Apricot Pork Tenderloin
Some people like to cook lamb for Easter and some people like to cook ham or pork tenderloin. Here is such an easy recipe for pork tenderloin. The key to this dish is to brine the pork tenderloin before cooking. It makes all of the difference in the world.
INGREDIENTS
2 Large Pork Tenderloins
1 1/2 Cup Apricot Preserves
6 Minced Garlic Cloves
4 Teaspoons Of Either Ground Ginger Or Freshly Grated Ginger
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
Brine:
8 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
Remove the pork tenderloins from their packages and rinse. Place into a large size, but shallow bowl. Pour the brine over the tenderloins and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for 3 or more hours. When you are ready to cook remove from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Make the apricot sauce by combining the apricot preserves, minced garlic cloves, ginger, soy sauce and hot water into a medium size bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer. Place the tenderloins into a large parchment paper lined baking dish. Preheat your oven to 400º F. Pour the apricot sauce over the tenderloins and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check for doneness at 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice and transfer to a serving platter. Serve warm. Serves 6
NOTE: Make sure the sugar and salt are well dissolved when making the brine.
Macaroon Morsels
Super yummy and super easy to make. My Macaroon Morsels are great for Passover, Easter or anytime. If you are making these for Passover then make sure to use Kosher-for-Passover ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
4 Egg Whites
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/3 Cup Sugar
5 1/3 Cups Flaked Coconut
Preheat your oven to 325º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In an extra-large bowl beat the egg whites, vanilla extract, kosher salt and cream of tartar, with a mixer, on a high speed until soft peaks form. This usually looks like “curling tips.” Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until STIFF peaks form which looks like “standing tips.” Fold in the coconut 1/2 at a time. Drop 1 teaspoon of the batter 1 inch apart onto the parchment paper. Place into the oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes. The bottoms should be light brown. Cover and chill the batter between baking. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks until completely cool. Transfer to serving plates and serve. Makes about 60 cookies
Sunday Morning Cinnamon Waffles
Spring is “officially” here and what better way to begin a beautiful Sunday morning than with my delicious Sunday Morning Cinnamon Waffles! Serve with butter & syrup.
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 Cup Unbleached Flour
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Eggs
1 3/4 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
In a medium size bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and kosher salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate medium sized bowl beat the eggs and then stir in the milk, oil and vanilla. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Do not over mix. The batter should be lumpy. Pour some of the batter to a preheated and lightly greased waffle iron. Close the lid quickly and do not open until done. Read your waffle iron’s instruction booklet. When done remove with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm. Make 12 to 16 waffles
Victoria’s Classic Haroset (Charoset)
My Classic Haroset is sweet with raisins and cinnamon. You can vary the nuts by using pecans, hazelnuts or a combination. Make sure to use Gala, Braeburn or Jonagold apples. Don’t use Red Delicious because they are too bland.
INGREDIENTS
3 Large Peeled, Cored & Sliced Apples
3/4 Cups Toasted Walnuts
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Kosher Sweet Concord Grape Wine
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Place the walnuts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and put into the oven for 8 minutes. Remove the toasted nuts and let cool for 5 minutes. Combine the apples, walnuts, raisins and ground cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the wine. Cover and put into the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Taste and add more cinnamon or wine if you like. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Corned Beef
Growing up I adored Corned Beef & Cabbage and I still do today. I don’t have a drop of Irish in me, but who cares! Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day! You just may want to put your cardiologist on speed dial this weekend.
INGREDIENTS
1 Three Pound Corned Beef
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro
1 1/2 Cups Orange Marmalade
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Cabbage, Carrots, Turnips and Potatoes (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Put the corned beef into a large size soup pot and fill with water. Place the bunch of cilantro into a large piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth with string and place the cilantro bundle into the water with the corned beef. This keeps the cilantro from going all over the place. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid halfway on the pot. Simmer for 3 1/2 hours. The corned beef should be fork tender. In a small size bowl mix together the marmalade, mustard and sugar. When the corned beef is finished cooking take it out of the pot. If you are going to save the water for cooking the root vegetables then leave the cilantro bundle in the water. In a large size glass baking pan place the corned beef and pour the marmalade mixture all over it. Make sure to coat completely. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the marmalade glaze is crisp and browned. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the vegetables of your choice. Serves 6
Tip: If you are boiling carrots, potatoes, turnips and cabbage make sure to add the cabbage at the very end of cooking the other root vegetables. Cabbage takes a lot less time to cook and you don’t want to end up with mushy cabbage.
Afternoon Tea Avocado & Bacon Sandwiches
It’s still Afternoon English Tea Time here at Tiny New York Kitchen. Here are some delicious Avocado & Bacon Sandwiches to snack on with your 4 o’clock tea.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Pound Bacon Slices
1 Ripe Avocado
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
3 Tablespoons Softened Butter
4 Large Slices of Either White Bread or Whole Wheat Bread
Coarsely chop the bacon and put into a skillet over a medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels. Peel the avocado but make sure not to remove the nice bright green flesh just inside the skin. Cut in half and remove the seed. Mash the avocado in a small size bowl and stir in the lemon juice. Add the kosher salt and pepper. Butter the bread and then spread the avocado mixture onto the buttered sides of two of the pieces of bread. Sprinkle the bacon over the avocado. Cover with the other two pieces of the buttered bread (buttered side down). Press the sandwiches together and with a knife cut off the crusts. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles or into horizontal fingers and arrange them on a serving plate. Makes 8 tea sandwiches.
Old Fashioned Lemon Drop Cookies
Keeping with this week’s afternoon tea theme here is another great tea accompaniment. My Old Fashioned Lemon Drop Cookies are light and the perfect afternoon snack.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Lemon Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 1/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
Powdered Sugar For Garnish
Preheat your oven to 375ºF. In a large size bowl beat the butter and the sugar together for 1 minute. Add the eggs, cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla extract, lemon extract and kosher salt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a parchment paper line baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Makes about 48 cookies.
Ancho Chile Brownies
Most brownies have roughly the same ingredients: chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs and flour. By adding the ancho chile I added a unique flavor that you get at the end of eating the brownie. It really is good. Give it a try and see what you think.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate
1 Beaten Egg
1/2 Cup Flour
3 Teaspoons Ancho Chile Powder
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan. Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Over simmering water melt the butter and the chocolate. Stir in the sugar until incorporated and then remove from the heat and cool. When the chocolate mixture is cool whisk in the egg until it is just incorporated. Mix in the flour and the ancho chile powder. Make sure not to overmix. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. The middle should look a bit soft. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Cut into squares and serve. Makes approximately 2 dozen.
Mango Upside-Down Carrot Cake
This cake is easy to make and the bonus is that you don’t even need to own cake pans! First, just as with pineapple upside-down cake, cook the butter and brown sugar into a caramel in a cast iron skillet. Then top with mango slices. Instead of pouring the typical yellow cake batter over the top I used carrot cake batter. To remove excess liquid,, drain the mango slices on layers of paper towels.
INGREDIENTS
Topping
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Cups Mango Slices (Packed in a Jar)
Cake
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
5 Eggs
1 Cup Olive Oil
3 Cups Shredded Carrots
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet over a medium heat. Stir in the 3/4 cup brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off. Place the mango slices all around the center and edges of the skillet. In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. In a large size bowl beat the sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and eggs with a mixer until thick and creamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the oil. Beat until combined. Stir in the carrots until thoroughly combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the skillet (over the mango). Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the skillet for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a serving platter and serve either warm or at room temperature. Serves 8
Afternoon Peach Cake
It’s about that time of year when I start posting “Tea Time” recipes. My mother-in-law was from England and always liked to have her cup of tea around 4pm accompanied by some sweets. My children grew up having their grandmother’s tea time and the black tea they drank was always served with milk and loads of sugar. You can imagine what I thought of that!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Canned Peach Slices
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
Grated Zest of 1 Orange
4 Room Temperature Eggs
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Powdered Sugar for Garnish
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Drain the peach slices and chop them into coarse pieces. In a large size bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the sour cream and the peaches. Combine the flour, baking soda and kosher salt in a medium size bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture into the batter. Pour into your prepared bundt pan and place into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. You may need to add 5 more minutes depending on your oven. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sift the powdered sugar over the cake and serve. Serves 8
