Bacon Threaded Pork Tenderloin with a Peach Jalapeno Sauce

Bacon Threaded Pork Tenderloin with a Peach Jalapeno Sauce 

Well I'm back from working up at Camp Grace so you can expect to see me posting on more often. As I have said previously, Tuesday is my day to cook dinner at home but its now Monday.
I love Pork Tenderloin! One of my Uncles (Dennis Davison) can prepare some really mouth watering tenderloin, but I think this may even rival his, ha ha.

When I walked into the grocery store this morning I really wasn't sure how I was going to prepare my Tenderloin, but i headed straight to the fruit because fruit and pork pair well together (as you can see in my Purple Pork Chops post below). Immediately my nose picked up on the sent of fresh peaches, "Yes, my first ingredient!". I grabbed 3 small-medium peaches. When I went to grab a produce bag from the dispenser I looked across the way and my eyes went to the peppers. My Mother isn't one to be too fond of a lot of heat in food so I only grabbed 2 jalapenos.

Bacon Threaded Pork Tenderloin with a Peach Jalapeno Sauce

                   - Pork Tenderloin

                   - 2 or 3 Slices of Bacon

                   - 3 Peaches (Mine were on the small side)

                   - 2 Jalapeno Peppers (Small)

                   - 1 Clove of Garlic and 1 Clove for the Rub

                   - 2 1/2 teaspoons Nutmeg and also 1 1/2 teaspoon for the Rub

                   - 1 teaspoon Cinnamon and 1 teaspoon for the Rub

             - 2/3 Cup White Grape Peach Juice Concentrate also 1 1/2 Tablespoons for the Rub

                          -(If you don't have a juice concentrate then use a larger amount and cook it down, and any white or clear juice would work)

                   - 3 Tablespoons Butter 

                                   * Please keep in mind that I rarely use measurements when I cook at home *

   

Set your oven to 380. 

In order to 'thread' the slices of bacon through the pork make small incisions throughout the tenderloin just big enough for a slice of bacon to fit through. Thread you'r tenderloin, I threaded the pork loin vertically and horizontally. l made the incisions just under an inch apart, because I threaded mine in two ways the vertical incisions were in-between the horizontal cuts. Combine all Rub ingredients and rub on the threaded loin.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet, over medium-high heat. Add garlic, spices, and juice once the butter is melted. Add one sliced peach and one sliced jalapeno to the skillet. When the peaches have began to soften turn off the heat and remove the peach and jalapeno slices. Once cooled, place the peach slices through the threads of bacon and the jalapenos into the incisions. Mine baked between 25-35 minutes it depends. Pork cooks at 20 min per pound.

I have this picture so you can see how I placed the peaches.

Turn the heat back on to your sauce and add the remaining peaches and jalapenos. When the peaches become soft set the temperature to low or simmer. Once you take your meat out of the oven make sure to let it rest for at least 10 minutes so the pork doesn't lose it's succulent juices! Once properly rested slice and enjoy with the sauce.
My Mom and I ate a piece of peach with each bite of meat.

During the last few minutes of baking I turned on my ovens convection fan to crisp the bacon and the peaches.

Certainly something i'll make again!! 

A look at a couple of slices, I loved all the different texture and flavor combinations!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

Throughout my high-school years my, in my culinary class, we made plenty Cream Cheese Pound cake. We sold them for nearly every fundraiser, we'd make them weeks before time and freeze them. The added Cream Cheese gives the crust a nice thick sweet crisp and the dense cake will melt in your mouth! we always loved eating it but near the end of each year we were a little tired of making them, haha. 

The Cake:

1(8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups white sugar

6 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 and spray the bunt pan. 

Cream the cream cheese butter and sugar together until the mixture if light and fluffy.

Add one or two of the eggs at a time so they will all be incorporated equally. 

  

Add the flour, i sifted mine to make sure there were no lumps.

Add the vanilla (i used about 2 1/2 tps).

Pour the batter into your greased bunt pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!

I always enjoy freezing mine and eating it cold!

 

Mount. Crepe Bake

Mount. Crepe Bake

 For those of you that are unfamiliar with crepes, they are basically really thin French pancakes.

They can be made to be a sweet dessert or a savory treat.

Make a crepe batter, one of your own creation or a trusted one off the web.

   i can’t recall the ratios i used to make my crepe batter, but it came out to a really nice consistency. i added some Dill Weed and Garlic Salt, just enough to make the crepe savory. i got about 7 or 8, five-six inch, crepes out of the batter i made (i was using a six inch skillet). Six layers of a Six inch skillet should feed 2 for a light breakfast and about 1 or 1 1/2 for dinner. 

Egg Mixture 1

2 eggs

Salt/Pepper

1/8 cup ranch dressing (mine was homemade, with milk, sour cream, dill weed, garlic, shredded cheddar cheese)
And also about 6 pieces of fried bacon cut into small bits and cheese wedges, enough for about 6 wedges a layer (I used Medium Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese).

Egg Mixture 2

1 egg

Salt/Pepper

1 tablespoon Milk

For this next step you’ll need a skillet that you can bake in (a baking dish will do fine also). I was able to use a cast-iron skillet. Normally I use cooking spray but with eggs I suggest using butter to oil your pan. Lay a crepe in the center of your dish. Sprinkle bacon and cheese slices over the crepe then followed by 2 table spoons of the first egg mixture. Repeat this layering until you reach the desired amount (I suggest about 5 or 6 layers). 

Once you finish your last layer pour the second egg mixture over the crepe layer mount. Bake at 375 for about 15-20 min or until it appears to be nice and golden, the base should be fluffy and look crisp.  

                                                      

Once you take it out of the oven it will be quite fluffy. Once it rests it will slightly reduce in size.

            

Here it is with my homemade ranch over the top.

It was quite good, and i'm not sure what to name it!
(the pictures are from my second time making it)

Pizza Monkey Bread.

i've made this Pizza Monkey Bread recipe a few times now and there is always someone is also asking for more! 

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp butter
2 lbs pizza dough (homemade or store bought) 
6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes or ball shredded  
48 slices of pepperoni
7 pieces of cooked bacon 
2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed for dipping

My family LOVES homemade pizza, we have it at least twice a month, so i know my way around pizza dough.

It's important to make sure your dough has had time to rise so it will be light yet sturdy enough to hold your pizza.

Melt butter and mix in garlic. Once your dough is prepared, homemade or store bought, pinch of a piece of dough about the size of a large marble. Flatten it out on a floured surface and place cheese, shredded or cubed, in the center along with your bacon or pepperoni. Fold and crimp the sides and roll in garlic butter then place in bunt pan. Repeat until all dough is used.

i sprinkled the remaining bacon and garlic butter over my monkey bread.

Cover and rest for 30 min. while oven is preheating to 400. Bake for 35 minutes the top should be nice and golden. Let it rest for a 6-7 minutes and then flip it out onto a plate or cutting board.

The crust was so crisp and tender, the cheese was gooey and stringy!  

Good stuff!

Salted Carmelita Bars Meets Homemade Ice-Cream!

i saw this recipe for these bars on another blog a few days ago and they looked so good. The combinations of salty, sweet, crunchy, and smooth compliment each other so well!

i started the salted caramel and while it cooked i started on the crumb crust/topping.

Salted Caramel
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons flour

Combine the sugar and water in a pot over medium. And as mush as you may want to don't stir it. If ice crystals develop on the side of the pot set the lid on and let the heat melt them down. Bring to a boil until the mixture turns a nice amber color and then take off the heat. Add the cream carefully. Combine the remaining ingredients and whisk.

Crumb Crust/Topping
Preheat your oven to 350
2 cups plus 
1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips with a pastry blender. i used my washed hands after a while because it was too much for my pastry blender to handle. Combine the mixture until it resembles gravel. 

Press 2/3 of the mixture into your oiled 9x13 pan and bake for 10 minutes.   

As soon as you take the crust out of the oven sprinkle the chocolate chips over the hot crust. 

  
Pour your caramel over the chocolate and crust and sprinkle the remaining third of the crust over the caramel. Now bake for 15-20 minutes!

Cut and enjoy!! Before i enjoyed mine, with a cup of milk, i let it set out for about 2 minutes so the caramel could become soft and gooey! 

The day after i made the bars i made some homemade ice-cream! It's good stuff, near the end of the churning i diced about 6 or 7 bars and tossed the bits into the soft ice-cream.

  

Purple Chops?!

When being creative in the kitchen the blending of flavors is incredibly important weather you are baking or cooking. Lucky for me i've done well with my blending of flavors and sauces (so far, at least).

 As i said in an earlier post, Tuesday is my day for cooking dinner. One Monday evening my Mom reminded me of the fact that the following day was Tuesday so i searched the freezers to see what meat i wanted to use. "...Ground beef..chicken..pork chops..beef roa..pork chops! Lets go with pork chops"! So i set them in the fridge to thaw overnight. As i laid in bed, that evening, i was searching my memory of what i had seen in the freezers/fridge. The usual..milk, butter, lunch meat, cheese, leftovers, condiments/sauces..fruit juice..etc. In my head "..well there are blueberries in the freezer, Ha"! Then it hit me! Pork blends really well with fruits. 

Reader, may i introduce you to The Purple Pork (Chops).

i've made this twice so far and my family really seems to like it.

Purple Pork Chops

Marinade and Dipping Sauce

1. 3/4 Cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. (i prefer Sonny's BBQ)
2. 1/3 Cup of Blueberries.
3. 1/3 Cup of Mango Nectar. 
4. Puree the mixture for about 10 seconds, pulsing every now and then.

Prep and Cooking

1. Use enough of the sauce so that the pork chops have the marinade on each side. You should still have plenty of uncontaminated sauce for dipping later.

Marinate for at least 2 hours.

1. Go turn your grill on!
2. Depending on the thickness of the chops your cooking time will vary, i grilled mine for about 4 or 5 minutes on each side i believe.
3. Let your chops have time to rest off of the grill, by doing this the juices of the meat will settle. If you were to cut right into the meat after pulling it off the grill the juices would run out, leaving your meat more dry rather than the nice succulent bite it should be!
4. Enjoy! i used 6-7 Pork Chops and about a tablespoon of sauce per chop. 

We All Sit For Pancit

Every Tuesday is my designated day to make dinner, but of course i help my Mom in the kitchen throughout the week.

Today for dinner i made a Filipino dish called Pancit. 

Normally when i make a dish for the first time i fallow the recipe to the letter. When/If i make it again i'll follow only the main ratios and meld the original recipe with my own creativity.

For the past 4 years, during the summer months, i had the privileged of working at a Bible Camp named Camp Grace. One of the full-time staff members is a women from the Philippines. On the weekends some of us summer staff members would hang out with her sons and play games/watch movies and such. And as the aroma of garlic and other veggies sauteing in a pan met our senses...."Mrs. Chita is making Pancit!!!"

The first time i made Pancit was a couple weeks ago and it turned out well, i used this recipe form Food.com 

• 1 (8 ounce) package rice noodles
• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/8 cup cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup green onion (optional)
  
  Directions-
   

1) In a zip lock bag, marinade the cubed chicken with the teriyaki sauce and 2 cloves of minced garlic overnight. [i didn't marinade as long and also i didn't have a lot of teriyaki so i used what i had along with:

Soy Sauce 

Worcestershire Sauce 

Liquid Smoke 

Lime Juice]

2) In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15-30 minutes, drain completely.

3) Drain the marinade off the chicken and discard the marinade.

4) In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium high heat and brown the chicken, drain and set aside. [i started with the veggies first so when i cooked the chicken it took on the flavor of the veggies] 

5) In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium high heat and saute 3 cloves of minced garlic and accent for 30 seconds.

6) Add the carrots and stir fry for about 5 minutes. [When i sauteed the carrots i used butter and after about 2 minutes i drizzled about 2 teaspoons of honey over them and added about a 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder to give them a very slight heat] 

7) Add the onions, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and stir fry until the vegetables are tender.  

After the veggies were done i moved them to a different pot so i could use their original pan for cooking chicken.

8) Add the chicken to the vegetables and continue stir frying.

9) Now add the noodles to the pot with 1/8 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of soy sauce and mix very well. 

10) Keep cooking and mixing until the noodles are tender and cooked thoroughly.

Here is the original recipe from Food.com

Now go be creative!