Pumpkin Polenta and Perfect Pork
We were at the Dr's office last week for a check-up on Victor's foot surgery and I came upon a magazine entitled Today's Diet and Nutrition. I'm usually game for a food-type magazine and hadn't seen this particular mag before, so I started perusing...
Opening the magazine at random, I immediately found a recipe for Maple Pumpkin Polenta! OMG! Three of my most favorite flavors in one recipe! I decided I had to try it! And am I glad I did!
Maple Pumpkin Polenta
- 5 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cup coarse ground cornmeal
- 1 cup pumpkin (canned, fresh-cooked, whatever)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parigiano-reggiano or grana padana
- 1 tbsp butter
Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the salt and olive oil, reduce heat to simmer, and gradually whisk in the cornmeal a small amount at a time to prevent clumping.
Cook the polenta, stirring often until it is tender and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 25 minutes.
Stir in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and cayenne. Cook another minute or two, remove from heat, and stir in the cheese and butter. Adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary.
Serve warm.
It was so good!
Of course, I couldn't just serve polenta for dinner, so I stated thinking about what would go good with it - and decided a pork loin would fit the bill. I had already been shopping (What?!? Plan dinner BEFORE you go to the store?!?) and completely lucked out having ingredients to make a Pork with Leeks and Mushrooms from Bon Appetit.
Roast Pork Loin with Shiitake and Leek Compote
- 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only)
- a 1-pound center-cut boneless pork loin
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 cup beef broth
Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs
Cut leek crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and in a bowl soak in water to cover, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand, 5 minutes. Lift leek out of water and drain in a colander.
Trim any fat from pork. Season pork with salt and pepper and pat with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. In a 10-inch oven-proof non-stick or cast-iron skillet heat butter or oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown pork loin, turning it. Transfer pork to a plate.Preheat oven to 425°F.
In fat remaining in skillet cook mushrooms and leek with salt over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add wine and broth and bring to a boil. Put pork on vegetables in skillet and roast in middle of oven 40 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 160°F.
Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. If vegetable compote is too liquid, cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost all liquid is evaporated. Stir remaining teaspoon chopped parsley into compote.
I didn't have shitakes, but I had baby bella's and some mixed wild mushrooms that worked just great. I also added some asparagus to the roasting pot midway through the cooking process just for fun.
Definitely a keeper.
I usually make my polenta with non-fat milk - I just like it that way - and next time I make this, I probably will use it. I also think I might add juuuuust a tiny tad bit of chipotle powder instead of the cayenne. Who knows.
But I do know that I'll be making this again!
And I subscribed to the magazine!
Homemade Sausage
I finally did it! I made sausage from scratch! I have been wanting to do this for years, and just never got around to it. Many moons ago, my sister-in-law, Debbie, gave us all the attachments for the KitchenAid. And I do mean all... So, I finally ordered casings from Ask The Meatman, and to work I went! What a blast!
I bought some nice, fatty pork - about 10 pounds total, and a huge tray of boneless chicken thighs...
The pork was ground (using the large-hole attachment) with onions, garlic, cracked black pepper, salt, and LOTS of fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, and parsely from the garden. I then added a bunch of pine nuts after it was all ground up.
The chicken was ground (using the smaller-hole attachment) with salt pork for fat, chipotles in adobo, more garlic, cumin, a combination of several different chile powders, smoked paprika, and a couple of handfuls of dried mixed berries.
The mysterious part is I couldn't find the sausage attachment! I have never used it and it has been in the bottom cabinet with all the other attachments to the KitchenAid since we moved in. The pasta attachment was there, the grinder attachment was there, the slicer attachment was there, the food mill attachment was there. The sausage stuffer was not there. I checked every other cabinet, pulled everything out, searched the basement - all to no avail. So... off to the local Kitchen Kapers and for a mere $9.99 plus tax, I bought a new one - which means I shall find the old one any minute!
So... I ended up stuffing about 15 pounds of sausage - and I have several on the grill right now.
I'll let ya know how they turned out!
Pumpkin Gnocchi
We spent a lovely day in the yard - trimming bushes, getting a few more annuals out, planting the (heirloom) tomatoes... I washed the truck... It was a productive morning. Victor headed back inside to catch some of the Saturday PBS cooking shows while I finished the truck.
I came walking in just in time to see Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks making Pumpkin Gnocchi! My mouth immediately began watering... I wanted some. So... off to the kitchen I went. I had already pulled out a couple of pork chops from the freezer, thinking I'd grill them with something. I had no plan this morning, but one was quickly formulating!
One of the great joys in life is being able to walk into the kitchen on the spur of the moment and make something you just saw... I had all the ingredients necessary right in the cabinets!
The recipe is quick and easy:
Pumpkin Gnocchi with Basil Oil
What You'll Need
pasta dough:
- 1-2 cups semolina flour
- 1 cup cooked white rice, pureed until smooth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup pureed cooked butternut squash or canned pumpkin
- spring or filtered water
basil oil:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Pinch sea salt
- 6-8 leaves fresh basil, left whole
- Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
Make the pasta. Sift flour onto a dry work surface. Make a well in the center of flour and add rice, salt, oil and pureed squash. Mix gradually, kneading into a smooth, soft dough by drawing small amount of flour in from the edges as you knead. Add more flour if the dough seems too sticky or more water if it feels too dry--but in both cases, add small amounts very slowly so as not to jeopardize the quality of the dough. Continue kneading until dough is a soft, workable ball, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Makes about 1 pound of dough.To make the gnocchi, flour a fork. Pinch off 1-inch pieces of dough and roll into balls between your fingers. Run the pasta ball on the fork to create ridges. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet that has been sprinkled with semolina. Repeat until you have made the desired amount of gnocchi. (The balance of the dough can be frozen.)
Bring a pot of water to the boil, with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the gnocchi until just tender, about 2 minutes. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pot. When it rises, it is done. Drain, but do not rinse.
While the pasta cooks, make the oil. Place all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes to develop the flavors. Strain the oil and toss with cooked gnocchi. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and serve immediately.
As I said... Easy. Granted, my gnocchi didn't look as good as my Italian Grandmothers... Then, again, I didn't HAVE Italian Grandmothers! It takes a bit of practice to get those gnocchi to roll off the fork perfectly formed. I wasn't worried about perfection, though. I just wanted them to taste good!
I marinated the pork chops in a bit of olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning - same with the zucchini - and onto the grill they went. I added tomato halves drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt. The pork chops were lookinga bit bare, so I added the grilled peppers from the 'fridge. (It was a toss-up between grilled peppers and roasted tomatoes in oil. The peppers won.)
I made the basil oil (basil from the garden, of course!) and put the chops, zucchini, and tomato on the grill just as the water was getting ready to boil. Everything came off the grill just as the gnocchi was ready to drain.
The gnocchi itself took about 20 minutes to make - and I have enough dough left over for another full meal - at least. It will be going into the freezer. Dinner took less than an hour to complete - start to finish.
Thanks, Christina!
Chunky Andouille BBQ Sauce
"Oh... The weather outside is frightful..." And BBQ sounds so delightful...
I've been on a sausage kick, lately. Well, I've been buying a lot of sausage, but looking in the freezer, it doesn't appear that I've been cooking all that much! Somehow, those visions of cassoulets, jambalaya, and Portuguese stew have not translated from grocery store to reality. It's what I get for rarely shopping with a list, and never making weekly meal plans.
I actually envy people who can decide what they're going to eat every night of the week and shop accordingly. I just can't say on Monday that I'm going to be in the mood for meatloaf on Thursday. I figure out on Thursday what I'm in the mood for on Thursday - and then hope I have enough of the ingredients at home that I don't have to leave the house! (I'm usually pretty lucky!!)
So, opening the freezer on Saturday, I spied andouille sasage, chorizo, Italian sweet and hot... My own little sausage factory.
Out came the andouille.
I was recalling a recipe I saw in Bon Appetit a while back about an andouille BBQ sauce. Off to the computer and in seconds I had it - from August 2005!
Grilled Pork Chops with Chunky Andouille Barbecue Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups diced andouille sausage (about 7 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 1-inch-thick rib pork chops
- Additional chili powder and ground cumin
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sauté sausage and onion in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until onion begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Bring to boil; remove from heat.
Meanwhile, sprinkle chops on both sides with salt, then chili powder and cumin. Grill chops until cooked through but not dry, about 9 minutes per side.
I actually followed the recipe fairly close, except I used about 3/4 pound of andouille, and I pan-seared the pork chops and then popped them into a hot oven to finish cooking.
I cooked up some Brown Rice Trilogy and some spinach, and dinner was served!
The BBQ sauce is served as a topping to the chop as opposed to actually grilling or cooking it on the meat. It was very slightly sweet, smoky and spicy all at once. Just my kind of dish! And since there are just two of us, I have enough left over for another meal. I'm thinking it would be great over a bone-in chicken breast!
Who knows... maybe next Thursday.....
Chorizo and Pork Paella
Yesterday was shopping day. I usually shop on Wednesdays because it's my day off, the farmer's market is open, and I get my senior discount at Super Fresh. yeah... senior discount...
I was shopping in the store last year sometime - on a Wednesday - and the cashier looked up at me, looked at my card, and added a little gold stamp on the back. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or pleased. I decided to be pleased.
But I digress...
We had a pretty full freezer from my last shopping trek, so I wasn't looking for a lot of meats, but as I was walking by the meat area, I did spy some chorizo and some andouille sausage. I do like my spicy sausage, and the D'Artagnan sausages are the best. With no clear idea in mind, I added both to my cart. I would work out the details, later...
Later was this afternoon.
Going through some recipes, I found a Chicken and Chorizo Paella that sounded pretty good. I was missing a couple of ingredients, but as that has never stopped me before, I decided Paella was definitely going to be dinner tonight. Besides, it was another 20 minute meal. (And for all you folks out there who eat nothing but prepared, overprocessed food because you think you don't have time to make dinner... well... this was less than 30 minutes, start-to-finish!) My stomach is smiling as I type this!
I substituted a couple of small pork chops for the chicken the recipe called for, and just left out the bell peppers. (I forgot to pick any up, yesterday!) I added a can of beans because, well... I like beans... and added a few generous shots of Tabasco, because i like Tabasco, too.
Here's my recipe. I highly recommend it!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 small chorizo links, sliced
- 2 boneless pork chops, sliced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 can sm red beans, drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- A few generous splashes of tabasco sauce
- S & P to taste
Heat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a paella pan (or skillet). Add chorizo and pork and cook until browned. Add onion, and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes.
Add rice, paprika, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add beans and tomatoes; stir to combine.
Transfer pan to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 20 minutes.
A Clean Kitchen...
Some people see a clean kitchen as a thing that should not be touched. I see a clean kitchen as a blank slate for creating a mess.
Well... not really, but, I do seem to have a bit of an untidy streak when it comes to cooking! It's not that I go out of my way to make a mess, but, I also don't go out of my way to stop everything if some four goes flying or something drips where it shouldn't. I figure I'll just get to it later. Have to keep the creative juices flowing, and all that. Besides, the puppy needs her treats, too!
That being said, I cannot begin working in a dirty or messy kitchen. It needs to be clean and organized. The sink needs to be clean and empty. The dishwasher has to have room in it... Counters clean. All the normal stuff. Fortunately, I never have to worry about a dirty kitchen - Victor takes care of cleaning it! Oh, I almost-semi-kinda-clean up after myself, but Victor is the King of Clean! We have a relationship made in gastronomic heaven!
Tonight I started out with pork chops. Awhile back I had bought two pork loins and cut them into chops m'self. (I think it was something like 2 bucks a pound cheaper for the whole loin than the chops. I have a knife - I'll save the extra 20 dollars and cut them myself!)
I also had a hankerin' for scalloped potatoes. Cheesy scalloped potatoes. Au Gratin cheesey scalloped potatoes. Peeled 2 potatoes and sliced thin. Sauteed 1 smallish onion in butter with a handful of diced prosciutto that was in the freezer. added some flour, milk, garlic, and a bit of S&P, and into a buttered casserole dish. I topped them with buttered cracker crumbs that I mixed a bit of garlic powder, and S&P. 350 for an hour.
Meanwhile, I cleaned up a bunch of broccoli rabe. Rinsed well, and into a saute pan with butter and olive oil, fresh garlic, S&P. Cooked it all down.
Grilled the chops, plated the broccoli rabe, placed a chop on top, added the potatoes, and yum, yum! Dinner was good!
The casserole will need to soak for a week or so, but otherwise - only 1 pan dirtied!
And later on, there's homemade bread pudding! (Made with the last of the Portuguese Bread!)
Life is good - and the kitchen is all clean. Ready for my next adventure!
Stew Do Português De Dorrie
O stew do Português de Dorrie é delicioso! E, é realmente fácil fazer!
Roughly translated, it means "Dorrie's Portuguese Stew is delicious! And, so easy to make!" And it is. Both.
I really don't remember how long ago Dorrie gave me this recipe. She's made it for me a couple of times over the years, and I've made it a few times, myself. (Hers is always better, but I think that has to do with the amount of love she adds to each pot!) It's just a few ingredients, but it's amazingly wonderful! It's a rich stew of pork, linquica, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Simple, but with a powerful flavor! I actually made it this morning, let it simmer for a while, and then reheated it for dinner. Almost like making it the day before, cuz it always tastes better the next day! Here's the recipe...
It's one of those recipes that just fills the house with wonderful smells and sends the olfactory system into overdrive. I was actually in the kitchen every three minutes "tasting" it - just because I could!
I then decided I needed some good bread to go with it - and was too lazy to go to the store. So I made 2 loaves of Portuguese Bread. A recipe I found many moons ago. The bread has a great crusty crust and a really light interior. GREAT for dunking and sopping up the sauce from the stew! And great for sandwiches!
The nice thing about dinner tonight, is there's leftovers for lunch tomorrow! And with a loaf and a half of bread, we're sitting pretty!
A vida é boa!
Pork Chops, Grits, and Brussel's Sprouts
Okay, a strange-sounding combination, I'll admit. But dang, it was a good dinner!
Last month sometime, I marinated 2 boneless pork chops in an Asian-inspired marinade. I ended up cooking something else for dinner that night, because we ran out of gas for the grill just as I was about to put them on. The chops went into the freezer, marinade and all. I pulled them out Tuesday PM to grill Wednesday, but they were still frozen (and I wasn't in the mood to fuss with them) so... they stayed in the 'fridge until today. (I actually don't remember where I got the idea, or what I actually marinated them in... Old age is setting in - rapidly...)
In the meantime, I had seen a recipe in Bon Appetit for "Fallen Grits Souffles with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese." It sounded intriguing, and about six weeks ago we bought new individual souffle cups at Crate and Barrel with a Christmas gift certificate. Time to experiment! The recipe calls for 8 souffles, and, while it seems that we can eat for eight at any given meal, I cut it down for two. I wish I had made more..... They came out light and luscious, and definitely didn't need any of the extras in the Bon Appetit recipe!
The Brussel's Sprouts are another story. They are - by far -my favorite vegetable! ! picked up two baskets of them on Wednesday, and cooked one for dinner Thursday. Well... in reality, I burnt one for dinner Thursday. I was not having a good day, was writing a couple of steaming emails, wasn't paying attention and... burnt to a crisp. Can we say "Karma" boys and girls?!? We ate frozen corn and soaked the pan over night.....
But I digress... I really wanted my Brussels's sprouts, and while they may not have been a perfect culinary match for an Asian-inspired pork chop - neither was a grits souffle. Sometimes ya just have to throw caution to the wind and eat what you feel like! Besides, I wasn't inviting Craig Claiborne to dinner.....
The Grits for 2 souffles:
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup instant grits
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 large eggs, separated
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter 2 1-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Combine first 4 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring just to simmer; remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain; return milk to pan. Add salt; bring to boil. Gradually stir in grits and cook over medium heat until mixture is thick and grits are tender, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Mix in butter. Season with black pepper. Stir in egg yolks. Cool slightly.
Beat egg whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into grits in 2 additions. Divide mixture among prepared dishes. Place dishes in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of dishes.
Bake soufflés until tops are puffed and beginning to brown and center is set, about 30 minutes.
Here's a link to the Bon Appetit Recipe...
For the Brussel's sprouts, I just trimmed and cut in half, and then placed them in a pan with some butter, water, and S&P. They steamed until the water evaporated, and then browned nicely in the remaining butter. (The step where I burned them, Thursday!!)
It was a yummy dinner, fer sure!
Pork Chops Baked with Kasha and Wild Mushrooms
So - what's the Russian word for "WOW! That's really good?!?" Well, according to Babel Fish, it would be 
I'll take their word for it!
I guess you'll have to take my word for it, too - until you make it yourself, that is! This was one yummy dinner!
Back to perusing Please to the Table, and since I had the pork out, I thought I'd look for something new and different. I just happened to have all of the other ingredients in the house, so... it was one of those "meant to be" dinners!
Speaking of pork... I've been buying whole loins lately and cutting them into chops m'self. First, they're a hellava lot less expensive than buying chops, but I can also cut them the way I want them. It makes a big difference when making stuffed pork chops or breaded pork cutlets! It's great to have that versatility. But I digress... (how unusual!!)
It's an extremely easy recipe to prepare, and Kasha is one of my more favorite grains, so... away we go. I think next time I make it I may add some chopped apple or pear to the kasha. It is really, really good the way it is, but I like diced fruit in grains, too. Just another variation on a theme.
The recipe as written is a bit wordy, but I'm copying it the way it's printed, not the way I would write it. (I tend to assume people know to boil a cup of something in a small saucepan...)
Here goes...
- 4 shoulder pork chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian Paprika
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups Beef Stock (see Index) or canned broth
- 1 ounce imported dried mushrooms, preferably porcini, well rinsed
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium-size onion, chopped
- 1 cup whole kasha (buckwheat)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/3 cup sour cream
1) Rub the pork chops with paprika and salt and set aside.
2) Bring 1 cup of the stock to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the mushrooms, and soak for 1 hour. Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, pat dry with paper towels, and set aside. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and (you guessed it!) set aside.
3) In an heatproof casserole large enough to accommodate the pork chops in one layer, cook the bacon until it renders its fat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the casserole and - are you ready?!? - set aside.
4) Brown the pork chops well on both sides in the bacon drippings, about 15 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.
5) Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the casserole. Sauté the onion in the remaining fat over medium heat until softened and colored, 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, kasha, and caraway seeds and saute, stirring, for 5 minutes more.
6) Preheat oven to 325F.
7) Combine the reserved mushroom soaking liquid with the remaining stock.
8) Season the kasha mixture with salt and stir in the reserved bacon pieces. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Arrange the pork chops on top of the kasha and bake, uncovered, until the chops are tender and the kasha has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Stir the sour creams into the kasha and serve immediately.
Okay... so I made a bit of fun with the directions. It really was a great dish and I'm sure to make it (or at least a reasonable facsimile) in the future.
And now...
Victor's in the kitchen baking a cake for dessert.
Life is good!