Easy weeknight pork tenderloin

So this meal has become one of my go-to meals when we don't have a lot of time but still want to eat a healthy and delicious meal. Trader Joe's has packages of pork tenderloin pre-seasoned with garlic and herbs in their meat section. Trader Joe's also has pre-seasoned asparagus in a microwave pack. And you can just pick up a few sweet potatoes while you're at it, and you've got this meal made! This is also a pretty cost effective meal... Did I mention I love Trader Joe's?

Bake the pork tenderloin as directed on the package - ~350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size. Let sit for at least 10 minutes once you take it out of the oven.

While that's in the oven, chop up a few sweet potatoes and boil them. Once they're tender, drain, and mash to desired consistency. Use a food processor for smoother results. Add milk, butter, cinnamon, or other spices/flavorings. These should be done around the same time as your meat.

Follow the directions for microwaving the asparagus - 2 1/2 minutes, and you're done!

ENJOY!! :)

Sauteed Butternut Squash

I first off have to apologize that there will be no photo for this post... but it's for good reason - the butternut squash this post refers to was so quickly snarfed up that that fact alone should speak to how good it was. :)

I sauteed some cubes of butternut squash in butter, some ground ginger and some cinnamon. YUM! It was heavenly - crispy on the outside, and soft and smooth on the inside. Perfect fall dinnerish-snack. Do it. Super easy and delicious!!

Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken and Sweet Carmelized Brussels Sprouts

Jeff and I celebrated my Grandma's 80th birthday today with the rest of the Berger clan at The Oyster Bar in Bellingham, right on Chuckanut Drive.

We had a great time celebrating with family, and the sun came out just in time to enjoy a beautiful view from the private room in the restaurant.

We came home exhausted and after trying to figure out "what to do" tonight after a failed attempt at finding Dogfish Head's Punkin Beer at Fred Meyer, we settled on making dinner together. Wow! What a great choice - we found ourselves a keeper recipe, from one of my favorite blogs Crepes of Wrath. This truly was a 30-minute meal and super simple to make. Jeff worked on the chicken while I did the brussels sprouts, and it was done in no time!

Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath

2 chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness (we used chicken thighs and they were fantastic)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter, melted

3 tablespoons honey

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

1. Combine all of your ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge, but you can marinate the chicken for 24 hours, and longer is better!

2. You can either grill or broil the chicken. To grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill over high heat for 3 minutes on each side, then over indirect heat for 5 minutes on each side. To broil, heat the oven to 400 degrees F and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side, until cooked through and the juices run clear.

Sweet Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 3 tablespoons

1 onion, thinly sliced (my quick tip: get the bag of pre-chopped onions from Trader Joe's - cuts down on time and weepy eyes!)

kosher salt

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, quartered (another Trader Joe's quick tip: get the bag of "microwaveable" brussels sprouts, because they are already washed and prepped - all you have to do is a quick chop!)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup water

4 slices of bacon, sliced into 1-inch pieces and cooked until crispy (we didn't have bacon, but that would only make this recipe even better!!!)

1. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the combined vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

2. Quarter the brussels sprouts length wise. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Mix in the cooked, crispy bacon and serve and top with the onions. When you eat them, mix the onions in with the sprouts so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. Serves 3-4.

"Inner Child" Chicken with Rice

So this one has become one of my go-to favorites after hearing about it from my dad, who got the recipe from In Praise of Leftovers. That site has now become one of my favorites, and like I said, this recipe has, too! Enjoy!

Inner Child Chicken with Rice

Adapted from In Praise of Leftovers

6 large boneless chicken thighs (or 8 small ones) *thighs are definitely best, but you can use breasts for this - just slice up the breasts so they're in smaller chunks than a whole breast.

1 Tb. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 c. olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups long-grain white rice (like basmati)

4 cloves minced garlic

1 bay leaf

1 Tb. fresh thyme plus more for top

1 c. white wine (or vermouth, if you happen to have it - good sub for white wine)

3 c. chicken stock

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chicken pieces in the oil, turning them several times to brown on all sides, about 7 minutes in all.

Pull the chicken out of the pan and set aside. In the same oil (add a little more if you need to), saute the onion until it is soft and slightly browned. This is where I digress from the original recipe. Then add the garlic, and after garlic is softened, pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan (all that yummy goodness). Then add chicken stock, rice, bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a boil. You don't want to skip the deglazing step - important!

Put the chicken pieces back in the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the cooking liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with more fresh thyme.

YUM!!!! Super easy - not a lot of prep, and it's a one-pot meal! I served mine with some asparagus sauteed in olive oil with a little salt & pepper. :)

MUSHROOM SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I witnessed a momentous occasion in history Monday night. Jeff ate a mushroom ... and LIKED it!!! I was so amazed. :)

Granted, it was a stuffed, baked mushroom ... so a lot of flavor to disguise the "texture" of mushrooms that he doesn't enjoy.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm blogging this appetizer, other than the fact that I want to remember stuffed mushrooms as a super fast and easy option to impress guests, not to mention that they're super yummy and a relatively healthy option for a snack.

For these [imagine a really cool and artsy photo here], I used larger cremini mushrooms, but it usually would be better to use the small white button mushrooms. Wash and dry the mushrooms, and then snap out the stems. (Some recipes call for chopping up some of the stems and sauteeing them to include in the stuffing, but this recipe was ultra-easy, so I didn't do that - a.k.a. I'm LAZY.)

I grabbed a packet of "Tuscan Stuffed Mushroom" mix from Crate & Barrel during their holiday sale, and you mix that with 8 oz. of softened cream cheese. I only had about 4 oz of cream cheese, so I halved the little packet. oh darn - guess I have to make more soon! :) You spoon portions of the mixture into the mushroom "caps" so they're slightly overflowing with the filling, and stick them in the oven for 15-20 minutes - till the filling is sizzling and warm all the way through.

YUM!

Steak and Brussels

This is by far my new favorite meal ... and it's pretty easy, albeit time-consuming for the prep of the brussel sprouts.

If you don't like brussel sprouts, you just might after you try these - they get tossed around with shallots, garlic, and all the yummy leftover meat juices in the pan, and they are sooo addictive.

Choose your cut of meat. The original recipe I found suggested skirt steak (my fav), but Jeff requested tri-tip the other night (his fav). Both work fine. Salt & pepper your steaks on both sides, and let rest at room temp for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Heat up a skillet to medium-high heat. (Not a non-stick pan, because of the high heat, and the fact that you're not using any oil.) When the pan is HOT, place your steaks in the pan, and don't move them around, for 3 minutes on each side. This creates a great sear, and doesn't toughen them up. Don't worry about the stuff they leave behind on the bottom of the pan, that's the best part. When cooked to your preference, place on a plate covered with foil, and set aside. Turn the heat down to Medium.

While the steak is cooking, or beforehand, prep your brussels by peeling off just the outer couple leaves, and rinsing them. Chop off the bottoms, and then slice them thinly.

Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, and 1-2 bulbs of shallots.

Add 2-3 tbsp butter to the bottom of the hot steak pan, and let melt. Throw in your shallots and garlic, and sautee until shallots are soft. Then, add the brussels, and sautee until "crisp-tender"(I don't know what this term really means, but for a few minutes, until they look softer and are bright green - no more, because overcooking brussel sprouts makes them bitter).

Serve and enjoy, and see if you can resist going back for seconds ...

Whatever-you-have Quiche

This is my favorite thing to make when I have a craving for my mom's crust, and need an easy meal that's healthy and filling, and good for leftovers! :)

One unbaked pie-crust (or as an alternative - thinly sliced red potatoes, overlapping slightly to cover entire surface of pie pan)

6+ eggs (beaten)

Splash of Milk, or half & half

Grated cheese (optional)

Veggies (chopped & uncooked - asparagus, broccoli, red/green peppers, etc.)

Meat (optional, cooked - sausage, ham, etc.)

Salt & Pepper (dash of each)

Chop your veggies and meat choices into small bite-sized pieces. Place in crust.

Beat the eggs with your milk or half-and-half with a whisk. Pour over veggie/meat inside the crust. You can top with cheese, or mix in the cheese with the egg mixture.

Bake in an oven for 40-45 mins, until knife inserted in center comes out clean, and center is firm (no jiggly eggs!). In the case of using potatoes for your "crust", make sure they are cooked through.

Chicken with Caramelized Onions in Butter, Lemon, and White Wine

From: Crepes of Wrath

2 chicken breasts 1 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon if you don’t like it too spicy) 5 tablespoons of butter 2 onions, sliced thinly 4 cloves of garlic, minced juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth if you don’t want to use alcohol) fresh or dried parsley (for garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the chicken breasts with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Place on a lined and/or greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

2. While the chicken is cooking, heat your butter in a skillet, then add your onions. Let them sweat for 5 minutes or so, then add in the minced garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add in the lemon juice and white wine. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the onions are caramelized and a beautiful golden brown. If the chicken finishes cooking before the onions are ready, remove them from the oven and cover with tinfoil until you’re ready to plate.

3. Place the chicken on a plate and top generously with the onions and the sauce in the pan. Serve with vegetables, rice, noodles, or whatever you like!