Apple Cider Brined Pork Tenderloin Barbecue Recipe

What you will need for this barbecue recipe:

• Pork tenderloin - 1.5 to 3 pounds or so. You want the whole pork tenderloin for this barbecue recipe. While you can use the rest of the loin, the best meat is the narrow, tapered tenderloin. I just use that, not the whole loin. However, you can use the same brine for other cuts of pork such as loin chops.
• 4 cups apple cider - preferably unfiltered, do not use plain apple juice as this often has lots of water and sugar added.
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sea salt
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Olive oil
• Pepper
• Herbes de Provence - A mix of herbs native to the south of France such as rosemary, thyme, lavender, fennel, sage, etc.
• Additional apple cider and brown sugar and good herb red wine vinegar for a basting mixture

How to cook it:

1. Mix the cider, water, salt, sugar, pepper, sage and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until all the sugar and salt have dissolved.
2. Poke the tenderloin several times with a fork and add to the brine.
3. Cover the tenderloin with a plate or spoon to keep it completely submerged.
4. Cover in a large bowl or tupperware and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
5. Drain the brine and discard.
6. Pat the tenderloin dry with a paper towel.
7. Rub the surface of the pork tenderloin with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
8. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and a couple large pinches of the herbs and push them into the surface of the meat with your hands. You don't need to add additional salt before cooking since the brine had a high salt content.
9. Prepare a basting mixture of a few tablespoons of apple cider, a tablespoon of herb red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of brown sugar.
10. Grill the tenderloin on a barbecue or fire pit. I prefer to lightly sear the pork tenderloin on all sides over high direct heat first for this barbecue recipe. Then I move it to a slightly less hot part of the grill, cover the grill and let it finish cooking there.
11. Baste the pork tenderloin occasionally while cooking.
12. The tenderloin is rather small, so it cooks quickly. When it feels like it is firming up, start to test for doneness with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. For this barbecue recipe, I like the internal temperature to be about 150 degrees. By the time it is done, it should have acquired a nice glazed, caramelized surface color.
13. Remove the tenderloin from the grill, place on a platter and cover with aluminum foil.
14. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before carving it, slicing it neatly into medallions.
15. Serve one or more medallions to each guest along with your favorite accompanying side dish. I particularly like serving this with a side of caramelized onions.

Other cooking tips: I like to add some nice smokey flavor by using some smoking chips when cooking this recipe. While apple wood is an obvious choice for this barbecue recipe, it can work well with others like hickory as well. If you prefer, this recipe can be made in the kitchen, first searing the tenderloin in a pan and then roasting at 450 degrees while basting until the interior temperature is 150 degrees.

Lasagna Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

* Lasagna:
* 8 uncooked lasagna noodles
* 4 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
* 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
* 1/4 cup minced fresh basil, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
*

Sauce:
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, undrained
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

To prepare lasagna, cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms, spinach, and 3 garlic cloves; sauté 5 minutes or until onion and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cheeses, 2 tablespoons basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

To prepare sauce, place vinegar and remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Place cooked noodles on flat surface; spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture over each noodle. Roll up noodles, jelly-roll fashion, starting with short side. Place the rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish. Pour 1/4 cup sauce over each roll, and cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap. Microwave at high 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons basil.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 orange, zest cut into strips
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Garlic Cream Chicken

3 whole heads garlic (about 40 cloves)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
3 TBSP Salted Butter
3 TBSP EVOO
1 1/2 c. white wine
2 TBSP dried thyme
2 TBSP flour
2/3 c. heavy cream
Fresh mushrooms (add to sauce, optional)

Drop the garlic into a pot of boiling water. Wait for 60 seconds, then drain & peel. Set aside cloves. Season chicken very liberally with salt & pepper. Heat the butter and oil in a large, deep pan over medium high heat. Saute the chicken until nicely browned (about 5 minutes per side). When done, transfer to a plate.

Next add all the garlic cloves to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and saute for 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add wine and bring to a boil. Scrape the bottom bits from the bottom of the pan Let alcohol burn off. Return chicken to the pot and sprinkle thyme over the top of each chicken breast. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and /2 c. of the sauce and then whisk it back into the rest of the sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high, add cream and boil for about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo uncooked pasta shells
6 garlic cloves (minced)
2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 (30 oz) container ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
6 basil leaves (torn)
1/3 cup half and half
28 oz pasta sauce
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, separate and set aside.
Step 2: Combine garlic, chicken, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, half and half, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil and parmesan cheese in a food processor. Process until combined. If you don’t have a food processor, mix well with a spoon.
Step 3: Pour half of the pasta sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Stuff shells 1 by 1 with the chicken/cheese mixture and place in rows into the baking dish on top of the sauce. Top the shells with shredded mozzarella and pour the over half of the sauce over the top of shells. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Honey Balsamic Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1/4 c. Rosemary (optional)
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Put chicken in baking dish that has been sprayed w/ non stick spray or lightly coated in olive oil. Sprinkle salt & pepper on both sides of chicken.

3. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. (1 hour if cooking chicken from frozen)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat to 375 degrees.

Add sugar, pumpkin, oil and egg together and mix. Then mix in flour salt cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, milk and vanilla. Add chocolate chips and nuts last.
Drop on lightly greased cookie sheet, cooking for approximately 10-12 minutes. Careful not to overcook. Cookies will be soft and moist.

Store cookies with a piece of bread to keep them moist. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 c. frozen peas
• 1 (12 oz) jar chicken gravy
• pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat in pie dist with cooking spray
2. In a large skillet, melt half the butter with half the oil. Add carrots and celery, and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat remaining butter and oil in an, add chicken. Add salt, pepper and thyme. Brown on all sides. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until done.
4. In prepared pie dish, combine chicken, peas carrots, celery and gravy. Top mixture with crust, crimping the edges. Cut slashes in the middle and bake for 35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling.

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Apple Roast Pork Sandwiches- Freezer Meal!

1 4 lb pork roast
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp salt
Place roast in dish or pan barely larger than roast. Douse roast on all sides with Worcestershire sauce. Press brown sugar on sides and top of roast. Pour apple juice into the baking pan but not over roast. Cover tightly with extra heavy foil and lid. Place roast in preheated 400° oven. Immediately reduce heat to 275°. Bake for 5 hours. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Meat should pull apart easily. Shred meat and sprinkle with salt. Place meat and broth in freezer bag or container. For individual servings, spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with meat and broth. Cover and place pan in freezer just until frozen. Pop out and place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw and heat. Spoon onto warm onion rolls. Serve with sliced apples or applesauce.

Honey Lime Chicken - Freezer Meal!

2 lbs chicken tenders
1/2 Tbl garlic salt
1 Tbl peanut oil
1 20 oz can pineapple rings
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbl lime juice
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl cornstarch
Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. Brown in oil. Drain pineapple. Add one fourth of the pineapple juice to skillet. Cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is golden. Remove chicken. Add honey, lime juice, soy sauce, cornstarch and remainder of pineapple juice. Bring to boil. Cook and stir until thick and clear, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Place chicken, pineapple rings and sauce in freezer bag. Label and freeze.

Cream Cheese Chicken - Freezer Meal!

1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Spinach & Bacon Quiche- Freezer Meal!

Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust
¾ cup cottage cheese
8 egg whites
3 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 10oz package frozen spinach, thawed
12 slices of bacon, diced

Baking Directions
1. Line a 9-inch pie plate (preferably glass) with one of the unbaked pie crusts. Prebake pie crust according to package directions.
2. Combine cottage cheese, egg whites, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
3. In a medium skillet cook bacon until crisp. Add onion, cook until softened. Then add spinach.
4. Transfer bacon mixture into prebaked crust. Pour egg mixture on top.
5. With oven set to 400 degrees F bake quiche 35-40 minutes.

Freezing Directions
1. Once the quiche cools, cut into 8 slices.
2. Place pieces in freezer safe container or bag.
3. Good frozen for 1-2 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove desired amount from freezer.
2. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours or until thawed.
3. For faster defrosting take food out of freezer container and place in microwave safe dish. Defrost in microwave for an appropriate amount of time.

Mushroom Chicken Piccata Pasta- Freezer Meal!

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 10 oz. package baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup white wine
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Post Freezing Ingredients
16 oz. Capellini pasta (or angel hair)

Recipe Directions
1. In a small bowl combine 6 teaspoons of flour and chicken broth, whisk until smooth.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Put remaining flour in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chicken and cook until the middle is no longer pink, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to plate and set aside.
4. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
5. Add garlic and wine to skillet, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth mixture and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring it continually. Add parsley, butter, and mushrooms. Then add the chicken breasts.

Freezing Directions
- Once the chicken has cooled place in freezer bags or freezer safe containers.
- Remember to freeze only the portions you plan to defrost at one time.
- Freeze for 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove from freezer bag or container.
2. Place on microwave safe dish and defrost on medium.
or
1. Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours.
2. Once defrosted place in skillet and heat thoroughly.

- Prepare pasta as directed on package and serve with chicken on top

Crockpot Chicken Tacos- Freezer Meal!

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies

Post Freezing Ingredients
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
1 cup lettuce, shredded

Recipe Directions
1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour can of diced tomatoes and chilies on top.
2. Set crock pot on high, let cook for 5-6 hours or until chicken shreds easily.

Freezing Directions
1. Remove chicken from crock pot, let cool.
2. Place chicken into freezer zip-lock bag or freezer safe container.
3. Place in freezer. Good frozen 3-4 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove from freezer.
2. Place in refrigerator for approximately 24 hours or until thawed.
3. Place in pan and heat on stove over medium heat until warm.

-Serve inside flour tortillas with other ingredients listed above.

Stuffed Green Peppers- Freezer Meal!

Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
1 lb. ground beef
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Post Freezing Ingredients
4 green bell peppers, halved
large stock pot filled 1/2 way with water.

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. In large skillet put in olive oil. Once hot add garlic, stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add ground beef, stir and let cook.
4. Once cooked add rice, corn, diced tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.
5. Cook until all is hot.

Freezing Directions
1. Let mixture cool thoroughly.
2. Then put in freezer safe container or bag.
3. Remember, if you’re not going defrost it all at one time, don’t freeze it all together.

4. Good frozen 2-3 months.

Defrosting Directions
1. Remove portion from the freezer.
2. Place in the refrigerator for apporximately 24 hours or remove from freezer container and place on microwave safe plate and defrost until thaw.

Cooking Peppers
1. Bring water to boil in stock pot.
2. Remove seeds from halved peppers and place in boiling water.
3. Cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
4. Drain and fill with defrosted mixture.

Turkey/Ham/Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 3 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey, chicken, or ham
• 12 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups shredded baby Swiss cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup crushed garlic-and-onion seasoned croutons
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preparation

Whisk together soup and milk in large mixing bowl; whisk in Alfredo sauce. Stir in chopped turkey, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch baking dish.

Stir together remaining Parmesan cheese, crushed croutons, and paprika; sprinkle evenly over casserole.

Bake, covered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 more minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Casserole may be assembled and frozen up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you prefer a smaller casserole, use 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Proceed as directed.

Easy Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped.

Brown the beef/onions on stove & add to crockpot.

Add: 3 cans diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 2 cans beans (whatever kind you like), 1 can green diced chiles (I use about 4x this amount fresh), 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 packet ranch dressing mix. I also added about 2 TBS cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit.

Cook on stove for about an hour on low-med heat or cook in slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Ingredients

• 8 ounces young spinach
• 2 large eggs
• 8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large white mushrooms, sliced
• 3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced

Directions

Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the eggs into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice each egg into 8 pieces and set aside.

While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Risotto

• 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.
   
2. In a separate medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until it is well coated with the butter and starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the wine and simmer gently until all the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm broth into the rice mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup of broth at a time, until the rice is cooked through but still firm, 20 to 25 minutes total.
5. Add the remaining butter and the salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with more salt to taste.
6. Serve immediately, topping with additional Parmesan.