Another Great Main Dish

Well, we like our pork. What can we say? Here's another great way to prepare it.

Maple-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions:

Combine msutard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup. Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat grill for medium-low heat.

Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Brush grate with oil, and place meat on grate. Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15 to 25 minutes, or until interior is no longer pink. Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by LESLEYCAN. You can find it here.

This Veggie Side Dish Won't Make People Complain

 

Poor brussels sprouts get a lot of flack...but if you cook them like this, you will wish you doubled the recipe because they will get gobbled up.

Ina Garten's Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core--leave the small ones whole
4 oz. pancetta, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more or less to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1 tbsp. reduced (syrupy) balsamic vinegar, or 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup standard store-bought balsamic, reduced until syrupy (see instructions in recipe)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet, including any of the loose leaves. Cut the pancetta into 1/2-inch dice and add to the pan. Add the olive oil, the 1 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste), and the 1/2 tsp. pepper and toss with your hands. Spread out the mixture in a single layer.

Roast the brussels sprouts until they're tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked, 20 to 30 minutes, tossing once at the 20-minute mark.

Meanwhile, if using standard store-bought balsamic vinegar, pour vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer gently until it is reduced by half and syrupy in consistency. Be careful because this can burn easily. It is better to have it less syrupy and unburned. Once ready, transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.

Remove pan from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Source: Alexandra's Kitchen. Recipe by Ina Garten. You can find it here.

Notes: Oh my, oh my, these were good. You have to try them to understand just how good they are.

Pasta Salad is the Perfect Side Dish

I just love pasta. It's my ultimate comfort food. I love that it can be a main course and a side dish. You're going to love this recipe.

Sun-Dried-Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon capers, drained
Kosher salt, to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orecciette or other small pasta
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions:

Add half the sun-dried tomatoes, all the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, 2 taspoons salt, and pepper to a food processor, and process until almost smooth.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, then toss with the dressing in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, mince the remaining sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, olives (if using), remaining sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and basil to the salad. Toss to distribute evenly. Season to taste with salt.

Serve at room temperature.

Source: Popsugar. You can find it here.

Notes: Sun-dried-tomatoes just make everything they are in a little better, don't you think? This was a tasty pasta salad.

Strawberry Shortcake...Cake Style

 

My mom made this cake to celebrate my sister's birthday. It was beautiful, delicious, and it got gobbled up quickly by everyone (even the kids!).

 

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
1 cup milk
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs

Strawberry Poke Mixture:

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cream Cheese Glaze:

3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray 10- or 12- cup bundt cake pan with cooking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat Cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Increase speed to medium, beat 2 minutes, and pour batter into pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree Strawberry Poke Mixture ingredients until smooth; transfer to a 4-cup glass measuring cup, and set aside. while still in pan, poke holes in cake with end of wooden spoon at 1/2-inch intervals going almost to bottom. Use wet paper towel to wipe ends of spoon after each poke. Carefully pour poke mixture over holes in cake, using spoon to direct mixture into holes. If necessary, poke existing holes to makes room for more mixture.

Cool 40 minutes, refrigerate in pan 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator, and run metal spatula around outer and inside edges of pan to loosen cake; turn upside down onto serving platter.

In medium bowl, mix Cream Cheese Glaze ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. If too thick, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Glaze cake as desired; garnish with strawberries.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: As I said above, this was delicious and everyone loved it!

Easter Leftovers Part 4

 

We've posted this one twice before, but we made again this Easter and it is just such a good one, it is deserving of being included in this year's Easter leftovers.

Spaghetti Salad

Ingredients:

1 small package spaghetti ( 8 - 10 oz.)
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 medium cucumbers, diced
Cubed spam or ham as desired
1 red onion, diced
1 small bottle Italian dressing
1/2 bottle Salad Supreme (found in the spice section)

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to directions. (You may or may not break into pieces before cooking.) Drain. Rinse.  Add other ingredients and let set 6 to 8 hours in refrigerator before serving.

Originally submitted in our ward cookbook by Naomi Telford.

Notes:  Salad supreme is hard to find.  It's not a must.  I've made the salad with or without and it works great either way.  I don't think I have ever used spam, but it would work great.  Now Barelli brand spaghetti has cut spaghetti in a box.  This works great.  You don't need to break up the spaghetti, but the salad is harder to eat.

I can't stress enough how dependable this salad is for pot luck occasions.

We have posted this awhile back. You can find our original posts here and here.

Easter Leftovers, Part 3

 

This is a really great recipe. Also, as I discovered, it can also be altered to make a very basic macaroni and cheese if you have picky eaters on your hands.

 

Ham & Cheese Ziti

Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) ziti
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Directions:

Prepare ziti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add the cheeses, garlic powder and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese is melted.

Drain ziti; add to sauce mizture. Stir in ham and spinach. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Donna Bailey, Oreland, Pennsylvania. You can find it here.

Notes: This is so flavorful. My kids were eating just the noodles though and it dawned on me that this could easily be made into a very classic and basic macaroni and cheese.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

Follow the recipe above, but omit the spinach and ham and substitute 1 lb. macaroni noodles for the ziti. You can bake it as directed in the recipe above or just serve it as soon as you toss the pasta with the cheese sauce. It's as easy as that!

Easter Leftovers Part 2

 

This was a really good and easy recipe. It was a nice and different way to use up some of my leftover Easter ham.

 

Slow Cooker Ham and Eggs

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients until blended; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker.

Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until eggs are set. Cut into wedges.

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Andrea Schaak of Jordan, Minnesota. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this. It was really easy to throw together too. My son helped me mix it up and thought it was a lot of fun. Of course, he wouldn't eat it, but that's life, right?

Leftover Easter Ham Part 1

 

The best part about Easter dinner, for me, at least, is the leftover ham and all the things I can make with it. I love trying new ham recipes every year. This one is a recipe that I thought was good, but my husband found quite addicting. He couldn't get enough of this. My kids, of course, wouldn't even touch it. So, to each his own, I guess!

Pineapple-Dijon Ham Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 pounds fully cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
10 hamburger buns, split
10 slices Swiss cheese
Additional Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:

In a greased 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the first seven ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until heated through.

Preheat broiler. Place bun bottoms and tops on baking sheets, cut side up. Using a slotted spoon, place ham mixture on bottoms; top with cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are toasted. Replace tops. If desired, serve with additional mustard.

Yield: 10 servings.





Source: Taste of Home submitted by Camille Beckstrand of Layton, Utah. You can find it here.

Notes: My husband wanted something different than just hamburger buns, so he got some ciabatta rolls. The meat filling is quite juicy and needs to be served with a slotted spoon, so having a heavier bun was perfect, and perhaps even necessary. A regular hamburger bun--even toasted--would get too soggy with this sandwich filling.