Pork with Rhubarb Chipotle Sauce

I have perused many a Williams Sonoma catalog with drool coming off my chin, but I have not previously paid much attention to their website. It is a great tool to find all the cooking gear you lust after and can't afford, but I have also found it to be a good resource for all the tasty recipes they print on the pages of their glossy catalog. That said, I have had some rhubarb in my freezer for some time and found a recipe on the WS that inspired this dish. M picked up some pork loin the other day and we had some bacon in the fridge, so I figured that more pork is always a better, tastier option. I simply seasoned the loin with salt and pepper, wrapped it in bacon, and drizzled with maple syrup. I have learned that with pork, if you remove from the oven a few degrees prior to doneness, cover with foil, and let rest, you have a juicier piece of meat. The rhubarb sauce was quite a good addition to the pork, but I really deviated from the recipe with this. I started with some sauteed onions, added the rhubarb, a little apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and finished it off with a heaping helping of adobo sauce. The adobo added a smoky bite with just the right amount of heat on the finish.
You'll notice that we have been eating a bit of starch with our meats, and last night was no exception. I gained inspiration for the potatoes at the WS site, as well. I often have an aversion to measuring when I am cooking (not baking!!), so I was very loose with the ingredients. I used the Idaho's I had on hand, mashed them with the half-n-half, and added the cheese, butter, and chives. In addition, I threw in a little sour cream and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Into the oven alongside the pork for the last 15 minutes and we had a great meal that finally used up some of the ingredients sitting in our freezer!

Steak and Potatoes

I have watched Giada numerous times on the Food Network, but I have never tried one of her recipes. Typically when the weekly ad for our grocery store debuts, I check the ingredients that are on sale and then search for recipes that feature said ingredients. This past week steak and potatoes were on sale, and since I love red meat, I knew I had to find a new way to prepare steak. Giada's recipe for Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese came up in my search engine, and those flavors immediately grabbed my attention. No we didn't have the filet, but the less expensive cut of beef we used worked well for the recipe. I also didn't have the full amount of balsamic, so I improvised with raspberry vinegar...also a decent substitution. For a steak cooked on the stove and finished under the broiler, I was impressed. Normally we would only use the grill when beef is involved, but this was a nice alternative on a snowy April night.
As for the potatoes, I simply cut some Idaho's in chunks and layered them-skin side up-on a bed of melted butter, fresh grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. I drizzled a little olive oil and a bit more parm on top and baked at 400 degrees until tender. Mmmm! Crispy goodness sprinkled with fresh chives.

Easter Egg Cake Pops

After months of spying on Bakerella's site and drooling over her super-cute cake pops, I decided it was my turn. With Easter coming up, I thought I would give the Easter egg pops a try, and for the most part I was really happy with the way they turned out. Bakerella has detailed instructions on her site, so I won't rehash here, but I will share a couple tips in case you have a go at them.

1. Cake should be chilled until firm, but not frigid! The few I dipped when they were straight out of the freezer caused the candy coating to crack. I guess I could have pretended they were real eggs and appreciated the crack for what it was, but I'm too anal for that.

2. Make sure the candy coating meets the sucker stick and you see no cake. If you see cake, you may just have eggs that look like they are dripping cake, because the candy coating forces it to come out the bottom and ruin all your hard work.

The possibilities with these pops are truly endless, and that darn Bakerella just keeps cranking out one idea after the next. If you haven't ventured over to her site, now is the time!

Gołąbki

Problem: Once again, we here in Michigan have been fooled by Mother Nature. Yesterday she brought us temps in the mid 60's and today we are back to the frigid, windy garbage we have lived with all Winter.

Solution: Fix Emeril's cabbage roll recipe to warm your tummy and transport you back to Grandma's kitchen when you were but knee-high to a grasshopper. OK, so my Grandma isn't polish, but maybe yours is??

The only change I made was to puree the sauce slightly with my stick blender since Matt isn't big on tomato chunks. Although it is a very time consuming recipe with lots of prep work, the result is a hearty dish that is very satisfying on a cold day. And you know what I say to that? BAM!

*Note: If you want a tangy compliment to the cabbage rolls, serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy I Have Cake In My Tummy

In case you haven't noticed, I surf the internet for recipes often. I stumbled upon a gem for a flourless chocolate cake and after reading the description, I was compelled to make it as soon as I possibly could. I actually started it last night and let it set up without the ganache overnight. This morning I got to work on the topping and threw it into the fridge to set up. The ganache sets up quickly and as you can see, I put a piece on top so you could the the interior. That piece was promptly eaten and let me tell you, if this cake was a song, it would be named You Make My Dreams (Come True). Hall and Oates weren't talking about just any 80's hussy. No, they were speaking of this smooth piece of dark chocolate that makes makes your mouth water and come back for more. And, thanks to Tish Boyle my dreams have come true!

Not Your Mom's Spaghetti!

We love goat cheese. I mean even our cat loves goat cheese. So, in trying to find a clever way to use it in a main dish, I stumbled upon an idea on the internet that used mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and basil. Sounded like a tasty way to pull a pasta dish together, and boy was it ever! We used our favorite baby bella mushrooms to add a nice woody flavor and we got some brightness out of the fresh basil. As for the caramelized onions, you just can't go wrong when serving them. If you have never tried to fix them, you should. It is a simple preparation that yields fantastic results. Throw said ingredients together, season with salt and pepper, and you've got a meal to be proud of!

1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 T. sugar
2 T. butter
3 T. olive oil
12 oz. pasta (we used spaghetti--we had it on hand)
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 T. fresh chopped basil
4 oz. goat cheese
4 T. grated parmesan cheese (more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste

Melt 1 T. butter and 1T. oil and stir in the sugar and some salt to taste. Add onions and cook over medium heat until they are a nice brown color. This will take quite some time, so be patient. After onions are done, remove from pan and use the same pan to saute the mushrooms with remaining butter and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, cook pasta according to package, drain and add mushroom mixture along with the caramelized onions, basil, parmesan, and goat cheese. Toss to combine and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Lemon Scones

Although we are having leftovers for dinner tonight, I thought lemon scones would be a nice compliment to the meal. I had all the ingredients on hand, so that was a bonus. The result was a light, tart scone that was moist...even for a scone. I have tried my hand at scones in the past, and I think I have finally, through lots of trial and error, figured out that the less you handle the dough, the better.

Lemon Cream Scones
adapted from Morning Menus Inn Style
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. baking powder
2 c. flour
3 T. fresh grated lemon zest
1 1/4 c. whipping cream
1 egg white mixed with 1 T. water

Mix together all dry ingredients, including lemon zest. Add cream, stirring quickly to moisten dry ingredients. Dough should be soft. Sometimes and extra tablespoon or two of cream needs to be added. Knead on a lightly floured surface 6-8 times, until dough is smooth. Divide dough and pat into three circles about an inch thick and then cut into quarters. Brush with egg white mixture and bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

**Note: I made a powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the top of the warm scones.