How to Make Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes

I haven’t had a pork tenderloin with potatoes in a long time. If your family loves a delicious meat and potatoes meal check this one out. Serves 4  Ready in just 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

1 pound pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper, to taste  
Nonstick cooking spray 
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
2 cups hot cooked mashed potatoes 
Snipped fresh chives or sliced green onions (optional)


Directions:

Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 1/2-inch slices. Using your hands, gently flatten meat until about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Coat an extra-large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat skillet over medium heat. Add meat; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until just pink in center, turning once. Transfer meat to a serving platter; cover to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl stir together broth, cornstarch, and mustard. Add broth to skillet, stirring to scrape up any crusty brown bits. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. To serve, spoon sauce over meat and mashed potatoes. If desired, sprinkle with chives.

See my Instant Pot Mashed Potato recipe. Personally I remove the skins. 

How to Grill Pizza

This How to Grill Pizza post comes with a recipe on homemade pizza crust made especially for the grill. Make this pizza your own with various toppings. Makes 4 8x10-inch pizzas Serves 8


Homemade Pizza Crusts for Grilled Pizza
Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (120°F to 130°F)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a food processor combine all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour and yeast. In a small bowl combine the warm water, olive oil, honey, and salt. With the processor running, pour water mixture through feed tube in a steady stream. Process until dough forms a mass and cleans side of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (45 to 60 minutes).

Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a serrated knife, cut dough into four equal portions. Cover dough; let rest for 10 minutes. Pat each piece of dough into a disc. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough portion to a thin circle that measures 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Stack pizza dough rounds on baking sheet, separating rounds with waxed paper or parchment paper. Wrap and freeze dough for at least 2 hours* or until very firm. Use as directed in Grilled Pizza.

* For longer storage, transfer pizza dough crusts to 2-gallon freezer bags. Seal bags and freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before using.

Grilled Pizza
Ingredients:

12 ounces uncooked fresh hot or mild Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped sweet peppers, and/or thin onion wedges (optional) 
1 recipe Homemade Pizza Crust for Grilled Pizza 
Olive oil 
1 8 ounce can pizza sauce 
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese (8 ounces) May 

Directions:

In a large skillet cook sausage and vegetables until sausage is brown; drain off fat. Pat sausage and vegetables with paper towels to remove additional fat. Remove pizza crusts from freezer; discard waxed paper. Do not thaw. Brush crusts with olive oil. For a charcoal grill, carefully slide two of the pizza dough circles, oiled sides down, onto the lightly oiled rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes or until dough is puffed in some places and starting to become firm. Working quickly, carefully brush crusts with olive oil. Using tongs, carefully turn the crusts over and transfer to a baking sheet. 

For each pizza, spread a crust with one-fourth of the pizza sauce. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the cheese. Top with one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Transfer the pizzas from the baking sheet to the grill rack. Grill about 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted and crust is crisp. Remove pizzas from grill.

(For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place dough circles on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.) Repeat with remaining two pizza crusts and toppings. Transfer pizzas to a cutting board; serve immediately.

How to Make Instant Pot Shrimp Risotto

I love recipes for my Instant pot and this Shrimp Risotto is one of my favorites. Made with asparagus or peas, Parmesan cheese and herbs. If your family likes shrimp, they will like this recipe. Serves 4-6 Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons butter, divided 
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 springs fresh thyme
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup clam juice
16 oz large shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
8 oz asparagus, cut into 1” pieces or 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and slice the lemon for garnish.
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)


Directions:

Set instant pot on sauté when hot add the 2 tablespoons butter, once melted add in the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and thyme, cook until toasted, about 3 minutes. Add in the wine and scrape the fond off the bottom, cook until evaporated, 30 seconds. Turn off sauté function.

Stir in the broth and clam juice, close lid and make sure steam vent is in the sealed position. Set instant pot on high pressure for 5 minutes. When completed use the quick release method, when lid unlocks open carefully.

Season shrimp and veges with salt and pepper then add them to the instant pot, which should be just in warm mode. Close lid and let shrimp cook for 5 minutes. Then add in the cheese, zest, remaining butter and chopped mint leaves (if using). Discard thyme sprigs. Divide among bowls and garnish with lemon. 

Has anyone used Williams Sonoma’s risotto for instant pot? Do you like it? 

Grilled Steak and Greek Corn Salad

This Grilled Steak and Greek Corn Salad is a lite gluten free meal with an inexpensive piece of meat that is tasty and satisfying. Serves 4 Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano and/or mint 
1 teaspoon honey 
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped 
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 
1 small red onion, diced 
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces) 
1/3 cup pitted green olives, sliced 
2 ears of corn, shucked 
1 1/4 pounds cube steaks 

Directions:

Preheat a grill to high. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, honey, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Remove 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a large bowl; set aside. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, feta and olives to the bowl with the remaining vinaigrette; toss to coat. 

Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until charred in spots, about 8 minutes; remove to a cutting board. Meanwhile, season the steaks with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, grill the steaks until the edges start browning, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the reserved vinaigrette; toss to coat. Cut off the corn kernels and add to the salad. Serve the steak with the corn salad. 

Note:  Cube steak is an inexpensive cut of beef that has been tenderized by machine. If you can't find it, pound a top round steak with a meat mallet.

How to Make Shrimp Orzo Skillet

Dinner ready in a skillet or a one pan meal is easy to make: just add a salad and your favorite white wine. I made this Shrimp Orzo Skillet last night and it looks more complicated then it actually is. And well worth it.

Ingredients:

Shrimp:
8 oz large uncooked shrimp (21-25per pound)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp  salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 tsp sugar 

Orzo:
8 oz  orzo pasta
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups  chicken broth
1 cup  clam juice
1  lemon
1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
1 cup frozen peas or fresh asparagus, blanched and cut into 1” pieces 
1 tbsp butter

Directions:

For shrimp, peel and devein shrimp. Add oil to 10 “ skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. As the skillet heats, combine salt, black pepper and sugar in small bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat.

Arrange shrimp in a single layer over bottom of skillet and cook about 1 minute or until one side is browned and edges are pink. Remove skillet from heat and turn shrimp over; let stand an additional 30 seconds or until centers are opaque and shrimp is cooked through. Remove shrimp from skillet, set aside.

For orzo, in same skillet, combine orzo, pressed garlic, broth and clam juice. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-12 minutes or until orzo is cooked through.

As orzo cooks, zest lemon to measure 1 tbsp; juice lemon to measure 1 tbsp juice. Thinly slice the mint.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in peas or asparagus, butter and lemon juice. Arrange shrimp over orzo; cover and let stand 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with lemon zest and mint before serving.

Cook's Tips:

The small amount of sugar that is added to the shrimp promotes caramelization in the short time that it takes to cook the shrimp.

To slice mint into thin ribbons, use a technique called chiffonade (shif-uh-NAHD). Stack mint leaves on top of each other and roll into a tight cylinder. Slice crosswise and separate into ribbons.

Shakshuka

I’ve seen this recipe on a couple websites like Yum Yum for Dum Dum and Cooks Illustrated. Cooks Illustrated states “ The North African dish shakshuka (eggs poached in tomato sauce flavored with peppers, spices, and garlic) makes a great meal any time—if you can get the eggs to cook properly.

For the sauce, we blended whole peeled tomatoes and jarred roasted red peppers for a mix of sweetness, smokiness, and acidity. Adding pita bread helped prevent the silky-smooth sauce from weeping. A combination of garlic, tomato paste, and ground spices created the distinct flavor profile we were after. To ensure that the eggs cooked just right, we added them to the skillet off the heat, cooked them in a smooth rather than chunky sauce for more even heat transfer, and covered the whites with sauce just after adding them to the pan to help speed their cooking. Covering the eggs created a steamy environment that quickly cooked them from both above and below. Chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled feta, and sliced kalamata olives on top provided brightness, texture, and contrasting flavor.” Serves 4 Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 (8-inch) pita breads, divided 
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained 
3 cups jarred roasted red peppers, divided 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin 
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
2 teaspoons ground coriander 
2 teaspoons smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
Salt and pepper, to taste 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
8 large eggs 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems 
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup) 
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced 

Directions:

Cut enough pita bread into 1/2” pieces to equal 1/2 cup (about one-third of 1 pita bread). Cut remaining pita breads into wedges for serving. Process pita pieces, tomatoes, and half of red peppers in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Cut remaining red peppers into 1/4” pieces and set aside.

 Heat oil in 12” skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, coriander, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until rust-colored and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomato–red pepper puree and reserved red peppers (mixture may sputter) and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to maintain simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Using back of spoon, make 8 shallow dime-size indentations in sauce (7 around perimeter and 1 in center). 

Crack 1 egg into small bowl and pour into 1 indentation (it will hold yolk in place but not fully contain egg). Repeat with remaining 7 eggs. Spoon sauce over edges of egg whites so that whites are partially covered and yolks are exposed. Bring to simmer over medium heat (there should be small bubbles across entire surface). Reduce heat to maintain simmer. Cover and cook until yolks film over, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue to cook, covered, until whites are softly but uniformly set (if skillet is shaken lightly, each egg should jiggle as a single unit), 1 to 2 minutes longer. Off heat, sprinkle with cilantro, feta, and olives. Serve immediately, passing pita wedges separately.

How to Make a Spinach Shrimp Salad with Homemade Hot Bacon Dressing

Rummaging through some old magazines to find recipes worth saving I ran across this Spinach Shrimp Salad with Homemade Hot Bacon Dressing and since I love the BLT Salad I make with a hot bacon dressing...this I’ve got to try. Plus I love shrimp, don’t you! Delicious! Serves 6 Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined 
1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning 
4 bacon strips, chopped 
1 shallot, finely chopped 
1/3 cup cider vinegar 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1/2 teaspoon sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1 package (10 ounces) fresh spinach 
3/4 cup roasted sweet red peppers from a jar
1/4 cup sliced almonds 

Directions:

Sprinkle shrimp with steak seasoning. On four metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread shrimp. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until shrimp turn pink, 2-3 minutes on each side. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Add shallot; cook and stir over medium heat until tender, 1-2 minutes. Stir in next six ingredients; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a large serving bowl, combine spinach and dressing; toss to coat. Layer with shrimp and pepper slices; top with cooked bacon and almonds.