What I Cooked....

Doug is still up at school working late on some stuff and I have finished my P90X for the day and ate homemade black bean soup for dinner...just kind of chillin...there's a tornado happening a few counties over so I am just absentmindedly listening to the weather on tv...

After recovering from working super late at homecoming/reunion Friday night, the rest of the weekend I took some time and tried some new recipes. I would be lying if I said I didn't pull out my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook and just start reading it for fun. I remember seeing my grandma and my mom doing that. I used to think that was weird but now I totally understand! ALL the recipes were amazing and you should definitely try them out! Sorry I am feeling lazy so no pictures this time.

Here's what I made and I'll put the recipes below:
Pork Tenderloin Agrodolce (this might be my favorite meal I've made. I served it with whole wheat gnocchi and pinot noir)
Black Bean Soup
Homemade salad dressing
Hippy oatmeal (makes enough for 4)


Pork Tenderloin Agrodolce from Cooking Light
3/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1/2 cup green olives (olives are gross, so I left these out)
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 T sugar
6 garlic cloves
3 thyme sprigs (I used dried)
1 lb. cipollini onions, peeled
1 t. kosher salt, divided
2 T olive oil
2 -1 lb. pork tenderloin (I just cooked one pork tenderloin, and I cut the amount of onions in half)
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 500
2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium saucepan, stir in 1/2 t. salt, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 45 minutes or until onions are almost tender, stir occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook 7 minutes or until thick.
3. Heat oil in large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with remaining salt and pepper. Add pork to pan, cook 1 minute. Turn pork over. Place pan in oven and back at 500 for 12 minutes or until thermometer reads 155 (light pink.) Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Slick pork crosswise in 1/2 inch thick slices, serve with sauce. AMAZING!!!

Black Bean Soup from Cooking Light
Great for a cold day!

1 cup dried black beans
1 t. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove
2.5 cups water
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 ground red pepper (I didn't have this I used 1 t. chili powder)
1/4 t. cumin
1 (14 oz) can organic vegetable broth
1 (4 oz can chopped green chilis) (I forgot to buy this at the store, so I used half a fresh jalapeno-no seeds!)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 t salt
chopped fresh cilantro for topping (I used pepperjack cheese)

1. Sort and wash beans, place in large dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat. Cover, let sit for an hour. (I didn't do this, I soaked the beans overnight - no heat. Either way works the same.)
2. Heat the olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, sautee for 3 minutes or until tender. Add beans, 2.5 cups water, oregano, red pepper, cumin, broth and chilis, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours, or until the beans are tender. At this point your kitchen will start smelling amazing.
3. Place half the bean mixture in the blender. Remove the center piece of the blender's lid so the steam can be released. Hold a paper towel over the hole as you blend, so that it doesn't fly out. Blend until smooth. Put the first half aside, and repeat with the rest of the beans. Return everything to the pan and add the tomato paste and salt (and any other seasoning to taste, if you want) Sprinkle with cheese, cilantro, serve with chips and salsa.
Serves 4


Hippy Oatmeal from Tasty Kitchen

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1/2 cup half and half (I split half and half and 1% mile)
handful dried cherries
handful dried cranberries
handful raisins
handful sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, whatever you like
1/4 cup flax seeds

Toss all this into your crock pot. Turn it on low before bed and when you wake up you'll have amazing oatmeal. If you plan on sleeping in super late, it could burn. But if you're a 6-8 hour sleeper youll be fine. I added honey when I ate it, you could add brown sugar, butter, milk, whatever you like. It's delish!

Homemade Salad Dressing my friend Liz gave me this recipe. She's in the hospital today -- get well soon Liz!! It makes a ton, it's carb- and gluten-free and tastes great!

1/2 cup honey
1 cup olive oil
1/4 apple cider vinegar
1 t. celery salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. dried onion
1 t. mustard powder
1 t. salt