Pork Milanese

Tonight I stole a recipe from ellysaysopa.vox.com
I love the new twist on pork tenderlion, I am used to just roasting it or putting it on the BBQ, this was GREAT!


The whole dish is pork tenderloin milanese with tomato topping & parmesan orzo. My husband loved it & it will be a "company" dish.

Pork Tenderloin Milanese
1 pork tenderloin = 1lb
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded parm or I used the Kraft mixture of Asiago & Parmesan
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Combine the breadcrumbs & cheese in a shallow bowl.
Slice the tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick medallions. Pound the tenderloins until they are a 1/4 inch thick with a mallet. Season with Salt & Pepper
In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil.
Dip the thin slices in the egg then in the bread crumbs. Place into the hot pan & cook until pork is done. I had to do this in batches b/c I had a lot of pork. So I set the oven to 200 degrees to keep the ones that warm that were finished first.

Tomato Topping
1 14.5 oz can of tomatoes, diced
1 small onion diced
2-3 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
About 5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil.
Add onions & cook until clear. Then add the garlic until you can smell it.
Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar.
Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
I made this about 30-40 minutes before we actually ate so that all the spices would fuse together.

Parmesan Orzo
8 oz Orzo
2 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese or mixture

Heat the butter until melted. Add garlic & saute.
Stir in orzo. Coat with butter and toast slightly.
Stir in chicken broth & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until orzo is done. I ran out of chicken broth before the orzo was done so I added 1 more cup of chicken broth.
Remove from heat & add cheese.

Fondue Night

Sarah inspired me to use my fondue pot! After a long weekend of drinking & eating all that meat at the BBQ a vegetarian meal sounded perfect. I have had the fondue pot for over a year now & this is the first time I busted it out!

I used Sarah's Cheese Please recipe:Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch® dressing
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Paprika, optional
Sliced green onion, optional
Dipper Ideas: Thick Pennsylvania-style pretzels, Toasted garlic bread, Apples or pears, Saltine crackers, Favorite veggies (celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers)
Preparation Prep Time: 10 min.Cook Time: 10 min. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in melted butter and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk milk into flour mixture and constantly stir until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Lower heat to simmer; stir in Ranch and cheese until smooth. Pour into a fondue pot and sprinkle with paprika or green onion, if desired. Serve with dippers.Serves: 4

And Rose4Jc's Melting Pot Recipe:
Melting Pot Cheddar Fondue (made by Julia and Tyler)
3 to 3 1/2 oz beer (our chef at The Melting Pot said they use Miller High Life so that's what we use)
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1-2 Tablespoons worcestshire sauce, however much you prefer, it can be strong.
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup swiss cheese

Grate cheese and mix in some flour to very lightly coat the cheese and keep it from clumping.
Mix beer, mustard powder and garlic in the fondue pot, bring to a simmer.
Add in cheese in small batches, and stir until the consistency is right. Add in worcestshire sauce and continue stirring until thickened.
Serve with whatever dippers you prefer. We use Italian or French Bread, Pumpernickel & Rye, and granny smith apples.


My husband liked the Cheese Please better, probably because he loves ranch. I liked them both and will be experimenting with more fondue recipes because this was so much fun.

My husband, Certified BBQ Judge

Last year about this time, my husband Mike decided he needed to become a certified BBQ judge. We live in the BBQ mecca of the world, so I thought, sure whatever. He judged a few small competitions, but this weekend was one of the "Big Ones", the Great American BBQ. Its only second in the largest BBQ competitions in the world. He spent from noon until 3pm judging pork ribs, pulled pork, smoked brisket & chicken. Needless to say, I didn't need to cook. Next up, American Royal. I can only hope he doesn't balloon out.

One of the more entertaining portions of the day was the "Second Annual World Rib Eating Contest" GROSS! The winner ate close to a world record, 3.67lbs of pork ribs in 3 minutes.

First Blog

Hello!
I am pretty excited to start my food blog. I think mostly because I get to use all the new kitchen gadgets we received as wedding presents. I like to follow recipes, but sometime I just wing it, especially when I have not planned properly for the week.
Dinner has always been important to me. When I was younger, my dad worked night shifts & my mom worked a normal job. My brothers & I were each given a night to make dinner to help my mom out around the house. This started when I was about 8 (brothers were 10 & 12). My middle brother would make spaghetti every single week. My oldest brother would make some Hamburger Helper or something of that nature. And I would whip out marinated chicken with pasta or rice & veggies. But we (mom, brothers & I) would always eat together, share stories about school or sports and on some nights play spades or hearts.
I hope to continue that togetherness when I have a family. Even if its a quick 10 min sit down meal, its time spent together.