Pork Chile Verde

• The original recipe can be found here. This was originally posted as a "to-try" recipe, but I've since tried it and tweaked a few ingredients.
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• 1 1/2 cups (or more) chicken broth, divided
• 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, divided
• 1/2 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro with tender stems (I'm not a big fan of cilantro, so this was a little too much for me. However, the longer this cooked, the less I could smell the intense cilantro)
• 3 garlic cloves (I used the jarred stuff)
• Olive oil
• 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup diced roasted peeled seeded mild green chiles (such as Hatch or Anaheim) (I didn't have this, so I used one small can of diced green chiles. It worked.)
• 1 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Chopped fresh cilantro
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• *Ingredient info:

  Tomatillos are green, tomato-like fruits with papery husks. I found mine at Wal-Mart.

• Puree 1 cups chicken broth, 1/4 of tomatillos, green onions, cilantro with stems, and garlic in blender. Set salsa verde aside.
  
  
• Brush heavy large pot with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to pot; cook until browned, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot (add oil if needed). Add onion to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin seeds over; cook until onion is golden and cumin is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining tomatillos; cook until tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally and reducing heat to medium if browning too quickly, about 8 minutes. Return pork and any juices to pot. Add 2 cups reserved salsa verde, 1 cup broth, chiles, and oregano. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until pork is tender, about 2 hours. 
• Add potatoes to pork. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining salsa verde; bring to simmer. Thin with additional broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
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  We ate this on warm flour tortillas with sour cream. It was really yummy, and the potatoes were a fun change of texture. I didn't take any pictures, but here's one from the website (mine looked pretty similar, but without the red chile salsa on top). Overall this was a good dish, but when it comes to "taco-style" night, it is not the quick, easy answer, so I'm not sure how often I will make this, but I was glad for the change.
  
  
  

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  *Recipe and photo from Bon Appetit magazine
  
  

Honey-Marinated Pork with Gremolata

• 2 12- to 14-ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon (or more) fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

• Place pork in 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk honey, garlic, and orange juice in small bowl. Pour over pork; turn to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer pork to plate; reserve marinade. Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to skillet. Brown on all sides, turning often, about 4 minutes. Transfer to oven; cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Reserve skillet.
• Pour reserved marinade into same skillet; add wine. Boil gently until reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper.
  
  
• Mix orange peel, thyme, rosemary, and sage in small bowl for gremolata. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; transfer to platter. Pour sauce over pork. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve
  
  

*Recipe and photo from Bon Appetit magazine

3 easy Meatless Monday recipes

1. Curried Quinoa Salad: Cook quinoa. Toss w/ chopped cucumbers, celery, green onions, and sugar snap peas. Blend curry powder, grate fresh ginger, olive oil, rice vinegar, cilantro, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

2. Roasted Vegetable Pasta: Chop peeled carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, and red onions into 1-inch chunks. Toss w/ olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in 450 oven until deep golden brown. Mix w/ cooked pasta, grated lemon peel, and shaved parmesan.

3. Bean Burritos: Fill warm flour tortillas with drained canned black beans, grated cheese, cooked rice (use our Mexican rice recipe!), sauteed bell peppers, chopped cilantro, avocado slices, chopped red onion, and salsa. Roll up tortillas and microwave until cheese melts.

Broccoli Soup with Leeks and Thyme

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large)
• 6 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli crowns, chopped (about 8 generous cups)
• 4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth

• Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 4 teaspoons thyme; sauté until leeks are almost soft, reducing heat if needed to prevent rapid browning, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup leeks to small bowl; reserve. Add broccoli and 4 cups broth to pot; bring to boil. Cover; boil until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender until smooth. Thin soup with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons chopped thyme and reserved leeks.
  
  
  *Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine

Clams with Smoky Bacon and Tomatoes

• 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers from jar
• 6 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

• Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion; sauté until bacon is crisp around edges and onion starts to brown, stirring, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and peppers; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add clams, cover, and boil until clams open, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Stir in 1/4 cup parsley. Divide among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley.
  
  
  
  

*Photo and recipe from Bon Appetit magazine

Sunny-Side-Up Eggs on Mustard-Creamed Spinach

• 1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless country-style bread
• 5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 9-ounce package fresh spinach leaves
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 large eggs
• Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss crumbs with 2 teaspoons mustard, 2 teaspoons oil, and mustard seeds in medium bowl to coat. Scatter on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add enough water to deep large nonstick skillet to cover bottom. Add spinach; toss over high heat to wilt, about 2 minutes. Scrape into sieve set over bowl; press out liquid. Wipe out skillet; reserve.
• Transfer spinach to medium saucepan. Add 3 teaspoons mustard, half and half, and chopped thyme. Stir over medium heat until thick, about 3 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into skillet, spacing apart. Fry until whites are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide spinach between 2 plates, spreading out as base for eggs. Top with eggs, crumbs, and thyme sprigs
  
  
  
  
  

*Recipe and photo from Bon Appetit magazine

Pasta w/ Sausage, Shrimp, and Peperoncini

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1/2 cup sliced peperoncini plus 1 cup liquid from jar
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
• Sliced fresh basil (for garnish)
• Additional grated Asiago cheese

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add sausage; cook until browned, breaking into pieces, about 4 minutes. Add peperoncini, shallots, and next 6 ingredients; cook until shallots are tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add peperoncini liquid; stir until most of liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add Marinara, cream, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are cooked through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in another large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Transfer pasta and 3 tablespoons cheese to pot with sauce; stir to incorporate, adding reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to thin if sauce is too thick. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with basil and additional cheese

*Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine - which offers much more complicated recipes than Food Network, I've discovered...

Fried Green Tomatoes w/ Shrimp Remoulade

For the Remoulade:

• 1/4 cup Creole mustard (or other spicy mustard)
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced celery
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon minced onion
• 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped scallion (green part only)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Hot sauce, to taste

For the Shrimp:

• Kosher salt
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails intact)

For the Tomatoes:

• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 8 thick slices green tomatoes (1/4 to 1/3 inch thick)

Make the remoulade: Mix the mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, paprika,white pepper, cayenne and sugar in a large bowl; season with salt. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until blended. Whisk in the celery, parsley, onion, scallion, mayonnaise and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prepare the shrimp: Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 3 tablespoons salt, the lemon slices, hot sauce, bay leaves, carrot and Worcestershire sauce; boil 10 to 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and return to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp are opaque and just firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the shrimp and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Discard the carrot, lemon slices and bay leaves. Cover the shrimp and refrigerate until cold.

Fry the tomatoes: Mix the cornmeal, 1/4 teaspoon salt and teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish. Put the buttermilk in another shallow dish. Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the tomato slices in the buttermilk, then coat with the cornmeal, shaking off the excess. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Place 2 fried tomato slices on each plate. Top with the shrimp and drizzle with the remoulade.

*Recipe and photo from Food Network magazine