Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

I've had this recipe from allrecipes.com saved for weeks, and I finally got around to cooking it. We really enjoyed it. The mustard sauce goes a long way, so next time I'll probably reduce the amount I make. The pork was very tender, and the sauce was the perfect pairing.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives (I used green onions)

Directions:
Combine wine, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place tenderloin in bag, and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard powder; mix well. Mix in minced chives if you wish. Chill until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place meat and marinade in a shallow baking dish, and roast for 1 hour, basting occasionally. Temperature of meat should register 160 degrees F. Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve with mustard sauce.

My note: The sauce is best if made several hours, or even a day in advance, to let the flavors blend well. You may need to adjust the amount of dry mustard to suit your taste - best to start with less, and add more if needed.

Daring Bakers January '09 Challenge

Touile Cookies

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux. I've worked with this batter before when I made fortune cookies, so I was glad to have something familiar (for once). I used a recipe for the Nutella flavored whipped cream that I found on the Cherrapeno blog to fill the touile cookies. These are so crisp and light tasting, and the airy whipped cream was the perfect addition (not too sweet).

Ingredients:
¼ cup softened butter
½ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of sugar mixed with a drop of vanilla extract
2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not over mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as a butterfly, circle, leaf, etc (I used the circle). Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.
Bake stenciled batter in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.
If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones, etc.

Nutella Whipped Cream:
Whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Add 3 tablespoons of Nutella and whip until combined. Pipe onto the touile cookies.

Venison Sausage Chili

Since we're still trying to figure out different ways to eat our venison sausage, I found this recipe from Emeril. I just substituted the venison sausage for the Andouille. I didn't know how I would like the chili with sausage instead of ground beef, but I was amazed. I may even like it more than the ground beef version.

Ingredients:
(serves 6-8)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds Andouille, or other spicy, smoked link sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used venison)
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed, and their juices
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, garnish
1 cup finely chopped green onions, garnish

Directions:
In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, Essence, and cumin and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beer and cook until the foam subsides, about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and kidney beans to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a thermos. To serve, ladle into bowls or thick cups. Sprinkle each serving with grated cheese and green onions, and serve hot.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Cheesecake Ice Cream

This ice cream left me screaming for more when I finished, but I had to sit on my hands because I didn't "need" anymore. Like I said before, I'm obsessed with my Christmas present that my sister gave me (The Perfect Scoop by David Levobitz). As you can see from my previous posts, I'm really on an ice cream kick. Thankfully these recipes only make a few cups of ice cream. Otherwise I'd be in a heap of trouble.

Aubrey said this one was his favorite flavor so far. It's really creamy and has a hint of lemony flavor that comes from the zest. I made a graham cracker crust (1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs + 1.5 TBSP melted butter) and pressed it in the sorbet dish. I put the ice cream on top of the crust, and I topped the ice cream with my favorite blueberry jam. I like this jam because it has real blueberries in it. It's also good over plain vanilla ice cream (reminds me of blueberry cobbler).

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Zest the lemon directly into a blender or food processor, then add the cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar, and salt, and puree until smooth.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Makes about 3 cups.

Creamy Cajun Venison Pasta

Aubrey and I have been eating on this venison sausage for several days now. I made the red beans and rice a few days ago with this sausage. Once it disappeared I had to find another recipe. I was really impressed with this pasta that I found on Cara's blog. I made a few changes to the recipe to fit the ingredients that we already had. We really enjoyed this, especially since it was such a quick meal with easy clean up.

Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
About 8 inches of Venison sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch discs
2 Tablespoons Smart Balance "butter"
8 oz. package pre-sliced mushrooms
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon any other spicy seasoning you have (I used a venison seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Bring medium pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
In a skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage pieces. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Melt the butter in the same skillet. Add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add flour, seasoning, and salt to pan; saute 30 seconds (will be thick). Stir in milk; cook about two minutes until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
After draining pasta, combine pasta, sauce, cooked sausage, and fresh parsley.

Thai Chicken with Cashews

I've had a stash of recipes in my "favorites" on the internet, and I thought it was time to give them a try.... finally. This one was a quick stir fry..... perfect for a week night meal. I found this recipe on Annie's Eats. It was amazing! I used chicken breasts instead of the thighs because I prefer white meat chicken. My H said it was so good, and he could eat it every night of the week. The red pepper flakes give it the perfect amount of heat, and the bell peppers give it a good crunch.



Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (or 1 ½ tsp. dried)
¼ tsp. roasted red pepper flakes
¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup salted roasted whole cashews
cooked white or brown rice for serving

Directions:
Chop scallions, separating white and green parts. Pat chicken dry, then cut into ¾ -inch pieces and toss with salt and pepper. Heat a wok or 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderately high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately. Add oil, swirling to coat, then stir-fry chicken until golden in places and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add bell pepper, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and scallion whites to wok and stir-fry until peppers are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir together broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar, then stir the mixture into the vegetables in the wok. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cashews, scallion greens and chicken along with any juices accumulated on plate. Serve with rice.

Happy 1st Birthday to "Taste and See"

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

It's official.... My blog is 1 year old now, and I have an excuse to bake a cake.
I've had my eye on this cake for a while now, and I had some Kahlua left over from the Tiramisu Ice Cream I made last week. I saw this recipe on the Sugar & Spice blog, and it's a recipe from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. It's really moist, and the hazelnuts really add a great flavor. I couldn't taste the Kahlua very much in the cake, so it just tasted like a good chocolate cake to me. If you make this, you need to have a big glass of milk to drink.
I only made a 2 layer cake because I only have 2 round cake pans. I used the rest of the batter to make cupcakes.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 and 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Kahlua
3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted and divided (I used hazelnuts)
Chocolate Kahlua Frosting (below)
Garnish: chocolate-covered coffee beans (I substituted chopped hazelnuts for the garnish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1/4 cup Kahlua; beat until well blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Drizzle layers evenly with 1/3 cup Kahlua.

Combine 1/2 cup hazelnuts or pecans and 1 cup Chocolate Kahlua Frosting (recipe below); spread between layers. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts or pecans on top. Garnish, if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Kahlua Frosting

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar, sifted and divided
3 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup Kahlua or strongly brewed coffee

Directions:
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and chocolate; beat until smooth. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and Kahlua, beating at low speed until spreading consistency.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I'm obsessed with my new book (The Perfect Scoop), and I was dying to try another recipe. I was really wanting to try the chocolate peanut butter ice cream, and that's what I started making..... or so I thought. After I pureed all of my ingredients, I realized I had been reading the wrong recipe.... Peanut Butter Ice cream. Well, I couldn't waste it... really all I had left to do was freeze it. I'm glad I made it because it was so good and rich. One scoop goes a loooong way, and it fits perfectly on top of a fudge brownie.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 and 2/3 cups half-and-half
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Puree the peanut butter, sugar, half-and-half, salt, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge (I let sit overnight), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Makes 1 quart

Variation: Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

To make the PB & J ice cream.....
As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer it with 3/4 cup of your favorite jam or jelly (I used grape).

Tiramisu Ice Cream

My sister gave me a book I've been dying to have for a while called The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovits. I read through the whole book as soon as I got home. When I heard that my mom was coming to visit, I knew I had to make the Tiramisu ice cream. There are a few steps to making it, but it's worth every bit of time... plus some. She said it's the best ice cream she's ever put in her mouth (and she said it several times). I served it with some Lady Fingers to give it the full Tiramisu effect. According to Lebovitz, the alcohol in the ice cream keeps it from freezing too hard... so it has a good consistency.... easy for scooping. I can't wait to make this again.



Tiramisu Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 cups mascarpone1 cup half-and-half2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
¼ cup coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlua
3 Tbsp brandy or dark rum
Mocha Ripple (recipe below)

Directions:
Puree the mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, liqueur, and brandy together in a blender or food processor until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the machine, alternate layers of Mocha Ripple with the ice cream in the storage container.


Mocha Ripple

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup strongly brewed espresso
6 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, espresso, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.
Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Shill in the refrigerator before using.
Mixing it in: The Mocha Ripple should be thoroughly chilled, as it’s easiest to use when very cold. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the fudge ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring the Mocha Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking.
Storage: Mocha Ripple can be stored for up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

Pot Liquor Soup from the South

You're probably wondering what in the world "pot liquor" is. I didn't learn what it was until I lived in the rural Perry County of Alabama for a year. It's the liquid that comes from cooking greens (collard, mustard, and turnip). In the south, we can't have greens without having cornbread to soak up all of the goodness.... So if you decide to make this, you HAVE to make cornbread.
My co-worker told me about this soup recipe, and I immediately thought that it would be perfect for New Year's Day. I grew up with the tradition that eating greens on New Year's Day meant a year of wealth, and the black eyed peas represent a year of luck..... I think that's how it goes (not that I really believe in all that stuff). My mom was visiting this week, and she helped me make this soup (I'm glad I had an extra 2 hands to help cut). We substituted a pound of dried black eyed peas (soaked overnight) for the field peas and crowder peas in the Southern Living recipe.

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh collard greens (We used bagged ones that were already chopped)
3/4 pound smoked ham hocks
1 (1 and 1/2-pound) ham steak, chopped
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 red potatoes, diced
3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 pound dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight
2 cups water
1/2 cup vermouth (I used white cooking wine)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Remove and discard stems and discolored spots from collards; rinse with cold water. Drain; tear into 1-inch pieces.... Or buy the bagged collards and skip the rinsing and tearing steps.
Bring collards, ham hocks, and water to cover to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Remove from heat; drain. Repeat procedure once.
Toss together chopped ham and hot sauce; cook in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until browned.
Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. Stir in collards, ham hocks, potato, and remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes (I cooked for much longer).
Remove meat from hocks; discard hocks. Return meat to soup.
Mmmm. Enjoy..... with cornbread.

New Year's Resolution....

SAVE MONEY!

Yes, my New Year's Resolution this year is to save more money. Aubrey and I are trying so hard to save money for a down payment on a house. One of the many ways we can do this is to save on groceries. As much as I like to cook, I absolutely hate going to the grocery store. I try to go only once on a week day when the crowds are minimal. You should see me when I go... I can zip through there like you've never seen before. I'm in and out in just a matter of minutes... even if I have a cart full of groceries. I hate it that bad!

These are some of the ways I save money on groceries:

1. Make a grocery list:
We have a magnetic note pad that we keep on our fridge. If we run out of something or if we're running low on something, we write it on the list. This keeps me from having to waste gas driving to the grocery store during the week for one or two items that I forgot to pick up. I DO NOT pick up anything extra that's not on my grocery list.

2. Plan my menu for the week:
Before going to the grocery store, I sit down with a cookbook and my computer and look for recipes. I'll plan out my menu for the whole week. I add the ingredients that I need for these meals on my grocery list (above). When looking for a recipe, I try to find recipes that call for ingredients that I need to use up in the pantry/fridge so they don't ruin. I also try to cook meals that use some of the same ingredients. For example, earlier this week I made Mongolian Beef. I had to buy green onions for that meal. Since I didn't use the whole package of onions, I used them for another meal (potato soup). That way I didn't have to waste the ones I didn't use.

3. Freeze Food:
This is something that I've had to get used to. When I first got married, I never froze anything. I'd let leftovers sit in the fridge, and often it would ruin. I bought some plastic containers and decided to start freezing our leftovers. The more I did it, the easier it got. If I know I'm going to have a busy day, I'll take a container out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. That way, supper is super quick and easy.

4. Cut coupons:
Sometimes my grocery store will print out a coupon attached to my receipt. If it's something I use, I'll save it. If it's something I don't use, I throw it away (there's no use in buying something if I'm not going to use it.... no matter how good the deal is). I'm also a big fan of Costco. They send out coupons every month, and I'll cut out the ones that I need and stock up. Other places you can find coupons are online and in the paper.

I found this blog on other ways I can save money on grocery shopping, and I'm so pumped to try these tips. I hope you find these tips useful. Feel free to share any tips you've found helpful to you and your wallet.