Smoked Pork Loin with Grilled Cherry Tomatoes and Snow Peas - Grilling Time

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I do hope you are a regular reader, if so, you may have read yesterday's post of Massaged Kale Fruit Salad - Day One of How I Spent my Summer Vacation.  This is the main course and vegetables that went with the salad.  I was trying to earn my keep by making dinner for Chris and Alexis; Chris of the Nibble Me This Blog (Master of the Big Green Egg and his grill).  This is the meal I made for them in exchange for a couple of night's stay while traveling to the East Tennessee Blogger get together scheduled the next day.

We had spent the day at the local farmer's market which gave me a chance to pick out a few of the prettier and tastier items.  I have spent the winter cooking Italian food.  While not a specific authentic Italian recipe, these dishes (and the Kale Salad) are examples of what I learned about cooking... Simple ingredients, let the flavors shine, cooked to their peak to allow the flavors and textures sing.

For presentation, serve family style on platters... It's just more fun!

The Grilled Pineapple served a couple of purposes... Pretty garnish, but also a built in dessert.  Besides we had enough left over from the Kale Salad.

The Pork Loin was smoked, indirect heat on Chris's Big Green Egg.  the outside was rubbed with a Jerk Spice Mix (commercial brand), then coated with a couple of teaspoons of Whole Grain Mustard.  This will season the loin, help to keep the moisture inside and provide a wonderful taste to the meat.

Smoking Pork Loin is about as easy as it gets and can be done on any home grill.  Simply set the grill up for indirect heat with the hot coals (or gas jets) NOT under the meat.  This way the heat circulates around the meat rather than just underneath (That's direct heat or grilling).  I got Egg lessons from Chris and used the heat deflecting plate.  The Pork was cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees and then removed from the heat to "rest" for 10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat so it is moist and tender when served.

While the meat is resting, we readjusted the Egg for direct heat.  HOT coals under a grill pan (one of those pans with holes in it that allows small vegetables to be grilled.

I had prepped the cherry tomatoes and snow peas, simply washing them,trimming the ends of the peas and chopping a Vidalia Onion to the size of the tomatoes.  Then I minced some garlic.  All this needs to be coated with Olive oil and mixed together.

Into the grill pan, direct heat over the coals until the peas are snappy but slightly wilted, the tomatoes start to burst as the heat simmers the juices inside, bringing out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.  the onions just turn translucent and begin to soften... Al Dente vegetables.

When all is ready, slice the pork loin thinly, arrange around the platter, add the vegetables into the center, garnish with the pineapple rings and serve HOT and Enjoy!!!

It was pretty intimidating to cook alongside a master griller like Chris, but at least for this meal I think I held my own!  COme back tomorrow as we travel to Larry's boat dock for the East Tennessee Blogger Party!!!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Massaged Kale Fruit Salad - Day One of How I Spent my Summer Vacation

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The annual East Tennessee Blogger party held at Larry's Boat Dock (Larry of Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings).  Seems like a long drive from Kansas to the far side of Tennessee for lunch, but as usual, Jackie and I had such a great time we are already making plans for next year!

But the trip was more than just a single lunch.  We combined the lunch with a chance to visit and cook with some of my favorite food bloggers.  Our first day we were invited to stay with the legendary master of the Big Green Egg Chris and his wife Alexis... Chris of Nibble Me This.

Chris greeted us at his grill, grilling up a welcoming cocktail!  Yep, GRILLING a cocktail!  He already posted the drink on his blog, an almost neon blue lemonade with rum and oranges and even a little Tennessee Moonshine he calls a GRILLED BLUE WHALE.

A Delicious way to start the week.  We swapped a few ideas on how to get just the right image for his blog post and then did the difficult task of taste testing the blog post.  A Great tasting post!

Next morning was Saturday and Chris and Alexis took the opportunity to show off their hometown of Knoxville , TN by showing us the Farmer's Market.  Among the best I have ever seen.  The market pushes local by only accepting farmers and vendors from the local area.  We enjoyed a breakfast at their favorite breakfast spot, the Tupelo Honey Cafe, ate at a couple of food trucks, bought some local pottery and just wandered about.

And shopping for lunch brings us to this recipe...

There is nothing like a Farmer's Market to inspire you.  Beautiful bright colored vegetables everywhere.  Fruit so fresh they practically come with roots.

And as much fun as walking any farmer's market with my wife, it was an especially fun morning of wandering from booth to booth, talking with local providers of "fresh, local and best" with a group of food lovers like Chris and his Alexis; my wife and myself.  Certainly among my favorite memories of our trip.

Which brings us back to my contribution to lunch...

Chris grilled a Skirt Steak with an amazing Mushroom Sauce.

I made the salad.

I stole a bit of grill space and grilled a few pineapple rings.

We had bought some fresh Strawberries.
We also bought some locally roasted spicy Peanuts.
Locally grown Kale...
And a very simple drizzle of a quality Olive Oil and the juice of an Orange.

The only "trick" is to massage the kale.  Literally, take a few large kale leaves, trim out the thick heavy vein down the center and then rub this remaining leaves until they are soft.  If you skip this step you end up with that raw nasty too crunchy kale leaves.  Just rub them aggressively for a few minutes until they stop squeaking and feel buttery soft.  It takes time, but it is well worth it.

Just dump all the ingredients in a bowl, drizzle the oil and orange juice down the side of the bowl and mix until everything is coated.

Serve fresh and ENJOY with Friends!

Thanks Chris and Alexis... It is always a highlight of my year to visit.  Hope you liked the salad.

Bacon and Egg Pizza (Uova e pancetta Pizza)

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PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST???

Am I insane???  Well, I am serving up this Insanely delicious alternative to cold leftover pizza for breakfast.

The bacon, in this case, Italian Pancetta ham (could easily use some Canadian Bacon as well) is the key.  The round shape helps to hold the egg in place when it is raw.

But I just love this look...  Typical pizza look, melty cheese with tomato sauce peeking through, cheese nicely starting to crisp up and get that golden brown delicious look.

The ham (bacon) is curling up nicely and getting a bit of a char on the edges.

And the eggs...  Beautifully pure white and he golden yellow centers...

Museum of Modern Culinary Art worthy.

Little slivered Basil and pepper (the bacon adds plenty of salt, so just pepper). completes the look and taste.

I used my homemade scratch pizza dough recipe but you can just as easily use a store bought pizza dough ball or even one of those pre-baked crusts.  I also used my home made scratch pizza herb tomato sauce, but again, store bought will work if you prefer.  If this is your first 'scratch" pizza, please take a second and read over my Pizzeria Pizza at Home 101 - Crust Sauce and Techniques post that gives you plenty of recipes, tips and hints that guarantee pizzeria quality at home (for a fraction of the cost and a multiplying factor of flavors and choices).

OK, this pizza is more about technique than about recipes.  As I said, If you follow the link for the Pizzeria Pizza at Home 101 - Crust Sauce and Techniques post you have every recipe you need.

Just hunt down round bacon and freshly grate your mozzarella cheese.  OK, set up your dough on parchment paper (and be pre-heating your pizza stone (although you could use a cookie sheet)).  A little oil brushed on will help the crust to crisp up.

When you spread the cheese, just make a little well so that the sides make a spot to hold the egg.

Press down on the bacon again so that you have a cavity for the egg to rest.

OK, before you add the eggs, make sure everything is ready.  You want to do this part fats... Have your stone HOT, oven on and the parchment paper already on a pizza peel.

CAREFULLY drop the eggs onto the center of the bacon.  Then open the oven door, pull the rack as far out as it can go and CAREFULLY move the pizza peel down to peel level and pull the parchment paper onto the peel as level as possible.  If you lift too much or dip the peel too much the raw eggs slide all over.  YOU CAN DO THIS, but be careful.

And that is it... Use a HOT oven and a HOT pizza stone and the pizza bakes up in about 8 minutes.

I hope I did not make it sound complicated... it really only takes a few minutes if you are an experienced home pizza maker.  The pay off in beauty and taste is well worth the effort.  Plus, if you get in the habit of making pizza dough 4 balls at a time (as my recipe does), and you always have a jar of sauce paying around (since I make 8 jars at a time, this beauty is actually very affordable.  Your big cost is the ham, but again... Well worth it!

And of course... This is a MUST MAKE recipe for my new Page that eventually will be a guide to Italian Cooking (worth following). I will try to research the history, Italian name for the dish and most of all the authenticity (going to be hard not to monkey about with the recipes, but I at least promise to try).

So, Cin Cin indeed as I add Breakfast Pizza Uova e Pancetta Pizza) to my "52 Authentic Italian Recipes".

And if you like this dish and want to see more, be sure to take a minute and "Follow" me on Pinterest for all of the updates to come!!!








But as with most recipes, the basics can be learned in minutes; mastering the art will take a lifetime (or at least 52 tries).  You can achieve success with my Pizzeria 101 Link, a cookie sheet, standard oven and items in most every kitchen.  But... eventually you will want to try the toys of the trade  So if you want to dig deeper, I recommend these books and items...

Enjoy your Pizza making... Let me know what pizzas you are making and be sure to come take a look next Sunday to see what I come up with this week!

This is Pizza #7 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

Week #1 ...

A simple Salami Pizza (break free of the addiction to Pepperoni).  A classic example of the Italian belief that less is more... Allow a quality ingredient like the artisanal Dry cured sausage, the sauce and the cheese balance beautifully!

This Sausage pizza is Pizza #2 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

I made a fantastic HOT Sausage Pizza... Made with mini balls of sausage (there is a small trick) that also looks as dramatic as it is tasty!

Week #3

I was on the grill making a dessert or Appetizer FANTASTIC Honey - Goat Cheese - Arugula Pizza... Delicious and PERFECT if you want to WOW your friends with something unique on the GRILL!

Week #4

A Pizza from my youth, the (then) exotic sounding Canadian Bacon and Onion GRILLED pizza!  Loaded with color and the unique taste of the sweet juicy back bacon that became a legend back in Pekin, Illinois in the 70's.

Week #5

A fond memory of our time living in the islands... US Virgin Island, St Thomas had a fantastic little beach bar where you could get a Steak and Gorgonzola Pizza (and a bottle of wine) for just $25... one of the few bargains on the island and a darn fine PIZZA!

Week #6

We stayed out on the grill for a fun APPETIZER PIZZA of Goat Cheese, Honey and Walnuts!  Worked perfect to serve as guests arrive, the sweet honey, zippy goat cheese and the savory walnuts paired perfect for a fine welcome treat!



OK, be sure to come back next Sunday... I already have plans for next weeks' Za!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Breakfast Ideas!"

It's the most important meal of the day.  From fancy to simple, there are always ways to dress up a breakfast dish.  These are the meals that make Bed and Breakfast Inns legendary (and usually easier than you think).

Here's your chance to make your guests Ooh and Aah!

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And,  I am pleased to also list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Authentic Italian Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop. The world's most popular cuisine, authentic, natural, organic, Farm to Table... the Italians started, perfected or embraced it before it became a fad. This page is a guide to Italian Cooking... For the home cook!  So, Cin Cin (toast) and Buon Appetito (Enjoy your Meal) to you all and let's Cook authentic Italian!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Sesame Chicken Chinese Take Out Frittata

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Last night was another rare night of take out food... Chinese Take out food.  I enjoyed a wonderfully sticky spicy sweet dish of Sesame Chicken with fried rice.  Of course I saved a few bits and made my weekly Fritatta from leftovers!...

When you add the fried rice with the minced up pieces of chicken, add the eggs, cream and just a tiny amount of effort...

What a GREAT breakfast for two, a brand new dish perfect for Breakfast in bed while reading the Sunday paper!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

Of course, you remember everything I have said about Fritattas (think Italian Open faced Omelette).  In this case, a basic Italian Omelette, the Fritatta!  I have done a couple of posts on making a Fritatta... A basic, sort of Fritatta 101, and a Tomato Fritata (see the photo).  They are basically the same and I worked hard on the details so that indeed, "Anyone can cook" these if they read over those blog posts.  The Fritatta really is the easiest of all the omelette recipes to make.  No vigorous shaking (the French), no Folding (This might be an American invention, certainly popularized in American cuisine).

Well, making a Firtatta has become a way of life for me.  Aside from the two blog posts mentioned above, I stopped even looking at a recipe *they are simple, eggs, a little cream, butter for the pan and whatever extra you want to use).  The technique is important, so do take a look at the Fritatta 101 post to see what I am talking about.  I stopped asking permission to change the recipe long ago.  Mostly I make fritattas from whatever I had for dinner last night.  Fish, beef, pork, vegetables, cheese, salami... Everything but soup.

So, here's my series... Once a week for a year I am going to give you permission to try something yourself... The Whatever I had for dinner last night Fritatta!

So, what I had for dinner last night was Chinese Take Out.

Sesame Chicken Chinese Take Out  Frittata,

Here's What I Did...

4 Eggs
1 TBS Heavy Cream
1 Cup Leftover chicken from a Sesame Chicken Take out Meal
1/2 Cup Left Over Fried Rice from a Take Out Meal

1. Dice up the chicken (just the Chicken from the Sesame Chicken... There is plenty for two Fritattas).
2. Preheat the oven to Broil setting
3. In a Non Stick oven safe saute Pan, over medium high heat melt a TBS of Butter
4. Whisk together 4 Eggs and a TBS of Heavy Cream (sure,milk will work)
5. Add the chicken and 1/2 cup of leftover Rice to the butter and saute to heat
6. Add the eggs gently over the chicken and rice
7. heat for 4 minutes on the stove top, until the eggs around the edge are set but the center is still jiggly wet.
8. Move the pan to the oven and broil for 2 minutes.  Check to see if the top is set and is just starting to brown.
9. Repeat if needed
10. Flip the fritatta onto a preheated plate.  This may take practice, but by the time you do a couple of weeks' worth you will have it down perfect, place a plate upside down over the saute pan, hold the bottom of the plate (now n top) solidly with the palm of your hand and holding the handle of the pan, quickly and smoothly, FLIP
11. Serve HOT and ENJOY!  Serves two.

Now, what's your idea for a
Whatever I had for dinner last night Fritatta!!!

here's my list ... SO FAR!

Fritatta #1...

 I had a rare plate of take out food, Sweet and Sour Chicken from my local Asian take out place.

Turned into a FANTASTIC Sweet and Sour Chicken Fritatta!

Fritatta #2...

I Really spiced things up with another grilling gem when I cooked up a GRILLED Curry Chicken Fritatta, balanced heat and sweet with a side of some seasonal Pineapple!

Fritatta #3

This time I actually made a CLASSIC TRUE Italian recipe with leftover potatoes and onions to create a Fried Potato, Onion and Blue Cheese  Fritatta.  Some grapes and tomato slices really made for a wonderful breakfast!

Fritatta #4

A dinner of Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes turns into yet another delicious loaded up specialty breakfast....  The MEATLOAF FRITATTA is made with an Italian meatloaf recipe, loaded with Sofrito vegetables.  I even made up some mashed potato cakes also from the leftovers!

Fritatta #5

An indulgent dinner of a grilled steak turns into a classic BEST use of leftovers, Steak and Eggs, turns into a delicious Steak and Eggs Fritatta!  Add some tomato slices for color and sweetness and you have a "new" Classic Steak and Egg dish!

Fritatta #6

Last night we had a CAJUN NIGHT of a big pot of Beer Pineapple CAJUN New Orleans Style Jambalaya and it was FANTASTIC!

And all those spicy sweet Cajun ingredients made one heck of a wonderful Fritatta!

Beer Braised Grilled Brats - Grilling Time

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SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY!!!

And so are Beer Braised GRILLED Brats!  Easy, delicious and sets your brats above and beyond the rest of the neighborhood... Just one more way that will help make you recognized as "The Guy" (or Gal) when it comes to backyard grilling!

All of the prep work is done in advance.  Brats are raw sausage (as opposed to hot dogs which are precooked).  But they also come with a casing on the outside to hold the meat n shape.  This casing needs to be punctured to allow the beer to seep into the meat.  Release your inner WOLVERINE, grab a couple of toothpicks and dive in a couple of dozen holes throughout the brat.

I make a bed of Onions in a crock pot (single layer to prevent the brats from touching the HOTTER bottom).  Set the crock pot on the lowest setting, Add a bottle of beer and another layer of onion rings.

As in all cooking, the quality of the beer does matter.  It's better to drink less than to drink watered down light beer.  I prefer to shop local, drink local.  Here in Kansas City there is a wonderful local brewer, Boulevard Beer.  I selected their Single Wide I-P-A, India Pale Ale.  You only need to cover the brats about half way up their sides, I have a smaller crock pot that works great, only needing one bottle of beer.

Slow heat the beer (not even a simmer, low heat) for about an hour, turn the brats and slow heat for another hour and you are ready to grill!

The brats will cook fast, so a high heat just to char the outside is all you need!  Go ahead, toast the buns and add a pot of beans and you have a low effort, just a few minutes of hands on work yet a FANTASTIC BBQ meal!

I did make the meal a little more festive.

Once the brats were grilled, I dressed them in separate ways.

From simple Onions and Pickles (Pickled red onions, I guess not as simple, but they sure looked colorful and of course delicious).

More traditional Sauerkraut, Mustard and tomato slices.

To a more exotic grilled pineapple and bacon.

Just a tad more festive I cut these into thirds and put each piece on a skewer to make a variety pack, sort of a Beer Brat Shish Kabob.

Jackie and I had a guest, made three shish kabobs bit left a couple of brats Naked in case someone had other preferences for toppings (but everyone wanted a Beer Brat Shish Kabob).

Like I said...

Summertme

And the

Living

IS 

Easy

(And Delicious)

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So,  I am also adding to my Growing list of  "52 Cooking With BEER Recipes"!!!

Everyone knows about cooking with wine, but BEER has so much more complex flavors.  I imagine the day after beer was invented, someone made an Irish Stew. Cooking with beer infuses recipes with this intoxicating concoction of hops and barley in an effort to enhance and enrich everyday food..  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

*************************************************************************

Also,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest