Knock Knock, it’s Peg. A true statement with some potential craziness is headed your way right here, right now. I love sipping bone broth from a mug, especially during allergy (RIGHT NOW), cold, and flu seasons. But I cannot stand meat on a bone. I want it all boneless…fish, chicken, pork, and the twice a year red beef. So, the only pork chop that I will enjoy is one that I slice from a pork tenderloin! Who wants that thin, dry chop on a bone when you can have this yummy thick delicious “chop”?!? Leave your love life to chance, but not your cooking!
Black peppercorn pork tenderloin 1/2 t salt 1/4 t ground pepper Cooking spray 3 Tbs butter 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth 2/3 cup fat free Half and Half 1 Tbs Dijon mustard 2 t fresh lemon juice 1 cup mushrooms, stems removed Fresh parsley
Slice pork into 5 or 6 pieces, 1 1/2” thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Cook pork 5 to 6 minutes on both sides, until cooked through. Transfer to plate and keep warm. Add broth to skillet and scrape to loosen browned bits in skillet. Add Half and Half, mustard, lemon juice, and mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Slice each pork piece into thirds. Place on plate, and top with sauce and mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley.
Well Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail…And I have my Bunny Bait ready and waiting. No Easter Bunny is missing the house of my Grands! And my niece Jordan (Instagram @jblodgett1) makes this special concoction to insure that the bunny doesn’t miss your home.* She has that covered, so I’m covering your brain game with an excellent green veggie/starch combo for Easter lunch, or any meal actually! I promise you one thing; this simplified recipe will become famous. So, tuck your head down, don your mask, take your hand wipes, race to the grocery, break the “always fresh” recipe rules, and secure these simple ingredients. Make one dish easy on yourself with the best canned ingredients ever! Sit back, hit the pause button, and enjoy your Easter. I hope you have family and/or loved ones with you. Vaccinations are becoming more available; but please continue to be diligent in your efforts to stay safe and healthy. I cherish you all!
1/4 cup olive oil 1 large Vidalia onion, diced 2 t salt, divided 2 14.5 oz cans Margaret Holmes seasoned black eyed peas 2 14.5 oz cans Margaret Holmes seasoned collard greens 2 Tbs chipotle chili in adobo sauce, diced 3 Tbs lime juice 4 cups cooked rice Chopped cilantro, for serving Grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, for serving
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Combine cooked onions, peas, collards, and chipotle chili in large pot. Bring to simmer and cook 20 to 30 minutes.
To serve: Place rice on side of plate. Place collard mixture half on rice and half beside rice. Squeeze lime juice on rice and collard mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese.
Note: This is also delicious served over Raisin Cinnamon Toast instead of Rice. Voila! *Jordan creates specialty items all year long for holidays and “every days”…so follow her Instagram for details. She specializes in all things wonderful! Respond to me if you can’t find her; I’ll get you there.
A little history regarding this specifically meaningful recipe…My dear friend (and best international travel companion) and I cooked prawns (along with other wonderful Thai delicacies while sipping champagne!) all afternoon one day at the Spice Spoons Culinary Institute, Anantara Resort, Bangkok, in 2017. A few fun bits emphasized regarding prawns vs shrimp…Prawns have three pairs of claw like legs, shrimp have one. Prawns have longer legs than shrimp, and may taste a bit sweeter and meatier than shrimp, that are more delicate. Prawns are most often served with their heads on, which can be disconcerting to the novice; I know this first hand! My initial experience with these freaky little heads was in the early nineteen eighties (YES I am a fossil) in New Orleans at Pascal’s Manale and I may have gasped out loud just a little, but it was delicious. Chef Ohm was amazing during our afternoon cooking session and later that evening prepared a sumptuous private dinner for the four of us outside on the lush lawn. We all agree that this was the best “friends trip” ever!!! So…here you are with a tasty Thai Shrimp recipe that Chef shared with us! This is wicked good…enjoy in excellent health my friends!
Sometimes you just have to sip fresh coconut milk from a freshly cooled and cut coconut when it’s offered. And this is what we are using in the following recipe!
Here’s what you need: 12 oz linguine 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces 1/3 cup green curry paste 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus additional leaves for garnish) 3 Tbs olive oil (add more if needed) 3/4 to 1 cup coconut milk (see pic above!) 1 lb large, cleaned shrimp* 1 cup pasta water (more if needed) 1/2 cup cilantro 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
*We love the shrimp, and everything, from Captain Jim’s Seafood, Atlantic Beach, NC (if you’re in the area). Typically, they deliver to Greenville every other Saturday. Best seafood, and best personal service ever!
Here’s how you prepare it: Bring large pot of water boil. Add linguine and cook 5 to 7 minutes. (Check package directions.) Add fresh green beans. Cook until crisp tender, probably 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup or more of pasta water. Drain pasta and green beans. In large skillet, cook curry paste and cilantro in oil, over medium heat, stirring 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add coconut milk, season with salt, and bring to simmer. Cook 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta, green beans, and lime juice. Add reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce. Toss to coat. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro.
There’s a long version I can share if you really want me to; but I was in a hurry this go around. I have a dear friend who took a tumble and fractured her jaw. Long story short, she needs to eat cream, pudding, a bowl full of mush* (nod to Goodnight Moon) and yummy homemade soup… for weeks. So I raced to the kitchen and made this Speedy Gonzales version of Cauliflower Soup (bonus, no cream!) and it turned out deliciously. Took every possible short cut known to this gal, and I’m hooking you straight up good people. So resurrect your middle school trapper keeper and take some notes. You have a choice…keep your old habits, or make new ones. It doesn’t need to be a complex tapestry!
3 Tbs olive oil 2 bags frozen chopped onions 1/2 t red pepper 2 cans cubed white potatoes, drained 3 bags frozen chopped cauliflowers, garlic flavored 10 cups low sodium vegetable stock 2 t ground oregano 2 t dried thyme 2 t freshly ground black pepper 1/2 t kosher salt 1 1/2 t parsley paste**
In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper. Cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potatoes, cauliflower, stock, oregano, thyme, pepper, salt, and parsley paste. Bring to simmer, and cook covered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender (or standard blender) until smooth.
This recipe made 6 quarts. May easily cut in half. But i have several friends in need of some love…and since we can’t hug currently, hanging a quart of soup and a loaf of homemade bread on the doorknob works rather well. Simple bread recipe coming soon! Freezes beautifully.
* pic of mush ** would usually garnish with fresh parsley, but since i was putting it in containers, I mixed the paste in for the added flavor.
A word from my kitchen…This is just the perfect little accompaniment for your afternoon tea or appetizer for cocktail hour. In my household, they are loved equally by both children and adults. The children like cheese on all of the twists and bagel spices on only half of the twists. The choice is yours, and it’s always right. The children and I have been making these together for years, because a good recipe never gets old!
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in refrigerator 1 large egg, beaten 2 Tbs everything bagel seasoning 1/4 cup grated Assiago cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough to smooth creases. Cut puff pastry sheet in half crosswise, (I like using a pizza cutter for ease!) on lightly floured surface. Then cut each half into 1″ wide strips. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with bagel seasoning and cheese (The children and I made half with bagel seasoning and half with just cheese). Roll with rolling pin to set the ingredients into the pastry. Twist each strip a few times. Place on baking sheet. Bake 18 minutes; rotate baking sheet; bake 4 more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
The great Rocco DiSpirito was on The Drew Barrymore Show a couple of weeks back and I was blown away! Rather than totally freak out when I researched his life as a chef, I decided to Keep Calm, Munch On, Try his Recipe, and Order a Couple of his Books. No recipe hunting for you this weekend good folks; I’m just handing it out to you. Just enough spice to make you happy but not ring the fire alarm! This is so full of ease and joy to prep, that you will be cooking it quite often. Add a simple salad or asparagus (to my version) and you have a totally balanced meal, nutritious, and calorie conscious. This food is pure art; and…we’re off!
This is what you need: 1 lb large, cleaned shrimp 2 Tbs olive oil 1 t coarsely ground black pepper 1 t coarse ground salt 2 Tbs butter Juice of a lemon 3 to 4 Tbs Pepper Jelly, to taste* 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
*I used Jammit Jams Garlic Pepper Jelly, so I omitted the 2 garlic cloves.
And this is how you do it: Blot shrimp dry with a paper towel.** Season with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbs olive oil to skillet. Add shrimp, seasoned side down, and sauté for 2 minutes. While this is sautéing, season the “upside” of the shrimp. Flip shrimp over with tongs and cook second side 2 minutes. Immediately remove shrimp to separate bowl. In hot skillet, add lemon juice, butter, and pepper jelly. Stir until jelly is meted and all is combined, about 2 minutes. Toss shrimp back in skillet and stir to cover with sauce. Serve over cooked rice.***
**I blot most things dry before placing in a skillet…shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef, and pork fillets. It improves the texture during cooking if the protein is dry when added to the pan. Trust me! ***Rocco’s recipe calls for sautéed broccoli rabe to be served with this shrimp, which really cuts down on the calories. Unfortunately, that’s not one of my favorites, and honestly, I really like a little starch. OOPSIE !! I think we have a winner here; and speaking of winners, Super Bowl LV is in 8 days…who’s going to win? P to the S. I have a favorite! TB for history, just saying.
Hellodie from the great ENC…I want to introduce the older son of my dear lifelong friend Michѐle. I trust that you will learn more about him as the blog expands and he contributes more often with a more contemporary (read that as younger!) offering. This Friday heads up gives you time to study his recipes for two French Toasts, grab the ingredients, and bake it all up this weekend. Prep it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner…Home Grown and Orchestrated like a Beautiful Symphony…That’s our Clark! And Now…
In his words: Hey I’m Clark – I’m 23 and live in Washington DC. Food has played an important role throughout my life whether eating out or cooking at home. Now that I have my own kitchen, I’ve been focused on developing new recipes and flavors as I cook to sustain and entertain.
I feel like the potential of French Toast often gets overlooked as an exciting dish because most restaurants don’t offer much variety around it. From my experience, most places that serve French toast don’t do it justice and I think that can be attributed to a few things. For one, assuming it’s a breakfast place, they are probably putting out high volume of orders. Often times this can result in thinner slices and drier toast, understandably due to the need to conserve portions and put out orders quickly. Another reason might be because better restaurants often only serve French toast as a breakfast item, allowing it to get overlooked as a featured dish. Whatever the case may be, I definitely prefer making it at home because you can control all the flavors and variables that go into the dish.
French toast can be so much better if you just take the time to soak the bread enough to yield a soft fluffy result instead of a chewy dry texture. Here are two recipes that can help you step up your French toast and get creative with the flavors.
Cardamom French toast (sweet)
Ingredients: Custard dip Coconut milk – 1-2 cans 2 egg yolks Mirin (can replace with sugar or honey) Cardamom – 1-3 tablespoons Cinnamon – 1 tablespoon Freshly ground nutmeg Vanilla extract – a few drops Coconut extract – a few drops (optional)
Other Loaf of challah or brioche Butter Sliced almonds or other crush nuts Poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional) Citrus zest (optional) Mint (optional)
Toast: Step 1: Combine all the custard ingredients to until they are mixed well. Adding the miring or sweetener to the custard will help the toast to caramelize when cooking Step 2: Cut bread into 1.5 inch slices (you need thick slices up to 2 in. If you want) Step 3: Soak bread in custard; make sure it gets fully coated on both sides and soaks up the liquid Step 4: (medium to high heat, 5-7) Add a knob of butter to a nonstick pan and let it get hot – the butter should be bubbling before you put the toast in Step 5: Set the toast in the pan and let it sit until the bottom starts to brown and crisp up, then flip and let the same happen to the other side.
Syrup/custard reduction: Take the remaining custard and put it into a small pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Add in more mirin (or other sweetener) and let it simmer uncovered so it reduces into a thick paste. Add more nutmeg/cardamom to taste. Once the custard is at the desired consistency, turn off the heat and mix in the nuts.
Plate the toast and top with your syrup reduction, citrus zest, poppy seeds and mint (or whatever else you would like)
Garlic & onion French toast (savory)
Ingredients: Savory custard dip Coconut milk – 1-2 cans 2 egg yolks Garlic cloves (a couple) Garlic powder Onion powder Any other herb/spice mixes (thyme, oregano, etc…) Salt
Other Loaf of challah or brioche Onions Zucchini Herb yogurt sauce Butter
Caramelized Topping Step 1: Slice onions and zucchini into thin pieces Step 2: Add sliced onions and zucchini to a sauce pan with some oil and salt to taste Step 3: On medium heat, cover with a lid and let them cook down, stirring once in a while until they caramelize (add a little butter or deglaze if needed) Step 4: (Optional) You can add different flavors to the caramelized onions like curry powder or paprika
Toast: Prep steps: Mince garlic Combine all the custard ingredients and mix well. (Optional but better) Heat custard to a brief simmer to bloom the garlic & herbs, then let cool in the fridge until room temp again
Step 1: Cut bread into 1.5 inch slices (you need thick slices up to 2 in. If you want) Step 2: Soak bread in custard; make sure it gets fully coated on both sides and soaks up the liquid Step 3: (medium to high heat, 5-7) Add a knob of butter to a nonstick pan and let it get hot – the butter should be bubbling before you put the toast in Step 4: Set the toast in the pan and let it sit until the bottom starts to brown and crisp up, then flip and let the same happen to the other side. Step 5: Lay down some type of sauce, plate the toast and top with the caramelized onions and zucchini
Notes: This dish is great paired with a light salad or mixed greens You can use cream too; I just prefer coconut milk In the picture I used leftover beef that I had from lunch but to keep it simple, I just used caramelized onions for the recipe You can customize most of the herbs, seasonings and flavors that go into this to make it your own
We’re just completing this convenience expansion downstairs on our home; and there have been 8+ of the most dedicated gentleman working on the project for months. So Christmas week I baked, and baked, and baked a bit more to show my appreciation. I don’t know about all of you banana bread bakers in this pandemicized world, but I’m a very merry messy baker. And there are images to prove it! However the cakes and loaves all turned out to be bright stars in a dazed and confused time. So give them a whirl to pep up your New Year’s Weekend, and glide sweetly, filled with lemon and rum into 2021.
Have a Helluva Happy New Year’s Weekend and an Even Livelier Entire Year. Vaccines are popping up all over the place…soon we will be hugging and loving on all of our family members and circle of friends! Grab the Lemon Loaf Recipe HERE. And the Rum Cake Recipe HERE. Run and Go Dance into 2021! I send lots of love to my Circle of Family, Circle of Friends, and Friends of this World Wide Web!
And Boy Oh Man do I have a FIRST, and DELIGHTFUL surprise waiting for you next week! Think…Clark, soccer, Shaker Heights, DC entrepreneur, foodie, delightful young gentleman, and lifelong family friend!
We’ve all been cooking, shopping, wrapping…and all of this while sadly refraining from being with our family and closest friends. Yep; it’s a drag. So I’m giving you a wee little Tuesday pep up to help manage this unfortunate stress. As good as it gets, just got a bit better; no recipe hunting and easy on the cook! So just order delivery service from your local Trader Joe’s, and call it a day. (If your local Trader Joe’s doesn’t offer delivery service, Amazon will do it for you!)
This is my very favorite Fast and Furious supper. Butternut Squash Ravioli and Vodka Tomato Sauce. Cook according to package directions and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Zero to Sixty in 5.2 Package to mouth in 13 minutes!
Just in time for the weekend…the temp promises to be a bit more comfortable for Fall Ball Y’all! We are all about a jazzy grilled cheese lunch and then heading to the ball park for late afternoon and evening games, under the lights! Please know that we are super careful; We group together as families, in our own circle of chairs. We are 12 feet apart from the next family. We are not allowed on bleachers. We do not exchange even elbow bumps with other families. But it still brings great joy to be there for the love of the children, grandchildren, and the game! And now to share a great thought here:
“We believe in friendship, In community, And in gathering side by side. We believe in lively conversation… The kind where our differences are realized and met with honor. The kind where we leave having been made better. We believe that when gathered around the table, There’s room enough for all of us. Where strangers become friends. And friends become family.” Magnolia Journal, Summer 2020. Joanna and Chip Gaines.
Let’s spread faith not fear. Happy Weekend!
For 4 sandwiches: 8 slices favorite bread 2 cups grated Colby jack cheese 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion Kernels from 3 ears corn, sautéed or grilled until tender Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup pimento cheese 2 Tbs soft butter
Mix together Colby jack, tomatoes, onion, corn, salt, and pepper. Spread on 4 slices bread. Top with dollop pimento cheese; spread to edges. Spread butter on all other sides of bread. Grill or sauté 3 or more minutes per side.
PegHardee.com Insight into Southern Cuisine and Hospitality 