Pork Tenderloin with Shallots, Garlic, and Apples

This recipe this "mom inspired." I just added a few more ingredients.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 - 3 lb. pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, crushed
5 small shallots, peeled and halved
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 apples cored, cleaned, and halved

Preheat an oven at 325°F for 20 min.
Clean the pork in water.  Place the pork in the baking rack.
Mix olive oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Coat the pork with the mixture.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the shallots and garlic about 5 min.  Remove.
In the bottom of the baking pan, mix the shallots, garlic, dijon mustard, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
Place the apples on the side of the pork as shown.
Bake 50 min or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F - 150°F.

Tomato Seafood Risotto

preparing for this dish was intense but fun.  Here it goes!

 

1 pound medium shrimp
1 pound bay scallop
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup shallots, minced
1½ cups arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
5 cups home made fish broth
2 garlic cloves
freshly ground black pepper
salt
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated

 

Directions:

 

Peel the shells and tails from the shrimp. With a small knife, make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to remove the dark vein. Cut the shrimp crosswise into thirds. Quarter the bay scallops.

In a heavy, wide 3 to 4-quart casserole or pot, heat the 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and shallots and cook them until golden, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Toast the rice until the edges become translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and stir well until evaporated.  The tomato should be simmering at this point. Add 1 cup of the hot fish broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add the hot hot fish broth in small batches- just enough to completely moisten the rice- and cook until each successive batch has been absorbed. Stir constantly and adjust the level of heat so the rice is simmering very gently while adding the stock.

 

About 10 minutes after adding the 3 - 4 tablespoons of tomato puree heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic, then add the shrimp and scallops to the skillet, and cook until they are bright pink on both sides and firm, about 2 minutes.

Add the contents of the skillet to the rice. Mix well and cook, adding water as described above until the rice is creamy and al dente, 3 to 4 minutes longer. (The total cooking time for the rice after adding the tomato is about 18 minutes.)

 

Stir in the Pecorino Romano

 

Remove the casserole from the heat and beat in the chopped parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary, and pepper. Serve immediately, ladled into warm serving bowls.

Homemade Fish Stock

We went to a Portuguese restaurant for lunch and I had the most delicious seafood risotto.  We spoke with the owner and gave me the recipe for the fish stock. 

INGREDIENTS

4 lbs. Red snapper, de-scaled, gutting, and sliced
1 large leek, white and light-green parts only
2 dried bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
8 whole black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine

DIRECTIONS

Remove the gills and any traces of blood from fish heads; thoroughly wash bones, and cut them to fit into a 12-quart stockpot. Place heads and bones in a large bowl, and set aside.

Quarter leek lengthwise; cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a bowl of cold water; let stand 5 minutes to rid leek of sand. Lift out of water; drain in a colander; set aside.

bay leaves, parsley, thyme, cloves, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in a 12-inch-square piece of cheesecloth. Form a bundle, and tie with kitchen twine; set aside.

Melt butter in a 12-quart stockpot over medium heat; add cut leek, onion, and celery ; cook until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, and add fish heads and bones. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add wine, bouquet garni, and 2 1/2 quarts water, covering the bones. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. Turn off the heat, and let sit 10 minutes.

Prepare an ice bath. Strain the stock through a fine sieve set over a large bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath. Use stock within 1 day, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Spinach and Pecorino Bread

A friend inspired me to make this.

My baguette recipe from earlier blog.

Filling:

2 lbs.  chopped spinach
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pecorino
Salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

Saute ingredients in a large pan.  When the onions are opaque, remove and place in the refrigerator for 5 min.  Add the pecorino in.  Mix well. 

Spread the baguette dough out to 12in x 12in.  Place the spinach mixture on top evenly.  Roll the dough up, sealing the ends all around. 

Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 425°F for 20 - 30 min or until brown.

Scottish Meat Pies

I've always wanted to make meat pies since last year. 

Scotch Pie

From http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_scotchpie.htm

"Granny Black's, Candleriggs, Glasgow Large numbers of Scotch Pies are sold in Scotland every day - they are an original "fast food" and are often sold at the half-time interval at football (soccer) matches. The pies are made in special straight-sided moulds, roughly 3-3½ inches (7.5-8.5cm) in diameter and about 1½ inches (4cm) deep. A pastry lid, inside the pie, covers the meat about ½ inch (1cm) below the rim. This leaves a space at the top of the pie which can be filled, if required - with hot gravy, baked beans, mashed (creamed) potatoes etc. The meat is usually mutton (sometimes of varying quality). Many bakers have their own recipes and add spices to give additional flavour - there is now an annual competition for the best Scotch Pie.

Grannie Black, in Candleriggs in Glasgow, was a character who had such a reputation for such good mutton pies that people came from far and wide - the pub named after her (pictured here) has, unfortunately, been demolished."

For the Crust:

2-1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. lard
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
1/2 tbsp. salt
1 egg  plus 1 tbsp. water, beaten, for egg wash

My rendition is made with ground pork and spices

Filling:

1 lb. ground pork
1/2 tbsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tbsp. ground dried mustard
1/2 tbsp. white pepper
1/2 tbsp. salt

For the gravy I've made apple cider, cinnamon, and cornstarch.

Boil lard and butter in 1/2 cup of water.  Put the flour in a large bowl, make a well.  Pour the mixture into the flour.  Mix.  When it forms a ball, kneed it for 10 min. 

Make a log and cut it in half.  Take a walnut size piece out of each which will be the lids of the meat pies.  Form each piece into circles.  Let it rest overnight.

Roll the lids out.  Use a drinking glass for the mold like shown in the picture.

Put the pork mixture in the pie shells shown in the picture.  Use an egg wash to coat the upper she'll and the lid.  Enclose the lid and give an egg wash to the entire pie.  Cut out an air vent.

Bake at 350°F for an hour/hour and a half.  Take the pies out and let them sit for 10 min.  Pour the gravy in to the air vents.

Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs

I wasn't going to turn on the oven so I looked up the Cornish hen recipe that's made in a toaster oven.

Ingredients

    1 Cornish hens, room temperature, rinsed well and patted dry
    1 bunch fresh thyme (about 1/2 ounce), plus more for garnish
    1 lemons, halved
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons honey
    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

    Preheat toaster oven to 375°F. Place hen in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.

    Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Brush melted butter and honey.  Place the hen back in the oven for 10 min.  Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Bulgur Salad

my coworker bought this today.  the simple ingredients were wonderful.  I added toasted pine nuts.

1 cup bulgur
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
3 green onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

1. Bring the bulgur and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, turn the heat off (but leave the pan on the eye) and let stand for 15-20 minutes or so until soft. Fluff the bulgur.

2. Meanwhile, prep the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. When the bulgur is soft, drain it in a colander, pressing all the excess water out. Stir the bulgur into the bowl of vegetable, then drizzle in the dressing as you toss the salad.