BEET AND FETA SALAD and ROAST SALMON WITH MUSTARD-TARRAGON SAUCE and CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON and CRANBERRY SURPRISE PIE

One of the things I loved the most about our snow days, was cooking. Especially for impromptu dinner guests. It was absolutely wonderful the couple of times we had friends stay for dinner - the spontaneity takes the pressure off of everything having to be perfect and it is a fun challenge to make a meal out what happens to be in the pantry and refrigerator.
I set out a cheese board with olives, goat cheese I had rolled in Herbs de Provence, that a friend thoughtfully brought back from France for me, my favorite sharp cheddar cheese, and some delicious, fun cranberry pumpkin seed crisps. I opened a bottle of wine, made a salad with beets I had roasted the night before, set the table, prepared the salmon and served the cranberry pie I had baked on a whim, for dessert.

BEET AND FETA SALAD

4 to 6 beets, tops and ends removed, cut in half
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon grated zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
salad greens
1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat oven to 400F. Place beets in a shallow baking pan. Cover with foil. Roast 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Uncover. Let cool 15 minutes. Remove skins and slice beets.
For dressing, combine olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, yogurt, shallots, and mint. Whisk to mix.
Divide salad greens among plates, arrange the beets and feta on top and drizzle with dressing.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, September 2013
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

ROAST SALMON WITH MUSTARD-TARRAGON SAUCE

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
5 to 6 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salmon

Heat oven to 450F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice together, in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon mustard sauce on top of salmon, then spread to cover each piece completely. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast just until salmon is opaque in center, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve with remaining mustard sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2008
www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons water
juice of half a lemon

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, in a skillet over medium heat.
Arrange brussels sprouts in a single layer, drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle sprouts with water. Cover and cook 2 minutes more. Sprouts should be just tender when pierced with a fork, and beginning to caramelize. Remove cover and increase the heat slightly. When sprouts are well-caramelized, drizzle with lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, December 2011
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

CRANBERRY SURPRISE PIE

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325F. Butter a 9 1/2 inch pie plate.
Pour the cranberries into the bottom of the pie plate and sprinkle evenly with the walnuts and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.
Mix the eggs with the melted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, the vanilla and the flour. Pour over the cranberry mixture.
Bake for 50 minutes at 325F.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted From One Good Deed, 2012
Erin McHugh

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BLACKBERRY MUSTARD SAUCE and PORK AND APPLE TOURTIERE and GARLIC PORK SHOULDER and GREEN CHILI STEW

Summer pork Fest - tenderloin, shoulder and ground!! After all, we are in Razorback country!!

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH BLACKBERRY MUSTARD SAUCE

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided use

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cloves garlic, peeled minced

3/4 pound pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup blackberry mustard (recipe follows)

3/4 cup fresh blackberries

Combine 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme, the black pepper, salt, allspice, cinnamon and garlic in a bowl, mix well.

Trim fat from pork, rub pork with thyme mixture. Place pork in a shallow dish, cover and chill 2 hours.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, add olive oil and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork, cook 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and vinegar to skillet, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes, or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Remove pork from skillet, set aside and keep warm.

Add remaining cup of chicken broth and brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes or until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. 

Place cornstarch in a small saucepan, gradually add water, blending with a wire whisk. Stir in broth mixture and 1/4 cup blackberry mustard, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from heat, stir in remaining teaspoon of thyme.

Serve tenderloin with sauce and garnish with fresh berries.

BLACKBERRY MUSTARD

1/2 cup fresh blackberries, smashed

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

pinch of sugar

Process blackberries, mustard and sugar in a food processor until well blended.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, August 2004

www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎ 

PORK AND APPLE TOURTIERE

15 ounce package refrigerated pie crusts
3 slices of bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
2 apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Remove the crusts from the box and let sit at room temperature.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender and golden about 10 minutes.
Add the ground pork. As it cooks, break it up with a wooden spoon, cooking until no traces of pink remain, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the apples, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and cool.
Heat the oven to 400F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Add the cooked pork and apple filling, spreading it in an even layer.
Place the remaining crust on top, then pinch and crimp the edges together.Make several small slits on the top crust for venting.
Bake the pie for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Morning News, November 2008

GARLIC PORK SHOULDER

1 garlic head, separated into cloves and peeled
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves
1/4  cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) bone in pork shoulder

Place garlic, salt, peppercorns and oregano in the bowl of a food processor. Process until garlic is chopped. Add olive oil and vinegar and process to form a thick paste. Place pork in a large roasting pan, fat side up and score the top with a sharp knife. Rub garlic mixture over meat, refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 350F.
Place the pork in the oven and roast about 3 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let the pork cool slightly and then slice.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish Magazine
relish.com/recipes/

GREEN CHILI STEW

1 pork loin, cut into small cubes
4 yellow onions
2 (10 ounce) cans petite chopped tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 (10 ounce) can rotel tomatoes
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
3 or 4 (4 ounce) cans of chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon oregano
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt and pepper pork cubes, roll in flour, brown in oil. When browned, add to a stock pot. Saute onions until tender, add chopped garlic, cook two minutes more, stirring often. Add onions, garlic and remaining ingredients to pot.
Simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Adding water and more seasoning as required.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, October 2006