Pork in tangy white wine gravy

This is one of those recipes that came out of two common sources, what was one sale at the grocery store, and what was in my fridge.

Pork tenderloin was on sale, and it’s a protein I don’t cook often enough. I forget that it’s can be quite cheap and is just as versatile as chicken.

Then I remembered I had an open bottle of white wine in the fridge. I’m not a big white wine drinker, especially when it’s cold, but didn’t want to throw it out. I Googled “recipes with white wine,” and looked at numerous recipes until I figured out what would hit the spot on a stormy day.

The result is something that’s warm and comforting, it has gravy after all, but isn’t super heavy. The use of white wine, dijon mustard and capers give the gravy a little extra zing. I added a tiny bit of cream, mostly because it was in my fridge, and is totally optional.

This recipe actually comes together really quickly, so it’s a good weeknight meal. I’ve listed some of the amounts as approximate, because it will depend on how thick you want the gravy and your own taste.

To make the pork medallions, I sliced pork tenderloin and pounded it thin, but you could just buy pork scallopini. If you don’t eat pork, use a couple chicken breasts pounded thin instead.

Pork in tangy white wine gravy

Serves 4

1 pork tenderloin

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp mustard powder

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced (or 1/4 an onion)

1 garlic cloved minced

1 Tbsp butter

Approx. 1/4 cup white wine

Approx. 1 cup chicken stock

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp capers drained

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 tsp cream (optional)

Approx. 1-2 Tbsp butter

salt/pepper

olive oil

Cut the pork tenderloin into roughly 1/2-inch rounds, then lie them flat and pound them so they’re very thin.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Mix the flour, sage, thyme, mustard powder and salt/pepper. Lightly dredge the pork pieces in the flour and put in the hot oil.

Cook the pork for about 2 minutes on each side, getting them lightly browned. If the pan dries out, add a little butter. Set aside.

Add the shallot and garlic to the pan, adding a little butter if needed, and cook for a couple minutes. Add a splash (about a tablespoon) of the wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the shallots are soft. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add about 1 Tbsp of butter to the pan, melt, and add a little less than a Tbsp of the dredging flour (or plain flour) to the pan. Stir to combine, the flour should all be absorbed by the butter. The flour/butter should be a little crumbly, but not too dry. If needed, add more flour or butter. Cook for about a minute, stirring frequently.

Add in the white wine. Stirring to combine with the flour mixture and avoid lumps. Then add the stock a little bit at a time (I find this is the best way to avoid lumps) allowing it to boil and thicken a little. Keep adding until it’s a little thinner than you want (it will continue to thicken).

Stir in the mustard and add the capers. Cook mixture for a few minutes, taste for seasoning. Add the cream, if using.

Add the pork and cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavours.

Serve with potatoes or polenta and veggies.

 

Shrimp and black bean rice bowls

I’ve been on a bit of a Tex-Mex kick lately. Maybe it’s because I was in California recently, or maybe it’s because avocados were on sale. Tex-Mex is delicious, can be quickly prepared and though it is often a good excuse to cover food in cheese, it can also be light.

Rice bowls are very much a “thing” in food right now. It’s not hard to see the appeal, you can make one pot of rice and make a variety of different bowls. You could have an Asian-themed rice bowl at lunch and then have Tex-Mex for dinner. What’s not to like?

I came up with this recipe while browsing through some recipes I’d pulled from magazines over the years, I combined a few different, complex recipes into something relatively quick and easy.

This is very weeknight friendly meal, in the time in takes to make the rice, you can prepare the toppings. I used brown rice (cooked in chicken stock), which takes about 45 minutes to cook so you’d also have time to do some other food prep while the rice cooks. Cooking the shrimp and beans only takes about 15 minutes, aka the time it takes to make a good white rice like basmati or jasmine. Rice can also sit, and stay warm, for quite a while, so if the timing is a bit off, dinner isn’t ruined.

The only “advance” thing about this bowl is to buy avocado if you want to use them (and live somewhere where you can’t buy ripe avocado). Most of the other ingredients are likely in your cupboard, fridge or freezer.

I use a little bit of chipotle powder, just enough to add some smokiness and deeper flavour but not so much that it overpowers things, which chipotle has a tendency to do. If you don’t have, or can’t find, chipotle powder, add a tiny bit of smoked paprika and more cumin instead.

Shrimp and Black Bean Rice bowls

Makes 2 large or 3 small servings

1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/4-1/2 an onion)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Approx. 2 tsp red chili flakes (adjusted for your spice tolerance)

Approx. 2 cups shrimp (preferably 31-40 size), defrosted and shells removed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2-1 cup fresh cilantro chopped (use flat-leaf parsley if you hate cilantro)

3 cups roughly chopped kale

1 Tbsp dried cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

Approx. 1/4 cup chicken stock (as needed)

2 Tbsp lime/lemon juice or combo

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups of cooked rice – whatever you like

Quick rub for shrimp

Zest of one lime

1 1/2 tsp dried cumin

1 Tbsp lime juice

salt/pepper

Toppings 

Chopped feta cheese (or cotija/queso fresco if you can find them)

Chopped avocado (approx 1/2 per person)

Cherry/grape tomatoes cut in half or chopped tomato

Salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)

– Mix together the ‘quick rub’ for and add the shrimp. Set aside until needed.

– Start the rice according to package directions.

– In a large frying pan, heat the oil, onion, garlic and dried chili over medium heat until lightly brown. Add the cumin and chipotle, stir to combine and cook for about a minute. Add the beans, season with salt/pepper. Cook for 3 minute or so, then add half the citrus juice and a little bit of chicken stock. Cook for about 5 minutes.

– Increase the heat to the med-high and add the shrimp.Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the rest of the citrus juice. Cook for about 3 more minutes, until shrimp is almost cooked. Add the kale and a splash of chicken stock. Cook a couple minutes until the kale is just wilted.

– Serve over rice and top as desired.

NOTES: I used more oil than normal in the pan because there is basically no fat in the beans or shrimp, it will prevent everything from sticking to the pan.

 

Ugly but easy eggplant fusilli

I’m going to be honest, this dish isn’t going to win any beauty contests. The main ingredients are roasted eggplant and lentils, which are both brown and brown food isn’t pretty. But don’t judge a recipe by it’s photo, it is super delicious.

Don’t judge this recipe by its picture. It’s delicious.

If you make this in two parts, which is what I did, it’s really fast. I roasted the eggplant on the weekend and then just needed to heat the ingredients while the pasta cooked.

Ugly Eggplant Fusilli

Serves 2-3

1/4 of medium onion, finely chopped

1 tsp crushed chili flakes

Zest of one lemon

1 cup cooked lentils (either cooked yourself or canned, drained)

1 1/2 cups roasted eggplant (make it in advance from this recipe)

2 Tbsp goat cheese – for garnish

2 tsp olive oil

salt/pepper

Approx 1 cup chicken stock and/or pasta cooking water

2 cups fusilli (or rotini or penne)

Optional: fresh basil/parsley for garnish (I put a version of an herb dressing using basil, parsley and mint, but it was equally delicious without the dressing)

– Set a large pot of water to boil.

-In a large pan, start heating oil, chili and onion over medium. Cook, stirring often until onion is soft. Add in the lemon zest.

-Add lentils, stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the eggplant and some of the stock or pasta water. Taste for salt/pepper.

-Reduce heat to low while the pasta cooks. Add more stock or water if sauce gets too thick.

-Once pasta is cooked, toss with sauce. Serve with goat cheese and herbs if using.

Miso marinated chicken

I’ve been experimenting with miso paste for a while now. I’ve always loved miso soup and when I bought a tub of red miso paste to make my own “Instant Soup” I decided I needed to find a other ways to use it.

I’ve discovered that adding a tablespoon (or so) to the cooking liquid for brown rice adds a really nice twist.

On a day when I lacked inspiration, I looked into my pantry and a lightbulb went off when I saw the miso. I decided to make a marinade/rub. The intense flavour of miso meant it wouldn’t take long to bring a lot of flavour. Perfect for a quick dinner.

Serve the miso marinated chicken with rice (shown here is brown rice cooked with miso paste) and green veggies.

Miso marinated chicken

Serves 2

4-6 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 2-3 breasts)

1 Tbsp red miso paste

2 Tbsp hot water

1 lime juice and zest

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sriracha

1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice powder

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp brown sugar

pepper to taste (you won’t need salt)

– In a small bowl, mix the miso paste with hot water to thin out the paste. Add the rest of the spices and oil and combine.

– Pour over chicken, gently toss the chicken in the marinade. Cover and marinate for as long as you have time (Probably no more than 24 hours).

– Cook over medium/high heat (on stove or barbecue) for about 4 minutes per side depending on thickness.

NOTE: This marinade would also work on fish like halibut or even tofu… Chicken could be frozen in the marinade (if you didn’t take if from the freezer first).

Make your own “Instant soup”

I’m fully jumping on an Internet recipe bandwagon with this recipe, but it’s so yummy I’m happy to say “all aboard.”

As delicious as instant noodles, in a package or a cup, are I think we all know by now they’re really bad for us. They’re packed with fat and sodium and have no other nutritional benefits. I also love Pho and Ramen, but there aren’t any near my office! Making your own allows you to add a few extra veggies, which is always a good idea.

This recipe involves prepping everything in advance the only thing that needs ‘cooking’ is mushrooms, and then just adding hot water when it’s time to eat. This prevents the pre-cooked noodles from turning to mush.

All aboard the make your own instant soup bandwagon.

“Instant” miso soup with noodles

Makes 4 bowls

1/4 package of ‘pho’ noodles cooked (either in hot water for a couple minutes or soaked overnight)

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 cups mushrooms thinly sliced (use shitake if you can find them)

1 zucchini sliced like matchsticks (or just thinly sliced)

1 cup cilantro finely chopped

4 cups bean sprouts

1 lime cut in quarters

3 tablespoons ginger finely chopped

Cooked chicken/shrimp/beef/pork/tofu

Soup base

3 tsp red miso paste

3 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp sriracha (more or less to taste)

2 Tbsp (approx) chicken stock or water

1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1 tsp sesame oil

-In a frying pan slowly heat 1 Tbsp of the ginger with canola oil. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly brown. Season with a splash of soya sauce and pepper.

-In a jar combine all the soup base ingredients and stir/shake until it’s a thick liquid.

-In a heat proof bowl or container combine 1/4 of the noodles, edamame, ginger, mushrooms, zucchini and whatever protein you’re using. Pour 1/4 of the soup base into the container.

-In a baggie or separate container put 1/4 of a lime, bean sprouts and cilantro.

-When lunchtime arrives, pour hot/boiling water into noodles. Stir well to combine the seasoning. Squeeze in the lime and top with cilantro and bean sprouts.

NOTE: If you can find Thai basil, substitute it for the cilantro, use a combination of the two…. If you can’t find pho noodles, use the rice stick noodles often used for pad thai over the rice vermicelli. The vermicelli doesn’t have much texture and isn’t great in a soup.

Linguine with clams

Until I made this recipe, I had never cooked clams before. But I’d noticed several recipes for clams and pasta in the past few weeks and decided it was definitely something I could conquer.

Growing up, linguine and clam sauce was a quick dinner my mom made semi regularly. It involved a can of clams, tomato sauce (usually store bought) and pasta. There were no complaints, but I wanted to try cooking clams that were in a shell instead of a can.

The main learning curve I discovered was in buying the clams. I neglected to account for the weight of the shells, which are fairly heavy. I’ve adjusted the recipe accordingly and know better for next time.

The sauce/broth is quite loose so be sure to have some yummy bread ready to sop up the extra. You could also skip pasta all together and just serve this with lots of bread.

As a bonus, this recipe only takes about 20 minutes to cook.

Make sure you have some warm bread read to sop up the extra sauce that comes with this pasta.

Linguine with Clams

Serves 2

½ onion chopped

3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped

½ cup chopped pancetta (or bacon)

¼ tsp red chili flakes

1 lemon zested

½ lemon juiced

¼ cup chicken stock

¼-1/2 cup white wine (you want about a cup of liquid total)

½ pint cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped herbs (parsley, or a combination of parsley and basil)

2 pounds fresh littleneck clams

¼ package linguine

-Put on a large pot of boiling water for the pasta

-In a medium/large saucepan (make sure it has a lid that fits) heat the pancetta, onion, garlic, chili and lemon zest over medium heat until the pancetta has rendered its fat, is crispy and the onion is soft and brown. Should take about 8 minutes.

-Add a splash of wine or stock to the pan to deglaze it (aka get the awesome brown bits off the bottom) and cook for another 2 minutes.

-Add the tomatoes to the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until they get slightly brown. If the pasta water isn’t boiling yet, reduce the heat and wait for it to go.

-Add in the wine, stock, and lemon juice and bring to a boil.

-Add pasta to the boiling, salted water. When there’s about 5-6 minutes left in pasta cook time (linguine takes about 9 minutes) add the clams to the wine and stock mixture and close the lid. Clams will open when they’re cooked (see note).

-Put cooked pasta and fresh herbs in with clams and sauce, stir to combine and serve.

-Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan (if desired) and warm bread for dunking.

NOTES: Like most shellfish, clams tell you when they’re done. They only open when they’re fully cooked (takes about 5 minutes) if they don’t open don’t eat them.

Bucatini al diavolo with a warm mushroom salad

Before I wrote this post, I worried I’d done too many recipes with pasta. Then I decided not to care, because pasta is delicious and we all need a few ways to easily change up your basic pasta and sauce regime.

I used a basic tomato and basil sauce (always in the freezer) as the base, added a few things and it was brand new. This recipe is easy to adjust to your taste by changing the amount of chili and cream used.

I wanted something different for a salad, but it still needed to be simple so I served the vegetables warm.

It’s easy to turn a simple marinara sauce into a rich and spicy ‘al diavolo.’

Bucatini al diavolo

Makes enough for 2 hearty portions and leftovers

1/2 package bucatini (or linguine)

1 package frozen shrimp defrosted (this is about a pound, you could use other seafood or chicken if you wanted)

1 small red or yellow pepper in strips

Approx. 2 cups tomato and basil sauce

2 Tbsp to 1/2 cup cream (to taste)

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried red chili (add more if you want more spice)

Olive oil

salt/pepper

Parmesan cheese for serving

-Put on a large pot of water for pasta

-In a large frying pan, combine oil, chili and garlic and heat from cold until the garlic has started to lightly brown. Add shrimp, season with salt/pepper and cook until nearly done. Set aside.

-In the same pan, heat the tomato sauce. Add more chili if you want it more spicy.

-Cook the pasta according to directions, with a few minutes (2-3) left in the cook time, add the shrimp to the sauce, and taste for spiciness. Add the amount of cream you want.

-Combine the pasta with the sauce, serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

NOTE: The cream not only adds a richness to the sauce, it also cools down the spice. If you accidentally make it too spicy, just add more cream at any time.

Warm mushroom salad

2 cups arugula

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 zucchini, sliced

1/4 onion thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, sliced

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

-Heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat until garlic is lightly brown, add in the zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp red wine vinegar. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until veggies are soft. (You can always do this ahead and re-heat the veggies slightly before serving)

-In a jar, combine dijon, red wine vinegar, balsamic, salt/pepper and olive oil. Shake the jar to mix the dressing.

-Combine everything in a bowl and serve.

Simple and speedy appetizers

Whenever I’m entertaining, I like to have some form of snack waiting for my guests. It’s always nice to have something to nibble on while people stroll in the door, pour a drink and settle in for the night. It also puts less pressure on me to rush to put dinner on the table and everyone can relax a little bit.

As much as I love making and serving appetizers, I rarely want to put a lot of effort into making them. I don’t want it to take much time away from the meal prep.

I came up with this one based on similar things I’d read in a magazine or online somewhere. I used puff pastry squares as a base, but you could easily use crackers or flatbread or thinly sliced baguette.

I’m not going to use amounts here because the “recipe” is that easy, just adjust to the number of people you’re serving.

Fruit + prosciutto + honey and you’re done. Easiest appetizer ever.

Plum and Prosciutto squares

Prosciutto pieces, cut to fit your base

Thinly sliced black plums (pears would be good too)

Puff pastry squares, crackers, flatbread, baguette

Honey

Black pepper

Put prosciutto and plums on the squares, season lightly with fresh ground pepper, drizzle with honey. Serve at room temperature.

TIPS: I made the puff pastry squares from leftover pastry. I rolled out the dough, cut into squares, lightly brushed with egg wash and baked until puff and gold. They keep well for 5 days (ish) in a zip-top bag.

-If you wanted to go a little more complicated, you could also bake the the topping IN puff pastry. It would take a few extra minutes but would be delicious too. And could be made a day ahead.

Two easy Asian-inspired ideas

Remember about five or 10 years ago when almost every chain restaurant had an “Asian Chicken Salad” of some sort on its menu?  I was always a sucker for those, but had almost put them out of my culinary mind until I came up with this salad and realized that’s what it tasted like, only better (of course).

I was also always a sucker for instant ramen noodles as a teenager (OK, I still sort of love them), but I know they’re really awful for you. This recipe isn’t authentic anything, but has a lot of flavour and is super easy to make.

I used cooked chicken in both recipes, but you could use another meat/protein… even leftover turkey.

Asian Noodle Salad

**Enough for two lunch-sized salads

Dressing (makes about 1/4 cup)

1 tsp peanut butter

1 tsp soya sauce

1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

pinch of dried red chili flakes (to taste)

splash of water (about 1 tsp)

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

-Put all ingredients in a bowl or jar. Mix together until most of the peanut butter has mixed in. Let sit about an hour to let the chili infuse.

Salad

2 cup mixed greens (whatever you like)

2 cup mixed veggies (peppers, carrots, cucumbers, etc.)

1 cup of cooked soba noodles (or other noodles)

1 cup cooked chicken

-Mix everything together. Toss with dressing right before serving.

**NOTE: If you can’t find soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) you can use whatever you can find or like.

Asian Noodle Soup

**makes enough for 2 servings

**Time: About 15 minutes

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped

1 tsp dried red chili flakes

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 Tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 cup cooked udon noodles (or other noodles, rice noodles would be great)

2 cups veggies (mushrooms, zucchini, chopped bok choy, cooked eggplant, carrots, peppers)

1/2 cup cooked chicken

fresh pepper to taste

-Over medium to low heat saute garlic, ginger and chili with the oils. Once slightly brown add the mushrooms/veggies.

-Let cook together for a few minutes until veggies are 1/2 cooked. Add the stock, bring to a boil. Add the chicken and noodles, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

TIPS

-This soup is really good with an egg on it. Either poached, fried or soft boiled. The yolk adds yummy richness.

-It’s better to cook the noodles outside the soup, otherwise they’ll absorb all the stock.

-If you’re reheating soup, just add a bit of water before reheating. The flavour will still be there and you’ll have enough liquid.

Seriously fast spicy noodles

Food doesn’t get any faster than this recipe. The part that takes the longest is boiling water. Not only is it fast, it’s super easy and you probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge/pantry. I made it in just over 10 minutes, including boiling water time. Seriously.

I made this with linguine noodles, because I had them, but use whatever noodle you have around or like, the faster cooking the noodle the sooner you get to eat. I cooked up some shrimp, because I had some and they’re speedy to cook, but the protein here is your choice. Substitute the shrimp for a scrambled egg or two, some chicken or, heck, even leftover turkey.

This will make about 2 cups of sauce, or enough to coat 2 big servings of noodles.

Seriously fast spicy noodles.

2 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp Sriracha (or other hot sauce) – adjust to your taste level

2 tsp honey

1/4 cup of warm water (this just loosens the sauce)

1/2 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or lime juice)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Fresh ground pepper

ADDITIONS: Fresh veggies (carrots, greens, peppers), protein (egg, chicken, seafood etc.)

Boil water. Cook noodles. While noodles cooking mix all the ingredients together. Taste for spice/sweetness level and adjust to your liking.

Mix with noodles. You can have this hot, cold, or at room temperature.