Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
We may be staring at the tail end of peach season, but in case you can still find some good ones (or if you live in the South and still have months more of warm weather), this recipe is a great way to make use of them. More than any other protein, pork seems to be known for its ability to pair well with fruits, making it a good option for entrees of the sweet-and-savory persuasion. I’ve seen it made with apples, grapes, cherries, and now peaches. This peach salsa is addictive on its own and you’ll have more than you need for topping the pork, so make sure you have some chips around to snack on the left overs. You can cook the pork in the oven or throw it on the grill, whatever is most convenient for you. This would be a nice outside-the-box option to serve for a Labor Day cookout. This is a must-make for us when peach season comes back around again.
Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa
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Ingredients:
For the salsa:
2 peaches, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
Small handful cilantro, minced
Juice of ½ a lime
Pinch of coarse salt
For the pork:
1½ lb. pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
Directions:
To make the salsa, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
To make the pork, preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in the skillet, rotating, until evenly browned on all sides. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer. (Alternatively, heat a grill to medium-high. Oil the grates. Add the pork to the grill and cook, turning so the sides are evenly browned, until the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer.) Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve the warm slices of pork topped with the peach salsa. Pass additional salsa for serving at the table.
Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride
As excited as I am for fall, it’s drinks like this one that keep me loving summer. Judging by the sales I’ve seen lately, this apparently prime time for raspberries. Take advantage and enjoy this sweet-tart-bubbly beverage. Break the monotony of soda, water and beer at your Labor Day get together and serve something a little bit more special. This raspberry limeade is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike. And of course, if you’re looking for something with more of an adult spin, I think this would lend itself will to mixing with citrus vodka. I like to make the raspberry-lime portion ahead of time and mix in the sparkling water just before serving for maximum fizz.
Side note: is anyone else totally enamored with drinks served in Mason jars? I just love them. Plus, it’s certainly cheaper than real glassware :)
The first time I had a black and white cookie, I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with Andrew. Ben and I went to have breakfast at a favorite bagel place in our hometown. Apparently a large bagel and a chocolate milk weren’t quite enough to sate my already heightened appetite, and so I wandered back over to the pastry case. My eyes immediately zeroed in on a black and white cookie as big as my head…really, I’m not exaggerating. I bought it and snacked on it on the way back to the car and on the drive home. The problem was that pesky Ben kept asking for bites when I really just wanted to devour it all on my own. Eventually I wrapped it up, stuck it in my bag, hid it, and told Ben it was all gone. (Mature, I know.) Well, I hid it so well that I didn’t find it again until at least a couple of months later. (Don’t worry, that wasn’t my regular purse. Ha!) When I found it again my knee jerk reaction, instead of the expected disgust at finding a two month old cookie, was major disappointment that I had not finished the whole thing. It was one great cookie.
I have since been unable to find a black and white cookie that did justice to that fantastic bakery concoction. And yeah, I know, it was from Indiana and not NYC but I’m telling you, it was great. I’ve tried a few recipes at home but none have lived up to that infamous giant cookie. This version, though, is finally one that I deem good enough to make again (and again). The cookie is really more cake-like than cookie-like in texture, with just a hint of lemon flavor, and the whole thing is glazed with half vanilla/half chocolate topping. I generally eat them symmetrically but end up saving a little more of the chocolate half for the end because, let’s face it, the chocolate is totally the best part.
I love when a meal totally surpasses my expectations. I had this recipe saved for quite a long time but unlike the majority of the recipes I save, where I am certain we will love it and just need to find the right time to make it, this one was more of a question mark. It looked intriguing and different but…I just wasn’t sure. I can’t even tell you how many times I scrolled past it only to almost remove it from the list and then decide at the last second to keep it just in case. Finally I ended up deciding it was now or never. It turned out to be perfect timing with Indiana sweet corn coming into season.
This meal was a major win. We loved both the corn cakes themselves as well as the relish on top. That’s saying something for me, considering I normally go to great lengths to avoid avocado. The combination of flavors just works. I made this as a main dish and it was great that way, but I can also imagine these being a very well received first course or plated appetizer for a summer get together. They still tasted delicious as leftovers too, though of course a bit of the texture is lost over time. Summer may not be around much longer but while corn is fresh, sweet, and cheap, take advantage of it and enjoy this awesome dish.
Not many things make me feel as much like a kid as making myself an ice cream sundae. A scoop or two of 
This sauce is very rich and chocolatey so a little bit goes a long way. The fact that it requires only about 15 minutes of your time and uses pantry ingredients makes it too convenient to not try, and of course once you do, there is no going back. The store bought kind won’t cut it anymore. I like this over ice cream and I also love it layered between ice creams in the 
Today I’m guest posting on 
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’re probably aware of my feelings regarding lemon desserts. In the past, they were totally negative. Over time, I’ve really grown to appreciate lemony sweets and such but even so, they are almost never my first choice. Give me a super chocolatey something or fruity dessert any day. Lemon is essentially a bottom-tier choice for me personally, and it only ranks above things I just don’t like such as anything involving mint. However, a few months back I made a couple of cakes with lemon tiers. I didn’t have a go-to lemon cake at the time so I adpated my favorite 
When I asked my dad what kind of cake he would like for his birthday this year, I was expecting his usual order – German chocolate. Imagine my surprise when (1) he really thought hard about his decision, and (2) he asked for something lemony. He’s always liked lemon desserts but they have never trumped 
Die-hard lemon lovers would likely use lemon curd for the filling between the layers and though I considered this, I ultimately decided to go a different direction because lemon curd is typically unappetizing to me. I liked the idea of a lemon mousse type of filling so I search high and low for something that would work. After scouring my cookbooks and the internet, nothing I found caught my eye so I decided to wing it. What I came up with was a light, lemony whipped mascarpone filling that ended up being Ben’s favorite part of the cake. A lemon frosting would have been a logical choice, but instead I opted for a vanilla bean buttercream to provide a complimenting contrast (and, let’s be honest, because I can’t resist seeing those gorgeous flecks of vanilla bean in creamy white frosting). The combination of the soft lemony cake layers, whipped lemon cream filling and the vanilla bean frosting made for a cake that thrilled both the lemon lovers and the lemon just-okay-ers. Lemon was definitely the star without being in-your-face strong. I garnished the cake with candied lemon slices as well as mint leaves, and they really made the presentation. As for the birthday boy (normally not a sweet tooth), he reported that he finished the cake over the rest of the week, even enjoying a piece for breakfast one day. I’ll call that a success.
It’s amazing how technology has changed the way we communicate, meet people, and make friends. Not so very long ago many people couldn’t have fathomed meeting others via the internet and having them become some of your closest friends, but nowadays it can be a common occurrence. The food blogging world has introduced me to many people that are very dear to me, even if they aren’t physically near. One of these people is my friend Josie of 
Because Josie and I have so much in common, I really agonized over what to make for her shower. I knew I wanted to make something Southern. I hemmed and hawed and eventually settled on fried pickles. I’ve been wanting to make them for a really long time so this seemed like a great opportunity. I was planning on just leaving it at that when suddenly I had a brain wave. Rather than serve them with the usual ranch dipping sauce, I decided to put a mini scoop of ranch ice cream on the side to make a play on the “pickles and ice cream” cliché of pregnancy. All I did was take my normal 
If you follow food trends, I’m sure you’re aware of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) by now. It’s definitely “in” right now. Quinoa is a grain-like seed that is high in protein. I had never eaten it before and to be honest, I viewed it skeptically with the slightly wary eye of someone who enjoys healthy foods but not foods that taste too health food-y, if you know what I mean. Eventually I saw so many enticing recipes I knew it was time to give it a try. Unfortunately the first recipe I tried was a total bust, not because of the quinoa itself, but the combination of flavors, general appearance and smell of the dish – all decidedly not good. Despite all of that I could tell that the quinoa itself was actually quite good and so I kept my eye out for other recipes we might enjoy. Enter this pineapple quinoa.
Just as I suspected, the concept of 
The first time I saw chocolate shortcakes, I immediately wondered, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” It’s a brilliant idea of course. Chocolate pairs so well with strawberries and I can’t think of many desserts that aren’t improved by a dollop of whipped cream. It just makes sense. And, as is so often the way, as soon as I saw my first chocolate shortcake, I started seeing them everywhere. Except most of them weren’t really shortcakes at all. Some were more like brownies or puffy cookies sliced in half and sandwiched with the usual fillings. While that still sounds great, it was a true shortcake that interested me. A barely sweetened biscuit with chocolate flavoring. After excessive searching through the interwebs, cookbooks and magazines, I realized that I needed to look no further than one of my most trusted baking books, Dorie Greenspan’s 
It may still be technically summer but my mind has started to turn to the fall. I’m dreaming of jeans and sweatshirts, football and Halloween. (I’ve definitely already picked out the kids’ costumes.) This is at least in part due to the unbearable heat we’ve been experiencing. Let’s just say, I’m over it. However, we’ve still got at least a month until the unofficial end of summer and even longer according to the calendar. So in the spirit of embracing the present and continuing with my summer goal of trying a wide 
This was one of those meals that I had on the menu week after week, but it kept getting pushed back for various reasons. Busy day at work, too tired, kids rough, etc. etc. You know how it goes. I think the title and appearance of this meal made it seem much more involved than it actually is, and so it was easy to excuse away. Finally I decided enough was enough and this meal was going to happen, darn it. And you know what? Let’s break it down: Cajun seasoning blend for the fish – very easy, takes seconds to whip up. Dirty rice – sauté the mix-ins, stir in the rice and liquid, and cook. Easy. Praline sauce – toast pecans, cook sugar and water, mix in remaining ingredients. Voilà!
Canning and preserving is something that has long baffled me. All the boiling water, sterilization, pH balance, differences in elevation and more confounded me and turned me off to the idea. But darn it, every time I saw someone else mention canning as though it was nothing or post a photo of their pretty preserves, I was so jealous! I pride myself on having a generally fearless attitude in the kitchen, so it bothered me that canning seemed out of reach. Eventually I decided that, just like anything else, you have to first try something before you can be successful at it. My original plan was to choose a recipe that had explicit canning instructions so that I couldn’t possibly mess it up. Then when I was looking through the numerous recipes I had bookmarked, this one jumped out as the one and even though it didn’t say more than, “Can.” I was still determined to try it. I looked at many different websites with great information on canning and preserving and somehow I made it through with delicious jam in safely sealed jars.
Having canned and lived to tell about it here are my general thoughts on the topic: it’s actually not all that difficult and I think it will get easier every time now that I have a basic idea about how it works. To me the only slightly disheartening point is that you need massive quantities of fruit to come up with more than a couple of jars of jam. When I end up with something as spectacular as this peach vanilla bean jam, all the uncertainty and worry was a small price to pay. Peach jam has long been a favorite flavor of mine and I love it spread over a piece of wheat toast, a slice of baguette or a fluffy scone when I’m feeling especially indulgent. Somehow it is even more satisfying when it is jam I have made myself.
Due to all the variability in canning techniques and timing depending on elevation, etc. I will simply link to the resources I used in figuring out my canning process. Hopefully next time I share a jam or preserve recipe, I’ll be able to give more explicit directions. If you do not want to go to the trouble of canning, you can simply place your jam in clean jars and store in the refrigerator. (I don’t know exactly how long it lasts that way but I would guess it is quite a while.)
Cherries. Brownies. Cherries + brownies. Need I really say more? Reading those two words was pretty much all it took to convince me to make these. Cherry and chocolate are a perfect pairing, in my opinion. The dark chocolate is complimented by the deep, subtle sweetness of the cherries. My original plan was to make these for dessert one night while we were on vacation, but the darned grocery store had other plans. They had practically every other fruit you could imagine but they were all out of cherries.
Once I get an idea in my head, I’m not one to give it up, so I continued to think about these brownies throughout our vacation. The day we got back I made sure to buy the ingredients and the next night I made them. These are really not much more involved than regular brownies. Just pit and halve some cherries, toss with a bit of sugar, and roast them for 10 minutes. Then mix into the brownie batter and bake as you normally would. I tried the brownie batter in the original recipe and it was okay, but it doesn’t come close to my favorite recipe. The version below is adapted with my preferred brownie base and extra cherries. Hurry up and take advantage of cherry season while you still can!
I’m pretty proud of myself for making the most of this cherry season. Sure, I’ve eaten more than my share (and yours) of plain ol’ cherries as nature made them, but I’ve also done lots of cooking, baking, and 
I dug out the issue and have made several of the cherry recipes. I never tire of trying new ways to top baguette slices, and the fruit + goat cheese combo is a new favorite of mine so this was sure to be a hit. This recipe also exposed me to a new ingredient I was previously unfamiliar with, 
I don’t know about you, but salads as a main course are not something I crave in the fall and winter months. In summer, however, I am all about them. I suppose it’s just the bounty of fresh produce that makes salads so appealing, and the subsequent absence in the winter making me less enthused. Other than 
Mixed greens are topped with a grilled chicken breast marinated in a raspberry vinaigrette which is also used to dress the salad. Fresh raspberries, grilled peaches, baguette slices with brie, and candied almonds finish the whole thing off for a meal that embodies this season of plenty. We loved the balance of sweet and savory, and the variety of textures this dish provides. This makes a lovely lunch or a light and healthy dinner, and it’s most definitely not your run of the mill, boring salad. I’ll definitely continue making the vinaigrette separately as well to expand my repertoire of homemade salad dressings.
This is what my mornings look like these days. (Except I leave for work when it is much darker than you see here.) Yep, I’m back to work from maternity leave. To say leaving my kids every day is difficult would be a huge understatement. But, you do what you gotta do, right? Each morning I shower and dress, prep bottles, make a lunch, do hair and makeup, nurse Caroline, and run out the door. But not before I grab my purse, breast pump (wahoo…) and my new addiction, this DIY iced coffee.
I am so excited about this iced coffee for so, so many reasons. First of all, I don’t own a coffee maker, so the fact that this recipe uses a cold brew method requiring only a very large container is fabulous. Second, it takes literally less than five minutes to mix up making it undoubtedly the easiest thing I have ever made. Third, it makes a huge amount of the coffee base so it will last you for a long time. And most importantly, now I can make something at home that I used to only buy from coffee shops. I’m saving money, time, and plastic cups. Since forming this habit, I’ve made my own raspberry, caramel, and chocolate syrups for flavoring, and I plan on trying many more. (Recipes for these are forthcoming, don’t worry!) You could also use sugar to sweeten this but I don’t like the texture of the granules. Simple syrups are a nice, smooth way to sweeten the drink.
Now, part of the beauty of making your own iced coffee at home is that you can make it exactly as you prefer. Take some time playing around with the proportions of flavorings, coffee, milk and ice to make it just right. This is most definitely a gateway beverage to making more coffee concoctions at home. I’m so looking forward to further experimenting. And though nothing can really make it easier to leave all this cuteness behind at home, allowing myself this one indulgence makes my mornings ever so slightly less painful.
