Herb Crusted Pork Roast

I've mentioned before that the hubby's most requested meal is this pork roast. When he once again requested it the other day, I took the opportunity to try something new. As much as I love the go-to pork roast, I have a fear of over using it and getting to the point of never wanting it again. So when I saw this recipe I figured it would be a good one to try, although the flavors ended up being a little similar.

This recipe comes together relatively quickly, and does not require any marinating time. The breadcrumbs give it a nice crust while the herb paste keeps it juicy and tasty. I'm going to have a hard time deciding which roast to make next time it's requested!

Herb Crusted Pork Roast
Source: Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures, originally from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients:
2-3 lb pork loin roast
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 medium shallot, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/4 tsp dried)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack in the middle, set aside.

In a flat dish combine the panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, minced shallot, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pinch of pepper. Using a fork, toss the mixture until the breadcrumbs are evenly coated with oil.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt and pinch of pepper. Process until smooth.

Rub the outside of the roast with the herb paste; coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the roast on the prepared wire rack and baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-75 minutes or until the thickest part of the roast registers 145 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Creamy Risotto with Edamame

We do not have risotto often in our house, however it is often a favorite of mine at good Italian restaurants. Although risotto takes some tender, loving care to produce, that is not the reason we don't have it often. To be honest, every time I have made it at home it ends up being a bit too rich for me! And also, I often don't want to open a bottle of wine to make risotto unless I know I am able to finish drinking it. But after taking a few bites of this risotto I knew it was different and would be an instant favorite in our family.

This recipe totally breaks the standard of risotto, instead of Parmesan and wine.......laughing cow cheese wedges and beer! Now beer I can handle because it is easy enough for the hubby to finish off the can, and we always have laughing cow cheese around because it is an easy, healthy snack. This recipe got 2 big thumbs up from the hubby, and he really enjoyed the subtle flavor of the beer. I think the substitution of these two main ingredients creates a lighter tasting dish that I fear may allow it to become a staple side dish around here!

Creamy Risotto with Edamame
Source: adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium shallots or 1/2 onion, very finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup light beer (we used Coors light)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2-3 wedges Laughing Cow cheese, garlic and herb flavor

Directions

1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain. 
2. In same saucepan, combine the chicken broth and beer; season with salt and pepper. Heat through over low heat until ready to use.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the shallots/onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of the beer broth to the rice and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the broth, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. The rice is done when it's al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy liquid, about 17 minutes total. Add the edamame and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

I tend to think that shrimp tastes the best when flavored with lemon and garlic, so this dish did not disappoint. As an accompaniment to a steak and lobster New Years Eve dinner, I actually didn't have enough room to eat as much shrimp as I would have liked. No real worries though, the flavor goes a long way in this dish. Even though it's highly unhealthy, my favorite part of this dish was using crusty bread to sop up all the melted butter yumminess hiding under the shrimp!

*Note, I halved the original recipe, making enough for 4 people

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 pound Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On

1 stick Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Pieces

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cloves Garlic, Peeled

1/8 cup Fresh Parsley

1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 of a Lemon, Juiced

 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles evenly over the shrimp.

Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly, roughly 10 minutes.

Serve shrimp and melted butter with hot crusty bread.

Lemon-Herb Butter Roasted Chicken

For a long time I have been intimidated by whole chickens. There is always a fear that I will not know how long to cook it and it will come out dry and tough, or certain parts will cook faster than others, resulting in a baking catastrophe. I finally decided to just go for it, and each time my chicken has come out great.

I knew I had to try this recipe the moment I read it, and I was not disappointed. This resulted in a very tender, moist and flavorful bird that I can't wait to make again. This would also be a great meal to impress your dinner guests with:)
Lemon-Herb Butter Roasted Chicken
Source: The Southern Gourmand
1 4lb whole chicken
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 garlic cloves, whole
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Half stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 whole lemon, halved
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a roasting dish with the breasts facing up. Remove gizzards. Make a small incision under the skin at the neck and burrow with the knife to create room under the skin.

In a food processor or blender, combine butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, 2 rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic. Pulse until well blended.

Season chicken with salt and pepper both inside and out. Rub butter mixture over skin and inside the cavity and the burrow created earlier by the knife.

Place whole lemon, 2 rosemary sprigs and 4 whole garlic cloves in cavity. Cook chicken 15 minutes for each pound plus 15 minutes (ex: 4 lb chicken will cook for an hour and 15 minutes). Chicken is thoroughly cooked when juices run clear when pricked with fork.

Honey Roasted Peanuts

(picture from The Novice Chef)

I love having quick things to snack on when I get home from work, before bed, pretty much anytime I walk through the kitchen. Honey roasted peanuts have always been a favorite, and after seeing The Novice Chef's post I was hooked. It's nice to know that with less, all identifiable ingredients, you can get honey roasted peanuts that taste better than the stuff from a can.

I've made these twice already, and each time I got impatient or something because my peanuts don't look the picture above. They taste awesome, but they are more like little peanut clumps than individual ones. I don't think I let them cook in the saucepan long enough, but these are just.so.hard.to.resist. Seriously, make them now.

Honey Roasted Peanuts
Source: The Novice Chef, adapted from Natalie's Killer Cuisine orginally from cooks.com

You will need:

2 cups raw peanuts
2 tbs honey
2 tbs water
2 tbs canola oil (you can also substitute Peanut Oil)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the peanuts on a baking sheet and in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. (If the peanuts are already roasted, skip this step) Set the peanuts aside and let cool. In a medium sized sauce pan add the honey, water and oil. Bring to a boil and add the peanuts. Stir around for a few minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the nuts. Transfer into a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and salt. Spread back on the baking sheet with wax paper, let cool. Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

Another contribution to our New Years Even italian dinner, and it could not have been easier. I had two fresh mozzarella balls to use up so I decided this salad would be perfect! I cannot say whether this was good or not as I did not have any, but my critics said it was!

Caprese Salad

Source: Kitchen Escapes original (you can't really mess it up!)

Ingredients:

2 vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

2 fresh mozzarella balls (BelGioioso), sliced about 1/4 inch thick

fresh basil

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

salt and pepper, to tast

Arrange on a platter, alternating slices of tomato, cheese and basil leaf until platter is full. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil chiffonade if desired.

Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

Jalapeno's and cream cheese are not really my thing, but I know it is a pairing that many enjoy, and since I aim to please others I knew these would be very popular. And man did these disappear quick! These came together fairly quickly and easily, and can be made ahead of time. I made all mine up the day before, froze them, and put them in the refridgerator the morning of the party and they baked up perfectly.

I halved the original recipe, so I ended up with about 24 poppers. I also found that my bacon was sometimes too small to wrap, so next time I might just cut the slices in half.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

20 whole fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches in Size (I used 12)

2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened (I used one, 1/3 less fat)
1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Hot & Sweet Drumsticks

(photo courtesy of Tasty Kitchen)

I recently made these for a Monday night football party we had, and I loved them. I was a little disappointed at the response I received that night, but I blame that on the fact that I did not get them cooked in time, and by the time they were done everyone was full from all the other goodies we had.

I think next time I will try to do a better job at continuing to baste the chicken throught the baking time so they sauce is fully incorporated. These are nice and sweet, with a hint of spice from the hot sauce, which could also be increased next time!

Hot & Sweet Drumsticks

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 Cup Apricot Preserves
1/2 Cup Ketchup

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 Lbs. Drumsticks (about 12)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

Marinated Mozzarella Cubes

(Photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

Knowing we had to travel over Christmas, I wanted to be able to pack things that would travel quite easily. These cheese cubes were perfect since they were sealed tight in their jars. I ended up making 2 of these jars, and they either 1) were not very good or 2) or it was just a lot of cheese, because the two jars lasted through two Christmas get-togethers and New Years Eve!

I really liked these, but I think the oil may have thrown some people off. I tried to limit the amount of oil that went in the serving dish, and I think some people were just confused about what those white cubes were! I did not add the roasted red peppers (because I forgot to buy them) but I think next time I will add them in. The only other tricky thing about this is that I could not find any single canning/mason jars, so I had to buy a pack of 12.

Marinated Mozzarella Cubes

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/4 cups Crisco® Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola Oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Bread or crackers

Directions:

In a quart jar with a tight-fitting lid, layer a third of the cheese, peppers, thyme and garlic. Repeat layers twice.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, rosemary, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Pour into jar; seal and turn upside down. Refrigerate overnight, turning several times. Serve with bread or crackers. Yield: 4 cups.