SKEWERED FLANK STEAK WITH HORSERADISH LEMON DIPPING SAUCE and ROASTED POTATOES WITH CHILE AND PARSLEY

Our very first night back in town, my youngest son wanted to celebrate his birthday at home - although he had already had a family party while we were in New Zealand.
He requested steak, potatoes and peas as his Birthday Dinner, after which, we walked around the park, then home to bake cookies for dessert, a cup of tea, and gifts - which he opened in an even shorter amount of time than it took me to wrap them.

SKEWERED FLANK STEAK WITH HORSERADISH LEMON DIPPING SAUCE

1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 (2 pound) flank steak, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices
wooden skewers

Combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and crushed red pepper, in a large shallow dish. Add steak. Cover and chill for 8 hours, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, prepare Horseradish Lemon Dipping Sauce.
Soak skewers in water to cover, for 30 minutes.
Heat Grill or oven to 400F.
Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread 1 steak slice onto each skewer. Grill steak 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or to desired degree of doneness. Serve with Horseradish Lemon Dipping Sauce.
HORSERADISH LEMON DIPPING SAUCE
Stir together 8 tablespoons light sour cream, 1 tablespoon horseradish, juice and zest from one lemon, season with salt. Cover and chill for 8 hours.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, May 2010
www.southernliving.com/food‎

ROASTED POTATOES WITH CHILE AND PARSLEY

1 1/2 pounds small potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons capers

Heat oven to 400F.
On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1/4 cup oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss again. Spread potatoes in a single layer, bake until golden and crispy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, walnuts, anchovies, green onions, honey, garlic and chile, add potatoes, parsley and capers, toss to coat.
Enjoy!

PAN SEARED PORK WITH MAPLE GRAVY AND APPLE BACON HASH and COFFEE CHILE RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN and PORK POSOLE

Pork is a dish I know my whole family will enjoy, and I enjoy cooking it because of the limited amount of complaints that will come my way.

PAN SEARED PORK WITH MAPLE GRAVY AND APPLE BACON HASH

APPLE BACON HASH
4 slices bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled until cooked through
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
3/4 teaspoon maple seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
PORK AND MAPLE GRAVY
1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch thick pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons flour
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons cream
3 tablespoons maple syrup

APPLE BACON HASH
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Heat butter and 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potato, garlic and apple and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the maple seasoning and cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
PORK
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cover. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.
MAPLE GRAVY
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings from the skillet. Whisk flour into pan drippings and let butte over medium heat for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, maple syrup and cream and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking often, until mixture reduces and thickens, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Chop bacon and mix into hash. Serve pork hot with the hash and gravy.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Easy Entertaining with Pork
www.porkbeinspired.com/‎

COFFEE CHILE RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN

2 teaspoons freshly ground coffee
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins

Heat oven to 400F.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
In a small bowl, combine coffee, garlic powder, paprika, chile pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Place pork on the baking sheet and sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both tenderloins.
Place baking sheet in the oven and roast until pork reaches an internal temperature of 150F about 45 minutes. Let pork stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, October 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

PORK POSOLE

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 pound pork loin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
16 ounces of diced green chiles
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 3 cups of chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can of hominy, drained

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat Add onions, and pork, sauté until onions are soft and pork is browned, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Add ancho chile powder, oregano, diced chiles, garlic and cumin, stir 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and hominy, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes, adding more broth to thin, if desired.
Enjoy!

MAPLE GLAZED SALMON and MISO GLAZED SALMON WITH GREEN TEA RICE and GINGER POACHED SALMON WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

There is no shortage of information around about the health benefits of salmon - which is one of the many reasons we include it in weekly meals as much as possible.
Another is that it is something our whole family loves. I can put almost any variation on the table and it will be enjoyed without complaint - from the slightly spicy Maple Glazed Salmon, to the sweeter Ginger Poached Salmon with Orange and Honey.

MAPLE GLAZED SALMON

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
1 teaspoon maple syrup (I used more)

Heat oven to 400F.
Combine the paprika, chili powder, ancho chile powder, cumin and brown sugar. Sprinkle fish with salt, rub with paprika mixture. Place fish in a baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray, bake 7 to 10 minutes. Drizzle fish with maple syrup, grill 4 to 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, May 2003
www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/

MISO GLAZED SALMON WITH GREEN TEA RICE

1 1/3 cups jasmine rice
1/4 cup miso
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
4 skin-on salmon fillets
1/2 cup loose leaf green tea
salt
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cook the rice according to the package directions and keep warm.
Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.
In a small bowl. stir the miso, soy sauce and rice vinegar together until blended. Put the salmon fillets skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Pat the salmon dry and broil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the miso mixture over the top of the fillets. Broil until the salmon is just barely opaque in the center, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
Meanwhile, pour 2 1/4 cups of boiling water over the tea leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt, and let steep for 1 minute. Mix green onions and sesame seeds into the rice and divide among four shallow bowls. Pour the tea through a strainer around each mound of rice, with a spatula, lift the salmon from the baking sheet (leaving the skin behind if desired), and place on top of the rice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking
www.finecooking.com/recipes/miso-glazed-salmon-green-tea-rice.aspx

GINGER POACHED SALMON WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

1 orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped pickled ginger
2 tablespoons honey
4 salmon fillets
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Combine orange zest, juice, chicken broth, grated ginger, pickled ginger and honey, add to a skillet  and bring just to a boil, over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add salmon, cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, carefully turn fish over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Transfer salmon to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm. Increase heat to medium high and cook sauce in the skillet just until it comes to a boil. Whisk in butter, stirring until sauce is slightly thickened. Divide fillets among individual plates, spoon warm sauce over and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, October 2007
www.arkansas.com/dining/recipes/