Sesame Pork with Leeks

So I've had this bunch of leeks in my fridge for about a week. They were starting to look sad and shrivel-y so I really had to use them quickly. Then yesterday when I went shopping, pork loin was on sale! A match made in heaven. I got right home and cooking!

If you have no leeks, add in extra onions. Red onion, yellow onion, green onion bunches... leeks are related. It's all good. If you have no pork....also works with chicken.

Sesame Pork with Leeks

1 pork loin, 2 lb
1 large bunch of leeks
     or a little bit of leeks and a small onion
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tbsp, plus 1 tbsp White Honey Ginger Balsamic
Sesame Seeds
2 chilies, seeded and diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the pork roast in a non-stick pan and rub down with 2 tbsp Honey Ginger Balsamic and garlic paste. Roast, uncovered for 35-40 minutes. Let cool.

Slice the leeks thinly white parts and non woody green bits, and the onion if you are using. Heat a large pan to medium heat and add in the leeks and the Toasted Sesame Oil. Saute slowly until the leeks are soft and fragrant stirring occasionally.

Dice the pork roast and add it to the pan. Raise the heat to medium high and saute, stirring often. Add in the chilies and the parsley. Cook until everything is warmed through and the parsley is well wilted.

Now add the remaining tablespoon of White Honey Ginger Balsamic and serve. Top with sesame seeds.

Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Roast

This roast was just something fun so we could have leftovers that weren't turkey. Turned out so great, my grandfather didn't have any turkey in the first place!

The would work just as well with a boneless roast, but I think the bones add a bit more flavor. And they fall right off anyway. If you can't find apple soda, go ahead with some apple juice. But I think the juice is a bit sweeter.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Roast

1 2lb bone-in pork roast
1/2 cup applesauce
1 can apple soda
1/4 cup Red Apple Balsamic
2 medium onions
1/4 cup brown sugar

Quarter the onions and toss them into the slow cooker. Put the roast on top, fatty side down. Pour the apple soda over the top.

Cook on medium heat for 6-8 hours.

Add the applesauce, balsamic and the brown sugar to a small saucepan and bring it to a medium low heat. Stir often until the sugar is dissolved. It should only take a couple minutes. The mixture should be thick and a bit sticky.

Remove the roast from the crock pot. Mine was falling apart, so I did it in sections. Peel out the bones if your roast has them. Spread with the balsamic sauce and serve with extra on the side. Tent with foil until you are ready to serve.

Garlic Chicken Pasta

We have all kinds of great pasta at the store. I love all the neat shapes. One of my husband's favorites are these large twists. They hold sauce well and and really nice and fork-able.I needed a quick dinner last night so I threw all this together in a pan. I think I'll make it again sometime!

Garlic Chicken Pasta

1 pk chicken breasts, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2-4 strips bacon

1 pkg large twist pasta

4 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil, divided

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse. Toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large bowl and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large saute pan until crispy, set aside on paper towels to drain. In the same pan, add the diced onion and saute on medium high heat, stirring occasionally until they start to brown, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken and the rest of the olive oil if you need it. Cook for about 3 minutes on high heat, stirring constantly so that the chicken gets browned on all sides and lightly caramelized. Reduce the heat to medium, crumble the bacon and add it to the pan. Cover and cook until the chicken is done, another 5-10 minutes.

Toss together the pasta and chicken and serve.

After today, it is Better Breakfast Month! A month long celebration of all things breakfast!

Mushroom Teriyaki with Balsamic Vinegar

I am so so so excited. I love our Toasted Sesame Oil! I love Asian foods, so it's perfect for so many things I like to cook. And sesame is a very hard flavor to get in an olive oil, I know, we've tried.

Mushroom Teriyaki with Balsamic

1/2 pkg of fettuccine noodles

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 pint sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp Traditional Balsamic

1 onion, sliced thinly

2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil with Garlic and Ginger

Salt

Cook the fettuccine a minute less than al dente. Set it aside.

Heat the Sesame Oil in a large saute pan to medium high heat. Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Saute for 5 minutes or so. The onions should be soft and starting to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the noodles to the pan and the teriyaki sauce and Balsamic. Toss everything to coat. Cover and let cook for another 2-4 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy!

Sausages with Grapes

This recipe is something I found to cook just for me. I was unsure about the pairing of grapes with sausage, but don't let that scare you off. It's awesome! So nice and savory. This will be making it into rotation on the days my husband works late. And if adding grapes to sausage is great, I wonder what I can do with grapes and chicken?

Sausage with Grapes and Onions
Adapted from Oui, Chef

2 packages Italian sausage, any kind.
1 large vidalia onion, thinly sliced
3-5 tbsp Italian Herb Olive Oil
4 tbsp Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 cup vegetable broth
1 large bunch seedless red grapes
Oregano for topping

Heat 1-2 tbsp Italian Herb Olive Oil over medium high heat. Prick the sausages though with a fork. This will keep them from bursting their skins. Add them to the pan and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove sausages and set aside.

Add more oil to the pan and saute the onion until it softens and begins to lightly brown, about 7 minutes. Add Balsamic and chicken broth.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir the sausages and grapes into the pan. Cover, loosely, and simmer for around 25-30 minutes.

Top with oregano. Serve with bread and salad. (Or mashed potatoes like I did)