Pork Tenderloin with a Mustard Seed Crust

All I can say about this pork tenderloin is that there are several pieces that aren't even going to hit the plate!

Pork Tenderloin with a Mustard Seed Crust                                  Printable Recipe

2-3 pound pork tenderloin *

Rub:

2 Tablespoons whole mustard seeds

2 Tablespoons sweet smoked paprika (I like La Chinata brand)

2 Tablespoons onion powder

Approx 1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Basting Sauce:

2 Tablespoons ground mustard seed

5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

2 Tablespoons sugar

(Similar to the homemade mustard I posted a while back only thinner.)

Pre-heat a cast iron pan over low heat.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush mustard seed with a mortar and pestle.  If you do not have one you can use a spice grinder and gently pulse.

Add the paprika and onion powder and pulse just until mixed. 

Rub the pork with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides. 

With a clean hand sprinkle on some of the rub, gently pressing it onto the meat with your other hand.  You will not use all of the rub so keep the meaty hands out of it so you don't contaminate it.  You can use it another time or make less to start.

Your cast iron pan should be nice and warm now.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the bottom and place pork in to sear on all sides. It is already looking wonderful! Cover with a lid or foil and place in oven.  Cooking time will be approximately 30-45 minutes depending on your doneness preference.

While the pork is cooking make your basting sauce.  Like the mustard, place all ingredients over a double boiler.  The best is to use a round bottom metal bowl over a saucepan that has the water in it so you can whisk and get all the ingredients stirred   Whisk continuously until nice and bubbly.  It will not get thick like the mustard. If it is you will need to add a little water to be sure it is thin enough to baste with. (This is where you could use the vinegar if you like it tangier.)

Baste every 10 minutes and turn the meat.  Baste again.  Don't worry about the parts that look like they are getting too brown. It will be fine and it will taste fabulous when you are done. 

New guidelines say 145 degrees internal temperature is OK now for pork instead of the 160 degrees.  You cook it how you want.  Since we are using a pork tenderloin (not a pork loin as shown in the picture) the higher temp will still result in a tender meat.  I do not recommend using a pork loin as it is thick and the outside burns too much waiting for the internal temperature to get to where it needs to.  Also, there is not enough mustard to meat ratio.

Remove the pork from the pan and place it on a cutting board.  Cover with the foil.  Put cast iron back on the heat and add a little bit of chicken broth whisking gently to remove the bits off the bottom. It will make nice little sauce you can drizzle over your meat or drag your bread through.  Slice your meat and serve.

This photo is a tenderloin.

*Your pan will be large enough you can do two of these at the same time if you need to.

V7 Vegetable Juice Blend

Make your own vegetable juice blend full of Vitamins A, C and E,  potassium, iron, and magnesium to name a few. Nothing added like the "natural flavoring" or citric acid that the store sold juice shows as ingredients.  You control the salt.  Notice mine is called V7 not V 8 as I did not use watercress which is listed as one of "their" ingredients.

 V7 Vegetable Juice Blend

2 quarts canned crushed tomatoes or approximately 2-28 ounce cans (use low sodium so you can control your own salt)*
4 celery stalks
2 carrots
1/2 beet (or 2 Tablespoons beet juice)
2 Small handfuls of spinach
4 small handfuls of iceberg lettuce
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
salt, as needed

Send all through juicer. (If you are using already juiced beets then just add that to the juice at the end.)  Mix, add salt to taste, and enjoy!

That is a 1/2 gallon canning jar in the top picture so that is how much what my juicing made. 

*You could use fresh tomatoes but I have not worked out the pound/quart ratio yet.  I hope to make some when our garden is ready to harvest and can some for later.

Banana "Ice Cream"

Banana Ice Cream

2- 3 bananas, chunked and frozen for at least 2 hrs
1-2 Tablespoons natural peanut butter

Green Chili Cornbread Casserole

Green Chili Cornbread Casserole                                                        Printable Recipe

1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons cornmeal, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 can creamed corn
1 cup milk 
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 to 2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained (I used 2 here)
Your favorite flavors like cumin, garlic, pepper, or taco seasoning.
1 - 4 oz can green chilies (you may want 2 cans instead of 1)
2 - 3 Tablespoons grated onion

2 cups shredded Mexi blend cheese or cheddar 

Optional: 8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 to 1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Sprinkle 9"x 13" baking dish with 1 tablespoon of corn meal.  Set aside.

Mix together beef, chilies, and grated onion until well combined.  If you don't you will have hot and spicy parts!  Stir in the tomato sauce and beans here if you are using them.

In medium bowl add eggs, corn, milk, and oil.

 Combine.

Add pre-mixed dry ingredients (cornmeal 1 c plus 2 T) baking soda, and salt.  Stir just until combined.

 Pour 1/2 of the corn mixture into pan.  It will be quite runny.

 Add all of your beef mixture.

Top with cheese (I only used 1 cup here.)

Add remaining corn mixture pushing down on beef to cover.  I think coverage would be better if you only used 1 pound of beef but we wanted more meat to make it a main dish.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Let set for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

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Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

8 eggs
3/4 cup milk (can sub rice milk for DF version)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
few dashes cayenne pepper
24 oz frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded Mexi blend or cheddar cheeese (or leave out for DF version)
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green pepper
(or any veggie combination you like...mushrooms, zucchini, squash, etc)
1 pound pork and bacon sausage (or any other combination of meat you like, bacon, ham, regular sausage)

Cook meat and veggies til done.  Drain as needed.

 In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

 Add potatoes, cheese, meat, and veggies.  Combine.

 Pour into greased 8" x 11" pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 45 minutes or knife inserted  near center comes out clean.

Serve drizzled with ketchup.

English Muffin Toasting Bread

This is a no knead bread that is easy to make.  Tastes great warm when the crust is all crunchy and the inside is warm and moist.  This bread is highly addictive and if you think you can't keep out of it only make 1 loaf! not 2 as the recipe makes.

English Muffin Toasting Bread

4-1/2 to 5 cups flour (or Brown Rice Flour Mix  plus 3/4 teaspoon Xantham Gum for gluten free version)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk (or rice milk or other dairy free milks)

Mix 3 cups flour, soda, salt, and yeast.

Add sugar or honey, water, and milk.

Mix well. Should be like pancake/waffle batter.

Slowly add 1-1/2 to 2 cups of flour until dough is fairly stiff but sticky. It's still scoopable but not pourable exactly.

Scoop into two greased 4x8 non-stick bread pans. 

Spread out evenly and

let rise covered for 30-45 minutes.

Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove bread from pans immediately and brush all sides with butter.

Don't slice right away as it is very soft on the inside.  Give it 5-10 minutes.  Inside of bread will be full of air pockets resembling English muffins.  Serve with more butter and/or jam.

This picture is the gluten/dairy free version and wasn't as holey. 

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Southwestern Chicken Soup                                                          Printable Recipe

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 T olive oil
1-1/2 t cumin
1/8 t dried red pepper (cayenne) (more as you like)
3/4 t minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 green pepper, diced (1c)
1/2 medium onion, diced (1c)
2 ears corn or 8 oz bag frozen corn or 1 can corn, drained
28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Great Northern (white) beans, drained and rinsed
tortilla strips/chips **(or white corn tortillas and canola oil, see directions below)
sour cream
shredded Cheddar, Mexi-blend cheese, or Chihuahua Cheese
avocado

Mix half of the spices and oil together and add chicken to coat. Set aside for grilling.

Dice green pepper and onion and add along with the other 1/2 of the oil and seasonings to a large pot.

Cook until soft, 10-15 minutes.

Microwave corn for 5-6 minutes or boil. Add to grill with chicken to get char marks. (Means more flavor!)

Grill chicken.

Chop chicken into chunks and remove corn kernels from cob.

Rinse beans in colander. If you don't the brown beans will make your soup dirty looking.

Add everything to the pot...chicken, corn, tomatoes, beans, etc. Simmer for 25 minutes

**For tortilla strips

Cut tortillas into strips and fry in small amount of canola oil until crispy. Drain.

Dish it up anyway you like it with the cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and/or avocado!

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746082498065/