Let’s cook!

Skillet Pork with Peppers and Onions

1.5 lb pork tenderloin

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

7 cloves garlic, smashed

handful fresh sage leaves, sliced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini, plus 1 tablespoon of liquid from the jar

1/3 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Slice the pork into 1-inch thick pieces and toss in a bowl with salt/pepper.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and bell peppers.

Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender and slightly brown, 5 – 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add 2 tablespoons to the skillet. Add the pork and sear over medium heat until browned, 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the pork to the plate with the onions and peppers.

Return the skillet back to medium heat and add the garlic, sage and tomate paste.

Cook, stirring until the paste is brick-red. Add the pepperoncini and the liquid. Then add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

Arrange the pork in a single layer in the skillet.

Add the onions and peppers.

Sprinkle the top with cheese.

Transfer to the broiler and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the broiler and let rest for 5 minutes.

Time to plate!

Here is a close-up:

Hope you enjoy this spicy skillet dinner!

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Eggplant Relish

2 pork tenderloins

2 banana peppers, halved and seeded

2 jalapeno peppers, halved (remove the seeds for less heat)

1 eggplant, halved

1 bunch scallions

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole lemon – not lime I picked the wrong one out of the basket after I started cooking

1 teaspoon paprika

handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the broiler and line the pan with foil. Place the peppers, eggplant, scallions and garlic on place in the broiler for 4 minutes.

Flip them after you ensure there is a little char and cook for another 5 minutes.

After they have cooked, cover with a damp paper towel to cool.

Season the pork with cumin and salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork and cook.

Cook until golden, then reduce the heat and cook until thermometer registers 150.

Remove the pork from the pan and let rest.

Peel the skin off the peppers and eggplant.

Roughly chop the vegetables and garlic and toss in a bowl.

Add the lemon juice to the skillet.

I leave one half of the lemon on the skillet to cook. Add the eggplant mixture, paprika, parsley and cook for 5 minutes.

Slice the pork, and serve with the eggplant relish. Here is how I plated the dish:

Here is the close-up:

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Planked Pork Tenderloin With Asian Style BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

red pepper flakes to taste

pork tenderloins, trimmed

1 cedar plank, soaked in water

In a small sauce pan combine the above ingredients minus the tenderloins and plank.

Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce for serving.

In a large zip lock bag add the remaining sauce and tenderloins and let this marinate for 15 – 30 minutes.

While pork is marinating, preheat grill to medium-low heat to about 350 degrees. Place the soaked plank on the grill.

Close the lid, and allow to heat for 3 minutes. Flip plank and place pork on heated side of the plank.

Grill with lid close for 15 – 20 minutes, or until pork reaches an internal tempature of 150 degrees. Remove pork from grill. Tent pork loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Slice and serve with reserved sauce. For this meal I added snow peas as our veggie. Here is the final plating:

Happy Cooking!

Pork Tenderloin

1 package of pork tenderloin, which typically contains two in each package

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, cracked

4 springs fresh rosemary leaves stripped and chopped

4 springs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

salt and black pepper

Prehat oven to 500.

Place tender loins on a foil covered cookie sheet that has a rim and coat with olive oil.

Cut small slits into the meat and disperse chunks of cracked garlic into the meat.

In a bowl combine/mix rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Rub the tenderloins with rub.

Place in the hot oven and let cook for 20 minutes. Time to make the mash potatoes.

Simple Mash Potatoes

1 container of pre-made mashed potatoes–Country Crock makes a pretty good one (told you this is simple)

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 quarter of an onion chopped (I was out of white so I used a red one)

1 tablespoon of butter

3 tablespoons of sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot on medium heat add onion, garlic, butter, salt and pepper.

Cook until onion has softened and then add the container of mash potatoes.

Cook for 5 minutes and continue to stir. Add sour cream and continue to cook and stir.

Cook for another 2-3 minutes and make sure you keep stirring. Turn off the mash potatoes and let them rest.

Time to make the green beans.

Green Beans with Almonds (the hardest thing in this whole meal to prepare)

Just follow the directions on the box for cooking.  Jen typically will take and cut a slit in the steam pouch to get the water out of the bottom of the bag, and then dump the beans in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter, the almonds from the package and salt and pepper.  Mix and serve.

Time to remove the tenderloins from the oven and let them rest (remember cutting into the meat fresh from cooking is a no-no).

Almost done, time to finish this meal off with the Oregano Vinaigrette.

Oregano Vinaigrette

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

1/2 shallot

2 tablepoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 cup olive oil

In a bowl add, sherry vinegar, shallots, mustard, honey and oregano.

Whisk together and slowly add olive oil until emulsified.

Now that everything is done, time to assemble the plating. Here is how I did the plating for tonight’s dinner.

So the next time you get that call, hey what do you want for dinner just reply with, “Don’t worry I will take care of dinner tonight.” You will thank me for your next kitchen pass!

Happy Cooking!

Pork Tenderloin with a oregano vinaigrette
Simple mash potatoes
Green beans with almonds

Check back tonight for the recipe and pictures.