Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

(by Paula Deen)

This is one of our favorite meals. It's easy and SO good!!!!!

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juices
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate (I have NO idea what this is and I have never been able to find any - so I just skip it)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped scallions

1 pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)
Olive oil, for brushing

Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine. Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and pat dry. Brush olive oil onto grill and over meat for extra flavor. Reserve marinade. Grill tenderloin until cooked through, about 30 minutes to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or roast in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces.

While meat is grilling, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower the heat and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece of meat.

The meat always stays so tender! This is my favorite recipe to use for pork tenderloin.

Carmalized Onion Dip

Carmalized Onion Dip

I made this dip last summer and it is so good - I could get in the bowl and just swim around in it!

INGREDIENTS

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

METHOD
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (Yielding about 3 cups of onions)

Heat the oil and the butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat (it works better to NOT use a non-stick pan). Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 40 more minutes, stirring occasionally (but not too often-the onions should start to stick to the pan) until the onions are browned and caramelized.

Add the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Allow the onions to cool.

This is what you want the onions to look like. Note that they are really dark because of the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and the mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth. Add all of the onions, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish, into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and top with reserved onions. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.

Makes 2 cups.

Chicken Lasagna

Here is the recipe for Chicken Lasagna:

2 or 3 cooked chicken breasts
2 jars of Prego sauce (I'm partial to garlic and parmesan cheese)
Uncooked lasagna noodles
1 15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzerella
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a 11x7 dish, spread 1 cup sauce, top with uncooked lasagna noodles.

Then layer ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Cut up chicken into small pieces and spread on top. And I've never done this before but I thought it sounded good and I had a bunch extra so I added some fresh mushrooms. I figure it can't hurt?
Spread 1 cup sauce on top of that and then cover with another layer of noodles. Then put remaining sauce on top of the noodles. Cover with foil in oven. Bake 1 hour at 375. Uncover and top with remaining mozzerella cheese and let stand for five minutes.

Follow the link for the recipe for the snickers pie! Like anything Paula Deen makes - it is full of fat and full of flavor! So yum!

Cake Balls

CAKE BALLS

This is super easy and you can make it any kind of variety you like. I've seen yellow cake and chocolate icing and chocolate and chocolate. But being the good Southern girl I am - I LOVE red velvet cake so I thought this would be good. (Jamie - you would LOVE these!)

All you do is bake the cake mix according to directions

When it's still warm - crumble it up in a bowl and mix in a can of frosting (I used cream cheese with the red velvet!)
IMPORTANT STEP: Refrigerate the cake and frosting for about an hour before you start making balls!

I used this handy little scooper from Pampered chef to scoop balls

Melt almond bark (either vanilla or chocolate - depending on your cake) and dip balls in the bark. You could use toothpicks or a fork - but I used this egg separator and it worked GREAT!

And voila - one of the yummiest things you will ever taste!!!

Cookie Surprise Cupcakes

COOKIE SUPRISE CUPCAKES


You take any kind of chocolate cake mix and mix according to the box

Fill muffin pans about half full and then take chocolate cookie dough like above and put down in the batter (please excuse my old gross muffin pan. It's been through the ringer).

Then bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 and when cooled - top with the above - chocolate frosting and mini morsels.
I decided to forget the morsels because it almost seemed like TOO much chocolate (as if there could be such a thing). You will notice there are only 11 cupcakes on that platter. I HAD to test taste. I wouldn't want to give out something bad. Oh - it was NOT bad, not bad at all!!! It was DELICIOUS!
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes but there are only 7 people in my office this week so that would be crazy. I'm saving the batter and making them later this week for something else.

Meat Cupcakes

Meat Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:3/4 LB. GROUND BEEF

1/2 C KETCHUP

1 T MUSTARD

2 T BROWN SUGAR

1 CAN BISCUITS

1/4 C SHREDDED CHEESE

DIRECTIONS:PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 DEGREES.BROWN THE BEEF AND DRAIN.MIX KETCHUP, MUSTARD, AND BROWN SUGAR TOGETHER TO MAKE A BARBECUE SAUCE.ADD THE SAUCE TO THE BEEF.SEPARATE DOUGH INTO BISCUITS.FORM DOUGH INTO CUPS ON THE MUFFIN TINS.SPOON THE MEAT INTO THE DOUGH CUPS.BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES(OR UNTIL THE BISCUIT DOUGH LOOKS DONE).SPRINKLE THE TOPS WITH CHEESE.AND DINNER IS SERVED!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes - Heaven on Earth

For the cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.