Cookie Dough Hummus

I was rather sad about this recipe.  I thought it would be a hit.  I offered it to many different groups, but very few wanted to try it.  I am wondering if it needs another name.  I thought it was okay, but it wouldn't be something I would make again.  Again...life got busy so no photos....



http://www.alive.com/recipe/cookie-dough-hummus/

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Roasted Grapes

I finally got to make this recipe!  When I started this blog, I was saving this recipe for the fall.  I have saved this for so long that I have forgotten where I found it...yikes!

 

Basically, you toss equal amount of red and green grapes and a WHOLE sliced red onion (I used half an onion and now regret it...) with olive oil, red wine vinegar, rosemary, salt pepper, and grape jelly or wine jelly.  This is the mixture in the first photo.  Then you coat a pork tenderloin in a mixture of grape jelly and grainy mustard.   Place this on top of the grape mixture.  Bake at 375 until the pork reaches 155 F.

 

The result - delicious!  Move over applesauce, I have found a new topping for pork....roasted grapes!  I was surprised that I resisted the urge to add garlic, my favorite spice, but the onion worked out just fine.  As mentioned, I only used half as I thought it was going to be too much and I wish I had used a whole one.  Everything was well balanced...including the sweet flavours of the roasted onion and grapes with the roasted pork and rosemary as well as the textures of the softer fruit and onion against the coarser meat...divine!

 

I served this with a Greek Salad as I was trying to use up some veggies, but I wouldn't do that again.  This dish needs a warm side dish.  I am not a huge mashed potato fan, but I felt that would be a nice compliment or some sort of pureed vegetable....squash, cauliflower?  I can see this making its way into our kitchen again.  I made this on a Monday night after work, so it can be done or it can get fancied up with better sides for a more elegant meal on a weekend.  It might even be on our Thanksgiving table one year as the debate is still on in our home....turkey or ham? Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

Grape Mixture

 

 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary Roasted Grapes

 

Dinner!

French Toast with Poached Plums

This is a new recipe that I tried with all four of my Foods 9 classes this fall.  It was DELICIOUS!  Most of the students liked it and said that they would try it again.  If you are looking for an easy breakfast solution or a recipe to use up some of those plums, give this one a go!  It was so busy in the room that I forgot to take photos.....I am working on that!

French Toast	Poached Plums
1 large egg 80 ml milk 15 ml honey pinch of salt 2 slices of day old bread (thicker sliced bread works best) 5 ml margarine or butter	2 plums, cut in half with pits removed 15 mL sugar 25 mL water
1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 F 2. In a custard cup, microwave the honey for 15 seconds. 3.  In a bowl, whisk egg, milk, salt, and melted honey. 4.  Dip bread into egg mixture, soaking for at least 30 seconds on each side. 5.  Over medium-low heat, melt margarine in nonstick frying pan. 6.  When the bread has absorbed all of the egg mixture, place both pieces of bread in the pan. 7.  Cook until browned, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. 8.  Remove toasts from frying pan, place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes in the oven. 9.  Remove from oven and serve immediately with poached plums.	1.     Place all three ingredients into a SMALL pot. 2.     Cover the pot with a lid.  Cook the plums on low to medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. 3.     Plums should be soft and surrounded by lots of pink syrup when done.  Cooking time will vary, depending on how ripe the plums are. 4.     Set aside to cool. 5.     Serve with French Toast (watch the timing so both items are ready at the same time!)

Banana Nut Porridge

Ah yes, another recipe from Danielle Walker, and the Against All Grain cookbook.

http://againstallgrain.com/2013/01/04/banana-nut-porridge/

This one is pretty simple to make, but one needs to plan ahead to soak the nuts overnight AND to have a ripe banana on hand.  I was surprised by how close the texture was to my regular oatmeal porridge, and I was very surprised at how filling this bowl of porridge was.  There was no need for a morning snack...I was kept full until lunch time!  I loved the sweetness of both the banana and cinnamon.  I don't think I would change anything.  I thought about adding some fresh fruit on top, but I am glad that I did not as I was pretty full.  My only complaint would be that there are a few dishes to wash as there is the bowl for soaking the nuts, the food processor as well as the saucepan.  For those looking for a gluten free breakfast, I do recommend giving this a go.

Banana Porridge

Bulletproof Coffee, simpler version

I am attempting once again to take a break from dairy.  I am not; however, taking a break from coffee!  I have learned to like drinking my coffee plain with nothing added, but I do prefer it with some milk or creaminess to it.  I have tried almond milk in it (not my thing) as well as coconut milk (yum!).

My sources have told me to try out a variation of 'bulletproof coffee' by blending one cup of brewed coffee with a teaspoon of coconut oil.  So, I tried that this morning.  It was good.  I liked the creaminess and how frothy the coffee got.  Would I do it again?  Maybe....  I didn't see much difference in taste from just adding in coconut milk to my coffee.  Plus, now I have to clean the blender...The frothiness might be worth it on a weekend when I have more time.

If you are taking a break from dairy or want to try something a little different, it is worth a try!

Ahi Mango Poke Stack

 

This is yet another recipe from Danielle Walker's "Against All Grain".  I love the seared ahi tuna salad at Cactus Club, so I am always keeping an eye open to something that is close.  This one has very similar flavours, but obviously not textures as the tuna is not seared.

 

I have learned that I am definitely not a fan of ahi tuna sashimi anymore, although I still LOVE sockeye salmon sashimi.  The flavours were amazing as it combines green onion, coconut aminos (you could use soy sauce), sesame oil, garlic, ginger, poblano pepper, and salt.  The texture was too much for me, so my husband was VERY happy that he got to indulge in the treat.  He REALLY enjoyed this recipe!!  I didn't use the entire pound of tuna that the recipe called for ($$$$- especially if I wasn't enjoying it) as I didn't think that the ratio was correct for the amount of avocado, mango, and sauce I measured.  After measuring everything EXACTLY,  I pretty much made up my own recipe using the ingredients measured above along with the tuna, avocado, and mango, adding a little of everything until it looked and tasted up to my liking.  The sauce is similar to the one at the Cactus Club, which made me happy that I am getting closer to it.

 

What to do with the extra, oh, half pound or more of tuna?  I used the same ingredients to give it a marinade and then we seared it for dinner along with some corn on the cob and our favorite grilled Caesar Salad.  We spoiled ourselves big time!  We don't eat beef steak very often, so when we do, we like to get a nicer cut.  Not anymore!  We have decided that next time we are craving a "steak" that we will go to an ahi tuna steak and marinade it and sear it  just as we did - two minutes per side.  This was AMAZING in both texture and flavour!  The seared tuna balances out the texture for me...a bit of firmer tuna with a bit of rare tuna...I can handle that.  The next step might be to add some spiralized green papaya and toasted pine nuts to the avocado, mango, sauce, and seared tuna to try and create the Cactus Club masterpiece.

 

So sadly, I don't think I will make or try another ahi poke (Hawaiian salad - a google search resulted in a ton of variations of recipes for this) unless my texture issue changes one day.  We will, however, use the marinade again and sear the tuna when we feel like spoiling ourselves, perhaps in a few weeks for our 9th anniversary!



 

 

 

 

Ahi Mango Tuna Poke

Top View

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

 



Danielle Walker's "Against All Grain" cookbook has impressed me again.  This time with a delicious recipe for chicken that can be used for tacos or lettuce wraps.  There are many variations if you google 'slow cooker chicken tacos', but I like this recipe as it uses real ingredients, such as diced tomatoes, Serrano chilies, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, coriander.....not just taco seasoning and salsa.

 

I knew it was going to be good as it looked and smelled great before I even turned on the slow cooker.  I like that the recipe uses both chicken thighs and breasts as each one used alone has its own issue.  I think the former would be too moist and the latter too dry.  There is a bit of prep as one has to chop onions, seed and chop peppers, mince garlic, chop cilantro and measure six spices not to mention the shredding of the chicken at the five hour mark before it cooks on low for one more hour.  The biggest challenge was trusting the process.  I didn't feel that five hours on low was going to cook 2 pounds of chicken (use one pound of each), but the magic of the slow cooker worked out just fine!   I had to resist the urge to turn it onto high many times throughout the day.

 

In the future, I am going to have to plan ahead for this one.  Due to the cooking time of five hours, then shredding, then one more hour of cooking, it will be tricky to make this on a work day (unless I come home at lunch to turn it on).  I can see myself making this on a Sunday to have leftovers for the week.  This recipe would also be VERY popular for our staff lunches when we have the theme of wraps or Mexican Fiesta.  I could also see this dish making its appearance to a group dinner or to a Grey Cup party.   Of course, this recipe lends itself to MANY uses and variations.  It would be a great base for a Mexican Soup or Chili by adding in beans, corn, broth, etc.  There is no shortage of things to do with the leftovers as it does make a bit.

 

All in all, it was a nice change from our usual tacos with ground turkey or grilled fish.  We used soft corn tortillas heated up and had the usual fixin's like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream, and hot peppers as our topping choices.  You know it is a delicious meal when your husband gives you a bow as he leaves the table.  I would say this recipe is a keeper!

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Chicken for Tacos

(it was so good, I forgot to take pictures of the tacos...oops

this is what we had leftover after our feast)