Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Apple and Leeks

Tonight's dinner started with half a pork tenderloin. Add to that some prepped leeks from last week's dinner, and a delicious plan began to form.

I sliced the tenderloin into roughly 3/4-inch medallions. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper was followed by a light dredging in a mix of flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, and thyme. 

Next, the magic happened in the saute pan. A knob of butter and a splash of olive oil heated up. The pork medallions went in once the butter started to foam, browning on both sides. 

Then, in went the leeks and a few crisp apple slices. With the pork reaching an internal temperature of 145˚F, I transferred the medallions to a baking dish, leaving the flavorful pan drippings behind.

A splash of white wine, about 1/3 cup, joined the pan, along with another knob of butter. As the alcohol cooked off, the sauce thickened and intensified, creating a rich, savory base. Finally, the pork medallions returned to the pan, mingling with the sauce, absorbing all that deliciousness. A simple dish born from a bit of freezer and refridgeator foraging.

Winner Winner 20 Minute Chicken Dinner

Disclaimer, I did prep the vegetables this morning before work. The recipe is from the Eating Well site. It received 2 thumbs up from the other side of the table.

1. Ingredients-
   

   1 pound chicken cutlets
   1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
   1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
   2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
   1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
   1/2 cup chopped onion
   1/3 cup dry white wine
   1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
   2 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
   1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
   1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
   Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

   Method-
   
   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
   
   Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F.
   
   Transfer to a plate.
   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, zucchini, and onion to the pan.

   Cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add wine.
   
   Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
   
   Add tomatoes, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
   
   Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring to melt the cream cheese, for 5 minutes.
   
   Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce.
   
   Serve topped with basil.
   

   
   

Classic Shepherd's Pie

Happy St. Patrick's Day, folks! Now, let's be real: I'm just not a corned beef person. Or, maybe it's more accurate to say I'm not a good corned beef person. And honestly, cabbage? Hard pass. So, St. Paddy's Day usually leaves me scratching my head, wondering what to cook.

This year, I was determined to do something different. I went to the store, thinking a hearty Irish stew would be perfect. But, wouldn't you know it, the butcher was out of the right cut of meat. Then, my eyes landed on ground lamb. Lightbulb moment: Shepherd's Pie!

Seriously, how lucky are we to live in the age of instant recipes? Standing right there at the meat counter, a quick Google search led me to a fantastic recipe on The Wholesome Dish. Crisis averted!

And let me tell you, this Shepherd's Pie was good. Like, seriously good. My mom made Shepherd's Pie and I've always used her recipe. But... well, I'm sorry, Mom, but this one might just be my new favorite. The lamb was tender, the veggies were perfect, and the mashed potato topping? Forget about it. It was a total win. So, if you're looking for a St. Patrick's Day recipe that isn't corned beef and cabbage, trust me, this Shepherd's Pie is the way to go. You won't regret it!

Ingredients-

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 lb. ground lamb

2 teaspoons dried parsley leaves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves -minced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1 cup frozen mixed peas & carrots* ( I used mixed Vegetables)

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Potato Topping-

1 ½ - 2 lb. russet potatoes -about 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

8 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 stick

1/3 cup half & half

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Method-

Add the oil to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. 

Add the onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the ground beef (or ground lamb) to the skillet and break it apart with a wooden spoon. 

Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and and pepper. 

Stir well. 

Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and garlic. 

Stir to combine. 

Cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour and tomato paste. 

Stir until well incorporated and no clumps of tomato paste remain.

Add the broth, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen corn. 

Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce to simmer. 

Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Set the meat mixture aside. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Potato Topping-

Place the potatoes in a large pot. 

Cover the potatoes with water. 

Bring the water to a boil. 

Reduce to a simmer. 

Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 10-15 minutes.

Drain the potatoes in a colander. 

Return the potatoes to the hot pot. 

Let the potatoes rest in the hot pot for 1 minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.

Add butter, half & half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

Mash the potatoes and stir until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Add the parmesan cheese to the potatoes. Stir until well combined.

Assemble the Casserole

Pour the meat mixture into a 9x9 (or 7x11) inch baking dish. 

Spread it out into an even layer. 

Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat. 

Carefully spread into an even layer.

If the baking dish looks very full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet so that the filling doesn’t bubble over into your oven. 

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Carciofi alla Romana (Roman Braised Artichoke Hearts)

This recipe has been on my bucket list for quite a while.

I saw nice big artichokes at Bishop's on Friday. I snagged one, fully aware of the solo mission ahead. (Let's just say, not everyone in my household shares my enthusiasm for these thorny delights.)

I will not name names.

I have to admit, the prep work felt a little wasteful. All those beautiful leaves going to waste! I briefly entertained the idea of stuffing them, but that's a recipe for another time.

Once the artichoke was prepped, the rest was surprisingly straightforward. I did follow this YouTube video on how to clean the artichoke - Cleaning an artichoke

And the result? Absolutely delicious. I was so pleased with how it turned out, and honestly, a little thrilled I didn't have to share.

Would I make it again? Definitely. The recipe, which I found on Serious Eats, was a winner. (It's designed to serve 2-4, but I happily enjoyed it all myself.) I'm already thinking about making it again soon.

Ingredients-

2 whole lemons (for maintaining artichokes' color)

4 large or 12 small artichokes (2 pounds; 1 kg)

1/4 cup (7 g) minced flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method-

Fill a large bowl with water; halve and squeeze 2 lemons into it. 

Trim artichokes by cleaning them down to the hearts, following the guidelines shown here: Using a serrated knife, cut off top of artichoke and bottommost part of stem. Another video on how to clean artichokes - Cleaning an artichoke

Using a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler, trim away the tough outer leaves to expose the tender inner leaves and heart. 

Trim away fibrous outer layer around stem to expose tender inner core (if stem breaks off, that's okay; just save it and cook it alongside the hearts). 

Using a spoon, scrape out the inedible, hairy choke in the center of each heart. 

Transfer cleaned artichokes to bowl of lemon water as you work, covering them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them completely submerged.

In a small bowl, stir together parsley, mint, oregano, and garlic. 

Rub concave side of each artichoke heart with herb mixture, packing it into any leafy crevices. Set aside remaining herb mixture.

Add olive oil and wine to a pot just large enough to hold all the artichokes closely side by side, so that they can sit flat with their stem sides up. 

Arrange artichokes in pot and season with salt and pepper.

Bring pot to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until artichokes are fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. (Smaller artichokes may not take as long.)

Remove from heat and transfer artichokes to a platter, stem sides up. 

Drizzle with cooking juices, along with some fresh olive oil and a light sprinkling of reserved herb mixture. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Breaded Pork Chops

Breaded Pork Chops. AKA my favorite Saturday night meal. I have posted this several times on this blog. 

Always delicious and flavorful and moist pork chops with a crispy breading.

Step one, coat pork chops in egg wash.

Dredge in breading.

The breading. Tonight, homemade breadcrumbs, Panko breadcrumbs, crushed rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper were used.

Next, heat olive oil in an oven-safe saute pan.

Add chops to heated pan with oil.

Brown on both sides.

Place in preheated oven at 375˚ for about 15 to 20 minutes. You want the internal temp to be at least 145˚.

We had the last of the green beans from my sister's garden and roasted potatoes for sides. The recipe for the potatoes is from the New York Times.

I cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients-

2½ pounds waxy potatoes (about 6 medium), such as Red Bliss, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

¼ to ½ cup olive oil

Salt

Method-

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In large roasting pan, combine potatoes, oregano and oil. Stir until potatoes are well-coated, and spread them evenly in pan.

Place in oven, and roast until golden brown and crispy, 40 minutes to an hour. (If the potatoes are crowded in the pan, they will take longer to crisp.)

Remove potatoes and garlic from oven, and transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with salt to taste, and serve immediately.

Chicken Cutlets and Mac and Cheese

Not a bad meal for a Tuesday night.

A freezer stash can be a lifesaver, and these chicken cutlets were just that. A few weeks ago, I prepped a batch, using my go-to technique of pounding the chicken to delicate thinness. Then, they met a pan of sizzling olive oil. I know, baking is a healthier option. But sometimes, a perfectly fried cutlet is simply irresistible.

Chicken Cutlets

• Mix eggs with Parmesan Cheese
  
• Mix bread crumbs, flour or corn starch, pepper, Parmesan Cheese, and parsley
• Toss chicken in a bowl with the egg/cheese
  
• Coat chicken with bread crumb mixture
• Heat olive oil in frying pan.
• Add chicken
• Fry until each side is golden brown.
• Drain on wire baking rack.
• Salt immediately after removing chicken from the oil. 
  
  

For a side, I decided to make Mac and cheese. Ditching the box, and making it from scratch tonight.

Mac and Cheese (Stovetop Version)

Ingredients:

• 1 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk, with more if needed
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I love a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions until tender. Drain well.
2. In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk and heat until warm.
3. Add the shredded cheese and stir continuously until melted and smooth. Add more milk if it looks like is might be needed.
4. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir until everything is evenly coated.
5. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Today I went out with my sister. I wanted something that would be ready for dinner when I got home. Cue the slow cooker. The recipe is from Pure Wow. I did make a couple of edits to the recipe.

This is the version of the recipe that I made. I cut the recipe in half and left out the mushrooms and garlic.

It was quite good. We both went back for seconds. 


Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients-

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 cup wild rice

1 bay leaf

3 cups chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

Method-

Place the chicken breast, onion, carrot, celery, wild rice, bay leaf, and chicken broth in the bowl of a slow cooker.

 

Turn the slow cooker on low, and cook until the chicken and rice are tender, 6½ to 7 hours.

Season the soup with salt and pepper and stir in the heavy cream. 

Cook until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Today was my Mom's birthday. It was nice that I got to spend the day with my sister. 

I think Mom would have been pleased with how we spent the day.