Hunter's Tomatoes

Tomatoes. If you don't like them, you might as well go on to another post. Sorry.

I had some little tomatoes left over from a curry I made last week. That recipe will go up soon. I lost my notepaper that had all my ingredients on it. I'm working on it.

Hunter's Tomatoes

5-6 small tomatoes
1 tbsp Hunter's Blend seasonings
1 tbsp Piqual Olive Oil
1 tbsp Lavender Balsamic

Heat the oil in a saute pan to medium heat/ Slice the tomatoes into medium slices. Sprinkle with the seasonings. Add to the pan and spread out evenly.

Cook about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes per side. They should be breaking down, but not completely dissolved. Plate and drizzle with the Lavender Balsamic.

Lemon Onion Chicken

I love the Zesty Lemon Balsamic on roast chicken. I thought it would be just as good on a slow cooked chicken. And it is! It just needs a little bit of something else. I thought why not mint!

Lemon Onion Chicken

6 boneless chicken thighs
3 tbsp Zesty Lemon Balsamic
2 medium onions, quartered
1 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
     or 1 tsp dried
1/2 medium lemon
1 tbsp Basiks Hunter's Blend

Add the chicken broth and the onions to the slow cooker. Rub the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle with the Hunter's Blend and mint. Spread any extra spices around with the onions. Juice the 1/2 lemon and stir it in as well, but don't throw out the rest of the lemon! Nestle it down at the very bottom of the pot.

Put the chicken in with the onions and mix it all up. Coat everything with a layer of balsamic. Use a pastry brush for the best coverage, or just drizzle it in and stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

I told you another pork loin was coming. Here it is! I went a little spicy with this, but the heat really cooks off and blends with the sauce. Besides, it's only a little spice.

I like the sauce right over top, but if you make a sandwich, it would make an awesome dipping sauce too.

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
2 tbsp Jerk Blend Spices
2 lbs pork loin
1/2 cup Fig Preserves
1 tsp minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Spread the oil over the roast and sprinkle on the jerk spices. Pat them do to make sure they stick.  Place in a deep sided pan and roast for about 40-50 minutes. A thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 145degrees.

Remove the roast from the pan and let rest, covered in foil for at least ten minutes.

Drain the juices from the pan into a large bowl. Add the garlic and the Fig Preserves. Whisk until you get an even consistency.

Serve.

Pork Loin with Balsamic Mustard Sauce

At the grocery store the other day, I noticed a great sale on pork loin. It was half off. I was tempted to buy them completely out, but stuck with just two instead. If it had been seventy-five percent off, we would have pork loin all month long. Instead, I have this one and then, one more later this month. 

I decided to use one of our rubs on this. One of my favorites, the Prime Rub. It doesn't really add too much flavor, it seems more to bring the flavors out. It is not available on the web yet, but just come in or call for it. 

Pork Loin with Balsamic Mustard Sauce

3-5 lb pork loin
2 tbsp Prime Rub Basiks Seasonings
1 tbsp Salonika Greek Olive Oil

Sauce:
1 medium onion
4 tbsp Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Salonika Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350degrees.

Rub the olive oil all over the pork loin. Sprinkle the spices to cover the whole piece. Put the loin into a deep sided roasting pan. Cover loosely with foil and place in the oven. In the last ten minutes, remove the foil. Depending on the size of your roast, it takes about an hour. Make sure that you cook it to an internal temperature of 145degrees.

To prepare the sauce, chop your onion thinly. I like tiny bits, but larger chunks are great. Saute with the olive oil over a medium high setting until they start to lightly brown. Add in the balsamic and the mustard. and stir to combine.

Turn the heat down to just medium and let the mixture simmer away until it thickens slightly. No longer than 7 minutes, or it may burn.

Let the meat rest for 3-10 minutes before slicing it. Serve with sauce on top.

Mulling Spices

Our newest spice blend is a Mulling Spice blend. I am very excited about it. Besides smelling absolutely amazing, they are just so pretty. I am a big fan of star anise.

We had a cider tasting this weekend at the store witch was a big success. Everyone loved it. And at the end of the weekend, we still had a little left and I have to say it's great cold too.

My favorite thing is the small bags we got to go with it! Small muslin bags you can put the spices in so you don't have to fish them out later. And you can reuse them too. So it's a win-win.

Tomato Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Onions

Tomato Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Onions

1 large beef roast, your favorite cut (2-3 lbs)
1 pkg large mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (I love Hunts)
3 tbsp Butter Olive Oil, divided
Basiks Prime Rub seasoning (This isn't online yet, we have only had it for a couple of weeks. Sorry!)

Preheat oven to 400degrees.

Using a dutch oven, saute onion with about a tablespoon of Butter Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Give it about 5-7 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Add the mushrooms. Give it another 5 minutes or so and then toss in 1/2 cup  wine to de-glaze the pan. Give it a few stirs.

Generously rub both sides of the roast with 2 tbsp Butter Olive Oil and then the Basiks Seasoning blend. Lay it in the pan and pour the can of tomatoes around it. Add the rest of the wine and cover.

Place in the oven and let cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Cool slightly before serving.