Island Pork Tenderloin

Island Pork Tenderloin

 For spice rub:
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 ¼ - 2 ½ lbs total) trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil 

For Glaze:
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp Tabasco (or hot sauce)

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4-5 minutes total. 

Remove from heat, but leave pork in skillet. Stir together brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl. Pat the mixture on top of the pork. Place skillet in the oven at 350. Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes.

OR if you are like Nate and I and want to throw it in the crock pot and leave it at that here is what we did and it was fabulous:

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. Place in crock pot. Stir the glaze ingredients together and pour over pork. Leave on low for 5-6 hours (we did 6 but could have done a touch less) and then shred and serve over rice (preferably jasmine rice because it is the bomb diggity.)

This was seriously the most amazing thing ever! Don't leave anything out, no matter how weird it sounds!! It was slightly sweet but not too sweet and not at all hot so don't worry about trimming down on the hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Yield: 4 to 5 servings
Serving Size: 2 cabbage rolls

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 medium head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice (white or brown)
1/4 cup raisins (I omitted these)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce (I used tomato soup and put about 2 tsp of various seasonings that I love instead of the paprika)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sour cream, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch pan with cooking spray or oil.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.

In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cooled onion, rice, raisins, and salt. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place a scant 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Optional: Serve the cabbage rolls with a big dollop of sour cream.

Source: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Crockpot Chicken Chili

I made this last Sunday and it was SOOOO good! Makes a lot and reheats great. I added 1 can corn, 1 can red kidney beans, and 1 can great northern beans. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Verde

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 4 hours 30 mins

Total time: 4 hours 45 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped coarse
• 1 7-oz can green chiles, minced
• 3/4 cup beef broth (I used chicken)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin (I used 1 t)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt, to taste
• 2 jalepenos, chopped fine (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare your ingredients.
2. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.
3. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours.
4. With 30 minutes left, shred chicken, then stir. (if you have a kitchenaid, throw chicken in there and let it do the shredding)
5. Serve with taco and burrito fixings. Is also delicious plain! (we just ate it as chili)

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

1/2 lb  frozen spinach; thawed and drained well
1 lb ricotta, drained
2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
3/4 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 C All Purpose Flour

Mix all of the ingredients until incorporated. Knead to form a smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 min. Cut dough into 4 even pieces. Roll one piece at a time into a 1" thick rope. Cut into 1/4"  pieces. (this doesn't have to be very accurate or perfect. Just try to make them remotely the same size for even cooking)
Bring 6 quarts water to a boil, then salt. Drop gnocchi into boiling water and remove once they float to the surface. Can be tossed with pesto, tomato sauce or olive oil and sprinkle with more cheese.

Grilled Pork and Pineapple

Makes: 4 servings

Start to Finish: 18 mins

Ingredients
4 3/4 inches thick boneless top loin pork chops (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
Salt (optional) and ground black pepper
1 peeled and cored fresh pineapple
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup roasted, lightly salted cashew halves and/or pieces or toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Fresh thyme (optional)

Directions
Sprinkle both sides of pork lightly with salt and pepper. Cut pineapple crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; set aside.
For a charcoal grill, grill chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 4 minutes. Turn; add pineapple to grill. Brush chops and pineapple with 2 tablespoons of the marmalade. Grill 3 to 5 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in pork registers 160 degrees F, turning pineapple once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chops on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above).

Meanwhile, combine yogurt and remaining 1 tablespoon marmalade; season to taste with additional ground black pepper.

Arrange pineapple and chops on serving plates. Spoon yogurt mixture over chops and pineapple; sprinkle with nuts and garnish with herb.

Nutritional Facts

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Weight Watchers Recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic clove, minced

28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes

15 oz. canned tomato sauce

1 t. table salt

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided

6 item dry lasagna, no-cook

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5-7 minutes.   Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 c. of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker.  Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture.  Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting 4-6 hours.  Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, sprinkle over beef mixture.  Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. 


**This is an excellent recipe!!!  I used a 14oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 27oz. can of spaghetti sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.  I cooked it on low for 9 hours and it turned out great.