Cassie’s Ruminations

Italian Vegetable Saute

This is a quick and easy side that I made to go along with some more of the leftover pork loin, which I just sliced thinly and placed on top of the saute before covering the skillet to warm through.

Italian Vegetable Saute
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
4 medium small zucchini, about 1.5 lb, sliced into rounds
kosher salt and black pepper
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can white canellini beans, drained and rinsed

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and rosemary, and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic just starts to turn golden and the herbs are fragrant, add the zucchini and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring to coat. Add the tomatoes and beans and cover the skillet. Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the tomatoes and beans are bubbling. Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Italian, Leftovers, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

Southwestern Turkey Pumpkin Chili

This is my take on a multitude of similar recipes out in the ether of the internet. I made this in the crockpot, but it could easily be made on the stove as well.

For all that the ingredients sound a little bizarre, it works very well together. It won’t replace my regular chili recipe, but it was a nice change of pace. If you make cornbread and serve with salad, this could easily stretch to serve 6-8.

Southwestern Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Serves 4 generously

1 tbsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
20 oz ground turkey
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano (do not substitute Italian – the flavor is very different)
1 tbsp chili powder (I like Gebhardt Chili Powder)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 4-oz cans mild diced green chiles (I like Hatch Green Chiles)
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained (I like Bush’s Best Black Beans)
1 15-oz can pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not pie mix)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen sweet pepper strips (I like the three color mix)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until just turning golden and fragrant. Add the turkey and all of the spices (up through cinnamon in the ingredient list), and brown well.

Add the turkey to a 6 quart or larger crock pot. Add the rest of the the ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Posted in Beans, Food, Poultry, Slow Cooker, Vegetables | No Comments »

Pork Enchilada Scramble

This is a result of leftover pork from yesterday. It would be equally good with leftover chicken, or fresh of either one – just cook for longer. All I did was cut up one of my pork loin pieces into small bite-sized chunks, heated up a little canola oil in a large skillet, added the pork, and cooked with healthy sprinkles of my favorite Mexican spices – cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chile powder. The pork already had salt and pepper from roasting. I then pushed the pork to the sides of the skillet, added a little more oil, and added 6 lightly beaten eggs. I scrambled those, then stirred the pork back into the mix. Finally, I added half of a large can of Rosarita enchilada sauce (I like that brand since it has a nice dark rich flavor) and heated it to just simmering before serving in bowls. I garnished with a few baby arugula leaves for some color.

Posted in Breakfast, Eggs, Food, Leftovers, Mexican, One Dish Meals, Pork | No Comments »

Beautiful Scrollsaw Art

I found a good place to hang my beautiful chickadee scrollsaw art from a friend back in the day in high school, Trisha Jack. Check out her shop on Etsy!.

Posted in Product Review, Ramblings | No Comments »

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Leeks and Apples

Another recipe adapted from one in Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast: 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Any Time of Day (Everyday Food (Clarkson Potter)). I omitted the fennel seeds they called for in the apple and leek mixture, as I never have them around, The anise flavor just doesn’t appeal to me. I also ended up cooking a whole pork loin cut into 4 pieces (halved lengthwise and crosswise), since that’s all the store had on hand. We now have several pieces for use in other dishes tomorrow. I’ve written the recipe as for a single pork tenderloin, but if you’d like leftover pork too, it doesn’t take any longer to roast more as long as they’re all pieces of a similar size. Shaun really liked this. The leeks gave me a bit of a headache, as onions do, so I picked around them a bit, but still enjoyed the meal.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Leeks and Apples
Serves 4

For the pork:
2 pork tenderloins, about 2 lb
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

For the sauteed leeks and apples:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 small leeks
3 Gala apples
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp red wine vinegar
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat the broiler to high, with a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Rub the pork tenderloins with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Broil for about 15 minutes – when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. When done, remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

While the pork is cooking, cut the dark green leaves off of the leeks, halve them lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1 inch chunks. Wash well in cold water and pat dry. Cut the apples in halve lengthwise, core, cut each half in half crosswise. Cut each chunk into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the leeks. Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking the layers of the leeks apart and letting them soften. Add the apples to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for another 4-5 minutes to just soften the apples. Add the honey and vinegar and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Slice the pork thinly and serve with the apple and leek saute.

Posted in Food, Fruit, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

Chili-Rubbed Flat Iron Steak

This is a great recipe inspired by one in Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.

The flavors are a combination of Mexican and Mediterranean, and they work well. I overdid the salt just a touch, and the cookbook’s cooking time was a bit low, but other than that this was just about perfect. I also used a flat iron steak instead of a skirt steak. I’ve made adjustments to my version below. I served this with some steamed broccoli. A nice healthy meal that I’ll definitely make again, maybe on the grill, this summer.

Chili-Rubbed Flat Iron Steak
Serves 4

For the rub:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the rest:
1 flat iron steak, about 2 lb
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat broiler to high heat with a rack about 4 inches from the heat.

Mix together all the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the beef with the olive oil, then with the spice rub and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook for 8 minutes (do not turn the meat over). Turn the broiler off and let rest in the oven for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving.

Posted in Beef, Food, Grilling | 2 Comments »

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe is inspired by one in one of my favorite new cookbooks: Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast: 250 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Any Time of Day (Everyday Food (Clarkson Potter)).

I modified it a little bit for what was feasible tonight – we’re improbably out of propane, so I just used a grill pan, and I didn’t bother to peel the roasted peppers. It turned out quite well, and we’ll definitely make this again! There was quite a bit too much sauce, so I think I’d halve that next time, but I have it written as I made it tonight below. In the meantime, I think I see some on scrambled eggs in my breakfast future.

The cookbook recommended garnishing with a few arugula leaves. Instead, I served this with a green salad of half romaine and half arugula with carrots and tomatoes. The flavors did complement nicely.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Serves 4

For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 red bell peppers, cut into eighths lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the chicken:
4 boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Heat a grill pan over medium heat and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the garlic and pepper pieces in the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, turning a few times, until the garlic is soft and the peppers are turning tender and have a nice char.

Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into a blender. Add the pepper pieces, vinegar, olive oil, water, salt, and pepper, and blend to form a smooth sauce. Add another tbsp of water if necessary.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until nicely browned, then flip. Cook for another 7-8 minutes. If the internal temperature of the thickest part is not at least 150 degrees F, move the grill pan to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until done. Serve with the sauce poured over the top.

Posted in Food, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »

Chicken Potato Scramble

This was a quick and easy use of some leftovers from last night’s roasted chicken. It’s full of protein, and if my skillet wasn’t so full, I would have thrown in some more veggies too. We’re trying to cut down on the processed carbs and foods this month to kick-start some healthier eating and weight loss for the spring and summer. This made enough for the two of us (Shaun was starving after skipping lunch thanks to an extra busy day at school) plus a bit for lunch tomorrow for me.

Chicken Potato Scramble
Serves 4

1 tbsp butter
1 leftover extra large baked potato, cut into bite-sized chunks
2-3 cups leftover chicken meat from one breast and one leg, cut into bite-sized chunks
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
kosher salt and black pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it starts to foam and lightly brown, add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to warm through. Push the potatoes and chicken to the sides and add the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Gently scramble eggs, stirring into the potatoes and chicken as the curds form. Stir to allow the eggs to cook through on all sides. Serve hot.

Posted in Breakfast, Easy, Eggs, Food, Leftovers, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »

Beer Roasted Chicken

This is a tasty way to roast a chicken. You can customize the spice rub to whatever makes you happy that day. Today I did salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne, and garlic. Neither Shaun nor I are much fans of the flavor of beer to drink, but the flavor it lends here is nice and subtle and keeps the chicken very juicy. I served this with some baked potatoes and ripe tomatoes.

Beer Roasted Chicken
Makes 1 whole chicken, about 4 generous servings

For the rub:
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1`tsp dried thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp canola oil

For the rest:
1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
1 bottle dark or amber beer (I used the locally brewed Scuttlebutt Amber Ale)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the spices and herbs with the canola oil to make a rub.

Rinse the chicken, removing and discarding the neck and any giblets, and pat dry.

Rub the chicken, all over with the spice mixture, getting some under the breast skin as well. Pour most of the beer into the chicken roaster stand. If you like beer, drink the rest, otherwise just discard. Add the crushed garlic to the beer. Place the chicken, legs pointing down, over the roaster so that it’s standing vertically, supported by the center of the roaster.

Bake for 1½ -2 hours or until the internal temperature taken in the center of a thigh is 175 degrees F. Remove from the oven, use tongs to take the chicken off the roaster and onto a platter, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Posted in Food, Poultry | 1 Comment »

Bruschetta Turkey Tenderloin

This is a take on my bruschetta chicken. I did not have any zucchini on hand, but I was inspired to add some olives. It turned out exceptionally well, and we’ll definitely be making this again! I served this with a simple romaine lettuce salad and sourdough bread warmed in the oven.

Bruschetta Turkey Tenderloin
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 turkey tenderloins, about 1.25 lbs
kosher salt and black pepper
8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14.5-oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup drained pitted kalamata olives
2 tsp olive brine

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. As it heats, cut the large tendon out of the tenderloins, splitting them in half lengthwise. Season generously with salt and pepper. Brown on all sides, about 4 minutes each. As they are turned to the last side, move them to the edges of the skillet and add the mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper, and the garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until turning tender. Add the tomatoes, olives, and brine, and stir to combine. Arrange the turkey pieces evenly in the mixture and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the turkey in the thickest part is 165 degrees F. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Posted in Food, Italian, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »