What the heck is stoup?

That is the question my husband asked when I said I was making stoup for dinner. Stoup is a word coined by Rachel Ray which is thicker than soup and thinner than stew. This stoup called for broccoli rabe, not one of my favorite veggies. My husband on the other hand loves it and of course he loves sausage. To my surprise, the finished product is delicious and has made it into our regular dinner rotation.

Sausage-and-Broccoli Rabe Stoup courtesy of Everday with Rachel Ray April 2010

Serves 4

Salt & Pepper
1 large head broccoli rabe, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
28 oz. diced tomatoes, with juices (I used fresh)
15 oz. canned Cannellini beans, rinsed
1.5 cups wagon wheel pasta
grated pecorino-romano cheese

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt, add broccoli rabe and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, crumbling with spoon. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes and two cups of water; cover and bring to boil. Stir in Cannellini beans and cooked broccoli rabe and return to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done. Top with cheese and serve.

Grilled Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Kabobs

If you read my blog you have probably been wondering where I have been, or at least what have I been cooking? Beside my normal Monday through Friday work routine I have spent my summer laying by the pool, going to the beach and cooking the simplest dinners possible!

This kabob recipe comes from Coastal Living magazine. Not the first place one would think of to find great recipes but in every issue there is a full menu for a beach inspired meal. These kabobs are a great way to use some of the fresh peppers and onions I have been getting from my CSA and grill a simple yet fulfilling meal.

Recipe courtesy of Coastal Living Magazine

Serves 6

Kabobs
18 wooden skewers (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)
1 large can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Sake (rice wine)
1.5 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 lbs. pork loin, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1.5 inch pieces (I used Poblanos for some spice)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into 1.5 inch pieces

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup pineapple puree
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

Place 1 cup of the pineapple chunks in a blender with 1 tablespoon water and puree. Combine 3 tablespoons pineapple puree with soy sauce and next four kabob ingredients in a large bowl. (Save remaining puree for Sweet and Sour Sauce.) Add pork and marinade for 1 hour.

Prepare Sweet and Sour Sauce by stirring together first five ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon warm water; whisk into ketchup mixture. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute.

Remove meat from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread pork onto skewers, alternating with peppers, onion and remaining pineapple.

Grill kabobs on greased grill rack over medium heat for 5 minutes. Brush kabobs with Sweet and Sour Sauce, and grill 5 minutes or until done. Plate over brown rice and serve remaining sauce on side.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

I have already made this recipe twice and I think I was so excited to eat it that I completely forgot to snap a picture. Luckily I finally remembered and believe me you want to try this recipe! Your kitchen will smell so good while it is cooking you will be salivating.

From Williams-Sonoma Weeknight

Serves 4

1 large lemon
1.5 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
2.5 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1.25 lbs pork tenderloin

Squeeze from lemon1 tablespoon of juice into bowl. Add fennel seeds, salt, pepper, garlic, and oil and stir to combine. Place the pork in a roasting pan and rub all over with the mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roast the pork until it is browned on the outside and barely pink in the center. A meat thermometer inserted should read 145-150 degrees, about 15 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Slice into half inch width pieces and serve.

Chili-Rubbed Pork With Corn Salsa

So you may have noticed I haven't posted a new recipe in several weeks. I have been cooking and I have been photographing, it's sitting down and blogging that I can't seem to get around to. So thanks to the latest snow storm here I am home from work early and ready to try to catch up.

This recipe for pork tenderloin was delicious! Wonderful flavors but not to spicy. The corn salsa balances the flavors out. I chose to serve this with roasted sweet potatoes to make the dish even more colorful.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Simple Suppers

Serves 4

1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh ground salt and pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup low sodium canned corn
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
Juice from 1 lime

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub the pork with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then generously season with salt, pepper and chili powder. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat warm the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add pork to brown on all sides about 5 minutes total. Transfer pork to a shallow roasting pan. Reserve frying pan and drippings. Roast the pork until internal thermometer reads 145-150 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to cutting board and cover with aluminum foil, let stand for 10 minutes.

While the pork rests, add the corn, onion and cumin to the drippings in the frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Cook until corn is lightly browned about 3-4 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the tomato and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pork into thin slices and serve with warm salad.

Appetizer Sage and Bacon Meatballs

One of my husband's famous lines is " What's for snack?" He loves finger foods, especially mini versions of anything. When selecting my Thanksgiving appetizers it seemed only fair to let him pick one recipe out for me to make. Of course mini meatballs with bacon were his request.

Adapted from Better Home and Gardens Appetizers 2009 magazine

Makes 9 servings

12 slices bacon
1 egg, beaten
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup ground toasted pecans
3 tbsp snipped fresh sage
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
Fresh sage leaves
9 four inch skewers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook four slices of bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. Finely chop the crisp bacon; set aside. Cook remaining bacon for 4-5 minutes until just beginning to brown, turning once. Drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.

In a large bowl, combine egg, 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream, 1/2 cup of the red onion, the pecans, 2 tablespoons of the fresh sage, the salt, and the pepper. Add pork and 3/4 of the finely chopped bacon; mix well.

Shape into 18 meatballs. Place meatballs in a single layer on a large baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until done. Cool 15 minutes.

Thread 2 meatballs and once slice of the partially cooked bacon onto a skewer, weaving bacon around meatballs. Repeat with remaining meatballs and bacon slices. Place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from flame for 4 to 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning once.

For dipping sauce: Cook the remaining 1/4 cup red onion and the garlic in the reserved bacon drippings until tender. Stir in the remaining whipping cream and the remaining snipped sage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the remaining finely chopped bacon.

Arrange meatball kabobs on a platter, garnish with sage leaves and serve with sauce.

Spicy Zucchini Soup

Starting in September I try to make soup at least once a week. I am always in search of new, interesting soup recipes to try. This one caught my eye, as I would never think to use sausage in soup and I love zucchini. This was easy to prepare and would be excellent to feed a large group or to freeze. It makes a lot!

From Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker and Soups

Yields 4 quarts

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 (14.5 oz) cans beef broth
2 pounds zucchini, diced
2 medium green peppers, diced
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 cups cooked elbow macaroni

In a large soup pot cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink and drain. Add tomatoes, broth, zucchini, green peppers, celery, onion and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours or until veggies are tender. To serve, spoon over cooked macaroni and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pork Cutlets With Mustard Sauce

Another easy week night meal that tastes like you went to a lot of trouble. This pork was a big hit with my husband. I served it with sauteed sugar snap peas and baby carrots and whole wheat noodles.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Weeknight

Serves 4

4 boneless center-cut pork loin chops
salt and fresh ground pepper
3 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup Mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp brown mustard

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Working in batches if needed, add the pork chops and cook, turning once, until golden on the outside and barely pink in the center, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add the shallots to the drippings in the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the wine and broth, stir, and cook, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom, for about 1 minute. Add the Mascarpone and mustard and cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbly, about 1 minute. Return the pork and any juices from the plate to pan. Simmer until the pork is heated through, about 1 minute. Divide the pork and sauce among plates and serve.

Herbed Pork Chops with Apples

This past year a good friend of mine gave me 4 books in the Food Made Fast series from Williams-Sonoma. Since I cook dinner almost every night after work, saving time is important to me. So far I have made at least 3 recipes out of each book. A key characteristic of the recipes is that they use fresh meats and vegetables, not prepacked items. When I saw this pork recipe it sounded like the perfect Fall dinner. Although the orginal recipe called for dried herbs I choose to use mostly fresh ones I had on hand. I rounded out the dinner with brown rice and steamed asparagus.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Weeknight

Serves 4

1 Tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme removed from stems
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary removed from stems and finely chopped
1 Tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (each about 1.5-2 inches thick)
2 Granny Smith apples cored and cut crosswise to 1/2 inch thick slices
1 Tbsp olive oil

In a bowl combine all the herbs and salt and pepper. Season the pork chops on both sides with the herb mixture, rubbing it into the meat. Place the chops on a large, rimmed cookie sheet and let stand 10 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat your oven broiler to high. Bake chops, turning once, until browned on the outside and cooked through about 8 minutes on each side.

When the chops are about halfway done, brush or spray apple slices with olive oil on both sides and place around chops on cookie sheet. Bake the apples turning once, until lightly browned and tender about 6 minutes total. Serve along side chops.

Down Island Burgers

Most people I know think of burgers as a summer food, cooked outside on the grill at backyard get gatherings. My husband and I enjoy burgers all year long. Since cooking outside on a charcoal grill year round in New Jersey isn't always possible I adapted and make burgers on a non-stick grill pan. This recipe actually worked much better in a grill pan because pork is drier than beef and tends to fall apart on grill grates.

My husband picked this recipe to try from the Build a Better Burger book. We purchased this book a couple years ago and have made many recipes out of it, each more unique than first. These recipes come from Sutter Home's Annual Search for America's Best Burgers contest. The Down Island Burger blends exotic spices with ground pork and tops it off with a fresh mango mayo.

Adapted from Build a Better Burger by James McNair

Makes 4 burgers

Mango Mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup diced ripe mango
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine mayo, mango, and lime juice in food processor and blend until smooth. Place mayo mixture in refrigerator.

Patties
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons wine
2 tablespoons Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons fresh, minced ginger
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon of salt

4 half inch thick sweet onion slices
4 ciabatta sandwich rolls, split
romaine lettuce leaves

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Combine pork, wine, Tabasco, panko, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Try not to handle meat mix to much. Divide mix into 4 equal patties. Place patties on hot grill, cover and cook, turning only once. About 8 minutes per side. Make sure burgers are cooked fully through, as they are pork not beef. They will be a little crumbly so be careful flipping them.

While the patties are cooking, place onions on grill pan and cook until golden and still slightly crisp about 2-3 minutes per side. Before burgers are done cooking place rolls, cut side down on grill pan to lightly toast.

To assemble burgers, slather each side of the toasted roll with the mango mayo. Place a patty on bottom half of roll, grilled onions on top, and stack on lettuce. Add roll tops and serve.