Pork Tenderloin w/ Sage-Parsley Crust

TUESDAY, MAY 4TH, 2010

4.5 stars (out of 5 - a super-easy, yet impressive pork dish!)

It was yet another Hockey Night in Canada, and we were invited over to PTL's place for dinner. Unfortunately (for me), I had already purchased my groceries for this dinner (a new recipe attempt). Soo, I decided to be brave and try it out on both SB and PTL (usually, I like to try things out at least once before making them for guests). Luckily for me, it turned out really well, and my fears (of a dried out roast) were unfounded: it was a great combo of flavours and the meat was very tender.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp (30 mL)liquid honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 lb (~450g) pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1.5 tbsp whole grained mustard
1/4-1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped*
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped**
1 tbsp course ground pepper

{*Note. I didn't have fresh parsley, so I substituted this with 2 tbsp of dried parsley and it worked well}.

{**Note. I used a bit more than this. Basically, for the parsley and sage, you want a nice layer around the meat (see pics below)}.

1. First, I mixed the first four ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.

2. I then added the tenderloin, coating all sides, marinating it in the fridge for at least 4 hours (turning once and a while), or overnight. You can see from the picture that I didn't have the courage to trim the fat myself, so I just marinated it all and had SB trim it when he came home!

3. {Preheat oven to 375F} After it had marinated, I then coated the roast with the whole grained Dijon mustard (all sides)...

4. ... mixed up the sage, parsley, and pepper mixture...

5. ...and rolled the roast around until it was coated on all sides. Unless you have really coarse pepper (I didn't), be careful with the pepper mixture. I found it stuck in big patches, so had to rub quite a bit off. I would instead recommend just sprinkling the roast with the pepper by hand (still be generous with it). I placed it on a cooking rack (greased) in a baking pan with sides.

5. I then placed it in the oven, with a meat thermometer in it, and cooked it until it reached 155F (about 45 minutes).

6. After I took the roast out of the oven, I covered it in tinfoil for 10 minutes to let the juices mix, and the temperature to rise a few more degrees.

7. As the juices were mixing, I poured the leftover marinade in a frying pan on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until it reduced and thickened slightly (second pic).

8. I then unwrapped it from the foil...

9. ...and sliced it in ~2cm/1" slices.

10. I then drizzled the sauce over top (to each person's liking), and served it with a simple salad and sweet potatoes (recipe entry to come!).

Overall, even though I was nervous making this, the meat thermometer made it a stress-free experience. I didn't have to guess whether it was cooked well enough or not, and it definitely was not overcooked or dried out in any way. In fact, I was surprised by how moist/tender the meat was (well, looked since I didn't taste!), and the sauce makes it even more so. SB and PTL both thought it tasted really delicious, so I was pleased! Will do again - easy and stress free, yet impressive!

Lamb Chops

FRIDAY, APRIL 30th, 2010

4.5 stars (out of 5 - yay! Incredibly easy, incredibly good)

I had planned (and purchased) all of the ingredients for my couscous recipe (for the recipe see http://etryingtocook.blogspot.com/2009/04/classic-beef-dinner-with-couscous.html) at the beginning of this week, but hadn't had the opportunity to make it. PTL was coming over for the hockey game, so I decided we would have couscous and pair it with something new: lamb chops (awww.. baaaaa). I also had zucchinis that I needed to use, so I made my previous post's zucchini recipe for a starter. It all was really easy, stress free, and delicious.

Ingredients (for 6-8 lamb chops):

Lamb chops*
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme**, chopped up
1 tbsp rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

{*Note. I bought "cruelty free" lamb. For some reason, this seemed really important with lamb. Maybe because they're so cute? Ok, that's awful to say! I should always purchase this type of meat.}

{**Note. You may also want to add a tbsp of chopped basil, but I did it without and it was delicious. If anyone tries it, let me know!}

1. First, I combined all of the ingredients in a bowl, and stirred well.

2. I let this sit for about 1 hour (to let the flavours mix), but if you're in a hurry, this isn't necessary.

3. I then dipped each lamb chop into the bowl, coating each side well, then placed in a plate (with edges... it will be slightly liquidy). I spooned all of the remaining liquid over top. I then let it marinate in the fridge for 1 hour (you just need about 30 minutes, minimum), and watched the hockey game.

4. At intermission, we heated a skillet over medium heat, and (when hot) added the lamb chops. You don't want to overcook them, so I would suggest starting with 4 minutes per side, but this depends on the thickness of your chops.

5. Once done (still red in the middle), we set them aside for 5 minutes, to let the juices mix.

6. And served it with asparagus and Mediterranean couscous.

Overall, this was soooo simple, but delicious. It was also fun to mix it up a bit, and the marinade was easy but added a great flavour to the meat. It's a great dish to make for company, because you will only need to fry them up (no other cooking) while they are there (and this basically just takes a few minutes, flipping the meat once). Will definitely do it again!

Stuffed Zucchinis - GV Style

THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2010

4-4.5 stars (out of 5 - simple, yet impressive and delicious!)

GV gave me this recipe at one of our many in-between-patient meetings, where we love to talk about anything but the stress of our internship! This is really a simple recipe that looks super impressive and tastes just as good. I love the heartiness of it, and the blend of all the flavours.

Ingredients:

Medium sized zucchinis
1 shallot per (whole) zucchini, finely chopped
Butter
1 slice of white bread per zucchini (whole), torn into bite-sized pieces
Splash or two of milk or cream
Shredded cheese (either Havarti or Gruyere)*
Salt and pepper

{*Note. I have made these two times: the first was with Gruyere cheese, which was great; this time I made it with Havarti, which was also good and browned easier. Basically, any good, strong cheese will work, depending on your preference}.

1. {Preheat oven to 350 or 375F} First, I cut the zucchinis in half, and scooped them out. I chopped the zucchini "insides" and set them aside.

2. I then heated a pan over medium heat, and added butter. Once it was hot, I added the shallots and cooked for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Once the shallots were semi-cooked, I added the zucchini "insides" and cooked for about 3-5 minutes.

4. As this was cooking, I tore the bread into small pieces, and added a dollop of milk so that the bread-milk mixture was moist, but not soggy.

3. I then added the cooked zucchini/shallot mixture to the bread...

4. ... and stirred in the cheese, mixing everything well.

5. I then stuffed the zucchini halves with the mixture...

6. ... and topped with extra shredded cheese.

7. I then placed them in the oven for about 10-14 minutes.

Final product:

Overall, I found these to be a delicious accompaniment to any meal, or as a main part of a meal (which I did as a replacement to a meat, served with a salad). The flavours and textures are ideal, and they are simple to make (and hard to mess up!) which I love. These will definitely become a regular in our household. Thank you, GV!

Cod: Baked with Dill and Lemon Sauce

THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2010

4.5 stars (out of 5 - so simple, and so good!)

I wanted to make another fish dish for several reasons: 1) I wanted to expand my "repertoire"; and 2) I wanted to start to make more healthy dishes for SB. I saw this recipe in "Company's Coming" and it looked easy and delicious. Fortunately, it was!

Ingredients:

Cod fillets (boneless) - up to 4 @ ~150-200g (I used 1x 250g)

1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed (dry)
1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/3 cup grated Havarti (or old cheddar) cheese

1. {Preheat oven to 350F} First, I mixed the sour cream, lemon juice, garlic salt, and dill together in a small bowl, and set aside.

2. I then grated the cheese... and placed the fish fillets in a baking sheet (with sides), spooning the sour cream mixture over top...

3. ... and sprinkling with cheese.

4. I then placed the fish in the oven for about 12-15 minutes (depending on the size of your fillet... for a 250g fillet, I needed 16 minutes).

5. After the fish was basically cooked, I placed the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes to slightly brown the cheese...

6. ... and served it with a side of couscous (or rice) and asparagus.

Overall, this recipe was SOOOO simple and (apparently) really good. SB really liked all of the different flavours, and also I loved how it didn't make my entire flat smell like fish! I will definitely do it again.

White Roasted Fish w/ Lemony Asparagus

TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010

3.5 stars (out of 5 - with the possibility of 4.5 stars with said improvements!)

I decided to try out a Jamie Oliver recipe; my friends have made some of his things, and they've always been delicious. I also felt like being really adventurous, and cooking with fish (which I detest). I didn't really like cooking with fish, but in the end I did it (and it turned out well!) so I was proud of myself. His recipe was also a complete meal (fish and asparagus), which I liked (although I also added a side of green beans). Here is the link to the original recipe http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/delicious-roasted-white-fish-wrapped-in

Ingredients:

Fish:

200g white fish fillets*, cut 2.5cm thick, skinned/boned (how ever many you need to cook - I only used one -but they should all be around 200g)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 2 lemons (juice is for asparagus)
Ground black pepper
2-3 slices bacon per fish fillet (or pancetta)
Olive oil

Asparagus & Sauce:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Large bunch of asparagus

{*Note. You want a "robust" white fish - either Haddock or Monkfish as they can handle to taste of the bacon. I used Haddock; however, since our groceries were delivered this week, I would have taken a bit thicker of a piece than is pictured}.

1. {Preheat oven to 400F) First, I combined the zest and the chopped rosemary in a small bowl.

2. Next, I needed thin slices of bacon, so I covered my bacon slices in wax paper and used a rolling pin to flatten them out. It was kinda gross/kinda satisfying in some weird way.

3. Next, I seasoned the fish fillet with pepper and the lemon/rosemary mixture...

4. ...and placed it on top of the bacon slices (I cut them all in half first). The bacon slices were slightly overlapping.

5. I then closed up the bacon slices over the fish. I consulted SB and he wanted a lot of bacon; however, if you look at the original recipe, you will see that the bacon is only wrapped around the middle section of the fish. I guess it can be up to you.

6. Here is where I made a mistake (actually 2), so please take note!

Mistake #1: You want to lightly heat an oven-proof frying pan, which I didn't think that I had. So, I thought: I'll fry it in this pan, and transfer it to an oven-proof (heated) dish to cook it. I recently found out that my pots are oven-proof, which would have worked better. Next time :)

In the end, I heated my frying pan, and cooked the fish for about 1 minute. You should have it over medium-low heat, and cook just the underside of the fish/bacon for 1-2 minutes.

Here is where I made Mistake #2: You need to place the fish bad-side down (i.e., where the bacon is fused, you want that to be on the bottom.. You'll see why in a few pics!).

7. I transferred it to the heated dish (don't do this! It's much better to cook the fish in the same pan as you fried it)

8. ... and placed it in the oven for 10-12 minutes (do not overcook!). You can see the bacon problem from this picture. While the fish was in the oven, I prepared the asparagus by steaming for about 5 minutes and mixing the lemon juice with some mayonnaise and pepper. I just added mayonnaise until I got the flavour I wanted.

9. I then served it with lightly steamed asparagus with lemony dressing.

10. I also added a side of home-made green beans (blog entry to follow).

Overall, SB really enjoyed this meal. However, I could really make some improvements to my technique by making sure the bacon was bad-side down and cooking it in the same pan. I would even recommend cooking it on the stove for 2 minutes because in the end the bacon needed to be a bit more cooked. I will definitely try this one again and post any updates!

ID's Baked Tomato Risotto

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH, 2010

4.5 stars (out of 5 - a yummy, easy to make risotto)

This is a dish that the Irish Dancer (we`ll call him ID) cooked for me when I visited him a few weeks ago, and that I really really liked. I thought I'd try it out myself, and see if SB liked it as much as I did. I like this particular recipe because it's such an easy way to make risotto (without the constant stirring).

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
19 oz (540 mL) can of stewed tomatoes
2 cups veggie broth
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
140g goat cheese log
150g pkg baby spinach (approx.)

1. First, I melted the butter in a sauce pan. The recipe says to use an oven-safe sauce pan (medium sized); I wasn't sure if my stainless steel Ikea pot qualified, so I cooked it in this metal pot and transferred it to a (warmed) casserole dish for the baking portion of the recipe. On this note, here is where you would normally preheat your oven to 400F.

2. I added the onion to the melted butter and stirred. You want them softened (about 5 minutes cooking over medium heat).

3. As the onions cooked, I prepared the rice...

4. ... spices (I like to mix them together in a shot glass)...

5. ... and broth.

6. Once the onions were softened, I added the rice to the sauce pan and stirred until the rice was coated.

7. I then added the stewed tomatoes (including the liquid), and cooked (stirring frequently) over medium heat for about 5 minutes. You want to cook until most of the liquid is absorbed (second picture).

8. I added the broth and the spices to the pot, and turned the element on high, cooking until the mixture came to a boil.

9. Once the mixture came to a boil, it was time to stick it in the oven. If you have an oven-proof pot, you just stick the lid on and in it goes. Because I wasn't sure about the "oven-proofness" of my pot, I transferred the mixture to a casserole dish, covered it, and stuck it in the oven.

10. I cooked the mixture for 30-40 minutes (until liquid is absorbed), but you need to keep an eye on it. Mine looked like it wasn't absorbing the liquid, but then once I took it out (after 30 minutes) and stirred it well, it was much better and only needed 10 minutes more.

11. Once it was cooked, I added the log of goat cheese and the spinach, stirring well.

12. Served with a salad!

Overall, this has such a great flavour with the goat cheese-tomato combo, and it is fairly easy to make. I never make risotto because, well, I'm too lazy, but this is a really simplified way to do it. As you can see from my pic, it was a bit runny, but I think it would have been good with 5 more minutes (SB was too hungry!).