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Almost Perfect Fontina Chops

Posted on September 8, 2010 by amydeline

A few years ago, in search of child-friendly dining option, we found ourselves in a Bonefish Grill. Prior to this visit, my only knowledge of Bonefish Grill was through one of our family members, who spoke with great passion about the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter he’d eaten there. At the time, he’d claimed it was the best meal he’d ever eaten. Based on his description of the meal, I made the silly mistake of trying to cook this idolized meal for him. We went over to our local Whole Foods to buy the finest, freshest ingredients. I meticulously crafted the meal as described. Then we all sat down to enjoy the meal together.

Well, my Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola dinner came out fantastic, truly fantastic. Everyone was fully pleased, except perhaps, the family member I’d cooked it for. His critique was that it was almost perfect. I’d accepted the praise and thanked him. I’ll take an almost perfect review. But, my husband wasn’t about to let his comment go. What do you mean almost?? He pressed. What should have been improved? Our family member then tried to argue that it couldn’t possibly be as perfect as in a restaurant because I didn’t have access to restaurant stuff. We giggled and let it go, but we still joke with him today about his almost perfect comment. All in good fun and with love.

So, when I found myself sitting in front of the Bonefish Grill menu, there was part of me that was very strongly leaning towards ordering the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter, so that I could dissect the dish and discover the errors of my almost perfect recreation. And then I spotted the Fontina Chop; a pork chop with Marsala sauce, prosciutto, garlic, and fontina cheese. Just reading the description had me salivating. I almost always order steak or seafood in restaurants, so a pork dish was a departure for me. But it sounded so irresistible. And it was. It was probably the best rendition of a pork chops and gravy dish I’ve ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in a Bonefish Grill, I highly recommend this dish.

Notice the absence of Fontina cheese; the result of cooking and photographing with two little people and a dog at my heels. My cheese was added post-pictures.

It was years ago, but the flavor combination in that dish stuck with me. So, I decided to have a go at recreating another Bonefish Grill dish. My advantage, this time, is that I’ve actually seen and eaten the sought after dish. My disadvantage is that it was so long ago that my memory will be fairly worthless in terms of comparing the actual taste match between the dishes. Regardless of differences between Bonefish’s dish and mine, I have to admit that this recipe is delicious…almost perfect.

Fontina Chops

Inspired by Bonefish Grill

Ingredients

For the Pork Chops

  • 2 Boneless Pork Chops
  • 1 Egg, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded

For the Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3-4 slices Prosciutto, chopped
  • 2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms, Sliced
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup Marsala Wine
  • 1 can (15 ounces) Chicken Broth
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

For the pork chops:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim any excess fat from the chops. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the chops into the beaten egg, then press all sides in the bread crumbs until thoroughly coated. Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof pan. Place the breaded chops in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the pork chops are fully cooked. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the chops. My 1″ pork chops took about 15 minutes in the oven. A instant read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees.

(**Edited to Add: The USDA has recently reduced its recommended safe temperature for pork to 145 degrees. Based on this new recommendation, you can probably cut the cooking time to about 12 minutes in the oven, but cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chops. An instant-read meat thermometer is your best friend in determining doneness!**)

For the sauce:

Prepare the sauce while the chops are cooking. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms and prosciutto. Cook for 8-9 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Add the garlic. Cook for another minute or two. Then removed the cooked mushrooms, prosciutto, and garlic and set aside. Add the marsala to the hot pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add the chicken broth. Return to a simmer and cook until a little more than 1 cup of liquid remains. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Spoon a few tablespoons of the hot liquid into the cornstarch and stir until combined. (Dissolving the cornstarch in a small amount of liquid before adding to the sauce will help to prevent lumps from forming.) Then, add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and simmer for another minute or two to thicken. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and simmer for a minute to reheat.

To serve:

As soon as the pork chops come out of the oven, sprinkle the fontina cheese on top. Allow the pork chops to rest and the cheese to melt for a couple minutes. Then spoon the sauce over the chops and serve. Smashed Red Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus make wonderful side dishes!

Serves 2

Hubby's dish, cheese properly applied.

Since writing this recipe, it has come to my attention that the Bonefish fontina chops are not breaded. I stand by my breaded chops in this recipe, as it is hands-down my favorite way to prepare pork chops. But, if you’re looking for a more similar recreation to Bonefish’s dish, you may wish to skip the breading steps and simply season your chops with salt and peppers and sear in a pan before finishing in the oven. Enjoy!

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Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Posted on September 7, 2010 by amydeline

During a recent episode of Man v. Food, host Adam Richman visited the city of Syracuse, the city I call home. Though, admittedly, I don’t regularly watch Man v. Food, I recorded this episode, since I’d heard there would be a segment featuring one of my favorite places, Dinosaur BBQ. And there was. But the segment which really caught my attention featured a place I haven’t been to, called Mother’s Cupboard, home of the six pound frittata. You heard me right. Six. Pound. Frittata.

Now this frittata is not like any frittata I’ve ever seen. If I had to guess, I’d say that about 5.95 pounds of it is composed of the fillings; sausage, peppers, onions, pepperoni, and a full pound of potatoes. The entire pile of food is bound together with 4 scrambled eggs and served with 4 ends of Italian bread. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE to eat and I have a very healthy appetite, but watching Adam Richman eat that entire mass of food turned my stomach just a bit. The small percentage of diners who do manage to eat the entire meal, as Mr. Richman did, get a T-shirt and their picture on the wall. I don’t think I’ll be attempting the challenge anytime soon, but it was sure fun to watch.

I like frittatas quite a bit and don’t make them nearly enough. Frittatas are an egg dish, similar to an omelet, filled with any combination of ingredients and typically finished in an oven. Once you’ve got the idea, the possibilities are infinite. They make a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They’re also perfect for using up leftover vegetables, cheese, or meat.

For my frittata, I made use of some chorizo I’ve been storing and a few potatoes I purchased for another meal. The potatoes get cooked with the chorizo and a bit of chopped onion. As the chorizo cooks, it releases its tasty flavor to coat the potatoes. Once the potatoes are tender, the egg mixture gets poured over the fillings, cooked for a few minutes on the stovetop (try not to burn the bottom like I did), then placed in the oven to finish. A bit of melty Fontina cheese adds the finishing touch.

Chorizo and Potato Frittata

Ingredients

  • 4 Baby Red Potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1/2 small Onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup Spanish Chorizo, chopped
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1/3 cup Milk
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley
  • 1/3 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an oven-proof skillet with cooking spray. Heat the pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, potatoes, and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are tender. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook for a couple minutes until the eggs appear cooked around the edges. Sprinkle the fontina cheese over the egg mixture and place the pan in the oven.  Cook for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are completely cooked through. The top will appear golden brown and the center should look a bit puffy.

Serves 4

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Goat Cheese Manicotti with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

Posted on September 6, 2010 by amydeline

I’ve got mushrooms on the brain and they’re growing like a fungus. Perhaps it’s the approach of fall and the sudden drop in temperature around here. Can’t seem to think of a thing to make which doesn’t somehow involve mushrooms, which is quite unfortunate for my anti-mushroom husband. But my most recent mushroom creation even managed to delight my mushroom avoiding husband.

The idea began after staring at the log of goat cheese, which has been sitting in my fridge, leftover from our last wine and cheese night. If you’ve been reading for the past few weeks, y’all know how I feel about goat cheese. You’ve seen the salads covered with goat cheese and pizza of goat cheese, figs and prosciutto. It occurred to me that the leftover goat cheese would be lovely in a ravioli, but for lack of a pasta maker, I abandoned that idea. But the pasta idea was not a total loss. Manicotti or large pasta shells would make perfect vessels for my precious goat cheese. I decided on using manicotti.

I blended the goat cheese with ricotta cheese and a touch of mozzarella, then bound the cheeses together with a lightly beaten egg and piped the mixture into the cooked manicotti pasta. After baking the filled pasta until fully cooked, the cheesy pasta is topped with a creamy mushroom sauce, accented with garlic and Italian cheese flavors. The result is a super satisfying meal, perfect for the rapidly approaching fall weather.

Goat Cheese Manicotti with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

  • 1 8 ounce package of Manicotti (14 pieces)
  • 3 cups Ricotta Cheese
  • 8 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup Mozzarella
  • Leaves from 3-4 sprigs Parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 Egg, lightly beaten

For the Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 4 cups Wild Mushrooms, chopped (Shitake, Cremini, Oyster, etc.)
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 2 cups Light Cream
  • 1/2 cup Italian Cheese Blend (Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Fontina…)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Boil the manicotti according to package directions. Rinse with cool water.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, mozzarella, parsley, salt, and pepper. Before adding the egg, taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired. Then, add the beaten egg and stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe the mixture into the cooked pasta. Alternately, use a spoon to fill the pasta. Place each filled manicotti into the prepared baking dish.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes until completely cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Pour the cream over the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes until the cream begins to bubble and thicken. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.

Pour the mushroom cream sauce over the pasta before serving.

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Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted on September 4, 2010 by amydeline

I recently read somewhere that cooking burns 180 calories in an hour. So, cook up a storm and eat yourself silly. That’s my philosophy anyway!

The girls came over last night to teach this lifelong ponytail-wearing girl how to style my hair for the Bertolli Fashion Week event. In return for their hard work, I shared some of Thursday’s ‘Funny Bone’ cupcakes and one of my favorite little hors d’oeuvres, stuffed mushrooms.

Stuffed mushrooms are one of the first hors d’oeuvres I learned how to make as a youngster. I remember begging my mother for the opportunity to make the mushrooms for family gatherings. And boy did I beam with pride when they were served! There’s just something about that kind of positive recognition that is so encouraging. Those experiences are a large part of the reason I enjoy cooking as much as I do. It’s so much more than just the food.

My recipe is an adaptation of the recipe I made as a child. I’m not sure where the original recipe came from. It was just something my mom made. My husband is anti-mushroom, so I haven’t made stuffed mushrooms for years. I don’t remember the exact proportions and I’m not even sure I remember all of the ingredients. Had I the foresight, I might have called home to get the recipe, but I remember the taste, so we’ll figure it out.

The original recipe does not call for bacon, but since I have a bowl of cooked, crumbled bacon, leftover from my Baked Potato Soup, I’m throwing some in. Everything’s better with bacon, right?? If you’d rather keep it a vegetarian dish, just omit the bacon. They will still be delicious!

The stuffed mushrooms can be prepared fully ahead of time, up to the baking step, which makes this a great option for entertaining or potluck parties. Simply prepare the stuffed mushrooms, refrigerate, and bake before serving!

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds large Mushrooms (about 20 large mushrooms)
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 small Onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1/2 cup Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • Leaves from 1-2 sprigs fresh Parsley, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp Butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black Pepper
  • 1/8 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • Paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and carefully remove the stems. Place the mushroom caps in a single layer in a baking dish. Finely chop the mushrooms stems and place them in a bowl. Add the sour cream, diced onion, garlic, bread crumbs, parsley, and half of the melted butter. Mix to combine. Taste and season, as desired, with salt and pepper. Generously stuff the mushrooms caps with the mixture. Drizzle a few drops of the remaining melted butter onto each mushroom. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and tender.

 

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Funny Bone Cupcakes

Posted on September 2, 2010 by amydeline

I love the feature on my blog stats page which shows me all of the search terms which have led people to my blog. As you might expect, most of the search terms have something to do with food; marinara using fresh tomatoes, best oatmeal cookie, Nick Tahou’s at the New York State Fair. But I also get a fair share of hits from search terms which leave me puzzled, for example, How to Make a Christmas Money Wreath. What’s a Christmas money wreath? I want one of those.

And then today, I awoke to find that someone had been led to my blog by the search term, Irresistible Hot Moms. HAHA! That’s absolutely awesome. I’m pretty sure it led the searcher to my post on Irresistible Spinach Dip with Wonton Pasta Chips, wherein the recipe included details about getting the cooking oil hot. Just a wild guess, but I suspect the searcher wasn’t looking for a spinach dip recipe. Funny stuff.

Speaking of funny stuff… Does it get any better than Funny Bones? You know, those delicious chocolatey-peanut buttery Drake’s cakes. As a child, I’d easily bypass the racks of Twinkies, Devil Dogs, Yodels, or Ding Dongs in search of my all-time favorite snack cake, Funny Bones! I could’ve eaten a whole box in one sitting and wouldn’t have even regretted the resulting bellyache. For some reason, as I grew up, Funny Bones seemed to be in shorter supply. Perhaps they have a limited distribution area and I was moving to all of the wrong places. But one day I woke up and realized I hadn’t seen a Funny Bone in ages. That realization was not so funny at all.

I don’t eat snack cakes very often these days. The deep-fried twinkie, which I recently devoured at the fair, was probably the first snack cake I’ve eaten all year. But, I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, so I’ve decided to build a cupcake inspired by childhood favorite. The only difference is that my cupcake will feature grown-up deep chocolate flavor. Moist, dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with sweet peanut butter filling, and decked with a smooth chocolate ganache. Funny Bones improved.

For the cake, I’m using a recipe I stumbled upon a few months ago while searching for a base for my Baked Alaska endeavor. The recipe for Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, found on the Hershey’s website, is perhaps the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted. I’ll never make another chocolate cake recipe. It’s rich, oh so moist, and a cinch to make. For the filling, I’m simply combining creamy peanut butter with confectioners sugar and a bit of cream for a sweet and creamy texture. My favorite simple chocolate ganache will deck the cupcake tops with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts as a finishing touch.

Tomorrow night, my girls are coming over to help me figure out a hairstyle for the big Bertolli Fashion Week event next week. I’m sure they’ll also be willing to help me take care of a few of these cupcakes!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

(Barely adapted from Hershey’s Deep Dark Chocolate Cake recipe)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Boiling Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcakes pans with cupcake liners or grease and lightly flour.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for a couple minutes until well combined. Add the boiling water and stir. The batter will be thinner than you might expect. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans. *Fill each cupcake about 2/3 full, to avoid overflowing. Bake for  25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.

Peanut Butter Filling

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 cup Confectioners Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp Heavy Cream

Directions

Warm the peanut butter for a few seconds in the microwave to soften. Add the sugar and stir together until smooth. Add the cream, as necessary, to reach a consistency which is thick, but loose enough to easily squeeze through a pastry tip.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Directions

Give the chocolate a coarse chop. Place the chocolate pieces in a bowl. Heat the cream, just to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

To compose the cupcakes…

Spoon the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag fitted with a small/medium round tip. (You can also use a ziploc bag with the corner cut off and a pastry tip inserted.) Insert the pastry tip into the top of each cupcake and squeeze to fill the cakes with a small amount of peanut butter filling. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set the filling.

Prepare the ganache. One at a time, hold each cupcake by the base and dip the top into the ganache to evenly coat. Return to the cooling rack. Garnish the cupcakes with a few chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Children will especially enjoy helping out with the dipping and tasting the results!

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Baked Potato Soup

Posted on September 1, 2010 by amydeline

I have a confession to make. This post isn’t really about potato soup. It’s about bacon. I just wanted bacon, anything with bacon. After a bit of brainstorming, I decided upon baked potato soup with bacon flavor cooked into the soup and crispy bits of bacon sprinkled on top. Served with a side of leftover pepperoni pizza salad, my bacon-topped baked potato soup was pure comfort in a bowl.

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 large Russet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil and Salt, for rubbing potatoes
  • 1/2 pound Bacon, chopped
  • 1 small Onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 3 cups Milk (skim milk would be fine)
  • 1 tsp Salt (plus more, if desired)
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (plus more, if desired)
  • 2-3 Scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly clean potatoes. Use the tip of a knife to puncture the potatoes a few times on each side. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, until the potatoes are tender, as tested by inserting a knife into the potato. Cut in half and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the rendered bacon grease in the pan. Set the cooked bacon aside for topping the soup. Add the chopped onion to the bacon grease in the pan and cook, over medium-low for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Turn off the heat.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the tender potato and discard (or eat) the potato skins. Gently smash the potatoes. Add the sour cream. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture or transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender to combine. Add the milk and blend. Add more milk, if desired, until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste.

Over medium/medium-low heat, warm the soup for a few minutes, until it begins to gently bubble. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped scallions.

Serves 4


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Pepperoni Pizza Salad

Posted on August 31, 2010 by amydeline

My culinary muse is just over 3 feet tall and weighs in at about 34 pounds. He’s the pickiest eater of the bunch, yet has a knack for generating the most interesting recipe ideas, such as Ice Cream Pizza and Vanilla Soup. And then, last night at dinner, he started talking about Pizza Salad. It was perhaps, just a slip of the tongue, as he was awaiting a pizza with the option of salad on the side. But, my interest was piqued.

Little Muse

A moment later, my Pizza Salad plan was in place; chunks of pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and grape tomatoes, tossed with romaine lettuce and dressed with a tomato-balsamic vinaigrette. As a finishing touch, I’d add Italian seasoned pizza crust croutons and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. The result; a salad oozing with Italian pizza flavors! My little muse is pure culinary genius, though he refused to taste even a bite of his creation.

Sometime later in the evening, my tiny inspiration came running at me from the dining room, where his child-sized pretend kitchen is arranged. He had a small plastic pan with a cover in his hands. He was clearly distressed. As he approached me, he lifted the lid on the pan to reveal a single green leaf of plastic lettuce. He was shouting, Oh no! I burned the salad! So, maybe the kid has got a little to learn about cooking, but at least he’s got ideas!

Pepperoni Pizza Salad

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/8 cup Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 5-7 Fresh Oregano Leaves, chopped
  • Salt
  • Crushed Red Pepper

For the Croutons

  • 1 Thick Prepared Pizza Crust
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic Powder
  • Dried Parsley Flakes
  • Salt

For the Salad

  • Romain Lettuce, chopped
  • Small Cherry Tomatoes
  • Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls (Bocconcini)
  • Pepperoni, halved or quartered
  • Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions

For the Croutons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a thick pizza crust into large crouton-sized pieces. Arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Spray or brush the bread cubes with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley flakes, and salt. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until the croutons are golden brown with a crispy exterior and slightly tender interior.

For the Dressing

Whisk to combine vinegar, oil, tomato paste, garlic, and oregano. Season with salt and crushed red pepper.

To Compose the Salad

Toss the romaine, tomatoes, mozzarella, and pepperoni in a small amount of dressing to lightly coat. Top with pizza crust croutons and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

6 Comments

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Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Posted on August 27, 2010 by amydeline

One of the benefit’s of making yesterday’s Pulled Pork and Peach Pizza is that you’ll end up with a mound of leftover pork…perfect for a few pulled pork sandwiches.

I can’t think about pulled pork without thinking of Dinosaur Bar B Que, our local barbecue biker bar. It’s definitely a place we like to bring visiting friends. Really delicious, authentic barbecue is the name of their game. It was even voted America’s best barbecue on ABC’s Good Morning America in 2009 and it will be featured in an upcoming episode of Travel Channel’s Man v. Food with Adam Richman.

Dinosaur Bar B Que’s smoked pulled pork puts mine to shame. It’s so very good. You can never go wrong with the Big Ass Pork Plate. Excuse my language, please. I blush a little every time I order it. Dinosaur’s Big Ass Pork Plate comes with a huge mound of pork, a chunk of their Honey Hush Corn Bread and two of their many delicious side dishes. One of my favorite side dishes is their Tomato-Cucumber Salad. It’s always a nice fresh balance to the pile of meat on the other end of the platter.

So, with my dinner of leftover pulled pork, I’m mixing up my take on this classic summer side dish. Simple, summer-fresh flavors are always a win in my book.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 red onion, diced fine
  • 1 pound rom tomatoes
  • 1 large, seedless cucumber

Directions

Depending on the size of the tomatoes, cut them into fourths or eighths. Remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again, to form four long quarters. Slice the cucumbers into small fan-shaped pieces. Combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions. Toss to combine.

If possible, make the salad a few hours before eating to allow the veggies to get comfy in the dressing.

If you’re feeling saucy, a batch of my Sweet Honey Corn Bread would work beautifully with this meal! Click here for that recipe.

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Oven-roasted Pulled Pork and Summer Peach Pizza

Posted on August 26, 2010 by amydeline

Recently, I was having a conversation with someone who was tossing around the idea of opening a pizza shop in a city whose pizza market is predominated by chain restaurants. I suggested that as a way of setting himself apart, he should focus on using very fresh ingredients; local, seasonal, and organic when possible. In addition to offering a really good traditional pizza with traditional toppings, he could offer a special of the month, something a bit different, which features the most seasonal produce. As an example, I threw out peaches. Well, that got an odd look. So, I continued, Maybe with a BBQ type of sauce and pork or something. The odd look remained.

Over the next couple days, I mentioned this peach and pork pizza idea to a handful of other people, all of whom had the same confused reaction. Maybe I should have let it go, but for some reason, I couldn’t get this pizza off my mind. I mean, people put ham and pineapple on pizza. So why not pork and peaches?

I let the idea simmer in my brain for a while. The pork should be slow-cooked and tender, like pulled pork. The peaches would need to be roasted to make them extra sweet and tender. The sauce should full of tomato flavor, but with a definite sweet bbq accent. The cheese should be melty and mild. The more I thought it through, the more convinced I became that it would work.

So, I picked up a big pork shoulder and got cooking. Pulled pork is something which works best when cooked low and slow. There are several ways to do it, all of which can be successful. My preferred method is to oven-roast the pork, since I can use that method year round and I find that it produces a less mushy result than with a slow-cooker. You can decrease the cooking time by increasing the heat, but low and slow is your best bet for a tender roast, which will pull apart with ease. My recipe is sort of in middle as far as heat and time goes, but if you have more time on your hands, lower the heat and give it a bit more time.

For the sauce, I made a Honey Garlic BBQ sauce. I cooked the sauce along with the pork to pick up some of the pork flavor and allow the flavors to blend and concentrate. This also allows the onion and roasted garlic to slow cook for an even sweeter flavor. For a leaner end-result, you can cook the sauce separate from the roast.

Pulled Pork and Summer Peach Pizza

Ingredients

For the Roasted Garlic-Honey BBQ Sauce:

  • 1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
  • 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Mustard
  • 1/4 cup Worchestire
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1 tsp Cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 head Roasted Garlic, cloves removed from the skin*
  • 1 Small Onion, chopped

For the Roast:

  • 1 5-7 pound Pork Shoulder
  • Paprika
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper

For the Peaches:

  • 2 Peaches, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

For the Pizza:

  • 2 12″ Prepared Pizza Crusts
  • 2-3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1/3 cup Chives, finely chopped

*Click here for my guide to roasting garlic.

Directions

To prepare the roast, trim the excess fat from the exterior. Rub the roast all over with paprika, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a heavy dutch oven pan with a tight fitting lid or in a baking dish that is just big enough to hold the roast, combine all sauce ingredients. Place the roast on top of the sauce and cover. If using a baking dish, tightly seal the pan with foil. Place it in the oven and cook for about 5 hours. No need to check, stir, or baste. Just pop it in a let it do its thing. You’ll know it’s done when the meat starts to pull away from the bone and the internal temperature, as measured with an instant-read thermometer, has reached at  least 170 degrees. You can also test the meat by scraping a fork into a piece of the roast. It should easily shred from the roast.

For the peaches, place the thin slices in a small baking dish and toss with the brown sugar. You can omit the sugar, if desired, but the small amount of sugar gives the peaches a very light, sweet glaze. Place the baking dish in the oven during the last 30 minutes of the roast’s cooking time.

When the roast is cooked, remove from the oven. Carefully lift the roast from the pan and place it on a rack or in a colander to cool for about 15 minutes.

While the roast is cooling, pour the sauce through a strainer to remove the chunks of onion, garlic, and any pork pieces. Allow the sauce to settle. Then, pour off any excess fat, which will rise to the top or use a spoon to remove the fat. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with more salt, cayenne, or honey, as desired.

When the pork is cool enough to handle, but still warm, use a fork to begin pulling the meat. If you scrape the fork against the meat, it should start pulling apart easily. Discard any fatty chunks. I like to go back over the meat with my fingers after pulling it, to make sure there are no slimy, fatty bits remaining.

Pour the sauce over the meat and toss to combine.

For the pizza, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scatter the sauced pork in an even layer over the crust. Place several slices of peach on top of the pork. Sprinkle with a good layer of mozzarella cheese. Garnish with the chopped chives. Bake for about 12 minutes until everything is hot, the cheese is melty and the edges of the crust are golden.

Makes 2 12-inch Pizzas (plus leftover pulled pork for sandwiches!)

This pizza was really good. Even my skeptical husband was pleased!

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Posted in Food, Fruit, Main Course, Pizza, Pork, Recipes, Sauces and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Warm Nut-Crusted Goat Cheese on Garlic Toasts

Posted on August 24, 2010 by amydeline

Oh, goat cheese. My dearest goat cheese. How I adore thee.

I’ve had goat cheese brain lately. Look it up; I swear it’s a real condition. My husband and I nearly drew swords at lunch in Chicago, when I couldn’t resist from ordering a salad, when we’d sat down with the intention of splitting a Chicago pizza. But there was goat cheese with the salad. Warm. Nut-Crusted. Goat Cheese.

The next day, I had it again. A huge mound of fluffy whipped goat cheese, served with a salad of mixed greens in herb vinaigrette with roasted golden beets and candied walnuts.

And here I am today, still salivating at the thought of goat cheese.

So, for today’s lunch, I made my own version of warm nut-crusted goat cheese on garlic toasts, which I served alongside a salad of mixed greens in a honey-balsamic vinaigrette with crumbled bacon and fresh raspberries. Heavenly lunch.

For the goat cheese, use a food processor to grind a bunch of walnuts until they reach a fine consistency. Cut a log of goat cheese into slices less than 1/2 inch thick. Running the knife under hot water prior to slicing will help the knife to glide through the soft cheese. Press the ground nuts onto both sides of the goat cheese rounds. Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. A vegetable or nut oil would work well. Place the nut-crusted goat cheese rounds in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side until the nuts begin to brown and the cheese is slightly warmed.

For the garlic toasts, cut slices of bread. I used a French batard. Rub the bread with a cut garlic clove. Then, brush one side of each bread slice with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Place the bread slices under the broiler for a couple minutes until lightly toasted. Keep a close eye to prevent burning.

For the dressing, I made a basic balsamic vinaigrette with the addition of honey; about one part olive oil to two parts balsamic vinegar, a bit of dijon mustard, squeeze of honey, salt and pepper.

I added crumbled bacon and raspberries to my salad, but this dish would be equally delicious with many other additions, such as dried apricots, cherries, or cranberries, fresh pears or apples, chopped nuts, or prosciutto.

2 Comments

Posted in Cheese, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Recipes, Salads and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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