A Day from Scratch

Concierge cooking - Tailored nutrition

Hawaiian BBQ Pork Tenderloin Pizza

by Filed Under: Home, Pizzas, Flatbreads, Savory tarts, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Recipes 1 Comment

How’s that for a food name for you? Hawaiian BBQ Pork Tenderloin Pizza?

Is it weird to have such a long food name?

Is it weird to say food name?

I digress.

One of my alllll time favorite things to do with leftover meat is to throw is on a pizza. Leftover chicken sausage? Throw it on a pizza with some pesto, grilled corn and tomatoes. Leftover steak? Throw it on a pizza with some bell peppers and onions. Leftover pork tenderloin? Throw it on a pizza with some bbq sauce and pineapple.

IMG_3379Now my pizza brain wheels are a turnin’

Anyhoo I had some leftover pork tenderloin and I thought to myself “hey girlfriend, throw that jazz on some pizza!” and I was like “oh yea girl, let’s do that!”

Do y’all talk to yourselves in valley girl voices too?

Don’t answer that.

IMG_3377I may or may not have eaten this whole thing by myself. For reals. You should all do the same.

Then report back here and we can chat like valley girls about it!

Ingredients: makes 1 naan pizza

1 naan flatbread

1/2 cup diced up pork tenderloin

1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/4 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese

1-2 tablespoons diced red onion

2-3 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce

pinch of crushed red pepper

cilantro for garnish

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Assemble your naan with the BBQ sauce, chopped pork tenderloin, pineapple, red onion and cheese.

Pop that sucker into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble on up.

Garnish with crushed red pepper and cilantro.

Then devour y’all!

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Artichoke with Lemon Vinaigrette

by Filed Under: Home, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Holla back friends!

First I want to apologize to you guys. When I landed in Houston I spent some time redesigning my website; and as I was doing so I had to do some technical website mumbo jumbo. Without boring you with the gory details; when I moved over my host I lost y’all there for a bit. So basically I was just here talking writing to myself, but I’m used to talking writing to myself so it’s all good.

But I’m glad you’re back.

I’ve missed y’all!

Now hopefully everything is all squared away and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Let’s chat about artichokes. I lurve me some artichokes! I love spinach and artichoke dip, I love baked artichokes, I love grilled artichokes, I love fried artichokes.

Ya dig? I love artichokes.

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So for a healthy and yummy snack I decided to make myself up a little ole artichoke with some lemon vinaigrette.

Then I got crazy and topped it with some parmesan cheese.

Oh yea!

I have a feeling I’m going to make this a lot in the coming weeks. It would be a great appetizer for happy hour!

And who doesn’t love a happy hour?

Am I right?

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Just don’t forget your toppings!

Ingredients:

1 artichoke

3 lemons

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe:

Start by cutting off the artichoke stem. Slice two lemons and add it to a large part of boiling water. Drop it to a simmer and add the artichoke.

Simmer lightly for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile in a bowl mix the juice of one lemon with the dijon and the olive oil.

Remove the artichoke from the water and open it up, the leaves will pull away easily. Then using a spoon remove the center.

Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the artichoke, top with parmesan cheese, and ENJOYYYYY

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Skillet Corn and Poblano Casserole

by Filed Under: Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Remember those old go-to recipes that our mom’s and grandmothers would make for easy weeknight meals? Chicken divan? Broccoli and cheese casserole? Those recipes take me straight back to my child hood.

This recipe reminds me of something I would find in a bound homemade cookbook from my grandma, something with a lot of cans tossed together, something not from scratch.

Dump a bunch of stuff together? That’s not usually my jam, but this casserole is so creamy and decadent that we should bend the rules a little bit here.

Trust me, I wouldn’t steer you wrong.

Unless we were talking about rap lyrics.

I could definitely steer you wrong in that arena.

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On another note, have you planned your Easter menu yet?

This casserole would be perfect for an Easter dinner side or part of a Sunday morning brunch. It’s creamy and comforting and just dang good.

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So do yourself a favor. Buy some stuff, dump it together, bake it and devour it!

Ingredients: serves 6-8

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can creamed corn

1 (8oz) package of Jiffy cornbread mix

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt and white pepper

 

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, poblano pepper, sour cream, butter, paprika, salt and pepper.  Pour into a cast iron skillet or a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

See? Easy peasy!

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Chicken Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

by Filed Under: Home, Poultry, Recipes Leave a Comment

First things first, what do you guys think of the new site? I’m still working out some kinks, but I’m hoping it will be easier for you to navigate recipes.

Secondly, have you ever heard of the term “sicker than a dog?”

I don’t know where the term hails from, but growing up my mom would always refer to illness as being sicker than a dog. 

With all of the craziness surrounding my move to Houston, re-designing my website, heading back to Austin for a weekend, my cousin’s engagement party, cultivating some new clients to cook for it’s safe to say I made myself sicker than a dog!

So what’s a girl to do? Open a can of blah soup? Nope. I layer up in ratty old sweatpants, over-sized t-shirt and walk aimlessly around Whole Foods grabbing a whole heap of vegetables to make my own soup, that’s what.

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Last week, my friend Casey and I went to a wine bar and I ordered this amazing kale and white bean soup. So I used that deliciousness as a base for this bad boy. And if I am considering myself sicker than a dog these hearty vegetables with a hit of siracha are sure to help!

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Then I froze a couple of cups of this so the next time I’m sick I don’t have to succumb the poor people of Whole Foods to my scraggly mess. So even if you aren’t sick right now; do yourself a favor and make a big ole batch and freeze it for whenever you may need some hearty soup.

Chicken Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup, serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 lb spicy chicken sausage, casing removed and thickly sliced

1 medium sized golden beet, peeled and diced

1 large carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch green kale, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp pepper

Siracha or your favorite hot sauce to garnish. Oh and some crusty bread for dippin’

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the thinly sliced leeks. Saute for five minutes then add sausage.

Brown sausage then add carrots, beets and celery. Toss to combine and continue cooking for another six minutes. Add kale and beans and cook until kale just starts to wilt.

Add chicken broth, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

You’ll be better in no time!

 

Cheesy Spinach and Tomato Quinoa Bake

by Filed Under: Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Kwinoa? Key-no? Qui-na?

How in the world is Quinoa pronounced you ask?

This adorable little grain is in fact pronounced “keen-wah.” Just pronouncing it makes me feel like a ninja.

A culinary ninja.

Keen-wah is one of my favorite little grains. It has come a long way in the last few years. From health stores to the mainstream, its high protein content and delicate texture have made it a popular substitute for starchier pasta and rice.

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You can make a big ole batch of this and just spoon it into your mouth all week long.

Or you can make a big ole batch and serve it to your gal pals.

Serve it for breakfast with a poached egg on top. Serve it as a light dinner with some salmon. Serve it all all by itself. Your options are endless!

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Ingredients; serves 4 as a side dish

4 cloves garlic, minced

Cherry or grape tomatoes, one small container

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cups fresh spinach, large stems removed

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1 1/2 cup quinoa

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

 

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Chop the garlic and rinse the tomatoes.

In a medium sauce pan add the oil and heat (1 to 2 minutes). Add the garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and ¼ cup of the water and cover. Cook until the tomatoes just start to break down, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, tear the spinach leaves from their larger stems into bite-size pieces (enough to measure 4 cups); discard the stems. Place in a salad spinner, wash, and spin dry.

Once the tomatoes are ready, add the remaining 1½ cups water, salt, red pepper, and a pinch of black pepper. Let it come to a boil. Stir in the spinach then the quinoa. Transfer to an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cover tightly with foil. (Or you can leave it in the pot and cover with a lid.) Transfer to the oven and bake until the quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan before serving.

Oh then go ahead and gobble it up!

 

 

Smoked Butternut Squash Pasta

by Filed Under: Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Heyyyy youuuu guyyssssss!

This is NOT a joke. I have made this dish four times, count it four, in the past two weeks!

Once for a friend of mine and her husband for Valentine’s dinner, once at a Junior League party for 30 gals, once for a friend with grilled chicken as a weeknight prepared dinner… and once for myself, duh.

I have since purchased ALL of the butternut squash in Austin and am prepared to live on this dish alone for the rest of my life.

Please send help!

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I could eat this sauce with anything. Like this as pasta, just over some grilled chicken, over some roasted greens, or by the spoonful on its own.

Maybe drink it out of a sippy cup?

No?

Whichever way I eat it, I’ll tell you this… this is my new favorite recipe.

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Now if you’ll excuse me my pasta water is boiling.

Ingredients: serves 4-6

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked

1 (3.5-4 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (or two (450g) packages chopped squash)

3/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you can find this at Whole Paycheck)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 lb. package mini shell or macaroni pasta

Recipe:

Add cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for at least 3-4 hours, until soft and plump. Drain and rinse before use.

Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread out chopped squash on sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Add the soaked and drained cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth.

Now add the salt, and liquid smoke and blend again.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Add the drained pasta back into the pot. Pour on your desired amount of sauce and stir to combine.

Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.

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Blue Cheese and Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

by Filed Under: Pork, Beef, Lamb, Recipes 1 Comment

This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef and this little piggy had none. This little piggy… showed up to my house like “hey I hear there’s a dinner party happening in here!”

Silly pig.

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This weekend I am headed to the lake to spend time with my family and our best family friends (does that even make sense?) My dad is still best friends with his fraternity brother from college and growing up it was like I got bonus siblings from them. Every time our families get together shenanigans and laughter are sure to be in abundance.

Before I headed down to the lake (sorry northerners stuck in the snow) I wanted to share this delicious pork recipe with you.

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This would be fantastic to make this weekend for you and some amigos. With a big ole salad? Heck yes!

And some vino.

And a board game?

Maybe I won’t go out of town, maybe I’ll make this dish again and you all can come over for game night.

I’m glad you’re all on board!

IMG_3282I’m ready for my close up.

Ingredients, serves 4

1 pork tenderloin

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, picked

1 Green Apple, diced

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup apple juice

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons butter

S&P

* you may want to pick yourself up some butcher’s tine to tie the pork up.

 

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Carefully slice your tenderloin in half.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, diced apples with fresh thyme & blue cheese.

Roll it up and secure it with butchers twine. Season with salt and pepper and put in oven at about 375.

While tenderloin begins to cook, in a sauce pan, mix 1/4 cup of apple juice, 2 table spoons of honey, and 2 table spoons of butter and bring to a low boil and reduce slightly (until it starts to thicken a bit)

Pour this over the tenderloin and finish cooking the tenderloin until meat thermometer reads 165.

Remove, let rest for a few minutes (so that all of the juices stay in the meat), slice and enjoy!!!

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Slop Sloppy Joes

by Filed Under: Home, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Recipes Leave a Comment

Sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes.

Billy Madison is one of the best movies of all time. I could probably quote the entire movie, so if you haven’t seen it, I’ll give you the cliffs notes version via quotes.

My favorite though is when the lunch lady comes around and says “Have some more sloppy joes. I made ’em extra sloppy for yous. I know how yous kids like ’em sloppy.” and Billy’s response is “lady, you’re scaring us.”

Every time I have seen anything that remotely resembles a sloppy joe, I immediately think of that crazy lunch lady. She’s amazing. That entire movie is amazing.

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So in true lunch lady fashion, I made some sloppy joes. I love sloppy joes without shame or apology. They are messy and meaty and include ketchup as a key ingredient. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Except maybe I would call them sloppy lizzie’s… thoughts?

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Have some more sloppy joes, won’t you?

Ingredients, makes 4-6 joes

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

8 hamburger buns, I like the King’s Hawaiian brand

In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, brown the beef. Break it up into small bits as you cook. Once browned, transfer the beef and any juices to a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook until the onions are translucent and the carrots look softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

Return the ground beef to the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve on hamburger buns. Don’t forget a napkin.

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Coconut Curry Chicken

by Filed Under: Home, Poultry, Recipes Leave a Comment

Bock bock, chicken chicken, bock bock, chicken head.

Do y’all remember that song? What a weird concept for a song. However, dancing around bobbing your head like a chicken sounds like a dance move that needs to resurface in my life.

Anyone want to come over for a dance party?

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Radio silence?

Up until I went to culinary school, I never really played around with curry. It just wasn’t something that seemed appealing to me. What was I thinking? While this coconut chicken curry may look like an ugly ducking dish, it’s super tasty.

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Ingredients, serves 4

4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger

2 Tbsp yellow curry powder

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 apples, cored and diced

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 cup light coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch piece

Salt and pepper

Cilantro for garnish

Recipe:

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the curry powder, garam masala and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan.

Add the vinegar, coconut milk, milk and apples to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken thighs to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

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Chicken Fried Steak Fingers with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Peas

by Filed Under: Pork, Beef, Lamb, Recipes 5 Comments

Breaking news! This is now a health food blog!

Wait, what’s that you say? Chicken fried steak isn’t healthy.

Uh well, haven’t you ever heard of soul food? Food that’s good for the soul?

That’s where this meal will live, in the land of soul food.

And Love.

Now that we are clear on that we can proceed.

Growing up I knew it had been a good hunting season when we had a freezer full of yummy venison. Steak filets, snausage, and good ole round steaks.

Most Sunday’s in my house my mom would make chicken fried venison for dinner. While my dad, sister and I sat on the couch and watched America’s funniest home videos, our background music was the sizzling of steak, the whisking of gravy and the smell of Heaven coming from the kitchen. What’s a better way to close out the weekend with a good ole family meal? If it’s my mom’s chicken fried steak, nothing!

Today’s not Sunday, and this isn’t venison; but it’ll get the job done my friends.

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You can get steak already tenderized from the grocery store, but I choose to tenderize it myself. Just beat the livin’ smithereens out of it. Or buy it tenderized, whatever you prefer.

And let me just tell you; you MUST serve this with mashed potatoes and peas. My dad taught me the best way to enjoy peas is to mix them up in your mashed potatoes and top that bite off with a little CFS.

Are you still with me?

Ok, good!

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Wanna come over Sunday for supper?

Ingredients, serves 4

For the fingers and gravy:

1 1/2 pound tenderized round steak

1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus 2 cups for gravy

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

LOTS of black pepper

Canola oil for frying

Salt and pepper

For the taters:

3 yukon gold potatoes

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper

For the peas:

Peas

 

Recipe:

For the fingers and gravy:

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat: milk mixed with egg in one; flour mixed with spices in one; meat in one; then have one clean plate at the end to receive the breaded meat.

Work one piece of meat at a time. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then dip in the milk/egg mixture. Next, place the meat on the plate of seasoned flour. Turn to coat thoroughly. Place the meat back into the milk/egg mixture, turning to coat. Place back in the flour and turn to coat.
(So: wet mixture/dry mixture/wet mixture/dry mixture.) Place breaded meat on the clean plate, then repeat with remaining meat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop in a few sprinkles of flour to make sure it’s hot. Cook meat until edges start to look golden brown; around 2 to 2 1/2 minutes each side.

Remove to a brown paper bag and keep warm. Brown paper bag? I do it, because my mom did it. You can use a plate with a paper towel if you prefer. Repeat until all meat is cooked.

Gravy:

After all meat is fried, pour off the grease into a heatproof bowl. BE CAREFUL IT”S HOT, GREASE BURNS ARE THE WORST!! TRUST ME!! Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 cup grease back to the pan. Allow grease to heat up.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix flour with grease, creating a golden-brown paste. Keep cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown color. If paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in another tablespoon of flour and whisk.

Whisking constantly, pour in milk. Cook to thicken the gravy. Be prepared to add more milk if it becomes overly thick. Add salt and pepper and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until gravy is smooth and thick. Be sure to taste to make sure gravy is sufficiently seasoned. Drink it if you like. I’m not here to judge.

Mashed Potatoes:

Peel and dice the potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and let them dry for a few minutes. In a small sauce pan, combine the butter and milk and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, rice your potatoes. Once the butter/ milk mixture is simmering add it to the potatoes in batches and season with salt and pepper. You may not need all of the butter/ milk mix just add it to your liking.

Peas:

Boil peas.

Then plate it up, mix your peas and taters together and then pour gravy over the whole enchilada. I mean steak fingers.

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