Pork Loin with Tomato Risotto

When I made this dish, I really felt like it was a heavier 'bring on fall' dish a month ago.

This dish is just one of our favorites here on the home front. Why? Because it's really an easy one. I use a dry rub of my own invention for the pork loin- hint, garlicky, coriander, and spicy!

Follow this recipe for perfect risotto! Perfect Risotto And only Jamie Oliver tells you "It will smell fantastic" in the middle of a recipe! Save a glass of wine for yourself.

I add sun-dried tomatoes with the onions to make this version. And don't use boiling water for the whole pot of risotto, or it will taste like bland nothing, maybe even oily bland nothing.

I am getting ready for an e-zine launch, Z-composition and a trip to see my son in Korea, so enjoy October!

Woodchuck Bourbon Pork Loin

Another '12 Days of Christmas' Food ~ Wine ~ Fun! post is all about trying an ingredient you haven't before!

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

The woodchuck could chuck as much wood as he wanted!

By the way what is a woodchuck?

On my search for the Woodchuck, I discovered a bottle of hard cider from Vermont.

Discovering it makes a delicious marinade for pork loin, well, there had to be a post written.

Admitting many Woodchucks will now suffer through consumption at this blog writers residence.

After a lengthy phone call the son of this blog writer admits to consuming Woodchuck on a regular basis, and his friends use it to marinate pork before grilling.

Where has this blog writer been?

In the kitchen, since hubby usually shops for alcohol used in cooking and consumption.

This all started when she went out to score Flat Tire beer for a cheese soup recipe.

I decided to ease my Woodchucks pain...we had a shot of bourbon added to the mix!

Throw a little in with the green beans and onions like I did, and you have a wonderful anytime meal!

See Woodchucks not only chuck wood, but they cook and like their bourbon too!

Woodchuck Bourbon Pork Loin

1- 1 1/2 pound pork loin
1 bottle of Limited Edition Woodchuck Hard Cider
1 ounce of Kentucky bourbon (a bottle I brought back this summer, Rye)

Gently clean extra silver off of loin, and pierce with fork, and then take a gallon baggie- add pork loin, 1 sliced red onion, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon paprika, salt/pepper to taste. Slightly shake bag, and seal. Refrigerate over night.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

1 pound of string/green beans clean and ends trimmed. Place into baking dish with pork loin nestled down into beans, and pour marinade over ingredients, and bake until center temperature is 165 in center. Place pork loin on plate and let rest; slice 1/4 inch pieces; place on top of beans, and spoon sauce over ingredients. Serves 4.

HINT: You may reduce pan juice; adding 1 1/2 tablespoons flour to thicken for more of a gravy, but we enjoyed the pan juice just the way it was; it was almost like eating a tender pork soup.

Oh btw, if the spouse or friend asks what smell so good when they enter the kitchen, just say "I am cooking Woodchuck", and enjoy the look on their face!

Wine-down Wednesday- Red Wines Back to Back

Merry Christmas, and Blessings to all of you! The Stellings

Go Ahead, Give Me The Bird!

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Yes go ahead, because now I am ready! I did give my fridge the bird when I looked in and realized I had ordered a rather large heirloom 'Bourbon Red' turkey, and we had no room!

This called for some meal planning and organizing. Cooking for only two people might seem like a small task, but scheduling meals around his traveling, volunteer work, open mic, and my job can be mind boggling. Bringing food home from work and cooking, well, things also begin to stack up, and my freezer space is limited.

A few suggestions for keeping up with food in the refrigerator, and freezer-

• Keep things arranged so that you can see what is available. Take foods out of the grocery bag before you place them in the freezer. (Buff- you reminded me of this on your post, and I was guilty!)
• Place smaller items in front, or to the left. Keeping the oldest items in front, and dated to insure spoiled food is not eaten (I recommend two days if not frozen ASAP). Avoid food poisoning.
  
• I color code my food by using red containers for items that need to be used in the next day or so.
• Use clear freezer purpose containers and bags, so that you can see items more clearly. Use containers that will be filled to the top pressing out as much air as possible in order to keep ice crystals from forming (warm air causes condensation, so ice crystals do not always mean freezer burn). Vacuum seal foods if possible.
• Only save what you know you will consume, and unless you have a deep freezer- do not over buy. Many food pantry's and soup kitchen welcome food donations all year long.
  
• Do not over stuff freezer; it keeps needed cold air from circulating around containers, and also might pop open when you are unaware. Avoid Food Poisoning.
  
• Rotate ingredients into new dishes, and do not be afraid to play or experiment with recipes. 
• Thaw out frozen food properly. Take them out the night before, and let sit at bottom of refrigerator and use immediately. Never let meats sit in the sink; unless you run cold water over them until thawed, and use immediately. 
  
• Keep a list (if schedule allows) of 'Food Safety and Sanitation Guidelines'' on the refrigerator door. Easily printed from the computer these guidelines help remind us to properly contain and store foods so that our families remain healthy and safe all year round! Children should begin learning this stuff early!
  

My first task was to figure out how to use up some of our left over's, even I have to be reminded of the above warnings. So, I pulled out a few things from the freezer the night before, and planned my meal. Having some pork loin ends and polenta left from my 'Pinot Noir' tasting, I decided to re-design ingredients for a brunch. An addition of eggs and truffle oil made this leftover dish an exceptional treat for our weekend meal.

Place a few ramekins, or small heat resistant bowls with a small amount of warm water in the bottom in baking dish; set in preheated 200 degree oven. In a hot skillet throw some diced apple, red onion, and olive oil; saute. Then add polenta (cooked; that has sat overnight, and set). Dicing it up into chunks you will season it with some paprika. Dice up desired pork loin ends and add; saute until pork pieces are done, and polenta is crusty brown.

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Once you have gotten the desired brown crust, you may place portions into warm ramekin. Crack an egg atop the mixture (The key is making this dish before you are ready to sit down. The egg will take about 7 minutes to set up); drizzle with truffle oil, and cover loosely with foil; place into the oven until egg is cooked to desired texture- easy, medium, or hard consistency. I like mine medium, how about you?

Now come on now...give me the bird!Or should I say my Heritage Bourbon Red Turkey...

Next year get the bird from Griggstown Quail Farm and Market, New Jersey. If you do then do not forget to 'Brine' the turkey; it makes for a juicier and more tender bird on the holiday table!