Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Stew in the Pressure Cooker

I'll have to admit that when I initially put all of these ingredients together, I was really nervous about what the end result would be. It reminded me of a game I used to play in the kitchen as a kid - "how many random ingredients can I mix into this bowl, and how can I make it look as inedible as possible?" I was totally wrong about this one - and I knew it as soon as the delicious aroma filled up my apartment.
Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Stew (adapted from this recipe)
1.5 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into chunks
1 T coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can of diced green chiles
2 T spicy brown mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T maple syrup
1/3 c cider vinegar
A dash of powdered ginger
1 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Seasoned salt and pepper
3-4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1. Set the electric pressure cooker to brown.
2. Saute the peppers and onion in the coconut oil until tender.
3. Add everything except the sweet potatoes and set to "stew".
4. Bring up to pressure and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the sweet potatoes.
6. Bring up to pressure and continue to cook on the "stew" setting for 10 more minutes.
Tastes great on its own. Tastes extra good with a side of sliced avocado. If you don't have a pressure cooker, the same result could likely be achieved in a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours, adding the sweet potatoes for the last hour of cooking.

Caesar Salad

The first time I had my aunt Sue's Caesar salad, I begged her for the recipe. The dressing is lemony, fresh, and super creamy. It's my husband's favorite addition to a meal.

Caesar Salad (Barefoot Contessa)

A few small modifications - halve the recipe, use 1 T mayo instead of egg, and omit the anchovies and pancetta.

Strawberry Blueberry Rhubarb Pie

I've been wanting to make this pie ever since a recipe was sent to me by a friend of the family. I'll admit, I used a store-bought crust and made a few modifications of my own, but the pie didn't last long in my house. Man, was this good.
Strawberry Blueberry Rhubarb Pie
1 package of pre-made pie crust dough from Trader Joes
2 1/2 c rhubarb, chopped
2 c strawberries, hulled and chopped
3/4 c frozen blueberries
1 3/4 c sugar
1/3 c quick-cooking tapioca (dry)
1 1/2 T unsalted butter

1. Place the rack in the middle of the oven, and in the rack just below it, place a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drippings.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F.
3. In a big bowl, combine all ingredients except the crust and butter.

4. Place one pie dough circle in the pie pan and secure the edges.
5. Pour the berry rhubarb mix into the pie pan, dot with butter, and cover with the second pie dough circle.
6. Crimp the edges of the crust and cut a few vents in the top. Make a ring of tin foil around the crust to prevent it from burning.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 10 minutes until the fruit is bubbling.
8. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 I could barely get a picture of it before it was gone!

Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches with Citrus Salad

Sunday is fancy breakfast day at our house. I had an abundance of chives to use, as well as some yummy local spinach. That day, my interpretation of spinach egg sandwiches were born. I will definitely be making these again.
Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
5 eggs, whisked well
1/2 T butter
1/4 c grated romano
1/4 c grated parmesan
1 heaping handful of fresh spinach
2 T chopped chives
2 English muffins
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat.
2. Add the eggs and stir constantly.
3. When the eggs are almost set, add the cheese, spinach and chives and mix well.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, while the eggs are cooking, toast the English muffins.
6. Lightly butter the toasted English muffin halves and top with scrambled eggs to make a sandwich.
7. Serve with leaf lettuce and citrus vinaigrette (courtesy of Bon Appetit - I used chives instead of shallots).

Goat Cheese Stuffed Grape Leaves

I am lucky enough to have a share of a local farm in Madison, and received my first mystery box of goodies this week. Some highlights - a bouquet (not a bunch, a bouquet) of chives, grape leaves, leaf lettuce, romaine, and rhubarb. I also made a quick stop at the farmer's market on Saturday and picked up some local goat cheese. I knew the grape leaves wouldn't last long in the fridge, so I cooked them up right away.
Grilled Stuffed Grape Leaves with Goat Cheese
Fresh Grape L
eaves, stems removed
Goat cheese
Chopped fresh chives
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
French bread, sliced thin

1. Lay one of the leaves flat and place a heaping spoonful of goat cheese in the middle.
2. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp of chives and salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle with a tiny drizzle (maybe even a drop) of olive oil.
4. Wrap the leaf around the goat cheese like a gift package. If you can't get the leaves to stay in place, use a little extra goat cheese to "glue" them in place.
5. Preheat a grill or grill plan over medium heat.
6. Grill the grape leaves until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
7. Serve the grape leaves on top of french bread. If you'd prefer not to eat the leaves, scoop the cheese out and serve on the bread.

Baked Halibut with Chimichurri

Before this year, I'd never really cooked with fish too often. Now that I've discovered how to do it right, I'm making it every week! This recipe made its way into my inbox from another recipe blog I follow pretty regularly. I didn't change a thing about the recipe, and was quite pleased with the results.
Baked Halibut with Chimichurri (courtesy of theKitchn.com)
I roasted up some asparagus and served it with a side of sauteed mushrooms. Yum.

Shredded Beef Tenderloin Tacos in the Pressure Cooker

I'm not particularly patient when it comes to cooking, so my slow cooker has probably been used only a handful of times in the last several years. Then, along comes the pressure cooker - I can get the same slow cooked taste in much less time. It's a gadget that I now incorporate into my meal plan each week.
I've had about some beef tenderloin in my freezer for a couple of months, and have been avoiding it for no good reason. I decided to give tacos a try, despite a quick Google search returning little to no results for using this cut of beef in a taco. My experiment churned out some incredibly tasty beef with great depth of flavor.
Shredded Beef Tacos in the Electric Pressure Cooker
2 lbs beef tenderloin cut into 4 big chunks
Olive oil
1 jar of salsa (I used Trader Joes Chipotle Salsa)
3 T coarsely chopped green garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
Corn tortillas
Garnishes: thinly sliced radishes, chopped avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream

1. Set the electric pressure cooker to brown.
2. Brown the beef on all sides in a bit of olive oil.
3. Add the salsa, garlic and jalapeno and mix well.
4. Set the pressure cooker to the stew setting, let it get up to pressure, and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Manually release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
6. Check the meat using a fork to see if it's ready for shredding. If it's not easy to pull apart with a fork, cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Set the pressure cooker to warm. One chunk at a time, shred the beef with a fork (or you can act like you're Wolverine and use something like these).
8. When it's all shredded, add it back to the liquid in the pot and stir it up.
9. Serve in a corn tortilla with desired garnish. I used my new stand mixer attachment to slice some radishes nica and thin without using the mandoline that I furiously threw away last Thanksgiving (RIP).