Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot Recipe)

On Friday, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!  There is 14 years' difference between my little sous chef and our little... oh!  I just realized that I never announced the baby's gender!  We're having a...

Breakfast Skillet Pie with Insanely Fast & Easy Hollandaise

Have you ever seen that Weight Watchers commercial, where Oprah Winfrey says, "I love bread," with such passion and conviction in her voice that it makes you want to run into the kitchen and gobble any and every crumb that you can find?  My little sous chef and I giggle every time we see it, and it's come to a point where we'll even quote it when something makes us really happy.  That is exactly how I feel about Hollandaise Sauce.  I could pour a vat of that velvety goodness over almost anything!  Hollandaise sauce is considered one of the hardest sauces to make because it takes patience, requires careful attention, and can be temperamental.  Too much heat, and you have a lumpy, yucky mess.  The results are well worth it in the end, but sometimes I just want to be able to enjoy it without all of that effort.  Cue this Insanely Fast & Easy Hollandaise Sauce recipe.  It takes less than 1 minute to make from start (including gathering the ingredients) to finish!  Promise not to tell anyone this, but it's made... in the microwave.  Gasp!  Yes, really!  With this recipe, you can wait until the very last minute, after everything else is cooked and ready to go, to make the sauce!  That's exactly what I did with my Breakfast Skillet Pie!  

This Breakfast Skillet Pie is made in just one skillet.  Seasoned potatoes are the base, and then you add a layer of onions and ham, top it with cheddar cheese, and then crack eggs on top, which are then finished off in the broiler.  Pour that amazing sauce on top of it all, and I promise you'll be licking the plate, wishing you made more!  

Roasted Pork Tenderloin in Balsamic-Rosemary Marinade

It took me a while, but I finally figured it out.  I now have a specific spot in my house set up that is intended solely for food blogging!  Since we've moved, I've been taking photos in my bay window, which makes it extremely difficult to get a good picture when the sun goes down before dinner.  Now I have my lighting and everything set up to where I don't have to rely on the time/position of the sun!  Even though artificial lighting isn't as desirable as natural, I'll take whatever I can get during the months of winter!  Happy days!

One of my favorite meals to make is pork tenderloin.  It's easy enough to make for a weeknight meal but good enough to serve to company.  Searing the pork gives it a lovely crust that locks in flavor, and roasting it to an internal temperature of 140 degrees and then allowing it to rest will result in fork-tender deliciousness!  I served mine with a side of quinoa and peas.

Roasted Garden Vegetable & Sausage Ratatouille

When we bought our new house in the end of May, I knew that time was of the essence, so I hurriedly planted a vegetable garden.  I also started a compost pile, which is finally turning into beautiful, rich soil.  Other than dealing with Canada thistles (help!), we have naturally healthy, rock-free soil here.  I can't wait to see how well my garden does when I add compost to it!  If your garden is bursting at the seams like mine is, this is a delicious and healthy way to use up those summer veggies.  Sausage and a splash sherry add beautiful depth of flavor to this ratatouille.  Because I didn't have time to start bell pepper seeds indoors, I sadly went without them this year.  If you have them, thinly sliced bell pepper is a tasty addition to this dish.  

Pork Tenderloin with White Wine & Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

On average, we have pork tenderloin once every other week.  The secret to cooking the juiciest, most tender pork tenderloin is simple.  Sear it, roast it until it reaches 140 degrees, and rest it for 15 minutes covered.  While it's resting the juices redistribute throughout the pork, all while bringing the temperature to 145 degrees.  Marinating definitely helps, but if you don't have time to marinate it, that's fine!  It still turns out juicy and tender.  You can even purchase pork tenderloin already marinated for you.  If you've never cooked pork tenderloin with this method, you have to try it.  It seriously is the only way you'll ever want to cook your pork tenderloin again!  The white wine & mushroom sauce is seriously amazing.  I used shiitake mushrooms, but you can use any type of mushroom you'd like.  

Notes:  As stated in the instructions, you can make the white wine & mushroom sauce thin or thick, depending on your preference.  We enjoy this sauce thick!  I also add pomegranate seeds as a garnish to brighten up the flavor.  If you don't have pomegranates lying around, simply give a little squeeze of orange juice or lemon juice over all instead.  

Simple & Succulent Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Barbecue

This recipe is so easy that I almost didn't share it, but it came at the perfect time, so here it is!  It was a very long day of work immediately followed by cleaning, running errands (piano lessons, groceries, etc.), helping my little sous chef with her homework (Everyday Math can be so frustrating)... all while being reminded that I hadn't fulfilled my promise to "play with me" yet.  At the end of the day, I thought to myself, "I sure am glad I put that pork in the oven at 6:00 this morning!"  It was dinnertime.  I yanked the pork out of the oven, pulled it apart, mixed in some barbecue sauce, and served it on buns.  Viola!  After a day like that, I'm thankful for an easy meal!  It's so tender and juicy... and with little-to-no effort on my part!  Time for wine.  Cheers!

Ham & Cheddar Breakfast Casserole w/ Green Pepper and Onion

Who doesn't love ham and cheese?!  With the weather cooling down some, I've been getting a little more guilt-free use out of my oven.  Organic eggs, fat-free milk, leftover ham, green pepper from the garden, and reduced fat cheddar cheese are used to make this tasty breakfast casserole.  It has a delicious crescent roll base that just puts it over the top!  It's perfect for company or a lazy weekend and ready in less than an hour.  Oh, and it's even better cold!  Happy Friday!

Skillet Mexican Pie with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I'll be dreaming of this Skillet Mexican Pie for a while!  It was a gorgeous, sunny weekend, but we spent the better half of it indoors because my little sous chef came down with a fever.  While she napped, I found myself with a few spare hours to play around in the kitchen.  I had a lot of cilantro, avocado, and tomato, so I used those ingredients to create this Mexican dish.  It packs in intense Mexican flavor in each bite - a fiesta for your mouth!  There's no need to fire up your oven because it's all done on the stovetop in just one skillet.  Multigrain tortillas are layered with an easy & delicious homemade enchilada sauce, seasoned beef and pork, black beans, corn, and cheese!  Garnish it with avocado, cilantro, tomato, and sour cream and you have a little slice of heaven on a plate! 

Note:  To kick up the spice a bit, substitute the mozzarella cheese with pepper jack.  You can also leave the seeds in the jalapeno for an extra punch.  

Pork Tenderloin with Savory White Wine & Blueberry Sauce

One of my family's favorite meals is roasted pork tenderloin.  When cooked the proper way, it is so  amazingly tender and juicy.  I love to experiment with different pan sauces while the pork rests, and this is one of my favorites.  It has the loveliest hint of blueberry but it's not overpowering.  

Our Favorite Juicy Italian Meatballs

This is long overdue.  I'm alone in my kitchen making meatballs, and it hits me - I've never blogged my favorite meatball recipe before!  How can this be?  We have spaghetti and meatballs once every other week!  Oh well - better late than never.  One of the keys to amazing meatballs is simmering them in your favorite sauce for hours.  The longer, the better.  These meatballs are juicy on the inside and full of flavor.  You won't be disappointed!  

Note:  I have included instructions on how to both fry and bake the meatballs.  My preferred method is frying.

Pork Tenderloin with Brandied Cherry-Chipotle Sauce

This is a yummy sauce that I served over roasted pork tenderloin for dinner one night this week.  It's delicious and slightly sweet with a little kick.

Southwestern Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I don't know where you live, but out here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I'm pretty sure I measured 10 inches of snow!  Yesterday was a school snow day, today is another snow day... these kids are going to be attending school well into July at this rate!  I work out of my home as a transcriptionist, so I can thankfully stay home with my little sous chef while working in my sweatpants and I don't have to venture out into the cold.  I had a nice pork tenderloin waiting in the fridge that I had planned to use for dinner along with some leftover corn.  I decided to give my pork a little Mexican flare and came up with this healthy dish.  I served this over brown rice with a side of green beans from the garden.

Quick Bolognese Sauce

It was Friday evening.  I asked my little sous chef, "If you could have anything in the world to eat, whether I cook it or we go out, what would it be?"  Within a split second, her answer was, "Spaghetti and meat sauce!"  Unfortunately, my favorite recipe takes about 3 hours from start to finish and it was already 4:00 PM, so I asked her for a second option.  As she was contemplating what she wanted, I thought to myself, why don't I just come up with a quick version of the recipe?  I got to work and came up with this gem.  It not only cuts down time (it was ready in under 30 minutes!), but we all agreed that we enjoyed this version even more!  Hooray for small victories!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot-Honey Whiskey Sauce

This tender roasted pork tenderloin with a delicious apricot-honey whiskey sauce would make a lovely addition to your New Year's Day meal!  The sauce has great depth of flavor and is super easy to make, consisting of just three ingredients:  Apricot preserves, Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey Whiskey, and pan drippings.          

Succulent Southwestern Pork Chops ~ Ready in 15 Minutes!

I am constantly finding myself in the mood to make something a little different for dinner.  We have an overabundance of tomatoes from the garden, so I decided to use them to make a Southwestern topping to go along with our pork chops.  If you're looking for something a little different that's also tasty, quick, and healthy, you'll want to try this Southwestern spin on your pork chops.  They're succulent, bursting with flavor, packed with protein, and can be ready in 15 minutes!  

Simple Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples & Cinnamon

This roasted pork tenderloin is cooked to perfection and pairs beautifully with the cinnamon-spiced apples, carrot and onion.  It's a delicious taste of fall that is easy to make and sure to please.  

Easy Beer-Basted Baby Back Ribs

Happy Friday!  Any football fans out there?  How about that Peyton Manning last night?!  I had him starting in my fantasy football team and I am loving life today!  

To kick off football season, I wanted to share some pretty delicious dude food.  Juicy, tender baby back ribs are so easy to make, all you need is a little bit of time!  Throw them in the oven in the morning and they'll be ready by kickoff.  The ribs are slowly cooked in the oven, basted in beer, and slathered in your favorite barbecue sauce.  I like to throw them on the grill at the very end to give a nice caramelized crust but that is totally optional.  

Bangers and Mash with Sweet Onion & Beer Gravy

My deep freezer is nearly bursting at the seams and I have been trying to slowly go through everything so that nothing goes to waste by the end of this year.  I decided to chip away at some of the sausage and make what has become one of my family's favorite comfort foods, bangers and mash.  Delicious browned sausage is laid upon a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, slathered in a sweet onion and beer gravy, and served with a side of peas.  Yum!  If you prefer a less sweet gravy, simply start with 1 tsp of the brown sugar and then add more, to taste.

What is one of your family's favorite comfort foods?  

Italian Pasta Salad with Pepperoni & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whenever I am asked to provide a pasta salad, I typically make my husband's favorite Italian Vegetable & Shrimp Pasta Salad but I wanted to try something new for a Memorial Day picnic.  I stumbled across a recipe from Food.com that sounded good and received excellent reviews.  I made a few changes to it and it really did turn out to be delicious!  This pasta salad only gets better with time, so make it one day in advance if possible.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Sliders with Bacon, Cheddar, BBQ & Homemade Onion Rings

Dude food at its finest!  Kick back a few of these babies during the game.  Cheesy, smoky, crispy, sweet, tangy, chewy - so many wonderful things going on in this little slider!