FOOD, TRAVEL, RENOVATION & HOME LIFE
We are finally moving along with the home renovation and planning for the new office and bathroom in the old brick side of our Brick Beauty. Follow John’s progress below.
If you haven’t followed this reno from the start, check out our initial post about our Brick Beauty!
Cooking is something I have loved to do for ages. Kicking around in the kitchen all day on a Sunday, prepping, organizing and getting something good on the table as well as ready for the week is my happy time. However, baking and making sweets is a new phenom for me. Now, my cabinet has all sorts of chocolate baking bars, a number of types of sugar, espresso powder and numerous extracts. I find myself picking up graham cracker crusts, puff pastry, and apparently, a can of black cherries that I grabbed off the sales rack when shopping. So, each week I am trying to find or create recipes to use up some of these lay-around goods. This is how I landed on this recipe for Black Cherry Chocolate Mousse.
This is yet another recipe that I need to credit Jamie Oliver for. It is a simple 5 Ingredient recipe, so no fear, sweat and tears necessary!
Simmer cherries and their juice in small saucepan on medium heat just until thickening. Remove and set aside
Setup a double boiler (sauce pan of simmering water with a bowl placed atop, without touching the water) and place chocolate into bowl. Continue to stir with silicone spatula while it melts. Once fully melted, remove bowl from simmering pan and set aside to cool
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and egg yolks. Whisk to combine
In a medium-large bowl, add the sea salt to the egg whites and whisk until very stiff peaks have formed. Note to use a clean whisk and bowl
Once the chocolate is fully cooled, add to the cream mixture and fold in with silicone spatula
Very gently fold the chocolate/cream mixture into the stiff egg whites. Do not go rough here, as it will become very dense. This takes a little patience. Some smooth background music is never a bad thing when baking/cooking. Wink!
This recipe is indicated to be 6 servings, but this all depends on the size of your serving glass. I used a typical highball glass, so the desserts were quite generous at 3 servings. If you have a smaller container to use, I do recommend going closer to the 6 servings!
If you make this, send me a pic and/or let me know how it goes! Also, a layer of fresh whipped cream would be super before adding the fruit. YUM!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like my recipe for chewy, chunky brownies!
Some months back, there was a raging sale on Petite Sirloin Steak at one of my local stores. Admittedly, this is not a cut of beef that I typically purchase, but I will give most things a go. So I went for it! I actually froze it when I got home and it sat for quite a while. While digging around to decide what might tickle my fancy for meals during the week, there it was. Just waiting for its’ day in the spotlight. Just one night to defrost and I was off and running!
My first step in figuring out what to do with this cut was to do what we all would do…go to the internet! I found a site called, “Beef, It’s what’s for dinner” that gave some good info about what type of cut the Petite Sirloin is and best cooking methods. The issue was that I had not anticipated needing to marinate for hours, and the Petite Sirloin is the type of cut that really needs it. Athough the article indicated grilling or broiling was the best method for this little bugger of a cut, I began thinking about alternatives. Instant pot? Air Fryer? Slow Cooker? After a bit of research, I stumbled on a blog called, “No Spoon Necessary”. Low and behold, there was a slow cooker recipe fit for just about any steak. The recipe can be found here.
The ingredients in the recipe were relatively simple, so I only made changes where I did not have an ingredient, or wanted to bend the flavor a bit to my taste. And given this is a slow cooker recipe, the only real work was the slicing and dicing and reducing the gravy once the steaks were done. Amazing!
Line bottom of the slow cooker with the onions. Season steaks with salt and pepper and place steaks on top of onion, spreading them out side by side. Pour in the broth and Worcestershire. Mix all other ingredients, other than butter, parsley and rosemary sprigs, in a small bowl. Distribute evenly over the steaks. Add butter pats and rosemary sprigs on top and close that cooker up!
My slow cooker tends to cook really fast. I cooked for 5 hours on low. However, check your steaks for doneness at 4.5-5 hours and adjust accordingly. Once done, using a slotted spatula, scoop out and plate the steaks. Cover to keep warm. You will be left with a lot of broth in the slow cooker that can be made into an amazing onion gravy. If there is any obvious fat on the top of the broth, scoop off while still in the slow cooker. Then transfer to a wide frying pan.
Bring heat to medium and sift in 1-2 Tbsp. of flour. Go gradually, so you know how much you need. The gravy will thicken pretty quickly, so just be patient. Use a whisk to get all lumps out. Continue to whisk until it is at what you consider gravy thickness. If you have a gravy boat that separates the fat, use it. If not, simply check the gravy as it sets for fat settling on top and remove.
Plate and serve gravy as your family likes it! Either family style on the plated steak, or in the gravy boat, for each to serve themselves! Serve with my vegetable tray bake recipe! YUM!
This recipe will not deliver a steak with char or caramelized exterior. It will delivery a deliciously tender steak that is amazing with gravy, similar to how you would cook a pot roast. But change and new experiences are everything, so give it a go!
The veggie tray bake shown with the slow cooker petite sirloin is a play on my originally posted recipe. This time I used potato, radish, broccoli, carrot, garlic and shallot. Winner every time!!
If you like this recipe, give my pork with sweet plantains and veg or my slow cooker pork carnitas recipe a try!
Dinner/Lunch / Food / Kristen Cooks
by kristen · Published July 19, 2023 · Last modified July 20, 2023
There is nothing I love better than finding a recipe that surprises me with its’ simplicity and bomb flavor! This pork and porcini pasta does exactly that.
If you have read any of my other posts, you may know that I grew up an incredibly picky eater. I could stomach about 3 vegetables, one being potatoes! One of the things on my absolute no-go list was mushrooms. That lasted well into my thirties, even after I had realized that I actually had an affinity for veggies of all sorts (once I actually began tasting them!). It took a lot of travel and eating with varied groups of people to get me out of my no zone and into my go zone when it comes to food. And I am thankful for that! Otherwise, I would not be sitting here writing about this amazing pork and porcini pasta!
If you have read other recipes of mine, you might also know that I am a Jamie Oliver fan. His 5 Ingredient cookbook changed my world, at least in my kitchen! Check out this preview of the book on Google. This book has so many easy weeknight or lunch recipes that my book binding is completely broken from use. This is one I will tape, rubber band or perform some sort of ridiculous glueing procedure to ensure it stays kicking around! Some of the recipes have been committed to memory, or are flexible enough that I know the gist of the ingredients and wing it from there. Truly enjoyable cooking! Anyhow, this oprk porcini recipe is very close to one in “5 Ingredients”, with only tweaks to the ingredient amounts.
4
servings10
minutes20
minutesGround pork with porcini mushrooms and rotini pasta
1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (or any mix of dried mushrooms of your liking)
1 onion, diced
12 oz dried pasta (I used rotini here, but penne, large shells, rigatoni or other types where the mushroom and pork can get lost in the pasta works great!)
1 3/4 oz parmesan cheese (finely grated)
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper
If you like this recipe, take a peek at my recipe for Asian Inspired Veggie Salad Feast, which was also a Jamie Oliver inspired dish!
I try to weave an assortment of types of proteins into our meals during the week. We are big on eating pork, chicken and beef, but my husband and I are both huge fans of a good piece of fish. However, fish can be tricky, because we both prefer it fresh, but that is not always convenient or cost effective. In comes one of our latest staples…frozen barramundi! I have tried frozen fish many times and nothing has come close to this brand we recently began purchasing called “The Better Fish“.
I know I am losing some of you now, mentioning that I am using frozen Barramundi fish, but stick with me on this one. This fish defrosts easily and unlike other frozen fish I have failed with, it keeps its’ firmness and integrity. What is Barramundi? Well, basically it is an asian sea bass. And it is AMAZING! My husband will attest that there is no fishiness and the firmness of this fish holds up to bold flavors and makes an amazing meal!
I love anything with lemon and I LOVE capers! So, this recipe is one I can go to over and over, and never disappoints me! The ingredients are simple and cooking method absolutely manageable!
1/2 lb. Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass) or Sea Bass (2-3 fillets)
1/4 stick butter
2 tsp capers
1 lemon zested and juiced
1 large garlic clove minced
1 tbsp grapeseed oil to sear the fish
Salt, Pepper and herbs of your liking
Defrost fish as instructed on the packaging. I can attest that taking the fish out of the freezer 1/2 hour before wanting to cook, and placing the vacuum sealed bags in cold water for 15-20 mins will leave the fillets ready to dry completely with paper towels, season and prep for cooking!
Season barramundi with salt and pepper liberally. Do not be shy. This is not a wimp of a fish!
Heat grapeseed oil in large sautee pan and when shimmering, carefully place filets in. Cook just until bottom side is beautifully browned and turn. Second side will cook quickly, as fillets are thin. Remove and place on plate in warm oven to sit while you make the amazing sauce!
Melt butter in same pan, add garlic and cook just until fragrant. Add lemon zest and juice, capers and a few pinches of pepper. Reduce to about half and then taste. Add salt, if needed.
Plate Barramundi and pour the caper sauce over top and serve!
This fish and sauce goes great over pasta, as well as over vegetables. My recommendation is a combination of zucchini/summer squash noodles and bucatini noodles. You cannot get better than the satisfaction of the pasta, but also the freshness and crunch of the zucchini or summer squash noodles. A super winning combination!
If making the zucchini/squash noodles, simply wait until 1-2 minutes before your pasta is done and toss in the veggie noodles. They just need to be softened lightly. You want to maintain some structure. Drain all of it together, no need to rinse at all! Note: if you are not making pasta, you can follow the same philosophy and boil veg noodles for 1-2 mins in salted water and drain!
If this recipe was fun for you, give my weeknight smorgasboard with flounder and homemade mediterranean mezze a try!
I have seen many recipes for German red cabbage, and most are absolutely in my wheelhouse and are recipes I would serve any day of the week. This is because they are crunchy, sweet, vinegary and amazing! These are ingredients that are easily found or are in your house already.
Most of the authentic recipes that I have found for red cabbage involve apple, which makes perfect sense. Sweet and salty and sour….who could argue with these flavors? In this recipe, I have substituted butternut squash for the apple.
As I have learned, red cabbage is served in many eastern Eurpoean countries with pork loin, pork chops, pork knuckle, saurbraten and other beef recipes. In my mind, I can serve it with anything, but if I serve pork of any sort, I always have a sweet element. Usually, I go with apple sauce, or sauteed or grilled pears or peaches. For this meal, the Red Cabbage is sweet enough to make the grade! Stick with me, this one is good…
10 Ounce Red Cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thin
5 juniper berries
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Garlic cloves minced
Optional – depending on your sweet tooth – 2 Tbsp. sweet jam of your choice
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 lb. butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch squares
SO SIMPLE!
Add butter into pan. When bubbling, add squash. After 3-4 mins when squash is beginning to soften, add onion, juniper, sugar, vinegar and garlic. Keep over middle heat, at a slow bubble.
Add in the cabbage and sautee until cabbage is softened, but still crisp! Enjoy hot, room temperature, or cold. This recipe will taste just as good, if not better, the next day!
This recipe goes amazing well with my recipe for Pork Schnitzel! Pork with a sweet side is always a winner!
I LOVE a German restaurant. In my opinion, there are not enough German restaurants serving genuine German food anywhere here in New England! Years ago there were 2 restaurants in my area of Massachusetts, but unfortunately, both have been closed for years. Incredibly disappointing!! I now live in New Hampshire and had heard about one German place to visit in Hookset, NH, but after discussing gettting there to try the Pork Schnitzel, Saurbrauten, Spaetzle and many of the other menu items that I and my husband love for years, it closed before we ever got there. BOO!
I am always up for a bit of a challenge. So, where to start? Pork Schnitzel, of course! The epitome of the basic German food that draws in the typical first time German eaters that are dipping their toe into a new type of food. I mean, as it is, this is a chicken cutlet, for the most part, and we New Englanders have all eaten that, without doubt (forgive me, Vegetarians and Vegans)!
This recipe is easy, and delivers super crispy chicken cutlets/schnitzel. I kept the recipe very simple, but it turns out amazing! Paired with lemon, like you would be served in Germany or Austria, it is nothing short of amazing! So, let’s get to it!!
1.5 lbs. top loin thin cut pork chops – boneless
2 Eggs
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1.5 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs, Plain
4 tsp. Kosher Salt
4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Lay out large piece of parchement paper over a cutting board. Fold parchment in half and lay 3-4 of the pork cutlets in between, covering with other half of parchment. Pound out using a meat tenderizer. If you do not have a tenderizer, grab a heavy pan and use the bottom side to pound out the meat. Pound, starting at the middle of each pork cutlet, moving out to the edges, until you have a uniform thickness of just under 1/4 inch. I know this sounds too thin, but go with it! It will cook quickly, will be tender and will not be too dry or thin once cooked! Set aside on a plate.
You will need 3 containers to contain seasoned flour, beaten egg and seasoned panko break crumbs. Set out your containers. In the first, combine flour with 2 tsp of the salt and 2 tsp of black pepper. Beat the 2 eggs into the second container, being sure to beat until it is fully combined. Put the remaining salt and pepper in with the Panko crumbs and toss to combine.
Dredge the pork cutlets in the flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Place into the egg container and fully coat both sides. Again, shake to ensure there is no excess egg remaining on the pork. Press into the plate of panko and then turn over and press backside to ensure a fully coated cutlet on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Continue for all of the cutlets. Set aside. If you are needing some time before heating the oil to fry the cutlets (I sometimes want to clean up the kitchen a bit before moving to the next step, as example), put the plated, coated cutlets into the refrigerator while you prep.
Heat a large frying pan on med-high heat with 1/4 cup of grapeseeed oil. When oil is shimmering, begin placing the cutlets into the pan. These are so thin, they will cook in mere minutes, so do not walk away. Once you check the bottom side and it is fully browned and deliciously crispy looking, turn over. Fry 1-2 more minutes. Pull out the pork shnitzel cutlets once both sides are browned and place onto a cooling rack. Cook in batches, in order to not crowd the pan. If after the first batch, you need to add more oil, remove the pan from the heat, use an old rag and carefully wipe out the remaining oil and crumbs into the sink. Add new oil, wait until hot and start again!
When all are done, place the cooling rack on a sheet pan and let sit in a 275 degree F oven, while you cook some of my other German specialties, such as Red Cabbage and Squash or Spaetzle.
If this recipe, you might like to try my recipe for pork loin with plantains. Or perhaps my Cherry Bourbon Pork Chops!
This recipe is one that I have dreamt about doing for years! I have had Spaetzle in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France, and it has NEVER disappointed me. I will admit, I was a bit intimidated to try making my own Spaetzle, but with an assist from my husband, John, it turned out pretty amazing!!
Spaetzle is actually a pretty simple side dish. It is a dough that is torn into small pieces, boiled in salted water and then either served directly, or dried and then sauteed in a hot pan with butter to borwn the outside and make it even more delicious!
Note/Tip: The key to using the hand held grater is to press the dough through the flat side of the grater, scraping the dough pieces as they come through the back, into the boiling salted water. Honestly, this is really a 2 person job. I would not have been able to do it without my husband, John. One person can scrape the dough through the grater, and the other to use a knife on the backside to release the dough, as well as use a strainer or spider to pull the cooked noodles out of the water as they are ready.
2.25 cups of all purpose flour
1.5 tsp. fine sea salt
4 eggs
6 Tbsp. reduced fat milk (not skim)
Set a very large dutch oven or other large vessel on the stove on high with 4 quarts of water and 2-3 tbsp of kosher salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or into your mixer. Mix until fully combined. If the batter is too wet to pick up with your hands, add more flour until it is a workable dough that you are able to hold and manage. Do not overwork!!
Once dough is ready, cut into quarters and push through the backside/flat side of your grater, directly into the boiling water, one quarter at a time, removing the cooked spaetzle as it rises to the top of the water with your spider/strainer
Serve spaetzle hot, directly after draining, or, allow to cool a few minutes and sautee in butter in a pan, to allow for some delicious, amazing browning on the outside!
I served this spaetzle with my recipe for Pork Schnitzle, but I could see this being served with pork chops, pork loin, steak tips, for a breakfast with something sweet! There are so many options!! Make double the recipe and store some in the freezer safely for a few months to add a little European flair to your future recipes.
If this recipe interests you, give my cherry, bourbon pork chops a try!
I love looking for recipes that are both tasty as well as, at least somewhat, healthy. And with summer in swing, using ingredients that are in season is also a win. These strawberry yogurt pops are a great treat. They make use of the many deals on strawberries at the markets now, are not too sweet, and can be altered to your taste.
To make these pops, you will need a popsicle mold such as this one from Tovolo. Some molds require the addition of popsicle sticks, while others come as a full kit with tops that already have the handle built into the kit. If you are buying, I do recommend the ease of the latter!
You will also need a blender or food processor
2 Cups Strawberries
3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar (or honey if you do not have agave on hand)
2 Cups of lowfat Greek strained yogurt
Add strawberries to food processor and process until smooth. Add in the Agave (or honey), and pulse only a few times to combine.
Pour into large bowl and gently blend in the yogurt. This recipe calls for 2 cups of yogurt. Greek yogurt is a bit tart, so add 1-1.5 cups of the yogurt and taste. This is where your preference comes into play. I prefer a little less sweetness, so use the entire 2 cups. Adjust to use the amount that suits you or your family.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 4-6 hours. Note that you will need to run the individual molds under water to get the pop out and enjoy!
You can use just about any fruit that suits your fancy! Banana, blueberry, peach or raspberry would be great options!
I always have mint on hand, whether in plant form in summer, or in the refrigerator in winter. Strawberry and mint is like pork chops and apple sauce in my mind! I love the idea of pulsing in a small handfull with the strawberries before combining with the yogurt. This is on my list for the next batch that I make!
If you like this recipe, try my recipe for frozen bananas! YUM!
My husband and I spend a lot of time in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There is a seasonal restaurant called Inn Kitchen and Bar located at the Squam Lake Inn in Holderness, NH. It took years of us visiting the area before we finally bucked up, made the ride and reservation.
If you are in the area, I highly recommend giving this place a go! It is an old house, converted to beautuful inn and restaurant. The bar is inviting and the indoor seating cozy, but modern. There is also a lot of outdoor seating, but the indoor was so quaint, any return visit we made was either at the bar or at a table in the bar area.
The menu is small, but powerful. I was surprised when my husband, of all things, decided to start with the beet hummus that was on the menu on our first visit. I rolled with it and am so glad that I did! It was amazing! If you love hummus, which we both do, the addition of the beets adds just enough sweetness to make this a somewhat obnoxious step sister to your usual lemon hummus. You know, the one that is a little too high spirited, but loved, nonetheless for her spunk and ability to stand out!
Anyhow, I got home and got down to figuring out how to make this something that we could enjoy at home, when the ride to Holderness, NH might not be in the cards for us. I think I have nailed this one. Perhaps not the exact recipe, but one that I can definitely live with and am proud of!
The glory of this recipe is that it is fast and easy. The longest bit of work is waiting for it to chill in the refirgerator. I looked at many recipes trying to get to one I liked, most of which called for roasting beets and waiting for them to cool before using. I have skipped all of that nonsense and used canned beets, that can be used directly into your food processer. Food hack for the win!
1/2 of a 15 oz. can of whole beets drained, 1 15.5 oz. can of chickpeas drained, 1 lemon zested and juiced, 1-2 fairly large garlic cloves, 2 tsp, cumin, 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 3 heap Tbsp. of tahini. 1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil.
This is as simple as it gets! Add all ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, stopping to use a silicone spatula to scrape down sides of the processer to make sure all is getting incorporated. If you are not getting a smooth consistency, taste and then add either more lemon juice or more tahini, pulse and check for consistency and taste. Once mostly smooth, pulse while drizzing in the olive oil. Add until fully smooth and incorporated. You can use more or less, based on your taste. I tend to add only what I need to get the thin/thickness that I like.
Once you have tasted and seasoned to your liking, let the hummus cool in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.
I like to serve out what we will be eating for a particular meal and top only that amount. Cover the rest to be saved in the refrigerator topping only when being served. My favorite accompaniments would be Zaatar Spice, Sumac Spice, Olive oil and toasted pine nuts. All can be found at most grocers, or ordered online.
This beet hummus goes with just about any bread, vegetable or meal! I like to serve with carrot and cucumber sticks, pita bread, crispy crackers, definitely red onion and any charcuterie or pickles/cornichons that you have at hand! Have fun with it!! This beet hummus can definitely be the centerpiece of any appetizer board for entertaining.
If you like this recipe, you might also like my recipe for Dilly, Minty tzaziki!
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