Honey-Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Onions

Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Onions

If you avoid cooking pork because of too many bad experiences with tough, dry and sad-looking pork chops, I’d urge you to shake things up and try a pork tenderloin instead. Even though it’s an extremely lean cut of meat, it should still cook up tender and juicy. Perhaps because it’s cooked whole rather in slices?

If you’re a fan of the pork and apple combination, I think you’ll really like this one. Pears are nestled alongside browned pork tenderloin and wedges of red onion. They soften to create a sweet and savory side- even easier than having to make applesauce from scratch!

The tenderloin is coated in a honey-balsamic glaze and scattered with fresh thyme. It’s a quick and flavorful dish, simultaneously rustic and elegant, that you can put together in less than an hour. Perfect for last-minute company or a family Sunday supper.

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Onions

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
4 Bosc pears, cored and cut into 8 wedges
3 Tablespoons honey
1-1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
leaves from 3-4 thyme sprigs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof sauté pan. Brown the tenderloin on all sides and remove to a plate. Add the onion and pears and cook for 1-2 minutes. Return the pork to the pan and drizzle with honey and vinegar and then scatter with thyme.

Place the sauté pan in the oven (alternatively you can place it in an ovenproof baking dish) and roast until the pork is cooked through and the juices run clear, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the pork rest for at least five minutes. Cut the pork into thick slices. Divide the pork, onions and pears onto four individual plates and then drizzle with the pan juices.

Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream

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Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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Everybody has their own unique ranking for Halloween treats. The boxes of raisins, small bags of pennies and the toothbrush courtesy of the neighborhood dentist were, not surprisingly, my least favorite items as a child. I mean, do those even qualify as treats? Or as tricks?

What I wanted most, even more than the full-sized Snickers bars, the bags of M&Ms and the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, was a small slip of paper. A slip of paper that entitled me to a free ice cream cone at Friendly’s.

The fact that these coupons provided delayed gratification was, in my mind, a bonus. Because when all of the other candy was long gone, except for maybe a Necco wafer or two, there were still multiple trips to Friendly’s for a black raspberry ice cream cone, complete with chocolate sprinkles, to look forward to.

And while I certainly do my part to help keep Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s (and even Friendly’s!) in business, I love to make homemade ice cream. But if I’m going to go through the effort of unearthing the ice cream maker from the bottom of the packed-to-the-gills pantry, it’s gotta be something extra special. You know… like a rich, creamy ice cream with the intense flavor of salted caramel.

I’m a girl who, if I’m not careful, could destroy an entire pint of ice cream in one sitting. Not this ice cream. It’s so rich and intense, you’ll probably want to dish it out in small servings. I served it over a small, flourless brownie, but it would be killer on top of apple crisp or sandwiched between two ginger cookies.

Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream

Yield: about 1 quart

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 6+ hours

Ingredients:

* 2 cups whole milk
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 1/4 cup butter (how to make your own butter)
* 6 egg yolks
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, or another sea salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan combine the milk and heavy cream over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.

Place the sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Let it sit, without stirring, until the sugar begins to melt around the edges. Continue cooking the sugar, stirring frequently with a long wooden spoon, until the sugar has all melted and turned a dark amber color.

Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up quickly and might splatter) and then very slowly pour in the heated milk and cream mixture while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth and it has come to a low simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fill a large bowl 3/4 full of ice water and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks and the vanilla extract. Beat using a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture has roughly doubled. While continuing to whisk, slowly add a large ladle or two of the caramel into the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Now pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the caramel while stirring.

Place the saucepan back on the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture can coat the back of a spoon. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat and pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl.

Set the bowl over the ice bath and stir until the mixture has cooled, adding fresh ice to the ice bath if necessary.

Remove the custard mixture from the ice bath, cover and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream making according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and stir in the fleur de sel or other salt. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. Place the ice cream in the freezer for at least two hours to harden.

Indian Coriander Shrimp and Zucchini

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Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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In all honesty, I thought I’d posted this recipe months ago, just after my favorite Indian cookbook author released her latest treasure, Quick Fix Indian, back in May. But a quick search through the archives proved me wrong. I guess this is a case of better late than never.

Now if you’ve been reading along for awhile you know that I think Ruta Kahate’s first book, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spices, is absolutely brilliant (and the good folks over at Amazon all agree as well).

I often peruse other Indian cookbooks to expand my horizons, but rarely actually cook anything from them. Even the simplest recipes usually call for 2-3 exotic ingredients that I’ve never even heard of. By contrast, I’ve probably cooked at least 30-35 dishes from 5 Spices, 50 Dishes and have yet to find a recipe that’s overly difficult or a dud.

And since I’ll soon exhaust all of recipes from her first cookbook, I’m thrilled to add 125 new dishes to my Indian food agenda. Even better? The dishes are all ready in 30 minutes or less.

This shrimp and zucchini dish actually took even less time than that since I had some frozen peeled and deveined shrimp on hand. If you’re in need of a quick and healthy meal, definitely give this dish, full of plump shrimp, juicy zucchini and Indian spices a try.

Indian Coriander Shrimp and Zucchini

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 teaspoon turmeric, divided
* salt
* 3 Tablespoons oil, divided
* 1 bay leaf
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/2-inch piece freshly grated ginger (I freeze peeled ginger then use my Microplane zester)
* 2 medium-to-large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl toss the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of the turmeric and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp is cooked through. Immediately remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a plate.

Add the remaining Tablespoon of oil and reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining turmeric as well as the bay leaf, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the zucchini and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini has softened and is slightly browned. Add the shrimp back into the pan as well as the cilantro. Toss well and remove from heat.

Serve immediately.

Cucumber and Citrus Mocktail

Detox
Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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I have a subscription to Food and Wine magazine, but only because I cashed in some airline miles that were in danger of expiring. It’s not that I don’t like food magazines, but I have a major problem with getting rid of them. They just get lost in the stacks of travel magazines (again, airline miles) and catalogs that I can’t seem to part with.

But I recently did a coffee table clean-up/magazine purge and spotted this mocktail recipe, which reminded me of a classed-up version of my Cucumber Agua Fresca with Mint. I knew I had to make it during my cleanse.

Cucumber juice combines with lemon and lime juice and sweetened with agave nectar. The mixture is then topped with club soda for a little fizz while some muddled dill adds just a hint of herby goodness. If you’re not on a cleanse, I imagine this would be great with a splash of your favorite versatile hard liquor.

Cucumber and Citrus Mocktail

Yield: 3-4 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 or 4 thin, lengthwise slice of cucumber, for garnish
Ice

1 teaspoon chopped dill, plus extra sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup cucumber juice (see note)

1/4 cup water
1 cup club soda

1/4 cup agave syrup

Directions:

Press the cucumber slices against the inside of three or four glasses and add ice to keep slices in place. In a cocktail shaker or a large jar with a tight-fitting lid, muddle the chopped dill, agave syrup, lemon, lime juices and water until the agave syrup has dissolved.

Add the cucumber juice and some ice. Cover and shake well. Strain into the prepared glasses and top with club soda. Garnish with the dill sprig.

Note: If you don’t have a juicer, you can process the cucumber chunks in a blender and then strain the liquid.

Boozy Mint Caipirinha Sorbet

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Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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My timing, I realize, could not be much worse on this post. All around the blogosphere I’m reading that folks are ready to close the door on summer and embrace all things fall. You know, things like pumpkins, tall leather boots, chunky sweaters, and hearty soups and stews.

But you know what? Let’s not jump the gun on this thing. My vote is that we all wait until September 22nd to welcome fall and instead break out our ice cream makers for one last hurrah. This recipe is worth it, I promise.

Existing somewhere on the spectrum between a mojito and a caipirinha, the base of this sorbet is made from lime juice, lime zest, sugar and mint. It’s pleasantly tart and minty, a perfect palate cleanser.

The smidgen of liquor has a duel purpose: it gives the sorbet just the slightest bit of edge and gives the sorbet a nice, scoopable texture just out of the freezer. I used cachaça but you’re welcome to use rum if that’s all you have on hand.

Summer, this one’s for you. I, for one, am not ready to see you go just yet…

Boozy Mint Caipirinha Sorbet

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 cup sugar
* 2 cups water
* 5-6 springs fresh mint
* 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
* grated zest from 1 lime
* 1-1/2 Tablespoons cachaça
* 1 Tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Combine the sugar, water and mint in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3-4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes.

Strain the mixture into a bowl, discarding the mint sprigs, and add the lime juice, zest, cachaça, corn syrup and food coloring, if using. Cover and chill until the mixture is very cold.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 3-4 hours.

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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I was just going to fold the recipe for these meatballs into an upcoming post for bun (coming later this week!), but then I figured that they’re definitely special enough to merit their own post.

In search of the perfect version, I think I’ve made at least a couple hundred pork meatballs over the past couple weeks. I wanted a meatball that’s quick and easy to make that would work well in various other dishes (such as lettuce wraps, as pictured below), but also special enough to be a stand-alone appetizer.

I think I finally nailed it, if I do say so myself. Ground pork is combined with garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce and sugar for a touch of sweetness; the pretty green flecks are courtesy of green onion and fresh cilantro. Finally, a bit of baking powder provides lift and a bouncy texture.

One word of warning: you’ll probably want to double the batch. It’s hard to keep from snacking on them after pulling them out of the oven!

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 stalks lemongrass, woody ends trimmed and outer leaves removed (just use the bottom 3-4″), thinly sliced
1-1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1-1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup roughly chopped green onion
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor and process until finely minced. Add the pork, green onion, and cilantro and pulse until the mixture is combined and the green onions and cilantro are finely chopped and incorporated into the mixture.

Scoop the mixture out into a medium-to-large sized bowl and add the baking powder. Mix thoroughly.

Use your hands to roll into 20-24 meatballs. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, flipping the meatballs halfway through, or until they are lightly brown and cooked through.

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic and Mint

Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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This roasted eggplant with garlic and mint reinforces two cooking truths that I’ve accepted over the past couple years. The first, which I learned from Ina Garten, is that roasted vegetables are, almost without exception, far superior to vegetables cooked by any other method.

The second, which I learned from Vietnamese cooks and cookbook authors everywhere, is that pretty much everything becomes stellar when tossed in the Vietnamese miracle dressing/sauce made with fish sauce, some acid (lime juice or rice vinegar), sugar, garlic and chile peppers.

In this Vietnamese dish, Asian eggplants are roasted over an open flame and then tossed with the miracle fish sauce dressing and scattered with some fresh mint and green onion.

Is this the prettiest dish? It is not. It’s a shame that eggplants, so striking and vibrant in their raw state become so unattractive after cooking. Thankfully, their silken texture and smoky flavor more than make up for their lack of good looks. I know that a lot of you are getting loads of eggplant in your CSA boxes. This recipe should definitely help you make a dent into that box of produce. (You can also try Greek Eggplant Dip)

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic and Mint

Yield: 6-8 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 4-5 long Asian eggplants
* 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
* 3 Tablespoons lime juice
* 2 Tablespoon water
* 2 Tablespoons sugar
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 Thai chile pepper, minced
* 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
* 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Directions:

Prick the eggplants all around with a fork to prevent them from busting/exploding. Turn a gas burner on to medium-low. (Note: if you don’t have a gas cooktop, you can oven roast the eggplants or place them on a hot grill). Place an eggplant right on top of the burner. If the heating element is large, you can probably fit two or three on at one time.

Cook, turning the eggplants with tongs after the section exposed to the flames browns. Once the whole eggplant is fairly soft and blistered, remove from heat and place on a plate to cool. Repeat with remaining eggplants.

When cool enough to handle, gently peel the eggplants. You can leave the eggplant whole with the stems attached, or chop the eggplants into large chunks, discarding the stems. Place in a shallow serving bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, water and sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the garlic and chile. Pour the sauce over the eggplant and then sprinkle with the green onion and mint. Serve at room temperature.

Goi Dua Chuot- Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

Girl Cooks World

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April 12, 2019

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Goi Dua Chuot- Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

I just have one teeny tiny issue with Andrea Nguyen’s seriously wonderful Vietnamese cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen– I’d love to see more pictures! Especially because she has so many unique recipes that I haven’t seen in other cookbooks or food blogs… and there’s nothing like an amazing picture of a prepared dish to inspire me to get cooking.

This cucumber and shrimp salad was one of those recipes that I hadn’t seen in any other of my other favorite Vietnamese cookbooks, but since it sounded like a perfect one-dish summer meal, I was eager to give it a shot- even more so after I read Andrea’s headnote that her mother had made it for her wedding reception.

Just like everything else I’ve made from Andrea’s cookbooks, this one didn’t disappoint. I was initially worried that it would be a tad bland, since it didn’t contain any fresh herbs. How wrong I was.

The salad is colorful and filling, with plenty of contrasting flavors and textures. The main base of the salad is vegetables like cucumbers and carrots, but there’s plenty of richness from the fine shreds of chicken and pork.

Although this salad does take some time to put together, I’m really excited to share it because it doesn’t use any hard to find Vietnamese herbs or ingredients that probably aren’t available where 95% of you live. So if any of you have been involuntary sidelined from the Vietnamese salads I’ve been featuring lately, I urge you to give this one a shot. You won’t miss that rau ram one bit.

Goi Dua Chuot- Cucumber and Shrimp Salad

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds seedless cucumbers, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
* 1 medium to large carrot, peeled and finely shredded
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
* 1 boneless, skinless pork chop
* 1/2 cup cooked small or medium shrimp (coarsely chopped if medium-sized)
* 1/3 cup toasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
* 1 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, coarsely crushed (I toast them in a skillet and then give them a couple quick pulses in a coffee/spice grinder)

Dressing:
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 2-1/2 Tablespoons sugar
* 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
* 2 Tablespoons water
* 2 Thai chile peppers, minced

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the cucumbers and shredded carrot. Add the salt and the sugar and toss to evenly distribute. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Transfer the cucumbers and carrot to a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Working in batches, take some of the cucumber and carrot mixture and plop it into the center of a clean, non-terry dishcloth (several layers of cheesecloth would probably also work). Twist the ends so that the cucumber and carrot mixture is forced into a tight ball. Use your hands and squeeze the mixture several times to wring out moisture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining cucumbers and carrots.

Fill a medium saucepan halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Drop in the pork chop and chicken. Return to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer gently until they are both cooked through. Remove the chicken and pork from the water and let cool. Reserve the light stock for another use or drain.

When the pork and chicken are cool enough to handle, use your hands to pull into shreds. Let them cool completely and then add to the cucumber and carrot mixture. Add the shrimp and the toss everything together.

Make the dressing by combining the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, water and chile peppers. Pour onto the vegetables and toss well. Sprinkle the mixture with peanuts and the crushed sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Bun Cha- Rice Noodle Salad with Herbs and Pork Meatballs

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April 12, 2019

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Bun Cha- Rice Noodle Salad with Herbs and Pork Meatballs

When it came to Asian noodles, I used to find anything other than instant ramen intimidating. After all, there were strange sauces, herbs I wasn’t familiar with, and noodles made from rice. Rice! And instructions for these rice noodles called for soaking them in hot water off of the heating element. Say what?

Then I went to Vietnam and fell in love with bun cha Hanoi. Suddenly I was a lot more willing to experiment with Asian noodle dishes and seek out unfamiliar ingredients.

Turns out I made a lot of fuss over nothing. Now that I’ve gone gluten-free, rice noodles are a way of life. Those funny herbs? I guess I’ve figured them out. And the sauces? They’re a snap to make.

This is one of those infinitely adaptable meals that’s surprisingly quick to make if you’ve got some staples in the fridge (tip: my local Vietnamese market sells nuoc cham as well as pickled carrots and daikon so it’s worth checking your local Asian market if you’re short on time).

Here I combined the noodles with pork meatballs, but it would also be great with lemongrass shrimp or even standard shredded rotisserie chicken as the protein.

And don’t worry if you are out of mung bean sprouts, cucumber, or even one or two of the herbs. Just make sure you’ve got some noodles, a healthy dose of crunchy vegetables, a handful of herbs, a protein and some nuoc cham and you’ll be all set.

Bun Cha- Rice Noodle Salad with Herbs and Pork Meatballs

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound rice vermicelli noodles
1 cup carrot and daikon pickles, drained
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup julienned cucumber
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/3 cup roughly chopped mint
1/3 cup roughly chopped Thai basil
1/3 cup roughly chopped rau ram
2 green onions, chopped into thin rings
vietnamese pork meatballs
1/2 cup crushed, unsalted toasted peanuts
nuoc cham

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the noodles. Stir quickly to separate noodles. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Divide the noodles into four bowls. Evenly divide the carrot and daikon pickles, mung bean sprouts, cucumber, herbs, and meatballs. Top with a sprinkle of peanuts.

Allow individuals to ladle on desired amount of nuoc cham.