We're back!

It has been a while since my last post and a lot has happened in that time. We were up in Maryland for our wedding! From there we went to Aruba for our honeymoon and just got home and finally get a home cooked meal. I did take lots of pictures of the delicious food we ate while on our honeymoon but somehow you always still want a home cooked meal. A lot of our beach and pool reading material were cooking magazines, no surprise. So by the time we got home I had lots of pages folded over or ripped out to try.


Below is the recipe to Pork and Brussels Sprouts stir fry. I would never think to use sprouts in a stir fry but they were soft and a nice change. While you don't taste the brown sugar in the sauce it makes the soy sauce a little bit sweeter and not such a harsh flavor. I might add a few dashes of red pepper flakes next time for a little kick.

I am not a fan of handling meat so since Jason was home I took full advantage and had him slice up the pork into the 1/4 inch strips.

I took care of washing and cutting the brussel sprouts in half being sure to remove the outer leaves. Then you put them in the pan until they become golden brown and tender. Our store only had big sprouts so it took a little bit longer to cook.

Pork and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry

Serves 4

Adapted slightly from Everyday with Rachel Ray Magazine 

Ingredients:

3Tbsp Oil

¾ lb boneless pork loin chops cut into ¼ inch thick strips

1 ½ lbs Brussels sprouts, halved

2 scallions, greens and whites sliced separately

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup light sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and cook until golden; transfer to plate. Cover the pork with foil to keep it warm.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp oil and sprouts to pan and cook stirring occasionally until brown and tender; 5-8 minutes.

Add scallion whites and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and ¼ cup water until sauce is slightly thickened.

Return pork to pan and toss to coat and heat through. Top with scallion greens and serve with rice.

Salmon and brussel sprouts

Tonight I wanted to make something quick, easy and yet delicious. I am always a fan of the Barefoot Contessa and have most of her cookbooks. This salmon dish sounded great and I already had everything in the house which is a huge time saver. Over the weekend I also bought some brussel sprouts to try out. I am normally not a fan but had some great ones at a restaurant in Baltimore and decided to try making them myself. They turned out pretty well and I even got my picky eater J to not only eat them but say he liked them! Now that is a victory :)

Panko-Crusted Salmon
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/3 cup panko (I used whole wheat)
1 tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
½ tsp. lemon zest

¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 (6-8 oz.) salmon fillets, skin on
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
 

Directions:

·      Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.

·      In a small bowl, combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated; set aside.

·      Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface.  Generously brush the top of each fillet with the mustard and then season with salt and pepper.  Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet to help the panko adhere.

·      Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet.  When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning to brown the skin.  (If you don’t want to eat the skin, this step also helps the skin stick to the pan so the fillets can be easily removed without the skin later on.)

·      Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned.  Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Source: Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

·    Preheat oven to 450°F

·         ·    Rinse and cut off the ends of 1 ½ lbs of brussel sprouts, then cut in half.

·         ·    Toss them with ¼ cup olive oil, a pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. (I mix mine in a ziplock bag)

·         ·    Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleaning and put them on cut side down. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until caramelizd. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.

·         ·    Drizzle with white wine vinegar and honey and enjoy!

Source: Food Network Magazine