Lemon Mushroom Sauce

We had friends for dinner this weekend. I served this chicken with a sauce similar to this.

Mix ¾ C. chicken broth and ¾ C. white wine. Add a spoonful of cornstarch, whisk and set aside. Clean and slice ½ pound white mushrooms. Melt butter with some EVOO in a sauce pan. Add white ends of one bunch of scallions (diced) and saute. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking. When they begin to release their liquid season with salt, pepper and a pinch of tarragon. Add wine and broth, whisk well, and simmer for twenty minutes. Add zest and juice of one lemon. Taste for additional seasoning and serve over chicken.

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom and Wine Sauce

As it turns out people are actually still coming over here DESPITE my intense neglect. I've decided to try and post more regularly. I fixed dinner for Precious Oldest and friends last night, here is the menu.

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce
Wild Rice
Asparagus

Two pork tenderloins, about a pound each. Mix together a good spoonful each garlic salt, cracked black pepper, thyme*. Sprinkle over pork and and rub in well. Leave to sit at room temperature for half an hour.

Heat two pats butter and some EVOO in a good sized sauce pan. Add ½ lb. baby portabellas: cleaned, stems removed, sliced thinly. Cook over medium heat, when they release their liquid season with salt, fresh ground pepper, thyme. Oh, and I threw in a little dry onion.

Mix ¾ C. beef stock, ¾ C. dry red wine and a spoonful corn starch. Add to mushrooms, stir and simmer 20 or so minutes to reduce. (Towards the end taste for seasoning and add a pat of butter to gloss.)

Grill tenderloins at about 400 degrees, 8 minutes per side. Cover with foil and let rest 5 to 8 minutes.

Slice pork and ladle sauce over sliced meat. People - it was awesome.

* I didn’t have fresh on hand so I used dried French Thyme. If you use ground thyme I would use less.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

I was grilling chicken and making a Caprese salad for dinner the other night. I had picked up some beautiful Portabella mushrooms and was thinking of grilling them too. And then I had an igneous idea that was simply delicious!

So you know Insalata Caprese, right?

Tomatoes/Mozzarella/Basil

Dressed with

Balsamic Vinegar/Olive Oil/Salt/Pepper

I make it all the time in the summer because I grow my own tomatoes and basil. The amounts aren't important to me, but the order of ingredients is: Tomato/Salt/Pepper/Basil/Vinegar/Oil/Cheese. Simple. Yummy.

So I riffed on some of those ingredients. I popped the stems off the mushroom caps and scooped out some of the gills. I rubbed some olive oil on those bad boys and grilled them four minutes per side. While they were on the grill I sliced up some extra cheese and chopped some extra basil.

With two minutes to go on the second side (Oh, I started cap side up on the grill)I sprinkled the mushrooms with salt and pepper, threw on some basil and topped it with the mozzarella.

OMG! Everyone loved them and they will definitely stay on the rotation.

Best Potato Salad

3-4 lbs. Potatoes - Any kind you like that you would cook with the skins on
1/2 lb. Bacon - cooked and crumbled
8 oz Shredded/Crumbled Cheese (My favorite is Blue, but Cheddar, Colby, whatever)
8 oz Sour Cream
1/2 C. Mayonnaise
Red Onion - Diced (Depends on how much raw onion you like)
(Um, I like to cheat and get some hard boiled egg from the salad bar - too lazy to do this myself)



Wash and cut the potatoes into smallish chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and roast potatoes for 45 minutes at 425 degrees. About half way through, use a spatula to push everything around.

While they're roasting cook the bacon, dice the onion, and then mix with the rest of the ingredients. Dump in potatoes and mix.

OMG - this is the BEST potato salad you'll EVER eat.

Baked Beans

Low and slow folks, that's the name of the game.

4 - 5 Cans (16.5 oz) Busch's Baked Beans (Yes, they ARE better)
1 C. Dark Molasses
1/2 C. Ketchup
1 Red Onion - Diced
1/2 lb. Bacon - Diced
2 Tbs. Coleman's Dry Mustard

Mix all the stuff. dump in large greased baking dish. If it look perilously close to the top? Put a baking sheet underneath so you don't drip in your oven. Set your oven to 275 degrees and bake for six hours.

Citrus Grilled Chicken

Monday Dinner

• Citrus Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Pineapple
• Basmati Rice
• Salad

1/2 C. Orange Juice
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
2 Big Spoonfuls Orange Marmalade
1 Big Spoonful Soy Sauce
1 Big Spoonful Grated Ginger
Couple grinds Black Pepper

I mixed the above and marinated about a pound and a half of chicken tenders for about six hours. I grilled them six minutes per side.

I took large slices of fresh pineapple and threaded them on skewers. I brushed them lightly with olive oil and threw them on the grill when I turned the chicken. I turned once, so three minutes per side.

Served both over rice with a salad. Great way to christen our new patio furniture!

She doesn't call, she doesn't write

I suck at trying to keep up two blogs - get OVER IT!

That said...

Polenta

2 C. Chicken Stock
1 C. Milk
1/2 C. Polenta*
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan

Bring stock and milk to a low boil. WHISK in polenta. DO NOT USE A SPOON. (*I find polenta in the baking section with the oats and corn meal.) Yes it will seem like too much liquid, just whisk for two minutes and it will thicken up.

Drizzle of oil, handful of cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Whole thing takes five minutes, but it's tasty.