Pork Tenderloin with Cider-Mustard Sauce

I didn't manage to grab a photo of this one, but it was so good and easy I have to document!

I've had a pork tenderloin in the freezer since about May, when I went in on a meat delivery from a local farm with a neighbor. I don't cook these very often but finally decided to cook it once the weather cooled down. I searched for various recipes and couldn't find one with the flavors I wanted that wasn't for a larger "pork loin roast" - our tenderloin was maybe 1.5 lbs and I knew it wouldn't take that long to cook. My meat thermometer isn't working anymore so I had to guess, but it turned out perfectly! 

I roasted some potatoes & carrots separately in the oven to serve with this. You could probably even throw them all in the Dutch oven together, but I wasn't sure how they'd all cooperate with cooking times, and I wanted the veggies a little crispy. This took under an hour start to finish, so I'll have to keep this one in mind if I get tenderloin and have apple cider again! This would also be good with chicken thighs, I imagine. The apple butter is optional, but if you have it, it adds a nice sweetness/richness to the sauce. You could also add some apple slices in with the onions if you want to full-on-apple-it. Two of us ate half of this and I saved the rest for leftovers, but honestly could demolish the rest of it easily myself. Not a bad idea to double it if the meat's on sale...

- 1 pork tenderloin (1-2 lbs)
- spice rub: I used salt & pepper plus thyme & garlic powder (maybe a 1/4 tsp of each), plus some Penzey's 33rd St which says it's a pork seasoning
- 1 onion, halved & sliced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 Tbl mustard (I used dijon; a grainy mustard would be good too)
- 1 heaping Tbl apple butter

Mix the spices, sprinkle over the pork and rub on all sides. Let sit for a few minutes while you prepare other things. I cut the tenderloin in half so it would fit in the pot a bit better.

Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high, add some olive oil and sear the pork for about 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to a plate.

Add the onion and saute a few minutes (the bottom of the pot should have a good amount of browning; you want this!). Add the cider and scrape up the browned bits as it bubbles. Add the mustard, apple butter and a pinch of salt. Put the pork back in, cover the pot and simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes.

If you have a meat thermometer, 145 is the temp to aim for, but mine seemed done. Take the pork out to rest for a few minutes. Turn up the heat and let the sauce bubble to reduce a bit. Taste for salt.

Slice the pork and spoon the onions & sauce over.

Refried Bean & Veggie Burritos

This almost isn't a blog-worthy entry, but I've been making these on the regular and they are good and cheap and easy! 6+ months into the pandemic (good lord), I at least don't get anxiety any more about grocery shopping, but we still try to keep it to a minimum - a big shop every 2-3 weeks and we're still getting a weekly fresh produce delivery from Hungry Harvest. These burritos are good eating for when you're just down to pantry staples...the sauteed veggies are optional and you could just bean/cheese/rice/salsa it up.

I've never been a big refried bean person...I will eat them when they come as a side at a Mexican place, but I've never bought them regularly. Black beans are usually my legume of choice. Then we discovered these Safeway brand spicy jalapeno refritos - and man, they've got a kick! And for burritos I think refried beans hold things together a bit better.

The store was out of them on a previous trip and we tried El Paso brand spicy refried beans...sadly there was distinct lack of kick, so I doctored those up with chili powder and hot sauce. These store brand ones are also vegetarian, without the lard that's in "traditional" refritos. I'm not opposed to lard in the right applications...but anyhoo these beans are good 'n spicy! One can will make 4 burritos.

I am still not very good at rolling burritos, but they get into our bellies nonetheless. My husband eats his with a fork & knife anyway (I think it's a beard thing?) and I wrap mine in foil. There are different schools of burrito rolling (yes, I researched this). I've been putting the ingredients on the lower half, folding that over almost in half and then squishing/compacting, then folding in the sides and rolling. I also toast the burritos in a hot pan and that seems to seal the bottoms a bit. 

Obviously put whatever you like in or on these: sour cream, avocado/guac, other veggies/meats, etc.

The players:

- Refried beans: I use 1/2 can at a time for 2 burritos, and nuke them for ~30 sec. You can mix a splash of milk in to make them a little creamier. If your beans are bland, you can add chili powder / hot sauce.

- Cooked rice: optional, but I like it. You don't need much, just a couple spoonfuls per burrito.

- Grated cheese

- Sliced onion & bell pepper: saute these until tender, then add some frozen corn. Season with chili powder.

- Salsa

Nuke your tortillas for a few seconds and then layer ingredients - don't overfill! I spread the beans on first, then cheese, rice, salsa, and the sauteed veggies. Roll up and toast in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side: 

Wrap in foil if you like. Not photogenic, nor fancy, but it's good!

Tofu "Egg" Salad

This is one of those things I've made before that I'll forget about for a year or two and then suddenly remember. Perfect for no-cook food in the hot summer! The tofu is a really good fake-out for hard-boiled eggs - this really does taste like egg salad. I'm not vegan, and used regular mayo, but have made it before with vegan mayo. Vegan mayo isn't particularly "healthy" either, but if you're watching your cholesterol, this is certainly a good alternative if you like egg salad.

Basically, just take your favorite egg salad "recipe" (I do not measure anything for stuff like this) and substitute drained/pressed tofu, adding some turmeric for a yellow color. You'll want to make sure the dressing is well-seasoned as tofu is bland on its own - and refrigerate it for at least a little while to let the flavors soak in. I added celery, green onions and grated carrots to mine.

Most recipes you'll see online will suggest medium-firm tofu for the best "egg" texture. My store only had one package of extra-firm left (which is what I usually use for stir fries), and that's what I used - it was fine. Some recipes say to mash to the tofu, others have you dice it into small pieces. The small dice is more "eggy" I think - though I did end up mashing a little bit of it to get it to hold together better.

1. Drain a block of tofu and press between paper towels under a plate and heavy object while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. For the dressing, mix together to your taste preference: mayo or vegan mayo (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you like), dijon mustard, vinegar or pickle brine (I used apple cider vinegar and a little brine from some pickled okra), salt, pepper, turmeric (1/4-1/2 tsp), and any other spices you like (I added a shake of smoked paprika & some cayenne).

3. Dice tofu into very small pieces, and/or mash with a fork depending on the texture you want.

4. Add to the dressing along with any other additions you like: celery, green onions, grated carrots, pickles, fresh dill, etc...

5. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

6. Eat as-is, over lettuce, or make yourself a sandwich!

Summer Squash Fritters

We ate two dinners out last week, and somehow that caused Massive Vegetable Backup. When my Hungry Harvest delivery arrived today I realized I now had 4 large summer squash, 3 heads of broccoli, a cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, still working on a giant head of kale, plus a bunch of fruit. Had to throw out several clementines that arrived last week already starting to rot, and there's a couple bananas that aren't gonna make it. I've been pretty good not wasting food the last few months, but got into a backlog. Time to eat this stuff!

I managed to use up 3 of the summer squash in these fritters. I prefer zucchini over yellow squash - you can use either here. When you grate it, season it and fry it up, it's hard to tell one way or the other! As per usual I looked at several squash fritter recipes online and then did my own thing. Quantities varied a lot - some used 2 eggs, some used one (I ended up using 1 plus some packaged egg whites); some used over a cup of flour and some 1/2 cup (or bread crumbs, or cornmeal, or crushed crackers)...this is all pretty flexible.

After you salt and drain the squash you end up with considerably less than you start with. 3 medium-large squash made 10 fritters. Also, these would probably be great with some kind of yogurt or mayo-based sauce/drizzle, but I just squeezed some fresh lemon over and called it done. Oh, and I totally meant to add parmesan and/or cheddar cheese but forgot. Cheese would be good, if you remember.

- 3 medium-large summer squash, grated
- salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 onion, minced
- a few shakes of garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne
- 1/2 cup or more flour
- optional: 1/4 tsp baking powder (I don't know if this really does anything; I saw it in a couple recipes and added it)
- optional: grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
- veg oil for frying

1. Put the grated squash in a colander, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and let stand about 15 minutes. Press out moisture with a large spoon - or put the squash in a clean tea towel and squeeze.

2. Beat the eggs and mix in onion, seasonings and flour (I added a little more salt too; well-seasoned is good!). Mix in squash, and cheese if you're using. If you want the batter a bit thicker, add more flour.

3. Heat a large skillet (cast iron if you have it) on medium high and coat with a thin layer of oil. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter and flatten into pancakes. Don't crowd the pan; I did 4 at a time. Fry until nicely browned and then flip.

4. Move to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. You can serve right away, or I removed the paper towels and stuck the baking sheet in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes while I made other stuff for the meal. It cooks the insides a bit more.

I served this with sauteed asparagus with garlic and [instant!] mashed potatoes. Good veggie meal. If timed right, I get nice rays of setting sunshine on the table:

Lemony White Beans with Kale

Back in mid-March when I did a grocery trip a couple hours before the governor announced our state was locking down, I "had a feeling" and loaded up on a bunch of non-perishables, including a few bags of dried beans (even though I usually just use canned). I did use some of the lentils at one point, but now 4 months later I'm finally breaking into the dried beans :) .

I think I would cook dried beans more often - they're not that hard - except that I'm not a planner when it comes to soaking them overnight. And canned beans are pretty cheap, and usually the right quantity for a 2-person household. I've thought about getting an Instant Pot mostly for cooking beans, but I don't think I can justify the counter space in our tiny kitchen.

We also got an enormous bunch of kale in our last Hungry Harvest delivery...and white beans and kale are a thing. It's too hot for soup, but I did sort of a saute/braise. You can definitely use canned beans with this (I'd rinse them), and throw in any other vegetables you want. I saved my bean cooking liquid and used it to create a bit of a sauce. If you use canned tomatoes instead of fresh, that would probably be sufficient - or you can add some water or broth if you want a more saucy consistency.

- ~2 cups cooked white beans, or 2 cans rinsed & drained. If cooking dried beans, save the cooking liquid. I added bay leaves to mine which gave it a nice flavor/aroma.
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 yellow squash, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed & chopped
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped (or use canned diced tomatoes)
- juice of 1 lemon

Saute onion & celery in a generous amount of olive oil until just tender. Add squash, season with salt, and cook a couple of minutes. Add garlic & red pepper flakes & stir briefly. Add kale and cook until wilted. Add beans and tomatoes. Add some of the bean cooking liquid (or other liquid) if you want it a bit saucier. Cover and simmer for just a few minutes. Add lemon juice, a bunch of fresh ground pepper, and taste for salt.

I served this over couscous with parmesan cheese, and topped with a bit of feta I had hanging around in the fridge.

Deviled Egg Tuna Pasta (or Potato) Salad

I have a bunch of fresh produce on hand I should probably be using/cooking, but I have been craving something like this during hot weather. I made a potato salad version of this (without tuna) a couple weeks ago, and it was delish. The "deviled egg" component is that the hard-boiled egg yolks are mashed into the dressing, like how you would make deviled egg filling. When you add chopped hard-boiled eggs to a pasta or potato salad, the yolks tend to disintegrate anyway, so why not? It gives a nice yellow hue to the salad.

The ingredients and quantities are suuuuuper adaptable. For potato salad, use maybe 6 medium/large potatoes, cubed and boiled in salted water until just tender (I don't peel). You can use less or more mayo depending on the consistency you like (I don't like it super-gloppy), and/or sub in some sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to lighten it up (lowfat versions if that's your jam). Leave out the tuna if you're not a fan, or add another can if you want some more protein. Use less or more eggs (I have seen variations of this recipe online that use up to 12 eggs. That seems...eggy), less or more celery. You can also add whatever else you like in your pasta or potato salads:
- pickles (yum) or olives (meh)
- fresh herbs like parsley or dill
- other chopped veggies like bell peppers, cucumber, carrot, even some finely chopped raw broccoli

If you add raisins though, I'm not sure we can be friends.

Deviled Egg Tuna Pasta Salad

- 1/2 box pasta (shells, elbows or other small shape)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (sub with part sour cream and/or plain yogurt if you like)
- 1 Tbl mustard (I like Dijon)
- 2 Tbl vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- dash of hot sauce
- 2-4 ribs of celery, thinly sliced (I like the crunch of celery so I use a lot)
- 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 can tuna, drained

1. Cook pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Drain & rinse under cold water, let it hang out in the colander.
2. Hard boil the eggs (cover eggs with water, bring to boil, turn off heat, cover & let sit 12 mins. Then cool in ice water). Peel, halve and scoop the yolks out into a large bowl. Roughly chop the whites and set aside.
3. Mash the egg yolks in the bowl and add the mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar & seasonings. Mix well. Taste and see if it needs anything (it will coat a lot of stuff, so make sure it's well-seasoned).
4. Add the celery, green onions and tuna; mix until combined. Then stir in the cooled pasta. Gently stir in the chopped egg whites last.
5. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. The pasta will absorb more dressing the longer it sits. Sprinkle with paprika before serving, if you like.
6. Let your cat go to town on the empty tuna can. 😻

Spiced Meatballs with Tahini Sauce

Well, here we are a little over 2 months into lockdown. I've continued to NOT find myself with scads of free time in which to constantly be cooking - things have remained pretty busy keeping the remote wheels turning for the music store I work for. Though I gave up being general manager years ago and shifted to just handling email & website for the most part, now...that's all there is, so it's kinda like managing again. I'm grateful that it's making up for lost income from not playing gigs though, so I'm keeping at it...and though it exhausts me at times, it does give me a sense of purpose to help keep a beloved small business afloat when so many have had to shutter completely.

So I've been cooking fairly simply for the most part; by the time dinner rolls around I'm often bleary-eyed from too much screen time and mentally done. But, I'm occasionally whipping up more complex things. A couple of days ago, we did our first grocery store trip since lockdown started. We've had a lot of paranoia about it, but it was surprisingly fine (we did not opt to wipe everything down when we got home, but there was lots of handwashing through the unpacking process...I think it's fine). We went after 8pm and there weren't many people there. Some precautions at the store seemed a bit...lackluster? But they were quite well-stocked on almost everything we needed. We probably did not need to buy quite as much as we did, but I figured as long as we were there and they had stuff, get some more of those non-perishables and we'll be good for a few more weeks. We have no interest in going out in public more than is absolutely necessary. Sure it'd be nice to enjoy public life again, but it's not yet safe to do that, we'll keep on keepin' on at home.

A weekly Hungry Harvest delivery has been keeping us in fresh produce, and we usually add on bread and sometimes other things. I've contemplated joining our CSA again, but I think we'll stick with Hungry Harvest because there's a bit more variety, we can add on bread, etc - and it's delivered to our door (and we're a bit hesitant to do the up-front payment for months of CSA). There have been a couple of Amazon Fresh/Pantry orders, but I think we'll give that up now that the grocery doesn't seem quite as scary. And we've been getting some other grocery goods from Farmhouse Greens, a local fast-casual salad place that has opened up a pop-up pantry with easy online ordering & curbside pickup. Also my friend notified me that Liberty Delight - a local farm that sells sustainably/ethically raised meats at our farmer's market - was doing home deliveries. She and I went in on a meat order together to meet their minimum for delivery, so our freezer is now full of ground beef & turkey, 3 kinds of sausage, bacon and a pork loin. It's pricier than grocery meat but I feel better about the farming practices and supporting a local farmer. Aaaand I was kind of getting tired of beans.

Alright, so now we're finally getting around to these meatballs. Usually I feel like meatballs are more prep than I wanna deal with (I'll generally just make burrito bowl type meals, chili or pasta sauce with ground meat). But I gave these a whirl with our Liberty Delight ground turkey. I wanted to do some kind of middle eastern-y spiced meatball and as usual, looked at a bunch of recipes and then did my own thing. I'm not an experienced meatball maker but they seem pretty flexible; you can use any kind of ground meat (lamb would probably be awesome), add some vegetable bits, etc. I meant to add minced onion but forgot - just the green onion was fine. If you have parsley or other fresh herbs, definitely use them (I didn't have any). You can also cook the meatballs on the stovetop; I find it easier to bake them. Tahini is great for making a quick sauce with little effort. I'm almost at the end of my Trader Joe's jar so I'll have to look for that on my next trip.

I read an article today that said something like: right now, it feels like almost the only thing we have control over is what we cook and put in our mouths. Yeah, I feel that. Some folks may roll their eyes at other's food photos and documentation...I get that too, but I like seeing what people are cooking and eating out there. It gives me ideas for when I'm finally motivated to make something blog-worthy, and - I like looking at and reading about food. So thanks, if you're reading.

OK, good lord, here's the "recipe!" (because I didn't measure anything, of course!!). I served this with produce from Hungry Harvest: roasted potatoes (olive oil, lemon pepper) and sauteed broccolini with garlic and a spash of lemon juice.

Spiced Meatballs:

1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 tsp salt
~1/4 tsp each turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika
1 chopped green onion (add some regular onion too, ifya want)
1 clove garlic
small piece fresh ginger

- Grate the ginger & garlic on a microplane into a medium-size bowl. Beat in the egg.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix gently with your hands or a spoon until incorporated.
- Form smallish (~1.5"?) balls and place on an oiled baking sheet. Roll around in the oil as you put them on the sheet.
- Bake at 425 for about 20 minutes.

Tahini Sauce:

3 heaping tablespoons tahini
juice of half a lemon (I used bottled)
a sprinkle of turmeric (optional but gives it a nice golden color)
garlic powder (or fresh minced/crushed garlic), salt & pepper
sriracha or other hot sauce

Mix it all together and then add enough water to make a drizzle-able sauce.