Cut your pork loin into 1 inch sections and saute in an electric skillet with the Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil or a Premium with a high polyphenol count such as Cerasuola or Koroneiki with herbs of your choice. I used Rosemary and Basil. Simmer on Med. High 4 min on each side. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while making your Hawaiian topping.

Hawaiian topping: 1 can of crushed pineapple drained or fresh pineapple (I prefer) blended up in a small chopper. Add in half of an onion, fresh cilantro and basil blended up. Then slowly add in our White balsamic pineapple & Tangerine & an olive oil of your choice ( I used the Persian lime)about a tablespoon of each. Transfer your topping or salsa to the skillet towards one side and let simmer until tender and it can absorb the pan drippings. Add In about a tablespoon of fresh capers.
Plate and layer your topping onto each cutlet. Serve with your favorite vegetable or creamed potatoes. I blend in our Vegan butter, pepper and smoky citrus sea salt to taste. ENJOY 40 MIN.

I tried my first Shepherd’s Pie and I actually did NOT burn the crust.

Whoo Hoo!

Those of you who have visited the Taproom know that I am not a baker, just a mom that cooks.

Thinly slice 3-4 potatos, onions and garlic. Add in our italian or Mediterranean herb blend (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc)

Add in thin spaced out layers and drizzle with the Basil olive oil and put into microwave for 10 min. to tenderize. Brown a pound of lean hamburger, drain off fat and rinse well. Layer over potato mix and then add in chopped broccoli, shredded carrots, & peas w/ mushrooms.

Add a half a cup of warmed lowfat milk that you have added in a fork full of flour and blended together until no lumps. Pour over Mix and add in a hefty drizzling more Basil or Tuscan olive oil. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Open two cans of Pillsbury Croissant rolls. Stretch out the triangles over the mix, baste with the butter olive oil and more spices.  Place in pre-heated oven at 375 deg. for about 20-22 min and bake until golden brown.

40 min. and Wonderful!!!!!

Brown 2-3  Italian spicy sausages with onions, peppers, garlic, pepper chere and no salt.

Dice 2-3 large Idaho Potatoes unpeeled, throw in microwave for about 8 min on high with a little water and then drain.

Stock pot:  Add in a can of pickled sweet baby corns, one can of seasoned pinto & black beans, one can of diced tomatoes with chilis, and the sausage & vegetable mix.  Let simmer for about 12 min on med/high.  Add in Tuna, Halibut filets (approx. 2 small sizes) and 2 Whiting Filets.  Add in 4 teaspoons (2 each of the Harissa hot extra virgin olive oil & Tuscan); one can of clams in its own brine with a full cup of “Oriental Seafood Mix” in the frozen section of your local grocer (usually contains: shrimp octopus, squid ring , & mussel meat).

Add in 1 cup of spicy V-8 Juice and two full table spoons of mild Caribbean jerk paste (mild is generally not so mild but  hot!!!) & 2 teaspoons of our Italian herb blend or your own herbs.

Let all simmer for about 30 more minutes on low.  Turn off and remove from heat to thicken.  Either plate over rice, chick peas or eat as a soup.

Enjoy!!!!   35-40 min.

 

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY:  The Spanish, Italian, and Canarian influences on Creole cuisine were in the heat of the peppers, the wide usage of citrus juice marinades, the supreme importance of rice, and the introduction of beans. The Spaniards and the Italians also used tomatoes extensively, which had not been a frequent ingredient in the earlier French era. Pasta and tomato sauces arrived during the period when New Orleans was a popular destination for Italian settlers (roughly, 1815 to 1925). Many of them became grocers, bakers, cheese makers and orchard farmers, and so influenced the Creole cuisine in New Orleans and its suburbs. The African influences which were extensive, came about because many of the servants were African-American, as were many of the cooks in restaurants and cafes. The first French, Spanish and Portuguese Creole cookbooks date back to the era before the Louisiana Purchase. The first Creole cookbook in English was La Cuisine Creole: A Collection of Culinary Recipes, From Leading Chefs and Noted Creole Housewives, Who Have Made New Orleans Famous For Its Cuisine, written by Lafcadio Hearn and published in 1885.

Manning vs. Romo . Go Teams!!! Should be a great game tonight:

One of my son’s friends is going away to the Armed Forces in a few days, so I wanted to make sure he had a home cooked country meal. So, Frankie here’s for you. Mom Wells loves you and you be safe. I gave my son a 3 book compilation of life’s Little Instruction Book because Frankie gave his original one to my son to keep for him. On another post I will provide the information. This Book is awesome for any young adult venturing out on their own with arms wide ready for the world.

4 Ham steaks thawed. Place in saute pan with Tuscan EVOO and Pepper. Saute with lid for about 17 min on med., then reduce heat and let simmer until browned.

Place fresh washed turnip greens in a pot with just a 1/4 inch of water, a few pieces of the ham, and Serrano Honey Vinegar, with diced turnips, onion & garlic. Let simmer for same amount of time. Lower heat to just simmer while working with Potatoes.

4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced in microwave bowl with pepper, a little water and butter EVOO on high for about 10 min. ( cheating but hey). Drain and add skim milk to cream together with Kraft garlic & herb whipping cream (in cheese section of most grocery stores).

ENJOY!!! 40 MIN (Because of peeling potatoes unless you want to keep the skin on them).

Place fish in a gallon bag with Persian Lime Olive Oil, Serrano Chili Pepper Infused Honey Vinegar & 1/2 cup Chardonnay, Add in fresh Basil & Rosemary & marinade overnight.

Thinly slice two large sweet potatoes, place in pre-heated skillet (325 )with Vegan butter olive oil w/ a dash of sea salt.  Turn over after crisp, saute for total of 15-17 min or until toasted on both sides.  Remove from skillet, place on a plate then drizzle with maple balsamic.

Grill steaks with a foil sealed packet of cedar chips turning over only one time or until fish is flaky (not opaque).

Plate up with a hefty serving of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh basil & onion marinaded in jalapeno balsamic.

ENJOY!!!  30 MIN.

3 cups of Pasta Shells boiled in salted garlic water for about 15 min, drain well and rinse with cold water (gets rid of the excess starch) pasta will be firm not over done.

Brown one pound of low fat hamburger or ground turkey with onions and garlic (as much as you like). (you would just need to add a little more olive oil with the turkey). Set to the side.

Tomato Sauce:
Add one medium can of tomato paste with 3/4 cup of water (paste has much more tomatoy flavor and the lycopene is higher too!!)

Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes.

Because preliminary research has shown an inverse correlation between consumption of tomatoes and cancer risk, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer.[2] WIKIPEDIA SORRY I DIGRESS!!!!

Add 1/2 cup of our italian herb blend or your own: Basil, Thyme, Garlic, Onion, oregano and summer savory. NO SALT, pepper to taste. I also use smoked paprika for a slight smokey flavor about 1 teaspoon.

Add 1/4 cup of Tuscan or Garlic Olive Oil and a splash of any sweet balsamic to substitute for the sugar added to italian sauce dishes which brings out the flavors.

Simmer all together, meat and sauce for about 30 min. let cool down to handle. In a corning wear dish spread some EVOO on the dish, layer in your pasta, then sauce, then your cheeses. I used parmesan reggiano, smoked mozzarella, asiago and ricotta. Layer all one more time with cheese on top.

Place in oven on 375 for about 15 min for cheese to melt and toast up a bit. LIKE MOST ITALIAN DISHES, THE HERBS AND FLAVORS ARE MUCH BETTER THE NEXT DAY.

PREP TIME 20 min. Total time 45 min. unless you simmer your sauce for 2-4 hrs.

O.K. well, now that pre-season FOOTBALL is up and running, we can all do really quick snicky snack type dinners.  Here is one of my favorites and I will post pics at the stages to make it simple:
Take 6-8 polish smoked or italian sausages…

Brown them on your grill outside or your George Foreman Grill in the house.  With all this rain, I chose the later.  Grill until toasted really well.

Place each on a tortilla wrap with drizzled Tuscan, Garlic or Butter Olive Oil on top of some parmesan regg. pesto (of course I used Kay’s again!!) or salsa.  Add some Fresh grated Aged Sharp Cheddar or blue of your choice, maybe a little spicy mustard.  Roll the wrap up, tucking in the sides as you go (about 2-3 times).

Place on grill with another drizzling of the olive oil of your choice.

20 MIN. VOILA!!!!!  done and very enjoyable.

4 Large Chicken breasts, coated with Harissa olive oil and italian herbs (shaken in a gallon bag) and place in baking oven dish.

Thinly slice 4 large Idaho potatoes, hickory sea salt and pepper to to taste, add parmesan reggiano and gorgonzola blue cheese with Tusan Olive oil drizzled over layered slices.

Bake both in oven at 375 for about 25 min (pre-heated).

Remove Chicken breasts and drizzle with lemon white balsamic move to the side. Continue baking scalloped potatoes for about another 12 min and then just shut off your oven and let stand until golden brown.

Place asparagus in small dish (cheat and microwave for about 4-6min on high with its on juices and the garlic and butter olive oil) and then place in oven with the potatoes. 30-35 min. Dinner for 2-3.

One thawed 2-3 pound pork loin bathed in Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil w/ a sprinkle of onion and garlic flakes, powder, etc.

Place in pre-heated oven at 375 Degrees for about 25 min.

Pull out of oven, prick the meat with a fork, drizzle Black Cherry Balsamic Vinegar over loin.  Place back in oven, but turn oven off.  In about 15 min.,  It will be as tender and juicy as you could ever  imagine.

Dice up some potatoes with onion, peppers and shake in a gallon bag with Garlic Olive Oil.  Place both in corning ware dish for same amount of time.

Voila’ Dinner served for 2-3.  30-35 min.  Enjoy.

I didn’t feel like cooking so I ate left over spaghetti and some braised carrots as desert with maple balsamic & Vegan Butter olive oil. Then, Kay’s Pesto was staring at me. I plated two pieces of bread for the photo of her pesto, but devoured both. Here is her recipe (Kay, you need to market this stuff. Talk with me :)):
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbl. spoon of diced garlic
• 4 1/2cups of fresh garden basil leaves packed tight
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of OGLAROLA (HIGH POLYPHENOL 473)
• 1 CUP grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place pine nuts on a cookie sheet 400 deg. oven for 10 min. or until lightly toasted.
Cool nuts. Place nuts & garlic in food processor, process 30 seconds or until both smooth.

Add basil, salt & pepper. Slowly add EVOO while processor running. Blend until pureed.

Slowly add EVOO while processor running. Blend until pureed. Add cheese, store in fridge with thin layer of olive oil on top or freeze for future get togethers.