Crock Pot: Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Slow-cooker recipes are always something I'm on the hunt for. I get an immense feeling of gratification when dinner is already in the works by 9 am. I especially love when a crock pot recipe doesn't call for me to chop vegetables or brown meat first. Just more or less toss in the ingredients and head off in pursuit of other things to scratch off the to-do list before the baby wakes up from her nap or I have to run and pick up her big brother from preschool.

Tonight I decided to invite my parents over to be guinea pigs...and to watch home movies from about 38 years ago. My parents and husband really liked the pork and especially the glaze that is brushed on the pork while cooking and then also served on the side. It smelt great while cooking. The pork shredded so easily. The only suggestion I received was to cook it for a shorter amount of time. That's the problem with crock pot recipes. This recipe instructed me to cook on low for 6-8 hours. Two hours is a big swing. I set the timer for 6 hours and we ate at the 7 hour mark. Shouldn't the pork stay tender for another hour...or even better, get even more tender with more time? They all said they'd enjoy it again so I've adapted the recipe for 6 hours on low. Only six.

Here's a question my Mother asked me during dinner...was this pork loin or pork tenderloin? Hum. I studied this in college but that I was a long time ago. I'm a vegetarian and I haven't retained a lot info regarding cuts of meat since I never eat them. Is there a difference? Yes. I'll let you google the question for the answer. This recipe calls for pork loin and I used pork tenderloin. Maybe, just maybe, my pork would've been moister had it been a loin. I guess I'll have to try it again to see. Anyone want to be a guinea pig? ;)

By the way - the preschooler ate it! He didn't give it the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". He kept his thumb in the neutral position. I'll take it.

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

1. Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

http://www.candcmarriagefactory.com/2011/01/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm feeling indecisive today. I prepared these amazing muffins late this morning and I love more than one picture that I took. I've included them all. Please tell me which one you prefer.

I love banana and I love chocolate. A few weeks ago I made some stellar chocolate banana spring rolls. Today I made a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. After reading through other people's suggestions, I had my game plan. I love that in this day & age you can do more than flip through a cookbook. I always read other people's comments and check out the photos they post so that I can make it as perfect as possible the first time. With this recipe I've adapted the ingredients, as I do with almost all the recipes I find. I cut out the oil and substituted in applesauce and yogurt. I've also combined AP flour with some whole wheat flour. I'm so glad I did because they are fantastic without all of the guilt.

My preschooler was so excited to try one that he actually asked me to take his picture with them. After he tried them he gave them the "thumbs up"!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or banana)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  
• 3 medium bananas (1/2 thinly sliced for garnish, 3 1/2 mashed)
  
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla.

2. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

*This recipe yielded me 17 muffins.

Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins-2/detail.aspx

Panko Tilapia with Black Bean Salsa

I must start this entry with the words that rushed out of my husband's mouth when he came up for air as he was inhaling this meal. "Awesome". He said it three times. Then he called it "superb"! He said it was the second best part of the weekend. The first being our 20-week old daughter took a 3-hour nap today! I couldn't be happier!

I adapted this recipe from Kraft.com. Since it's a Kraft recipe, they call for lots Kraft products. I choose to use whatever I prefer. My husband loves seasoned Panko breadcrumbs like it's God's gift to the culinary world, so I chose to use it instead of Ritz crackers. He love that the fish was flaky on inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. A friend of mine highly recommended Duke's mayonnaise, so I used that instead of Kraft Real Mayo. I also used "spicy" black beans from Whole Foods.

Although the use of mayonnaise makes this a less than healthy dinner, it is simple to make and full of flavor! You could use light mayo or dredge the fish in egg instead of mayo. I will definitely be making this often.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

2 tilapia fillets

1/3 cup real mayonnaise, divided

1/3 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped

2-4 tbs olive oil

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

5 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 green onions, sliced (optional)

Juice from 1 lime

Directions

1. Brush fish with mayo. Dip fish in crumbs, turning to evenly coat both sides of each fillet or toss in a plastic bag with panko. Mix remaining mayo and jalapeños.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add fish; cook 3 min. on each side or until fish is golden brown on both sides and flakes easily with fork. Remove from skillet. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients.

3. Top fish with mayo mixture. Serve with bean mixture.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/breaded-tilapia-black-bean-114985.aspx

Smothered Sirloin Steak in Parmesan-Peppercorn Sauce

I receive emails from a few food websites such as AllRecipes.com and Kraft. One day Kraft emailed me this recipe and after reading the reviews I thought I try it out on my husband. Back in my meat-eating days I loved a good steak and this recipe would've been right up my alley.

Many of the people reviewing the recipe raved about the parmesan-peppercorn sauce. I made it a day ahead of time and tried it. Wow! Amazing flavor. I used it to drip some sweet potato waffle fries in. The peppery goodness is fantastic. Next time I make it I'll probably double the recipe for the sauce.

I followed other people's advice and let the steak marinate overnight. The night I prepared this dish we ate dinner outside on the deck. The weather was awesome, but after the sun went down the temperature dipped. I mention this because I prepared the platter, spent a minute taking a few photos and then took it outside - where it quickly cooled off. Temperature aside, my husband loved it! It is something easy enough and tasty enough to serve to guests. I'll definitely make this again and might actually have my husband grill it outside.

Ingredients

1 cup Italian Dressing, divided

1 boneless beef sirloin steak (1 lb.), well trimmed

1/3 cup Sour Cream

4-1/2 tsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over steak in a ziploc bag; turn to evenly coat steak. Refrigerate overnight to marinate.

2. Mix sour cream, 2 Tbsp. of the remaining dressing, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Heat 2-3 Tbsp. dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook 10 to 15 min. or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove onions from skillet; set aside.

4. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Add steak to skillet; cook on medium heat 5 to 6 min. on each side or until medium doneness (160ºF). Remove steak from skillet and let it rest for about 5 minutes; cut into thin strips. Serve topped with the sour cream sauce and onions.

Adapted.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/smothered-sirloin-steak-in-90959.aspx

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew

I kinda did a bad thing. I was in Costco one day looking at the magazines on the magazine rack. I found one with slow-cooker (aka crock pot) recipes in it. I flipped through the pages and when I found only one or two recipes that interested me, I put the magazine back on the shelf. Then I took it back off of the shelf, opened it up again, took out my cell phone and took photos of the recipes I wanted. I stole them. I still feel guilty about it.

After stealing this recipe and purchasing the ingredients, I didn't hold out much hope for this dish. It seemed very boring, but easy to make. I liked that the recipe didn't ask me to brown the meat first, like you need to with most stew recipes. My husband bought diced tomatoes with green chiles and not Italitan-style diced tomatoes that I had asked for so I used those. I doctored up the recipe a little bit by added about a tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning and hoped for the best.

My. husband.loved.it! He raved and raved about it. He complemented the look, the flavor, the aroma. He was so excited that I thought it was going to eat the whole pot. I quickly got some ready for the freezer so that I could surprise him one day for lunch. It was totally worth it to swipe this recipe and now I'm encouraged to do it again after the winning review that I got! ;o

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

I bought some Sweet Italian Sausage at Costco and as you can imagine, there's a lot of it. I'm trying to find recipes that call for Italian sausage besides the standard Sausage with Peppers & Onions. My husband loves it, but I need to give him some variety.

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. I tweaked it a little (or a lot) based on what I had and didn't have on hand. The recipe calls for 1 sausage link. It didn't seem like enough, so I used three. Only 8 ounces of tortellini? I used 12! The recipe calls for 5 cups of beef broth, I only had 2 1/2 and the grocery store was sold out of the brand that I use. I substituted vegetable broth. It also called for red wine. When I went down to our wine cellar (aka laundry room ((a place the preschooler can't get into))), there was none to be found! I was a bit shocked and quickly added it to my shopping list. So I substituted more vegetable broth. It also called for tomato sauce but I had some tomato paste already open so I used that instead. Blah, blah, blah... I'd make sure I had red wine and enough beef broth on hand next time.

It turned out great! How do I know, being a vegetarian? Because my husband AND my preschooler loved it! They even ate it for left-overs the next night! No complaints out of the child and he finally ate tortellini for the first time! The only suggestion my husband made was to use a spicy sausage next time to kick up the flavor a bit.

Adapted.

Ingredients

• 3 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (or spicy sausage for more flavor)
  
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups beef stock
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 plum tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 12 ounces cheese tortellini
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Place the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat and saute for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Drain the fat except for about 1 tablespoon, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more minutes.
2. Next add the beef stock, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any fat that may surface.
3. Add the zucchini, tortellini, green bell pepper and parsley to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until tortellini is fully cooked. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with the cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-sausage-tortellini-soup/detail.aspx

Coming soon...

-Honey Soy Tilapia

-Black Bean Lasagna

-Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

-Mini-Caprese Bites

-Coconut Chicken Tenders

-Tortellini Ranch Salad

-Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas


Feel free to follow me on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/joanne_fulmer/

Chocolate Banana Spring Rolls

Oh my goodness. I am on a roll. I'm three for three on my last...well...three recipes. I was feeling so confident about using egg roll wrappers that I decided to give this dessert a try. It was fast and easy to make and it tasted just as good as PF Chang's Banana Spring Rolls. If only I had served it with ice cream. That would've been amazing!

I adapted the ingredients and directions to a recipe I found on Pinterest and was able to make this recipe my own. Try it! You won't be sorry.

Ingredients

2 bananas, diced
6 egg roll wrappers
mini chocolate chips
cream (heavy cream/whole milk/2% milk)
1 egg, beaten
oil
powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan. I set the stove to 6.

2. Place egg roll wrapper facing you in the shape of a diamond. Brush egg around all four sides.

3. Place 2-2 1/2 tablespoons of diced bananas 1/4 of the way up from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of mini chocolate chips. Roll half way up and tuck in sides, then roll all the way up.

4. Place in oil and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove and place on paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

5. Heat chocolate chips and approximately 1-2 tablespoons of cream in a microwave safe bowl until melted. Drizzle on top of spring rolls.

6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, as desired.

Yield: 6 Spring Rolls

You can also sprinkle butterscotch chips inside and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

So I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll after recreating that amazing Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese and now recreating this tasty appetizer. Neither item is healthy but both are incredibly tasty and super easy to execute.

I found this lovely recipe on Pinterest. I might spend a few hours here and there on the site, but it's quality time! I made this yesterday afternoon and surprised my husband with this treat while he was outside playing with our son. We ended up tailgating in the truck of my SUV in our garage. It was a fun time.

After reading the recipe and combing over other people's reviews I came up with a game plan on how to execute this. I felt pretty confident using these egg roll wrappers after overcoming my fear of frying wonton wrappers a couple of weeks ago.

The outcome was fantastic. I fried them as the recipe called for, but I might try and bake them next time. I hesitate to though because I worry about the texture. Texture is really important for this treat. The flavor is mild so you need the texture to compensate a bit. Serve it with a really good quality marinara sauce. This also helps compliment the mild flavor. I had no issues with the cheese melting out of the egg roll wrapper.

I've adapted the recipe.

Ingredients

• 12 pieces string cheese
• 12 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 cups Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs
  
• Oil for deep-fat frying
• Marinara or spaghetti sauce

Directions

• Place a piece of string cheese near the bottom corner of one egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom corner over cheese. Roll up halfway; fold sides toward center over cheese. Moisten remaining corner with egg; roll up tightly to seal. Brush egg all over the outside of egg roll wrapper and roll in panko. Press down firmly to make sure panko sticks, as needed. Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese.
• In an electric skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil to 375°. I set the dial to 6.
• Fry sticks, a few at a time, for about 1 minute or so on each side or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them so they don't over cook. Drain on paper towels. Serve with marinara sauce.
  
• Yield: 1 dozen.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Mozzarella-Sticks-2?pmcode=IKLDC05S&_mid=838832&_rid=838832.650200.781355/