Tilapia Baked with Cannellini Beans and Black Olives

Tilapia has been around since 1500 B.C. ~ it's not surprising then that the fish has history connected to the Bible.  It has been fished in the Sea of Galilee for thousands of years.   

Supposedly the fish that was caught by St. Peter was thought to have been tilapia.  This is one reason why the fish is also known as "St. Peter's fish" and is separated from meat according to Lenten standards.

Here's why most cooks like tilapia:  it's inexpensive, easy to prepare, widely available and "goes with everything."  It's also a good source of protein and has a low to moderate fat content.  It tastes pretty good too. 

Baked Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

It may be Spring according to the calendar, but by looking around outside now, it's still Winter for sure ~ thanks to the sleet/snow/wind combo over the weekend, we have another 3" snow on the ground yet again...

Because of the above, it's not grilling season here yet, so our chicken kabobs came from the oven.

Chicken with Grape Chutney

Why not make some chutney?  It is the perfect accompaniment to chicken ~ there’s something about the delicious way sweet and sour chutney balances out the flavor of savory chicken. 

This recipe is from my Cooking Light cookbook.  It calls for both green and red grapes.  I knew from making Roasted Italian Sausage with Grapes, that it makes no difference in taste or color, which grape is used, so I used only green grapes.  I then added crushed red peppers to the mix for a little heat.  

I really like this recipe, and am looking forward to the next time I make it with chicken straight from the grill.  It will be delicious!

Chicken with Grape Chutney

Adapted

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon crushed red peppers

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups seedless green grapes

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

In skillet over medium-high heat, add oil.

When hot, add chicken breasts.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sauté until golden brown and juices run clear, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in grapes; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick.

Serve chicken with chutney on the side.

It is delicious!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!

Bourbon-Soaked Pork Tenderloin with Brown Sugar Honey Glaze ~ a Cookbook ~ and Distilleries

If you like a lingering bourbon flavor in meat, you will have to use this marinade the next time you prepare pork.  The bourbon flavor comes through just enough to notice but not enough to overpower the meat.

One of my very favorite Southern cookbooks is The New Low-County Cooking by Marvin Woods.  The jacket liner of his cookbook says, “There’s a whole world of flavor packed into an eighty-plus-square-mile area surrounding the cities of Charleston and Savannah.  It’s called the Low Country of South Carolina.”   

It’s a great area to visit for cuisine and beautiful scenery.  Marvin Woods transforms standards into updated dishes, which leads to this recipe for Bourbon-Soaked Pork Tenderloin.  Actually, his recipe is intended for pork chops but I had pork tenderloin and used it instead.  

The marinade in this recipe is a super tenderizer for the pork with the end product being tender and succulent.  If you are apprehensive about using bourbon, substitute it with apple, cranberry or grape juice, sparkling cider, vegetable or chicken broth.  

After the pork marinates for 36 hours or so, it can go on the grill, as Woods does, or in the oven, my way.  Then brush it several times with the Brown Sugar Honey Glaze while roasting.  

Bourbon is really the only distinct American spirit, according to Woods, with most of it coming from Kentucky.  I know that for a fact as I grew up in Louisville, and there are countless distilleries in the surrounding area.  Check out this post that was made just after I began blogging. 

I learned a lot about bourbon as a great family friend was a Federal inspector over-seeing many distilleries ~~~ he had so many stories for us and samples too, in unlabeled bottles!

Bourbon-Soaked Pork Tenderloin with Brown Sugar Honey

 1 (2 pounds) boneless pork tenderloin

Bourbon marinade

Brown Sugar Honey Glaze

For the bourbon marinade:

1 cup bourbon

¾ cup orange juice

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

In medium bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients.

Place the tenderloin in a deep baking dish.

Pour the marinade mixture over the pork, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 36 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove from refrigerator and place in roasting pan.

Roast pork for about 40 minutes or until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 160 degrees.

During the last 10 minutes, brush with the Brown Sugar Honey Glaze several times.

Brown Sugar Honey Glaze:

¾ cup honey

¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Marv Spice*

Method:

In a saucepan, combine the honey and brown sugar and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. 

Stir in all the remaining ingredients.

Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Marvin Woods:  This flavorful sauce with an Asian accent can be used in place of most barbecue sauces.  I especially like it on spare ribs, pork and lamb.

*Recipe for Marv Spice:

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon celery salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until combined.

Store in airtight container for up to 6 months.

Marvin Woods:  I use this spice mixture in my macaroni and cheese as well as in fish, chicken and meat dishes that I feel can use a touch of inspiration.

This is especially delicious for all you pork and bourbon lovers!

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda, at My Kind of Cooking!  She’s hosting a great giveaway now ~ one of her cookbooks and cute kitchen towels.

Chicken Puttanesca with Fettuccine

The delicious, piquant sauce in this dish goes wonderfully with chicken that is sautéed first then allowed to simmer in the sauce to absorb all the flavors.  The pungent tastes of the Mediterranean mingle well in this good dish.

Chicken Puttanesca is one of my favorite Italian pasta dishes!  This recipe is a quick variation of the dish using bottled pasta sauce with the requisite capers, olives and red pepper making it a savory puttanesca with a little heat.  Next time, I will be trying this tangy sauce with shrimp or a whitefish.

This is a perfect dinner for these cool fall evenings.  You can make dinner in a flash with this great homey recipe that is a wonderful company dish also!  It is truly delicious and I hope you try it!

 

Chicken Puttanesca with Fettuccine

Ingredients:

8 ounces fettuccine

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless

2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced

2 teaspoons capers

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt

Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Cut chicken in 1” pieces.  Add to skillet.

Cook chicken until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Stir in pasta sauce, garlic, olives, caper and peppers; bring to a simmer.

Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently.

Arrange pasta on dinner plates.

Top with chicken mixture.

Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings

It is delicious!!!  ENJOY!!! 

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and the 4 cookbooks she's giving away!

Noodles with Snow Peas and Red Pepper Strips

Do you like egg noodles?  I always enjoy them with just a little butter, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Then, I cooked this version and it bowled me over. 

Egg noodles are not the stars of the pasta world.  They don’t have the flair of rigatoni, the temptation of spaghetti nor the figure of farfalle. They are just a plain, sturdy noodle to be doctored up in a casserole or jazzed up in a side dish like this, to become a trusty addition for completing a meal.

Isn’t it a colorful side dish also?  The snow peas with the red pepper make it a delicious, spicy side dish to about any meat.  This is a great dish that I think you would enjoy!

Noodles with Snow Peas and Red Pepper Strips

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup red bell pepper strips

1 cup julienne-cut snow peas

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Method:

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet.

Add bell pepper strips and remaining ingredients.

Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add noodles to skillet and toss; heat thoroughly.

4 servings

ENJOY!!!

There’s still time to enter the $65 CSN giveaway I posted on Sept. 15^th!  It closes tonight at midnight, central time.  The drawing is tomorrow, Sept. 28^th.  Good luck!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and the 4 cookbooks she's giving away!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin

We really enjoy roasted pork tenderloin.  It’s versatile, easy and makes a good and easy dinner.

This one is a spicy dish packed with a combination of delicious flavors, thanks to Dijon mustard, orange juice, honey, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and lots of pepper.  It smelled sweet as it was roasting and I was afraid it would taste sweet ~ never fear, it turned out wonderfully with no sweet taste, just spicy goodness!  Love the aroma of the fennel!

Pork tenderloin is always a good choice when trying to come up with a meal that will please most people.  It reminds us of Mom’s great home cooking and the great flavors in this one will bring you a smile from everyone at your dinner table!

SPICY PORK TENDERLOIN

Ingredients:

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of ground allspice

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 pounds pork tenderloin

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients.

Place the meat on a roasting pan and brush some sauce over it.

Bake until thermometer registers 160 degrees, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Slice and serve.

ENJOY!

It’s spicy and delicious!!!

Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Bubba did it again!

I posted Alice’s (my MIL) summer sausage recipe back on February 16^th and I just have to post the updated version of it now.

Bubba has been working on this recipe for a while now ~ he has tweaked it way up several notches into an amazingly delicious spicy sausage.  You may remember how he loves hot spicy food but, this one does not have as much heat as the others.  (See Bubba’s recipes on the right side-bar under “labels.”)  This summer sausage is pungent with all the garlic powder and mustard seed ~ it will keep those vampires at bay.

 Bubba, 1971, almost 3 years old

It looks like it might be a lot of work as it’s spread out over so many days but, it’s not!  It just requires a little mixing each day with a long oven time on the final day.  And then you have it, freshly made summer sausage from YOUR very own kitchen.  It’s a wonderful thing!

If you enjoy summer sausage and have never tried making it yourself, you must make this!  I guarantee you will not be buying it from a store again!  It’s that delicious!!!

See updated version here:    

Bubba’s Summer Sausage

Ingredients:

4.25 pounds ground beef ~ 80%

4 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Cure

1 tablespoon, mustard seed, mounded

3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

3 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (hickory)

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

Method:

Mix all ingredients with your hands thoroughly, even knead it like bread.

Cover and refrigerate.

For each of the next 4 days, prior to baking, knead until meat starts to warm up, about 10 minutes.

Day 2:  Knead and refrigerate.

Day 3:  Knead and refrigerate.

Day 4:  Knead again and refrigerate.

Day 5:  Divide into 4 logs and place on broiler pan.

Bake at 180 degrees for 9 hours, turning every couple of hours.

Meat will appear red when fully cooked.

Transfer sausages onto a wire rack over a pan to drain excess fat.

Place in refrigerator until cool.

Slice and serve.

Give this a try ~ it’s the best!

Spicy Cooked Cabbage

Let’s talk cabbage!  OK, cooked cabbage doesn’t take a pretty picture and it can surely emit a stinky aroma throughout your house if cooked poorly.

My love affair with cabbage started many years ago, whether it was raw or cooked.  It’s cheap, it’s subtly sweet, it’s aromatic, it’s tasty and it’s filling.  

Unfortunately, it gets a bum rap even though it is filled with vitamins A, C and E, is high in fiber, low calorie and fat free.  Maybe it is not only because it isn’t pretty but because some people tend to over-cook it into a mushy grey mess.

For best results, cabbage should be thinly sliced and cooked a short amount of time; thereby, reducing the unpleasant odor.  The longer it cooks, the stronger it smells.  

There is a ton of ways to cook it:  in a noodle dish, as a soup, as a salad, sauerkraut, egg rolls, stuff it, but my favorite is just simply cooked, adding a few spices and served.  I especially love the caraway seeds with it and the smoked paprika not only gives it great flavor, it adds great coloring also!

Cabbage shines when it is cooked properly or not at all! 

Spicy Cooked Cabbage

Ingredients:

1 small head cabbage

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

¼-½ teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1/8-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Chop cabbage into approximately 1” pieces.

Place cabbage in large pan, add a small amount of water, bring to a boil.

Lower heat to a simmer.

Cook for about 8 minutes.

Drain well.

Add olive oil and remaining ingredients.

Serve

That’s some tasty cabbage!