Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chops

Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chop

Gelson's always has these beautiful, extra thick pork loin chops that make me want to buy them, take them home and prepare them in a really special way. In the past I've baked them with apples, 'simply grilled' them, covered them in a fresh cherry peach sauce, and the list goes on. This time I was looking for a little spice so I coated them in cumin seeds and some smoked paprika and they were outstanding!


This is one of those super simple "recipes" that you don't need to measure. It's always nice to have a few of these up your sleeve for last-minute dinners that look (and taste) like you've spent a lot of time preparing.

Serves 4

Grill Medium

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops, extra thick cut

olive oil

cumin seeds

smoked paprika

kosher salt

freshly cracked pepper

coat both sides and grill

Coat both sides of chops with olive oil. Then sprinkle cumin seed, a little smoked paprika, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper, and rub or pat the chops to be sure they are well coated.

Grill for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion: These Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chops are excellent when served with crunchy Roasted Corn Salsa on the side.

Green Mango FroYo

Green Mango FroYo

I was inspired by Mr. and Mrs. P and a mango ice cream they recently posted on their blog. I like frozen yogurt, so I decided to make a mango froyo. All I needed was a mango so off to Bristol Farms I went and as luck would have it, there was a lovely lady doing a tasting of these "green mangos" from Melissa's Produce. Even though they were green, they were fully ripe and delicious. They're called Keitt's and they're in season now through September, early October. They're sweet, tangy and juicy and they may just be my favorite variety of mango.

Keitt Mango

score mango

invert each half and remove mango from from skin

There's a large flat seed in the middle so if you just cut down each side of the stem, you'll end up with two halves and you can discard the middle part. When selecting this variety of mango, to tell if it's ripe just give a gentle squeeze to the outside - it should feel firm but have a little "give".

To make the Green Mango FroYo you'll need an ice cream maker. I use the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and it works like a charm. Be sure to freeze the bowl according to the manufacturer's recommendation. I keep mine in the freezer so it's ready when needed.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups

Special Equipment: Ice Cream Maker

Ingredients:

1 Keitt Mango (or any mango), cubed

3 Tablespoons honey, or more to taste

2 cups Greek yogurt (I like Fage Total)

In a food processor, place 1/2 of the cubed mango and all of the honey, then puree until smooth. Reserve the other half of the cubed mango to be added later. In a medium bowl mix the mango puree and yogurt together and blend well.

Pour yogurt mixture into prepared ice cream bowl according to manufacturer's instructions and allow to process for the recommended time. In my case, it only took 10 minutes.

When yogurt mixture is the consistency of soft serve ice cream, remove paddle and mix in the rest of the cubed mango. Place in covered freezer safe container and allow to become firm - at least 4 hours. Serve with additional fresh mango, if desired. FroYo will become very solid after about 24 hours, set out on counter for about 20-30 minutes to allow to soften before scooping.

Roasted Corn Salsa

Roasted Corn Salsa

This dish is fresh, light and healthy. Crunchy corn "off" the cob, tangy heirloom tomatoes and a little zip from the minced jalapenos make this an excellent accompaniment to a multitude of main dishes. Recently I paired it with Chimichurri Carne Asada Tacos and tonight it was the perfect partner for my Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chops. I used beautiful red corn for this but yellow corn will work just as well.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 cob of fresh red or yellow corn

1 small heirloom tomato, chopped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1/4 medium red onion, minced

1 lime wedge, squeezed (juice only)

2 Tablespoons queso fresco, crumbled (optional)

Roast corn on the cob over open flame or on grill until lightly charred. Cut corn from cob.

In medium bowl, combine corn, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, and onion. Add fresh squeezed lime juice and toss to coat. If desired, crumble queso fresco over salsa and serve.

Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar and Honey

Grilled Peaches with Brown Sugar and Honey

Before peach season is over I thought I'd throw a few peaches out on the grill for a quick after-dinner treat. The grill seems to bring out the "sweet and juicy" in the peach. These would also have been wonderful with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream but this time I opted to enjoy them drizzled in honey.

Serves 4

Serving Size 2 Peach Halves

Grill Medium-High

Ingredients:

4 medium peaches

1 teaspoon butter

4 teaspoons brown sugar

honey for drizzling

Cut peaches in half and remove pit from each. Discard pit. Coat peach halves in butter and sprinkle brown sugar on all sides. Grill for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and drizzle honey over peaches before serving.

Cedar Wrapped Chicken with Lemon Parsley Gremolata (using Fire & Flavor Cedar Papers)

Cedar Wrapped Chicken with Lemon Parsley Gremolata

Fire and Flavor strikes again! I love their cedar papers. They're just so darn cool. Recently, I made Cedar Wrapped Mediterranean Salmon, a recipe I found on the package of cedar papers I'd purchased at Bristol Farms. Delicious and beautiful presentation. With the other cedar papers I had left over I decided to check out Fire and Flavor's website for another recipe to try. I settled on the Cedar Wrapped Chicken with Lemon Parsley Gremolata.

Gremolata is essentially a mixture of minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Following Fire and Flavor's recipe, I also included minced shallots.

Lemon Parsley Gremolata covered chicken breast
ready to be wrapped and grilled

Serves 4

Grill High Heat

Ingredients:

4 Fire and Flavor Cedar Papers and included twine, soaked in water for 10 minutes

4  6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 bunch parsley, thick stems trimmed

1 clove garlic

1 small shallot or half regular shallot

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

While cedar papers are soaking, salt and pepper chicken breasts on both sides. Sear chicken breasts on grill at high heat for 2 minutes per side. Remove from grill and reduce heat to medium or about 400 degrees F.

Prepare gremolata: in food processor place parsley, garlic, shallot, lemon zest, and lemon juice and pulse until finely minced. Add olive oil and pulse until mixed. If you prefer a more "rustic" gremolata, hand mince rather than using a food processor.

Place one chicken breast in the center of each cedar paper. Spoon 1/4 of gremolata to the top of each chicken breast. Roll up cedar paper around chicken and tie with included twine.

ready for the grill

Grill on medium heat for approximately 8 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 165 degrees F.


Serving suggestion: I served spicy Warm Potato Salad alongside this chicken and the spicy heat of the potato salad was a nice complement to the mild, lemony gremolata-covered chicken.

Warm Potato Salad

Warm Potato Salad

You could use any kind of medium-sized potato for this potato  salad. This time I used a combination of red potatoes and yukon golds. Previously, I've used purple. Regardless, the star of this dish is its spicy dressing. I like this salad warm but it's equally appetizing as a cold salad.

Serves 4

Dressing (slightly spicy):

2 Tablespoons good mayonnaise (I used Best)

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard (I used Maille)

1/2 Tablespoon citrus champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar (I used O Olive Oil brand and I love this stuff!)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you don't want any heat)

pinch kosher salt

In large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt and set aside.

Other Ingredients:

5 medium-sized potatoes, microwaved until cooked but still firm

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 green onions, chopped (including green and white parts)

While potatoes are still warm, cut into small chunks and toss with dressing. Toss in celery, shallot, and green onions and serve warm or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Pancetta Wrapped Figs

Pancetta Wrapped Figs

Figs are in season right now and lately, every time I go to the market I see them and think they look so beautiful and delicate that I must find a way to work them into a meal even though my husband is not a fan of them.

This is easy and can be done 'just for me' as a small plate or a quick snack. The salty pancetta with the creamy fig is a delicious and complementary pairing. This would be great served as an appetizer when you have guests over, too, as the presentation is beautiful. This dish's elegance belies its simplicity in preparation.

Serves 1 (as an appetizer)

Ingredients:

2 figs

2 slices pancetta, thinly sliced (almost shaved)

Wrap each fig with one slice of pancetta. Place in non-stick skillet heated to medium-high and saute each side until pancetta is crispy.

Pancetta is often referred to as "Italian bacon". It's Italian pork belly that has been salt cured and air dried and it comes in a long cylinder shape. Most deli counters carry it and you can ask them to shave the number of slices you'd like. Gelson's in Newport Beach, CA carries an imported pre-packaged version in their refrigerated section as well.

Chile Relleno with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Chile Relleno with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Chile Relleno is not a difficult dish to make but it does require just a little bit of knowledge on how to prep the chile peppers prior to stuffing. You'll need to fire-roast them first to remove the outer skin and then de-seed them.

The easiest way to fire-roast them is to put them under the broiler and blister them on all sides. They will crackle and pop a little but once they start to blacken that's when they're ready to remove. Immediately place them in a zip top plastic bag and seal (or you could use a covered bowl), then allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes. The steam will cause the outer skin to loosen and make it easy to remove.

steaming will loosen the blistered skin

skin will easily peel away

Once you have the skin removed, cut a small horizontal slit across the top under the stem extending half way around. Then make a vertical cut starting at the middle of the horizontal cut and going all the way down to the end, in the shape of a "T".

make "T" cut to prepare for de-seeding and stuffing

Remove seeds by gently running your knife down the membrane and discard the seeds. Your pepper is now ready to stuff.

Serves 2-4

Chile Relleno:

4 Anaheim peppers

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

kosher salt to taste

3 Tablespoons canola oil

Cut Monterey Jack cheese into strips and stuff each pepper with an equal amount of  cheese. Close peppers. Place egg and water mixture (egg wash) in large shallow bowl and place flour in a separate large shallow bowl or plate. Take each stuffed pepper and while keeping it closed, dredge or coat in flour, then egg wash, then flour again and set aside.

In large frying pan, heat oil to medium. Carefully, place stuffed peppers in pan with the seam down and allow to brown for about 1-2 minutes, then flip and allow other side to brown. Remove, lightly salt and serve with salsa (recipe follows).

Tomatillos

Makes about 2/3 cup

Oven 450 degrees F

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (mild and citrusy):

3 tomatillos

1 medium red onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 bunch of fresh cilantro, stems included

1 large clove garlic

1/2 lime, juiced

kosher salt to taste

Remove tomatillos from their outer leaves and discard the leaves. Tomatillos will feel sticky. Rinse and halve tomatillos then place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Quarter onion and place on pan with tomatillos. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and lightly season with kosher salt. Place in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned.

roasted red onions and tomatillos

Let vegetables cool slightly and then place in food processor. Be sure to include the drippings from the pan. Add cilantro, garlic, and lime juice, then puree. Add kosher salt if necessary. Serve alongside the Chile Relleno and with tortilla chips, if desired.

Chimichurri Carne Asada Tacos

Chimichurri Carne Asada Tacos

There are many versions of chimichurri sauce floating around. This one happens to be my version and conveniently, the one I like best (nice how that works out, hunh?). It has a mild, bright flavor and is delicious as both a marinade and a sauce. You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste and in fact I think it would be pretty hard to mess up.  So, why not give it a whirl?

Serves 4

Grill High Heat

Ingredients:

1 bunch cilantro, stems included

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems included

2 large cloves garlic

1 serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded (if you like a little heat, leave a few seeds in)

1 medium red onion, quartered

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more for marinade

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 pounds *carne asada beef (or skirt steak, or flank steak)

*The butcher I go to offers a cut of beef they call the carne asada cut, which is really just the flap meat on the inside of the ribs. It's thinly cut and kind of fatty, or as I like to call it - tender. You can use skirt or flank steak just as well.

In a food processor place cilantro, parsley, garlic, serrano pepper, onion, vinegar, and lemon juice. Pulse until finely minced. Add in olive oil and pulse to mix. Reserve half the mixture and set aside in the refrigerator to use as a sauce on tacos. Place the other half of the mixture in a plastic zip top bag, add steak, seal and toss to mix. Place in refrigerator to marinate for about 4-5 hours.

Bring beef to room temperature, then grill on high heat for 2-3 minutes per side for medium, a little longer if steak is thicker. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then slice against the grain and serve.

Chimichurri Carne Asada Tacos

Aarti's Friday Shrimp - WOW!

Aarti's Friday Shrimp

So we're watching Next Food Network Star Sunday night and my favorite contestant, the one I've been rooting for since Episode 1 of this season - Aarti Sequeria - throws down some amazing looking garlic-stuffed turmeric-rubbed shrimp. The Iron Chef judges give glowing reviews with Chef Michael Symon saying something like "it's the best food he's had in the 3 seasons he's been participating". Wow. My husband and I turn to each other  and immediately decide this shrimp will be on the menu this week.

I know I previously wrote that the Lemongrass, Chile and Coconut Milk Shrimp (see my posting from July 31, 2010) was the best shrimp I'd ever had but Aarti's shrimp has moved to the top of my list as the best shrimp I've ever had. Hands down. No contest. Big on garlic and beautifully enveloped in a golden turmeric glow, this succulent shrimp is going to be a regular at our house.


I followed Aarti's recipe for the shrimp almost exactly, except for the fennel which I forgot to buy. Here's what I did:

Serves 2-3 as entree, or 7 as appetizer

Oven 375 degrees F

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

14 large Mexican shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

10 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

In large bowl mix turmeric, salt and coriander. Cut slit down back of shrimp without cutting all the way through. Add shrimp to mixture and toss to coat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss again. Set aside.

In another bowl mix garlic, cilantro and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Stuff each shrimp with garlic cilantro mixture. Place stuffed shrimp, evenly spaced apart, on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.

Aarti's Friday Shrimp with Multi-grain Rice