A Warming Dinner for Chilly Spring Weather

It's been chilly this past week.  So chilly, the birdbath was actually frozen nearly solid this morning. Too chilly for a spring salad type dinner.  An on-sale pork tenderloin in the market lured me in, along with a carb-craving for pasta, and some roasted Brussels sprouts (for good-measure).  You can find the tenderloin recipe here, at Food52:  http://food52.com/recipes/20939-honey-mustard-pork-tenderloin  I'd like to try this marinade on shrimp or some other seafood in the near future.  Enjoy! ~A

For best flavor marinate the tenderloin overnight.

 



Add marinade and let it sleep overnight in the fridge

 



Once seared, wrap in foil and let it hang out a bit to absorb the juices.

Something's got to give...

The weather is getting to me.  All I want to do is eat. Worse, all I want to eat is "comfort" food.  Carbs, Carbs, Carbs... 

Yesterday I canned some mushroom barley soup to put away for my work lunches, and for those evenings when I just don't have it in me to cook anything. Which happens to be often, lately. Really,  I have absolutely no interest in doing much of anything in this cold weather, other than eating and taking care of the animals.  I think part of my nasty outlook has been due to this respiratory, cough thing I've been battling for three weeks now.  Between the cough and the weather I am sure I can't take much more!



Barley Soup "to go"

In an sad effort to pretend I can even remember what summer feels and tastes like, I sliced up a baguette, toasted it, rubbed the pieces with garlic, put a frozen basil leaf on top, followed by a slice of tasteless, (but roasted) winter tomato, and topped it off with shaved parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  I tried.  I really, really tried. But it just couldn't compare to using the same ingredients in, say, August.  It was really a sad moment.

Then I tried pasta.  I was a little more cheery after that...


Pasta = Happiness ?

Then there are some who the snow has no effect on what-so-ever....No horse-flies! Let's play!



Homemade Egg Noodles

You can do this, and then you may never want to go back to store-bought pasta again.  I swear!  It's easy, and fun. You can also use this recipe to make homemade raviolis, which will be my next adventure.  (Note: I passed my pasta through the #5 mark on the pasta machine.  I didn't find that it needed to be any thinner than that.)

You will need:

• 2 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• All-purpose flour (I used high gluten flour, not sure if this matters?)

Directions 

Eggs, Flour, Water, Olive Oil and Salt - that's it!

 

Make your dough ball

 

 

Cut and Dry your pasta


 

 



Serve it up with some chicken and garlic mashers!

Pasta Sauce, Simple and Quick

I was in the mood for some fresh pasta sauce this weekend.  Although tomatoes are not garden-fresh this time of year, with a little garlic and onion you can pretty much make anything taste "good enough."


 

I like to boil my tomatoes for a few seconds so that I can easily peel off the skins before I seed and chop them. It makes it a lot easier to chop them up too!

Chop everything up to your liking and then its all ready to simmer with some italian spices. Oh, and a little salt and pepper too!

Toss it all into a pan with some good olive oil...

Cook your sauce down for a bit.  Ready your pasta of choice, and then join the two in blissfull harmony with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan for the grand finale. Delicious!