Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Corn Bread & Peaches

This recipe is compliments of McCormick.

Brown sugar and bourbon pair in both the marinade for the pork tenderloin and in the grilled peaches.

1 pkg McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp bourbon
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 pkgs (8.5 oz each) corn muffin mix
Grilled peaches
1/3 cup peach preserves

Mix marinade mix, oil, bourbon, and orange juice in small bowl.  Reserve 1/4 cup marinade for brushing.  Place pork in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish.  Add remaining marinade, turn to coat well.  Refrigerate 2 hours or longer for extra flavor.

Meanwhile, prepare corn muffin mixes as directed on package.  Spread evenly in greased 13 x 9" pan.  Bake in 400 degree oven 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Cut corn bread into 1 1/2" strips, then cut each strip in half.  Grill over medium heat 1 - 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear, turning once with a wide spatula.  (Do not use tongs as corn bread is fragile and tends to crumble.)

Prepare Grilled Peaches as directed in the recipe below.  Remove pork from marinade.  Discard any remaining marinade.  Grill pork over medium heat 25 minutes or until desired doneness, turning occasionally and brushing with reserved marinade halfway through cooking.  Discard any remaining marinade.  Let pork stand 5 minutes.  Cut into 1/4" slices.

To serve, warm peach preserves.  Spread evenly on corn bread strips.  Cut each corn bread strip into 1 1/2" squares.  Place 1 slice pork tenderloin and 1 grilled peach slice on each corn bread square.

Grilled Peaches

Mix one package of McCormick Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade, 1/4 cup each packed brown sugar and melted butter, and 1 Tbsp bourbon in large bowl until well blended.  Add 2 peaches, each cut into 1/4" slices; toss to coat well.  Let stand 1 hour.  Fold the edges of a sheet of heavy duty foil to form a shallow baking pan.  Place on grill over low heat.  Place peaches on foil.  Cover with second sheet of foil.  Grill 6 - 8 minutes or until peaches are browned and caramelized around edges, turning occasionally and brushing with marinade.   Serve with Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Tenderloin.

Orange-Glazed Carrots and Onions

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb baby carrots
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until onion is tender.  Stir in marmalade, salt and pepper.  Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 30 minutes) stirring frequently.

"Jellin' - Melon" Snacks

This recipe came from the Kraft website.  It's one I plan to try at our next weekend BBQ.  It sounds really yummy and looks good too!

1 cantaloupe, cut lengthwise in half
3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg (3 oz) JELL-O Cherry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup cold water

Remove seeds from the melon halves; cut thin slice from bottom of each.   Scoop out melon flesh, leaving 1' thick shells.  Place upside-down on paper towels to drain.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Pour into melon shells.

Refrigerate 3 hours or until gelatin is firm.  Cut into wedges.

This recipe could also be prepared using a honeydew melon and Lime JELL-O.

Special Extra:  Add 2 cups chopped fruit to thickened gelatin before pouring into melon halves.

Amazing Mother Nature

This picture was posted from the storms in Oklahoma tonight.  I've tried for years to get a great picture of lightning and haven't even come close to anything like this.

The true power of Mother Nature!

Margarita Cheesecake

7 Tbsp butter (cut up)
5 limes
1 orange
8 oz (65 wafers) vanilla wafer cookies
4 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese (softened)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice
Orange and lime slices (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap outside of 10 x 2 1/2" springform pan with foil to prevent leakage.  While oven preheats, melt butter in springform pan in oven.

Meanwhile from limes, grate 1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice.  From orange, grate 1/2 tsp peel.  In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse vanilla wafers and 2 tsp lime peel to make fine crumbs (you should have about 2 1/2 cups crumbs).  Stir crumbs into melted butter in springform pan, then press onto bottom and 2" up side of pan to form crust.  Bake crust 15 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  Gradually beat in sugar and salt until blended.  Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, one at a time, sour cream, liqueur, orange peel, lime juice, and remaining 1 Tbsp lime peel just until blended.

Pour cream-cheese mixture into crust, making sure to scrape any peel on beaters into batter.  Bake cheesecake 45 minutes (cheesecake will still jiggle slightly in center).  Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour to cool slightly and set.

Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least six hours, until well chilled or up to two days.

To serve, carefully remove side of springform pan.  Let cheesecake stand at room temperature 30 minutes for better flavor.  If you like, arrange orange and lime slices on top of cake for garnish.

This recipe is compliments of Good Housekeeping website.

Birds, Birds Everywhere!

Tuesday after work I made the first batch of hummingbird food and filled all of our feeders and hung them on all three decks.  Yesterday I had my first hummingbird show up to feed at one of our many hummingbird feeders.  They usually show up the first week of May. If you haven't discovered the joys of watching hummingbirds, you should.  It's so easy and they are so entertaining!  We have been hanging feeders on our front, side, and back decks for probably 10 years now. and even though I can't prove it, I think we have 4 - 5 pairs of humming birds that come back to nest in our trees and feed at our feeders year after year.  I just love them!  They buzz our heads when we sit out on the deck, or when we BBQ.  They are small, but fearless.

If you need some outdoor entertainment, buy yourself a couple of hummingbird feeders and hummingbird food.  It's sold in nectar packets (or you can make your own out of sugar and water - I buy the packets).  These are fascinating birds.  If you place feeders on your property, they will come.  If it's your first time, add extra sugar to your solution and they will find you.  

Smoky Citrus Shrimp

2 handfuls of salad greens
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic (smashed)
1 tsp orange zest
1 cup strong Lapsang Souchong tea (or Lapsang and tangerine tea)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
 1 Tbsp orange juice
10 large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
orange slices for garnish

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  When butter melts, add the garlic.  Saute garlic until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden.  Add orange zest and stir quickly with garlic about 15 seconds.  Add tea, vinegar, honey soy sauce and orange juice to pan and allow to come to a simmer and reduce slightly, a minute or two.  Add shrimp and continue to cook until prawns are opaque and firm, cooked through.

Place a handful of greens on each plate.  Serve shrimp with drizzle of sauce over the greens.  Garnish with orange slices.  This makes a nice starter or serve alongside peanut sauce noodles.

When I make this dish, I make a few modifications.  My family doesn't like it on salad greens - we like more starch with our meal.  We usually serve it over rice.

I also replace the tea with orange juice and add a couple Tbsp of corn starch to thicken the sauce.

Cinco De Mayo - Quesadilla Casserole

This recipe comes to you from McCormick Recipe Inspirations - my nomination for the best new grocery product idea for 2010.  This will make the perfect dinner for your Cinco De Mayo.

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn (undrained)
1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped green chilies (undrained)
6 flour tortillas (8")
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.  Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies; mix well.  Stir in all of the spices except red pepper.  Bring to boil  Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes.  Add red pepper to taste, if desired.

Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 13 x 9" baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.   Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed.  Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese.  Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef mixture and cheese.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 15 minutes or until heated through.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note:  I don't add the chilies - it's a matter of preference.  They are just a little too hot for my taste.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Trifle

Chocolate-raspberry ganache, white chocolate mousse filling and vanilla wafers taste delicious and create a festive look that makes this trifle great for any occasion.

1 cup milk
1 pkg (3.3 oz) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (16 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 box (12 oz) vanilla wafers, divided
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 jar (12 oz) seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 bag (12 oz) frozen sweetened raspberries (not in syrup), thawed

For filling, combine milk and pudding mix in mixing bowl; whisk until pudding mixture begins to thicken.  Reserve 1/2 cup of whipped topping.  Gently fold remaining whipped topping into pudding mixture.  Cover and refrigerate.

For ganache, combine chocolate morsels, reserved whipped topping and half of the jam in a small batter bowl.  Microwave on high for 40 - 60 seconds or until melted, stirring after each 20 second interval.  Stir until smooth.  Reserve 1/4 cup in prep bowl for garnish.

Place remaining jam into another prep bowl.  Microwave on high 30 - 60 seconds or until melted.  Place berries into a batter bowl.  Pour jam over berries; stir gently.  Set aside 16 cookies for garnish; break remaining cookies in half.

To assemble trifle, place one-third of the broken cookies into bottom of Trifle Bowl.  Layer one-third of the raspberry mixture evenly over cookies.  Top with one-third of the pudding mixture and one-third of the ganache.  Repeat layers two more times, finishing with a smooth layer of ganache.

Dip reserved whole cookies halfway into reserved ganache; place into top of trifle.