Mojo Pork Tenderloin

There are just somethings that no matter how I fix them I can almost guarantee that my children will eat them. Pork tenderloin is one of those things.  I tried this recipe last week, doubled it and made two pork tenderloins (the recipe is only for one) and there were two pieces left at the end of the night. My oldest is only 8 and my youngest isn't even 2. I don't even want to know what the grocery budget will look like in 8 years. Anyways, this recipe was adapted from The Kitchen Wife.

1 pork tenderloin
1/4 cup olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar

Whisk together all of the ingredients. Place the pork tenderloin in a bag and pour the marinade over it.  Place back in the refrigerator and let marinade for 1-24 hours.  Heat oven to 450.  In an oven safe skillet brown the pork tenderloin over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the pork tenderloin is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Lemon Lime Bars

We are all about a citrus recipe in our house. I absolutely love anything lemon or lime. My favorite pie is lemon meringue. These lemon lime bars disappeared extremely fast!


1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar (plus extra to dust on top)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsps butter (cold and cut into small cubes)

 4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 tbsps all purpose flour
zest of a lemon
zest of a lime
2/3 cup freshly squeezed juice (I used 3 lemons and 2 limes)
1/3 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt

Line a 9x13 pan with foil then grease and set to the side. Mix together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt. Cut in the butter until it is resembles pea sized chunks. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 and bake the crust for 20 minutes or until golden brown. While the crust is baking make the filling. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the zest, lemon and lime juice and milk.  When the crust is removed from the oven let it cool for 3 minutes then carefully pour the filling over the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 and bake for 20-35 minutes or until the filling has started to firm up.  Cool the bars completely then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut.

Corn Pudding

Well I took an unintentional blogging break. Vacation combined with a toddler who hasn't slept through the night in a month just had me too exhausted to think straight. But I'm back and hopefully I can keep up for a while. At least until our big trip in August! This recipe was adapted from Basil and Bubbly.

2 cups fresh shucked corn (with cobs saved)
4 tbsp flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp melted butter

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 8x8 dish and set to the side.  Over the a measuring cup run the back of your knife up and down the cob to milk it then fill the rest of the 1 cup with whole milk.  In a bowl combine the corn, flour, sugar and salt.  In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Fold the two mixtures together then pour into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until it is cooked through.
 

One Pot Crack Bean Burritos

These burritos were messy and oh so good! I always love discovering a good meatless meal. This recipe from Heather Likes Food was a hit all around!

1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can pinto beans
1 package taco seasoning
8 oz cream cheese
1 (10 oz) can rotel
shredded cheese
tortillas

Drain the beans. In a medium skillet combine the beans, taco seasoning, cream cheese and rotel. Stir until the cream cheese has fully melted and the mixture is starting to bubble. Scoop into tortillas, top with shredded cheese then roll and enjoy!

BBQ Ranch Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken is one of the best things about summer. Super simple and always turns out so delicious and juicy. This recipe had so much flavor and it doesn't get any easier than this!

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ Sauce
1 package Dry Ranch Mix

In a bowl whisk together the bbq sauce and dry ranch mix. Remove 1/2 a cup of bbq sauce and refrigerate.  Place the chicken in a bag and add the remaining bbq sauce and coat well.  Marinate the chicken for 2 hours.  Grill the chicken over medium heat and brush with 1/2 cup of bbq sauce while grilling. Remove the chicken from the grill when it is cooked through and brush with sauce one final time.

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

I've been wanting to make a potato casserole for forever and finally did it.  I adapted a recipe from Chef in Training.  I love potatoes so I thought this was great!

5-6 medium baking potatoes
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
3 tbsp green onion (sliced)

Peel and cube the potatoes. Boil in hot water until fork tender. Drain and add to a mixing bowl with sour cream, butter and milk and mash.  Stir in the salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar, crumbled bacon and 2 tablespoons green onion. Pour into a greased 9x11 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove and top with the remaining green onion. 

Crock Pot Steak Fajitas

My oldest has recently become a huge fan of fajitas. I had a chuck roast in the freezer so I thought I would try steak fajitas in the crock pot.  The night we had this was crazy. I had ordered some clothes from one of my favorite companies and it had arrived that afternoon, but it was half my order and half other people's orders. So I ended up on the phone with customer service for well over and hour trying to sort it all out and in the midst of that our power went out. It was just crazy,  I ended up eating cold fajitas after the kids were in bed. But even cold, these were good! And my kids ate them so that's always a victory!

1 2-3lb boneless chuck roast
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 red onion

Combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper then rub it over the chuck roast. Place in the bottom of the crock pot. Slice the peppers and onions and layer on top. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Serve with tortillas and toppings. 

 

Strawberry Delight

Happy 4th of July!  This is the perfect summer time dessert for cookouts or parties! It's so light and refreshing.  This recipe is the fruit version of my Chocolate Delight recipe.

2 lbs fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
16oz cool whip

Heat oven 350. Wash and slice strawberries. Mix them in a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice and set to the side.  Combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into small cubes then cut into the flour mixture. Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes then let it cool fully.  Once the crust is cooled, mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixture. Spread evenly over the crust.  Using a slotted spoon, place the strawberries over the cream cheese mixture allowing some but not all of the juice to make it to the dish. Top with the cool whip and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Avocado Club Burgers

I just made these up on a whim.  I actually loved using the baguette as bread, it just changed up the burgers. Plus all of the delicious toppings just make it that much more yummy.

2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 lb bacon (fried crsip)
1 avocado (sliced)
2 tomatoes (sliced)
romaine lettuce
6 slices cheddar cheese
mayonnaise 
1 baguette (sliced in half and then into 6 "buns")

Mix the ground beef with the seasoning salt and then form 6 patties. Grill the burgers over medium heat until they have reached your desired doneness. Top with cheddar cheese slices. Lightly toast the baguette buns. Spread mayonnaise on the bun then top with the burger patty, 3 slices of bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce.