Category Archives: Recipes

Recipe // Spiced Pork Tenderloin

June 11, 2015

For part of my Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Dinner Party article for Wayfair’s Emagazine, I shared a simple and easy main dish recipe.  This Pork Tenderloin with Spice Rub is a perfect recipe to serve at a dinner party since you can just quickly sear it with the rub, then finish it off in the oven.  Super easy!
I love this Pork Tenderloin because it comes out SUPER tender, (the trick is having an internal temperature thermometer).  If you can get it to just the right temperature, that sear, then finishing in the oven makes for one juicy tenderloin.
Pork Tenderloin with Spice Rub
Yields: 6-8 servings
2 (1-1.5 pound) pork tenderloins
Extra virgin olive oil (garlic infused olive oil is good too)
For the spice Rub
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix together rub spices in a small bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Trim the fat off of the pork tenderloin, and remove the silver skin.
Coat all sides with some olive oil.
Rub with a generous amount of the spice rub.  Shake off any excess rub.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp of Olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the pan is hot.  Sear each tenderloin on all sides, about 2 minutes each side.
Remove tenderloins from skillet, and place in a roasting pan, and finish in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 150-160 degrees.
Remove from oven, and allow the tenderloin to rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.  This will keep all the juices inside the meat.
Pairs well with some creamy polenta, and steamed green beans.
Sources:
Tablecloth
Moroccan Gold Glasses
Flatware Set
Pink Glass Goblet
Linen Napkins
{all photos by me}

 

Recipe // Vietnamese Savory Crepes (Banh Xeo)

June 2, 2015

When I was in Vietnam last year on vacation, we ate Banh Xeo or Vietnamese Savory Crepes often!  Many times they would make it at our hotel for breakfast!  In Vietnam they eat a lot of savory foods for breakfast, even soups!  I loved it!  I’m a big savory over sweet eater in the mornings!
These sizzling Vietnamese Savory Crepes are so good!  I love making them for dinner, and when I’m not making them I love ordering them at my favorite Vietnamese restaurants.
The crepes are savory, and have a nice flavor to it with the turmeric in the flour mix, and coconut milk!
It is filled with bean sprouts, and pork and shrimp and scallions, then you serve it wrapped in lettuce leaves, and dipped in Vietnamese fish sauce (Nuoc Mam)
Banh Xeo – Sizzling Vietnamese Savory Crepes
affiliate links used in this post
Batter- For Crepe part

1 package banh xeo flour mix. (14.1 ounce bag, I prefer the K Vinh Thuan Brand, this mix can be found at a Vietnamese market or Amazon linked above)
½ teaspoon salt
1 can coconut milk (14oz)
1 ¾ cup water
½-1 cup scallions

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together banh xeo flour mixture, salt, coconut milk, and water.  Mix together well, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Or several hours in the fridge for rice flour and liquids to combine.  
Next, mix in scallions.

Fillings

Shrimp
1 ½ lbs shrimp (medium to large size, deveined and peeled)
salt and fresh ground pepper
a few splashes of fish sauce

In a bowl, placed peeled shrimp (slice in half lengthwise if they are large), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a little fish sauce. Set aside.

Pork
½ pound port butt, cut into thin slices
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
fresh ground black pepper
Place pork and all other ingredients in a bowl, marinate and set aside.

Vegetables
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup sliced scallions
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3-5 cups bean sprouts (in a bowl wrapped in plastic wrap, steam in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, set aside.

In a large skillet, place two tablespoons of coconut oil, and saute onions over medium low heat for about 2-5 minutes until just getting soft.
Add marinated shrimp, and cook about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is cooked.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Get an assembly line together: Shrimp and onion mixture, bean sprouts, cilantro, and scallions ready to go.

Cooking the Crepes (you want the crepes to be nice and crispy!)

In a medium skillet over medium to medium high heat, add a 1/2 -1 teaspoon of coconut oil (I like the flavor of coconut oil, you can also use vegetable oil)

After the pan has heated up, stir the batter with a ladle, and add about ¾ of a ladle full into the center of the pan and quickly swirl the pan to evenly distribute a thin layer of batter to the edges of the pan.  Try to go for as thin of a layer as possible.  You may have to adjust depending on the size of your pan.

Cook the one size of the crepe for a few minutes or until the edges come away from the pan and the bottom is starting to look crispy.  Use a large spatula to flip over the crepe.  Add a small layer of shrimp/pork, steamed bean sprouts, cilantro and scallions.  Allow the other side to cook for a few minutes until crispy and cooked through.  Fold the crepe up and over the shrimp/pork and vegetables.

Remove from the skillet onto a plate.

Serve with:

Pieces of lettuce leafs, Mint, Basil, Cilantro, Pickled Carrots and Daikon, Fish Sauce (Vietnamese dipping sauce)
Wrap a piece of the Banh Xeo in lettuce, and add some mint, basil, cilantro, pickled carrots, etc then dip in Fish sauce and eat.  
Fish Sauce or Nuoc Mam Cham  (For Dipping Lettuce Wrapped Banh Xeo)

1 cup water
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons rice vinegar

Place in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. 1-2 minutes, then allow to cool

After it cools, add:

4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal olelek)
2 cloves garlic, minced
a few tablespoons carrots, cut julienne, and daikon cut julienne.
Mix in a jar.
Enjoy!


Cooking with Intel // 2 in 1

May 28, 2015

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel This could include Intel providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Intel 2 in 1
As someone who loves to cook, you can often find me in my kitchen making a new recipe, or a tried and true favorite.  I love browsing the internet for new dinner ideas, or quickly pulling up one of my recipes to make.  I don’t ever print out recipes anymore with the convenience of devices, it’s no longer needed!
I was excited to receive an Intel 2 in 1 Laptop/Tablet Lenovo Yoga 3!  It makes cooking so much easier to have the recipe at my finger tips.  I like that it is not just a tablet, but also a laptop, and doesn’t require a stand.  It can bend in all directions depending on how I need to look at it.  It can take me through a recipe start to finish, and even help me browse for recipes to use in the future.  It is also really nice to have a keyboard to help with faster searching.
I made this amazing pasta dish for dinner the other night with a fresh arugula pesto.  It was so good, and fresh.  I kind of had to laugh to myself too when my kids thought it was so awesome to eat green pasta!  They asked it if was Leprechaun day again.  Little did they know they were eating loads of greens!
Here’s the recipe I adapted from Blue Apron.
Fusilli Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Snap Peas
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
16 oz Fusilli pasta, cooked and drained.  Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water.  (I used Gluten free Fusilli)
1 1b Sugar Snap Peas, snap off the top and pull of and discard the tough strings that run the length of the pod
5 Ounces Fresh Arugula
3-4 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
1 Lemon, zest lemon and cut in half
3 Tablespoons un-salted Butter
3 Tablespoons Pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped (toast over high heat for 1 minute in a skillet)
1 large Shallot, diced
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Directions
Cook the Fusilli according to package directions.  Be sure to reserve 2 cups of the hot pasta water before you drain the pasta.
Place the arugula, lemon zest, all but a few tablespoons of the parmesan cheese (save the rest for garnish) in a food processor.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Pulse until leaves and cheese are fully chopped. While pulsing the food processor drizzle in enough Olive pile to create a rough paste.  Pulse in juice of one lemon to taste, and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
Place a large skillet over medium heat.  Melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the chopped garlic and shallot; season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally about 2 to 4 minutes or until garlic and shallot are softened.  Add the sugar snap peas, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minute, or until peas are bright green and slightly tender.  Remove from heat.
Add the pasta, and arugula pesto to the skillet. Add a cup of the pasta water, or more if it still looks dry.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   Garnish with chopped pistachios, and remaining parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
So, tell me in the comments, what is your favorite go-to dinner to prepare?
{all photos by me}