Kate’s Cuisine

I’ve always kind of been at a loss as to what to do with pork tenderloin. Here you have this perfectly succulent piece of meat, and I had no idea what to do with it. I’ve breaded it and cut it up to serve with stir fry and it’s all been okay. My family doesn’t love it when I do those things to it but they don’t hate it either. Still, I’m always looking for new things that I can do with this delicious cut of pork. And now I’ve found it!

Everyone ate every bit of pork that was on their plate when I cooked this for supper the first time. Brent even went back for seconds, which is impressive! I mostly followed the recipe to a tee, with the exception of the black peppercorns and the kosher salt (man, I gotta get me some of that!) And I did include the jalapenos. If you don’t like spicy, take heart that you can’t even tell that jalapenos are used in the recipe. But I would be hesitant to take them out because I really, really wouldn’t want to mess with this delicious recipe too much. I was worried that the peppers would be too hot for the little ones but was relieved when I found out this dish is not spicy at all. I think it’s because the peppers are seeded before you mince them, and that’s really where the heat lies.

I also didn’t do mine on the outdoor grill but I did put it in a casserole dish under the broiler. I did have to literally sit and watch the meat cook because there were a few flare-ups. If your broiler is the same, be sure not to walk away from it. Good thing it doesn’t take that long to cook! And I usually would use 2 tenderloins but this time, I got one big honkin tenderloin so I just used that. Even though it was a bit thicker than the tenderloins you usually get when you buy a 2-pack, it cooked for about the same amount of time, was perfectly done in the centre, and tasted absolutely divine! Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever make pork tenderloin the same way again. (Okay, who am I kiddin?) But this is definitely the best way I’ve found so far to make delicious pork tenderloin!

I found the recipe on the Food Network’s website and thanks to Tyler Florence, had a delicious meal that the whole family loves!

The first thing I ever learned to cook!

1/2 package of lasagna noodles $1.50
2 packages ground beef $8.22
1 onion, diced   $0.47
3 cloves garlic, minced $0.03
2 large tubs of cottage cheese $8.38
2 cans of spaghetti sauce $6.30
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese $2.50

Total Cost   $27.40

1.) Spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef with the onion and the garlic mixed in. Once it has browned, drain.

3.) Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread out one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Onto the noodles, spread out a thin (or thick if you’d like!) layer of the browned ground beef. Over the beef, spread a layer of cottage cheese. Top with one more layer of noodles and spread another thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the noodles. Repeat until you reach the top of the casserole dish, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles.

4.) Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the top layer of noodles. Over this sauce, spread out the shredded mozzarella cheese.

5.) Bake in the oven for 50 – 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

This really was the first thing I ever learned to cook. I still remember watching my mom make it in one of the first kitchens I remember. And lasagna night always meant that supper was going to be goooooood! When I became much older, I asked my mom to teach me how to make it and of course, she did. She told me that two things were important: not to cook the lasagna noodles first even if the package said so because it’s a waste of time; and that you could use ricotta cheese if you wanted but it was more expensive and tasted the same.

Since then, I’ve had many different lasagnas that all use ricotta cheese. And I have to say, I actually prefer the cottage cheese. There’s just something about it that makes the lasagna even gooier and tastier! And she was right about the noodles too! I’ve tried cooking them before just to see if it would make any difference and not only did it not make a difference, but I find dry noodles much easier to work with.

But what I love most about this recipe? It comes from my mom and always take me back to that time when I would sit on the kitchen stool and watch her pile it together piece by piece!

1 package stewing beef $5.25
1/4 cup all-purpose flour $0.05
1/2 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 pinch ground black pepper $0.01
3 tablespoons butter $0.27
1 can diced tomatoes $0.99
1/2 cup beef broth $0.25
2 tablespoons brown sugar $0.10
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar $0.08
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce $0.17
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
2 teaspoons chili powder $0.18
1/2 teaspoon celery seed $0.01
1 bay leaf $0.16
1 clove garlic, minced $0.01
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce $0.01

Total Cost  $7.56

1.) In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Dredge the beef, one by one, through the flour and shake off excess. Once the butter has melted, place the beef into the frying pan and cook until mostly browned.

2.) While the beef is browning, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well blended. Once the beef has browned, remove from the pan. Pour the liquid contents of the large bowl into the pan and bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pan and turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. Cook for about 30 minutes or until beef is cooked all the way through. Serve over rice or noodles.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

I really wanted the sauce for my Tomato Chicken one night but I was also heavily craving beef. So, voila! I came up with a new Tomato Beef recipe! It’s made pretty much exactly the same as the Tomato Chicken with the exception that I exchanged white vinegar for apple cider vinegar, took out some of the spices, and threw a bay leaf in. It’s delicious! And it just goes to show that no matter what recipe you’ve got in your box, you can always expand it and revise it to fit your mood!

1 package of pork side ribs $15.80
2 tablespoons of canola oil $0.07
1/2 teaspoon onion powder $0.07
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder $0.06
1/2 teaspoon paprika $0.08
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley $0.34
Pinch of salt and pepper $0.02
1/2 cup Martha’s Barbecue Sauce $0.76

Total Cost  $17.20

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Rinse ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Brush the canola oil over ribs, front and back.

3.) Mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over the ribs.

4.) Bake in the oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until they are just about done (but not quite!)

5.) Take ribs out of the oven and liberally brush Martha’s Barbecue Sauce over them. Put them back in the oven and heat for 5 – 10 minutes, until the sauce has heated through.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Before I came up with this recipe I had tried to cook ribs just about any way that you could imagine. I had put them on the grill and cooked them from fleshy pink masses to dried up, shriveled up rectangular hockey pucks. I would boil them and then put them on the grill and they’d be a little better. But not much. And I put them in the slow cooker, which will never again be repeated. Finally, I threw my hands up in frustration and just started cooking them this way. Not only are they delicious but it’s also the easiest way I’ve ever found to make ribs.

If you want to make it even easier, you don’t need to wash the ribs. The only reason I ever wash my meat is truthfully, because every chef does it on the Food Network. And so does Martha. Some people think that it cleans the meat and makes it safer to eat while others say that rinsing it won’t get rid of any of the really bad stuff that can make you sick, if that’s present in the meat to begin with. But, I have only recently started washing my meat before drying it and I’ve never gotten sick over it. But you must absolutely dry your meat. This is because the meat is wet when you first take it out of the package (I’m sure you’ve noticed that) and it will cook much crispier on the outside if you rinse it dry first. Wet meat not only takes longer to cook but it also isn’t as crispy on the outside – which is one of the best parts of ribs!