Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork

This is a recipe I pinned on Pinterest- tried- and loved! I have made it twice and my hubby just raves! I used a 2 lb. pork loin and am excited to try a pork tenderloin next. Now, I am not a lover of balsamic vinegar, but the taste of this glaze with the balsamic isn't too strong and definitely delicious! 

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork 
Pinned from http://www.candcmarriagefactory.com/

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage (I did't have this at home, and it tasted great anyway without it)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens (it will have a look to it like molasses). Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Strain the liquid from the crockpot and serve over pork- so good! 

My Perfect Lasagna Recipe

...8 years in the making

I have been having this on again and off again relationship with lasagna for 8 years- about 1 out of every 5 times I made it it was heavenly, the rest were too dry, too saucy, too mushy, too ugly (you know what I mean by ugly lasagna? Very unappetizing) So I have been perfecting this recipe, writing down the things I did different when it actually came out right and I am ready to share it!

There are some very strict rules when it comes to making this a perfect lasagna so read carefully:

Side-note: I have NO loyalty to these brands or affiliation with them. They are just what I have used and what works for me.

Lasagna (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
Sized to to fit a 2 qt. square casserole dish

Ingredients:

6 "no boil" lasagna noodles

I would never tell you to buy premade tubs of frosting or cake mix, but trust me, don't be ashamed to buy the "no boil" lasgna noodles. Not only do they taste the same (I think better) but it is so much easier to spread the ricotta on them than trying to layer things on top of slippery noodles. 

1 26.5 oz. can of pasta sauce

I use Hunts Traditional Style Pasta Sauce because it is a thinner style of sauce with no chucks of tomato or veggies. I found a thicker sauce makes it dryer.

15 oz. container of ricotta cheese



I just use the Great Values brand from Wal-Mart in the "part skim" variety


3-4 cups of finely shredded mozzarella cheese

 If it is shredded too large, it will get clumpy.


1/4 cup parmesan cheese

I like the real shredded cheese you have to find in the refrigerated section as opposed to the powder variety.

1 egg


Palm size square of ground beef


Get the fat content you like for everyday cooking, but if you really want to make this lasagna at it's best for a special occasion, get the 80% beef to fat ratio because the meat will remain soft and juicy.\


Sprinkling of onion and garlic powder

Directions:


Place your ground beef in skillet and start chopping it apart with a sturdy spatula. Try to get the pieces as small as possible. While it is still cooking and is spread apart, sprinkle with onion and garlic powder. (You can cook the meat with large pieces of onion and garlic if you have it, but take all the pieces out after it is cooked, it is just for flavor). Cook until no longer pink.

Place cooked ground beef in a POT (yes, you will have to dirty something else but cooking the sauce in the pan makes it taste different-use a deep pot instead). Pour the sauce into the pot, stir the meat and sauce together and heat until just hot, don't over cook.

In a bowl, crack and beat the egg. Mix with ricotta and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Pour 1/4 cup of meat sauce into the bottom of 2 qt. casserole dish. Layer two noodles on top of sauce- side by side. Take 1/3 of ricotta mixture and smooth on top of noodles with the back of a large spoon. Pour a scant 1 cup of meat sauce on the ricotta cheese mixture. Pour a scant 1 cup mozzarella cheese onto meat sauce.
Repeat 2 more times:
-noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, mozzarella, noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, mozzarella- STOP! You are done layering, yay!

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Take off foil and bake another 15 minutes.
Then to get a nice brown, bubbly look to the top I suggest broiling for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Then most important of all- LET IT SIT!

Unless you want to make mush of this deliciousness, you need to let it sit for 15 minutes. Cut pieces with a sharp culinary knife and dish out with a small, study spatula. This way your lasagna with look as good as it tastes!

Enjoy!

Apple Cinder Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions

These Apple Cinder Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions are moist, delicious and full of flavor! You can also slice the pork tenderloin in half length-wise to make small pork medallions for appetizers or party food. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Pork tenderloin
6-8 slices bacon
Season Salt- to taste
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup apple cinder vinegar

Instructions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees
Trim fat off pork tenderloin and cut into 1 inch thick medallions
Wrap medallions in 1 strip of bacon and secure with toothpick
Sprinkle one side of medallion with season salt.

Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot- cooking at medium to high heat. Set medallions season side down. Season other side. Sear each side of medallions- this takes 2-5 minutes. Put medallions on their side to crisp bacon- rotate so all bacon gets cooked.

Transfer to casserole dish.  Pour apple cinder vinegar evenly over pork medallions. Cover with foil and  transfer to oven to finish cooking for 15-20 minutes.

Let pork rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Step by Step Instructions:

Ever seen one of these at the store and wonder "what would I do
with that?" Well this is it! Take the tenderloin out of the package and
trim all the fat.

Cut the tenderloin into 1 inch medallions

Wrap each medallion in a raw slice of bacon

Secure bacon with a toothpick (make sure not to use
colored toothpicks or you will have big colorful circles
on your food ).
Season one side with season salt.

Place medallion in frying pan with hot oil, season side down.
Season pork and sear both sides until slightly golden brown.

Once both sides are seared, turn pork on it's side
and cook to crisp bacon.

Place medallions in casserole dish and
pour apple cinder vinegar evenly over pork.

Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Let pork sit for 5 minutes so juices can reabsorb. 

Enjoy!

Baked Ziti- Kid and Adult Approved

I have made Baked Ziti for years and it was always good, but I just knew it could be better. I found/modified/created this recipe and WOW, DELICIOUS! I love it, my husband loves it, and even my picky 2 years old say "MMM, good Mommy" when she eats it. Even a one year old can gum the soft noodles and devour it, although I suggest you dress them in one of those parka type bibs :)

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:


26.5 oz can pasta sauce (I like Hunt's Traditional Pasta Sauce, the thinner type sauce works better here)
3 cups water
3 3/4 cups Ziti noodles
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I like the real stuff, not the powder)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

optional, but recommended: 1 cup cooked ground beef

Instructions:


Preheat oven to 475 degrees
Add sauce, Ziti, and water to a deep skillet and sprinkle with salt
Bring sauce, ziti and water to a boil and cook covered at a low but constant simmer for 18 minutes.
Stir occasionally.

Stir in milk, parmesan cheese and cooked ground beef. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over Ziti.

Transfer to casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes.

Cook your ground beef. I like the pieces to
be very small. I also like to use the fatter ground beef
because it stays soft and full of flavor.

I like to season my ground beef with onion
powder and garlic salt

Brands I use that work!

Pan with ziti, sauce and water added-
ready to cook!

Cook covered

18 minutes later...

Add the ground beef, parm cheese and milk
(if you are worried about adding milk to this,
I was too, it seemed strange, but it turns out awesome!)

Everything stirred in nicely

Transferred to casserole dish

Sprinkled with cheese

After baking for 10 minutes- beautiful! 

Finished and ready to enjoy! YUM!