Pork with Gorgonzola Sauce

If you love blue cheese, you will love this recipe. If you don't love blue cheese, you will still love it. The sauce is so smooth and full of flavor. It goes great on chicken, on mashed potatoes, on bread, on anything really. It's also really quick and easy to make with chicken, which is what we did the first time. My husband grilled it after marinating in the mustard mix. Also really great with the Pork tenderloin.

Pork with Gorgonzola Sauce

Pork
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 3/4-pound pork tenderloins

Gorgonzola sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 4 ounces)

For pork: Oil large rimmed baking sheet. Whisk Dijon mustard, olive oil and thyme in small bowl to blend. Sprinkle pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Heat heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pork and sear until brown all over, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer seared pork to prepared baking sheet. Spread Dijon mustard mixture over all sides of pork. (Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate pork uncovered.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast pork until thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 150°F, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon flour and whisk 1 minute. Gradually whisk in whipping cream, white wine and chicken broth. Boil until mixture is thick enough to coat spoon, whisking frequently, about 1 minute. Add crumbled Gorgonzola and whisk until cheese is melted and smooth and sauce is reduced to desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

Slice pork and transfer to plates. Ladle some sauce over pork. Serve, passing additional sauce separately.

Makes 6 servings.

Spicy Shrimp with Andouille Sausage on Grits

Andouille Sausage, again :)
This recipe is wonderful. I have made it twice now, once for our anniversary dinner and once for us and a friend. Ignore the amount of fat in it, it is seriously wonderful. The green sauce is THE HOTTEST STUFF I HAVE EVER TASTED. I can handle anything spicy, this I could not eat. My husband LOVED it. A cajun friend said this stuff was HOT. So, if you make it, taste a drop before adding to your plate. The first time I made it I used kielbasa sausage because (as stated in a previous post) I could not find andouille sausage, but if you can find it, use it. It makes it much better.

Our table set for our anniversary dinner, awwww :) *disclaimer* We do not drink alcoholic drinks, that is sparking white grape juice :)

Kinda blurry, sorry, this was taken before I learned how to take pics of food!

Spicy Shrimp with Andouille Sausage on Grits
from epicurious.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup green hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 cup whipping cream

5 cups water
3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups corn grits*

1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces smoked andouille sausage,** sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup minced onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
30 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Combine hot pepper sauce, wine, shallot, lemon juice and vinegar in heavy medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Bring 1/2 cup cream, 5 cups water, milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Simmer until grits are very soft and thickened, stirring frequently, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, both bell peppers, onion and garlic; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning and sauté until shrimp are opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring hot pepper-cream sauce to simmer. Spoon grits onto 6 plates, dividing equally. Spoon shrimp mixture over grits. Drizzle hot pepper-cream sauce over and serve.

*Corn grits, also known as polenta, are available at Italian markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 2 cups regular yellow cornmeal, and cook about 30 minutes.

**A smoked pork-and-beef sausage available at specialty foods stores. Smoked bratwurst, kielbasa or smoked Hungarian sausage can be substituted.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions on French Bread

This is the first time I have ever had brie or caramelized onions. I didn't care for brie, my husband and a friend liked it, but the flavor of the cheese just didn't do it for me. However, I LOVED the caramelized onions, next time I think I will try this with goat cheese.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions on French Bread
One half of a loaf french bread, sliced in half lengthways
butter for spreading
2T. butter
2 large onions, sliced
1/4 tsp thyme

2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1tsp sugar

8 ounce brie

Melt butter in heavy very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until just tender, about 6 minutes. Add thyme, reduce heat to medium and cook until onions are golden, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add 2 T wine; stir until almost all liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over onions and sauté until soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Add remaining 2 T wine; stir just until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool. (Can be prepare 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brie and soften until able to spread. Spread french bread lightly with butter, spread with brie, top with caramelized onions. Bake in oven until brie is melted and bread is lightly brown on edges.

Andouille Sausage, Apple and Pecan Dressing

Wow! It's been a while since I have updated! I promise that I do cook, most nights actually. I'm just not very good at taking pictures and posting! Well, finally here is an update.

Andouille Sausage, Apple and Pecan Dressing. Sounds good, yes? This is loosely based from a recipe from Southern Living, I just added my own tweaks. I liked it, my husband LOVED it and at least one lady from church loved it.

I didn't take any pictures of this because dressing is something really hard to take pics of and make it look appetizing! Andouille sausage is a spiced, heavily smoked, pork, cajun/Louisiana sausage, when I lived in TN I could not find it anywhere. Here in Louisiana we have several brands to choose from :)

Andouille Sausage, Apple and Pecan Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter or margarine, divided + 2T
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs, divided
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 cups frozen Garlic bread, thawed and cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 T. Sage
1 T. pepper
Chicken broth, about 2 cans, maybe more
3/4 pound diced, Andouille sausage
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Place 1/4 cup butter in a 8 inch pan; heat in oven at 425° for 4 minutes.

Combine cornmeal and next 5 ingredients; whisk in 2 eggs and buttermilk.

Pour hot butter into batter, stirring until blended. Pour batter into pan.

Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

Crumble cornbread into a large bowl; stir in garlic bread, and set aside.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onions and celery, and sauté until tender. Stir in sage, and sauté 1 more minute. Set aside, melt 2 T of butter in skillet and saute apple until tender.

Brown Andouille sausage in a skillet over medium heat; drain.

Stir vegetables, remaining 2 eggs, chicken broth, and pepper into cornbread mixture. Add sausage, Granny Smith apples, and pecans into cornbread mixture; pour evenly into 1 lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Bake, uncovered at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until done.