One of my neighbors recently had a baby so I helped coordinate some meals to take to the family. They are eating Gluten Free for health reasons so I scoured the internet looking for a gluten free main dish and decided on this herb marinated pork from Ina Garten. Not only is it simple, the ingredients are easy to find. I ate a teeny slice of this just so I could try it and it was very juicy. The marinade, made up of lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, and mustard shines through. It also showed me that Gluten Free really isn't that difficult and doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on flavor!
Gluten Free Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Modified From Ina Garten
Printable Version
Ingredients
Zest of half a lemon
Juice of one lemon
Olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb pork tenderloin
Directions
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, mustard, and a sprinkle of salt in a one gallon resealable bag. Add the pork and turn to coat with the marinade.
Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pork from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a couple of tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10 - 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. Transfer the pork to a platter and cover tightly with foil. Allow to rest for ten minutes. Carve in 1/2 inch diagonal slices. Season with salt and pepper (if desired) and serve warm at room temperature.
My good friend and neighbor Jess let me borrow her new favorite cookbook, The Homesick Texan. Jess is from Texas and loves to cook Texas style food. Hubby and I have greatly benefited from this being her neighbor! Jess brought over a bite of these green beans one night after she made them and they were so good I asked to borrow the cookbook soon after to make them for myself. With the crunch of pecans and the flavor of cilantro, this recipe is a deliciously easy way to spruce up your green beans.
Green Beans with Cilantro Pesto
From The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 pound fresh or frozen green beans, preferably long and thin
1 ½ cups cilantro leaves
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 serrano chile, seeds and stems removed and roughly chopped (I omitted this)
¼ cup roasted pecans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Directions
In a blender or food processor mix together the cilantro, olive oil, garlic, chile, pecans, and lemon juice until a paste is formed. Add salt to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until bright green, about five minutes. Drain and run cold water over the green beans to stop them from cooking any longer. Return to beans to the pot and toss with the cilantro pesto. Add salt to taste.
Please don't call the blogger police. I know it's not Monday. In fact, here in Japan it's Wednesday evening. But I know you'll forgive me for calling this a Meatless Monday meal when you see it and even more when you give it a try. Creamy avocado is the base for this nice thick sauce. It's blended with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and basil. So simple, so fresh, so meatless and yummy. The original recipe calls for gluten free pasta, but I'm not into all that (are you getting ready to call the police again?) so I went with whole wheat pasta instead. Oh and I forgot to highlight that this meal only takes 15 minutes to get on the table and into your belly. What could be better??
15 Minute Avocado Pasta
From Oh She Glows
Printable Version
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 medium sized ripe avocado, pitted
1/2 lemon juiced with lemon zest to garnish
2 - 3 garlic cloves depending on how garlicky you like your food
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 servings (6 ounces) of your favorite pasta
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
Bring several cups of water to a boil and add in your pasta. Cook according to package directions. Meanwhile make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into the base of a food processor. Process until smooth and add in the avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
Drain and rinse pasta and place into a large bowl. Pour on the sauce and toss until throughly combined.
Garnish with lemon zest, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Serve and eat immediately - this dish does not reheat!
I had never looked for, nor purchased, nor touched an anchovy before this recipe. In fact, anchovies completely weird me out. Just the thought of them make my stomach a little queasy. But this blog is called Ashley's Cooking Adventures and Alton Brown's Tapenade recipe calls for anchovies, so gosh darn it I had to conquer my fears.
They are a little hairier and slimier than I expected and for all the build up around these little guys, I only needed one in my recipe. One. So now I have a can of anchovies in my fridge. Every day, every single time I open the fridge I have to look at them because I can't be wasteful and just throw them out but I also can't think of another use for them (besides pizza, blech!). Do you cook with anchovies and if so, what do you use them for?
This tapenade is worth the anchovy efforts. It's tangy, salty, and on a piece of bread it will make you think you're in Southern France (even if you're on a small island in the East China Sea).
Olive Tapenade
From Alton Brown
Makes about 1 cup
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 pound pitted mixed olives (since I don't have access to a variety olives I just used Kalamata)
1 anchovy fillet, rinsed
1 small clove of garlic
2 fresh basil leaves (I used my frozen fresh basil)
1/2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Throughly rinse the olives in cool water. Place all ingredients together in the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides. Pulse again until mixture becomes a coarse paste, about 1 minute total.
Transfer to a bowl and serve with sliced bread or crackers.
Hubby and I are FINALLY in our new home in Okinawa and have been busy unpacking and getting settled the past week. When our household goods arrived I dove right in and unpacked our kitchen items first (of course!). Wow, having my own dishes, pots, pans, and cooking utensils have made me feel so much more at home here. Since I haven't had a lot of time to cook I have been choosing recipes that are quick and simple like these pan seared shrimp. The original recipe calls for fresh parsley, which I didn't have, but it would have been the perfect compliment to the butter, garlic, and lemon sauce. I think cilantro would also be excellent too. Served on top of toasted pine nut couscous this was a filling and fast dinner.
Pan Seared Shrimp with Garlic Lemon Butter
From Food.com
Serves 4
Printable Version
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 medium garlic clove, minced (I used 2 teaspoons store bought minced garlic)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp (21-25 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Directions
Beat butter with a fork in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Meanwhile toss shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar in a bowl.
Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and the edges turn pink, about 1 minute on the first side then flip and heat about 30 seconds on the other side.
Remove from heat using tongs and transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining shrimp and oil. Then return the first batch of shrimp to the pan along with the flavored butter and toss to combine. Serve hot over couscous, rice, or even lettuce to make a nice salad.
