Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Happy Monday everyone!  The Cirque show Chris and I went to with friends on Saturday was really fun!  The Cirque acrobats were very impressive!  We went to a nice dinner at Latitude 41 and then out to a piano bar after, talk about a fun packed Saturday night!  Quick local shoutout, if you are looking for a nice place in downtown Columbus that's moderately priced, farm to table menu I would definitely give Latitude 41 a look.  I had the mushroom risotto with a pear salad, both of which were delicious.  All parties at our table were incredibly pleased with our dishes as well as cocktails. 

Two weekends ago Chris and I didn't have a whole lot going on so we took advantage, got some R & R and tried some new recipes!  As Chris will attest I'm not the greatest at "do nothing weekends", I have a tendency to plan lots of stuff for our "do nothing" time.  This was no exception, I made two new wreaths for upcoming seasons, tried a new grilled pork tenderloin recipe, caught up on one of my favorite shows: Weeds, and prepped a stew for lunches.

My finished wreaths, one for Valentine's Day and one for Superbowl!

I got the pork recipe from watching Symon's Suppers on the Cooking Channel.  I'm a big fan of Michael Symon, Cleveland boy that promotes the city whenever he can and has great recipes, what's not to love!?  We wanted to give a new recipe a try and agreed this one sounded good (we decided to forgo the mustard fruit as that didn't quite appeal to us and seemed like more fuss than necessary).

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 2 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- pork tenderloin, cleaned and silver skin removed (typically these come in a pack of two tenderloins, since we were only cooking for two we just made one and froze the other)

Instructions:
- Clean tenderloin, meaning cut off any excess fat and remove silver skin (this is a good demonstration of cleaning the tenderloin that I found if you need help).
- To toast and grind your coriander and cumin seeds you put them in a small pan on the stove on medium heat, once they get fragrant and warm you can grind them.  You can use a mortar and pestle but if you are like me and don't own a set then you can put the seeds onto aluminum foil, fold it into a little pocket and grind them with a rolling pin or other heavyish object.
- Whisk together cilantro, mustard, coriander, cumin, salt, paprika, lime juice and zest.

- Coat the tenderloin with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap or seal in a plastic bag and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill pork to your liking, Chris and I did as Symon's recipe said and went for just under medium, 3 to 4 minutes per side for about 20 minutes or more.

- Let rest for 7 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

- Slice, serve and enjoy!

You can add fresh arugula and a drizzle of olive oil on top if you'd like but we liked it just the way it was.  I paired it with salad on the side with a homemade honey mustard dressing and steamed asparagus.  We both had about three pieces and had enough leftovers for a couple lunches.  You could probably cube your leftovers and turn them into good BBQ pork sandwiches or use it to top a salad.

The picture makes it look very underdone but its actually cooked through, if pink makes you squeamish then cook for longer.

On the Chris rating scale (see previously explained scale here) this one got a "this is good, let's make it again" although we both agreed we'd like to cook it better.  It was very tastey we just haven't had much experience grilling a tenderloin.

Up next I cooked the other tenderloin in the two pack yesterday and made it into Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork Sliders with Broccoli Slaw so I'll share that with you.  I'll also be sharing some soup recipes that have been keeping our tummies warm during these frigid temps!  One great thing about chilly Sundays is turning up some good tunes in the kitchen (The Music of Nashville Soundtrack is currently my favorite) and churning out some good food!  

Cheers!
Steph

Limoncello!

Well friends I either have entirely too much time on my hands or this chilly weather has got me feeling too cooped up and itching for projects.  I decided to give making homemade limoncello a try!  My Daddy is a big fan of limoncello and coincidentally we celebrated his birthday this week!  He happened to be in Columbus for work so my Mom drove down and surprised him at dinner with us!

Like I said, big fan!

A little throwback to the younger years.  Still the best Daddy a girl could have!

So here's how this cocktail idea came about.  Last month I was at the liquor store I happened to have some limoncello in my basket for my Daddy (he loves Tessora), when the cashier told me one of their regular customers (pause, the fact that she didn't recognize me anymore as one of their "regulars" was downright offensive, I practically kept their business afloat during my kickball seasons!  Not to mention I felt like the owner's next of kin for awhile there!) anyways, one of their other regulars was telling her how he and his wife make their own limoncello as well as their own wine.  Now I wasn't as intrigued on the wine front, my aunt and uncle make it and I have no desire to try and tackle that beast just yet.  But the limoncello?  Hmmm my little cocktail loving brain started turning its gears!  I knew once I got back to the computer I had to look up a how to, of course Pinterest is where I landed!

I started doing my research, some recipes were calling for grain alcohol and vodka, some just called for just grain alcohol, some just called for vodka.  One thing that did remain consistent was try to use organic lemons if possible and avoid getting pith (the white stuff in between the peel and the lemon fruit) in it because that will make it bitter.  Some said to use a veggie peeler, some said use a microplane zester.  But the long and short of it was you use lemon peel, alcohol, and simple syrup to make this little concoction.  The catch is that its a lengthy process (up to 7 weeks!).

At first I set about my limoncello journey thinking I would have to use the vodka recipe as I was under the guise that Everclear could not be purchased in Ohio.  I went to Kroger (which also has a liquor store inside of it, hello awesome!) for my supplies (lemons and vodka).  As I was perusing the vodka I look up to a complete surprise on the top shelf: Everclear!  This shortened my original vodka process by 3 weeks!  I was just giddy, thinking of how I could package it up as gifts for the holidays!  But then I checked myself a little and decided I should just experiment first so before I give to others I'll have it mastered!

Limoncello

Ingredients:
- 10 organic lemons
- 1 bottle (750mL) high proof alcohol (Everclear or you can use a high proof vodka, try for anything higher than 100 proof)
- 3 c. water
- 2 c. sugar 
- you'll need a large sealable jar, as well as some bottles to put the finished product in!

So start by washing your lemons thoroughly.

Then take a microplane grater and zest all of the lemons, be mindful not to include any pith (the white stuff between the fruit and the skin).

With the leftover lemons you can slice them and freeze them, juice them and freeze it or put it in the fridge for cooking uses.  I juiced most of mine and froze the juice in ice cube trays then popped them out and put them in a freezer bag.  When I need fresh lemon juice for cooking I take a few cubes out and use those.

Put the lemon zest in your jar, then pour in your Everclear.

Seal the jar and let it sit for at least three weeks (if using vodka let sit for at least six weeks) in a cool, dark place. 

Three weeks later it should look like this.

You'll see the alcohol will have taken on the yellow color from the lemon.  The lemon zest will have turned white and brittle, leave it in the jar with the lemon infused alcohol.

Next, you make the simple syrup.  In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil, pour in the sugar, when the sugar completely dissolves take pan off of heat and let cool.

Once simple syrup is cooled to room temperature pour in to lemon infused alcohol.  Stir it up, seal jar and put back away for at least a week.

After a week or more, strain limoncello with either a fine sieve or use cheesecloth over a strainer.

Then strain it again as you funnel it into bottles, you want to make sure you strain out all that zest so your finished product is clear.

There you have it, homemade limoncello!  Store it in the freezer or back in a cool, dark place.  Serve in chilled cordial glasses for a great after dinner drink!

It turns out it's a good thing I didn't give these as gifts.  It ended up being some pretty high test stuff!  Although the sweetness was spot on and the lemon flavor was great there was still too much of an after burn and not enough smoothness for my tastes.  Daddy and Chris said it was fine for sipping but I didn't much care for it.  I imagine it would be good in a lemon drop martini or limoncello lemonade.  So it's back to the test kitchen for me!

 Hope you enjoy this cocktail creation!  Tonight Chris and I are seeing a Cirque show with friends, this is a first for me so I'm very excited!  Next I'll share a great pork tenderloin recipe we tried last weekend along with some crafts I made!

Cheers!
Steph

Winter Warm Up!

Happy Monday everyone!  Did last week drag for everyone or was it just me?  Somehow I didn't even get around to blogging!  Seems like things moved at a rather glacial pace.  Speaking of glaciers, how about a themed cocktail to spice things up?!  Today I'll be sharing one of my favorite winter cocktails, the Glacier Martini!  Plus I tried a new dip recipe that is sure to please your next party crowd!

I started making this Glacier Martini a couple years ago when I saw it on Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee.  Who doesn't want to be like that woman?!  Themed tablescapes, easy dishes and entertaining and of course the matching themed cocktails, talk about my kind of cooking show host!  Anyways, I saw this recipe and gave it a try that following New Years Eve, it was a hit!  Over the years as my tastes have changed I've done some tweaking to it but over all its still a hit each New Years.  This year we didn't have any hosting plans for New Years so this fun drink was never made.  Well I decided I couldn't let too much time pass or else it wouldn't be nearly as festive!  With Superbowl and Valentine's Day then St. Patty's right around the corner the Glacier Martini is almost a must for January!  Plus it matches my winter decor after all the Christmas stuff is put away!

Glacier Martini

Ingredients:
- 1.5 parts Citrus or Vanilla vodka
- 1 part Hpnotiq liqueur (This is a light blue fruity liquor that really makes the drink festive!  If you prefer your drink sweeter add more of this.)
- splash 7up or Sprite

Instructions:
- In a shaker or pitcher over ice, mix all ingredients (careful when shaking with 7up, it's carbonated!)
- Strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Enjoy!

Now for the Jalapeno Popper Dip!  I've actually had this a couple times before courtesy of my great friend Emily (see blog post about her here) but I had never made it myself till now.  This is usually quite the crowd pleaser, I split it to take to two things this week: Friday happy hour and Girls night.  It's pretty easy once you locate all the ingredients at your local store (am I the only one that still wonders around Meijer like I have no clue where things are?).

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Ingredients:
- 2 pkgs. cream cheese (softened)
- 1 c. mayonnaise
- 1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese
- 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella
- 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles (drained)
- 4 oz. can of chopped jalapenos (drained)
- 1 c. Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- cooking spray

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheeses, chiles and jalapenos together until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix Panko and Parmesan together with a fork.
- Spread dip mixture into the bottom of a baking pan (preferably 9x9 but I used two smaller ones as I was taking it two places).
- Sprinkle breadcrumb and cheese mixture on top, spray with cooking spray.
- Place in oven until bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Serve with tortilla chips, veggies or crusty bread slices.

Well I hope these goodies spice up any winter doldrums you may have!  This weekend Chris and I took the weekend to relax (so relaxed that I had zero time to catch up on blogging!).  I worked on some crafts and he had some work things to take care of.  PLUS Showtime was offering a free preview weekend so I took full advantage and caught up on episodes of one of my favorite shows, Weeds.  This week I'll show you my finished crafts and some new recipes I made on Sunday.

Cheers!
Steph

2012 in review!

Happy New Year friends!  In the spirit of the season I thought it'd be kind of fun to share with you a recap of the last year!

In 2012 we.....

Celebrated four amazing couples on their wedding days!

Steve & Danielle

Alex & Flori

Ben & Ashley

Matt & Shawn

Traveled to see friends and family!

Chicago!

Smith Mountain Lake, VA

Detroit!

Marco Island, FL

Went to some amazing concerts!

Lady Antebellum

Rascal Flatts

Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan

Zac Brown Band

Miranda Lambert

O.A.R.

Participated in The Color Run!

Went to my first outdoor hockey game!

Ohio State v. Michigan hockey at Progressive Field in Cleveland

Tried new things!

I've started to broaden my foodie horizons and took a liking to sushi.  Now this violates my no seafood rule but like I said I'm broadening my horizons!  Not only can I now say I like (some) sushi but with the help of my new Sushezi I got for Christmas I can make it as well! 

Sushi!

I joined Title Boxing Club which features cardio boxing classes.  Chris got me started with my membership for my birthday and included some snazzy pink gloves!

Gloved up and ready to go!

I think the most notable new thing I tried this year was starting my blog!  Thank you to all who keep up with my little corner of cyberspace!  In my (very novice) blogging journey I've come to learn so much and tried many recipes I wouldn't have given second thought if I didn't have you to share them with!

Moved (again) to a townhouse!

Bought a new car!

Acquired some new bling!

Chris proposed on 12.14.12!

Well there you have it!  2012 has been filled with excitement and many, many blessings!  I can't wait to share what will hopefully be an equally exciting and blessed 2013!

I hope you had a safe and happy start to the new year!  Chris and I tackled taking down our Christmas trees yesterday, our living room looks so empty now but we came to the conclusion that we wouldn't have much time in the coming weeks so might as well get it over with.  I didn't get to make my usual NYE cocktail but I promise to share it soon!

Cheers!
Steph