Coconut and Lemongrass Brined Pork Tenderloin with Asian Noodle Salad

This brine is easy to put together, extras freeze well and the flavour it delivers is amazing! I have used it with pork tenderloin, chicken breasts and whole chicken. The original recipe is from "Mastering the Grill" by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. I have adjusted it slightly, using less salt and fresh lemongrass instead of dried.

Combine the following:

1 can coconut milk (about 14oz), after removing 2 tablespoons for the salad dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup water

Measure out 1 cup of marinade and place it in a resealable bag.

Place 1 pork tenderloin in the bag and seal, squishing out as much air as possible.


Refrigerate for about 4 - 6 hours.








While that is brining you can prepare the salad and dressing, keep them in the fridge until serving time, when they can be tossed together.

For the dressing, combine the following in an airtight container and shake well:

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Taste and adjust sweetness, heat or acicidty before adding to the salad.

For the salad combine:

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

In a pot of boiling salted water cook:

4 cups steam fried noodles (I use Farkay brand)
2 cups broccoli florets


Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Combine the noodles and broccoli with the vegetables and chill until ready to dress and serve.








You can also prepare the peanut sauce ahead if you like, but it takes hardly any time, so I do it while the pork is on the barbecue. This is another recipe from "Mastering the Grill".

In a small pot combine all the ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup chicken stock
hot sauce to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat the sauce over medium heat, until it just starts to boil. Whisk well to combine. Remove from the heat.

If it is too thick, thin it down a bit using water or more chicken stock.

Grill the pork, using the brine to baste it occasionally, until cooked through.

Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, before slicing.







Serve the pork over the noodle salad, drizzled with peanut sauce. Pass extra sauce at the table.

• I use Tamari soy sauce, as I prefer the richness of flavour.
• The pork can be placed in the marinade and frozen. Defrost before removing and cooking. This gives you a quick and easy dinner option if you are pressed for time.
• Brine chicken breast cubes and then skewer and grill. Serve over coconut rice.
• Before making the brine, I removed the 2 tablespoons of coconut milk needed for the dressing.
• The brine makes about 3 cups. The recipe uses 1 cup. Freeze the rest, and most of the work is done for next time.
• Use whatever vegetables you have available for the salad...celery, snow peas, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage.
• Leftover salad is great as lunch the next day. Toss in some of the pork, shredded. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
• Another lunch option with leftover pork, is to make a wrap with lettuce, thinly sliced red pepper and cucumber, shredded pork and peanut sauce.

S'more Squares

No camping planned for the next few weeks, but still want s'mores? Here's an easy version you can make in the oven, and they will be eaten just as quickly!

I happened upon a partial bag of mini marshmallows in the back of the cupboard....inspiration!


Firstly, heat the oven to 350F and line an 8" square pan with foil. Lightly grease the foil.

Start by making the base.

In the stand mixer, cream:

4 ounces of soft butter
3/4 cup white sugar

Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Then add in the dry ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix until combined and starting to form small clumps.

Press 2/3 of the crumbly mixture into the prepared 8" pan, and bake for 15 minutes.

While the base is baking, prepare the topping by combining:

the remaining 1/3 of crumbly mixture
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips

As soon as the base comes out of the oven, sprinkle the topping evenly over the hot crust.

Return to the oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until the marshmallows are soft and golden.

Cool before cutting.




                     
                    Who can say no to caramelized marshmallows and melty chocolate chips???

• Use graham crumbs instead of the chocolate cookie crumbs.
• Add 3/4 cup of chopped pecans in place of some of the chocolate and marshmallows.
• Use a combination of white, dark and milk chocolate chips.
• Do not refrigerate, the marshmallows will melt!!!
• They are best when still slightly warm, so you obtain the full effect of soft gooey deliciousness when biting into them.

Penne with Smoked Chicken, Corn and Sundried Tomatoes

I grilled 4 corn cobs for dinner a couple of nights ago, only to find out only 2 people were here for dinner...time for one of my favourite pasta dishes. If you aren't able to find smoked chicken, plain chicken breast works too. I'm lucky to have a husband who really enjoys using our smoker...

The sauce is a variation on a light cream sauce, with lots of flavour and texture from the corn, sundried tomatoes and smokiness of the chicken. Top it off with some soft goat cheese and fresh basil, yum!

First, put a large pot of water on to boil for the penne. You will be cooking up 500g of pasta.

Then start the sauce...

Besides the corn, I also had 3/4 cup of whipping cream that expires today, so I was killing two birds with one stone.

Drain 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in oil.
Dice 1/2 cup onion.
Mince 2 cloves of garlic.
Chop 2 tablespoons of fresh basil.
Remove the corn kernels from the 2 cobs, or use  about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn.

Cook the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil, until just softened.

Add 1 chicken breast, smoked or plain, sliced.

Cook until half done.. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the whipping cream and corn and allow to reduce slightly, adjust seasoning.

Add the sundried tomatoes, and simmer until the pasta is cooked.

Add the fresh basil, check the seasoning one more time, then add to the drained pasta.





                                
                               Top with crumbled soft goat cheese, and you are good to go!

• Sliced black olives add another dimension, so if you are a fan of them, add about 1/4 cup to the sauce with the tomatoes.
• No sundried tomatoes? Roast some cherry tomatoes, and use them instead.
• To get the smoky flavour without using smoked chicken, cook a bit of diced bacon with the onion and garlic.

Giant Turkey Meatballs on Garlic Toast

This is my take on a meatball sub....crispy garlic bread topped with a giant turkey meatball that has been baked in tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella. Put together a Salad Bar, and dinner takes no time at all!

I use a basic meatball recipe, but add in any vegetables or cheese that are waiting to be eaten. Tonight there was half a roasted red pepper, some zucchini and grated Parmesan. I would have used the last little bit of feta cheese, but not everyone likes it, so it can be used up another time.

In a large bowl combine:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
1/3 roasted red pepper, diced
3/4 cup grated zucchini
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
a few drops of hot sauce

Mix well to combine everything. Then add in 2 pounds of ground turkey and 1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs.


Use your hands to squish it all together, making sure all the vegetables are well distributed throughout.

Divide into 6 balls...I did say they are giant!!!

Place them into an ovenproof dish, and press the centre down. This makes a little well to hold some tomato sauce.

If you are making them ahead, wrap well and refrigerate or freeze until you need to bake them.
If you freeze them, be sure to defrost them before continuing.

Spoon 2 cups of Basic Tomato Sauce over and around the meatballs. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake at 350F until cooked through, about 45 minutes. The sauce will be bubbling and the cheese will be melted and golden.

Make the garlic butter while the meatballs are baking.

Mix together:

1/4 cup softened butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

This can also be prepared ahead and chilled or frozen.

Spread onto slices of bread and bake alongside the meatballs for the last 20 - 30 minutes, until crispy around the edges.








Serve the meatballs on top of the toast, and bring any extra tomato sauce to the table.

• You can use beef instead of turkey.
• Extra cherry tomatoes? Cut them in half and place them around the meatballs. They will release their juice as they bake, and add sweetness to the sauce.
• Other vegetables to try in the meatballs: corn, sweet peppers, green onion, chopped cooked spinach, roasted garlic or shallots, sundried tomatoes or olives.
• Any available fresh herb can replace the basil...chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary or a combination.
• Instead of mozzarella on top, use goat cheese or feta cheese; better yet, replace the grated Parmesan with crumbled feta cheese.
• Leftover meatballs can be sliced and used on sandwhiches (meatloaf sandwhich with a twist) or served with pasta.
• Small appetites? Adjust the size of the meatballs.
• Make a large batch of garlic butter, it freezes well and is nice to have on hand. Let it firm up a bit, then form it into a log and wrap well with plastic wrap. Slice a piece off using a hot knife, and you can add flavour to omelettes, sauteed vegetables, stuff it under the skin of chicken before roasting it. This works well with chopped fresh herbs, spices or roasted garlic too.

Asparagus and Cambozola Frittata with Focaccia

This dinner was a challenge as I was in serious need of a trip to the produce store. The only vegetables, literally, in the fridge were some asparagus, roasted red pepper and a tomato. But there were lots of eggs, and some cambozola cheese, so frittata it was. I made some focaccia to round out the meal, using a variation on the Focaccia with Caramelized Onion and Rosemary recipe.

Start with the focaccia, as it needs to proof and bake, whereas the frittata doesn't take long at all.

First prepare the sundried tomatoes and herbs for the focaccia.

Drain about 1/2 cup of sundried tomatoes in oil, reserving the oil.

Roughly chop the drained tomatoes.
Chop the herbs, I used fresh basil and rosemary. You will need about 1/4 cup of herbs.

Put the yeast, sugar and warm water into your stand mixer bowl and allow it to start reacting. It will become foamy. That's when it's ready for the next step.

Add the herbs and chopped sundried tomatoes, the salt, and use the reserved sundried tomato oil (add olive oil to make up the required amount) as well as half the flour.

Using the dough hook, knead the dough, adding flour as needed until you have a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.

Form the dough into a ball, and placed into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it to rise until it has doubled in size.

 This should take about 45 minutes to an hour. Lightly punch the dough down and press it into a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled.

Cover with a clean towel and leave to rise until almost to the top of the pan edge.

Lightly oil the top of the dough and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then gently lift off the pan and allow it to cool on a rack.






For the frittata use a non-stick pan, about 8" or 9" diameter. Have the oven pre-heated at 350F.

Whisk together 8 eggs, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the non-stick pan, and cook 1 minced shallot until starting to caramelize.

Add the asparagus spears, cut into 1" lengths. When they are half cooked, add the diced roasted red pepper and allow it to heat through.

Pour the eggs over, give it a quick stir to combine and evenly distribute the vegetables.

Keeping the heat at medium low continue until the eggs are set around the sides and just a little bit runny in the centre.

Top with the sliced tomatoes and cambozola cheese, season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven to finish cooking the top of the eggs, and to melt the cheese. Switch to broil for the last few minutes, just to add some colour.





This serves 4 as a lunch or light dinner. Allow it to rest for a couple of minutes before carefully easing it out of the pan onto a cutting board  for portioning.

• Instead of salt, sprinkle the focaccia with crumbled feta cheese.
• Make extra focaccia and you have bread for sandwhiches the next day.
• Use whatever vegetables and cheese you have available for the frittata, make it your own and enjoy the new combinations you come up with.
• Turn the fritatta into a quiche by putting the cooked vegetables, egg and cheese into a tart shell and baking at 350F until set.

Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese

A grown up take on a kids' favourite...butternut squash mac 'n cheese with a Parmesan crumb crust.

I like to make this in individual dishes and keep them in the freezer for a convenient meal. They can be baked straight from the oven, but take less time if defrosted first. In our house it's the go to meal when we're eating something that not everyone likes!

This can be done over a couple of days, if you bake the squash when you have the oven on for something else. Once the squash is baked, everything is pretty quick and easy.

To bake the butternut squash, cut it in half so the fatter and thinner parts are separated. Then cut each half lengthwise and remove the seeds from the fatter part. Place the four pieces skinside up in an ovenproof dish and add about 1" of water. Bake at 350F until the flesh is soft. Test by pressing the skin with your finger. It takes about an hour, depending on the size of your squash.

Allow the squash to cool, then use a spoon to carefully scrape the flesh out of the skin. Measure out 2 cups and set aside.

Next up is to cook the macaroni. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 8 ounces of macaroni until just undercooked (it will cook again when it gets baked). Drain and run under cold water to stop it cooking. Drain again and set aside.

The sauce takes the same amount of time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and cook 1/2 cup of minced onion until it softens.

Add:
4 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook for 2 minutes.

Gradually add 2 cups of milk, whisking to avoid lumps. Make sure the sauce starts to boil before turning off the heat.

You should have a thick, glossy sauce, and the only lumps should be the pieces of cooked onion!

While the onions are cooking, grate 2 cups of cheddar cheese and add it to the 2 cups of roasted squash that was set aside.

Add the squash and cheese to the sauce, and stir to combine. If the cheese does not all melt, not to worry, it will melt when it bakes.

Add the sauce to the cooked and cooled macaroni and mix well.

Taste and adjust seasoning at this point.

Divide the macaroni and cheese into the dishes. It makes enough for 6 individual mac 'n cheeses.

If you are making one large casserole, it fits a 9" x 13" nicely.

Make the Parmesan crumb topping by combining:

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil just to help it stick together

Sprinkle this across the top of the mac 'n cheese and it is ready to bake and serve!

Some other ideas:

• Use your favourite cheese instead of cheddar. This is a great way to use up the bits of cheese that seem to accumulate in the fridge.
• Add minced fresh sage into the crumbs.
• Add in cooked, diced bacon.
• Serve it straight from the stove, no need to make the crumb topping or wait for it to bake.
• Up the squash content and fold in some cubed, roasted squash. Peel the squash, cut into 1" cubes, toss with salt, pepper and olive oil and place in an ovenproof dish. Add a few sprigs of sage or thyme and about 1/2" of water and bake at 350F until tender. Make sure the water doesn't evaporate before it's cooked, or it will burn.
• Why not use yam instead of squash?
• The onions can be omitted, just melt the butter and add the flour, salt and pepper and continue on.