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Fast & Easy Dinner: Sauteed Pork and Pear Salad

partysugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:30:09 -0700

A great thing about Fall fruits, specifically pears, is that they can be used as an ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes. In this case, the pears are a crisp addition to a scrumptious salad. The classic pairing is pork and apples, but pears complement the peppered protein as nicely as their crunchy counterpart. A drizzle of a quick honey-mustard sauce finishes off this hearty and delicious dish. To start your weekend with this salad, read more.

Sauteed Pork and Pear Salad
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

8 ounces boneless pork top loin roast or pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed, or 1-1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh sage
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts or almonds, toasted
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
6 cups torn mixed salad greens
2 medium pears, cored and sliced

Directions

Trim fat from pork. Cut pork across the grain into thin, bite-size strips. Sprinkle with pepper and sage.
Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat.
Add pork. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in the center.
Add nuts. Cook and stir for 30 seconds more. Remove meat mixture. Cover and keep warm.
For dressing, in the same skillet combine pineapple juice, oil, honey, and Dijon-style mustard. Cook and stir just until bubbly, scraping up any crusty browned bits from bottom of the skillet.
Divide salad greens among 4 shallow bowls or dinner plates. Arrange pears on greens. Top with pork mixture. Drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 260, Total Fat (g) 12, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 31, Sodium (mg) 92, Carbohydrate (g) 25, Fiber (g) 4, Protein (g) 15, Fruit (d.e.) 1, Vegetables (d.e.) 1.5, Very Lean Meat (d.e.) 2, Fat (d.e.) 2

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Happy Hour: Tequila Cocktail

partysugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:00:42 -0700

In my opinion, tequila is an underrated liquor. I usually only use it to make margaritas or take shots. However, I've recently decided to experiment with the Mexican spirit in other drinks, like the cocktail seen here. This recipe was surprisingly refreshing and not too strong. With chunks of fresh pineapple and a slight fizz, it tasted like a tequila sangria. This sensational concoction is wonderful on a warm afternoon. I definitely plan on making it again, perhaps as an alternative to margs at my next fiesta. To see how I made it, read more.

Tequila Cocktail
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
10 ounces white tequila
12 ounces fresh pineapple juice
12 ounces lemon-lime soda
Crushed ice

Directions

Combine pineapple and mint in a pitcher, muddle. Add the tequila, pineapple juice, and lemon-lime soda.
Serve over crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Serves 4-6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pineapple and Scallop Skewers

partysugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:50:59 -0700

Take an exotic escape to a tropical locale with this marvelous meal. Scallops - which are quick-cooking shellfish that are effortless to season - are tossed with a zesty lime cilantro marinade.

Spicy jalapenos add heat, juicy pineapple provides a sweetness, and chunks of avocado yield a creamy coolness. If you don't have an indoor grill pan, roast the skewers in the oven until scallops turn opaque.

This is a great dish to break out of a weeknight recipe rut, so get it now when you read more.

Pineapple and Scallop Skewers
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
2 small green and/or red jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup canola oil
16 sea scallops (about 1-1/2 lb.)
12 large fresh pineapple chunks
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 8 chunks

Directions

In a small bowl combine lime peel, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until combined; set aside.
In a large bowl combine scallops, pineapple, and avocado. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice mixture. Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not marinate longer, or scallops will get tough.
Alternately thread 4 scallops, 3 pineapple chunks and 2 avocado chunks on each of 4 12- to 16-inch skewers.
Grill kabobs on a well-greased grill rack directly over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or until scallops turn opaque, turning once halfway through grilling. Transfer kabobs to a serving platter and serve with remaining lime juice mixture.

Serves 4.

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Know Your Ingredients: Pimm's

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:37 -0700

A couple of weekends ago, for FabSugar's technicolor luau, I made a batch of Pineapple Pimm's Cup. Created by Duggan McDonnell of Cantina, this punch recipe consisted of pineapple vodka, Pimm's No. 1, ginger beer, ginger syrup, and fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice.

The refreshing and unexpected cocktail was a major hit and everyone was inquiring about the ingredients. While I was able to tell them what was in the drink, I wasn't able to answer when they asked, "What's Pimm's?" My lame reply, "Oh it's a liquor popular in England." But really, I had no clue what it was!

Until now. Pimm's, an aperitif, is a brand of alcoholic beverages that was created in London in 1840, with the most popular being Pimm's No. 1 Cup. Each number of Pimm's has a different base spirit; No. 1 is a gin-based, No. 2 is scotch-based, and No. 3 is brandy-based (only No.1 still exists). Other elements (spices, citrus, etc.) are added to the base spirit to achieve a characteristic floral flavor and rich tea color. Pimm's is often mixed with soft drinks or as in the classic Pimm's Cup, with lemonade, cucumber, and fresh fruit. Do you enjoy Pimm's?

Come Party With Me: Summer Cocktail - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:30:06 -0700

A Summer cocktail party must have a specialty cocktail. At first I thought to serve a classic concoction like a martini or Manhattan, but when I came across this updated version of the sidecar - a drink dating back to World War I that consists of cognac, lemon juice, and orange liqueur - I knew I had to make it. The basic three ingredients are there, but the addition of pineapple juice and muddled blackberries provide a distinct and deceptively delicious taste. To ensure that I'm not making cocktails all night, I'll set the ingredients up on a table in the garden and print out the recipe on nice paper. Then, I'll encourage guests to shake their own cocktails!

I've also asked everyone to bring either beer or wine, so they'll be plenty to drink when the cocktails run out. For the recipe, read more.

Blackberry-Pineapple Sidecar
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

7 blackberries
Ice
2 ounces Cognac
1/2 ounce Cointreau or other triple sec
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
1 or 2 pineapple leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the berries. Add ice and all of the remaining ingredients except the garnish; shake well.
Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish.

Makes 1 drink.

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Come Party With Me: Technicolor Luau - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:20 -0700

When Fab first asked me to help host her technicolor luau, I envisioned serving a fabulous layered tiki cocktail. However, deep down, I knew there was no way I could offer this kind of cocktail because it's too much work and I would end up spending the entire night behind the bar! To make things easier, I'll serve a tropical rum punch instead. The super-simple recipe can be multiplied for a large crowd. It combines light and dark rum with fresh squeezed orange juice, mango nectar, and pineapple juice. It's a potent, yet refreshing drink, that's sure to get any party started. To look at the recipe, read more.

Rum Punch
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

80 mint leaves, torn or thinly
8 ounces light rum
8 ounces aged rum
8 ounces fresh orange juice
8 ounces mango nectar or juice
4 ounces pineapple juice
Ice
8 pineapple wedges

Directions

In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients except the ice and pineapple wedges and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Stir well and serve over ice in red wine glasses. Garnish each drink with a pineapple wedge.

Serves 8.

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Pop Goes the Peach

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:15:37 -0700

With the overpowering aroma of stone fruit at the farmers market and a particularly warm weekend, I decided it was the ideal time to make one of my favorite summertime obsessions: Popsicles. To keep it simple and showcase their pure deliciousness, I pureed peaches with tart lime juice and refreshing, home-grown pineapple mint. Because the peaches are perfectly ripe and juicy, you hardly need any sugar to sweeten the pops. If you aren't a peach person, consider another in-season fruit, like plums, cherries, or strawberries. Popsicles are irresistible on hot days, and the only way to beat the next heatwave is to keep reading.

Happy Hour: Hurricane

partysugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:00:53 -0800

Bring a little Mardi Gras spirit into your kitchen this weekend by mixing up a classic hurricane cocktail. Created at Pat O'Brien's bar in New Orleans, this drink is potent, yet incredibly tasty - almost like fruit punch.

Made with rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, and passion fruit nectar, it's a tropical breath of fresh air, especially delicious in the dead of Winter.

Although the ingredient list is a little long, this refreshingly fruity drink is worth the effort. Traditionally, it's served in a glass that's shaped like a hurricane lamp, but any large glass will do. To get the recipe, read more.

Hurricane
From Dale Degroff's The Essential Cocktail

Ingredients

1 ounce Meyer's dark rum
1 ounce light rum*
1/2 ounce Galliano*
2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice
1 ounce passion fruit syrup or passion fruit nectar*
3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Dash of Angostura bitters
Fresh tropical fruit, such as pineapple, passion fruit, or orange, for garnish

Directions

Combine the dark and light rums, Galliano, orange juice, pineapple juice, passion fruit nectar, lime juice, syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and shake well.
Strain into an ice-filled hurricane (or serving) glass and garnish with fruit.

Makes 1 drink.

*My liquor cabinet did not have light rum, so I used 2 ounces of dark rum. Neither the local super market or liquor store had Galliano, so I substituted another Italian liquor, Tuaca. I also couldn't find passion fruit syrup or nectar, so I used guava nectar. Despite these changes, the cocktail was still fantastic!

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Happy Hour: Modmix Organic Cocktail Mixers

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Move over Stirrings, there's a new cocktail mixer on the market and it's made with 100 percent organic fruit juice. Meet Modmix ($9.99), the mixer for the luxury spirit. I was lucky enough to speak with one of the founders, Tricia McCracken, at the Fancy Foods Show. She explained that the mixers pair well with all types of liquor, including bubbly. For a non-alcoholic drink, she suggests diluting the mixer with sparkling water. Modmix comes in six flavors: citrus margarita, French martini, lavender lemon drop, mojito, pomegranate cosmopolitan, and wasabi bloody Mary. Unlike most mixers, Modmix is neither too artificial or too sweet - they taste surprisingly like fresh juice. I loved the French martini, a subtle blend of pineapple juice with a vibrant raspberry color, and the wasabi bloody Mary, a thick tomato juice that packs a spicy punch. The best thing about Modmix is that they have a very pure, intense, authentic fruit flavor. Have you tried Modmix? Did you think it was a step above other cocktail mixers?

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Come Party With Me: Indian Dinner - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:50:50 -0800

No themed dinner party can begin without the relaxing mood enhancer and conversation stimulator that is the specialty cocktail. Since India (outside of the big cities) doesn't have much of a drinking culture, I'm turning to Dale Degroff, the king of cocktails, for inspiration.

According to Degroff, in its day - during the 19th century when East India existed - the East India cocktail was similar to the cosmopolitan in popularity: Everyone enjoyed it. The mixture of cognac, pineapple juice, and orange curacao pairs perfectly with Padma Lakshmi's salty, crispy kahti rolls.

For the main course serve cold beer, a Pinot Blanc, sweet Reisling, or an unoaked Syrah. To look at the recipe for the East India cocktail, read more.

East India Cocktail
From Dale Degroff's The Essential Cocktail

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces cognac
1 ounce orange curaçao
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
Flamed orange peel, for garnish
Nutmeg, for grating

Directions

Combine the first four ingredients with ice, and shake.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, dust with freshly grated nutmeg, and garnish by flaming the orange peel over the top of the drink.

Makes 1 drink.

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