Turkey Scallopini with Capers and Lemon
Ingredients
4 turkey cutlets ( pounded to 1/4-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fresh sage leaves, for garnish, optional
Directions
Pat turkey cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the turkey in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook the turkey until browned on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, covered. Repeat with remaining cutlets and oil and place them on the platter with the previously cooked cutlets.
Add garlic, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil until broth is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Stir in lemon juice, capers, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste. Add butter and swirl with a whisk until a smooth sauce is formed. Return the turkey cutlets to the skillet with any juices from the platter and simmer until heated through about 1 minute. Garnish with sage and serve.
Kale and Mashed Potato Mix
Ingredients
Half the recipe of sauteed kale
Link https://jovinacooksitalian.com/2019/11/04/meatloaf-parmigiana-dinner/
Half the recipe of olive oil mashed potatoes
Directions
Thoroughly mix together the kale and mashed potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Reheat the mixture until hot., stirring twice, about 3-4 minutes.
Broiled Tomatoes
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large vine ripe tomato
2 tablespoons Italian seasoned panko crumbs
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
Slice the tomato in half. Place tomato halves on a small pan lined with foil. Brush olive oil over the cut sides of the tomato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over tomatoes. Broil 4 minutes or until crumbs are lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon
ingredients
Serves 2
2 filet mignon steaks, (5 to 6 ounces each, about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns
2 teaspoons olive oil
Red Wine Sauce
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
Coarse salt to taste
Directions
For the beef:
Season the beef filets very generously on both sides with the salt and pepper, patting it firmly. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Move the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the steaks in the skillet and cook, without moving the steaks, until a dark brown crust has formed, about 3 minutes.
Using tongs, turn the steaks over and cook until well browned on the second side, about 3 minutes.
Place the skillet in the oven and roast the steaks 5 minutes for rare or 7 minutes for medium-rare to medium.
Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the sauce.
For the red wine sauce:
Place 1 cup red wine in a small saucepan; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the pan from the heat and add the butter. Stir the sauce until the butter is melted and the sauce is thickened about 1 minute.
Season with salt according to taste, if needed.
Salad With Roasted Beets, Blue Cheese and Pistachios
Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, grated
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Salad
1 bunch small golden beets, trimmed of leaves and washed well
4 cups romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ red onion, sliced very thin
4 ounces blue cheese, cut into cubes
1/3 cup shelled, toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
Homemade croutons, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the beets on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and seal the ends to create a package.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender. Cool; peel and slice or cut into ½ inch pieces. Transfer to a small bowl.
Make the vinaigrette:
Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined
Toss the beets with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Set aside until ready to prepare the salad.
Place the romaine and onion in a salad bowl and toss with some of the remaining vinaigrette.
Add the beets, pistachios and blue cheese and toss gently. Top with croutons, if using.
Pork
2 boneless loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick, all fat removed
2-3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Vegetables
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large white mushrooms, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
2 jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Noodles, 3-4 oz uncooked
Directions
Pat the chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour with the Italian seasoning. Coat the pork chops in the flour mixture.
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.
Cook the noodles according to package instructions.
Add mushrooms and zucchini to the skillet and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, cream, roasted peppers, and Parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened about 5 minutes. Add the pork chops back to the skillet and heat.
Serve over cooked noodles.
Mushroom Pork Chops
Servings: 2
Ingredients
2 (1 lb) boneless pork chops (each 1 inch thick) fat removed
3 tablespoons butter, divided
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 small-medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sliced sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cut the pork into 4 cutlets and pound to a 1/4 inch thickness. Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.
Heat a medium skillet and when hot, add 1 tablespoon butter. After the butter melts add the pork and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil.
Add the remaining butter, onion, garlic, and mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook until the onions are tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated. Add the chicken broth, sage, and thyme and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens. Place the pork chops in the sauce to heat. Serve over sautéed cabbage.
Sautéed Cabbage
2 servings
Ingredients
Half of a medium head of Savoy cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Directions
Melt butter in a deep frying pan. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the shredded cabbage and stir.
Lower the heat and continue cooking until the cabbage is silky soft.., about 20 minutes. Stir often. Season with salt and pepper.
Green Beans with Shallots
Ingredients
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
Salt
1 large shallot or 2 small, sliced into thin rings
Black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Cover beans with water and add a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander.
To the empty pan add the olive oil and the shallots. Cook until tender and soft. Return drained beans to the pan and add a sprinkle of black pepper. Cook for a minute or two to reheat the beans.
Garlic Chicken with Peppadew Salsa
2 servings
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 cup plain fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bone-in chicken breasts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a baking dish that will just fit the chicken breasts.
Combine the butter and garlic in a small microwave bowl. Heat on high for a minute or until the butter melts.
Pour into a shallow bowl and cool.
Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper in another shallow bowl.
Dip each chicken piece, one at a time, into the melted garlic butter.
Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides.
Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle on any of remaining melted butter over the breaded chicken.
Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.
Peppadew Salsa
Peppadews are sweet peppers from South Africa and are usually found in the mixed olive section near the deli in a supermarket.
Serves 2
6-8 Peppadew peppers, cubed
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for at least ½ an hour before serving.
Sautéed Escarole with Toasted Pine Nuts
Ingredients
1 large head escarole
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Sea salt to taste
Directions
After the core is removed, slice escarole into ribbons just over an inch thick. Wash escarole in several changes of water.
Dry well in a salad spinner.
Heat a large, deep frying pan, add the pine nuts and toast in the dry pan until the nuts start to brown, shaking the pan all the time the pine nuts are toasting. Pour onto a plate and reserve.
Add the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and heat for a minute.
Add escarole, a handful at a time, turning the leaves over each time you add more.
Saute the escarole. turning every few minutes, until it is wilted and soft.
Season to taste with sea salt and sprinkle pine nuts over. Serve immediately.
Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Makes about 20 cookies
Ingredients
8 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups ground pecans (pecan meal)
Directions
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Add pecan flour and mix until a dough forms.
Scoop the mound of dough into the center of a sheet of plastic wrap.
Using your hands, roll dough into an approximate 2-inch diameter cylindrical log; wrap and refrigerate dough until chilled and firm, about 1 hour. (The dough can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several day.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice the chilled dough into approximate 1/3-inch thick slices and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until light brown around the edges.
Cool on the baking pans for 15 minutes, then slide the parchment onto the kitchen counter to finish cooling (cookies will firm up as they cool).
Sometimes you don’t want to spend several hours in the kitchen fixing dinner but you want something really good. This dinner fits that description – quick to make and great taste all together.
Swordfish In Pesto Cream
2 servings
Ingredients
1 swordfish fillet, about 12 oz
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup rice cooked according to package directions
Directions
Season both sides of the swordfish with salt and black pepper. Cut the fish into two equal pieces.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, pesto and lemon zest. Add mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Transfer the cooked rice to a serving platter. Top the rice with the fish and spoon the sauce over the top.
Green Beans With Tomato
2 servings
Ingredients
½ pound fresh green beans, trimmed
¼ cup water
1 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 fresh plum tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until the shallot softens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add the green beans, tomatoes, oregano and water. Cook until the beans are crisp-tender, stirring and tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes.
October Moon by Ron Jones
At times, it is just the thing to slow down and have a nice leisurely dinner with your partner. No TV, no phone – just a nice glass of wine, conversation and a delicious dinner to relax after a busy work week.
Stuffed Chicken Rolls
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 thin chicken cutlets, pounded thin
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup cooked spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine the Italian breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese in one bowl and the egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water in another.
Combine the remaining grated Parmesan cheese, the shredded mozzarella, spinach (make sure you squeeze it dry) and ricotta cheese in a small bowl.
Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread half of the spinach cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and place seam side down on the work surface.
Dip chicken rolls in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet. Brown chicken on all sides and place the skillet in the oven.
Bake the chicken rolls for about 15 minutes or until an instant read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and the chicken rolls from the pan to a serving plate.
Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Herbs
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 6 ounces spaghetti
Directions
Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Drain.
Cook shallot in the olive oil in a small pot over medium high heat until soft, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low. Add tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste. Stir to mix.
Tomatoes should get warm, but not cooked, about 2-3 minutes.Add basil and oregano.
Mix the tomatoes with the cooked spaghetti and serve under the chicken rolls.
Romaine Salad
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1/4 of a medium red onion, cut into rings
- 10 Italian olives
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Divide the lettuce between two salad plates and top each plate with rings of red onion and 5 olives.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle dressing over the greens and serve.
Toasted Coconut Custard Pie
8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey, agave nectar, pure maple syrup or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted finely shredded coconut, divided
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 prebaked Pie Crust, cooled
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the honey, butter, vanilla and 2 cups of the almond milk.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of almond milk with the cornstarch. Slowly add this mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly over medium high heat.
Continue whisking until the custard begins to thicken.
The custard will need to come to a full boil in order to thicken properly. You’ll know when the custard is ready because it will become the consistency of pudding.
Remove the pan from the stove and whisk in the salt, 3/4 cup of the shredded coconut and the coconut extract into the vanilla custard.
Allow the custard to cool to room temperature before spooning into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the remaining 1/4 cup toasted coconut.
Refrigerate until chilled, about 2-3 hours.
Every once in a while, it is nice to just have dinner with your partner.
First Course
Southern Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
- 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons drained chopped pimientos
- 1 teaspoon grated onion
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch salt
- Pinch ground cayenne pepper
- Celery stalks, cut into 4 inch lengths
Directions
Process cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add Cheddar, Monterey Jack, mayonnaise, pimientos, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
Scrape into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Use the spread to fill celery stalks and serve immediately.
Second Course
Grilled Crab Stuffed Salmon Rolls
- 1 Salmon Fillet, about 8 oz, skin removed
Crab Stuffing
- ½ cup shelled, fresh lump crab meat
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon seafood seasoning (Old Bay)
- ¼ teaspoon ground garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
For the stuffing
Mix the crab meat with the vegetables and seasoning.
For the salmon rolls
Cut the salmon fillet in half lengthwise. Divide the stuffing in half and spread on the skinned side of the salmon fillet. Roll up tight and secure with metal skewers or Butcher’s string.
Refrigerate until time to grill.
Preheat the grill to medium hot.
Place pinwheels on a sheet of heavy-duty foil that has been coated with olive oil cooking spray. Poke a few holes into the foil.
Slide the foil onto the hot grill and grill with the lid closed for about 10 minutes.
To cook indoors
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Place pinwheels the pan. Brush pinwheels with butter, cover loosely with foil and bake 15-20 minutes..
Spaghetti with Basil Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 oz spaghetti
- 1/4 cup prepared or homemade basil pesto
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the spaghetti.
Add the pasta cooking water, the basil pesto and the Parmesan cheese to the empty pasta pot and stir until combined. Add the drained pasta, toss and serve.
Tomato Cucumber Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato cut in half and sliced
- 1/4 of a cucumber, cut in half and sliced
- 2 scallions, finely diced
- 2 cups arugula
- Italian vinaigrette
Directions
Combine the salad ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add enough salad dressing to just moisten the ingredients and toss, Serve immediately
Peach Frozen Yogurt
Makes about 4 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound peaches, peeled
- 2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Garnish with chopped mint leaves
Directions
Combine peaches, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a freezer-safe bowl, cover and freeze, whisking mixture vigorously every 30 minutes until just frozen throughout, 2 to 3 hours.
(Whisking helps to break up the ice that forms when freezing.) Frozen yogurt is ready when it is too thick to whisk.
Stir with a spatula, transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. Serve garnished with chopped mint.
The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it, contains evidence of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailer’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed, “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legend is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
As part of the festival, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.
Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th. century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14, St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of the birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.
Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written valentines didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day became popular around the 17th. century. By the middle of the 18th. century, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes and, by 1900, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged.
Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700’s. In the 1840’s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
Esther A. Howland’s Original Valentine
Esther A. Howland’s Original Valentine
Dinner Menu
Pear-Walnut Salad
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons pear nectar
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 cups torn mixed salad greens
- 1/2 medium pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
Directions
For vinaigrette::
In a small bowl, whisk together pear nectar, vinegar, oil and pepper. Set aside.
Arrange the lettuce on two salad plates. Top with pear, red onion and walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Makes 2 servings.
Pork Medallions with Cranberry and Fig Chutney
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 2 tablespoons snipped dried figs
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8-10 ounces pork tenderloin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt-free herb seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Hot cooked brown rice or brown/wild rice mix
Directions
For chutney::
In a heavy small saucepan, stir together cranberries, apple juice, figs, sugar, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes or until chutney reaches desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Meanwhile, trim fat from pork. Cut pork crosswise into six pieces, each about 1 inch thick. Press each piece with the palm of your hand to an even thickness. Sprinkle herb seasoning evenly over pork. Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes or until pork is slightly pink in center and juices run clear, turning once halfway through cooking time.
Cook rice according to package directions.
To serve, divide pork medallions between two dinner plates and place on top of the hot cooked rice. Spoon some of the warm chutney over pork. Pass remaining chutney.
Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients
- 8 oz green beans (4 oz per serving)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim off the tough end of the beans and arrange the beans on a nonstick cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the beans and bake until the cheese melts and forms a crisp shell over the beans, about 10 minutes. Let the beans sit a few minutes for the cheese to cool slightly. Lift the beans out onto a platter and serve.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
8 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar or 3 tablespoons Sugar Substitute Blend for Baking
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups hot brewed coffee
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg, milk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Add to the flour mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Mix hot coffee and brown sugar in the measuring cup and pour over the batter. (It may look strange at this point, but don’t worry. During baking, cake forms on top with sauce underneath.)
Bake the pudding cake until the top springs back when touched lightly, 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve hot or warm
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- The First Valentine Poem as Written by Charles Ier, the Duke of Orleans (frenchfleur.wordpress.com)
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