Some Recipes to Try...

Here are a few new recipes I tried this last week and they were soooooo good and easy.

The first one I don't have a picture because I forgot to take one, we were so hungry!  I saw this on Food Network Giada's show and printed the recipe off of www.foodnetwork.com.  We usually don't eat pork because everytime I cook it, it is so dry but this time it wasn't and the house smelled so good while it was baking, even the kids loved it!  (I didn't use the whole grain mustard only the Dijon and it was good and mine took a bit longer to cook)

Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon

Pork:

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard (recommended: Maille)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) center-cut, boneless, pork loin roast
• 12 slices bacon (about 1 pound)

Directions

Special equipment: kitchen twine

For the pork: Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic, and rosemary and mix together until smooth. Arrange the pork in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork. Starting on 1 side, lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon, until the pork is fully covered in bacon. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, secure the bacon in place. Roast for 1 hour. Cover the pan, loosely, with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board. Cover the pan with foil and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.

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I have been craving Clam Chowder a while back I had some at The Cheesecake Factory and it was delicous!  So I searced for a recipe online that wasn't too complicated, I wanted simple.  I found this recipe and the whole thing cooked up in about half an hour.  I made a few changes..(First I halved the recipe and it still made alot I used chicken stock instead of clam juice, I used canned clams instead of frozen-I used two cans, I also used bacon instead of salt pork and I didn't add the worcestershire sauce because I didn't have any). I also found this recipe on www.foodnetwork.com  If you like Clam Chowder you have to make it, it is so good!

Clam Chowder

• 10 cups clam juice
• 2 pounds baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and diced
• 4 pounds fresh or frozen clams, shelled and diced
• 1/4 pound salt pork, diced
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 pints half-and-half
• Salt and pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• Dash Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Bring the potatoes and the clam juice to the boil. Cook until thepotatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the clams and any of their liquid. Cook about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add the pork to a saute pan and cook over low heat until rendered. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add the flour and cook until slightly colored. Add a bit more flour if necessary if the mixture is too soft. Bring the clams, juice and potatoes back to the boil. Gradually stir in the cookedroux. Bring to a rolling boil to thicken. Stir continuously while cooking. Beat the half-and-half and add to the soup. It may not be necessary to use all the half-and-half; the soup should be thick. Adjust the seasoning and add a dash of hot pepper sauce andWorcestershire sauce before serving.

Happy Cooking!!!

-Darcy