Lomo De Cerdo Al Horno...with Roasted Salsa Sauce!

Our wonderful friend is in town and staying with us this week, so I made a few awesome meals to make her feel welcome and loved.  This meal is based off the Puerto Rican Pernil Al Horno, but I didn't have a bone-in pork shoulder to roast, nor did I have 6 hours plus a day in advance to prepare something that tasty.  I had a pork tenderloin and a whole lot of heirloom tomatoes, Padron peppers, and summer squashes from our weekend trip to the farm.  This worked out better than fine, the meal was fantastic and we all really enjoyed it.

The Meat

- 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin

- salt, pepper to taste

- A few slices of Port Salut semi soft cheese

- 2 green onions, diced

The Veggies

- 2 summer squashes, cut into large chunks

- 1 large zucchini squash, cut into large chunks

- 1 large sweet potato, cubed

- dill, salt, pepper to taste

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1/2 cup water

The Sauce

- 3 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into really large chunks

- 1 slicing tomato, cut into really large chunks

- 1/2 red onion, cut into pieces

- 10-12 Padron peppers, stems and seeds removed

- 1 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed

- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

- chipotle habanero sauce to taste

- chili pepper flakes, chipotle pepper powder, black pepper, paprika, dill, cilantro, salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Using a strong blender or food processor, blend together the sauce ingredients until everything is mostly smooth with a few chunks of tomato still intact.  Play with the taste of the sauce - if you like it spicier, add more spice, or keep the jalapeno seeds in your mix.  If you want it milder, omit the jalapeno pepper, chipotle powder, chili flakes and chipotle habanero sauce.  

Salt and pepper your meat, put it in a deep enough baking dish to contain both the meat and your sauce, and slowly pour the spicy tomato mixture over the whole tenderloin.  Stick it in the oven and cook it for an hour to one hour and fifteen minutes.  Make sure the internal temperature is at 145 degrees to ensure your food is properly cooked through.

Put the large chunks of squash and cubed sweet potatoes in a glass baking dish and sprinkle with dill, salt and pepper.  Brush the olive oil on and pour the water into the bottom of the dish.  Cook for 35-45 minutes on the same rack as the pork. 

When the tenderloin is all done, the sauce should have thickened and darkened a bit.  Slice up the tenderloin and spoon the sauce back over the top of the meat.  Layer some of the delicious semi-soft cheese on top and let it melt for a few minutes before you serve it.  Sprinkle on the green onions and present your food!  I put some fresh green grapes and some full fat Greek yogurt on the table as garnish - the sweet grapes paired great with the smoky, spicy flavors, and the Greek yogurt soothed our slightly burning tongues from all the delicious spiciness.  You could also use sour cream if you wanted, it's all about your preferences and palates.  

A Trip To The Farm Means Twice Baked Zucchini

Our friend has a small plot of farmland up in Petaluma, and he brought us up there yesterday to weed, seed, and harvest some amazing heirloom vegetables.  We were so impressed with his bountiful crops and we truly enjoyed spending the entire day weeding, learning, and picking some fantastic vegetables.  We were lucky enough to get to bring some of the veggies home to make, including THE BIGGEST ZUCCHINI SQUASH I HAVE EVER SEEN.  It was two feet long (!!), and I had to get creative to cook it.  Much like you can make twice baked potatoes, I made a twice baked zucchini, and it was superb!  

We have a dinner party with some family every Sunday night, and we love to go to The Fatted Calf and get some of their special made crepinettes.  This week we had lamb patties wrapped in their signature fatty netting, with pine nuts and figs.    

The Meat

- 7 lamb crepinettes from The Fatted Calf

The Veggies

- 2 large turnips, cubed

- 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled

- 1 gigantic zucchini

- butter, salt, marjoram, pepper, garlic powder to taste

- 3-4 figs, chopped 

- Parmesan cheese, to taste

- 6-10 Padron peppers, diced

- 1/2 red onion, sliced

- 4 tablespoons of olive oil, divided

- 2-3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

Preheat your oven to 380 degrees.

This meal took around an hour and a half of prep, so try to time out your cooking times so you don't have food sitting and getting cold waiting for the other parts of the meal to come together.

I cubed and roasted the sweet potatoes with a tablespoon of olive oil, half a cup of water, and salt and pepper in my glass baking pan for around 45 minutes.  I had the pan ready to go and just popped them in when it was around 50 minutes before serving time.  

Cube and boil the turnips with the garlic until they are tender, around 20 minutes on medium high heat.  Drain them and then mash the turnips and garlic together and set them aside to add to the zucchini later.

Look at the size of this zucchini next to my bread knife.  When I cut it open, the seeds were big enough to be mistaken for pumpkin seeds!  I scooped out the raw innards and kept the skins to become my "bowls".  The skins got dolloped with butter and brushed with olive oil, and then I liberally salted and peppered them.  Then they got popped into the oven to roast for 30 minutes.  

I took the "meat" of the zucchini that I had scooped out and put in a saute pan with the cooked turnips and garlic.  I added butter and olive oil, plus some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and marjoram.  I sauteed the mixture until the zucchini was soft, around 15 minutes on medium low heat, then used my masher to really blend everything together.  I added a few teaspoons of tapioca starch to the mash to thicken it a bit.  

While the zucchini was sauteing, I also softened some red onion and the Padron peppers we had picked in a small pan with a little olive oil on medium heat.  I moved everything around in the pan pretty often, and after around 10 minutes they were ready for the next step.

Next it was time to remove the roasted zucchini skins and spoon the mash into them.  I sprinkled chopped figs, parmesan cheese, and the sauteed Padron peppers and red onion on top of the mash and then put the whole shebang back into the oven for 15 more minutes.   

I grilled the lamb patties on my Griddler and then put everything on platters to serve.  This dinner party menu went over really well, everyone loved the way I presented the giant zucchini! :)

Turkey, Bacon, and Strawberry Salad

Salads are so good.  This was another winner for lunch.

The Meat

- 3 slices pepper turkey

- 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

The Veggies

- 1 cup lettuce, chopped

- 1/2 cup spinach, raw and chopped

- 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped

- 1/4 cup red onion, diced

- 3-4 strawberries, sliced

The Dressing

- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar of Modena

- dill, salt, cracked pepper to taste

Put the spinach and lettuce onto the plate, mixing them together well.  Toss all the other ingredients on top, and then drizzle the oil and vinegar over everything.  Use your fork to lift up some of the bottom ingredients to make sure everything gets coated well!  Sprinkle the top with some dill, salt, and cracked pepper and you're ready for lunch.

Creamy Chipotle Pork Chops

This meal is a total winner.  The sauce is creamy yet spicy, and the chunky salsa and shredded smoky paprika cheddar go excellently on top of the thicker pork chops.  

The Meat

- 2-3 thick cut pork chops, with around 1/4 inch thick fat

- bacon grease for frying

- salt, chipotle pepper, cilantro, celery salt to taste

The Veggies

- 3 small zucchini, sliced

- 1/3 head cauliflower, chopped

- 1/2 cup water

- 8-10 stalks asparagus

- salt, pepper to taste

- 3 medium slicing and heirloom tomatoes, chopped into large chunks

- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced

- 1/3 red onion, diced

- chipotle habanero sauce to taste

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon lime juice

- salt, pepper, chipotle powder, cilantro to taste

- 1/3 cup shredded smoked paprika cheese

The Sauce 

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 2 tablespoons butter

- chipotle habanero sauce to taste
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch

- chipotle powder, cilantro, crushed red pepper to taste

Slice and chop your zucchini and cauliflower and put them in a saute pan with the water.  Cook on medium heat for around 15 minutes until the zucchini is soft.  Lower the heat and put the sauce ingredients into the pan.  Mix it together well and let it simmer for around 10 more minutes.

You can cook the asparagus and chops together on the same griddle pan.  Grease it well with bacon grease before hand, spice your meat, and lay out your food so it all has even cooking surface to cook on.  Flip the pork chops every 3-4 minutes until the centers are cooked through, approximately 12 minutes.  The asparagus will take less time, only around 7-8 minutes to finish.  Make sure to turn those at least twice as well to prevent charring.

Chop up all the tomato, pepper, and onion, and mix them with the lemon and lime juices.  Season liberally and add the chipotle habanero sauce to make it a little spicy.  Feel free to add jalapenos or habanero peppers to it if you'd like it to be even spicier.  Shred some smoked paprika cheese on top.

I put the veggies and sauce on the bottom of the dish and lay the pork chops on top, making to spoon a little bit extra sauce on top of them.  Then I smothered the whole plate with the salsa.  Dive into the spicy, smoky, creamy flavors that explode in your mouth throughout this tasty dish!

Curry Lamb Patties with Asparagus and Baked Eggplant

I love lamb.  This is such a rich and yet simple meal.  The eggplant is soft and savory, and the hint of curry powder makes each bite a little exotic and extra flavorful.  

The Meat

- 3/4 pound of ground lamb, divided into 2 patties

- curry powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste

The Veggies

- 1/2 eggplant, sliced

- 1/2 heirloom tomato, chopped

- 1/2 medium sized red onion, sliced and diced

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/2 cup water

- salt, pepper, curry powder, parsley, dill to taste

- 20-24 asparagus stalks, bottoms cut off

- bacon grease for frying

- salt, pepper to taste

- 1/2 heirloom tomato, sliced

The Sauce

- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt

- curry powder, salt, dill, lemon juice to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Layer your eggplant slices into a glass baking dish that can go into your oven.  Cover them with the chopped tomatoes and red onion.  Pour in the water and oil, and season generously.  Bake the whole shebang for around 25-30 minutes.

Season and make your lamb patties by dividing the ground meat and rolling it into two large balls, then slowly squishing it flatter with the palms of your hands.  Try to blend the meat together enough so it won't crack down the middle of your patties.

When the eggplant is around halfway cooked, grease your griddle pan with some bacon grease and on medium-high heat grill/fry up your asparagus stalks for around 6-8 minutes, rolling them so they don't char on one side.  Then cook your lamb patties on the same pan, using the leftover grease that's there from cooking your asparagus.  Flip the patties after around 5-6 minutes, and cook them another 5-6.  You want the centers of the patties to be slightly pink when you take them off, because they will continue to cook and you don't want to dry the meat out by overcooking it.  

When mixing your yogurt sauce, add curry powder a little at a time, blending well, until you have a taste you like and your sauce has the faintest tinge of curry orange to it.  Dollop it onto the cooked lamb, arrange the remaining slices of tomato, and serve!

A Chipotle Themed Breakfast

Chipotle pepper is a smoky, wonderfully tasty way to spice up your breakfast!  Here I used chipotle powder in the hash browns and chipotle cheese on top of the eggs to incorporate the flavor into my dish.  It was a satisfying Saturday morning meal. 

The Meat

- 4 sliced bacon

- 4 breakfast links

- 4 eggs

The Veggies

- 2-3 yellow or purple potatoes

- 2 slices of red onion, diced

- 1 mushroom, diced

- salt, pepper, chipotle powder, dill to taste

The Garnish

- grated chipotle jack cheese

Fry up your bacon and links on your griddle pan on high heat, turning the meat every few minutes to reduce charring.  Chop up your potatoes into small, mini-bite size pieces and toss it with the seasoning and red onion.  Put the hash brown mixture onto the griddle pan with all that delicious bacon grease.  Fry up those potatoes for 4-6 minutes, turning them occasionally with a fork so they don't get black and charred. They will be a mixture of soft and crispy and taste great.

I made my eggs over easy and my husband's eggs over medium in the same griddle pan, with the same grease and leftover spices/bits of delicious food that was leftover.  Be careful not to break the yolks when you flip your eggs - test the edges of the eggs to make sure the egg is cooked through enough to withstand being flipped, and be delicate with them!  Put everything on your plate when it is all cooked, and sprinkle some grated chipotle jack cheese on top of your eggs. 

I loved this meal not only because it was great tasting, but it only took one pan to make.  Hooray, less cleanup!

Savory Baked Salmon

I love salmon.  I love dousing it in dill sauce, smothering it in dijonnaise, barbecuing it, and so on and so forth. But sometimes I like it baked plain*, with just a little bit of spice and lemon.  

*Plain doesn't mean there isn't work involved preparing your meal, sorry.  Not on my blog, anyway.

The Meat

- 2 servings of sockeye salmon fillets

- 2 teaspoons lemon juice

- savory, dill, bay leaf, salt, pepper to taste

- 1/2 large slicing tomato, sliced (duh)

- 2 tablespoons butter, divided

- capers (as much as you want)

The Veggies

- 1 bunch broccoli

- 1 cup of carrots

- 1/2 red onion, sliced and diced

- 1 cup water

- salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I had a bunch of giant, delicious slicing tomatoes in my Farm Fresh delivery box this week, so I decided it would make a nice addition to the salmon tonight.  I placed the salmon in my baking dish, spooned on the lemon juice, and spiced my fish.  Then I threw a ton of capers onto the salmon.  I layered the slices of tomatoes on top of the fish and dotted them with the butter and a bit of salt.  I tossed it into the oven for 20 minutes.  If your pieces of fish are extra big, check it at 20 minutes, but don't let it go past 25 minutes or your fish will be too dry.  Cooking it like this makes sure that it is flaky, soft, and juicy on the inside, but properly baked and crispy on the outside.  

I stuck the broccoli and carrots into my steamer tonight.  I steamed the broccoli and carrots for 20 minutes.  After 10 minutes I added the sliced red onion - I didn't want the onion to be too mushy or stringy so they didn't need to stay in the steamer as long. 

This dinner is easier on the prep than most of my meals, but still tastes great.  It's perfect for a warm evening!

Pork Cutlets With Milk Gravy

Pork cutlets taste good.  You can make them with almost any kind of sauce and they will still taste good.  Despite being thin, they are juicy and flavorful if you don't overcook them.  I seared them on my griddle pan then simmered them in milk with bouillon and mushrooms.  I paired the pork with a great vegetable medley.

The Meat

- 6 slices of thin cut pork cutlets

- 1 teaspoon bacon grease

- salt, pepper, marjoram, basil, thyme to taste

The Vegetables

- 1 yellow heirloom carrot, sliced

- 1 orange heirloom carrot, sliced

- 1/2 red onion, sliced

- 1/2 cup green beans, cut

- 2 golden beets, cubed

- 1 cup fresh spinach

- 1 cup water plus 1/4 cup water

- salt, pepper, to taste

The Sauce

- 3/4 cup of milk

- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon

- 3 mushrooms, sliced

- 1 tablespoon butter

- pan drippings

- salt, pepper, marjoram to taste

This is a pretty straightforward dinner.  First I boiled the beets, green beans, and carrots for 20 minutes on high heat, then lowered the heat and added the extra water, red onion, and spinach. 

I sauteed up the mushrooms with the butter for a quick minute then added the milk and bouillon, stirring regularly to ensure everything mixed together thoroughly.  I added the seasonings and simmered for 15 minutes, then tossed in the drippings after the meat was cooked.  

I cooked the meat on my griddle pan for a few minutes on each side and then let them simmer in the gravy for a minute or two each before serving them.  I tossed the rest of the gravy through the veggies for some extra flavorings and served everything together. 

Honey Pecan Roasted Chicken Delight!

Oh my goodness, this chicken is delicious.  It is gooey, sweet, crunchy, and the chicken is moist and tender.  You could alternatively use chicken breasts if you didn't want to deal with the bones in the legs and thighs.

The Meat

- 2 bone-in chicken legs & thighs

- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/3 cup pecans, chopped

- sea salt to taste

The Veggies

- 1 cup fresh green beans, ends cut

- 1 cup water

- salt to taste

- 1 zucchini squash

- 1/4 cup red onion, largely sliced

- 3 mushrooms, sliced

- 1 teaspoon butter, softened

- 1 teaspoon bacon grease, softened

Preheat your oven to 420 degrees.

Place your chicken on a baking pan and sprinkle it generously with sea salt.  Split the butter into four parts.  Dot one part of butter on each piece of chicken and cook it for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes, take the chicken out briefly and cover it with the honey, the rest of the butter, and the chopped pecans.  Pop the chicken back into the oven for 5 more minutes so the pecans are all toasty and amazing.  Omnomnomnom.

I boiled the green beans in the water for 20 minutes.  I threw in a pinch of salt and left them plain since the chicken is so good.  I drained the pot and that was it.

I brushed the veggies with some softened butter and bacon grease, then grilled the squash, onion, and mushrooms on my griddler.  I grilled them on medium for around 10 minutes, and then they were soft and wonderful.

I truly enjoyed making this meal and also eating it.  I hope you do, too.