Balsalmic Thyme Pork Tenderloin

 Recipe taken from cookingfrog.com

Ingredients:
-Pork tenderloin
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1 Tbsp chopped thyme
-1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Trim off silver skin of pork
2. Heat oven 425 F and line roasting pan with aluminum foil
3. Season pork with pepper, salt, and thyme
4. Cook pork for 22-25 min
5. In the meantime, make balsamic reduction.  Pour balsamic vinegar in a little sauce dish over high warmth.  Heat to the point of boiling, diminish warmth to low and stew for around 5 min until thickened.
6. Brush half portion of balsalmic blend onto pork in the last moments of cooking.  Save the rest for serving.  Do NOT let balsamic cool off, so keep on stove on low and mix once in a while.
7. Take pork out of oven and let rest for 5 min.

I served with mini potatoes and green beans.  It was a little difficult to do the green beans and balsamic at the same thyme.

I also cooked 2 lbs of green beans and it was a good batch so had too much leftover even for 3 nights.  I cooked the green beans "Scarlett Pasta" style with the sliced garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and then butter.  They were pretty good.  Would have to think of something else next time.  

*American

Pesto Pasta (variant of Scarlett's pasta)

So, I have been watching 'The Chef Show' and decided to use their Scarlett's pasta and apply it to pesto. Didn't add parmesan or parsley and instead added pesto.

*NOTE: tasted without adding pesto at the end, and I don't think it is flavorful enough with wheat pasta. It needs the pesto.  Also a note on pesto.  Can do 1 full frozen cup of pesto for just pasta, but if doing pasta + veggies, you need 2 frozen cups.

Ingredients:

-Half a lemon

-fresh grated parmesan (omitted because used in pesto)

-2 Tbsp butter

-1 cup chopped Italian parsley (omitted because didn't have)

-1 pinch chili flakes

-pepper

-salt

-3 cloves thin sliced fresh garlic

-1 cup pasta water

-1/3 cup olive oil

-pasta

-veggies (used onion, asparagus, bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes)

-chicken

Directions:

1. Slice garlic cloves thin

2. Boil pasta

3. Heat olive oil in large pan on medium and add sliced garlic.  Toss gently for 30 sec, and add chili flakes, salt, pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds.

4. Add cooked pasta, pasta water, butter, and lemon

5. Stir gently and bring to gentle boil.  Toss mixture to coat well.

6. Let mixture set for 30 seconds.

7.  Mixed in pesto, any veggies, and chicken

*Italian

*American

Chicken Vindaloo

Recipe taken from Twosleevers

I doubled the recipe because I had 2 lbs or more of chicken.

Ingredients:

-1 cup (160 g) onions, chopped --> 1 whole onion

-5 cloves of garlic --> 10 cloves

-2-3 slices minced ginger --> 4-6 slices

-1 Tbsp oil (I used avocado oil) --> 2 Tbsp avocado oil

-1/4 cup white vinegar --> 1/2 cup, but I felt the taste was to vinegary so would try 1/3 cup next time

-1 cup (149 g) diced tomatoes --> the whole can of diced tomatoes

Doubled spices:

-2 tsp Kosher salt

-2 tsp Garam masala

-2 tsp smoked paprika

-1 tsp cayenne pepper - or more for heat

-1 tsp ground coriander

-1 tsp ground cumin

-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

-1/2 cup water

-1 tsp turmeric

Directions:

1. In a microwavable bowl - heat onions, garlic, ginger, and oil for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are browned on the edges

2. Pour veggies + vinegar + tomatoes + spices into blender and blend into smooth paste

3. Place chicken in large bowl and coat with the mixture

4. Wash out the blender bowl with the water and pour over chicken as well. Mix

5. Add turmeric now (adding earlier can stain blender) and marinate for 30 min to 8 hrs.

6. Pour into Instant Pot and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.  allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.

7. Depending on how much water, you may need to remove chicken pieces and evaporate some of the water using Saute function - I did this, but not sure I should have.

Served with basmati rice and broccoli and store bought naan.

I'm sure I could use chicken breast instead.

Would consider adding other chopped veggies into the Instant Pot like whole onions and bell peppers.

As mentioned, tasted too vinegary for me so cut back.

Eric liked it.

The recipe also said can add potatoes to make thicker

*Indian