Grilled Pork with Balsamic Reduction & Loaded Mashed Russet Potatoes

Balsamic Vinegar is always great to cook with because it helps to ensure that your pork doesn't turn out tasting too sweet!  Pork is a great meat for sucking up any sort of minor hint of flavor that you add to it!  The variations that you can do with a recipe like this are practically endless and have yet to disappoint in my experience.  

Grilled Balsamic Pork

Ingredients: 

1 Bottle Raspberry Blush Balsamic Vinegar (about 1 Cup, 8.5 oz, 250 ml)

1/2 Cup Peach Preserves (If you want your reduction sauce to be thick, use 1/4 Cup instead)

3 Pork Tenderloins (Thickly Sliced)

Seasoning (Mediterranean Basil, Crushed Rosemary, Alpine Touch)

Dollop of sour cream

Rosemary leaves

Directions: 

Prepare the grill (I used my handy George Foreman Grill).  Bring the Balsamic Vinegar & Peach Preserves to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Cook until reduced by half.  While the sauce is reducing, season the pork tenderloins.  Place on the grill.  Cook for about 15 minutes until cooked all the way through.  Remove from the grill.  Cover or keep warm in the microwave.  As soon as the sauce is thoroughly reduced score the meat to ensure the sauce will seep in.  To serve spoon the balsamic reduction over the meat to just cover (or to taste).  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and rosemary leaves on top.  *Do not shy away from the sour cream, it enhances the flavor tremendously and makes the taste sweeter.

*Optional: You may also garnish with a few blackberries or any other kind of fruit

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 Large Russet Potatoes (Peeled & Cubed)

2 Tbsp Butter

1/3 Cup Cream

1/2 Cup Cheese (I used Cheddar/Monterey Jack)

2 Tbsp Sour Cream

Garlic Powder

Basil

Alpine Touch

Leeks

Directions:

Add the potatoes to the pot and cover with water.  Boil until easy to mash and then turn heat down to low.  Mash any lumps out and add the butter and cream and stir in thoroughly   Add all remaining ingredients except the leeks and mix thoroughly.  Serve by topping with snipped leeks and Basil.  Enjoy.

The ingredients for my Balsamic Reduction sauce

Boil the potatoes and the Vinegar & Peach preserves

Season the pork

Place the pork on the grill

Multi-task like a champ :)

Finish boiling the potatoes while continuing to boil the reduction sauce

Mash the potatoes while the sauce is still reducing

Add the butter and cream to the potatoes, continue to boil sauce and grill pork

Add remaining ingredients to the potatoes and finish reducing the sauce

Serve & Enjoy!

Smoked Cheesy Chicken Pasta

A delicious and fresh tasting pasta.  My first try and I love how it turned out.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Large Chicken Breasts (Chopped)

Seasoning (Tarragon, Oregano, Rosemary & Crushed Rep Pepper)

8 oz of pasta (I used large shells however rotini or bowtie would have also been a great choice)

1/2 Cup Sliced Black Olives

4 Stalks Green Onions

1/2 Cup Diced Smoked Gouda

Sliced Avocado 

 

 Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottom skillet.  Add the chicken and seasoning and cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until cooked thoroughly.  Add the black olives and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Stir the cheese and green onions into the skillet.

At the same time bring a pan of lightly salted water to boil and add the pasta.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes until al-dente.  Drain and set aside.  

Spoon the chicken mixture onto the pasta and toss lightly.  Garnish with green onions and sliced avocado.

Cook the chicken thoroughly

Cook the pasta thoroughly

Add the black olives

Add the cheese and green onions

Toss the chicken mixture with the pasta

Garnish with green onions and avocado slices

Beef Roast & Veggies Recipe

As the weather turned cooler this weekend, I wanted to make something to warm us up and happened to have a beef roast on hand that was ready to be cooked.  

Ingredients:

2 lb Beef Roast

2 Cups Red Wine (can substitute beef broth)

3 Cups Water

Seasoning (Garlic, Rosemary, Sea Salt, Bourbon Brown Sugar)

2 Cloves Garlic

4 Stalks Celery (Chopped)

3 Potatoes (Peeled & Chopped)

3 Carrots (Peeled & Chopped)

 Directions:

Season the beef roast and place into the slow cooker.  Add the wine and water and cook on high for 1 hour.  Add the Garlic, Celery, Potatoes and Carrots.  Cook on Low for another hour.  Roast will be tender and ready to eat.  Serve and enjoy!

Season the roast and place into the slow cooker

The seasoning I used

Add the wine & water and cook on high

Add the veggies and cook on low

Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Leg of Lamb with Mashed Red Potatoes

I just love lamb, and when it goes on sale, I can't help but buy some to make a delicious meal out of :)

Ingredients: (Lamb)

3 lb Leg of Lamb

Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Orange Juice

1/2 Cup White Wine ( I used Viognier)

3 cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp Rosemary

1 Tbsp Mediterranean Basil

1Tbsp Thyme

1/2 Tbsp Alpine Touch

1/2 Cup Orange Liquor

1 Cup Chicken Stock

Ingredients: (Mashed Red Potatoes)

3-4 Red Potatoes

Sea Salt

1 Cup Half & Half

1/4 Cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp Butter

1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Alpine Touch

Mediterranean Basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Marinade: Mix Garlic, Orange Juice, White Wine, Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, and Alpine Touch in Blender.  Add the Orange Liquor and the Chicken Stock, blend together. 

Put Leg of Lamb into pan and pat with sea salt.  Pour Marinade over the lamb (you will have some left over).  Put into oven and cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.  Pour extra marinade over lamb if needed.  Cook for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  At internal temperature of 150 degrees (using a meat thermometer) the lamb will be medium-rare, cook longer for more thoroughly browned lamb.

When there are 20 minutes left on the lamb cut the red potatoes and put into a pan.  Cover with water and add a dash of sea salt.  Bring to a boil on high.  Reduce heat to medium high and continue boiling until potatoes are soft (about 15-20 minutes).  Turn to low-med and add the Half & Half. 

Remove the lamb from the oven and place on a plate and store on teh microwave to keep warm, add all remaining marinade to a sauce pan to simmer.  Simmer to reduce.  

 Use a whisk and whisk the potatoes until smooth.  Turn heat to low and add the remaining ingredients.  Serve with a dash of Basil on top

Serve the lamb with some marinade spooned over top.  Store any remaining lamb soaking into the remaining marinade to ensure moistness for leftovers.  Enjoy!

Blend the Orange Juice, Wine, and Seasonings together

Blend the chicken stock and orange Liquor into the marinade

Pat the lamb with sea salt

Pour the marinade over the lamb and stick into oven

Chop the potatoes and place into a pan

Cover the potatoes with water

Boil the potatoes until soft

Add the half and half to the potatoes

Remove the lamb from the oven

Whisk the potatoes and simmer the marinade

Add the seasoning to the potatoes and continue to simmer the marinade

Add remaining ingredients to the potatoes and finish simmering the marinade

Serve by pouring marinade on the lamb and a dash of Basil on the potatoes

Rosemary Citrus Chicken

Rosemary Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tsp Orange Zest
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Cloves Garlic Chopped
1 Tbsp Crushed Rosemary
3 Chicken Breasts Skinless

Directions:
In a large bowl (or resealable plastic bag) combine the orange and lemon zest.  Add the orange and lime juice to the zest.  Mix together and add the garlic and rosemary.  Thoroughly mix the ingredients and add the chicken breasts.  Cover completely and marinate for about 20 minutes.  Remove the chicken and grill for about 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked while still being juicy.  Serve and enjoy!

Orange & Lemon Zest

Add the Orange & Lime Juice

Add the chopped garlic and crushed rosemary

Add the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes

Grill for about 15 minutes

Remove from the grill and cover with juices from cooking

Serve & Enjoy!

Steak Au Poivre

This evening I made some delicious steak au poivre for dinner.  It is really easy and quick.  Takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. 

Steak Au Poivre

Ingredients:

Seasoning (I used Crushed Rosemary, Crushes Sea Salt and Garlic Salt)
4 Steak Medallions (Cut of steak depends on your preference)
Unsalted Butter 3 Tbsp
1/2 Package Mushrooms Sliced
2/3 Cup (3 fl oz) Cognac or Brandy (I used Cherry Grand Marnier)
2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Tarragon

Directions:
 
In a Large Frying pan over med-high heat melt 2 Tbsp butter.  While the butter is melting season the steak on both side with the seasoning of your choice.  Add the steaks to the pan to cook.  Turning once for a total of 6-8 minutes for medium rare and longer if you like your steak done more.  Transfer the steaks to a plate and store in the microwave to keep warm. 
Add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter to the pan and melt over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute' until softened (about a minute).  Stir in the cognac, cream and tarragon.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer until slightly thickened.  Simmer for more than a 1-5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and return the steaks to the pan to soak into the sauce.  Serve by spooning sauce over the steak onto the plate.  Enjoy!

Add the seasoned steaks to the pan to cook

Saute' the mushrooms

Add the Cognac, Cream & Tarragon to the Mushrooms

Serve by spooning sauce over the steak (I also added loaded mashed potatoes and freshly sliced cantaloupe)

 

If you would like the recipe for the loaded mashed potatoes please see the following links to recipe blogs by me.  Enjoy

Beef Stroganoff with Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Chicken in Orange Viognier Sauce with Loaded Mashed Potatoes