Spicy Roast Pork with Rosemary Potatoes

Sunny Anderson from the Food Network's Cooking for Real is the television chef that I'd most love to cook with.  She whips up the most awesome looking food and seems to have so much fun doing it.  Cooking is definitely a passion for her.

I love the idea of using a boneless pork roast and cutting it into little pork steaks . . . and you can never go wrong with rosemary potatoes.  I'm not sold on the sweet and sour sauce though . . .

Ingredients

For the pork:

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 (3-pound) pork roast, cut into 4 steaks, 2-inches thick
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the potatoes:

• 3 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stripped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare the pork: Place cumin seeds, red pepper flakes and peppercorns in a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Place in a small bowl and mix in garlic powder and salt. Rub mixture all over pork. Let sit at room temperature, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss potatoes with rosemary, oil and salt. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar and orange juice to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking Sweet and Sour Sauce until it reduces by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, swirl in butter and keep warm before using.

In a 13-inch cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When pan is smoking hot, add pork and sear on both sides. Add potatoes and place in the oven until pork is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.

Serve pork chops with rosemary potatoes and drizzled with the Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Jalapeno Hummus

Hummus for those who love it hot and spicy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup canned jalapeno pepper slices, juice reserved
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• crushed red pepper to taste

Directions
In a blender or food processor, mix the garbanzo beans, jalapeno peppers and reserved juice, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with cumin, curry powder, and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth.




Source: What Is Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Preparation

• 1. Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Source:  Mary Pellum, Louisville, Kentucky,
Cooking Light ~ OCTOBER 2010

Movie Theater Popcorn

Although I don't like to go watch movies at the

movie theater, I will still go to the theater at the 

mall to buy popcorn.  Yes, they will let you in!  

For someone who loves popcorn, 

there is nothing like it.  

Hopefully I have found the secret method.  

I'll report my findings the next time

 I make a batch of popcorn.

Directions

Movie theaters use butter-flavored oil, which has a lower water content than butter so it makes popcorn less soggy. Real clarified butter has the same effect.

To make it, melt 2 sticks butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.

Let sit for a few minutes; the butter will separate into 3 layers.

Skim off the top layer of foam, then slowly pour the clarified butter into a heatproof container; discard the bottom layer of milk solids.

Use 3 tablespoons hot clarified butter for 10 cups popcorn; refrigerate the rest (it's great for sauteeing).

Photograph by Burke/Triolo/Jupiter Images

Source:  Food Network website