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We continued today taking down decorations and getting out all we had to put away to make room for Christmas stuff.  I initially thought I would make a pork tenderloin from fine Cooking that had red peppers and a red pepper sauce with it, but pooped out from being so tired from all the work changing out decorations.  My brother sent us a box for Christmas called “A Taste of AZ.”  in it was asiago cheese pesto.  I smeared it on the pork tenderloin and roasted it.  Delicious!  Accompanying it was the largest sweet potato I have ever seen and broccolini.  Unfortunately for me the pork was over cooked.  Jim ate everything.  No leftovers tonight.  

Jim has started a new tradition at every meal; “Is there meat in this he asks?”  No was his answer.  Again there is no quantity listed with the recipe.  In Nashville we have a free magazine called Edible Nashville.  They talk about chefs, restaurants, farmers, dessert specialists and deli specialities.  This recipe is by Teresa Blackburn.  Her blog is foodonfifth.com so I am assuming she is in the restaurant business somewhere on Fifth Avenue downtown.  We have 1/2 leftover for another day, probably Monday as Monday and Tuesday I have promised to help with getting the LBN invites out.  

Ingredients:

8 oz. baby cauliflower, chopped, stems separated

8 oz. broccolini, chopped, stems separated

EVOO

1 pie crust

1 T grainy mustard

1 1/2 C shredded Comte or Gruyere cheese, divided

2 oz. goat cheese

4 large eggs

1 C heavy cream

oregano, to taste preferably Mexican

1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg

Sea salt

Black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spread cauliflower and broccolini on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast 12-15 minutes until browned.  Set aside and lower oven 350 degrees F.
3. Line a 9” springform pan with pie crust.  Spread mustard over bottom of crust and sprinkle with 1/2 C cheese over the top.
4. In a small pan bring some water to a boil and add salt.  Add stems/trimmings from cauliflower and broccolini and cook until for tender.  Drain.
5. In food processor or blender, add cooked trimmings, goat cheese, eggs heavy cream, oregano, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Blend until smooth and well mixed.
6. Sprinkle roasted cauliflower and broccolini over bottom crust.  Sprinkle with another 1/2 C cheese.  Gently pour blended egg mixture over all.  Top with remaining 1/2 C cheese.
7. Bake 40-50 minutes or until pie is set in middle and golden brown.  Test center with toothpick or skewer.  Cool on wire rack 1-15 minutes or until ready to serve.

Tuesday was a sad day in Nashville.  We lost a great friend in an accident and today was her funeral.  As funerals go it was very very nice.  But it is a big loss to all of us.  

Tina and I spent the afternoon in the pool.  Lazing around until we were burned to a crisp.  It was a beautiful day here and we forgot about suntan lotion.  

Dinner was simple.  We had the second half of the fish and lobster cakes with the Uma sauce.  I made the following broccolini to accompany it and Pillsbury bread.  This recipe serves 5-6 as a side and is from Cooking for Jeffery, Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

3 bunches of broccolini

EVOO

Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Trim 2” off the ends of the broccolini stems and discard.  Cut any thick stalks in half lengthwise.  
3. Place in a single layer on a sheet pan.  If using all three bunches you should use two pans so it roasts not steams.  
4. Drizzle with 2 T EVOO and sprinkle with 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper, and toss well.
5. Roast for 15 minutes, until the broccolini is crisp-tender.  
6. Serve hot.  

We thought they were a little too crisp-tender.  They did last good, but hard to cut.  

Some days I can hold on to hope that I will before I die have a pool and some days I can’t.  Wednesday was one of those days.  Jim was going to Costco for some reason and I said bring something to eat home.  He brought home a roasted chicken.  I have been told that they are not  good for you, but I have to say it was wonderful.  OK, so then I cooked.  

I had this recipe for a pork tenderloin coated with herbs.  I looked at the recipe and said, I would rather have the cocoa rub from my all chocolate dinner I made at Valentine’s Day.  I have an overflow of the rub in the freezer.  So that was the pork tenderloin.  With this we had a potato dish from The Kitchen and a broccoli dish from the Tennessean.

Mashed Potatoes with Pesto and Whipped Cream 

Ingredients:

2# medium russet potatoes

Kosher salt

1/2 C heavy cream

1 X whole milk, warmed

1/2 -1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 C pesto

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

I divided this recipe for 6 in half, Jim loved it.

1. Put potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover.
2. Season with salt and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pour the heavy cream into a bowl and whip with a whisk or hand mixer until soft peaks form.  Set aside.
4. Drain the potatoes.  Hold with an oven mitts and peel.  (I peeled before cooking, I know, not a good idea, but as I did half, it was one potato.)
5. Transfer the potatoes to a bowel and add the warm milk and butter to the bowl and mash the a potato masher.  
6. Fold in the whipped cream and pesto.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Jim thought he had gone to heaven with these potatoes.  I had a couple tablespoons, worried about the calories, but could have eaten the whole bowl.  

Peanut Broccoli with shaved Lemon 

Ingredients:

3 T toasted sesame oil,divided

6 C chopped broccoli florets and stalks

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t red pepper flakes

salt and ground black pepper

2 T honey

1/4 C roasted and salted peanuts

1 lemon

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat 2 T of the oil.  
2. Add the broccoli and salute for 10 minutes, or until just barely starting to brown.  
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, then salute for another 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and lightly browned.  
4. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving bowl.   
5. Drizzle with the honey and remaining 1 T of sesame oil, the sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the broccoli.  
6. Using a mandolin, shave thin slices of lemon over the broccoli, adding as little or as much as desired.  

This was a fabulous broccoli recipe.  This whole recipe with the pork, mashed potatoes and broccoli would be a great company meal.  

Jim served a Beaune, 1996 wine by Louis Violland.  It was fabolous.  I love Beaune.  

We had a good time at Jim’s wine club.  People could not believe I made the dough for Empanadas from scratch or how much Jim knows about wine.  The host’s husband is from South America.  Do you know that Goya makes the crusts pre cut for you to make them?  Another learning experience.   Prior to leaving today, we had another problem with the pool house builder.  We are eating breakfast, not that early.  We get a call from the builder from hell.  “Is the roofer there?” “No”  Roofer finally shows up as Jim is in the shower, getting ready for our evening evert.  I think, oh boy, something is finally going to be done.  Wrong!!!  He puts a tarp over the plastic that Jim has spent weeks to make sure is taped securely.  Does he tape it?  No.  Then he has the nerve to ring the door bell and tell me what he has done and gives a liter-nary of excesses as to why he is not doing his job.  I stood there and listened and then closed the door.  I went into the bedroom and told the princess of the house the roofer’s tale.  He called the roofer back.  I listened to the shit outside my art room window and had had enough, especially when it went into the Superbowl shit.  So, I sent the builder from hell an email that said what I had told Jim the day before.  He is done with everything that needs to be done before the cool deck goes down by the end of February or I will report him to the BBB. I outlined all that had to be done.  I wrote the builder and copied Jim.  Luckily I was in the shower when he answered, beginning with “I must be misinformed.”  Jim wrote back that he had not read my email correctly, mister nice guy.  However, because Jim told me of the answer, I immediately got on line and let him have it.  If you ever tell me that I must be misinformed about anything that has to do with construction, you better be dead right.  He has until the end of this month to get his part of the job done or he will wish he was dead. He followed my email requesting a meeting.  There will be no meeting.  He can submit a schedule as to how he intends to get this finished by the end of February or he can expect the consequences.  I am done with the talking.  I have a question, do contractors have a class or a book of excuses, or does this come naturally to builders?

Unfortunately being out of bed again, Saturday, and with the stress of the this builder from hell, I was dead to the world again.  Jim went the Super Bowl party alone.  First of all why people celebrate rapist, wife and children beaters, is beyond me.  Do you really feel sorry for someone that couldn’t get out of AZ today that spent $5000 to $35000 for a seat to celebrate the win of one group of thugs over another? 

Tonight’s dinner, like I said if I don’t want to eat take out, I have to get up and cook.  I get up by noon and then cook.  This is from the WW Easy Mains.  It was very good, but I added 1/2 T salt and pepper.  I served it over rice instead of polenta.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli rabe, coarsely chopped (I used  2 bunches of broccolini)

2 t EVOO

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 (5 -oz. ) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut cross wish into 1 1/2” strips

1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 t red pepper flakes

I added 1/2 t salt and many grindings of pepper

Directions:

I have to admit I did not exactly follow directions.  I did not pre boil the broccolini.  I aded the stems with the onion.

1. Bring large saucepan of water to boil.  Add broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain.  
2. Heat oil in medium heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.  (I added the stems of the broccolini at this time.)  
3. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
4. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently , just until no longer pink, about 2 minutes.  
5. Add broth, pepper flakes, and the remaining flowerettes of the broccolini.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. 

This was a good recipe.  This WW cookbook is better than the other one.  I served over rice instead of polenta