Mustard and Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

I’m ready for the warm weather to get here. Usually I try to cling to every last chilly day we get – probably because we only get about 10 here in Tampa and I am SUCH a New England girl who loves her scarves and boots – but this year I am ready for cute spring/summer dresses and pretty wedges. I’m ready to wiggle my toes into the sand, and relax on the beach with a good book pretending to weigh about 15 pounds less than I do.

All of this has zero to do with this recipe, which I really love. I first made it a couple of years ago when my dad was coming to visit and I wanted to use the slow cooker so I could spend my time visiting with him rather than cooking. It’s warm and comforting and perfect for one of the last few chilly nights before spring really blooms.

Mustard and Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

*Serves 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          2 lbs pork tenderloin or roast

-          8oz mushrooms, quartered

-          1 ½ cups chicken broth

-          3 garlic cloves, smashed or minced

-          ½ medium onion, sliced

-          ½ cup white wine

-          2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

-          1 bay leaf

-          1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

-          ½ teaspoon celery salt

-          ½ teaspoon ground thyme

-          2 tablespoons butter

-          3 tablespoons flour

Directions:

1. In a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker combine broth, wine, mustard, thyme, celery salt, bay leaf and worcestershire sauce. Add garlic, mushrooms, onions and pork. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

2. Remove tenderloin and set aside. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Reserve 2 ½ - 3 cups of liquid to make sauce.

3. In a large sauté pan melt butter over medium low heat. Once melted add flour and whisk together for about one minute. Then slowly add reserved cooking liquid whisking as you combine. Bring heat up to medium-high to let thicken – about 5 minutes.

4. Once sauce has thickened, taste for seasoning and add any salt and pepper if needed. Stir in mushrooms.

5. Slice pork and serve over mashed potatoes or rice and top with gravy.

So what are you most looking forward to this spring?

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Blackened Fish Tacos

I’m a sucker for a good fish taco. It combines two things I am absolutely crazy about – seafood and tex-mex.

And they can actually be fairly healthy for you depending on how you make them. These are lightly pan fried so they have a bit of texture but not deep fried so they aren’t a huge calorie bomb. These are blackened as well so they have a nice spicy kick to them.

A win-win as far as I’m concerned given that it is SPRING and swimsuit season is right around the corner.

Blackened Fish Tacos

*Serves 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          1 lb mild white fish such as tilapia, cod or grouper

-          ¼ cup flour

-          1.5 – 2.5 teaspoons blacken seasoning, based on your spice preference

-          1 tablespoon canola oil, more if needed

-          1/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt

-          Zest of lime

-          1 tablespoon lime juice

-          8-10 flour tortillas

Suggestions:

-          Lettuce, shredded or chopped

-          Pico de Gallo

-          Avocado, sliced

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice. Set aside for later.

2. Prep the fish by patting dry and slicing into 1” thick slices about 2”-3” inches long.

3. In a shallow bowl or plate combine blacken seasoning and flour. Dredge fish in flour and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Heat a large sauté pan to medium high heat with canola oil. Pan fry fish for 3-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and lightly golden brown. Repeat until done. (You can keep cooked fish in a 200 degree oven on a wire rack to keep warm while you finish.)

5. Heat tortillas according to package directions and serve tacos with toppings of choice. I used shredded lettuce, the lime zest sour cream, pico de gallo and sliced avocado. 

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Pico de Gallo

I’m pretty sure I’ve established here that I love Tex-Mex and Mexican food. I love spicy, cheesy, guacamole covered yumminess. I can’t help it.

Pico de Gallo is a common Mexican fresh condiment much like salsa. Many people have their own version and this one is mine. Chili peppers are common in Pico but I omit them when I make Pico. I feel chili peppers (such as jalapeños) have their place already in salsa and I prefer Pico to just be fresh and bright with no heat.

And because I love Mexican food and I use pico de gallo so much, it gets its own post so I can refer back to it. Later I will share a recipe where I use it. It’s a pretty great one too!

Pico de Gallo

* Makes about 1 ½ cups

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          1 cup diced tomato, about 2 medium tomatoes seeded

-          1/3 cup diced red onion (you can use white or yellow)

-          2-3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro, depends on your taste

-          Juice of ½ lime

-          Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Prep all ingredients and combine in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day: Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

For Valentine’s Day Brent surprised me with some Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolates. They were pretty fantastic and since then I’ve wanted to play around with a boozy truffle.

I used dark chocolate for these since it’s better for you than milk chocolate, but if you don’t dig dark chocolate, use semi-sweet. The older I get the more I prefer dark chocolate and I loved how these truffles came out. The dark chocolate takes center stage while the liquor plays in the background.

There is a fair amount of straight liquor in these so you may not want to serve them to children. Just a warning to all the parents out there! These are probably best served at an adult only party.

Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

*Makes approx 35 truffles

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          14oz dark chocolate, chopped or chips

-          ¾ cup heavy cream

-          4 tablespoons butter

-          ¾ cup Irish cream liquor such as Baileys (can dial back to ½ cup)

-          ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

-          Optional: sprinkles

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in a large metal or glass bowl. Make sure chocolate is room temperature.

2. In a small sauté pan over medium heat bring heavy cream and butter to a slow boil. Stay nearby b/c it can boil over pretty quickly.

3. Once cream/butter comes to a boil pour over chocolate. Gentle shake bowl to ensure all chocolate is submerged and let sit 2-3 minutes. Then whisk mixture until chocolate is smooth.

4. Add liquor and whisk again until incorporated. Place in fridge and chill for 2 hours.

5. Remove from fridge and beat with hand mixer on low for 2 minutes. Chill again for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

6. Remove from fridge and roll chocolate into small balls. About 1 tablespoon worth of mixture. Place on a wax paper lined sheet pan and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

7. After 30 minutes re-roll any balls that need to be re-shaped. Dredge lightly in cocoa powder or dust lightly on top. 

I dredged them but next time I think I’ll just light dust them since cocoa powder can be a bit overwhelming for some. I also sprinkled some green sugar on some. Crushed walnuts might also be a great addition for topping.

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Mushroom Ravioli in a Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

Restaurant Recreation: Olive Garden’s Ravioli di Portobello

Ahhh….the Olive Garden. The go-to date night dinner destination of my teenage youth. This dish was the only one I would ever order there. It was consistent and good, the sauce especially since you could dip the breadsticks in it.

This is such a cheater’s version of it, which makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. And if you’re good at multi-tasking in the kitchen you can get it on the table in about 20 minutes.

This dish is very savory and gets a lovely pop of brightness from the fresh tomato and scallions. And it’s that combination I think that won me over so many years ago.

Mushroom Ravioli in a Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

*Serves 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients: