Garlic Crusted Pork Roast

When is the last time you really looked in your freezer?  I know you might go in there every day for a few ice cubes or a bit out of the ice cream you try to hide from yourself, but there are probably a few secrets lurking in there.

Last week, when I made my food inventory (seriously, do it.) I found a bag of really good pistachios, a pint of my favorite sorbet, and the melange of meats thrown in when they were reaching expiration.  After getting through the ground chicken with the green curry chicken chili, I decided to make a lovely Sunday dinner with a sirloin pork roast.

For larger cuts of meat, I like to season the outside like crazy.  My pork roast was no exception; mustard seeds with a little bit of dried thyme were crushed in a mortar and pestle and then massaged into the seasoned pork roast.  In order to help the spices adhere, I dried the roast with paper towels.

I don't have a roasting rack, so I engineered one out of a bed of thick cut red onions and granny smith apples.  I propped the seasoned roast on the fashioned rack and then covered it with finely minced garlic and olive oil.  Before putting into a 325 F oven, I made sure to put in a temperature probe.

I cooked it low and slow for an hour plus, until the pork reached an internal temperature of 145 F.  The finely minced garlic crusted the pork roast without burning, thanks to the low temperature.  I was picking them off while slicing, so addictive!

To top the pork, I made a quick honey mustard finished by blending in some of the roasting rack onions and apples.  I think this was Lisa's favorite part!

To accompany, I made a quick side of roasted brussels sprouts with apples while the pork rested.  Hopefully, this recipe will prompt you to dig in your freezer and see what goodies are hiding in there.  I'm certainly pleased!

Seared Scallops with Dijon Wine Sauce

I'm alive!  So a series of unfortunate and fortunate circumstances has kept me out of the kitchen for the last two weeks.  The dreaded derecho wind storm blew out my pilot light, which I couldn't relight because the old piece of crap needed a new part to relight again.  The repairman cancelled our first appointment, landing the second one directly in the middle of MOVING WEEK!  Yes, ladies and gents, I am currently residing in my first home that I (part) own!  The bed went over on Saturday night, so yesterday I went to all of my favorite food spots all over town to restock myself.  Farmer's market tomatoes, local corn and zucchini, my favorite cream cheese for baby cheesecakes tomorrow, and a super rare find of fresh sea scallops!  I decided the scallops needed a little white wine, and proceeded to make myself a celebratory first meal!

It felt so freaking good to get back to my cooking Sunday, when I get super ambitious and cook for hours to prepare for the week.  Since starting to write this blog, cooking has been my creative outlet and without it I was going crazy!  Before it was something that I enjoyed doing but now that it has become part of my routine I felt empty without making a mess at the end of the day.  I feel balanced again, ready to create and share with the rest of you!

Now, for the scallops!  It's really the easiest seafood ever to cook and tastes flawlessly sweet and buttery every time.  Clean, pat VERY DRY with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and sear for about a 1 minute a side in a super hot pan.  That's it!  As scallops are my favorite type of sushi, I like mine a little rare in the middle.  Like Alton Brown showed us in his scallop episode, the outside ends will have a nice crust while the middles will still be translucent.  As a safety precaution, only do this technique with super fresh scallops.

I made a fast dijon mustard and white wine sauce, salty and tangy to pair with the sweet scallops, and laid it all on a bed of peppery arugula.  Yet another example of the simplest things done right will taste the best.  Fast, easy, and festive, it was a great first meal in the new place!

Lemony Mushrooms and Wilted Kale

Everyone seems to have a food boner for kale.  Kale chips, salads, smoothies, you name it someone has tried to sneak it in.  I get it, it is a SUPER FOOD (that also fights crime).  Its trendiness has kept me away, until I got an email from my mother asking me if I had tried it.  Alright, mom, I'll eat my vegetables!

I first sauteed mushrooms and garlic in a little olive oil.  I used the combo of lemon, crushed red pepper flakes, and dijon mustard to flavor the dish, then added a little chicken stock to help wilt the kale.  I found a box of pine nuts in the back of the spice cabinet, so I toasted them in a dry pan and topped the dish with it for a nutty crunch.  

Tangy and just slightly bitter, an exciting way to get your vitamins!  Super Kale to the rescue!

Dijon-Marmalade Baby Bok Choy

Growing up, our extra special dinner was Orange Chicken.  It was crispy baked chicken breast coated in a orange marmalade, dijon mustard, and toasted sesame seed sauce.  My favorite was to drizzle the orange sauce over mashed potatoes.  Recently, I've been trying to adapt those flavors to other dishes to capture the nostalgic flavor.

After a trip to my favorite asian market at home, I picked up some beautiful baby bok choy and thought that the hearty leaves would stand up to the savory-sweet sauce.  Starting with slowly caramelized shallots, I added the marmalade, mustard, and sesame seeds and let meld for a few minutes.  I sliced the baby bok choy in half (or thirds for bigger pieces), cleaned out as much of the grit in the leaves as possible, and put the bok choy face down in the sauce.  After about 2 minutes, I added a little chicken stock and covered to finish cooking the bok choy.

When the leaves have wilted, pull the veggies and cook down the sauce for a few minutes.  Pour the reduced sauce over the baby bok choy and enjoy (my) nostalgia!