Eating Dinner With My Family

As the pork tenderloins came in a two pack, I had to find something else to do with the other one.  I had very high hope for this when reading it, was expecting disaster when I tasted the salsa alone, and came to rest with a happy medium of decent with the eating of it.  The boys, who I told to expect disaster, really liked it.  Here is the breakdown.  Pork alone was plain, the salsa alone was a bit oily and bitter if you didn't get a good bit of the dried fruit but together it was pretty good.  Another thing, dried currants seem to be MIA unless it is the holidays so I substituted dried tart cherries.  I considered cranberries, but they were pretty sweet and I thought that the tart cherries were a better sub.  Oh and while I enjoyed the broccolini, I think for the price, plain ole broccoli will be fine.    Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Herb Salsa   1 Cup flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 Tbl oregano leaves 1/4 Cup pitted green olives 3/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for

So this post doesn't really count.  No real recipe here, just a record of our dinner.  Also just an idea for a slightly different dinner.  It isn't unusual, but it is easy to forget about some dishes.  The patty melt is a great example.  We have ordered them before, but I have never made one before.  No, it isn't a traditional patty melt.  I had some white/wheat swirled bread I bought on a BOGO whim, cheddar wedge left over from the skyrim dinner, and a onion.  Oh and confession time, I used frozen Bubba Burgers for the patty.  I bought them in a moment of "on sale" madness thinking it would be an easy lunch for the kids and their friends when they are over.  That never happened, so I am starting the war again on my pantry and fridge clutter:).

I had a gorgeous head of napa from my Front Porch Pickings basket, and pork tenderloins were on sale so this was what was on the menu tonight.  It was super easy to make.  While we all really liked it I had some thoughts for next time.  The broth was flavorful, but didn't seem to get in every bite, which was a shame since it made the meal.  I think next time, I will take everything out when it is done and add a bit of cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the broth enough to make it stick to the meat and veggies.  Hoisin Pork With Napa Cabbage 1 Lb pork tenderloin cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (about 3" long) 1 Tsp kosher salt more to taste 3 Tbs. hoisin sauce 2 Tbs. soy sauce 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 3 Tbs. canola or peanut oil 2 Tsp minced garlic 6 Cup napa cabbage cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 lb) 1 red bell pepper cored, thinly sliced 1/4 Cup thinly sliced fresh chives In a large bowl, season the pork with 1/2 tsp. of the salt. In a small bowl,

My family is in town this weekend because we have plans to head over to Orlando to iFly to do some indoor skydiving!   As such, I thought I would prepare a special dinner.  Now this dinner isn't special because it is extra fancy. (I wasn't even sure it would be all that great tasting). This dinner is special because it is based on the foods of Skyrim.  Now I totally hooked on the game, but my brother is SERIOUSLY hooked on the game and I thought he would get a kick out of the plan.  If you aren't familiar with the game, it is Nordic themed and you do cook dishes that help restore your life more than the raw ingredients do.   Now many of the dishes are either totally impossible ( like 'horker stew' with a horker being something like a walrus) or just sounded totally gross like apple cabbage stew, but I found a few that could be prepared.   On the menu tonight: "seared slaughter fish" (talapia), tomato soup, "eider cheese wedge" (in this case c

I was totally at a loss about what to make tonight. I had a short list of recipes for this week, but as I prepared to go to the grocery, I went back to the 'to try' file and looked for something easy and fast. I had this burger in there for a while now and I never made it because I thought it would be too plain. I am so happy that I was so very wrong! It was simplicity incarnate! All I needed to so was slice, grate, mix, cook and... ambrosia! The consensus around the table was a 4.5 out of 5. Keep in mind we have become a bit snobby about food in general much less burgers! We were all pretty happily surprised by how tasty this was. This recipe was from Food & Wine magazine and they haven't steered me wrong... well ever is a bit of an exaggeration but 95% of the time their recipes are winners in my family. I followed the recipe pretty much to a tee except for the rice wine vinegar. I like the roasted garlic version of it. (Oh and I mixed up the sriracha and mayo to the s

Well after that last Bloody Mary, I have rediscovered my love for them! I have always thrown some traditional ingredients in to some tomato juice, but I thought I would poke around for a recipe. I really liked this one. The curry in was noticeable but not overwhelming. This was a tasty take on a Bloody Mary! My only complaint was the let it sit overnight! When I was mixing this up, I wanted it then, but I do think that the overnight sitting in the fridge helped blend and mellow the flavors. A New-Look Bloody Mary   4 Cup tomato juice 1 Cup dill pickle juice 1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice 1 Tbl prepared horseradish 2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 Tsp curry powder 1 Tsp Sriracha 1 Tsp kosher salt 1/2 Tsp celery seeds 1/4 Tsp black pepper 2 Cup vodka 8 celery stalks 8 lemon wedges Preparation Combine first 10 ingredients in a large pitcher. Chill overnight. Add vodka to pitcher; stir well. Fill tall glasses with ice. Divide Bloody Mary cocktail among glasses. Garnish each w

Let me begin with we DID NOT put these on the grill and were very happy we did not!  That would have been a colossal mess!  My husband and I were concerned that this dish would be a bit dry, but with the tahini, veggies and hot sauce, it was really great!  I would say that the harissa was not optional since we all had some on our "burgers" and we all really liked them as is.  Harissa has got its own unique flavor that other hot sauces can't duplicate.  I did have a hard time finding it around town; I ended up finding some at, of all places, Marshall's/Home Goods!  I am almost out and will need to order some off the internet!    Grilled Chickpea Burgers With Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce 1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil more for brushing 4 medium cloves garlic sliced 2 Tsp ground cumin 4 or 5 six-inch pitas 2  15.5-oz. cans chickpeas drained and rinsed 5 Tbs. tahini 1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon) 1 large egg Kosher salt 2 Tbs. chopped fresh

Meh!  I am not keeping this recipe.  Each element in it tasted ok on its own, but together, it was hard to eat and not particularly great.  I thought the asparagus came out good, and we all ate our food, but this is going down as a fail and won't be mentioned again:). The boys wanted meat, so I made a few slices of bacon and dinner, while mediocre, was quickly done. Asparagus And Fried Eggs On Garlic Toast   4    1/2-inch-thick slices sourdough bread 1 large clove garlic halved 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil more for brushing the toast 1 Lb asparagus trimmed of tough, woody stems Kosher salt 4 large eggs Freshly ground black pepper 1 Oz Pecorino Romano shaved into large shards with a vegetable peeler Lightly toast the bread. Rub one side of each slice with the garlic and brush lightly with olive oil. Put 1 slice on each of 4 plates. Put the asparagus in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with 1/2 cup water, the olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover, bring to a boil over mediu

This is a recipe everyone should know.  It is a perfect recipe because: it's economical, easy, doesn't make a mess and can be tailored to any diet, taste preference or ingredients on hand. (for example: I have left out mushrooms out of the boy's packet or no meat and vegetable broth for a vegetarian friend)  I have made this before with a variety if ingredients, but this is how I made it tonight.   If you click on the title and to to the original Alton Brown recipe, you will see the way I made it the first time I cooked it.  I personally really like the addition of the cabbage and would include it always.  We had a pound of shrimp and there were 7 or 8 in each packet, so we ended up with a more than the recipe calls for, but even with the extra, the meal, for 4, was less than $10.  I have made it with just veggies and its really good that way too.  I don't use the "flavor" packets that come in the ramen for the broth, but you could. (it will most likely be a t

For me, a Bloody Mary isn't just a drink, it is an appetizer!  I love to load it up with all kinds of nibbles: olives, salami, cheese cubes, shrimp, and any pickled veggie!  I did use some restraint tonight as we were about to have dinner and the cocktail is filling by itself!  I think of it sometimes as meal replacement shake;).  Now I adore Sriracha, but I haven't ever had a 'recipe' to follow for it's use in a Bloody Mary before. If you haven't had Sriracha, stop reading right now and go out and buy some!  There is a picture at the end of the post.   I have no idea where I found this recipe and recent googling didn't find me this particular recipe however there are plenty of others out there.  The only changes I made: a splash of soy sauce instead of salt, omitting the large caper berries as I had none, omitting celery because I don't like it, and adding pickles and olives.    Sriracha Bloody Mary 4 Cup tomato juice 3/4 Cup vodka 1 Tbl fresh le

Well it is Valentine's Day and for my darling husband, I made ice cream.  I don't make a lot of sweets, but I heard this recipe on NPR  and thought it sounded yummy and easy.  It was super easy and amazingly tasty!  I had to sample some before my husband got home, for quality control purposes only I assure you.  OMG!  Heavenly!  I am already thinking of cocoa powder and Chambord for the next one:).  I was a little too gentle in my folding and I noticed a few spots that weren't coffee colored and correspondingly, those parts weren't quite the right texture.  When my husband tried it, he was amazed by the consistency.  MAKE THIS!  Oh one more note, I used the over proof Kahlua (Midnight at 70 proof) because the regular Kahlua was a lower proof and at only 2 tbsp I wanted to make sure that the alcohol content was high enough to prevent the ice cream from freezing solid. One-Step No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream 2/3 Cup sweetened condensed milk 2 Tbl instant espresso powder

I found this recipe while working on one of my newsletter for Front Porch Pickings .  They are a local and organic produce company.  We had cabbage this week and I wanted to find something really different to do with it.  I looked at this originally for a laugh.  Cabbage and marmalade sounds like a recipe for disaster. (LOL no pun was intended but...)  Once I looked at it, I thought it looked good and was excited to try it.  I loved the marmalade, but thought the "pizza" was just ok.  I also used it in place of butter as the author recommended and I thought it was good, better even that way. Cabbage and Onion Marmalade   2 Tbl olive oil 1 to 1 1/4 pounds onions quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced a 1 Lb cabbage shredded or finely chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper 3 garlic cloves minced 2 Tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 Tbl capers drained, rinsed and mashed in a mortar and pestle For pizza: 1/2 recipe whole-wheat pizza dough 12 anchovy

The original recipe (click link on the recipe title) served this dish in a more traditional way.  (wrapping it in lettuce leaves and other condiments)  I went a little more simple and just had it with some rice and an salad with some "Asian" flavored salad dressing.  I put Asian in quotes because the tahini made me think more middle eastern.  I loved the chicken, but the boys had some issues.  That is most likely because I had some thin breast cutlets for me and they had thighs.  I admit it, I messed up the thighs.  The recipe called for boneless, but there weren't any at the store.  I couldn't pound them thin and long story short, the large thighs weren't great, the small ones were much better.  Even with really liking the marinade flavors on the chicken, the dressing was what I really loved!  I think I will buy more of the plum paste just to make this often!    Sweet And Spicy Barbecued Chicken (Dak Gui) MARINADE 2 Tbl Korean sweet-spicy chili paste (koc

I had bought a butternut squash for a recipe I keep wanting to try, but just can't bring myself to.  (too long to explain just enjoy the mystery;)  I decided when I was buying the won ton wrappers for my Year of the Snake Dumplings, I would get a second set and make ravioli with them.  This is something I have never done, but was excited to try.  I just kinda made it up as I went.  I have made a sage cream sauce before (don't remember the exact recipe but this is probably close), but I think I used fresh sage last time.  There was no fresh sage on hand, so dried it was!  I thought the end result was really yummy.  In fact I thought it tasty enough for our rarefied list of  "menu items" if we ever win the lotto and can open our own place, but for one thing: looks.  They weren't the prettiest ravioli by a long shot.  So, I turn to you all and ask, what did I do wrong and how can I make them look better in the future.  (I am looking at you Happy Valley Chow :)  I thi

Xin Nian Kuai Le  ( 新年快乐) it is the year of the snake!  That is kind of a big deal in my house since my boy was born in the year of the snake.  (Yes I can't believe he will be 12?!?)  From looking at my blog, you might suppose I am of Asian decent.  I'm not.  I just happen to be a girl named Kim who likes cooking Asian (along with many other culture's) food. (I am telling you this so you don't get the impression that these are in any way 'authentic'.  I just read a lot of recipes and go from there)  I also love that more and more holidays are creeping in to our national culture.  I remember when the only time we saw anything about the Chinese zodiac was on place mats in Chinese restaurants.  Granted that was a hundred years ago and, get this, before the Internet. Now I do try to keep up, but I think Fat Tuesday is not going to get much culinary representation in the house.  I forgot to figure it in to my weekly menu plan.  Anyways, dumplings are a favorite in t

YUMMY!!  We all liked this one, even the boy who has only recently decided he can tolerate mushrooms.  I didn't hold back on the mushrooms either.  The recipe calls for 10 oz but the mushrooms came in 8 oz packages, so I put in all 16 oz!  (I added another tablespoon of butter to the sauteing part just in case;)  It was fast and easy, and the sauce was wonderful, the fish was cooked nicely, and we ate it up!  I have a little sauce left and a good bit of mushrooms, and I was thinking of whipping it in to an omelet for breakfast if I just don't eat it outright:D.  Cod With Mushrooms, Garlic & Vermouth 4 Tbs. cold unsalted butter 10 Oz white or baby bella (cremini) mushrooms wiped clean and sliced about 1/8 inch thick 4 medium cloves garlic, minced 1/2 Cup dry vermouth 3 -1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 1/2 Tsp kosher salt more to taste 1/4 Tsp freshly ground black pepper more to taste Four 6-oz. skinless cod fillets In a heavy 12-inch skil

Not too long ago, I made a lasagna.  I know what you are thinking, but there isn't a lasagna on the blog.  It is true, I didn't put it on the blog.  Why?  Well I think every one and their mother knows how to make a lasagna, and this particular one was nothing special.  Also, I just wanted to go in and clean up some ingredients and relax and cook with out having to write it all down.   However, this applies to this dinner because I made way too much of the ricotta layer.  I put what was left in a gallon zip top bag and pressed it in to a thin layer and froze it.  I have been starring at it wondering what to do with it and since the hamburger calzone came out so good, I thought I would make a lasagna one.  My husband wanted some meat in it, so I let him saute up some bacon (and while he was at, I let him do the onions and garlic as well:).  This is recipe is, unfortunately, very vague.  I know generally what we put in to the ricotta filling, but this one was made a while ago and

Well I am not a fan of Guy Fieri, but I do sometimes watch Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.  I enjoy seeing the, sometimes bizarre, dishes from little places around the country.  This dish was one of those oddities that I had to try.  I happen to love pickles!  I was the only one in the family that was expecting to like this.  My husband's first comment was. "make that on a night I'm not home for dinner."  Well he was home tonight, and he decided to alter his comment to, "I'm not excited but I am intrigued."    To make a long story short,  it was alright.  The more we ate it, the better it became, but in the end I think the best recommendation I can give is that my husband liked it a lot better than he expected.  I don't plan on keeping the recipe, but I will look around for another pickle soup recipe as It think it has possibilities.  I wish I had read the reviews for the soup before I made it.  I was thinking that a restaurant wouldn't share the re

So, if you follow the link to the original recipe, you will see I changed it a bit.  Biggest change, was that I cooked it the way I cook pizza, and not for 20 minutes at a lower temperature.  Also I changed the  frisée to mixed salad greens.  (because I don't care much for it, it is pricey and they didn't have it at publix)  I also tweaked the amounts a bit.  I increased the dough by 1/4 lb and used less mustard than they recommended for the 3/4 lb pizza.  I also added a pinch of the mustard to the dressing but still had about 1.5 tsp. left that I didn't use. Oh and I used garden variety Swiss cheese instead of Jarlsberg.  My husband was looking at me like I was crazy while I was making this, but he had to admit that the smell of bacon cooking and then shallots was pretty wonderful.  I thought  the 1/4 cup mustard called for was a bit excessive, but I measured out that amount and then spread it on the dough from there.  I used more of that than I thought I would in order t

For meatless Monday, I turned to a awesome little book my MIL gave me: Sauces for Pasta .  This one jumped out at me because it said not for people counting calories.  My MIL had just left after a lovely "staycation" and we had eaten decadent foods all weekend and I thought well hell we can can be healthy tomorrow;). The title given this dish in the book is the uninspired moniker, Red, Yellow and Green sauce.  UGH!  I toyed with calling it traffic light pasta, but when I was cooking it I said look how pretty, it looks like a Mosaic, and unless I was willing to put on my thinking cap, that was a good a name as I was going to get.  (note I did NOT put on my thinking cap;)  Yes this recipe was rich, but man was it tasty.  It was rather easy to throw together too.    Mosaic Pasta   Sauce 1/4 Cups Butter 3/4 Cups Peas (frozen and thawed or fresh) 1 Large Yellow Bell Peppers, Diced 1 1/2 Cups Cream 1/2 Pounds Plum Tomato Peeled And Diced Pasta And Topping 3/4 Pounds Rot

I try to have each week a variety of proteins for my family.  I try to have chicken, seafood, beef, pork and a vegetarian meal and fill in the rest of the days with either vegetarian, chicken or seafood.  It doesn't always work out that way.  Sometimes the family makes a request, sometimes there is a good sale at Publix and sometime I just get lazy.  I didn't really have a plan when I bought a whole chicken but I knew there was plenty I could do with  it.  I decided to cook it like the 40 Cloves and a Chicken recipe we all love, but change it a bit.  It was well received, but next time I think I will double the herbs.  I originally planned on a full tablespoon, but it looked like a lot when I got half way through it and stopped.  As always, this method of cooking delivered juicy meat and crispy skin.  I didn't have a baguette and wasn't going out to the store, so I made some rice using some of the drippings from the chicken.  While the drippings were tasty, really they

There were some lovely NY strip steaks on sale at Publix, so I decided to kind of do an ode to a steakhouse dinner tonight.  The potatoes were originally to be hasselback but after some gratuitous knife violence, my husband made latkes. (we loved them and they were what he wanted anyways so win-win)  My husband loves Cesar salad so I decided to make Cesar dressing but not go thought he  effort of making croutons.  I think croutons in salad are overrated anyways.  The latkes were the star of the show.  My daughter looked at them askance until I called them Hanukkah fries, but my son totally convinced her when he called them dradle fries.  (she is obsessed with the dradle song and makes hers our of everything she sees in the room.) I made the steaks like I always do: take them out of the fridge an hour before cooking, sprinkle both sides liberty with kosher salt and broil them 4" from the element on a wire rack (with a baking sheet under to catch drips) for about 4 minutes a side fo