Apple Butter Pork Loin with Fried Green Tomatoes

When it gets cold outside its APPLE BUTTER MAKIN' TIME!  Every year I go overboard and even after giving away 20 pint jars I still have some left over.  So Mom and I started thinking about ways to use up that last bit in the fridge.  And what goes better with apples and cinnamon than pork? A main dish this is full of flavor and deserving of a worthy side. None is better than Mom's friend green tomatoes. Here is how we did it.

Garlic Rubbed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Rub tenderloin down with fresh crushed garlic. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat.  Using tongs, place tenderloin in the pan and sear on all sides until brown.  This should take about 10 minutes.  Transfer meat to a roasting pan and roast approximately 45 minutes. 

Pork does not have to be cooked to death unless you are making barbeque.  Just enough so that the internal temperature is right at 145 degrees. 

Fried Green Maters:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups bread crumbs (we used Panko and it made them extra crispy)

3 eggs beaten

Salt and Pepper

dill, oregano or any spice you might prefer

1 quart of vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.

Whisk eggs in a medium-size bowl.   Mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper and spices in another medium-size bowl.  Dip tomatoes into beaten eggs, then dredge in breadcrumb/flour mixture.  If you do this twice you will have extra crispy tomatoes. If you don't want extra crispy, dip in both mixtures once.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on brown paper bag or paper towels.

Red Hot Crock Pot Apple Butter:

• 1 (48 ounce) jar applesauce
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice (or allspice)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 ounces red-hot candies

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for 12-18 hours.  It should be thick and dark brown when finished. Divide into jars or pour over the pork as we did in this delicious recipe!

Paella

Brooke's Recipe

Originally we were going to meet friends out for dinner to watch the Final Four.  After realizing that the only sport's bar close to my house would be packed, I decided to invite friends over to my house to watch the game and cook for them instead.  This was a last minute decision, so I had to make something quick, easy and lots of it. I decided to make Paella .  It was delicious and my friend Lindsay even asked if she could take the rest of hers home!

Ingredients:

3 hot Italian Sausages, chopped
1 ham steak, cubed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 package of yellow saffrom rice
1 box of chicken stock
1/2 stick butter
2 dozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 dozen mussels, cleaned

In a big pot over medium heat, brown your ham and sausage.  When done, remove and set aside.  Do not drain the grease.  In the same pot add the peppers, garlic and onion.  Cook until tender,  Add back the sausage and ham and cover with stock.  Add the rice, cover with lid and let simmer for 20 minutes. The rice should puff up and absorbe all the stock. 15 minutes before serving, add the shrimp.

While the shrimp are cooking, add the mussels to a saucepan over medium high heat with a little water. Cover and let steam for about 2 minutes.  The mussels should all open. If a mussel doesn't open give it a couple more minutes. If then it still doesn't open, throw it away.

Just before serving, add the mussels and their cooking liquid to the pot.  Then to finish add the butter and  give it a big stir making sure not to break the mussell shells.

I served mine with cornbread

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Croque Madame

Brooke's Recipe

The French make everything sound so exquisite. The English translation of Croque Madame is literally Mrs. Crunch. Definitely sounds a bit more refined in French, doesn't it?  It is simply a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top. This dish is so popular in France, that you can order it at almost every restaurant all over the country for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  I served it this morning as breakfast with a side of hash browns, but you can serve it later in the day with a simple green salad. 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 pieces of white sandwich bread
2 pieces of thinly sliced ham
2 slices of Swiss cheese
1 egg


Cut the crusts off the bread and discard.  Assemble the sandwich by spreading 1 teaspoon of the mustard on each slice of bread.  Place the Swiss cheese on the bread, then ham, then Swiss again.  It is important that you have cheese touching both pieces of bread because it acts like the glue when you go to flip it.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium low heat.  Place the sandwich in the pan and cover with a lid.  Continue to cook the sandwich, turning once until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is completely melted.

Heat remaining tablespoon of butter in another nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top the sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.

Nutter Butter Banana Pudding

Brooke's Recipe

Every good Southern woman should know how to make banana pudding.  I remember watching my mother line her dish with vanilla wafers, then lay down those perfect yellow circles of ripe banana and finish by spooning on layer after layer of golden vanilla pudding.  Waiting for the pudding to come together in the refrigerator would torture my father. He would peek in at it every 10 minutes and ask "Is it time to eat it yet?"  I would always watch him take his first bite and smile.  The look on his face was pure bliss.

Fast forward 20 years and I am now making banana pudding for my own husband. He knows when the bananas and Nutter Butters come out of the grocery bag, that it's pudding time. He usually leaves me alone while I am assembling it, but just as I set the pudding in the fridge for its flavor incubation, I hear a whisper over my shoulder and I am 5 years old again standing in my mother's kitchen ...... "Is it time to eat it yet?"

Ingredients:

1 packages of Nutter Butters
1 box JELLO instant french vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
2 cups of whipped cream
8 oz cream cheese
4 large bananas (the ripest you can find. Don't even bother making this if you have unripe bananas)

Start by finding yourself a pretty bowl. Some people make it in a trifle dish but I just have a glass bowl.  You could make it in a flowerpot and it would still taste amazing, but seeing the layers through the glass makes the dessert look extra decadent.

Prepare the JELLO pudding according to the directions on the package.  Instant pudding takes less than 5 minutes to thicken. Then add the cream cheese and the whipped cream. Beat with a hand mixer on low until combined.

Slice your bananas into quarter inch circles.

Place a layer of Nutter Butters on the bottom of the bowl, then a layer of bananas and then spoon over a layer of the vanilla pudding. Continue going layer by layer until you reach just below the top of the bowl. Don't fill it all the way up.  The next step is to place plastic wrap over the top.  If you fill the bowl all the way up, the pudding will stick to the wrap. After you finish with the wrap, place the whole bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better, but this has yet to happen in my house. Then top with additional whipped cream to serve.

Note***  During Girl Scout Cookie season, make this with TagAlongs.  This adds an another flavor layer of chocolate..

Shepherd's Pie

Brooke's Recipe

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I decided to make a Shepherd's Pie for Sunday dinner.  Thought to be originally from Ireland, a version of this pie exists in many countries including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Chile, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic.  There is a good reason why so many people all over the world love to eat this dish. Meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes all in one???  It is like an entire meal in one casserole.  Here is the Americanized version.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup beef stock
2 cups corn (I used PictSweet frozen)
1/2 large yellow onion
2 carrots, pealed and julienned
3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 stick butter
1/2 cup cream
1 lb of white potatoes
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. You do not need to peel the potatoes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine potatoes with butter and cream. Mash until potatoes are smooth. I always use a hand mixture, but if you want to mash them using a masher be my guest.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to hot pan.  Add your hamburger.  Crumble the meat and cook until brown.  Drain the grease.  Add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, and stock.  Stir until combined, and then pour into a bowl and set aside.

Using the same pan, add the other tablespoon of oil.   Add chopped carrot and onion. Cook veggies over medium heat until tender. Add the corn and stir. After about 1 minute, remove from heat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Fill a small rectangular casserole with the meat mixture. Then place half of the cheese over the meat. Then add vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over top evenly and smooth using the back of a spoon. Top potatoes the other half of the cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes until top of the potatoes are brown and cheese is bubbling.

Oh but I'm not done...I won't tell anyone if you want to pour Mushroom Gravy over the top!

Ingredients:

2 cups of mushrooms  ( I used a mushroom mixture already chopped but you can use button)
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 stick butter


In a saucepan over medium heat add olive oil and onions. Cook until the onions are tender. Then add mushrooms and saute mushrooms until brown.  Add the butter. When melted, add the flour and stir until it looks like a paste. Add the beef stock and turn down to low and stir until thick.  Season with salt and pepper.

Greek Salsa

Brooke's Recipe

When the weather turns warm there's nothing more refreshing than a crisp Greek Salad.  My favorite version comes from The Tavern in Richmond. They serve big pieces of toasted pita bread on the side.  The most satisfying part of the meal is what is left at the bottom of the bowl.  I always use the pita bread to sop up the remaining dressing and any other little delicious tidbits that are left. That lead to this recipe.  I took everything except the lettuce, chopped it, mixed it and served it with pita chips.  Serve this at your next party with a couple shots of Ouzo and you'll have everyone screaming OPA!


Ingredients:

3/4 cup cucumbers, diced
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions
3 tablespoons bottled Greek dressing
1/2 cup feta
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 bag pita chips

Dice and chop all your veggies.  To make it super easy you can use a food processor.  Mix all the veggies together, add the feta and Greek dressing and mix until combined.  Serve with the pita chips.

Eggs Benedict for Dummies

Brooke's Recipe

I LOVE Eggs Benedict.  It is my all time favorite breakfast.  However, I usually order it in a restaurant because I don't particularly feel like poaching eggs and making hollandaise sauce early on a Sunday morning.   Once we had a baby, it became more difficult to just roll out of bed and go grab breakfast so if I was ever going to enjoy it, I had to make it at home.  I cut some corners, and it turns out just as good. 


Ingredients:

This is for one serving:

2 eggs
2 pieces Canadian bacon
1 English muffin (or any hard bread, I used sourdough)
1 packet of hollandaise sauce (I used McCormick's)
1 cup water (for sauce)
1/2 stick butter (for sauce)
1 tablespoon of chives
salt and pepper to taste


You will need 2 sandwich bags. 

Bring water in a saucepan to almost boiling.  Then crack an egg into each sandwich bag.  The egg will settle into a corner.  Drop the corner with the egg into the water. 

Let boil for maybe 3 minutes. The whole point of Eggs Benedict is to have the white cooked but the yolk runny.  The eggs should stand up in the pot without getting any water in the bags.

Take the eggs out and set them aside.  Don't try to remove them from the bags yet.  Let them cool a bit while you make the sauce.  This will really help the whites harden around the runny yolk.

Meanwhile in another saucepan, make the hollandaise sauce according to the directions on the package. This is SO easy. Takes about 3 minutes for it to come together.

While the sauce is thickening, heat up your Canadian bacon.  Canadian bacon is already cooked. It comes in a package similar to ham, not bacon, so it only takes about 25 seconds in a microwave.
Toast your bread.  When done, get ready to assemble.

First, lay the bread down on a plate. Then place the Canadian bacon on top of the bread. Carefully turn the eggs out of the sandwich bags on top of the bacon. Be gentle, you don't want to break the yolks.  Then bring on the hollandaise.  Garnish with chives.