Cook Without Book

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and about 2 tablespoons sauce)                  Ingredients 2  (3/4-pound) pork tenderloins Cooking spray 3/4 cup   1% low-fat milk 1 1/2 tablespoons   all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons   Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons   dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup   fat-free sour cream 1/8 teaspoon   pepper Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional) Preparation Prepare grill. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of 1 tenderloin, if desired. Place tenderloins on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill, covered, 25 to 30 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 160°, turning occasionally. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in mustard and wine; remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and pepper. Cut tenderloins into 1/4-inch-thick slic...

Prep Time:  3 minutes Cook Time:  9 minutes Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 tablespoon sauce)                      Ingredients 4  (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops 1 teaspoon   blackened seasoning 1 teaspoon   vegetable oil 1/4 cup   water 1 1/2 tablespoons   low-sodium Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons   balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons   sugar Preparation Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with seasoning. Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot; add oil. Add pork chops, and cook 4 minutes on each side or just until done. Remove pork from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Combine water and remaining ingredients. Add soy sauce mixture to hot pan, and cook over medium-high heat 45 seconds until mixture reduces to 1/4 cup, scraping sides and bottom of pan to remove browned bit...

Yield:  Serves 4 (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 2 tablespoons madeira-apple sauce)                 Ingredients 1 pound   pork tenderloin, trimmed 1 teaspoon   olive oil, divided 3/4 teaspoon   dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon   salt 1/2 teaspoon   cracked black pepper 1 1/2 cups   sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1/2 pound) 1/2 cup   Madeira wine or dry sherry 1/4 cup   fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup   minced shallots 2 teaspoons   whole-grain Dijon mustard Preparation Preheat oven to 425°. Rub pork with 1/2 teaspoon oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Add apple to skillet. Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork; bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove pork from ...

Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  5 hours Yield:  Serves: 6 (serving size: 1/6 of roast, scant 1 cup vegetables, 2 tbsp. sauce)                  Ingredients 1 teaspoon   poultry seasoning Salt and pepper 1  whole (2 lb.) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of fat and tied 3  large sweet-tart apples, such as Gala, cored and cut into eighths 2  fennel bulbs with fronds (about 12 oz. total), bulbs thinly sliced and fronds reserved 1 cup   apple cider Preparation 1. In a slow cooker, mix poultry seasoning, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add pork roast and rub with seasonings to coat. Toss apples and sliced fennel together and put around and underneath meat. Pour in cider. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender and a meat thermometer inserted in center of roast reaches 145ºF, 3 to 5 hours. 2. Transfer pork, apples and fennel to a serving platter. Carefully pour sauce from slow c...

Yield:   Makes about 4 1/2 dozen Monster Eyes (serving size: 1 monster eye)                       Ingredients 3 cups   all-purpose baking mix 1 pound   ground mild or hot pork sausage 1  (10-ounce) block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (we used Cracker Barrel)   54  small pimiento-stuffed olives Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Combine baking mix, sausage, and cheese in a big bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until blended. 3. Shape sausage mixture into 1-inch balls, and place on lightly greased baking sheets. Press 1 olive deeply into each ball. Reroll using the palms of your hands if you need to reshape. Bake at 400° for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove baking sheets from the oven using oven mitts. Make-Ahead Tip: Freeze Monster Eyes in an airtight container up to 1 month. To reheat, place frozen balls on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 10 minu...

Barbecued Pork INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons dry red wine 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons red food coloring (optional) 1 green onion, cut in half 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 whole pork tenderloins (about 12 ounces each), trimmed Hot cooked rice (optional) PREPARATION: Combine soy sauce, wine, sugar, honey, food coloring, green onion, garlic and cinnamon in large bowl. Add pork; turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight, turning pork occasionally. Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain meat, reserving marinade. Place pork on wire rack over baking pan. Bake 45 minutes or until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 160°F, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade during first 30 minutes of cooking. Remove pork from oven; cool. Cut into diagonal slices. Serve with rice, if desired.

 Ingredients 4 dried Chinese fungi (about 1 ounce), such as wood ears or cloud ears 2 tablespoons canola oil 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tablespoon red chile paste, such as sambal oelek 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced 1/4 pound barbecued pork, shredded 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground white pepper Pinch sugar 2 quarts Chinese Chicken Stock, recipe follows 1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch strips 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water 1 large egg, lightly beaten Chopped green onions and cilantro leaves, for garnish Directions Put the wood ears in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Drain and rinse the wood ears; discard any hard clusters in the centers. Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high flame. Add the ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and pork; cook and stir for 1 minute to infuse the f...