by Julianne De Witt | Apr 20, 2020 | Mains
I’m so happy that we are into barbecue season again. We are working our way through the meat in our freezer – Sunday is always “clean out the fridge/freezer dinner” as Monday is grocery shopping day. Tonight’s pork tenderloin is stuffed with sautéed apples, onions & thyme finished with @nonnapias balsamic glaze. Simple, delicious and kid approved!
Grilled Apple and Thyme Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
A quick and easy recipe that's suitable for the oven or barbeque. If you can't get your hands on demi glace, drizzle extra balsamic glaze over the pork before serving.
Course: Main Course
Keyword: BBQ, Diabetic Friendly, Low Carb
Servings: 4
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large apple cored, peeled & diced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
- 2 pork tenderloin
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1.2 cups demi glace optional
Preheat BBQ to 350°
Sauté apples and onions in olive oil until soft. Add thyme, balsamic glaze and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, make an deep slit lengthwise down the tenderloin being careful not to cut all the way through. Use the tip the knife create space along the cut for the stuffing. Repeat with second tenderloin.
Spoon the stuffing into the tenderloin and pack down. Use toothpicks to close the tenderloin as best you can. It doesn't need to be completely closed as the cooked pork will hold the stuffing in.
Using a pastry brush, spread the mustard over the sides of the tenderloin and season with salt and pepper.
Place tenderloin in a foil lined grill pan and grill for 25-35 minutes until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°.
Remove pork from grill and let rest for 3 minutes. Heat demi glace in small saucepan, if using.
Carve pork into 1-inch slices and serve with demi glace on the side.
A good demi glace really complements this dish. Most specialty butchers will carry demi glace in their freezer section but if you can't get your hands on it, drizzle extra balsamic glaze over the pork before serving.
by Julianne De Witt | Apr 17, 2020 | Desserts
A little more time on my hands lately…I’ve been wanting to test out a simple version of baked Alaska for a while. The name “baked Alaska” was supposedly coined at Antoine’s, a restaurant in New Orleans, in 1867 to honor the US acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 10 that year. Traditionally it’s made with ice cream and cake and topped with meringue that is browned in the oven. I skip the cake part and use a culinary torch to brown the meringue. It’s really easy to make and will be devoured, guaranteed! All you need is a some ice cream, egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar – culinary torch optional.
Easy Baked Alaska
Ice cream and toasted meringue, what's not to love. This recipe great for entertaining and so much easier to make than you think!
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Party Food
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream slightly softened
- 1 pint chocolate ice cream slightly softened
- 1 pint cookies and cream ice cream slightly softened
- 1 cup chocolate chips optional
- 1 cup egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup white sugar
Coat metal bowl with a thin layer of oil. Line bowl with plastic wrap. Scoop vanilla ice cream onto plastic wrap and press down and smooth out with a runner spatula. Repeat with chocolate ice cream, then cookies and cream ice cream. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top and press lightly into ice cream. Place bowl in freezer for one hour or until ice cream hardens up.
Preheat oven to 500° (skip this part if using culinary torch to toast the meringue).
Using your mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy (a couple of minutes or so). Slowly beat in the sugar until stiff peaks form and egg whites look glossy.
Take bowl of ice cream out of the freezer and invert in on your serving platter. Remove the plastic wrap and spoon meringue onto ice cream, completely covering it. Using the back of a teaspoon to create swirls in the meringue.
Place cake in oven and bake for 3-5 minutes until the meringue peaks are golden or use a culinary torch to toast the meringue. Slice and serve immediately.
by Julianne De Witt | Apr 17, 2020 | Mains
Tonight’s dinner brought to you by the things hiding in my fridge and pantry. 13 bean and beer stew topped with cheesy basil dumplings.
I use pancake mix to make my dumplings…it works fantastically and saves time…a win win in my books. This recipe is a great way to use up those veggies in your fridge and freezer that have been lurking around for a while.
If you don’t want to soak the beans in water overnight, just add them to the pot as is and add another hour to the cooking time.
Hope you are staying healthy and happy!
13 Bean and Beer Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
A hearty bean and bacon stew topped with fluffy dumplings.
Servings: 4
- 1 cup Red Mill 13 Bean Mix (or dried beans of your choice)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery peeled and diced
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 can beer
- 1 small can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp worchestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cup pancake mix "complete" just add water variety
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 cup white cheddar grated
Soup
Add olive oil, garlic, carrots, celery and bacon to a large soup pot. Sauté for a few minutes until al dente.
Add beer, stock, canned tomatoes to pot. Drain and rinse beans and add to pot. Next add the bay leaves, worchestershire sauce, celery salt and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
Dumplings
In a medium bowl, add pancake mix and water. Stir in basil and cheese
Bring stew back to a light boil. Drop dumpling batter by tablespoon gently into stew. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes then cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.
Adjust seasoning, top with additional grated cheese and basil if desired, and serve.
by Julianne De Witt | Apr 12, 2020 | Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts
Today’s installment of Sometimes You Gotta Carb…my mom’s recipe for chocolate bread pudding. Total comfort food and a family favourite – a great way to use up bread that has been sitting around for a while. This version is crispy and buttery on top and soft in the middle without being soggy. We serve it for breakfast or dessert. Delicious!
Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding
Sweet, carb-laden comfort food. Perfect for brunch or dessert.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Servings: 4
- 8 slices white bread, cubed best to use bread that is a bit stale
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 5 tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350°. Place bread in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Add egg mixture to bread and stir. Press bread down until the egg mixture is absorbed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Grease a medium sized baking sheet with 2 tbsp of butter. Add bread mixture and press down. Dot the top of the bread with the remaining butter and sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes until edges are brown and bread springs back from the touch.
Serve with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Apr 10, 2020 | Mains
My take on this popular recipe using ingredients you probably already have one hand. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs but you could certainly sub in chicken breasts or bone-in chicken pieces.
Balsamic Chicken with Olive and Capers
This vibrant dish is so easy to prepare and is a crowd pleaser. Hope you love it!
- 8-10 chicken thighs
- cooking spray
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2/3 cup green olives pitted
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a bowl, top with 2 tbsp olive oil, turmeric, salt and pepper.
Spray frying pan with cooking spray and place over high heat. Working in batches, sear chicken, top side down until browned. Add chicken to large baking dish.
Crush olives on a cutting board with a mallet. In a medium sized bowl add crushed olives, garlic, capers, parsley, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and stir. Spoon olive mixture over chicken, pour balsamic vinegar over the top and place in oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. Top with additional parsley if desired and serve.
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