Sheet Pan Supper #2

I tried to like the Instant Pot. I really did. I tried many times over to get the hang of it and make it do all of the things so many promised me that it could do. My Instant Pot failure is another notch on my belt that proves to me....

Things that are popular just never work out for me.

I think my expectations are a little too high. If it's popular and receiving rave reviews, then it must be some sort of magical. If the Instant Pot is supposed to be faster than the crockpot, maybe I expected it to be George Jetson fast. Like super-futuristic-nearly-magical fast. Perhaps I wasn't patient enough.  At any rate, I feel the IP is never gonna work for me and I can't keep small appliances around that don't carry their weight in productivity. The only food I successfully cooked from the Instant Pot were super yummy, buttery, golden potatoes. However, for an appliance to hold a spot on my pantry shelf....you gotta be able to make more than potatoes.  I guess I'm old school when it comes to kitchen cooking tools and I couldn't get on board with the IP fascination that so many of my friends have come to enjoy. I felt the same way about Botox. I tried to like it, I really did.  Everyone told me it was wonderful...everyone was wrong. The headache, the inability to move my muscles - My GOD-given muscles! Yes, I know that is supposed to be the point, but I guess I didn't close the loop on what Botox actually is/does until it was too late. WHAT are we doing to ourselves?! Does it really improve my life to  inject toxin into myself? Not one bit. I think it actually made my life worse. I may be the only person to spiral into a full on panic attack....from Botox. Won't be doing that again any time soon. Just let it be already. YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. (Psalm 139:14) We get to Jesus at the finish line no matter what sefl-inflicted, fountain-of-youth tactics we do to ourselves beforehand. However, true to my gender, I reserve my right to change my mind at any point that I feel like trying something irrational again in the future. I digress... 

When the Instant Pot did not work out for me, I went back to my tried and true oven and my ever faithful sheet pans. 

Preheat said oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Toss 6 plums (halved) with 1 Tbs. of olive oil, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Spread them onto parchment lined sheet pan. Thinly slice 1 red onion and coat with 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add onion to the sheet pan. Season entire pan generously with salt and pepper. 

I realize from looking at the picture that I used more than six plums or else I most likely quartered them. You get the point though. Throw some plums on the sheet pan. Add some thinly sliced onion. Heat 3 Tbs. of butter in a cast iron skillet and lightly sear two pork tenderloin roasts...

Place seared pork tenderloin on your bed of plums and red onion....

Roast uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let meat rest for about 15 minutes before serving. 

Slice pork and serve with roasted plums/onions and a complementary vegetable - steamed asparagus works for our family, but caesar salad would be nice as well or a buttery green bean. Do what works for you! Enjoy! 

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Lettuce Wrap This Up

I recently went thru a 10-day detox fast. You know, the kind where you eat raw food for two days, then no solid food for six days followed by another two days of raw food. And by "raw" I don't mean sushi - I mean apples, oranges, almonds, carrots, celery - you get the picture. It was insanely difficult for the first 3 days. Cooking for our family of six while NOT EATING is the equivalent of a suicide mission. After day 3 however, I felt awesome! I had so much more energy! I am now a big believer in the detox fast and I know it will become a regular bi-monthly routine for me. The benefits far outweigh those miserable first three days. 

When I finished the fast and was ready for regular food again, one of the first things I made was  lettuce wraps. I must've been terribly hungry that day because I double the recipe certain that I was going to need extra - I ended up freezing a batch. And now that I'm preparing to move six hours away I am doing the clean-out-the-deep-freeze shuffle and will find these wraps on my plate again soon. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

16 boston bibb or butter lettuce leaves
1 lb. ground pork
1 tbs. vegetable or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. giner
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 (8oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
6-8 scallions, chopped
1 tsp. dark sesame oil

Rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry, trying not to tear them. In a large skillet, brown the pork over med-high heat in the cooking oil. Drain and set aside. Cook the onion in the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar - give a quick stir to combine and then add the water chestnuts, scallions, sesame oil, and cooked pork to your skillet. Cook until the scallions just begin to wilt. Spoon meat mixture into lettuce leaves, wrap like a burrito and enjoy!

Bolognese

On a recent trip to NYC, I tried the bolognese for the first time. I did a superficial, ADHD level of research and I don't know if this comes anywhere close to that memorable New York penne bolognese, but it has definitely become a hit in our home. In the above picture, I made it with rigatoni, but we've made it with farfalle and penne as well.

Bolognese

1 Tbs. olive oil

4 oz. bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

3/4 cup finely diced carrots

1/4 cup finely diced celery

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

2 bay leaves

1/2 dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground italian sausage

1 6oz. can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups red wine

2 (14.5 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes in their juice

1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked to package directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring until browned and the fat is rendered, 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery, cooking until soft, about 4-5 minutes. (note: I place the onion, carrots and celery in my food processor and pulse until very finely chopped). Add the garlic, salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and cook, stirring about 1 minute. Add the pork and sausage, cooking until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine, stirring to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan and until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan and until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 hour. Add the cream and parsley, stir well, simmer for 2 minutes more then discard bay leaves and serve over hot pasta. Enjoy!

Simple Summer Skillet

It's hot outside. I mean really, really hot. We can only survive so long on salads, cold cut sandwiches and paninis before I am forced to turn the stove on in order to add variety to our repetitious summer palette. This one pan wonder filled the need to create a savory summer meal without adding excess heat to the kitchen unnecessarily.

Pork Chops and Rice

1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 pork loin chops
1 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Sprinkle both sides of pork chops lightly with garlic salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add the pork chops and cook until browned on both sides, about ten minutes. Remove chops and set aside. In the same skillet, combine rice and onion, cooking about 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth, orange juice and 1 1/2 Tbs. parsley. Heat to boiling; return chops to skillet and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and chops are no longer pink. Top with remaining 1/2 Tbs. chopped parsley and serve up with a side of steamed broccoli or a yummy summer salad. Buon Appetito!