Thursday, July 26, 2012

BBQ Pork, Clams, Pesto and Pizza

Specials of the week: all over the map really, just trying new and different twists on things including Atticus who tried kale, brisket and peaches along with a little of just about whatever we were having!



Appetizers: 
Prosciutto wrapped papaya
- the papaya was a bit strong for the prosciutto but it was a worthwhile attempt at a variation on the tried and true

Acorn squash, carrot and parmigiano dip
- I've made different versions of this over time, and this was one of the better ones. For posterity:
Bake an acorn squash in the oven for about 30 mins (cut in half) along with a couple of carrots
Scoop the squash out and mash the carrots and squash together or blend to desired consistency
Mix in 1-2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp mango powder and a dash of cayenne pepper
If you want, you can try other spices though these have worked well - it's a taste game
You can depending on the consistency of your acorn squash either put the mixture back in the shells of the squash or into a serving bowl, put some shaved parmigiano on top and broil for a couple of minutes and done! 

Mains:
BBQ'd rosemary pork loin with goat cheese and figs served with cornbread and a summer salad
- read about this in a BBQ cookbook I have and tweaked it a bit, but the pork was wonderful!
Basically just coat a pork loin in salt, pepper, rosemary with olive oil and then BBQ for a few minutes a side until perfect.
Skewer some figs onto the empty rosemary twigs and BBQ those too
Plate with some goat cheese and honey drizzled over the pork and figs and you have yourself a main!
Train ride with Grandpa!

Clams with corn, pan seared potatoes, bacon and kale
- tried something a little different this time and it turned out well:
Cook the thinly sliced potatoes in a large skillet with olive oil until browning
Add onion and chopped bacon to the same skillet after removing potatoes (save)
After the onion has started to clear and the bacon is coming along, add the scrubbed clams
Add a few chopped stems of thyme and then deglaze with white wine, add corn and cover for 5 minutes (clams should open) - reduce heat
After 5 minutes, can add some clam juice or stock to add broth and keep covered on low for another 5-10 minutes (careful not to overcook the clams!)
Serve with browned potatoes on the bottom of the bowl with clams on top and corn on the side - delicious!

Sausage and onion pizza (the HEB version)
- we'll see about the HEB version of pizza dough tonight! HEB or H.E.B. is the main store in San Antonio started by the mother of Howard E. Butt. When he took it over and tried to expand with eventual success, it came to bear his initials. I find it tedious to say three syllables solely in honor of the founder and so opt for one - HEB.

Fresh pesto linguini with salad, caramelized broccolini and carrots
- Good pesto is hard to beat. I took the Silver Spoon (the Joy of Cooking equivalent for Italians) recipe and added garlic, less nuts and slightly more cheese - goodness!

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