Welcome to my blog, or rather, my food network life. With my new apartment finally in order, I figure it's about time to make one of these. Don't get me wrong, the West Village G kitchen background isn't terrible, but my classy Target bar table and T.J. Maxx decor might really take the food photography thing to the next level. So with the new apartment, comes the new blog. This is a journal of my cooking en devours and a guide to creating some of the most delicious meals possible on a college budget. This is how to make friends, maintain those friendships them and keep your boyfriend from running away.
My most recent en devour; accepting fall as a thing and trying not to panic about the end of the best 4 months of the year. All in all, fall is a terrible thing. Yeah sure, the beginning is nice, when the weather remains warm and the leaves turn gorgeous colors. But let's face it, he summer is gone, the days get shorter, the leaves die and litter the world and absolutely worst of all, fall invites winter to overstay it's welcome, making me miserable until somewhere around June 20th. But if there's one amazing thing about fall that remains untainted by the impending doom of winter, it's the food. The absolutely delicious, sweet and savory flavors of the fall. Pumpkin muffins, butternut squash and hot apple cider. Great job fall, thanks for finding just one way to be remotely bearable.
So with all this cool weather and talk of fall, I think it necessary to create a meal in the true fashion of fall. And thus: Rosemary, Mozzarella and Roasted Garlic Stuffed Almond-Encrusted Pork topped with Cinnamon Sugar Caramelized Pears. Well that's a mouthful, but a more than delicious one at that. This came about more as an excuse to finally enjoy the 80 dollar bottle of wine my dad gave me for my birthday and it just so happens, it was a wonderful excuse and a wonderful bottle of vino. We won't talk about the wine mainly because it's specifically NOT within a college budget, but know it was delightful. So here's how we do it:
For the Pork:
3 Pork Medallions
1 cup Unsalted Roasted Almonds
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Roasted Garlic (See note for recipe)
1 Egg
A Small Handful of Bread Crumbs
Fresh Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to Taste
For the Pears:
2 Pears (cut in the long wedges)
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
A Dash of Cinnamon
(This is what it's supposed to look like if you don't screw it up)
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 To prepare the pork, remove fat from the edges and butterfly by cutting a slice 3/4 of the way through the pork length wise. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
3 Mash up 6 cloves of roasted garlic and spread (using two cloves per medallion) the garlic into the center of the pork. Add fresh rosemary and shredded mozzarella cheese and then close the pork, pressing firmly.
4 Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk. Using a food processor (or by hand), grind the almonds down to the consistency of thick bread crumbs. In a bowl, mix the almond crumbs with a small handful of bread crumbs.
5 While preparing the pork, prepare the pears. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a pan and add the pear wedges, covering them in sugar. Stir frequently, cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pears into a pan, add cinnamon, and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until soft but not overly mushy.
6 Being sure to hold each piece of pork closed, douse the pork in egg and then dip into the bread crumb and almond mixture. Place in a baking pan and cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes, checking often to ensure it isn't overcooking.
7 When finished, transfer the pork to your serving dish and top with the pears. Serve with a spinach, goat cheese, pear and balsamic side salad, roasted kale or sweet potatoes. Enjoy by the fire with a romantic bottle of Cabernet Merlot Blend. Unless you're a college kid, which you are, in which case, light your Bath and Body Works candle and pour yourself a glass of Red Delicious Franzia.
PS This is how you roast garlic, just in case you don't yet know. Definitely do this ahead of time and always have this on hand. It wouldn't have made it into this dish if it hadn't previous served a purpose in another very delicious fall meal on Monday. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop the entire top of the head of garlic off to expose each individual clove. Place on a sheet of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with Rosemary, a dash of salt, and fresh ground pepper and wrap in the tin foil. Place the head on the center rack of the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes (or until the cloves feel soft)
