Pineapple Pork

I was sitting in the kitchen trying to think of something to use up some leftover pineapple, I had made a pineapple tart from Fine Cooking magazine a couple days before (it was amazing by the way) and apparently  bought too much pineapple. I didn't have much to work with as we hadn't gone grocery shopping yet so I worked with what I had on hand and I have to say that I think that it came out pretty good! I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer, the leftover pineapple, and plenty of spices to work with. I came up with a great ginger spice rub and topped it with the sliced pineapple and a bit of honey and it was delicious. We even had some leftover pineapple tart and enjoyed that for dessert. It was the perfect combination for a quick, easy and delicious dinner.

Spicy Ginger Rub
2 Tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Ginger Pineapple Pork Tenderloin
2 1lb. pork tenderloins
1 cup thinly sliced pineapple
Spicy Ginger Rub
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 375. Coat pork with oil and place on a baking sheet.
2. Rub spice rub all over pork until it is completely coated.
3. Place pineapple slices on top of and surrounding pork and drizzle with honey.
4. Roast for about 30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155.
5. Slice thinly and serve with your favorite mashed potatoes!

Soup's On, Italian Style

Well Winter has finally arrived here whether we were ready for it or not. While we still haven't seen much snow here, the cold weather has set in. Of course as soon as it gets chilly outside all I want is a big bowl of soup to warm me up. Pasta Fagioli is one of those meals that just hits the spot, it is filling and hearty and pretty simple to make for a quick weeknight meal.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is very easy to substitute ingredients for whatever you have on hand. You can use basically any type of bean, and if you don't have pancetta in the house you can substitute bacon or even prosciutto. I have made this soup with many different combinations and every time it has come out delicious. Make sure you make a big batch of this soup as it gets eaten up very quickly!

Pasta Fagioli

Ingredients
4 oz. Pancetta
1 medium onion (small dice)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 15 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans canellini beans (rinsed and drained)
4 15 oz. cans chicken stock
1 cup ditalini pasta
2 bay leaves, 1 tsp rosemary, and 1 tsp. peppercorns (tied into a sachet of cheesecloth)

Directions
1. Saute pancetta, onions and garlic in butter and olive oil about 3 minutes or until onions are softened and pancetta is browned.
2. Add beans and tomatoes and stir until combined. Add in chicken stock and sachet of herbs and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
3.Transfer about 1 cup of the bean and tomato mixture without liquid to a bowl and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
4. While pureeing the bean and tomato mixture bring soup to a boil and add ditalini to cook for about 10 minutes or until al dante.
5. Once ditalini is al dante add the bean puree back into the soup. Stir well and serve with your favorite bread!

 

A Cozy Winter Meal

Whether we wanted it or not, winter has finally arrived. The chilly weather, ice and snow, I don't think anyone is really a fan of any of these things. The only thing to do on a snowy winter evening is to make a warm and comforting meal. I wanted to make something simple that wouldn't tie me down to the stove all evening.
Risotto is one of those things that is so versatile. You can use any type of wine and liquid that you want, put any kind of cheese, protein or vegetable and the possibilities are endless. While in culinary school a teacher recommended trying a risotto with champagne and strawberries, I personally haven't tried it but I believe I'm up to the challenge, what's not to like about champagne and strawberries!
I originally wanted to make a mushroom and gorgonzola risotto which to me sounds delicious, but someone in my household is not the biggest fan of blue cheese so I decided against it. So, I was back to square one, I knew I wanted to use mushrooms, but it needed something more...finally I decided on using crab claw meat, how could you go wrong with mushrooms and crab. I added some parmesan cheese to make it creamy and I have to say that the combination definitely hit the spot on a cold winter evening.

Mushroom and Crab Risotto
 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup crab claw meat

1. In a medium saucepan heat stock and saffron thread until heated through, keep warm.
2.In a large saute pan saute onions in 2 Tbsp. butter. Once softened add rice and saute until rice is opaque.
3.Add wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Begin adding stock in this same method, about a cup at a time stirring until absorbed before adding the next cup.
4. While rice is cooking saute mushrooms and crab in 2 Tbsp. butter until mushrooms are softened and crab is cooked through. Add this mixture to the rice about halfway through the rice cooking time.
5. When rice is completely cooked add in the parmesan cheese.

This dish is best served immediately, so enjoy right away! This will make enough for 4 generous servings so make sure to invite some friends over!