Pork Roast with Thyme and Sage

Hoirino me Thymari kai Faskomilo:

From Nancy Gaifyllia, former About.com Guide

In Greek: χοιρινό με θυμάρι και φασκόμιλο, pronounced hee-ree-NO meh thee-MAH-ree kay fahs-KOH-mee-loh


Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
Ingredients:

* 3-3 1/2 pounds of boneless pork loin
* 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
* 4 tablespoons of orange juice
* 1 cup of white wine
* 2 sprigs of thyme
* 2 sprigs of marjoram
* 2 sprigs of sage
* salt
* pepper

Preparation:

Marinade: Combine olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and white wine in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.

Rinse the meat, pat it dry, and place it in a large bowl or pan. Cut slits around the meat and insert sprigs of thyme, marjoram, and sage in the incisions. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the marinade. Cover loosely and let it stand in the marinade for 2-3 hours, turning it from time to time to make sure all sides are well marinated.

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

Transfer to an ungreased roasting pan and roast until tender and browned.

Yield: serves 4

grilled pork tenderloin with guava and habanero

Bobby Flay's, 2004, Epicurious. found this while searching for a recipe for habanero jelly, and since i have a bumper of habaneros, a bag of oranges, a pork tenderloin and always guava jelly in the fridge, i'm making this before i go to mexico. maybe in mexico too?

For the glaze:

* 1 cup guava jelly (available at Latin and Caribbean markets) or apricot jam
* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the mojo:

* 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
* 1 small red onion, finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 3 cups orange juice
* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
* 1/2 habanero chile, seeded and finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the pork:

* 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 pounds each
* 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Preparation

Make the glaze:
Whisk the ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The glaze can be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Make the mojo:
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the orange juice, lime juice, and habanero and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half. Whisk in the cilantro and cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper. (The mojo can be made a few hours in advance and set aside at room temperature.)

Make the pork:
1. Heat your grill to high. Set aside a few tablespoons of glaze for brushing the cooked pork.

2. Brush the pork with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, brushing often with the glaze, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

3. Remove the pork from the grill, brush with the reserved glaze, and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with mojo and serve immediately.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Pork-Tenderloin-a-la-Rodriguez-with-Guava-Glaze-and-Orange-Habanero-234838#ixzz12QAueF5p

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies

smitten kitchen cookies that i made last year. they are good. i liked the orange zest so there.

Adapted from Katy Sparks and Andrea Strong

I found the orange zest a little strong, as did many of the commenters on Epicurious, but Alex and the three friends I shared them with last week loved them just the way they were. I’d consider your own personal taste when making these, perhaps start with just a microplane or two of zest, and adding the rest if the batter tastes like it could use more. What, you don’t eat raw cookie batter? I’m sorry, we can’t be friends anymore.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a Silpat (nonstick baking mat). Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed, about three minutes. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a separate bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter with the mixer on low speed. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the second half. Stir in the oats, pecans, orange zest, and chocolate chips. Drop the dough, by the tablespoon, onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on a rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

marmelade cake

Marmalade Cake
Adapted from the Boonville Hotel and copied from orangette (blog)

Note: it took less than an hour. i checked it 15 minutes before an hour and it was brown, and probably done plenty earlier. also, apparently it doesn't rise much, so go ahead and fill the pan, even though it looked like it's not big enough.

You could make this cake with store-bought roasted almonds, but I like to buy them raw and toast them myself. That way, I can control how deeply they’re toasted, and they also taste fresher. If you’re short on time, you can toast them a day or two ahead. You might also want to plan ahead for preparing the citrus fruits, since boiling and cooling them takes time. (And remember to use organic oranges and lemons, since you’ll be eating the rind.) Once you’ve got the nuts and fruits ready, this cake is quick to make.

1 small to medium orange
1 lemon
6 ounces raw almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
4 large eggs, ideally at room temperature
½ tsp. table salt
1 ½ cups sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

First, get to work on the citrus. Put the orange and the lemon in a saucepan, and cover with water. (They’ll want to float. Don’t worry about it.) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, and cool.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and set a rack in the middle position. Put the almonds on an ungreased sheet pan, and bake until they look golden and smell warm and toasty, 10 to 15 minutes. (I tend to get nervous about burning them, and consequently, I always try to pull them out of the oven too soon. Don’t do that. Let them really toast.) Set aside to cool completely. When the almonds are cool, pulse them in a food processor until finely ground, the texture of coarse sand. Set aside.

Set the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9-inch round springform pan.

When the citrus is cool, cut the lemon in half, and scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Cut the orange in half, and discard the seeds. Put the lemon rind and orange halves in the food processor – there’s no need to wash it after grinding the almonds – and process to chop finely, almost to a coarse paste.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

Combine the eggs and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Fold in the flour mixture. Add the citrus, almonds, and olive oil, and beat on low speed to just incorporate. Do not overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the pan. Before serving, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Note: This cake tastes even better on the second - or even third - day, as the flavors meld and mellow. Store it at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

orange rhubarb compote

good on toast, in yogurt, topping cake...you name it. easy.

2 tbsp butter

1 lb rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp orange liquor

zest of one orange

1. Trim the Rhubarb of the ends, and split it lengthwise down the center. Cut across in 1 cm. intervals, leaving you with rough cubes of rhubarb.

2. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar and orange liquor, and orange zest, and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sugar coated rhubarb. Let this cook over a medium heat, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. When the rhubarb has started to release juices, gently stir.

3. Continue cooking the compote over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices are all released, then begin to thicken. Cooking time is about 10 to 15 minutes total, until the compote looks thick and the rhubarb is tender.

Notes:

* I set a timer last time I made it, just for you, and it took 13 minutes and 17 seconds until the desired texture and thickness was reached. This time will depend on the size of your rhubarb pieces, the particular heat of “medium” on your stove, etc, etc, etc. So use your intuition.

* Many of the cubes will break down from cooking, but some of the larger ones will remain as little tender lumps, offering bursts of tart rhubarb flavor in the mouth, and a pleasant texture on the tongue. If you like, you can break all the rhubarb apart with aggressive stirring, using the spoon to break the rhubarb up. You might even puree it and pass it through a sieve if you are looking for a smooth compote. But the less you stir, the more chunks you will leave intact.

pan roasted shrimp with corn cakes

Ingredients

1. 1 cup fresh or frozen baby lima beans
2. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3. 1/4 cup minced onion
4. 6 garlic cloves—2 minced, 4 sliced
5. 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
6. 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme, plus 4 thyme sprigs
7. 1 1/2 packed cups of crumbled corn bread (6 ounces)
8. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 1 large egg, beaten
11. All-purpose flour, for dusting
12. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
13. 3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, cut into thin strips
14. 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
15. 1 Thai chile, minced
16. 1 cup fresh orange juice
17. 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
18.

Directions

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lima beans and cook until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, minced garlic and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a medium bowl and add the lima beans, chopped thyme and corn bread. Stir in the buttermilk and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg. Using lightly moistened hands, form the mixture into 6 cakes, about 1 inch thick. Dust the cakes with flour and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until chilled.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet. Dust the cakes with flour again. Add them to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the cakes to plates and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the pancetta and cook over high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sliced garlic and thyme sprigs and cook until the garlic is lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Season the shrimp with salt and add to the skillet along with the Thai chile. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are slightly curled and pink, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice and zest and cook until the juice is slightly reduced and the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute. Discard the thyme sprigs and swirl in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the cakes and serve right away.


Make Ahead

The corn cakes can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated overnight.

Cafe Brulot

It's fun to make a dramatic spectacle by making and serving Café Brulôt at the end of a magnificent Creole meal, with special Brulôt bowls, ladles and cups. If you don't have all the fancy gear, don't despair ... a chafing dish, bent-handled ladle (to keep you from burning all the hair off your arms) and demitasse cups work wonderfully. I learned to make this from Joe Cahn, at the New Orleans School of Cooking, who emphasizes the flourish when making this.

* 8 ounces good brandy
* 4 ounces Grand Marnier, Cointreau, good triple sec or any orange-flavored liqueur
* 8 teaspoons dark brown sugar
* 16 curls orange peel *
* 16 curls lemon peel *
* 10 whole cloves
* thin slice of butter
* ground cinnamon
* 4 cups strong New Orleans coffee & chicory (Union, Community, French Market, et al.)

[* -- This, and only this, may be prepared ahead of time in the kitchen. The best way to remove the orange and lemon peel is with a potato peeler; then julienne the pieces of peel. Alternately, and more dramatically, peel the orange and the lemon very carefully, so that you get one long continuous spiral of peel from each.]

Bring your ingredients out into the living room, dining room or wherever your guests are eating. Into a wide mouthed chafing dish over sterno, dramatically free pour brandy and Grand Marnier. Add the sugar, orange and lemon peels, whole cloves and butter while telling the appropriate good stories.

When the butter begins to melt and the mixture begins to simmer, light by filling a bent-handled ladle with the mixture, ignite the mixture in the ladle, holding directly over the flame, and then pouring the lighted mixture into the rest of the Brulôt. (If you're brave, you can hold the ladle a few feet above the pot and pour in a flaming stream, and if you're really brave, if you've cut long continuous strips of peel, let one of them dangle from the ladle and pour the flaming stream along the peel ... it looks great! Have someone standing by with a fire extinguisher in case you screw up.)

After having sung a few voodoo chants and/or appropriate flowery patter, sprinkle some "magic voodoo dust" (okay, cinnamon) into the flames with a flourish. They'll sparkle, all orange and pretty, within the blue alcohol flame. Add coffee to extinguish and serve. Use a Brulôt ladle if you have one; it'll strain out the cloves and peel; otherwise, pour through a strainer. Serve in Brulôt or demitasse cups.

orange chicken

* 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (4 pounds if buying bone-in)
* 6 oranges, peeled and seeded, coarsely chopped (or 2-3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice)
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 of a 7-ounce-can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
* 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
* 1 Tbsp fresh marjoram leaves (or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried of either)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* Chopped fresh parsley and orange slices for garnish

Method

1 In a blender or food processor, combine the chopped oranges, onion, chipotle in adobo, garlic, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and salt. Pulse a few times to make a coarse purée.

2 Put boneless chicken thighs between two sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat hammer until an even thickness of about 1/2-inch. Combine the chicken pieces and the orange marinade together either in a bowl or in a ziplock freezer bag. Refrigerate overnight.

3 Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pan on medium high heat. Remove chicken pieces from the marinade, wiping off excess (but not all) marinade. Working in batches, cook the chicken pieces for 5 minutes on each side.

Serve over rice or Spanish rice.