Fig-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots

If you like to experiment with unique flavors and try to make food look photo-worthy as well, this one is for you!  One unique ingredient in this recipe is fig preserves. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried and used in jam-making.  You may know figs from such cookies as "fig newtons".  The widely produced fig newton cookie with a filling made from figs.

Ingredients:

2-3 carrots
8 oz Brussels sprouts
2 shallots
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lbs)
1/2 cup red cooking wine
1/4 cup fig preserves
1 oz goat cheese
olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Peel, trim, and cut carrots into 1/4 pieces on an angle
• Trim bottoms off Brussels sprouts and halve
• Peel and slice shallots into 1/4 inch rounds, mince a few slices, resulting in 1 Tbsp. minced
• Pat pork tenderloin dry, and season all sides with salt and pepper
• Toss carrots, Brussels sprouts, and shallot rounds with 2 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper on a baking sheet that has been covered with foil and cooking spray. Roast 7 minutes in preheated oven.
• While vegetables are roasting, place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. olive oil and pork tenderloin to hot pan. Sear until lightly browned on all sides, 2-3 mins per side. transfer pork to baking sheet with vegetables. Reserve pan; no need to wipe clean.
• Place vegetables and pork in oven and roast until vegetables and tender and pork reaches a internal temperature of 145 degrees, 8-12 minutes. Remove from oven and rest pork 5 minutes.
• Over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp. olive oil and minced shallot to hot pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add red wine and fig preserves and cook until it thickens into a thin syrup, 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from burner.
• Slice pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch slices. Place vegetables on plate and garnish with goat cheese (breaking up with your hands if needed.) Add sliced pork and spoon red wine-fig glaze over pork.

Tupps Tidbits:  We used feta cheese instead of goat cheese. Feta cheese and goat cheese are both made from the milk of goats. The difference is that feta is also made using sheep's milk.
FYI - We found the fig preserves at Walmart - who would have guessed! Ha!

This was a beautiful dish!  It looked so fancy bu the taste was just "ok",  edible but nothing to brag about. I was hoping for more of a sweet and tangy glaze.  It's super simple to make with a few ingredients which is perfect for weeknight cooking. I doubt we will make this recipe again..so it is NOT A KEEPER in our house.

Where did we find this?  www.homechef.com

Cheddar, broccoli, and rice casserole

I  challenge the "title" of this recipe because normally a casserole involves meat and vegetable proteins and carbohydrates in every pan.  A casserole is a complete and packed meal in itself. This is definitely not a not a Minnesota "hot dish"  because it does not use any potato  base, like potato chips, hash browns, tater tots or any type of cream soup.  This is just a hearty side dish! We paired it with oven roasted chicken breasts.

1 shallot
5 oz Broccoli
1 oz Cheese and Garlic Croutons
1/4 cup Parboiled White Rice
3 fl. oz Heavy Whipping Cream
3 oz cheddar Cheese.

• Peel and slice shallot.
• Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces.
• Crush croutons in to coarse crumbs.

Place a small pot over medium heat. Add 1 tsp. olive oil and shallots to hot pot. Cook until slightly softened, Add rice and 3/4 cup water to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender, 12-15 mins. Stir in cream and 1/3 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-4 mins. Removed from burner and season with 1/4 tsp salt. cut cheddar in to small pieces and stir into pot until melted.

Tupps Tidbits: Don’t text and broil. Pay close attention while the broccoli casserole is in the broiler.

We both enjoyed this side dish. It was not over creamy, which was good.  It will pair well with lots of different meals and probably a good one to bring to Thanksgiving or Christmas.  This recipe is a KEEPER at our house!

Where did we find this?  homechef.com

Easy Oven Fajitas

A fajita is a term found in Mexican cuisine, commonly referring to any grilled meat usually served as a taco on a flour or corn tortilla. Popular meats today also include chicken, pork and shrimp.  In restaurants, the meat is usually cooked with onions and bell peppers and offer sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa and pico de gallo on the side.  What I love about this recipe is you bake it all in one pan!

Ingredients

FAJITA SEASONING

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ½ Tbsp paprika 
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp sugar 
• ½ tsp salt 

FAJITAS

• 2 small (or 1 lg.) onion 
• 3 bell peppers (any color) 
• 1 lb. chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1 medium lime
• 8 (6-inch) tortillas
• ½ cup sour cream (optional)
• ¼ bunch cilantro (optional) 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the spices for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt).
2. Cut the onion and bell peppers into ¼-inch wide strips. Place them in a large 13x15-inch casserole dish or a large baking sheet. Slice the chicken breast into very thin strips and add it to the casserole dish with the vegetables.
3. Drizzle the vegetable oil over the chicken and vegetables, then sprinkle the fajita seasoning mix over top. Use your hands to toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and seasoning. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over top of the meat and vegetables after they come out of the oven.
4. While the fajita mix bakes, toast each tortilla in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, until lightly browned on each side. Scoop a small amount of meat and vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and an extra squeeze of lime if desired.

Tupps Tidbits:  instead of making the fajita seasoning you can buy a container/packet of fajita seasoning in the store

I loved this meal! Flavorful, mouthwatering and it all went together in one dish in a snap.  This recipe is definitely a KEEPER in our house!

Where did we find this?  https://www.budgetbytes.com

Steak House Mushrooms Marsala

Last week we blogged about the steak in this picture but we also made the mushrooms. When going out to eat, mushrooms are normally offered as a side dish with steak and also cost extra. Most people love them and could eat them alone!  I am not a huge fan of canned mushrooms so I was ready to try this one and it looked like it was packed with flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 -10 oz. pkg. white button mushrooms
• 1/3 Cup Marsala wine
• 2. tbsp butter
• 1 tsp. fresh Thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. Grave Master
• salt and black pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:

1. Heat your skillet over medium high heat. Let pan get hot then add in the butter
2. When the Butter foams up add in the mushrooms and toss in the butter
3. Next, add in the gravy master and carefully roll the mushrooms around in it and then turn the heat down to medium.  Add in the fresh thyme, some salt and pepper to taste.
4. De-glaze the pan with the Marsala.  Stir the Marsala.  Stir the mushrooms and cook them for just a few minutes until softened and the Marsala reduces a bit.

Tupps Tidbits: Cook mushrooms in a pan with a lot of surface area. You want to be able to spread the mushrooms out in a single layer to maximize their contact with the hot pan and allow moisture to evaporate quickly. A skillet or sauté pan is best.

Not the best sauteed mushrooms we have had.   All we could taste was an oily mess on our mushrooms and a"off-taste"...not exactly a good flavor!  This one is NOT a keeper in our house!

Where did we find this?  Cooking on A budget https://pattyandersonsblog.blogspot.com