Apple, Bacon, & Goat Cheese Salad

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Apple, Bacon, & Goat Cheese Salad

Nothing beats a really good salad in the summertime. Whether it’s a simple Greek salad with grilled chicken – or something a little fancier like this apple, bacon, and goat cheese salad…they always go over well with our family after spending a day outside in the hot summer sun!

Crispy smokey bacon, crunchy apples, tangy goat cheese, candied walnuts – and the pièce de résistance, a delicious apple butter vinaigrette. I think it may be my new favorite salad dressing!

Musselman's Apple Butter

First off, it acted as an awesome emulsifier – it truly was the perfect consistency for a dressing. It also added wonderful flavor. The sweet and spicy notes in the apple butter really worked well with the salad, and combined with apple cider vinegar – there was definitely a ton of apple flavor going on.

I think the recipe for the dressing would also be an amazing marinade for chicken or pork. Looking forward to trying that soon, will report back! In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful salad.

Apple, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Salad

For the salad:
4 cups mixed greens
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced (Fuji, Jazz, or Honeycrisp are my favorites)
4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
4 slices of bacon, chopped

For the candied walnuts:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts

For the apple butter-vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook the bacon in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Set aside. Drain the bacon fat from the pan and wipe clean with a paper towel.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Prepare the candied walnuts. Add the sugar and butter to the same skillet you cooked the bacon in, and let melt. Once it’s mostly liquid, add the cinnamon and the walnuts, stirring carefully to coat. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved, and starting to caramelize – about 2 minutes more. Pour onto the lined baking sheet, flatten out into a single layer, and let cool.

Prepare the dressing by whisking the apple butter and vinegar in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Assemble the salad by placing the greens in a large bowl. Top with the sliced apples, crumbled goat cheese, bacon, and candied walnuts. Serve with dressing on the side.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Musselman’s Apple Butter. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

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Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

If you’ve been with us a while, you know that pork tenderloins are one of my favorite protein items. Lean, and so adaptable to any flavor combination under the sun. They’re great seared in a pan and finished off in the oven, but I think where they really shine is on the grill…and that’s something we’ve been doing alot more of now that summer is here!

The good folks at Musselman’s asked me to develop a couple of recipes for them, which I always jump at the opportunity! We’re big fans of apple butter in this house, it’s long been a favorite pantry staple of mine to use as the backbone of flavor in dishes.

Musselman's Apple Butter

This time around, I made a simple barbecue sauce using Musselman’s Apple Butter as the base. It’s the perfect consistency for brushing onto meat on the grill as is, but I doctored it up a bit – some honey and brown sugar for additional sweetness, some cider vinegar for a little tang, and some molasses for depth of flavor. A little splash of bourbon would also probably be a great addition!

I used it on pork tenderloins, but would be equally as delicious on chops or chicken. Even barbecue sandwiches! Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch for a cookout. Definitely a good one to have up your sleeve this grilling season.

Tangy Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
3/4 cup Musselman‘s apple butter
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Prepare grill by heating to medium-high heat. While grill is warming up, prepare the pork and the sauce.
 
Season the pork tenderloins with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.To prepare the basting sauce, combine apple butter, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, and honey in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 
Cook the pork tenderloins over medium-high (direct) heat, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, begin brushing the sauce onto the tenderloins. Continue turning and brushing until pork registers 140 degrees, about 10-15 minutes more.
 
Remove tenderloins to a plate, and brush with the sauce one more time. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

 

Slice the tenderloin and serve immediately. Serves 6, with some leftovers!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good people at Musselman’s Apple Butter. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pork Chops w/ Blueberry-Chipotle Sauce

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Grilled Pork Chops w/ Blueberry-Chipotle SauceA few weeks ago, the good folks at D’Artagnan sent me another box of goodies to do some recipe development with. I always look forward to their little “care packages”, as I have a hard time finding good quality butchered meats here on the Shore. So when I received these gorgeous Berkshire bone-in porkchops, I was ecstatic. I’d never worked with chops that were so gorgeous before!

Needless to say, I wanted to “do them up” right. I seasoned them simply with salt and pepper and grilled them. I wanted a little fruity kick to pair with them, so I made a simple sauce out of fresh blueberries, brown sugar, and some chipotle peppers.

The sweet and spicy combo was the perfect accent for the meaty chops. I served it all over a bed of cinnamon-spiked mashed sweet potatoes, which is something that one of my favorite restaurants (Bill’s, for you locals) on the island serves with their pork chops…and again, it was the perfect compliment to the other flavors.

With a fresh green veggie on the side, it’s a great hearty summer meal – lighter than your traditional meat and potatoes. Easy, yet certainly impressive enough to serve to company.

Big thanks to D’Artagnan for the hookup! The chops were so tender, juicy, and flavorful. If you too have a problem finding quality meats in your area, head over and check out the selection they have available for delivery. I’ve really been impressed with every single item I’ve tried so far!

Pork Chops with Blueberry-Chipotle Sauce

4 bone-in (1-inch thick) pork chops
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the Blueberry-Chipotle sauce:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo, chopped

For the Cinnamon-Spiked Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp half & half
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
kosher salt

Add the quartered sweet potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Boil over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender – about 15 minutes. Drain, and place back in the pot. Add the butter, brown sugar, half & half, and cinnamon. Mash until smooth and well combined. Season to taste with salt. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once blueberries begin to soften and burst, reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until it’s reduced by about half.

While sauce is reducing, grill the chops. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper well on both sides. Grill chops for about 3 minutes on each side, internal temperature should reach 140. Remove to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.

To serve, lay down a bed of the sweet potatoes. Followed by a chop. Then spoon over some of the blueberry-chipotle sauce. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at D’Artagnan. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mexican Chorizo and Corn Chowder

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Mexican Chorizo and Corn ChowderA few weeks ago a huge box of goodies arrived on my door sent by the good folks at V&V Supremo. They specialize in Mexican products – chorizo, cheeses, cremas ans sour creams. I have a hard time finding good, authentic Mexican ingredients here in my rural area, so it was a real treat to have so many yummy ingredients at the ready!

I’ve long wanted to make a spin on my Southwestern Potato & Corn Chowder using chorizo for a Mexican twist. So, that’s pretty much what I did. The flavor from the chorizo just melts down into every bite of the soup. Chunks of tender potato and crunchy corn make for a filling soup that fills you up, but doesn’t weigh you down. I used some quesco fresco to crumble on top, and a little fresh cilantro. It was amazing!

I’ll definitely be stocking up on more of their chorizo next time I’m doing a stock-up trip in the big city. It’s great to have around for so many applications, and has so much more flavor than traditional sausage…that isn’t spicy either – just intensely flavored. If you’ve never used chorizo in your kitchen before, this soup is a great place to start! Make this one soon, guys – it’s a winner!

Mexican Chorizo & Corn Chowder

1 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz. pork or beef chorizo, casing removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 cup Queso Fresco, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, for serving

Heat olive oil in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, breaking up into chunks until it breaks down – about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the onions and peppers. Cook 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook 3 minutes. Slowly add in broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Add the corn, the sour cream, and the cooked chorizo – cook for about 15 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want a thicker consistency, give the chowder a few mashes with a potato masher to break down some of the potatoes and thicken the mixture.

To serve, ladle chowder into bowl. Top with crumbled cheese and fresh cilantro.

Disclaimer: I was provided with products courtesy of V&V Supremo. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.