Smitten Sunday

For my birthday I received the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook.

Almost everyone who has ever surfed the internet for a recipe has ended up on Smitten Kitchen at one time or another.  She has recipes for everything.

As I flipped through the book I immediately flagged a dozen recipes to try as soon as possible.  Sunday dinners are going to be so fun in the New Year.

Before the holiday season kicks into full gear I decided to sneak in one more cozy dinner for two while I still had the chance.  Last weekend I took over Michael’s kitchen and tackled two recipes from the book.

The Mini Meatloaves with Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes were just as good as the name suggests.  I loved that there were no ‘odd’ or ‘special’ ingredients…just normal things we generally keep in our pantries or can easily grab from the supermarket.  The meatloaf was so moist and flavourful…and made excellent leftovers.  And how could browned butter mashed potatoes be anything but ah-mazing?  You know we gobbled those down.

I served the meal with sauteed Brussels sprouts.  A comfort food marriage.

For a Sunday night treat I chose the Whole Lemon Bars because Michael loves anything lemony.  These came together so fast and easy (would have been even easier if I’d had a food processor there instead of a blender!) and are a great adaptation of a traditional lemon bar.

The crust is crisp and sugar-cookie like, while the top is fresh, tart and creamy.  Can’t ask for much more from a lemon bar now can we?

You can see here how Michael just couldn’t wait to dig in.

This entire Smitten Kitchen meal will be finding it’s way into regular rotation.  We were both particularly pleased with our Sunday dinner.  Yum!

Grown Up Pork Chops

Do you remember when you first left home?  Do you remember realizing that you had to cook for yourself?  Do you remember getting your Mom to clue you in on how to make something other than instant noodles or microwaved scrambled eggs?

I actually worked in a restaurant so I had a least one or two meals covered five days a week, thank God.  Like a typical teenager I was happy with cereal or toast or bowls of popcorn for dinner until I eventually figured out how to add microwaved bacon to my scrambled eggs.  I thought I was a big shot when I dropped gobs of margarine into my cheap Teflon pan and fried up frozen perogies.

Eventually I asked my Mom for help.  The first ‘real’ meal I got her to teach me was Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce.  Turns out it was just Pork Chops with a Can of Soup.  Who knew?!  After a lot of overcooked pork chops and a couple of pans scratched while whisking with a fork this recipe became one of my staples for years. 

Eventually I started using olive oil instead of big scoops of margarine to cook the chops.  Eventually I discovered varieties of mushrooms other than the standard white.  Eventually I started to put my own spin on the sauce by adding garlic, onions, seasoning and fresh herbs.  Eventually I bought a rubberized whisk and stopped scratching the shit out of my frying pan.

Eventually I decided to be a grown up and ditch the soup can. 

Pan Seared Pork Loin Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 –4 boneless pork loin chops, approx 1 inch thick
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (cremini, brown, white, or a combo of your faves)
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup dairy of choice (milk, cream, sour cream or plain yogurt)
• seasoning of choice (I like Montreal Steak Spice, but dried thyme, oregano, rosemary and/or lots of cracked pepper work nicely too)

Directions:

1. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Lightly sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.  When oil is hot add pork chops and cook until browning around the edges, flip and cook other side.  Approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove pork chops from pan and cover loosely with foil.
2. In the same pan heat remaining oil.  Add onions, stir and cook one minute.  Add garlic, stir.  Add mushrooms, stir and season as desired.  As mushrooms start to cook down add stock then reduce temp to just below medium.  Let simmer 3-4 minutes until mushrooms soften and stock reduces by half.  Stir in grainy mustard.
3. Using a shallow ladle scoop half of the mixture into a food processor or blender.  Puree until almost smooth then add back to the pan.  Add dairy, stir until incorporated.  Return pork chops to pan and continue to simmer on low heat until desired consistency is reached.  (If using yogurt, simmer first then add at the end).

Seen here with steamed spinach and roasted beets because that is what I had on hand, but this makes a delicious cozy dinner if served over rice or mashed potatoes. Fluffy carbs are always the best device for absorbing gravy!

I’m not sure 19 year old me could have pulled this recipe off but I am fairly certain she’d approve.  Eventually.

Sunday Dinner is Served

Shazzam.  Sunday I was on the road to recovery when I was invited to join Michael and his brother David for dinner.  David’s lovely girlfriend was in town and offered to cook chicken dinner for the four of us.

No one told me that chicken dinner comes with the most beautiful pan of scalloped potatoes ever baked.  Holy yum, people.  Holy yum.

I should have broken out the camera earlier to document everything Char did because dinner was super deeeelish.  Roasted drumsticks, seasoned carrots and steamed gai lan went along with my half a plate of spuds. :)

And just when we thought we might all explode from potato goodness, she busted out these gigantic dishes of homemade strawberry shortcake.

Heard in the kitchen just before dinner was served: “hey Michael, I need a cookbook.”  “What for?”  “A biscuit recipe.”  “I’ll Google you one.”

Et voila…20 minutes later fresh shortcake biscuits arrived out of the oven.  Nice work, Char.

So yeah.  Maybe I’ll never cook for myself again.  I’ll just food paparazzi the hell out of Michael and his family.  Works for me! :)

Sunday Chicken Dinner

Oddly, as I wandered through the grocery store looking for sustenance after returning home from my super fun Seattle weekend I was hit with the desire to roast a chicken.  Random to say the least.

So I set about filling my basket with the basics for a simple yet yummy Sunday evening dinner.  Root veggies, rosemary, garlic, lemons, and a perfect little 4ish pound bird.

Late in the afternoon I got to work.  Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, and pearl onions were chopped, tossed with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt, fresh rosemary, cracked pepper, and minced garlic and spread on a foil lined baking sheet (I don’t own a roasting pan!).

Preparation of the chicken itself is easy.  Patted dry with paper towel, ensured interior of bird was completely empty, trimmed away a bit of unnecessary fat, and stuffed the cavity with chopped lemon, garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and a very generous sprinkle of coarse salt.

For exterior flavour I put together an easy herbed butter: fresh minced garlic, coarsely chopped rosemary, lemon zest, poultry seasoning, and of course more coarse salt and cracked pepper.  Spread it generously (with bare fingers) over the skin of the bird.

Place the bird directly on top of the veggies then pop into a 375 degree oven.  At about one hour I covered loosely with foil and let cook another 30 minutes. 

Removed from the oven, lifted the bird to a wire rack (over a baking sheet to catch juices) and let stand while I kept the veggies warm in foil and quickly prepared a simple gravy.

Gravy was simply all of the juices poured from the veggie pan (and the catch pan under the resting bird) brought to a rolling simmer in a sauce pan mixed with a bit of corn starch to thicken.  Delicious.

Comforting Sunday night dinner for one…

Obviously there will be leftovers for days to come…which is apparently excellent timing because Monday morning presented us with hot chicken soup weather…

Waking up in Victoria to this reminded me a little too much of what I ran away from in Halifax. Damn La Nina!

Sunday Dinner

I always say I’m going to attempt to implement Sunday dinners around here, but inevitably something happens.  We end up with other leftovers, or make plans to go out, or opt to fend for ourselves…something!  Well, this weekend I finally planned ahead and got it done!

Pork Loin Roast

Just a little 2 pounder (barely).  Prepared simply by piercing slits into the roast which I stuffed with slices of fresh garlic and sprigs of fresh rosemary. 

Also smeared with a bit of herby butter: 1 tsp butter, salt, pepper, and finely chopped rosemary.

Let stand about one hour, then roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Alongside we served roasted white potatoes.  Clean and cut into chunks, boil for about 10 minutes, then drain and let cool.

Toss with a big drizzle of olive oil, lots of salt, pepper, ground thyme and more rosemary sprigs (I would also have added a bit of garlic powder but we are out).  Bake alongside the roast for about 30 minutes, until crisp.  (I let them continue baking while the roast rested…so about 40 minutes in total.)

 

All together with steamed broccoli. 

Success! 

For dessert we had cupcakes!  Surprise!  :)

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In addition to this meal I attempted to make Broccoli Cheese Soup (healthy style!).  I have beautiful pictures and it was absolutely perfect…right up until I added the cheese.  It curdled.  What the hell?  It’s still edible but nowhere near as lovely as it was just 2 minutes earlier.

Anyone know the trick to adding the cheese without it separating in the soup?