Pepper and Swiss Stuffed Pork Loin with Spicy Corn and Steak Fries

Pork loin is fairly cheap, tastes great and I haven't done one for the blog yet. This preparation is not that difficult but has great impact if your having guests. This recipe takes 2 hours total (about 45 minutes of work), costs $12 and feeds 3-4.

Pepper and Swiss Stuffed Pork Loin with Chipotle Rub
1 Pork Loin, about 1 pound
4 slices of good swiss cheese
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 Hungarian pepper, sliced thin
1 vidallia onion, sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic
Rub
2 tablespoons dried chipotle
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry thyme

Slice the pork loin into one flat piece. This can be done by "butterflying" the loin or preferable "roll cutting" the loin. Both Methods can be seen in this video. Season both sides withe rub mixture reserving some of the spice rub for the corn. Now fill the loin with the sauteed peppers mixture along with the 4 pieces of the cheese. Roll up the loin and secure with kitchen twine or silicone ties (as seen in the picture). I use some skewers as well to ensure the roll stays tight. Place the whole loin in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes or an internal temperature of 155 is reached. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.



Steak Fries
3 large Idaho russet potatoes, sliced into large wedges
2 cups veg oil

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saute pan over medium heat until is reaches frying temp. Add the fries and turn as they get a light brown. Once they are all done drain on paper towels and let cool. Now add them back into the oil and turn until a nice rich golden brown is achieved. Season with salt and pepper immediately.

Spicy Corn
3 fresh ears of corn, cut into three pieces each
2 tablespoons of the dry spice rub from the pork

Boil corn in a pot of water for 5 minutes. Let dry a bit. Roll the corn in the spice mix and place in the oven for 5 more minutes.

Chipotle Raspberry Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup guava juice
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
6-8 fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon butter

Reduce chicken stock and guava juice to 1/3 a cup of liquid. Add any of the pan juices left over from the pork. Then add the mustard and raspberries and let cook 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the butter and serve over the pork loin.

Buon Apetito!!

Pork Belly Hash Skillet

I had some amazing left over pork belly from dinner last night at my friends' place PubBelly. This one pan breakfast dish comes together in 20 minutes and really highlights the richness of the amazing porkbelly. It costs about $5 and feeds one.

Pork Belly Hash Skillet
1 small organic idaho potato
1/8 red bell pepper, julienne
1/8 white onion, julienne
3 oz pork belly (good substitutes are bacon, ham or turkey)
2 eggs
3 teaspoons of oil

Start a small saute pan on medium. Add oil and potatoes and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes brown. Add peppers and onions and cook 5 more minutes. Add chopped pork belly and cook a few more minutes. Top with two eggs and place it in the broiler on low for 5 minutes. Season and serve.




Buon Apetito!!

Cubano Pressed Sandwich

This is Miami and I love sandwiches so this was a natural, surprised it took this long to do this. This classic costs $7 takes 15 minutes and feeds 2.

Cuban Sandwich
2 Cuban Rolls - sorry there is no substitute
1/3 lb roasted pork
1/3 lb roasted ham
4 sliced bread and butter pickles
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown mustard

Mustard both sides of the cut roll. Place pork on bottom followed by ham, pickles, then cheese on top. Place it on the panini press for a few minutes and press down. Slice and serve. Oye, que vola?

Wild King Salmon with Pink Rice Pilaf and Avocado Puree

This wild king salmon from Norway is a different level of quality then your average supermarket salmon. This takes 30 minutes and feeds two people, it costs about $30 because of the salmon. It can be done for much cheaper with regular salmon.

Norwegian King Salmon
2 5oz filets of king salmon
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Start a medium sautee pan on medium high heat and add butter and oil. Season fish with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the hot pan. Let cook 5 to 7 minutes and then place the whole pan in the oven. Let cook another 7 to 10 minutes until desired temperature.

Pink Madagascar Rice Pilaf
1 cup pink Madagascar rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh english peas, blanched
1/4 cup golden raisins

Cook rice as per the package instructions. Add peas and raisins and mix.

Avocado Puree
1 Haas Avocado
1/2 lime
1 teaspoon siracha or other hot sauce
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients and puree.

Easy and delicious, a great combo. Buon Apetito!!

Mango Cornish Game Hen with Brown Rice, Collard Green and Leek Stuffing

I have always wanted to cook one of these little guys but never got around to it until today. I will definitely be getting more. This took 2 hours total but only about 30 minutes of work. It feeds two and costs about $15.

Brown Rice Stuffing
1 cup brown Basmati rice
1 bunch organic collard greens, chopped
1 organic leek, sliced
1/8 cup organic carrots, chopped
1/4 white organic onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/8 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup dried plums, chopped

Cook brown rice as per directions on the package, do not overcook. I actually left it a bit al dente because it will cook more inside the bird. In a separate saute pan cook onions, leeks, carrots and garlic on medium low in olive oil for 15 minutes. Add collard greens and cook additional 15 minutes. Pour the vegetables into the cooked rice and mix. Season to taste and add dried plums and breadcrumbs.

Mango Glazed Cornish Game Hen
1 Honey Mango
1/8 cup peach juice
1 free range Cornish Game Hen
1 1/2 cups rice stuffing
Salt and pepper

Puree mango and peach juice, set aside. Preheat the oven to 350. Clean the hen and remove any leftover feathers. Stuff the rice mixture into the cavity of the bird making sure you pack it in hard. Tie up the legs so the stuffing stays in. Season the bird with salt and pepper and brush with the glaze. Cook for 1.5 hours glazing the bird every 20 minutes. Remove and Let rest for 15 minutes.


Mango Peach Gravy
Take the left over glaze and add the leftover pan drippings from the bird. Heat in a small saucepan and add salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of butter.

Buon Apetito!!

Monkfish with Collard Greens and Shallots

Monkfish is commonly referred to as "poor mans lobster". Although the fish is not as inexpensive as it once was, it does have an uncanny similarity to lobster tail. This dish takes 30 minutes, costs $10 and feeds one.

Collard Green Fettucini
8 leaves organic collard greens, destemmed, sliced into thin strips
5 cloves organic garlic, sliced
1/4 organic vidalla onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Start a medium sautee pan on low and add oil, butter, onions and garlic. Let cook for 15 minutes or until caramelized. Blanch collards in boiling water for 2 minutes then cool in an ice bath, dry and set aside. Once onions have caramelized add collards and let satuee on low for 10 minutes stirring. Add 1 tablespoon of cream, salt and pepper. Let cook 5 more minutes. Serve.

Pan Seared Monkfish
1 6oz monkfish filet
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Start a medium satuee pan on medium high heat. Once very hot and oil and butter. Season fish liberally with salt and pepper. Place the fish in the pan and let it cook about 4 minutes on each side or until a nice golden color. Place the whole pan in the oven for 8 minutes. Because of the density of the flesh it takes a few minutes longer in the pan and the oven then most other fish. Remove and let stand 3 minutes, slice and serve.

Shallots in Sherry Vinegar Sauce
1 cup organic chicken stock
4 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 whole shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon butter

In a small saucepan, reduce the chicken stock to 1/4 cup. Add vinegar and shallots and reduce until about 2 tablespoons of liquid remain, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle around the plate. Use shallots as a garnish.

Monkfish is probably the ugliest fish in the world but it sure is tasty. Buon Apetito!