recipe

brown sugar balsamic pork tenderloin (crockpot)

10:00 PM


my husband is from hawaii, raised there until his eighteenth birthday, which basically translates to, was raised on pork, loves pork, especially pork that is sweet and saucy. i grew up in northern california, in a family who eats and serves meat, but personally i do not eat it. pork tenderloin in our house meant pre-marinated pork shaped logs, sliced, with maybe some gravy. unimpressive. then i learned you could crock pot it and shred it and still have it sweet and saucy. we're never going back to pre-marinated logs again.

this pork is sweet and tangy from reduced balsamic vinegar. brown sugar caramelizes in the final step lending a nice crust and a juicy roast. one try and i am almost certain you'll kiss those per-marinated tenderloins goodbye too. keeping in true island fashion, we serve this with a giant heap of sticky white rice, but a grilled veggie would lend a nice addition as well.


brown sugar balsamic pork tenderloin
yield: serves 6

ingredients:
2 pounds pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water

for the glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons soy sauce 

method: 
in a small bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. place pork tenderloin in the slow cooker, rub seasoning over pork. pour 1/2 cup water in the slow cooker, taking care not to wash rub off the pork. cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

while roast finishes, preheat your broiler. line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray. set aside.

combine ingredients for glaze in a small sauce pot; brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water, and soy sauce. heat over medium heat and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes or until sauce coats the back of a metal spoon. remove from heat.

carefully remove pork from slow cooker and place on prepared pan. brush a generous amount of glaze over roast. broil on top rack 1-2 minutes, or until bubbly and caramelized. you get a huge depth lot of flavor from this step. repeat 1-2 more times until you have desired "crust", taking care not to overcook. drizzle with any remaining glaze or serve alongside.



recipe

chocolate zucchini cake

9:35 PM


it's that time of the year where either you have zucchini coming out of your ears or someone you know does. we fall under that someone you know category. now, we are likewise brimming with the green veggie. 

though my youngest and i love it sauteed, h and will do not, and because i totally needed an entire 13x9 inch chocolate cake sitting around (eye roll) what better way to use up some of that zucchini? and also, coffee and cake. i know what i'm having for breakfast.


ingredients:
yield: 1 9x13 cake 

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
4 medium zucchini, shredded
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa nibs, for garnish (optional) 

 method:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. set aside.

in a large bowl, combine applesauce, butter, eggs, zucchini, vanilla extract and sugar. whisk. add cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. mix until combined. fold in flour. pour into parchment lined baking pan. garnish with cocoa nibs.

bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. cool 10-15 minutes before transfering out of pan. slice into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

store covered or in tupperware 2-3 days
. 
 







 

recipe

lemon lavender cake

9:30 PM

 
once upon a time, deep in the blog world, i stumbled upon this recipe in a place i have never been able to find again. i was intrigued at the thought of baking with lavender. after a quick trip to a local spice store i baked a couple cakes up, fell in love, baked a few more up, and the rest is history...that was five years ago.

this cake has become a part of our home.


this cake is dense, but moist, sweet, yet balanced with tang of a lemon. it is easy enough to serve with breakfast. warm with a pad of butter, of course, or great room temperature with coffee or tea. if you're feeling fancy pair it with a heap of fresh, whipped cream and a handful of berries.


lemon lavender cake
yield: 1 spring form cake

 ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon culinary grade dried lavender

 icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk or water
1/2 teaspoon culinary grade dried lavender
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 
juice from one lemon


method:
in a kitchen aid or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. add eggs one at a time. add vanilla, milk, and lavender. turn mixer off and gently fold in flour. pour into a greased or sprayed spring form pan. bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when pricked.

 cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. 

while cake is cooling, whisk powdered sugar, milk or water, dried lavender, zest, and juice from one lemon together in a small bowl.

when cake is nearly cool, remove from pan. drizzle with icing over a cooling rack. leave cake to sit out a hour or two allowing icing to cool, crack and harden a little. transfer to serving dish and serve warm with a pad of butter or room temperature.

 ***if cooking for a larger crowd, i often double this recipe and cook in a single bunt pan. it works well. note that this adds about ten minutes of cook time, but watch closely as oven time may vary.

















PROJECTS

sugar cookies.

8:27 PM

 
 
i wish i had a fancy cookie recipe to share with you, but truth be told i don't, just a lot of adorable pictures of an afternoon turned to evening making sugar cookies. 

here's what you will need:
sugar cooking mix/decorating kit from trader joes (it comes complete with icing and sugar crystals)
rolling pin
flour for rolling
wax paper/slip mat
small paint brush or two
cookie cutters
cooling rack
baking sheet
*juice from an orange (if you want to spruce up your icing a little, if not, just follow directions on your box and use water)

we were able to mix, roll and cut out our cookies in no time. we followed the directions on the box to a tee, only sprucing up our icing by using juice from a freshly squeezed orange rather than mixing water into the powder sugar which comes with the kit. my mom grabbed this kit for us on a whim, and it was so fabulous. i am not at all affiliated with trader joe's and this is definitely not a paid promotion, we just loved this product. what i loved most, is that this sugar cookie kit didn't require that we chill our dough prior to rolling (though you certainly can) saving us a lot of waiting time. as soon as our cookies were out of the oven we gave them a few minutes to cool (distracting holland with a big sudsy bubble bath) and then got to decorating. it was so much fun we all joined in, dad included, and holland spent a ton of time on each and every cookie, carefully painting the icing on, and placing the sugar crystals ever so intentionally. i love to see him like this. it is one of my favorite sights, especially when he is patient with himself, which he all too often is not. afternoon faded into evening before we knew it, filling the after nap midday lull we sometimes find ourselves in. after we decorated every single cookie (it made a ton) we gave holland a second dip in the tub before retiring into our pajamas and snacking on a cookie or two, or three. all that to say, if you are at trader joes and you see this kit, grab it and save it for a rainy day. it's wonderful.



recipe

dark chocolate zucchini waffles

10:36 PM


living in a 1940s bungalow, chilly, grey days call for baking in my opinion. old homes though charming, are drafty, but with the heater turned high and the oven on the house warms in no time at all, and who doesn't love coming in to a home with the smell of chocolate wafting through the air.

in fact it was enough to bring my toddler out of his room where he was suppose to be napping, instead sneaking through the jack and jill bathroom, tip-toeing past his sleeping baby brother, finally entering into the kitchen with a smile on his proud little face eagerly asking, "what cooking mommy?"


dark chocolate zucchini waffles
yield: 10 waffles, about 6 belgium waffles

ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid form (or melted butter or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
butter, for topping
maple syrup, for topping
vanilla ice cream, for topping (optional)

method:
preheat oven to 250 degrees F and place a wire rack over a baking sheet, set aside.
in a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. whisk until combined. make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in egg yolks, buttermilk, coconut oil (or oil of choice), and vanilla extract. mix until just combined and lump-free. 
in a stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. add the beaten egg white to the batter, a little at a time. fold in gently until evenly combined. fold in shredded zucchini and dark chocolate pieces.
heat waffle iron and grease with cooking spray. add about 1/4 cup of batter to the center of the hot waffle iron. close lid and cook according to your waffle iron's instructions. transfer to prepared wire rack baking sheet. repeat with remaining batter, greasing after each waffle. serve as you continue to cook the rest or keep warm in the preheated oven. serve with butter and maple syrup or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

**tip: waffles may be made ahead and frozen in an airtight container. rewarm in the oven or toaster before serving.

 

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