Pork Loin with Spicy Apricot Glaze

It seems like I am always searching for new chicken and pork dishes.  Am I the only one?  I find it especially difficult to find recipes for pork that are appealing to me.  It's hard to beat the best pork in the world (click here for recipe), but at the same time if we ate it every week we'd get sick of it.....well, maybe.

The loin is my favorite cut of pork.  Pork chops are OK, and I do really enjoy pulled pork, but pork loin is my favorite because it's always so tender and it always seems to be the perfect size for my family.  Even though I am on a restricted diet right now, pork is on the approved list of foods I can enjoy.  Since I like to pair fruit with pork, I chose to go with this glaze.  It's sweet and spicy, and pairs perfectly with pork or chicken.  I tasted the glaze before putting it on the pork and I thought it was too spicy, so I was worried everyone would be chocking their food down.  However, after cooking it with the glaze on it barely even had any kick to it.  So if you like spicy, you may want to add even more spice than I did.  I thought this was absolutely delicious, and so did everyone else.  It was the perfect amount of sweet, not too fruity tasting and not too spicy.  Try it....you won't be disappointed!

Pork Loin with Spicy Apricot Glaze

2 lbs pork loin
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup water
1 tsp powdered chipotle chile pepper
2 tbs olive oil

Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Rinse the pork and pat it dry.  Season with salt & pepper generously on all sides.  Place pork in skillet and brown, turning occasionally, about 4-5 minutes total.  Remove from heat, but leave pork in skillet.

Stir together the apricot jam and chile powder.  Spoon mixture on top of the pork.  Place skillet in the oven at 350.  Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 25 minutes.  Let pork stand in skillet, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before slicing. 

Vanilla Rhubarb Jelly

 
My wonderful friend Becca stopped by my office the other day to deliver some fresh rhubarb from her garden.  I was so excited to see her and was so thankful for the rhubarb.  We planted some a few years ago on the edge of our woods and it begins to grow every year and then just dies off.  This year it looked like it might actually do really well.....and then my son ran it over with the lawn mower.  Oh well, maybe next year!

I've made a lot of jam over the years, but never jelly for some reason.  I figured this would be a good opportunity to give it a try.  I was hoping for a nice pink jelly full of rhubarb flavor.  I wanted to add something to enhance the rhubarb so I chose to put in some vanilla.  This jelly came out really good.  My husband and son really liked it.  And look how pink it is!  Thank you Becca!☺

Vanilla Rhubarb Jelly (makes one, 8oz jar of jelly)

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 tsp vanilla + the scrappings from the inside of one fresh vanilla bean
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 of a 1.75oz package of powdered pectic

Prepare your canning jars according to directions on/inside the box of pectin.  If you need further canning instructions, or if the pectin box didn't include them, then CLICK HERE for very well explained canning preparation and instructions before beginning this process. 

Combine the rhubarb, vanilla and water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the rhubarb the rhubarb is cooked down.  Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.  Pour the cooked rhubarb in, and let it sit for 30 minutes - you should have about 2 cups of rhubarb juice.  Discard the rhubarb pieces.

In a large pot add the sugar and pectin, and whisk well to combine.  Add the rhubarb juice and stir well.  Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for about 25 minutes, stirring often.  Keep stirring until the mixture reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer (there will be lots of foaming and bubbling during this step).  Turn off heat and fill jar.  Wipe the rim, apply the lid and screw on the band until just tightened with your fingers.  Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on counter.  You should hear the seal pop at some point, but if you don't you can check it after it's completely cooled by pressing on the top of the jar and if there's not movement then it's sealed. 

Strawberry Cake

This weekend I wanted to make a treat for my boys to enjoy.  Of course, I wanted to try something new (I think it's an obsession) so I took to Pinterest to see what I could find.  I came across this recipe and thought that it looked  and sounded delicious.  Gotta love Pinterest and all the other websites out there devoted to food.  As much as I tend to stay away from the constant progression of technology, the internet is one thing I could not live without!  It really is such a vast source of information and inspiration.  

This cake turned out to be so very delicious!  My son had a friend over and they both had a piece.  Later that night my son said his friend couldn't stop saying how good the cake was and even told his grandmother that his friend's mom makes a better strawberry cake than she does!  Haha....I doubt she appreciated that comment as much as I did!  I did make a few tweaks to the original recipe because I don't like desserts to have too much lemon flavoring.  I'd rather not taste the lemon, I just wanted it to subtly enhance the strawberry flavors in the cake.  Strawberry is the star of the show after-all!   My husband described the cake as moist and full of flavor.  The best part is no icing is needed, which makes this a wonderfully light and refreshing cake for spring and summer get-togethers.  Make this for your next cook-out - your guests will love it!

Strawberry Cake (adapted from A Spicy Perspective)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
 

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10" Bundt pan and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
Toss the diced strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour, then fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool at least 30 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a small bowl whisk together the 1 tsp of lemon juice and the powdered sugar.  Add a dash of vanilla and a dash of water.  Stir well, and if it's too thick add a little more water until it reaches desired consistency (so you can pour it on the cake).  Drizzle over the top of the cake.

John Wayne Casserole

Ahhh.....John Wayne, how my husband loves you so!  Seriously - he is obsessed with John Wayne.  He owns every movie he ever made.  We went to Jamaica about 7 yrs ago, and while there we did a horseback riding on the beach excursion.  The leaders of our group gave everyone a nickname (must have been their way of remembering people), and as fate would have it, my husband was given the name John Wayne.  That was all it took for him to start channeling John Wayne and he displayed horseback riding skills I never knew he had (honestly, I don't think even he knew he was that good on a horse)!  He went to the front of the line and lead the group....it was pretty hysterical to watch actually!  Made for one great memory that I will hold dear to my heart forever ♥.

When I came across this recipe for John Wayne Casserole I knew I needed to make it for him.  Not so much because of what's in it, but because of the name alone!  If nothing else, I figured I'd get a chuckle by just making it and serving it to him.  Turns out this recipe is very similar to one I already make on a semi-regular basis - Taco Casserole, click here for recipe.  Because of my current restricted diet, I was not able to enjoy this meal with my husband and son.  However, they both really liked it.  I think in the future I will combine the two recipes and see how that goes over.  If you are looking for something different, give this recipe a try.

  John Wayne Casserole (adapted from Mississippi Magazine)

1 lb ground beef (or you can use venison)
1/2 packet of taco seasoning (I used 4-6 tbsp of my homemade taco seasoning, click here for recipe)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup canned jalapeno peppers, diced
1 cup Bisquick mix

Preheat oven to 325, and spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium skillet, brown the meat.  Add the taco seasoning and water (according to package instructions), stir and remove from heat and set aside.  While your meat is browning, saute the onion and bell pepper together in a small pan with a little butter or olive oil until slightly tender - about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.  In a medium bowl stir together the Bisquick and about a 1/2 cup of water until it forms a soft dough.  Pat the dough evenly into the bottom of the baking dish, and up the sides some if you can.  Evenly distribute on top of the dough the meat, then the diced tomato, the green pepper & onion mix, the diced jalapenos, the sour cream mixture, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, or until edges of dough are lightly browned.

Beef Stroganoff

 
One of the dishes my mom made often when I was a kid was beef stroganoff.  I never liked it, and to be honest I still don't.  When I was the cook at my son's elementary school I had to make it once in a while, and that's when I realized this was a dish I was probably not ever going to like.  Don't get me wrong - I don't hate it.  I can eat it if I have to, but I would prefer not to. 

Since it's not a dish I like, I have never made it at home for my family.  Then a few weeks ago my son came home from school and said he had it for lunch that day at school and really liked it.  That prompted my husband to say how much he's always liked it as well.  I filed that info away in the back of my memory. This week when I needed to make them a different dinner than what I was having (because I am on a very restricted diet right now) I remembered how much they both said they like beef stroganoff.  

I looked in my Cook's Illustrated cookbook and sure enough there was a recipe for it, so I decided to make it for them.  Cook's Illustrated uses cut pieces of beef (which is how I had it as a kid), but both my husband and son said they way they've had it was with ground beef.  I choose to make it using the pieces of beef, and since it was a Cook's Illustrated recipe I figured it would impress these guys and they'd love it even more than any other version they've ever had.  It didn't quite work out that way.  They both liked it, but they both said it didn't taste like what they were used to.  My husband said it tasted like veal marsala, and I'm guessing that's because this recipe uses white wine.  I gave the sauce a taste and thought it was pretty good (better than I remember it being when I ate it as a kid).  The recipe shown here reflects my reduction of the white wine and a couple of other changes, but I you could leave it out the wine altogether if you want to.  Overall this is a great recipe - it's just more of a gourmet version of beef stroganoff.  Personally, I think it's a big improvement and much better than I remember it being!

Beef Stoganoff (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
3/4 beef tenderloin or sirloin, cut into 1/2" long 1/4" wide strips
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, minced
1 tsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 white wine  
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz egg noodles, cooked & drained and tossed with 1-2 tbsp butter

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet (I used a 12" cast iron skillet) over med-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook without stirring for 30 seconds.  Season with salt & pepper and continue to cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a medium bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet, and heat for 1-2 minutes.  Place the beef into skillet in a single layer, and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes.  Turn beef over and cook on second side until browned, about another minute. Season with salt & pepper and transfer to bowl with mushrooms.  

Melt butter in skillet, then add the onion, tomato paste and brown sugar. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour and stir until well incorporated.  Whisk in the beef broth and wine.  Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil while whisking occasionally.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the sour cream until well incorporated.  Add the beef and mushrooms to skillet and heat to warm through, about 2 minutes.  Salt & pepper to taste if needed.  Spoon over buttered noodles.

Chocolate Cobbler

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing moms out there!  It is the hardest, and sometimes thankless, job there is but also the most rewarding.  So, relax with your loved ones and enjoy your special day.  I think my boys are taking me to see The Great Gatsby today...my 14 year old son sitting through that movie just for me - now that's love!  Haha☺

For the next few weeks most of my posts will be recipes I've collected that I've always wanted to try.  Since I am currently on a restricted diet, I figured it was a good time to try dishes that are geared towards what my husband and son would enjoy.  Over the years I have collected lots of those types of recipes!  This chocolate cobbler is one of them.  Since chocolate is not my favorite thing, I knew this would be the perfect time to make this. I had never heard of chocolate cobbler before, so I was intrigued.  This dessert is super quick and easy to throw together, which is an added bonus. 

I will admit that I got some of the sauce from this on my finger and so of course I had to lick it off.  Even though chocolate is not my favorite thing, that little taste made me want to eat it!  Very tasty - I bet it would be amazing with vanilla ice cream!  Anyway, my husband who loves chocolate, loved this dessert.  I asked him how it ranked in comparison to his favorite chocolate desserts (chocolate cake, chocolate cream pie and brownies) and he said he liked this better than brownies and chocolate cake and that it's tied with chocolate cream pie.  That tells me he REALLY likes this!  I will definitely be keeping this recipe and making if many more times in the future.  

Chocolate Cobbler (from www.bakeorbreak.com)
  
Cake:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Topping/Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups hot water
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake: Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, butter and vanilla and mix until smooth.  Pour into an 8x8 baking dish that's been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. 

Topping/Sauce:  In a small mix together the sugar, brown sugar and cocoa.  Sprinkle this evenly over the cake batter, then pour the hot water over top - do not stir.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the middle is mostly set (meaning when you jiggle the dish it barely moves in the middle).  Cool for 15 minutes before serving.  Spoon the sauce on the bottom over the cake when you serve it. 

Honey Pork

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but Vermont has been absolutely beautiful everyday for a whole week.  Temps in the 80's on some days!  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but for us Vermonters, this is huge!  I remember getting a foot of snow on Mother's Day just a few years ago, so I am absolutely loving this weather.  I wish I could be home all day every day enjoying it, but oh well....can't have everything right?

Here is an oldie but goodie, pulled from the good old recipe box.  I don't know where I got this recipe from, but I do know that I alter it almost every time I make it depending on what I have on hand.  It's super quick to throw together, and the crock-pot does all the work.  Perfect weeknight meal....especially if you are like me and your children are playing sports, which means you don't get home after the games in enough time to make dinner!

 
Honey Pork

3 lbs country style pork ribs or chicken
4 tbsp honey mustard
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup honey BBQ sauce
1 cup beef broth or water

Add everything except the pork to the crock pot and mix together.  Place in the pork or chicken and make sure it's covered in the sauce (may need to add extra water and BBQ sauce).  Cook 8 hrs on low or 5 hrs on high.