Email, Urologist and Shopping, Spam,

I mentioned that my email programme had gone kaput on Monday so today, Tuesday, I phone my ISP in the morning and ended up with a difficult to understand technician who, in the end, assured me that they could do nothing with my Live Mail as it was a Microsoft programme. I ended up almost slamming my phone down on him. I have had assistance from them for similar problems many times.

My legs were still bothering me and Matt's appointment was immediately after lunch so I was in two minds whether to phone and cancel but in the end didn't. It's the walking across the garage which gets me. I'm pleased the urologist said all was well and we were there about 5 minutes. On the way back I stopped at a strange LCBO (liquor store) and found them to be extremely helpful. We also had a bit of a laugh about Scottish names on whiskies. The guy who carried it out to the car for me was saying he had had hip replacements (too young I thought) and that the last time he had gone in on Friday and was out on Saturday. If that is the case, it would be great for me and leaving Matt.

After we get home, I got a phone call from  my contact at the Alzheimer society asking if I had emailed her asking for a favour, I assured her I hadn't, then a friend in the building asking me if I had emailed her - no I hadn't - apparently the email asked if she could do me a favor too (I spell it favour which made ladydog realise it wasn't from me). I assured her I hadn't sent it. I then started getting emails from friends asking me the same thing. Plus friends on Facebook were discussing it too. One friend in NC asked what he could do for me. Of course I was having to read these emails on the ISP website. So I finally phoned the ISP again and this time got someone who helped me fix the problem except she riled me because she treated me like a newcomer to computers. I said "I'm not a 6 yr old" and then thought, if I was, I could probably run rings round her and everyone else on technical matters. Anyway, it got fixed and then when I went online after Jeopardy I found I was still having a couple of problems. Grrr.

When Kevin Lynch comes up with recipes, he comes up with some very good ones. This sounds absolutely mouth watering. Actually, today he came up with two that really pushed my buttons.

Bacon Wrapped, Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Pork Tenderloin in a Creamy Dijon Goat Cheese Sauce

Juicy pork tenderloin wrapped in crispy bacon and stuffed with a tasty mixture of mushrooms and

spinach all smothered in a creamy goat cheese and French’s Dijon mustard sauce.

For the filling:
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs oil
1 small onion, diced
12 oz mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
10 oz spinach, coarsely chopped

For the tenderloin:
1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
12 strips bacon

For the sauce:
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 1/2 cup milk
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs French’s Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

1. For the filling:

2. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquids and the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes, before adding the garlic and thyme, cooking until fragrant, about a minute, and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the spinach, let it wilt, use the water released from the spinach to deglaze the pan and continue cooking until the water has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes, before setting aside.

4. For the tenderloin:

5. Cut the tenderloin lengthwise almost all of the way through leaving about 1/2 an inch, before opening it and pounding it with a kitchen mallet until it is evenly thin, about 1/2 inch.

6. Spread the filling over the tenderloin leaving 1/2 inch around the edges and roll it up lengthwise before wrapping it with bacon. Tip: Spread the bacon out over parchment paper with the edges overlapping a bit, place the rolled up tenderloin on it and use the parchment paper to help easily roll the bacon around the tenderloin.

7. Place the tenderloin on a rack on a baking sheet with the seam down and bake in a preheated 400°F/200°C oven until it reaches 145°F-160°F depending on how well done you want it, about 40 minutes. If the bacon is not perfectly crispy, broil for a few minutes until it is.

8. Remove from oven, cover in foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving topped with the sauce.

9. For the sauce:

10. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until frothing, mix in the flour and cook until lightly golden brown before adding the milk and cooking until it thickens.

11. Add the goat cheese and cook until it melts before mixing in the lemon juice, mustard and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Servings: 6

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day
 

Urologist, Service Ontario, Landlord letters, Cooking,

As I said, there was an appointment with the urologist, turned out it was for me and after a  bit of grousing from me, he changed one of my pills and I have to go back again in January for a test etc. Matt was almost disappointed he wasn't supposed to see the doc. On the way back, we dropped in for some gin for himself, I don't touch the stuff, and as I was close to the pharmacy, I phoned to make sure they had the prescription, if not I had a copy of it. They did so I didn't have to do the long walk to the back of the store. I hate that, sick people have to walk the furthest.

Afterwards, went to Service Ontario to order a new health card for Matt. Mind you his current one doesn't expire til next February, but... we had already been sent renewal forms. Went in and I approached one of the counters and explained about Matt and she dealt with us straight away. She also suggested he should have an ID card as he no longer has a driver's license. They copped me for another $35. Can't go in there without paying that amount of money. However, it will be a good thing for him to have. Had to have two pix taken, one for his health card and another for the ID. There was a long line up, people must have been wondering why we got attended to before them.

Earlier in the day, we got two letters shoved under the door by the super, I assume, one telling us that the ant people will be coming again next Tuesday. Didn't realise they were called Pharaoh ants. They attached a letter explaining about them and asking us not to kill the ants but leave them to go feed on the "stuff" they had put down so they can go feed it to their queen. Here you are your majesty, nice drop of poison for you. Only trouble is, one sees them on the kitchen counter and automatically want to end their lives. Or I do. However, I refrained. It says they feed on sweets and proteins (fat) and ask us to keep our counters, etc. spotlessly clean so they will eat the baits they have put down.

Also had another letter from the landlords about Pre-Authorised Debit. I have wanted them to get with it and arrange this so that I don't have to write 12 cheques every year, better if they take it direct from the bank, however, there are some rather odd conditions so discussed it with a friend, we were both about to go out though so going to talk about it today.

I made the Ginger Stir Fry with Shrimp and Snow Peas for Friday dinner. It was delicious, but needed a bit more zip. I will spice up the remainder a bit more when we eat it. However, do try it, I think you will enjoy it.

I came across this recipe whilst looking up the Ginger Shrimp and thought it sounded pretty good too. I do like stuff cooked in foil, saves such a lot of clean up.

Garlic Dijon Shrimp and Salmon Foil Packs

Bold and savory garlic dijon shrimp and salmon foil packs are loaded with your favorite seafood and

the most incredible tangy honey dijon sauce. Easy to make with no cleanup!

4 salmon fillets I used skin-off
1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined I kept tails on, feel free to remove them before beginning recipe if desired
4 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning herbs see note

Garlic Dijon Sauce
8 Tbs butter, melted 1 stick or 1/2 cup
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
3 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste I used about 1/8 teaspoon each
1 Tbs fresh chopped dill

1. Prepare 4 12x12 inch pieces of foil and set aside. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, rub over whole surface, then season with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian seasoning dried herbs. Repeat process with the shrimp.

2. To make the sauce, stir together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

3. Assemble foil packs by placing salmon in the middle, topped with 3-4 shrimp. Drizzle HALF of the sauce over the shrimp and salmon, RESERVE the other half for using later. Fold foil over the shrimp and salmon and pinch edges to seal closed so no juices leak.

These last two lines should be reversed.

4. Drizzle with the reserved sauce (you may need to microwave it for a few seconds first if the butter has cooled) and top with additional fresh chopped dill if desired and serve.

5. For oven cooking, preheat oven to 450°F - bake 16 to 20 minutes on a cookie sheet.

Servings: 4

Source: | lecremedelacrumb.com


Have a great day
 

Lunch. Grocery, Nap, Friday Dinner, Jeopardy, Urologist,

Got to the Red Lobster at lunchtime and walked in to see a face peering at us from one of the window slots and the hostess saying people were waiting for us. I didn't recognise my friend's son at first and was rejecting him as the person we were lunching with. Haven't seen him in 3 or more years. Enjoyed lunch and it was nice to see our friend, haven't seen her in a while either and as she is moving, won't be seeing too much of her in the future. Although, as I said yesterday, maybe we will go to Stratford one of these days. I told her son not to be a stranger now she was moving.

I had placed a small order at the grocery store with things I forgot or didn't realise I needed. You can post a small order so long as it is valued at $30 or more. Popped in to collect that and then whizzed on home. Meant to do some other errands but missed out.

Spent the afternoon fast asleep. Well I was up fairly late last night. Had the remains of our Butter Chicken for supper. Tomorrow I am planning the Gingered Shrimp and Snow Peas which I haven't tried yet. Of course, having been asleep this means I will have to do my Spanish lessons tonight again, what a fool.

Been watching the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions, we are now down to the last two shows. James Holzhauer is a finalist as is the girl who supposedly beat him. Jeopardy James is doing very well in the first half of the match, got my fingers crossed for him.

Just realised we have an appointment with the urologist. No idea whether its for me or for Matt. Guess we will find out. Odd, I normally write it down. Maybe its for both of us.

This looked so good in the picture I couldn't help but post it. Maybe I will try it one of these days or make a simpler version. I do enjoy pork tenderloin.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloins with Bacon and Apple-Riesling Sauce

Debra Whiting, the chef and co-owner of Red Newt Winery Bistro in New York's Finger Lakes, loves

the fresh goat cheese from the local Lively Run Dairy so much that she always works it into her dinner menu. Here, she mixes the cheese with apple, sausage and greens, then stuffs it inside a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.

PORK
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 lb pork breakfast sausage, casings removed
1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp chopped sage
1/2 cup finely chopped collard greens (2 large leaves, stemmed)
4 oz fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1-pound pork tenderloins
6 slices of bacon

SAUCE
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and cut into 1/3-inch dice
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup dry Riesling
1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 tsp chopped sage
1/2 tsp chopped thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the apple, garlic, thyme and sage and cook until the apple just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the collard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the goat cheese and season the stuffing with salt and pepper.

2. Light a grill. Using a long, thin knife and beginning at a thick end, cut a 1-inch-wide pocket through the center of each pork tenderloin; use the handle of a wooden spoon to widen the pocket if necessary. Fill the pork tenderloins with the stuffing, poking it in with the wooden spoon. Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper and wrap the bacon strips securely around them; try to cover any exposed stuffing with the bacon.

3. Grill the pork tenderloins over moderately high heat, turning four times, until browned on every side, about 25 minutes, or the internal temperature reaches 140°. Transfer the pork tenderloins to a cutting board, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the apple, cider, Riesling, chicken stock, sage and thyme and simmer until the apple softens, about 7 minutes. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce back into the saucepan and boil until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4

Author: Debra Whiting
Source: Food and Wine



Have a great day
 

Driving License, Urologist's, Asparagus Farm,

Didn't  mean to write a blog today, but ... had a bit of a scare this morning. Checked yesterday's mail and found our insurance for the car. Went to put it in my wallet and realised I still had the temporary license which I had been given last September and never received the proper license. The temporary one expired last December meaning I have been basically driving without a license for 5 months. No idea what would have happened if I had been stopped. Luckily the Service Ontario office is just round the corner from us so I went haring to the office and was somewhat miffed to have to pay $35 because I hadn't renewed it before it expired. Apparently I should now get my license by August 15 (my mother's birthday) and I was warned that if it hadn't arrived by the beginning of August I should go into the office again otherwise I would be shelling out another $35. Tees me off though, wasn't my fault. Apparently it was mailed to me before and it wasn't returned to them so who knows what happened to it.

After lunch we went to the urologist who has just moved into new offices. Somewhat further away than the old ones. Nice place though, although they are not yet settled in. Huge reception area and the consulting rooms are much bigger, the urologist was delighted with the space he now has. Also, very important, parking is free. Turns out Matt's kidney stone is still there so it has been arranged that he will go have the thing "blasted" in June unless it decides to leave him before then. I had to use the bathroom on the way out, quite luxurious.

As the doctor's was about half way there, I decided to go on to the asparagus farm. I got a $10 bag (just over 2 lbs) and a couple of $5 bags which I thought some of my friends might like. I was right, they did. We had some for supper together with the coconut shrimp I bought at the local market store. One friend is a rhubarb nut too but it wasn't all that great yet. Maybe next time.

This looks pretty yummy. Don't remember ever trying it, must do so.

Tuscan Roast Asparagus

Asparagus and tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted to perfection with a topping of

melted parmesan cheese.

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp oregano (or Italian seasoning)
1 large tomato, sliced thinly
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

Toss the asparagus and tomatoes in the oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer with the slices of tomato on top, sprinkle on the parmesan and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes, mixing half way through.

Servings: 4

Author: Kevin
Source: Closet Cooking

Author Notes
Option: Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or toss in balsamic vinaigrette.



Have a great day

Toothache, Poaching, Shopping, Air Fryer, Cannabis, Poutine

OK you stalkers. May be nothing on Saturday, I have appalling toothache.

I have written about Pangolin poaching before, but was reminded today that the shy little animal is being poached to extinction. It is actually the cutest little animal and when raised by humans can become extremely affectionate. NOT that I am advocating raising them ourselves, but some have been because they are orphans due to the crass stupidity and greed of  the human race. If I were a billionaire I would contribute large amounts to organisations such as Wildlife Fund, but sadly I am not.

Not much going on during Thursday. Picked up a few items from the store but they didn't have the paper towels I wanted. Apparently they are on special so they ran out. Got myself a rain check. I could not think of that phrase. Felt a bit stupid explaining it.

One thing, my new Air Fryer arrived. Since I phoned and complained, my present one hasn't cut out once. Typical. I think I will put the new one in the cupboard until the old one does give up the ghost.

My newest Cannabis order arrived. I have been taking a half measure of a stronger oil. I feel as though it isn't working nearly as well, our foot nurse suggested if I felt that, I was probably right. The capsules are a possible for next time because the bottles are tending to leak which isn't funny, bearing in mind the price. If only our government would give it a Drug Identification Number, maybe our insurance would pay for it. Matt could probably use it too, but, no way we could afford it for both of us, can't really afford it for one of us.

Friday we both have urologist appointments. I checked where their new location is, on the way to the asparagus farm,  I was thinking about going there afterwards, but I still have quite a lot left, be stupid, wouldn't it? Although I could start canning some.

The Québecois invented Poutine which to me goes to prove they don't have the gourmet instincts of the French in France. The thought of French Fries dolloped with cheese curds and gravy really turns me off. I like my Fries crispy so don't want them in any kind of sauce or gravy anyway and I am not too keen on any gravy I have ever tasted (still time) other than my own. So, when I came across this recipe for Asparagus Poutine I felt like throwing my hands up in horror. This from a blogger who usually makes pretty good food. However, I know there are people out there who enjoy Poutine and might even enjoy this travesty.

Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Poutine.

1 cup beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
1 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs butter
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tbs flour (gluten-free for gluten-free)
1 tsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz cheese curds or diced mozzarella

1. Bring the broth and mushroom to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit until the mushrooms are tender, about 15-20 minutes, before straining the mushrooms, reserving the broth, and chopping the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile, toss the asparagus and mushrooms in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 20 minutes, mixing half way through.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.

5. Mix int the flour and cook for another minute before mixing in the broth and soy sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper and simmering until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

6. Plate the roasted asparagus and mushrooms, top with cheese curds and hot gravy and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day