23 January 2022

Bacon Wrapped Sesame Asparagus

This is a major yum fest. If you are serving anyone who thinks they don't like asparagus, serve them this to change their mind. I believe it will work like a charm, as this is too delicious. As I mentioned in my previous entry, this pairs well with the baked tilapia for which I made the video (and is pictured below).

Link to original recipe: https://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/04/bacon-wrapped-caramelized-sesame-asparagus

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, stems removed (around 20-25 spears)
4 (or 5) slices thick-cut bacon (I used 5, as I had about 27 spears total, making 5 bundles)
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 T. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 T. sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (be absolutely sure you do this!!) and place wire rack on top. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together olive oil, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, and garlic in a small bowl.


3. Wind a piece of bacon around 5-6 spears as a bundle, then place bundle seam side down on the rack. Repeat for remaining spears.


4. Spoon some of the sauce mixture over each bundle, making sure to coat as well as possible.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer to oven and roast for 35-40 minutes. Serve up and enjoy!





Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Tilapia

Quick and tasty dinner in a flash? Right here, look no further! This is 10/10 all the way, so easy! More exclamation marks!!!! Seriously, it's excellent and I can't wait to make it again. The video is only for this recipe, but I highly recommend pairing this with the bacon wrapped asparagus in my next blog entry (pictured here with the tilapia). It is also very easy and quick, and bakes at same temp as the tilapia, so I put the asparagus on one rack and the tilapia on rack just above it (both in middle part of oven).

Link to original recipe: https://diethood.com/garlic-butter-oven-baked-tilapia/

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/Y5QHjGDQMfY

Ingredients:

3 tilapia filets
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
4 T. butter, melted
4 cloves minced garlic
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
pinch red pepper flakes
lemon slices, for garnish
fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. 

2. Season tilapia all over with the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and oregano, in a 9" x 13" baking dish.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour mixture over tilapia.

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until fish is fork-tender (I went 13 minutes).

5. Sprinkle with pinch of red pepper flakes, then garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Serve and enjoy!

13 January 2022

Roast Stuffed Pork Loin

Major deliciousness alert! Seriously, this is excellent, 10+/10, even when reheated. And if you've never had pine nuts before, this is a great way to try them out. They don't taste like pine, though lol. One thing I forgot to mention in my video is that at the end, after taking it out of the oven, tent it with foil or cover loosely with a lid for 10 minutes to let the roast "rest" before slicing. And one change I will make when preparing in the future is that the garlic can be added at same time as mushrooms, no need to do these separately. I served this with crinkle cut French fries and a side salad (not shown).

Link to original recipe: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/roasted-pork-loin-stuffed-baby-spinach-mushrooms-and-pine-nuts

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/Q1_WkvOh02Y

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced (I used one large and one small)
8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms
4 (or 5) oz. baby spinach
~1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
shredded mozzarella cheese (to taste, optional)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
3/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
1.7 (can be up to 2) lb. boneless pork loin, butterflied

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 T. of the olive oil, then add the garlic and mushrooms (at the same time, not like in the video). Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms start to brown and release their liquid (around 3-5 min.)

2. Add the spinach to skillet and stir in, cooking until just wilted (around 2-3 min.)

3. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/4 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper, along with rosemary, followed by pine nuts, then mozzarella.

4. Heat oven to 375°F. Season butterflied pork all over with the remaining 1/2 tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.

5. Spread the mixture onto the butterflied part of the pork, leaving a small border around the edges. You will likely have some mixture leftover, which you can keep to serve with the finished dish.

6. Position a piece of kitchen twine every one inch along the underside of the pork so you will be able to tie it closed. Pull the long sides together to try to enclose the stuffing (yes, this is tricky and some will likely ooze out, this is okay) and tie each twine piece, trimming off excess twine afterwards.

7. Heat remaining 2 T. of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron, recommend it) over medium-high heat. Add pork to skillet and brown all over.

8. Transfer to the oven and roast until internal temp is at least 150°F at thickest part of roast, around 45 min-1 hr.

9. Tent the roast with foil or loosely cover with a lid and let rest for 10 min before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

08 January 2022

Individual Beef Wellingtons

This is, quite frankly, one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten in my life. It's a bit of a project to make, and absolutely worth it. Made this with my mother for an at-home celebration of my 14th wedding anniversary. Might just have to make it every year now lol. I only got a picture of the final product; will add pix of steps the next time I make (there will DEFINITELY be a next time :)) 11/10!!

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/individual-beef-wellingtons-with-mushroom-spinach-blue-cheese-filling

This is really big, so you really don't need much for sides. We served with braised leeks, mashed potatoes, and a side salad. Next time I will opt for just a side salad.

Note: if you don't make decorations as indicated in the original recipe (we did not) for the wellingtons, you will have much puff pastry scraps.

Amounts below are what we used/modified for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

for the mushrooms--
2 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
6 T. olive oil, plus more for cooking
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper

for the onions--
3 T. unsalted butter
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
6 T. dry sherry
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

for the spinach--
8 cups tightly packed spinach (around 9.5 oz)
a splash of water
salt
ground white pepper
1 1/2 T. unsalted butter

2 packages (4 sheets) puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
4 filet mignons, 6 oz. each
kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
olive oil to brush the filets
4 oz. log of goat cheese

for the egg wash--
1 egg, whisked together with 1/2 tsp. water

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish (big enough to hold both mushrooms lying flat), combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Add the mushrooms to the dish and turn to coat all over in the mixture. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the onions. Heat a heavy sauté pan (or skillet) over medium heat and add the butter. Once it has melted, add the onions to the pan and lower the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned and soft, around 20-30 min. Season with salt and pepper, then add the sherry to the pan. Cook until the sherry has evaporated, then remove from heat and set aside.

3. Prepare the spinach by washing it well and removing any stems. Make an ice water bath, set out a colander over something to catch drainage, and line an area (or a plate) with paper towels. 

4. In a skillet over medium high heat, add half of the butter, a tiny bit of water, a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper. Add half of the spinach, cook until just wilted, then transfer immediately to the ice bath to shock it and stop the cooking. Scoop it from the ice water and transfer to the colander. Squeeze out as much excess water from the spinach as you can, then place on the paper towel area to continue draining. Repeat process for the second half of the spinach. Place in fridge in a covered container until ready to assemble the wellingtons.

5. When the mushrooms have finished marinating, heat a heavy skillet (we used cast iron) over medium high heat. Add a thin layer of oil, season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, then sear them on both sides (around 5 min per side). Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and turn once so they can drain on both sides. Once cooled, slice in half, then cut into short strips/slices around 1/2" thick.

6. Prepare the puff pastry. Gently roll the pastry sheets until they are 10" x 10". Lightly trace a rectangle in the center that is 4" x 3", then cut out the corners to leave a plus sign shape (a flap coming out from each side of the middle rectangle). 

7. Prepare the filets. Season them with salt and pepper, then brush tops and bottoms with olive oil. Heat a heavy skillet (we used cast iron) over high heat, then add filets to pan. Sear for 2 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate to rest.

8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the spinach up into 8 portions, divide the onions and up into 4 portions, and slice the cheese into 4 equal portions.

9. Assemble the wellingtons by placing a spinach portion, then a slice of the cheese, a portion of the onions, a filet, a layer of sliced portabellas (just enough to cover the filet), and top with another portion of spinach.

10. Brush the flaps with the egg wash, making sure to go all the way to the edges. Bring two opposite flaps together to cover the top of the assembly (carefully stretch the dough if needed) and overlap them to stick together. Then bring the other two flaps up over that to close the wellington. Pinch the edges and make sure there are no holes anywhere.

11. Place each closed wellington seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, then brush all over each with the egg wash; reserve remaining egg wash. Transfer to the freezer to freeze for 1 hour.

12. About 15 min. before the hour is up, heat oven to 400°F. Brush wellingtons with new coating of egg wash and transfer to oven. Bake for 20 min., then lower heat to 350°F and bake for additional 20 min, or until internal temp is 110°F (ours were showing 125°F and still turned out perfectly cooked). Let the wellingtons rest 10 min. before serving. Enjoy! 



07 January 2022

Roasted Canned Potatoes

These are tasty and super easy! It was my first time ever trying canned potatoes and I have to say, I am impressed. I made up this recipe based on a couple of recipes I saw for them, and will be making again for sure going forward. 10/10, especially for the ease. These potatoes accompanied the chicken thighs in the previous post.



Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz.) whole potatoes (I used the Aldi Happy Harvest ones)
4 T. melted butter
herbes de Provence (didn't measure, no idea how much I used)
very light sprinkling of garlic salt
very light sprinkling of coarse ground pepper
grated Parmesan (I used the kind that comes in a container)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (note to self: did not use convection for this).

2. Place potatoes in a small baking dish. Pour butter over them and to roll coat all over.

3. Sprinkle the herbes, garlic salt, and pepper all over, rolling as needed so they are seasoned all over.

4. Roast for 30 min, then coat lightly in Parmesan and return to oven to bake for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!


Chicken with Pancetta

Happy new year 2022! First post of the year is for this recipe, for which I also made a video (link below). Very delicious, 10/10, would make again for sure with the modifications I mentioned in the video about longer pan cooking time and oven temp. Thus, I am writing below for how I plan to cook it next time. Your cooking time may vary depending on size of chicken thighs you use. Recipe for the potatoes in next post (or you can just click here :))



Link to original recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-with-pancetta-and-balsamic-vinegar-426858

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/wHH6WMGtdCw

Ingredients:

~1 T. olive oil
4 oz. diced pancetta
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
2/3 c. Chardonnay
2 T. balsamic vinegar
chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, for around 1-2 minutes. 

2. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan, skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn chicken and cook for 5 more minutes. Lower the heat to medium, nestle in the garlic, and continue cooking for additional 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F. 

3. Transfer chicken, pancetta, and garlic to a baking dish and leave behind 2 T. of the rendered fat in the skillet. Transfer the baking dish to the oven.

4. Raise the heat to medium high, then add the wine to the pan. As it reduces, stir occasionally, scraping bottom of pan as you do so. Cook until reduced to barely covering bottom of pan.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Check on the chicken and remove from oven once it reaches internal temperature of at least 175°F and juices run clear.

6. Garnish chicken thighs with the chopped parsley and serve with the sauce drizzled over them. Enjoy!