Archives for the 'geek fast food' Category

Pork tenderloin with roasted beets and salsify

A quick and easy dinner is just what a Monday night calls for. My favorite way to cook pork tenderloin is in an obscenely hot oven (500°) for about 10 minutes or until the internal temp in the thickest part is 140°. But that requires either a clean oven or the doors and windows wide open to let the smoke out of the house. Since it was raining/snowing/sleeting I decided to forgo my favorite method, instead I cut the tenderloin into medallions and sautéd it in some olive oil. I finished them off with a huge splash of lemon juice and then plated them with some of the pan juices dribbled across the top.

Salsify is also known as oyster plant apparently because someone, somewhere thought that it tasted like an oyster. Well I didn’t get that flavor note but it did taste vaguely nutty and sort of reminded me of a sunchoke. It’s a difficult root to peel because it’s tough and the white sap that exuded as I peeled and chopped was sticky and difficult to get off my hands. It’s also necessary to drop the peeled root in acidulated water immediately or it will turn brown.

Once I got the salsify peeled and chopped I gave it a spin around the bowl with some good olive oil and then I tossed it with some dijon mustard, lemon juice, and yuzu honey. The beets were tossed in that mix too. I roasted the two roots in a 425° oven for about 20 minutes and they came out tender and sweet yet with a tiny bite from the mustard. I’ve been cooking beets like this for years and we’ve always loved them but the recent addition of the yuzu honey has been genius even if I do saw so myself. Even though the salsify was fun to try, I doubt that I’ll be in a hurry to use it again. It’s sappiness and extra steps made it more work than it was worth…at least flavor-wise.

Do you seek out new products to try? What has been your favorite find? For me it’s anything with Yuzu in it.

29 April 2008 | Wisconsin, beef, fish, poultry, pork, favorite products, food, geek fast food, low carb, low cal, quick and easy, recipe, vegetable | 3 Comments

Boozy bananas

I’ve let you down and I know it…my head hangs in shame. I wish I could do better for you than a boozy, sugary, banana topping for ice cream. It is a delicious mess but I certainly won’t win any prizes for originality or styling.

I confess that my creative cooking mojo is on the fritz…my appetite is also suffering…you know how it is when you’re on the cusp of change. I can’t tolerate the thought of another meaty braise, or anything hearty or heavy…I’m ready for the weather and the menu to change to Spring and the sooner the better.

Fancy ice cream toppings can be useful…mostly because they are so damn tasty, quick, easy, and, lets face it, anytime you can set a pan on fire it’s pretty impressive. This is a riff on the classic bananas foster…take a 1/4 of white sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and a teaspoon of water and heat it up in a skillet, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and emulsifies with the butter. Add a tablespoon of milk or cream and expect this to sputter and spatter…hang in there and whisk it well. Add the sliced bananas and heat them up in the sugar goo, add a pinch of salt and cinnamon and a hefty glug of booze, I used armagnac because it’s what I have, but a banana liquor would be excellent, or perhaps rum. Light it up and burn the alcohol off. Spoon the topping over vanilla ice cream. I liked the armagnac because it has a smoky, rich flavor.

I did cook dinner one night this week and it turned out well. For details on that go over to Accidental Hedonist and see my post for this weekend.

15 March 2008 | eggs, cheese, dairy, food, fruit and nuts, geek fast food | 5 Comments

Chimichurri chicken, rice, and artichokes

This is geek fast food ala Trader Joe’s. But unlike drive-thru fast food, nothing here will make you queasy, it’s all good for you, it costs less than drive-thru fast food, and you can enjoy a bottle of two buck chuck while you prepare it. Ooops….before I forget, it’s delicious. Also, save all the trim from the artichokes and make a vegetable stock with it…perfect for a spring risotto.

What you need:
1 box of baby artichokes
2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bag of chimichurri rice
salt, paprika, cumin
splash of white wine
Olive oil

Prep the artichokes according to these instructions.
Blanch them in boiling water for about three minutes, then drain.

Slice the chicken into bite-size strips. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chicken in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and a bit of cumin. Once the chicken is browned add the artichokes, and the bag of rice. Toss in about a 1/4 cup of wine or water, stir, cover, and cook for about 8 minuted or until fully heated through. Serve.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes…I appreciate each and every one of them. I’d write more now but I want to go play Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii. It’s a kick-ass game!!!!

11 March 2008 | beef, fish, poultry, pork, favorite products, food, geek fast food, lowfat, quick and easy, rice and other grains, vegetable | 4 Comments