Pork tenderloin with spicy carrot fries

There's been too much sweet stuff on this blog lately. I don't want to give you the wrong idea -- I like cooking much better than baking. So today it's back to the savory business.

I adapted this recipe from one I saw in Bon Appetit magazine; the original recipe called for baby carrots and jalapeno, neither of which I had. Instead, I used regular old carrots, skipped the jalapeno, and added some cayenne pepper. I also changed up the rub for the meat based on what I had available. The recipe included reflects what I actually did.

The meat was tender and flavorful and the carrots, which ended up a lot like oven-baked 'spicy fries,' were really good. I think these carrot fries would make a great side dish for a bleu cheese burger....YUM!

Pork tenderloin with spicy carrot fries
(adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2009)

Carrot fries:
2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped like fries
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Pork:
~2 lbs pork tenderloin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Arrange carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet. Whisk together the water and remaining ingredients, then add to carrots, tossing to coat. Cover with foil and roast carrots until almost tender in a 400 degree oven (~20 minutes).

While the carrots are roasting, prepare pork by combining the spices and rubbing all over the tenderloin. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet, and brown the meat on all sides. Once browned, remove the foil from the carrots and nestle the meat among the carrots. Roast the pork and carrots uncovered ~ 2o minutes (or the meat reaches 140 degrees). Remove from oven and let rest 5-1o minutes before slicing.

Roasted beet and blood orange salad

I'm tired of winter; it just keeps dragging on and on. I'm tired of cold, drab days, heavy coats and snow boots. I'm sick of icy sidewalks and the dirty piles of snow that refuse to melt. I'm even getting a little tired of heavy, meaty comfort foods that seem to fill up winter menus. I long for warmth and sunshine. I long to ride my bike. Most of all, I long for the array of colorful and tender fruits and vegetables that come with spring.

To help fight my winter blues, I've been eating this salad. It includes some of the most colorful, flavorful, and healthy winter ingredients: beets and blood oranges. Simple to make, refreshing and satisfying, this salad is gives me hope that winter is almost over.

You can find the recipe here, by way of 101 Cookbooks.

Pulled pork, cole slaw, and a household chore

I secretly look forward to household chores that take all the day; they provide an opportunity to make slow-cooked meals I think about often. Braised meats, sauce and meatballs, soup, stock, etc... all tasty and easy, but who has time to stay home all day to mind the stove? Not me, usually. That's why all-day-household-chores are such a treat. This past Saturday the plan was to make pulled pork and clean the basement. Exciting, I know.

I woke up early to prep the pork. I cut off excess fat from the meat, and covered it in a rub (recipe below). I wrapped it up tight in aluminum foil, and stuck it in the oven at 250 degrees*. That's it. The day was off to a great start.

I went to the basement, and there the day took a turn for the worse. I discovered that much of our stuff covered in mold. MOLD! So gross. The majority of the day was spent picking through moldy items, tossing stuff, and washing the rest. Hours later, and after a trip to Home Depot for shelves and plastic tubs to ward off any future mold, the basement was neat and organized. But I didn't feel the sense of satisfaction normally associated with finishing a chore like that. Instead, I felt sad and sick. Sore throat, cough, sneezing; the mold got me. To make matters worse, the hot water heater needed to be repaired, so I had to wait for the repairman to return before I could take a shower.

Defeated, I went upstairs, washed the mold off my face and hands, and took a peek at the pork. It looked (and smelled) fabulous! Slow cooking all day, it was ready to be shred into tasty goodness. Bf kindly offered to chop the veggies for the slaw. The repairman showed up just as I was shredding the meat and adding some barbecue sauce. It smelled so good, he must have been jealous. Thirty minutes later, the hot water heater was fixed, and we sat down to some sandwiches and slaw. Just the kind of meal you need after a day of fighting mold.

*Special thanks to my friend Chris who shared his pulled pork technique with me.


Pork rub:
4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Mix together & rub all over pork.

Cole slaw:
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1/2 head red cabbage, chopped
1/4 large yellow onion, minced
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 mayonnaise
1 tbsp. sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Chop vegetables and place in a large bowl. Mix together vinegar, mayonnaise, and sugar, then add to slaw. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

A happy holiday

I had a very nice holiday season. I enjoyed almost 2 weeks off from work during which I made the rounds visiting family, friends, babies and pets. I saw almost all of them. And I enjoyed some fantastic tasty business along the way. I made some of it, but for the most part, I was able to just enjoy. Can't beat that! Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to:

Lots of snow made for a white Christmas (sort of)
Before the holiday began, we took a short trip to Vermont

The cabin we stayed in had this stove. I LOVED it. Bf and I made some tasty breakfast for the whole group. I only wish I could have brought it home (the stove, not the breakfast).


Final wrapping of the tasty treats I gave out as gifts

Christmas Eve dinner was delicious. I made these roasted Brussels sprouts with shallots and cranberries to go with the ham. I also made this butternut squash.

While the rest of my family had cheesecake for dessert, I enjoyed this tart I made with some cinnamon whipped cream.
This little guy loved his first Christmas morning.

I forgot to bring my camera to Christmas dinner. This extremely unfortunate as Christmas dinner is my favorite meal of the year. I can't even begin to describe the tastiness - antipasto, lasagna, salads, roast beef, vegetables, cookies, cookies, cookies, desserts, homemade drinks, wine, torrone, etc.... So yummy, I can't wait for next year's meal.

After Christmas, I went to NJ and NY to spend time with some very fabulous friends. We celebrated birthdays, babies, kids, and engagements.

We went to this very colorful and very tasty little Mexican restaurant in NJ.

Fresh guacamole made at our table.

And, of course, then we found these

Finally, I spent New Year's eve in CT listening to these guys

Now I'm back in MA, back to work, and back to making tasty business!

Sesame green beans

Quick, tasty meals are most convenient during the holiday season. In between working, holiday parties, baking treats, planning elaborate holiday meals and shopping for gifts, you need to eat dinner. This preparation of green beans is fast, easy, and packed with flavor. I eat these green beans often. They go great with simply grilled or broiled beef, chicken or fish. I served this batch with a fresh piece of tuna, lightly seared. Yum!

Sesame green beans
(Sorry, there are no exact measurements for this dish. I make the sauce to taste; it's better that way!)

~3-5 tablespoons soy sauce
~2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
~1 tablespoon sesame oil
~2 tablespoons honey
green beans (picked and rinsed - dry them as best you can)
sesame seeds (to taste)
olive oil

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; taste and adjust as necessary. Set bowl aside. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the green beans, and cook for few minutes until the beans just start to cook and are bright green. Add a splash of water to the pan (not too much - a few tablespoons is enough) and cover to steam the beans for a few minutes. Don't overcook. When the green beans are almost done, remove the cover and cook off any remaining water. Add the sauce - cook down a bit. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds & serve immediately.

Pumpkin overdose

It was bound to happen. I love Halloween too much and accumulated way too many pumpkins. How could I let those precious orange treats go to waste? I couldn't. I had to cook them. And after all that effort, I confirmed what I already knew: I don't like pumpkin. Yup, I said it. Fall is my favorite season, Halloween my favorite holiday, pumpkins are my favorite decoration, and (obviously) I love to cook. Still, I don't like to eat pumpkin. I don't like savory pumpkin dishes, I can't stand pumpkin pie and hate pumpkin butter. I'm going to stick with other types of squash for the rest of the winter. Now, if only I can save myself from making the same mistake next year...

Even though I don't love them, I still wanted to know more about them.

Pumpkin fun facts:

• Pumpkins are 90% water
• Pumpkins are fruit and are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits
• Pumpkins are thought to have originated in Central America
• The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October
• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake
• Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

The dishes I made with all those pumpkins (I used "sugar" pumpkins):

Pumpkin soup with Parmesan & sage toasts
(adapted from The Silver Spoon)


Pumpkin with mushrooms over wild rice
(adapted from The Silver Spoon)


Roasted pumpkin seeds
(from Simply Recipes)


Bourbon pumpkin cheesecake
(from Gourmet Magazine, by way of Smitten Kitchen)


I also made some pumpkin brownies, but the pictures were lost when my hard drive crashed :(

Butternut Squash Risotto

I've been dreaming of this dish for a while. Roasted squash, sage, creamy risotto - warm, filling and tasty. A perfect dish for a crisp autumn evening.

Easy to make, too. Peel and cube 1 butternut squash & toss with salt, pepper, chopped sage and olive oil. Roast until soft.

Fry some shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft, then add ~2 cups of risotto. Once the risotto is well coated with oil, add ~1 cup of white wine, then 2 cups of chicken broth. Keep adding more broth (and stirring!) until the rice is al dente, then added the squash, some more sage, and season with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat and stir in a dollop of butter and some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I can make it better at home

Have you ever gone out to a restaurant, read a description of a dish on the menu that had you drooling with excitement, only to be disappointed with the taste? I hate it when this happens. There's nothing more aggravating than paying to have bland, mediocre food served to you. I could serve bland, mediocre food to myself at home for less than half the cost. You never know what's going to happen when you eat out; that's part of the fun. But, in an effort to avoid repeat mistakes, at the end of every restaurant meal I ask myself, "Can I make this better at home?" If the answer is yes, then I don't order that dish (or go to that restaurant - depends on the situation) again. If the answer is no, then I'll go back.

(Note: you may not be able to make it better at home for various reasons - availability or access to certain ingredients, time, skill, etc - the reason is less important than the answer.)

An example:

Not so long ago, I went out to a restaurant, hungry and looking for a good meal. Reading through the menu, I see this appetizer: "Beets and fresh goat cheese, blended with herbs, stacked high and served on a bed of field greens. $7.59."

Sounded like tasty business to me!

Not even close. I got 3 little piles of sad, ice-cold, canned beets, stacked with a little bit of goat cheese (no herbs), stained pink from the beets. Even the greens were wilty and sad. The whole thing was bland and nasty. You could tell these pathetic little things had been stacked up in kitchen walk-in for days, waiting for some chump to order them. Sadly, I was that chump.

But still, the description sounded so tasty. I asked myself, "Can I make this better at home?"

You're damn right I can. I made them & they were fabulous! I suggest you make 'em for yourself.

First, I scrubbed the beets, drizzled them with some olive oil, wrapped them in foil and roasted them until they were soft.

Crazy beets!

Once cool, I peeled and sliced the beets & stacked them with slices of fresh, creamy goat cheese (I didn't use any herbs). I drizzled the stacks with some tasty olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I served them with baby arugula dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. I topped the dish off with some toasted pecans (next time I would use walnuts). Yummy!

Best part: According to my calculation, I made this meal (2 servings) for ~$5

On a totally different note, beets come out red on the other side. Don't worry, you probably don't have colon cancer, colitis, or some other horrible disease.