Good Eats!

Dinner was a resounding success last night. Three of our favorite things were on the menu, pork, potatoes and broccoli. I got the recipes off Pinterest and while I've had some good things there, some has left me flat. These, however were truly wonderful. Give them a try. They are easy to make with ingredients most of us already have. Hope you enjoy!

Crock Pot Brown Sugar and Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

(Note: I used a pork loin. During the cooking process quite a lot of water and fat surrounded the roast. One hour before serving I drained off all the cooking fluid and dumped the entire pan of glaze on top of the meat. Then I cook at low for an hour spooning the glaze over the top of the meat 3 times. The flavor from the glaze really cooked into the meat.)

Adapted from: http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cloves garlic
2 1/4 cups shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and monterey jack), divided
1/3 cup chives, snipped
4 large yukon gold potatoes (any kind will do), skins on, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Melted the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add diced onion and cook until soft. Stir the thoroughly into the onions and milk and garlic. Stir sauce over medium/high heat until it begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups grated cheese. Set sauce aside. 

Spray a deep 9x9 ceramic casserole dish with some cooking spray. A single layer of potato slices was layered in the bottom of the dish, followed by a sprinkling of snipped chives. Another layer of potato came next, followed by more chives. Continue with remainder of potatoes.


Pour sauce over the potatoes and then shake dish to get sauce into potatoes.  The top was sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and another sprinkling of chives. Baked for 40-60 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Adapted from: http://www.familyfeedbag.com 




Lemon Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

4 to 5 pounds broccoli

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (I did this in the toaster on tin foil while watching closely)

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

(Note: I used pre-minced garlic in a jar and did not have pine nuts.  This is a wonderful yummy dish.)

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten