Perfect Pork Tenderloin (Ad Hoc) and Green Beans and Artichoke

Ad Hoc at Home really has the perfect recipe for pork tenderloin. We had made this and noted the technique in a previous post.

But for a refresher - here is a detailed description from another site: http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com/2010/03/ad-hoc-brined-pork-tenderloin.html

Just notice how tender the pork looks. Not like its commonly dried out self. How fantastic! And you wouldn't believe how much flavor is packed into one little bite!

Half Mushroom and Pesto and Half Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

Not bad for a homemade pizza in a standard oven! Actually I was totally obsessed with this pizza - it was incredible. Maybe it was the fact that it was a Friday night and I had just had a really relaxing massage, was drinking really good red wine, and watching a movie...but I had an absolutely fantastic evening staying in.

We wanted to make something at home but didn't necessarily want to "make" anything - so I thought "how about a pizza!" easy enough.

1. Store bought dough from Whole Foods, rolled thin with cornmeal on the bottom
2. Pre-bake crust for ~5-7 minutes at 500 degrees (yes, as high as that puppy can go)
3. 1/2 Topped with store bought (yes, gasp! not homemade) but SUPER high quality ($$) marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, prosciutto and arugula
4. 1/2 Homemade Pesto (we had previously made this) with sauteed mixed mushrooms (with a little thyme, salt and pepper) and cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese
5. Return to oven at 500 degrees and cook until crust is browned slightly and cheese is bubbly.
6. Demolish the whole pizza despite attempts not to.

Spring Vegetable Garbure from Ad Hoc at Home

When I think soup and salad, or soup and sandwich, for dinner, I typically think "EASY" night. However, when it is up to Derek to make the soup, it's not easy. He researched his handy "Ad Hoc at Home" to find a perfect "Katie" soup - or so he said (and I agree). Lots of vegetables with a rich and tasty broth - heightened by the sweet smokiness of bacon.

What else was interesting about this recipe is that the vegetables are all cooked separately. In a typical soup, I simply throw in vegetables and let them cook together. Not with this recipe! Nope! Each vegetable is carefully cooked, some even pre-flavored. For example, the carrots are cooked in water spiked with honey to heighten their natural sweetness. The potatoes are cooked with herbs - bay leaf and thyme or rosemary - to bring out their earthiness. The rest are blanched to perfection rather than cooked to death.

This recipe takes time, but it's worth it. Just plan ahead.

Spring Vegetable Garbure from Ad Hoc at Home


This version is less chunky, more brothy than Thomas Keller's creation. You can make it according to your own preferences!

Ingredients:

3 tbs canola oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups of coarsely chopped leaks
2 cups of coarsely chopped onions
salt and pepper
3 slices bacon
parchment paper

3 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sachet with a bay leaf and thyme

2 cups of oblique cut carrots
1 tablespoon honey
8 ounces of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces on the diagonal (1 cup total)
8 cups of chicken stock

1 cup sliced green beans
1 cup of peas
1 small head of Savoy cabbage (we cut it into bite sized pieces, TK does bigger)
2 cups of cooked cannelini beans
Red wine vinegar
flat leaf parsley
EVOO
smoked sea salt (optional, our addition)


Directions:

Sweat the thinly sliced carrots, onions and leaks in a large pot. Cover the vegetables with bacon slices and cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove bacon and discard.

Add chicken stock and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain, discarding the vegetables.

Cover the potatoes in cold water and add the first sachet of bay leaf and thyme, and two teaspoons of salt. Boil for about 10 minutes. When they are done, put them out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Put oblique cut carrots, honey, second sachet, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until carrots are tender but still slightly resistant to the tooth.

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the vegetables separately:
- Green Beans: 2 minutes
- Peas: 90 seconds
- Asparagus: 1 minute
- Cabbage: until tender

After each batch, place in ice bath and drain.

Bring broth to a simmer. Add carrots, potatoes and beans. Stir in a teaspoon of vinegar (or to taste), salt and pepper (also to taste). Bring to a simmer and add blanched vegetables and return to simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and drizzle with EVOO. (We also sprinkled a little smoked sea salt on top as well - nice addition).



The broth was what made this recipe. The hint of bacon was incredible. Derek was right - along with a crusty baguette - it was a perfect Katie meal. Followed by frozen yogurt - perfection.

Scallops with Corn Pancakes and Midsummer Market Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Scallops with Corn Pancakes

2-3 slices thickly sliced bacon, diced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

8-10 jumbo sea scallops (prepared in a salt-water brine ~20-30 min.)

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a bowl and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shallot to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallot is softened. Add the vinegar and stock and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Dijon and whole-grain mustards. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the cayenne. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg yolks and melted butter. Stir in the dry ingredients and the corn. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the corn batter.

Preheat the oven to 200°. In a large skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add several 2-tablespoon-size dollops of batter to the skillet, forming 3-inch cakes. Cook over moderate heat until the edges are deeply browned and the tops are bubbling, about 2 minutes. Flip the cakes and cook until lightly browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes longer. Drain the corn cakes on paper towels and repeat with the remaining batter, adding up to 2 more tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Transfer the corn cakes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet. Cook over high heat, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the scallops and cook until golden, about 3 minutes longer.

Stir the bacon into the vinaigrette. Arrange the scallops and corn cakes on the plates and drizzle with the rest of the dressing. Serve right away.

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For the salad, I added beets and raw corn to the original recipe and used the bacon dressing listed in the Scallop recipe. The salad made quite a large portion - enough for three days of salad. I simply left the salad undressed and dressed it differently each day.

Midsummer Market Salad

10 small turnips (3/4 pound), peeled
1/2 pound baby carrots, peeled
Six 2-inch baby onions, peeled
Three beets, peeled
1 ear of corn, kernels removed
Two 6-ounce heads of Bibb lettuce (8 cups)
3 ounces baby spinach (4 cups)
4 baby bok choy (6 ounces), thickly sliced crosswise
3 small kirby cucumbers (1/2 pound), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup packed small basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup lightly packed parsley, chopped

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the turnips and boil over moderate heat until just tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turnips to a platter. Repeat with the carrots, cooking them for 3 minutes, and then the onions, cooking them for 2 minutes. Refrigerate the vegetables until chilled. Halve the turnips and thickly slice the onions.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, walnut oil and mustard and season with salt and pepper.

In a large salad bowl, toss the Bibb lettuce with the spinach, bok choy, cucumbers, basil, chervil sprigs and the cooked vegetables. Add the vinaigrette, toss to coat and serve.

Indian Veggie Burgers with Mango Chutney and Curried Raita

I've recently been turned onto veggie burgers, especially those with beets in them. At Roam Burger, they use quinoa as the main attraction - at Plant Cafe, its a mixture of nuts, lentils, bulgur and mushrooms....and in each of them, beets of course!

This version that I tried at home uses chickpeas and potato as the primary binders. With the addition of Indian spices - I was sold on the recipe for my first attempt at Veggie Burgers.

Indian Veggie Burgers with Mango Chutney


Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups fresh garbanzo beans, soaked and cooked
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and quartered
• 1 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 2/3 cup baby spinach, arugula, or mixed greens
• 4 whole wheat pitas, halved
• Sliced red onion
• Mango Chutney (optional)
• Curried Raita (homemade yogurt condiment: greek yogurt, garlic, cilantro, cucumber, curry, EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, cilantro, carrot, Garam Masala, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, and jalapeno. Process the mixture until it is finely chopped.
Place the beets potatoes in a large saucepan and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beets for 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 12 minutes. Add the onion, and cook for 3 more minutes or until the potatoes and beets are tender. Drain; cool for 10 minutes. Place the potato mixture in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the garbanzo bean mixture and breadcrumbs. Cover the mixture and chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Divide the mixture into 8 portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 of the patties to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until browned and heated through. Repeat the procedure with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and patties. Place about 1/3 cup spinach or arugula in each pita half and top with 1 patty, red onion, and some mango chutney.

Note: Don't try to impress others with the image of a toasted wheat pita and burger.

Mango Chutney
(we scaled this down for 1 cup of mango)

• 2 1/2 cups diced mangos
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (we used jalapeno but added more)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins (we used golden)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 25 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking. Let cool, and store in an airtight container.



I made a full recipe and am storing the extra patties in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal. I'd make them slightly thinner so that there isn't a huge discrepancy in texture between the "crisp" outside and soft inside.

I still like Plant and Roam's versions better but it's fantastic to have some pre-made at home for whenever I get a craving for a filling and healthy veggie burger.

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Basil Sauce

I wish I had taken a better picture of this dish because it was absolutely beautiful! The red and green colors were so vibrant and, more importantly, the flavors were incredible. I made a full batch of the filling, filled two peppers, and then saved the rest for fantastic leftovers.

Derek was impressed, as was I. It was much better than I could have imagined. This is a perfect dish for me to whip up with or without the peppers!



Ingredients

Filling:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 cup israeli couscous
1 cup fresh garbanzo beans, pre-soaked and cooked
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red bell peppers (I cut the tops off and then chopped up the part around the stem and added it to the filling)
Hot water, as needed

Sauce:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)

Sauce: In a blender, combine the basil, creme fraiche, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve.