by Kat | Nov 1, 2016 | General, Making, Words
Hello, November!
It seems like just yesterday that you were here, but then I look back at the year and I realize it has been a very full year. A year full of so many good things but with temps slated to be in the 70’s here again today – it hardly seems like it can even be November!
This has certainly been a lovely autumn.
I have much to be grateful about today beginning with the Halloween festivities of last night. It was not a banner year for visitors – we had less than 30 Trick or Treater’s. However, seeing their excited faces was an incredibly pleasant break in the usual evening activities. And, really – I prefer visiting children to the news of late! So, perhaps for the next week we can just replay last night. Sort of the “I am so sick of politics” version of the movie Groundhog Day.
Several of you kindly commented on the soup from my weekend. I roughly based it on a recipe I found here. Changes I made: I used left over roasted chicken from earlier in the week. I shredded the chicken and added it with the onions as they cooked. I used Trader Joe’s Cuban Black Beans and Cannellini beans (instead of kidney beans). I did not have diced tomatoes or a can of diced chiles. Instead I used a large can of whole tomatoes and crushed them with my hand before I added them and I added a can of Rotel™ tomatoes. Instead of corn, I diced up the last few Anaheim and Cubanelle peppers from our garden. So, I changed it quite a bit! Haha! It was good and will be made again!
Sigla’s sleeve number two is almost done – I just have the ribbing to finish and it will be done! Just in time too, because cooler weather is in the forecast!
Lastly, I am grateful for all of you who read my blog each day! Thanks to Random.org I have a winner – and that is commenter #8 – who is Carole of Carole Knits! This is especially wonderful because it is thanks to Carole’s invitation last year to join her in NoBloPoMo that reinvigorated my blogging and brought so many new friends to my life! Congratulations Carole – MDK’s Stripes will be on its way to your house!
Save
by Kat | Oct 18, 2016 | General
One recipe that really grabbed my attention when I read Ruth’s book this past summer, was a recipe for an apple cider braised pork roast.
Ruth calls for a big bone in pork shoulder roast – and a recipe that feeds 6-8 people.
Now, for a household of two this might not be the best choice, however a pork tenderloin would be just about right!
Now to adjust the recipe to work for such a small cut of meat.
Serves: 2 with leftovers!
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 1 onion, halved and then sliced in slivers
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers to insert into the pork
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 cup Hard Cider (I used Angry Orchard)
- 1-ounce Crown Royal Maple Whisky™
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
This is finished in the oven after browning the meat on the stove top, so I used my Staub™ all purpose pan.
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Cut several slits in the pork loin and insert the garlic slivers. Salt and pepper the meat on all sides
Place the pan on the stove over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and the pork loin. Brown the meat on all sides and remove from the pan. Add the onion to the pan and sauté to soften a few minutes. Add the cider and the whisky stirring to loosen the fond from the bottom of the pan. Add back the pork loins, cover and place in the oven.
Cook approximately 35-40 minutes, or until the pork has reached an internal temperature of 145° F.
(Cook’s note, in the last 15 minutes of cooking I added about a cup of halved Brussels Sprouts.)
I served this with a nice big dollop of oven roasted applesauce and it was fantastic! The meal and the applesauce! I had about 8 lbs of apples. I used minimal sugar and butter (1 1/2 tsp and 2 tbsp butter) and it turned out fantastically! I finished it with 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
I highly recommend both recipes!
Save
by Kat | Oct 11, 2016 | General
Leaves turning. Early fall farmers’ market. I’ll buy apples, pork, kale, squash, and spend the weekend dancing in the kitchen. Cant’ wait. ~ My Kitchen Year, Ruth Reichl
Last summer I was fortunate to have read Ruth Reichl’s book, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life. To say I loved it is an extreme understatement. And, inspired by Ruth – Tuesdays here at Casa del KatKnits are going to have a new focus.
Each week I will share with you a recipe from her book, or a recipe inspired by her book. Because that was what really came through for me in My Kitchen Year – being inspired.
To kick it off this week is the perfect Ruth Reichl inspired fall supper:
Pumpkin Ravioli with Turkey Mascarpone Sauce
Now, if you want easy – this is it. I get my pumpkin raviolis from a small local market and they are so good and are only available in the fall. However, if you are inspired to make your own – please, by all means do!
Turkey Mascarpone Sauce:
- 24 – 36 pumpkin ravioli (I used 6 raviolis per serving)
- 1.5 pounds ground turkey (I used 93-7 Turkey)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 – 8-ounce container of mascarpone
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 to 1.5 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, minced (reserve 1 or two leaves for topping the pasta)
- Grated parmesan cheese
Serves: 4-6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to prepare the ravioli.
Brown the ground turkey, seasoning it with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. When the turkey is almost browned, add in the fresh sage and cook for a minute, until it begins to soften a bit. Once the turkey has browned add in the mascarpone, stirring to combine. Add in the half and half and the grated nutmeg – stir to combine and simmer over low heat a few minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
While the turkey sauce simmers, cook the ravioli – following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain the ravioli well before dishing up and topping with the sauce.
Sprinkle the pasta with the reserved minced sage leaves and some grated parmesan cheese.
This is really such a super easy dinner to make. It is done in less than 30 minutes! I hope you enjoy! I would love to know if you try this!
Save
by Kat | Sep 6, 2016 | General, Words
Happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday to me! Although that is not all bad because tomorrow is Wednesday already and that is halfway to the weekend!
Although, there may have been a conversation yesterday about needing a weekend from our weekend…some things are so nice they just should not end!
Carole wants to know:
10 Things You Did This Weekend
There were so many good things this weekend, I will be hard pressed to hold them to 10!! So, let’s get this rolling shall we?
- An extra special (and early) Happy Hour on Friday (thanks to Steve taking the day off from work, which started our weekend off nicely!!) It included his AWESOME Buffalo Wings and a plethora of Americano’s
- Estate Sale-ing (I can fondue, can you?)
- Walking – LOTS of walking! Up hills and down!
- Enjoying our repurposed fire pit – twice! Simple but effective!
- Eating… so much eating. And drinking!
- Reveling in a less humid, cooler atmosphere… ahhhh!
- Game playing… Uno, Bananagrams, and Pass the Pigs, note… these things inspired so much laughter, perhaps we spend too much time adulting and not enough time caring for our inner child.
- A minute amount of knitting, very minute.
- Picking MORE tomatoes and raspberries! Holy produce!!
- Thoroughly enjoying the Hummingbird Moth visits! So amazing!
That was my very full weekend! How about you? How was your weekend?
P.S. Sherman did an awful lot of this. I think he had a very good weekend too!
Save
Save
by Kat | Aug 29, 2016 | General, In This Moment
It was a quiet weekend in my corner of the world. Quiet, hot, and muggy. Relief is in sight however, which is ironically forecast to arrive on Thursday – September 1st.
I think the weather gods are having a good laugh over this. But, really. I am so ready!
We picked volumes from our little garden – we picked some things that were not quite ripe, which turned out to be a very good thing when the deluge of rain hit last night. It was nice (not!) to leave us with a foggy steam bath this morning.
My list seems long today, however, I was up bright and early. Yogurt is at work in the Instant Pot, quick Roasted Raspberry Jam is done and cooling in a jar, and in moments these lovely tomatoes will be on their way to the most delicious jam ever.
I hope your weekend was filled with good things! Here is to lots lines crossing things off my list for this week… how about you?
Page 3 of 16«12345...10...»Last »
