Toast with a Tenderloin

While we were in Cleveland last weekend, my husband and I hosted an outdoor party for his family and friends who were not able to join us in Texas for our wedding.  We were joined by some of our good friends from Washington, DC, too.

It was a whirlwind trip - lots of fun, but not really relaxing.  We really didn't have a chance to truly appreciate all the well wishes and special conversations that we had while we were there.  Both of us feel so lucky to have so many fun and considerate people in our life, and we worry they don't realize the depth of our gratitude.

Because of that we decided to plan a relaxing evening at home to go through the congratulatory cards and presents we received and share our thoughts about the success of the party.  I wanted to make something special for the two of us, but nothing too taxing.  We were both still tired and we wanted time to sit back and absorb what we just experienced.

I decided on a pork tenderloin from Niman Ranch and I was inspired by a bottle of tequila sitting on our bar.  I made a margarita-like marinade, let the pork soak it in for a couple of hours, and tossed it on the grill.  I served it with chipotle-spiced beans and rice with green onions.  Then, we toasted our good fortune with a couple of beers.

Margarita Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Makes 3 to 4 servings

2 green onions, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 Tbsp flat parsley, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp tequila
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 lb pork tenderloin

Place all ingredients, but pork into a large zip-top plastic bag and combine.  I dropped the limes in after squeezing to enhance the citrus flavor.

Add pork to mixture in bag and seal.   Using your hands work the marinade around and rub it into the pork.

Let it marinate for at least one hour, but not more than 5 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to grill, remove the pork from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Grill, with grill lid closed, over high heat.  It will likely take not more than 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your tenderloin.

Vacation Recovery

You know how it can be when you are on vacation.  You don't always eat what you should, you certainly don't exercise like you should, and you usually drink way too much.  Well, my husband and I just returned from a mini-vacation and we are feeling the effects.

On the drive home, we swore we would be eating salad all week.  I even suggested we start having a meatless meal at least once a week this summer.  Then, we unloaded the car, walked the dogs, took a nap, and promptly ordered pizza.  With sausage.

I awoke this morning with a renewed sense of discipline, however.  I wanted to make a nice bowl of oatmeal with apple, but I decided it was a bit too warm for that.  (We live in an older house and the air conditioning doesn't work as well as we would like.)  So, I thought oatmeal muffins would be a nice compromise.  We still get some of the heart healthy fiber, but in a lighter portion.  Plus, I added flaxseed!

Now, about that salad...

Post-Vacation Oatmeal Muffins
Makes 8 to 12 regular-sized muffins

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/8 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed.

Make a well in the center and add beaten egg, milk, and canola oil.  Stir until moistened, leaving the batter somewhat lumpy.

Lightly spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with baking cups.  Fill each well no more than 2/3 full.  I elected to make smaller muffins to better control our portions, so I filled each no more than 1/2 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden in color.

These are best served while still warm, but the muffins will keep in an airtight container for a day or two.

Orangette's Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

My husband and I are now celebrating a long weekend in his hometown of Cleveland.  To show my appreciation for my in-laws, I decided to bring some banana bread.  While I have a favorite recipe, I thought it would be nice to try out the recipes from Molly Wizenberg's (aka Orangette) book, A Homemade Life, that I recently finished and reviewed.

I modified it slightly to our taste, and we are definitely enjoying it.  We had another slice for breakfast this morning with our coffee.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
Makes 1 standard-size loaf

6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz of chocolate chips
2.5 oz of chopped crystallized ginger
2 large eggs
2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a standard-size (about 9 x 5 inches) loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, microwave the butter until just melted.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Add the chocolate chips and crystallized ginger and whisk well to combine.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork.  Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to mix well.

Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a silicone spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined.  Do not overmix.  The batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy, but there should be no unincorporated flour.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.

Bake until the loaf is a deep shade of golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  It took me an hour, but I covered it with aluminum foil after about 50 minutes.

Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Then tip it out onto the rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.

According to the recipe, this bread freezes well when fully cooled.  We started scarfing it down immediately.

Book Review: A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

I just finished a charming book - A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg.   I was introduced to Wizenberg's writing through Bon Appétit where she is a regular contributor, but she is also the author of the blog, Orangette.

The book is a story of her life told through her love of food and cooking.  It is in the same format as her blog – favorite recipes paired with personal reflections, but with a much tighter narrative.  Without straining for connections, Wizenberg describes how food has been woven into her personal experiences: the death of her father, her decision to bypass a career in academia, young romances, and her marriage.  Some of these reflections are clearly difficult and you almost sense a great need on her part to tell the story.

Wizenberg draws you in and makes you feel a part of the story.  However, some of the chapters are a bit too short and don’t provide much substance or deepen our understanding of the author.  I left those sections not entirely satisfied with the happily ever after tone. 

I found most of the memoir to be relatable to the under-40 crowd and I’m intrigued by most of the 50 recipes.  As it turns out, my mother is reading it now, too, and thinks it is entertaining.  Overall, the book is a pleasant, quick read that would be a nice treat over a weekend.

Beer Drinking Bonanza

Over the Memorial Day weekend my husband and I attended the Maryland Brewers Spring Fest with our friends Dave and Laura.  The four of us had a great time in Frederick, Maryland enjoying locally brewed craft beer.  We were all grateful we elected to buy VIP tickets to take advantage of early access to the cask conditioned brews.  It gave us a chance to taste them before they ran out and before the stadium became too crowded.  In addition to the early access, our tickets entitled us to 10 4-oz tastings of beer, and we could purchase additional tastings for $1 each.  We found 4 ounces to be just perfect for tasting a variety of brews, but not getting too full of yeast and hops, especially on a warm, sunny day.

The festival was held in the Frederick Keys minor league baseball stadium.  They have a seating area known as the family section where no drinking is allowed.  I found the signs amusing to see in the midst of a beer festival, but of course, I find humor in a number of things.

My husband and I both enjoyed a barrel-aged brew from Clipper City Brewing Company.  A part of the brewery's Heavy Seas line, the oak barrel was not charred, but definitely imparted an interesting woody flavor to the beer.  We also both really liked the Raging Bitch IPA from Flying Dog Brewery.  It was wonderfully hoppy and had a crisp taste that was perfect to eat with a smoked turkey leg.

Laura really enjoyed Repent by DuClaw, a strong, dark-colored Belgian Ale.  I must admit I found it much too sweet, but we all got a kick out of her giggles after she sampled the 14.6% ABV ale.  Instead, I found the ESB from Barley & Hops to be quite interesting and refreshing as the day got warmer.

This event was considered part of DC's Unofficial Beer Week.  I strongly encourage those of you in the Washington, DC area to help kick-off your summer by checking out some of the cool events at bars and restaurants around town.  You can have the chance to taste unusual beers and even meet the brewers and  learn about their products and process.  Who knows, maybe you'll find the perfect beer to impress folks at your next barbeque.  Cheers!