Pork

Blackened Pork Loin with Nectarine-Avocado Salsa

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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I have tried every fruit salsa to top pork in the book:  pineapple, mango, strawberry, you name it and this nectarine-avocado combination is absolutely positively the best one yet, holy smokes.  Sweet from the nectarine, creamy from the avocado, acidic from the tomato and the garlic gives it an awesome bite; and it all pairs beautifully with the smokey pork.  Nectarines are just simply perfect this time of year…I can’t get enough and this recipe is an awesome, healthful, light way to utilize the juicy fruit.

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Blackened Pork Loin with Nectarine-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

For the Pork:

1 1/2 Pound Boneless Pork Loin

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3/4 Tablespoon Blackened Seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Salsa:

1 Ripe Nectarine, chopped into small pieces

1 Small Tomato, chopped into small pieces

1 Clove Garlic, grated or pressed

1 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro

2 Teaspoons Lime Juice

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

Pinch of Pepper

1 Acovado, diced small

Directions

For the Pork:

Heat grill over high.  Rub olive oil, blackened seasoning and salt all over pork to coat.  Place on grill, reduce heat to medium and close the lid.  Cook, turning occasionally, until the pork is no longer pink and is cooked thru in the middle, about 18-20 minutes.  Remove from grill and let rest for at least ten minutes before slicing.

For the Salsa:

Combine nectarine, tomato, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Can be prepared and left at room temperature for up to 2 hours.  Mix in avocado just before serving.

Slice pork and spoon salsa over the top to serve.  Serves 3-4.

Perfect Oven Bacon

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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This method produces perfectly crisp bacon without the frying or the cleanup.  I’ve tried baking it multiple times directly on a baking sheet and it just comes out too greasy for my liking; even greasier than pan frying.  So I tried baking it on a cooling rack set inside of a baking sheet and the results were just what I wanted:  no-mess, crispy, chewy bacon toned down on the grease meter.  And one of the best things about it…not having to scrub down my stove after frying it.  25 thumbs up in my book.

Perfect Oven Bacon

Inspired by this method

Ingredients

12 Ounces Nitrate and Nitrite Free Bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil.  Set cooling rack inside of the baking sheet and lay bacon strips side by side on top of the rack.  Place in the oven and cook for 12-18 minutes or until desired doneness.  Drain on paper towels and serve.

Goat Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Pork Chops

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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I’m not sure what I am more sick of:  people complaining about the weather or the actual weather.  Yes it has rained every day for the last five zillion years, people, I know.  I also know we will probably not have a summer.  And that it wouldn’t be as bad if we were guaranteed some warm weather later in the year but chances are we will still get snow in October.  And it’s June and 50 degrees!  And it’s so dreary and depressing!  But guess what, if I hear one more ounce of negativity about it I might lose my cool  (no, I have not already lost it…I’m simply on the verge of losing it).

It seems you can’t go anywhere or talk to anyone these days without hearing the above comments.  Well guess what, I’m done giving the weather the satisfaction of having it bother me.  Guess what, weather…rain some more!  I’d love it!  Then we can go outside and run around and joyfully splash in the midst of all of your wonderfulness!  Which leads me to a visual thought of me grilling these pork chops yesterday.  I waited until the rain started coming down to throw these on on the grill because I was so excited to go out and celebrate more rain.  I put them on the grill and instead of going inside to wait for them to cook I danced around the back yard frolicking and splashing away…it was so wonderful.  None of this is true.  The rain actually waited until the minute I stepped outside to come down, typical.  And once I put them on the grill I was in pure awe of the cat-like reflexes I am capable of.  Pretty sure I was inside before the lid of the grill was even shut.  My motto these days:  this beats snow any day of the week 🙂

I love making these chops for company because you can put them together ahead of time and let them sit in the fridge until you are ready to grill them…and they only take a few minutes on the grill.  The stuffing is as simple as pie to put together and the final product looks and tastes so gourmet…without the gourmet effort.  I have yet to come across someone who has not raved about these and if porks not your cup of tea the stuffing is great with chicken as well.

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One last note:  if you do not feel like frolicking in the rain to grill theses bad boys you can surely bake or pan roast them with great results.

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Goat Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

2 Boneless Pork Loin Center Cut Chops

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves

2 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese

Salt, Pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted down, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, add goat cheese and mix until stuffing is combined.  Place bowl in the freezer to chill while you prepare your pork.

With a sharp knife, slice a large slit through the middle of each chop, slicing horizontally so that it can be opened like a book.  Remove stuffing from freezer and spoon it into the middle of each chop.  Secure each pork chop closed with a couple of toothpicks.  At this point chops can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Preheat grill to medium high (about 500 degrees).  Sprinkle both sides of the chops liberally with salt and pepper.  Place stuffed chops on the grill and cook for 5-8 minutes with the lid closed or until the bottom half is mostly cooked through.  Flip the pork chops over, close the lid and cook an additional 4-6 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Banh Mi Sandwiches

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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If you have never experienced a banh mi sandwich you are in for a treat.  Banh mi (pronounced Baan-Me) is a traditional Vietnamese baguette sandwich and has made quite a mark here in the US as of late.  I experienced my very first banh mi sandwich from a food truck a couple of years ago and I have been mildly obsessed ever since.  The flavors and textures were absolutely indescribable in the most wonderful way possible and I needed to find a way to have it in my own kitchen whenever I wanted.  Like everyday.

After researching plenty and trying multiple takes on the sandwich I found exactly what I was looking for.  My husband and I both agree that this is the best meal put on our table, hands down.  And if you could have seen my daughter yelling and pointing for “mo bawws..mo dip” (more meatballs, more dip..we dip her meatballs in the mayo and serve them to her that way as she doesn’t quite have the teething equipment to manage the sandwich whole).   Crunchy, chewy bread.  Buttery, spicy mayo.  Savory, juicier than juicy meatballs and that sweet and sour slaw right on top…absolutely unbeatable.  It may seem like a lot of components but I can assure you this is extremely quick and easy to put together and everything can be made ahead of time so its perfect for entertaining.  This sandwich is truly nothing short of perfection.  Now go get your cute butt in the kitchen and switch your typical menu up a bit…I can assure you this will be a welcomed addition to your kitchen repertoire by the entire family.

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Banh Mi Sandwiches

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

Slaw:

2 Cups Shredded Carrots

1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, halved lengthwise and sliced

3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Agave or Honey

Spicy Mayo:

1/3 Cup Mayonaise

1 Green Onion, finely chopped

1/2 Tablespoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

Meatballs:

1 Pound Ground Pork

4 Garlic Cloves, grated or pressed

3 Green Onions, finely chopped

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Basil

1 Tablespoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar

2 Teaspoons Corn Starch

3/4 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Tablespoon Asian Sesame Oil, for frying

4 Whole Grain Ciabatta Rolls, sliced horizontally in half

Sliced Jalapeños, optional

Cilantro Leaves, optional

Directions

Slaw:  Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Let stand at room temperature for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Mayo:  Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and chill.  Can be made up to two days ahead.

Meatballs:  Mix pork, garlic, green onion, basil, sriracha, agave, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Using a tablespoon for each, form meatballs with your hands. At this point you can chill meatballs for up to 5 hours if you would like to make them ahead of time. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add half of meatballs and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.  Flip over and brown the other side for an additional 4 minutes or until cooked through.  Repeat with the second half of the meatballs.

Build Sandwiches:  Remove most of the inside dough from both halves of the bread so you are basically left with a thick shell, about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread mayo on bottom half of bread, fill with meatballs and slaw and top with jalapeno and cilantro.  Eat with or without the lid.

Pork Tenderloin With Fresh Grape Chutney

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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The flavor of pork and apples is an amazing combination.  Anyone remember the Brady Bunch episode when Peter proclaims “pork chaaaaaps, and applesaaaaaauuuccce”?  He was a smart one, and groovy to boot.  But today I was in the mood for something different.  Similar, but different.  A few years back while on vacation I had the most amazing grilled pork chop with roasted grapes so I thought I would try my own version.  Not bad at all, if I do say so myself.

This recipe sounds and looks much fancier than its process.  It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal and elegant enough for a dinner party.  The savory roasted flavor of the pork pairs wonderfully with the sweet, tart, earthy flavors of the sauce…rest assured you will not be disappointed.  If your kiddos are fruit-lovers like my wee one I feel VERY safe saying they will enjoy it too…based on the mmmm’ing and shoveling that went on in the highchair this evening.  We paired this with a spinach rice pilaf and it was a wonderful accompaniment; it would also be great with couscous or quinoa.

Pork Tenderloin With Fresh Grape Chutney

Note: Fresh thyme would be amazing in this dish, unfortunately I did not have any on hand.  If you would like to substitute fresh for the dried feel free…I would suggest using about a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Pound Pork Tenderloin, pat dry

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, chopped

3 Cups Red Grapes

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme Leaves

2 Tablespoons Red Wine *optional but great addition

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Salt, Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.  Heat oven proof skillet over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season all sides of the pork liberally with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Sear one side of the pork until it forms a nice crust, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip pork and sear remaining sides for the same amount of time.  Once all sides are seared transfer pork to a plate.  Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pan and add onions and grapes.  Saute until onions are soft and grapes are starting to burst, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, thyme and red wine and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the pork back to the pan and nestle it in the grape mixture.  Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and place back on the stove.  Place the pork on a cutting board to rest while you finish the chutney:  Add chicken stock, balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard to the grape mixture.  Boil over medium high heat until chutney thickens, about 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Slice pork tenderloin and spoon warm chutney right on top.