1/2 cup Panko
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Rub mustard evenly over pork. Combine Panko, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge pork in Panko mixture. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add pork; saute 2 minutes or until golden brown. Turn pork. Place skillet in oven; bake at 450 for 8 minutes or until pork reaches 145. Let stand 3 minutes.
For Roasted Vegetables:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 8 oz quartered small red potatoes, 2 thinly sliced carrots, and 2 thinly sliced parsnips in a medium bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 minced garlic clove. Toss well to coat. Arrange vegetable mixture in casserole dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.

Bread Maker Cinnamon Buns

I have definitely been enjoying my new bread maker, and couldn't wait to make some homemade cinnamon buns. I made just half of this batch and froze the rest for another morning. I might try another glaze recipe, but overall and very tasty breakfast. I hope you enjoy!
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 1/3 cups all-purpose white flour
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp yeast
Filling:
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp softened butter
Glaze:
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 tsp milk
  1. Put yeast in bread machine first on bottom, then flour, sugar, and salt.
  2. Melt butter in small bowl, add beaten egg, milk, and water.
  3. Pour onto dry ingredients in bread machine. Follow dough settings for bread machine.
  4. When done, put onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough flour to make it easy to handle. If too elastic, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
  5. Use floured rolling pin to roll out dough on floured surface. Roll out into rectangle about 1/4 inch-thick.
  6. Use filling and spread over entire surface with spoon.
  7. Roll up dough and cut with a sharp knife about 1-inch thick; place in greased 9x13-inch pan.
  8. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for approx. 30 minutes, until double in size.
  9. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes until light brown on top.
  10. Make glaze and swirl over buns.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Delicious! This is another Pinterest find that I couldn't pass up. I love the idea of wilting spinach into a pasta dish. I hope you enjoy!
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 6 oz fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup low fat milk
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb fettuccine
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated (OR mix all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and shake until well coated).
  3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot. Carefully place the chicken in the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
  4. While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles until al dente. Wipe out the skillet with a couple of paper towels and return to medium heat, adding the 2 remaining tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Stir in 1 tbsp flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
  6. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches

The name says it all. I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew it'd be an instant success. It's a little time consuming with chilling the peanut butter sandwiches before dipping them in chocolate, but it's definitely worth it. Otherwise, the sandwiches will fall apart in the chocolate. Make sure you have plenty of time to make these before your next party. They can even chill in the refrigerator for a day or two. I hope you enjoy!
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • pretzels
  • 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (or other candy coating, but I think the chips tasted great)
  1. Combine peanut butter and softened butter in large bowl with a whisk or stand mixer. Add sugars and mix to combine. At this point, if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you're ready to go. If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.
  2. Use a teaspoon to scoop into balls. Roll each portion into a small ball then sandwich between two pretzels. I found it easiest to lay out all the pretzels, put a ball on top of each one, then add the top pretzels at the end. Stick the whole tray into the freezer for about half an hour.
  3. Pour chocolate chips into microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals until completely melted. Remove sandwiches from freezer and quickly dip halfway into melted chocolate. Repeat with all sandwiches. Return to tray and place in freezer until completely set up. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Roast Pork with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Yum! Butternut squash is so delicious when roasted, that I couldn't help making this recipe. It's a little tricky to peel butternut squash, but I think with a little practice I can get faster at it. If the pork looks a little pink to you, it's still okay to eat, because according to September 2011 Cooking Light magazine, the USDA recently lowered the recommended temperature to which pork tenderloin should be cooked. The internal temperature should reach 145 degrees, removed from heat, and allowed to stand at room temperature for at least 3 minutes. I hope you enjoy!

  • 2 1/2 cups halved small red potatoes
  • 2 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 lb pork tenderloin
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine red potatoes and butternut squash in an 11x7" baking dish. Combine olive oil, thyme, sage, salt & pepper to taste; toss with vegetables. Roast at 425 for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 tsp salt. Add pork to pan; saute 4 minutes, searing all sides. Stir vegetables; add pork and 1/4 cup dry sherry.
  3. Roast for 12 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145 degrees. Remover pork; let stand 5 minutes.

Weekend Waffles

I found this simple waffle recipe which was perfect for our rainy, lazy Saturday. It'd be great with simple add-ins such as blueberries or raspberries. I hope you enjoy!
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups of milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth
  2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix until hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.