04.28.09 Pork tenderloin with mustard sauce

Earlier this week we had pork tenderloin with mustard sauce from Cooking Light. It was a simple recipe to prepare, had few ingredients, and didn't require a trip to the grocery store - that's an irresistible combination!

04.30.09 Chicken-sausage rolls with relish; cucumber salad

Dinner tonight was chicken-sausage rolls with relish from Everyday Food magazine and a side of cucumber salad from Ellie Krieger (Food Network). The recipe called for precooked sausage, but Fresh Market only carries flavored varieties, so I got raw. We parboiled them in a covered pan with a 1/2 inch of water for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, then finished browning them with honey per the recipe's instructions. I used mini-sourdough baguettes for the rolls. Both dishes tasted great, and they complimented each other perfectly!

04.20,09 Chicken and bacon wraps with black-eye pea salad

Dinner last night was chicken and bacon wraps from Cooking Light and black-eye pea salad from the Food Network grilling cookbook. The wraps are essentially a BLT with chicken and fancy mayo - yum! I used basil instead of tarragon for the mayonnaise, and the black-eye pea salad recipe is below. The salad is one of our absolute favorites - please try it!

Black eye pea salad:
4 - 6 servings (great as leftovers, too)

Dressing:
1 small clove garlic, peeled
Juice of 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pinch of cumin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Salad:
1 lb frozen black-eyed peas, cooked according to package directions*
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 jalapeno or serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 small Haas avocado, halved, pitted and diced

1. For the dressing: smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, remaining salt, and cumin in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a slightly thick dressing. Stir in the cilantro.
2. For the salad: toss the black-eye peas, tomato, onion, and jalapeno in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the avocado and serve.

*Note: I prefer this salad chilled or room-temperature, so I give the black-eye peas time to cool before tossing with the other ingredients to avoid wilted or mushy vegetables.

04.19.09 Mini burgers

Dinner tonight was a Coon family favorite - mini burgers, compliments of Grillmaster Robert! No official recipe for these - we use Laura's Lean ground beef, toasted buns or Hawaiian rolls, and any toppings you like. We season our meat with Burger House seasoning, which is from a Texas restaurant that my friend Kady got us addicted to, and cayenne pepper. You can make many versions of these - bacon-cheddar, Greek style with feta cheese, etc.

04.18.09 Ancho chile-beef fajitas with mango

Dinner tonight was ancho chile-beef fajitas with mango from Cooking Light. These were perfection wrapped in a tortilla! The only change I made was omitting the jarred salsa - I was afraid it would overpower the other flavors. Typically when we make soft tacos or fajitas the recipe calls for flank steak - we thought using beef tenderloin (filet mignon) made a huge difference in the tenderness of the meat and overall flavor of the dish. We'll definitely be making these again soon!

04.17.09 Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs.

Dinner tonight was mozzarella-stuffed meatballs with whole wheat spaghetti. This is a simple, hearty and satisfying meal - so tasty! I made some minor adjustments and additions: 1) the recipe calls for two cans of crushed tomatoes, but I used one each of crushed and fire-roasted diced tomatoes because I had everything else on hand and it saved me a trip to the store; 2) I added red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat. I mean, you can't go wrong with this one guys - who doesn't love cheese wrapped in meat?!

04.14.09 Spanish style pork chops

Dinner last night was pork chops with chorizo and roasted red pepper sauce from Rachael Ray. I added some chopped tomato to the puree just because I had them, but the rest of the recipe was as is. Next time I’ll try the manchego cheese rice – it sounds delicious, too!

04.13.09 Lemon thyme bars

I baked lemon thyme bars today from Giada on the Food Network. The herb flavor is interesting in a sweet dish, and Robert and I both really like it. They are not typical, gooey lemon bars - more like a shortbread cookie with glaze on top. Yum!

04.13.09 Chicken parmesan subs

Dinner tonight was chicken parmesan subs from the Rachael Ray show. She calls it a figure-friendly version because the chicken isn't fried - the flavors are delicious, so count me in if this is eating light! The sauce calls for dry sun-dried tomatoes (mine came in a bag), not the jarred ones in olive oil.

04.07.09 Red rice with black beans and chorizo

Dinner tonight was a reverse red beans and rice - red rice and black beans with chorizo from Rachael Ray's magazine. I used roasted red peppers in the rice vs piquillo because they were easier to find. Also, my Kroger doesn't carry chorizo, but Fresh Market and Terry's Finer Foods do. This is one spicy dish - I served it with a honey cornbread to take some of the heat off. It's a keeper!

04.06.09 Mini Italian pub burgers with beer-battered onion and apple rings

Okay seriously, do yourself a favor and MAKE THIS MEAL. This fantastic menu is from Giada on the Food Network - mini Italian pub burgers and beer-battered apple and onion rings. We don't do a lot of fried foods at our house, but these are completely worth it. The onion rings are light and crispy, and the apple rings sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar are ridiculous. The burgers are great too, but honestly the fried goodies are the star of this show. My only substitution was fontina cheese on the burgers instead of Taleggio, which I couldn't find at Kroger. The batter for the rings calls for a dark beer - we used a Newcastle.

04.02.09 Apple-cheddar turkey burgers

Dinner tonight was apple-cheddar turkey burgers from Rachael Ray's magazine. I don't make a lot of turkey burgers - I'm not opposed to them, I just enjoy beef burgers so I didn't see the point. But the ingredients in this recipe intrigued me, and I wasn't disappointed! There is a lot of flavor in this burger with the cheddar cheese, apple slices, and cranberry-mustard sauce. Our Kroger doesn't carry sandwich-size English muffins, so we used ciabatta rolls. Yum!

03.31.09 General Tso's chicken (light)

Dinner last night was Lighter General Tso's chicken from Everyday Food magazine. The advantage of this recipe is that you can satisfy your Chinese food craving more often since it is a lighter version, but it isn't quite the restaurant version when you start cutting calories. Everything in moderation, I guess!