Aspa-broccoli: A new kind of green veggie

For dinner we had leftover Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, and a new kind of veggie. It has the stalks of asparagus with the floret-like top of broccoli. I'm not sure what it's actually named; the tag said "Aspirations," hence the coined name above. To cook it, I used the same method as I use for asparagus. We both really liked the Aspa-broccoli. It's worth a try!

Roasted Aspa-broccoli
1 bunch Aspa-broccoli
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Zest and juice from 1 lemon

1. Spread Aspa-broccoli in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with lemon zest and juice.
2. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until tender.

Mashed Potatoes
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into chunks (These have very thin skins, so I don't peel them.)
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt
Pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
Buttermilk

1. Bring potatoes and water to cover to a boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to pot.
2. Mash potatoes with a potato masher (I prefer a chunky texture). Stir in butter until it melts. Stir in salt, pepper, sour cream, and a tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

Blackberry-Peach Coffee Cake

This recipe appeared in the June issue of SL and I've been wanting to try it since the story was in production in March. (Incidentally this is the story that prompted my serious craving for fresh peaches.) I made the cake for my Bible study group tonight and it was a hit! It bakes for a long time but stays very soft and moist. In fact, the center has a similar texture to cheesecake. Enjoy!

MeatFest '09

For the past several years, our family (Mom, Grannie, Aunt D and Uncle J, my cousins J and J and their families, my sister Mel and brother Jeremy and their families) has gathered at my aunt and uncle's for a reunion of sorts. It takes place in July and serves as the half point gathering of the year (Thanksgiving and Christmas are the other times we're usually all together). I don't think of my family as very big (I only have two first cousins), but now that everyone has children (their are seven grandgirls, with one more on the way), we number 24. Plus Andy and I bring our niece Cameron and nephews Carson and Christopher from the other side of the family. This year, the weather was unseasonably comfortable for July in Alabama; the temperature was in the low 80s. We stayed outside in the shade all day.

Southern family reunions are known for the spread of food, but our gathering has a special name because we always have an overabundance of meat. Andy coined the name several years ago and it stuck. Now as a joke Mom monograms us MeatFest T-shirts each year. (You might be a redneck if…) Anyway, the amount of meat this year did not disappoint. In fact, it took two huge grills and three smokers to produce this much. We had hamburgers, pork chops, smoked ribs, grilled ribs, hot dogs, sausage, Boston butt, and steak. (Definitely not a place for a vegetarian!) The side dishes were equally as numerous (most folks can't resist some contribution): roasted potato wedges, Panzanella, coleslaw, corn salad, green beans, watermelon, not one but two slow cookers of baked beans, corn on the cob, Waldorf salad, rolls, and chips. For dessert, we had birthday cake for my niece Emma, ice cream, and Fried Peach Pies. Believe me when I say that after the 30 folks who came went through the line, it didn't look like anything had been eaten!

It's hard to imagine what so much food looks like and my photos don't do it justice. In order to have enough room for all of it, the meat was on a fellowship hall table in the dining room and the sides were on two tables in the kitchen.

I love this time with my family. It's laid-back and just a whole lot of fun. We spend the whole day reminiscing and laughing! The kids enjoyed the two inflatable water slides of Uncle J's as well as the awesome play set he built in the yard. Looking forward to MeatFest '10!

Chocolate Ganache Baby Cakes

I usually make these cakes as regular-size cupcakes. However, I wanted them to be a little more special tonight, so I made baby cakes. They were very good but too rich in this size. Next time, I'll use the regular muffin pan, instead of the jumbo one. Definitely serve them with ice cream to cut the richness. Enjoy!




Chocolate Ganache Baby Cakes
This cake is very moist; it's not quite as soft as a molten chocolate cake, but it's similar. Don't overbake the cakes; a knife will not come out clean.)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 (16-oz.) can chocolate syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla (yes, that much)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
Chocolate Ganache
Ice cream

1. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in chocolate syrup and vanilla. Gradually add in flour, beating just until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels. Pour into a lightly greased jumbo muffin pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; remove cakes from pan. Invert onto serving plates, and spoon Chocolate Ganache over top. Serve with ice cream.

Chocolate Ganache:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. instant coffee granules

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, 30 seconds, stirring halfway through. Whisk chocolate mixture until chocolate is melted and surface is glossy.

Stuffed Tomatoes

This yummy recipe works best with plum tomatoes, because they have sturdy sides. I think regular tomatoes would also work, but seeding them would be more difficult. A little crumbled bacon would be a great addition. There's always tomorrow…

Stuffed Tomatoes
5 plum tomatoes, cut in half and seeded (A spoon works well for this.)
Salt
Pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Olive oil
1/2 cup fancy shredded Italian cheese blend

1. Sprinkle tomato halves with salt and pepper. Combine breadcrumbs and next 2 ingredients in a bowl. Mound breadcrumb mixture in tomato halves. Drizzle stuffing mixture with olive oil. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Some friends came for dinner tonight and I made Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Cheese Grits, Stuffed Tomatoes, and Chocolate Ganache Baby Cakes. Sounds hard, but I promise that it was easy. The pork recipe was inspired by one from Ina Garten that I made several years ago that was stuffed with fennel and onions. Don't be intimidated by stuffing a pork tenderloin. Traditionally you use pork that's been butterflied by a butcher. However, I shop at a regular grocery store, so I had to improvise. I bought one (1.5-pound) package of pork tenderloins, which contained two (0.75-ounce) cuts of meat. Enjoy!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1 (1.5-oz.) package pork tenderloins
Kitchen twine
Salt
Pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1 handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Country-style Dijon mustard

1. Slice each pork tenderloin in half along the length, just enough so each lays flat. (Don't cut all the way through the other side.) Place the two halves next to each other. Next cut four pieces of kitchen twine, and place at even intervals underneath the pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Combine onion and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Mound onion mixture onto one of the flattened pork tenderloins. Carefully fold second tenderloin over stuffing, and tie kitchen twine pieces to seal. Rub outside of pork with mustard. Place tenderloin on a lightly greased broiler pan.
3. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350°, and bake for 20 more minutes or until pork is done. Let stand 20 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Rewind: Pumpkin Cookies

It's definitely July in Alabama according to the calendar, but the weather feels like early October. We've had several days of mild days with low humidity, so to celebrate I decided to make one of my favorite cookie recipes to take to Bible study tonight: Pumpkin Cookies. The recipe is from my friend Cindy. I love how tender the cookies themselves are! Best of all, everything comes together in a snap; I had these ready in 30 minutes. Definitely try these! (Note: One can has about 2 cups of pureed pumpkin. You only need 1 cup for this recipe, so store the remaining cup in the fridge.)