Cooking with Corey: September 2006 Archives

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September 30, 2006

Orange and Nut Squares

I have not made these yet, but they look great.

This recipe is from Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis.

1 package store bought sugar cookie dough
1 cup orange marmalade
1 1/2 cups assorted nuts, toasted and chopped (try hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (NOTE: I might use some of the easier chocolate candy because I do not have a double boiler).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the cookie dough out on a cookie sheet to 1/4-inch thickness (about 9 inches by 12 inches) using your fingertips. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Spread the marmalade over the cookie. Sprinkle with nuts.

In a double boiler over very lightly simmering water, melt the chocolate. Dip a spoon in the melted chocolate and drizzle on top of the cookie. Let cool. Cut the cookie into 12 bars or squares. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Posted by cseeman at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

We will see how good this is tonight! (NOTE: It was very good...almost excellent!) This is a simple slow cooker meal with what I had in the house this morning. The pork tenderloin was pre-seasoned "garlic and herb," but I do not think it will matter much.

Ingredients:

1 Pork Tenderloin (1.5 lbs)
8 White Potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
4 carrots (peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces) (or use baby carrots)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 package of onion soup mix
1 1/2 cup of water

1. Place cut potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Place the pork tenderloin on top of the potatoes. Do not cut the meat, but bend it so it will fit.
3. Add carrots, soup mix, water and tomatoes to the slow cooker.
4. Cook for 8 hours on low.

Posted by cseeman at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2006

New Zealand Greenshell mussels with tomato and wine sauce

This recipe is adapted from a Tapas book I have and what I remember eating in restaurants around. I used New Zealand Greenshell™ mussels that I purchased at an Asian Grocery Store in Ann Arbor. These mussels are large and taste wonderful. They came with only one shell, so they do not steam in the convention sense. It should be easy to adapt this recipe if you have regular mussels.

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1-2 tbs dried parsley)
1 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
10 New Zealand Greenshell mussels

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onion, and salt and pepper (to taste) and cook for around 10 minutes until slightly browned.
3. Add tomatoes, wine and parsley to the onions. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add mussels to the pan. If they only have one shell, then the shell should go up. Cover pan and cook for 10-15 minutes.

NOTE: In vast experience cooking with mussels (which before today consisted only of a bicycle trip to Maine where we picked them off the beach and steamed them), it would seem that you would adjust depending on the size and if they are closed. From what I understand, if they are closed, then you cook them until they open. If they do not open...out they go.

Posted by cseeman at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2006

Slow Cooker Roast

Hardly worth the effort of an entry here...but this is a nice thing to get going on a Friday morning. When you get home from work, it is nice to have something waiting for you so you do not end up getting fast food!

Ingredients:

2 lbs Chuck or English Roast
1-2 medium onions, sliced 1/3" thick
3-4 carrots, sliced 1/2" thick
6-8 potatoes, peeled and sliced to 1/3" thick
1 package of onion soup mix (any variety)
2 cups of water
kosher salt to taste
peper to taste

1. Place the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Salt and pepper (to taste) both sides of the roast and place it on the onions. Add onion soup on top of the roast.
3. Add carrots to the side and place the potatoes on top of the roast.
4. Add water and salt and pepper.
5. Turn on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

Posted by cseeman at 07:04 AM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2006

Roasted Turkey

This was adapted from a recipe from Food Network and one from the Longaberger Cookbook (yep...the basket people).

1 (8 to 12 pound) turkey (frozen is fine...but hey, defrost in time)
2 tbs Rosemary (dried)
2 tbs Thyme (dried)
2 tbs Parsley (dried)
2+ tbs Kosher salt
2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 medium vidalia or yellow onion, quartered (plus one optional onion for the bottom of the pan - see step 2)
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
6 tablespoons unsalted (3/4 stick) melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Take the giblets and neck outof the turkey. Wash the turkey and remove any excess fat. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan.

NOTE: Over the weekend, I added one thinly sliced onion on the bottom of the pan and a cup of hot water. This made a very nice gravy. Thanks mom...

3. Using half the kosher salt and pepper, put the mixture on the inside of the turkey cavity. Then stuff with fresh thyme, lemon (halved), onion (quartered), and the garlic (halved).

4. Brush the outside of the turkey with melted butter.

5. Mix the dried rosemary, thyme, parsley and remaining salt and pepper and spread over the turkey (it will stick to where the butter is). Depending on the size of the turkey, you might need more more or less spice mixture.

6. Roast the turkey (using the directions on the package). For a ten pound turkey, it cooked in around 3 hours. Baste the turkey from time to time with pan juices.

7. Remove the turkey when the indicator pops. Cover with foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

Posted by cseeman at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

NOTE: We were having Thanksgiving in September (why not) and I was making the meal. We actually like the boxed mashed potatoes, but my wife said we could not do that for a nice family meal! Found this recipe on the Food Network site and adapted it a bit. They were great!)

1-2 heads garlic (to taste), top sliced off
2+ tablespoons olive oil
8 to 10 white potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 3 pounds)
1+ tablespoon salt
1 cup milk, warm
3/4 stick butter or margerine, softened
Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place the cut garlic bulb(2) on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Close the packet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until softened.

3. Put the cut potatoes in a large stockpot, cover with cold water, and add salt.

4. Bring to potates to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

5. Mash the potatoes (use what you have...a wooden or plastic spoon, a potato masher, potato ricer or food mill) in a mixing bowl. Whip in the warm milk and softened butter until incorporated and the potatoes are fluffy.

6. Squeeze the roasted garlic bulb(s) out of the skins adding the garlic pulp to the potatoes.

7. Beat again; season with salt and pepper.

Posted by cseeman at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2006

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cornbread Crust

This recipe was adapted from one on the Food Network Website that was on Sara's Secret show. I did not have sage so I used Rosemary (thanks to brother-in-law Steve). Also, I cooked it longer than it said to make sure if was very well cooked. It was excellent and even people who are not huge pork fans liked this.

Ingredients:

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup crumbled corn muffin
2 tablespoon bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried taragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to an oiled shallow baking pan.
4. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and cook garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in crumbs, rosemary, taragon, and salt and pepper (adjust to taste).
6. Spread mustard over pork and pat seasoned crumbs onto mustard. For the crumbs that do not fit on top, put to the side of the port.
7. Roast in middle of oven until pork is no longer red or pink. This will be around 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the tenderloin. (I believe if you had an instant-read thermometer it would register around 140 degrees F).
8. Transfer to a cutting board, then tent loosely with foil and let stand a few minutes before slicing.

Serve with red skin potatoes and canned green beans...hey you worked hard making this!

Posted by cseeman at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)