Pork and Eggplant 'Parmesan'

This dish was born out of "what veggies do I need to use up before the next farm share..." And like most dishes that are thrown together with no real plan... it was awesome! One of those meals where you really wish you had written down what the heck you did!

The best I can recall...

A boneless trimmed pork chop per person, and 1 medium to largish eggplant sliced thick, all dredged in 1 beaten egg, followed by a coating of breadcrumbs with grated parmesan, oregano, thyme, and whatever other herbs you like mixed in - coat well. I pan fried the meat and eggplant with a little bit of olive oil (higher heat to start then drop the temp to finish the meat through and cook the eggplan till juuuuust barely soft all the way through - I dont like it too soggy).

Meanwhile, I made a "sauce" of sorts with a couple heirloom tomatos and summer squash and zucchini and onion and garlic (brown it all up in some olive oil first), a small can of diced tomatos plus their juices, and some herbs - dried, fresh. I used fresh basil and thyme, and dried oregano, rosemary. I simmered it all together plus salt and pepper to taste until it was nice and saucey.

Our mozzarella was bad so I just topped it with Parmesan... it was SO good!

Also - on a whim I added the leftover "sauce" to scrambled eggs and mozzarella (I bought some more) for breakfast... normally I dont like that kind of thing (sauce, salsa, etc in my eggs) but it was SO FREAKIN GOOD. Ryan also doesnt normally like it that way... and loved it.

Such a summer farm fresh meal - love knowing everything (save the pork) was local and in season and so so fresh!

Pork Tacos with Corn-Jicama Salsa

This recipe is from Cooking Light and WOW I think that this recipe alone may have just convinced me to subscribe! VERY yummy! A bit more labor intense than I had realized it would be... but I would make this again (just on a weekend!)

The leftovers heated and paired with a fried egg made for a great breakfast taco too!

For the salsa

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (too early for fresh, I just used canned)

1/2 cup finely diced peeled jicama

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the guacamole

1 cup cubed avocado

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup finely chopped seeded tomato (I didnt bother with seeding)

I also used Cilantro because, well, I love the stuff and guac isnt gauc for me without it!!

For the tacos

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 ounces trimmed pork tenderloin, cut into 2 x 1/8" strips (THIS was the labor intense part... note to self, let meat from the fridge sit out for a couple minutes so your hands dont freeze off from frostbite!!!)

2 teaspoons canola oil

8 6" white corn tortillas

To prepare the salsa

In a small bowl, toss together corn, jicama, black beans, cilantro, juice, cumin and salt. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.

To prepare the guacamole

In a small bowl, add avocado, juice and salt - mash with a fork until well combined. Stir in tomato, lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture and set aside.

To prepare the tacos

In a shallow dish, stir together chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Add pork strips and toss well to coat.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add pork - sauté until done, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.Use a paper towel to carefully wipe the pan clean. Add 2 tortillas to pan and briefly cook until the tortillas soften, about 30 seconds on each side. Remove from pan and wrap in a moist towel to keep warm - repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. If needed, you can coat the pan with nonstick spray during this process.

To assemble the tacos

Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons guacamole onto each tortilla - top each with roughly 1/4 cup pork and about 2 tablespoons salsa. Fold tortillas in half to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

This is a photo from leftovers turned breakfast - VERY yummy!

Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Orange Vinaigrette

Yep. Thats right. Everyday Food Magazine. (I should rename my blog lol)...

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed and patted dry
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Didnt have any dijon so I used brown... still good but the mustard was a bit strong. Next time Ill use Dijon)
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove
4 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, washed well (I did roasted asparagus instead with the dressing over it, so good!)

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium; season pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to skillet, and cook, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 145 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes (reduce heat if pork browns too quickly). Transfer pork to a plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine orange juice, mustard, honey, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth; set vinaigrette aside.

In reserved skillet (if bottom of skillet is blackened, use a new one), heat remaining tablespoon oil over high. Add as much spinach as will fit; toss until wilted, adding more spinach as there is room, 3 to 5 minutes total. Drain off excess liquid, and season spinach with salt and pepper. Slice pork and drizzle with vinaigrette; serve with spinach. (or roast asparagus at 450 for 15 min, tossed with oil and salt, turning halfway and serve topped with vinaigrette - was excellent!)

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots

I wanted to make some savory dishes this week with the apples we picked at Granby's Bushy Hill Orchard. The first dish that came to mind was the natural paring; pork and apples. A quick search on some of my favorite cooking sites and I found this recipe that looked simple, quick, easy, healthy and yummy. And it proved to be all three! Recipe by Martha Stewart.

I only made two large bone-in chops but the same amt of apple/shallot mixture

2 tablespoons butter (I used veggie oil instead)
1/2 pound medium shallots, halved or quartered lengthwise (pieces should be about 3/4 inch thick)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths (I used 3 empires)
1/2 cup white wine
4 pork rib chops (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes more.
Add apples and wine; cover, and cook until apples are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
While apples are cooking, season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, spoon warm apple mixture over chops.

This was SO good and I will definitely make it again. I am not normally a huge fan of pork chops but wow, they are often paired with apples for a reason... yum! And of course, ryan loved it too :)

Homegrown Gourmet: SANDWICHES!

This is a new challenge I am participating called Hometown Gourmet. For the rules, click the link.

The general idea is that the host picks a type of dish and then everyone makes a version of that dish that somehow represents their area. This first dish is the SANDWICH.

I ended up making two. One is my take on a Pittsburgh tradition: the Primanti's Sandwich.

A primanti's sandwich is:

Primanti Brothers Restaurant, founded in 1934, is a chain of sandwich shops found throughout Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and its suburbs, with an additional two locations in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Its signature items are its sandwiches, which consists of grilled meat, a vinegar-based cole slaw, tomato slices, and French fries between two pieces of Italian bread.[1]

The sandwich is said to have its origins in the city's steel days when blue collar workers needed a hot meal mid-shift that would keep them full all day long. However, the workers had neither the time nor the utensils for such a meal. By combining the sides with the sandwich, a Pittsburgh staple was born. Of course, the restaurant offers a slightly humorous take on it, offering the explanation that the Primanti brothers simply forgot the plates and forks one day. According to the restaurant, Joe Primanti invented the sandwich during the Great Depression. His brothers, Dick and Stanley, later joined him along with John DePriter who was the cook. The Primantis opened their hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Smallman Street in the Strip District of Pittsburgh and served the late-night and early-morning workers who were unloading fish, fruits and vegetables.[2]
The restaurant has evolved to become a casual neighborhood restaurant with 13 Pittsburgh locations, including those found in PNC Park and Heinz Field. There are also two locations in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.[3]
The restaurant was featured in an article in the August 2003 edition of National Geographic Magazine.[4]

I decided to make this because, though I am not from Pittburgh, my husband is from the area and we both went to college and grad school there. And it seemed like a perfect fit for this challenge! The sandwiches at the restaurant while good are not the best for you. They are greasy, with white bread and fries. I decided to make a healthier version.

I made mine with whole wheat bread, pork, homemade cole slaw, and sweet potato fries (simply tossed with olive oil and kosher salt and baked at 450 until done - about 15 minutes, turning once). Pepperjack cheese for Ryan and cheddar for me. They were really great! Yummy enough that we may just ahve them again sometime!

I needed to represent MY roots too though. After some brainstorming with my husband, I came up with the:

Whalers Melt

Ryan jokingly said something about making a whalers sandwich when I told him that the foods we chose could represent a local team colors. Well. 10 years ago, the Hartford Whalers hockey team left CT to go to NC (hockey in NORTH CAROLINA?!?! puh-lease). They have been sorely missed by many here, and we are left with no pro teams.

So, my entry for a Connecticut / New England Sandwich consists of:

Anadama Bread: According to Wikipedia: Anadama bread is a traditional bread of New England made with white flour, cornmeal, molasses and sometimes rye flour. There are several popular myths about the origin of the name, which mostly take this form:"A fisherman, angry with his wife, Anna, for serving him nothing but cornmeal and molasses, one day adds flour and yeast to his porridge and eats the resultant bread, while cursing, 'Anna, damn her.'"

This Anadama recipe also included Nutmeg (since we CT natives are called "nutmeggers")
For fun, the story of nutmeg and CT: Connecticut gets its nickname ("the Nutmeg State", "Nutmegger") from the legend that some unscrupulous Connecticut traders would whittle "nutmeg" out of wood, creating a "wooden nutmeg" (a term which came to mean any fraud)

I put a slice of bread on a buttered skillet with thin slices of apples which came from my local farm, Rosedales. many many apples are grown on orchards here in CT. I topped that with cheddar cheese (the best cheddar is from Vermont) and let the cheese melt a little while the bread toasted. I topped that with:

Tuna made with chopped dried cranberries (cranberries are famously grown in Mass) and miracle whip

The some slices of local Rosedales tomatos, and a second slice of bread.

The end result, my Whalers Melt, was really good! The cranberries were a nice alternative to the usual relish in tuna.

Christy's pork

For the newest cooking board challenge, I needed to make a really good sandwich and my husband suggested pork. I remembered that we had gone to a dinner at my friend Christy's where she made some awesome pork and had shared the marinade on email. Thanks to the gmail search option, I was able to find it and make it and it was AWESOME! SO good - so Wyst - thanks! :)

Marinade (worked perfectly for 2 tenderloins totalling about 2.5 pounds) Combine:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cupe soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 T lemon juice

2 T worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic

1 T parsley

1 T Mustard

1 tsp pepper

Let the pork marinate in the liquid for 4+ hours. She cooked it on the grill but our grill is out of commission so I replicated that by cooking it on med high on a pan on teh stove (then dropping heat) until it reached the proper temp (155 degrees). It took maybe 30 min or so.

We are definitely adding this as our pork marinade, and it tasted great in the sandwiches (entry to come)