by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Meats, Paleo, Pork
Apple and Maple Pork Loin – A Cozy Fall Feast with a Hint of Fancy
Let’s talk about pork loin – it’s the introvert of the meat world. It’s mild, unassuming, and just hangs out in the background, waiting to be dressed up. But throw in some crisp apples, a splash of maple syrup, and a touch of thyme, and suddenly it’s the life of the dinner party. This recipe is like taking your quiet friend to a jazz club – it wakes up all the flavors and makes the whole experience unforgettable.
Ingredients:
For the Pork Loin:
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2-3 lb pork loin (boneless or bone-in, your choice)
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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2 tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff – not that pancake imposter)
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2 teaspoons salt
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, but it adds a nice depth)
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1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus extra for garnish)
For the Caramelized Apples:
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2-3 crisp apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady), cored and sliced
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2 tablespoons butter
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1 tablespoon brown sugar (or a drizzle of maple syrup if you’re feeling wild)
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (because why not?)
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1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice (or a splash of bourbon if it’s that kind of night)
Instructions:
1. Preheat and Prep:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat the pork loin dry (no one likes soggy pork), and rub it all over with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and fresh thyme. Give it a little massage – pork deserves spa day too.
2. Sear for the Sizzle:
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork loin on all sides until it’s nicely browned and your kitchen smells like a fancy bistro (about 3-4 minutes per side).
3. Roast to Perfection:
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature hits 145°F (63°C). Remember, a meat thermometer is your friend – don’t wing it.
4. Caramelize the Apples:
While the pork is roasting, grab another pan (or use the same skillet if you’re into the whole “one-pan wonder” vibe). Melt the butter over medium heat, add the apple slices, and sprinkle in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the apples are golden and caramelized, about 5-7 minutes. Add the apple cider (or bourbon – no judgment) and cook for another minute until the liquid reduces to a syrupy glaze.
5. Serve Like a Pro:
Once the pork is done, let it rest for 5-10 minutes (because, again, respect the pork). Slice it into thick, juicy pieces and top with those glorious caramelized apples. Sprinkle with a few more fresh thyme leaves, and serve with your favorite sides – maybe some roasted root vegetables or a creamy mashed potato situation.
6. Bask in the Compliments:
Accept the applause. You just elevated pork loin to rockstar status.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Meats
Roasted Chicken with Herbed Butter
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by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, TOP Five
As you all know Instagram is “the go to” for all teenagers. My 17-year-old-foodie found this recipe for Bahn-Mi Puffy Tacos from Tastemade on Instagram, and of course wanted to make it. I jumped at the opportunity to spend “quality time” with my son. It was actually a super simple recipe, and didn’t take that long to prep or cook! Thanks, Tastemade, and thank you, Lucas! These tacos were amazing! (Video link below).
For the pork:
- 1/2 pound boneless pork chop cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced and ground black pepper to taste
For the pickled vegetables:
- 1 carrot peeled and shredded
- 4-5 few radishes thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Taco Shells and Garnishes:
- 4-6 corn tortillas
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- cilantro, to taste
- spicy mayo (equal parts Sriracha and mayonnaise)
- oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine pork and marinade ingredients. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Make the pickles: in a bowl or sealable container, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt. Then mix in the vegetables and let sit for at least 1 hour.
- Drain off the pork marinade. Heat a little bit of oil in a pan, and cook the pork until caramelized. Should take about 5 minutes.
- In a shallow pot, heat oil to 375°F – Carefully lower one tortilla at a time into the oil. Once the tortilla begins to puff up and rise to the top, gently push the edge of a metal spatula into the center, bending it in half like a taco shape. Hold in place and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and repeat the process.
- To assemble: Fill the puffy taco shells with the caramelized pork, and top with the pickled vegetables, jalapeño, cilantro, and a drizzle of spicy mayo.
Here is the instructional video from Tastemade Pork Tacos
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Paleo
I once again found inspiration for this dish from the Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. I wanted to combine ingredients that were unusual but had a good balance of flavors, and paired nicely together. So this dish has a little bit of everything, sweet, sour and salty. My husband Dan and foodie-son Lucas said I could add it to my Top Five! It was a proud moment!
Hopefully, this list of ingredients is not too daunting. 😉
Avocado Cream:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (no stems)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 3/4 cup Creme Fraiche
Sweet potato toast:
- 1 large sweet potato (sliced with cheese slicer)
- olive oil
- salt
Pork Tenderloin:
- 1 pork tenderloin (approximately 1 lb.)
- 2 tsp rock salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
Black Beans:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 can of organic Black Beans
- 2 cloves of garlic
- salt to taste
Caramelized Onions:
- 2 onions sliced in rings
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. First, you want to bake the sweet potato toast. Cover sweet potato slices in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in the oven on a baking sheet and cook until slightly browned approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for the pork loin, melt butter in an iron skillet (oven safe) on medium high heat, add salt and pepper to the loin roast, and sear the pork on all sides. Once it is nicely browned, place the pork into the oven, next to potatoes and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees (for medium rare). You can then caramelize the onions, in a skillet with butter, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and sweet. Next, in a saucepan, add the butter, once melted add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat. Make sure not to brown the garlic. Add in the beans with the liquid and cook down the beans for 15 minutes. Next, you can make the avocado cream. Place the avocados into a food processor, or blender and add the oil, lime, salt, and cilantro. Puree until smooth. Remove from food processor and fold in the Créme Fraîche.
Now you are ready for assembly. Place 2 spoonfuls of Avocado Creme on each plate in a long smear. Add to pieces of Sweet Potato toast, then the beans, followed by the pork and caramelized onions, and finally sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Serves 4. Enjoy!
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sandwiches
My son was bored with the typical “Ham and Cheese” sandwich, so I stepped it up a bit. I used our leftover lamb tenderloin fillet, which was cooked medium rare and had a silky smooth texture, to make his sandwich. I combined some whipped ricotta cheese with salt, olive oil and chopped mint as the dressing, and added a few caramelized red onions for a little-added sweetness.
Ingredients:
- 2 pieces of toasted sourdough bread
- 6 slices of lamb tenderloin
- 1/4 cup whipped ricotta
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 1/3 cup caramelized onions
- salt to taste
- a drizzle of olive oil
Directions: Mix the ricotta with the chopped mint, add a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread ricotta dressing onto the toast. Add the cooked lamb tenderloin and caramelized onions. Drizzle a little more oil on top of the sandwich. Serve with love!
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | CrockPot, Favorite Recipes, Meats, Paleo, Sauces
For approximately a year now, I’ve been volunteering for an amazing organization here in Boulder, called There With Care. There With Care’s mission is to provide a wide range of thoughtful and fundamental services to children and families during the critical phase of a medical crisis. They serve families referred by medical agencies, by building a network of services and people who ease the burden of life’s day-to-day obligations with compassion and care. I have been working on There With Care’s Team Chop, where we prep simple, healthy, and easy to cook CrockPot meals for each of the families. It has been an amazing organization to work for. We have an incredile team of people on our team, dedicating their time once a week to help eleviate some of the burden these families are facing.
So, after a year of working with Team Chop, I finally bought myself a slow-cooker (CrockPot). It has been fun experimenting with some new recipes. One of which was another creation by my foodie-17-year-old. Takes a total of 10 minutes to prep, and has very few ingredients. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.
Ingredients:
- 3 lb pork shoulder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp oil
- 8 tomatillos – quartered
- 2 jalapenos – (remove seeds for less spice – chop into large chunks)
- 1 onion – large chunks
- 4 garlic cloves – quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pork shoulder into 1 inch pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper. In an iron skillet on high heat, add 1 tbsp of butter and add half of the pork, making sure not to crowd the pan. Braise each piece so they are nice and brown, and crispy. Repeat with the second batch of meat. Set aside. Meanwhile, toss the tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, and garlic in the oil. Salt, then place onto a baking sheet and roast them, until they start to brown slightly, apprximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and place ingredients into a food processor or blender. Salt to taste. Place the meat into the crockpot and pour the pureed mixture ontop. Cook on low heat for 6 hours. Serve with rice, and black beans with sour cream.
