Grow Forth and Multiply

On June 25, 2010, In Tips, By pjk

About a month ago, I trucked on out to Home Depot and picked up a few planters, some sprigs and seeds for an herb garden. I like having fresh herbs, but hated having to throw away all the brown wilty ones that I couldn’t get to fast enough. My brilliant idea was to start an herb garden (with a little bit of red chili pepper thrown in) so I could just pick off the herbs I wanted while the rest grew bountiful and free. While the former is wonderful, the latter is getting a little out of hand. I mean, I love my herbs, but no one can possibly use all these fast enough. So, I’ve decided to pare down the garden whenever I’m heading to meet friends. Everyone gets a bundle of herbs. Even if you don’t consume them, taking a big whiff of fresh basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and cilantro is just amazing.

I’m actually quite pleased with the garden, as many of my previous attempts to grow things have ended in brittle, brown death.

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French Bread Pizza

On June 13, 2010, In Recipes, By pjk

French Bread PizzaI was watching a recent episode of Food Mob on making pizzas from scratch, and while I can make my own dough and such, (I even have the wooden “paddles” for sliding pizzas in and out of the oven.) it makes such an enormous mess that it deters me from going that route. Maybe if I’m feeling completely relaxed and particularly industrious, I will prove I can do it, but for now – I’m lazy. Just not quite lazy enough to ring Dominos and have Jesus whip up some miracle pizza. So here’s my middle-ground: French Bread Pizza. You’ll need:

  • 1 loaf French Bread
  • Fresh sage, basil, oregano, thyme
  • Jar of marinara sauce
  • Sliced pepperoni
  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil

Preheat your toaster oven to 375 F. Slice the French bread into four 3/4″ slices. Spread a spoonful of the marinara sauce on each slice. Finely grate the parmesan cheese and put a fluffy mound on each slice. Finely chop all the herbs and sprinkle atop each slice. Put a couple slices of pepperoni on each and top off with a light drizzle of the olive oil. Place directly on the rack in the toaster oven and cook until browned and melty.

You may not get all the props for busting out your own dough, but you also will be finishing your wine when you’d otherwise be wiping down every surface in the kitchen. A fair trade-off, I would say.

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Honey Mustard Pork Loin Medallions with Roasted Potatoes

On May 31, 2010, In Recipes, By pjk

Honey Mustard Pork Loin MedallionsThis is a great Sunday night meal that is pretty easy to make. I have been making variations on the recipe for years. I really like the honey mustard sauce, but think that next time I’m going to try something like an herb crust or BBQ sauce to mix it up.

  • One pork loin, trimmed
  • 3 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • Dash of red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Put some olive oil in your cast iron skillet and heat that up on high heat on the stovetop. Give your pork loin a light seasoning of sea salt and ground black pepper and place it in the skillet to sear for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl and, using a brush, coat all the surfaces of the loin. Place the loin, skillet and all into the oven and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 F. Once finished, pull it out and place on a cutting board for about 10 minutes to let the meat rest before slicing. Slice into 1/4″ medallions. Garnish with a couple cilantro leaves.

Roasted Potatoes

  • 2 medium red or gold potatoes
  • Paprika
  • Sea Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Basil

Cut the potatoes into roughly 1/2″ chunks and place in a bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle about a teaspoon each of salt, pepper and paprika and stir to coat. Lay these out on a roasting pan and put in an oven at 400 F for about 14 minutes until a little crusty. Upon removing from the oven, sprinkle with finely chopped basil and a bit more sea salt.

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Cheeseless Scrambled Eggs

On April 24, 2010, In Recipes, By pjk

Cheeseless Scrambled EggsTrying to cut back on the amount of dairy I’m taking in, so I’m working on some recipe variations to my favorites that usually feature yummy, melty fromage. Starting with a simple scrambled egg recipe. Just inhaled this one, so I can definitely testify that the cheese was not missed. In fact, I don’t have that heavy feeling just after eating. Perhaps a good thing, huh?

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 scallion (green onion) chopped fine
  • 2 basil leaves chopped fine
  • 1 small tomato, rough cut
  • 1/8 cup cubed ham
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In a hot skillet, start with a tsp of olive oil and the eggs, lightly beaten with a fork. Toss in the cubed ham as you stir the eggs. Once things begin to form, throw in the basil and scallions and incorporate. At the very end, put in the tomatoes and stir for about 30-45 seconds before plating. I put a couple shakes of jalepeno sauce on top, which brought the dish together nicely. Colorful and light – a great breakfast, give it a shot.

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Pizza Omelette

On April 4, 2010, In Recipes, By pjk

Pizza OmeletteAfter my last omelette turned into a scrambled egg dish on the flip, I wanted to try again just to prove I wasn’t a complete doofus who couldn’t execute a proper omelette flip. This time around, I put in some fun ingredients to make a “pizza omelette”. Add some fresh basil, mozzarella, pepperoni slices, a dash of dried oregano, red pepper flakes and a finely chopped yellow chili pepper. If you have the extra stuff, try swapping out with a little chopped tomato, sausage bits and some sliced mushrooms. Yum!

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Um…I Meant To Do That!

On March 26, 2010, In Tips, By pjk

Scrambled EggsOmelette Scrambled Eggs with Feta, Fresh Basil and Tomatoes

This one started as an omelette and became scrambled eggs when it went ka-blooey on the second flip. There are no failures, only creative improvisations. A dash or two of red pepper sauce and this made a fantastic brunch.

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