Tomato, Zucchini + Goat Cheese Tarts

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Gastronomical Sovereignty. I was so excited because Kristy always has the sweetest things to say and her blog is simply beautiful. Her recipes are organic and fresh...and that's why I chose her tomato & zucchini tart for my recipe to recreate this month. I must admit that since Penelope was born, I haven't been great about making healthy choices. I haven't had nearly as many vegetables as I'd like. And so when I found this recipe which called for fresh tomatoes and zucchini, I knew it would be a great Friday evening dinner for Shaun and me. Oh and I should mention that it was incredibly simple and quick - just the kind of recipe I can handle these days as a working mom with a 3 month old and a hungry husband at home. While Kristy made one big tart that was then cut into pieces, I made individual tarts because, well, breaking out a rolling pin was just too much work for me.

Tomato, Zucchini + Goat Cheese Tarts

*Adapted from Gastronomical Sovereignty

1/2 Package Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed

1 C grape tomatoes, sliced

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced

2 oz goat cheese

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a flat, dry surface, sprinkle some flour. Unfold the puff pastry.

Cut into 4 squares and place on the baking sheet.  Prick all over with a fork. Crumble the goat cheese over the pastry, leaving a small border around the edges of each tart.

In a bowl, coat the zucchini slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place onto the tarts. Top with tomatoes.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy immediately!

This was such a great, fresh, easy dinner! Thanks Kristy for the recipe. I could see using this as a base for so many other options too! Next time, i can't wait to add some garlic and herbed goat cheese to the mix, as well as fresh basil (which the original recipe calls for and which I forgot :/)

I hope you all have a great week!

p.s. thank you all so much for your kind words about my sweet Chloe girl. Though it has been incredibly tough and sad for my family, we know she is in a better place. Give your 4-legged friends extra hugs today :)

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney

Last night, I came home to a nice surprise...Shaun had picked up a Giants Superbowl tee for me! I immediately put it on! He's a keeper, that one.

 

We proceeded to make dinner together, watch a few eps of Sons of Anarchy and then we flicked on the Puppy Bowl, which we had DVR'd from Sunday night. Have you guys ever seen it? It's a fake Superbowl for puppies on Animal Planet. It airs at the same time as the Superbowl and essentially it includes sweet little puppies running around, chasing each other. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

 

For dinner last night, we decided to tackle our first cookbook challenge! The first book on the list: Williams-Sonoma Wine & Food.

 

This is such a beautiful book and was gifted to me by Lindsey a number of years ago. I'm ashamed to admit that I have really not given it the attention it deserves. It's one of those books that kind of intimidated me because it's so pretty and sophisticated. I'm so happy that we finally took the plunge.

 

I selected a pork tenderloin with apple and onion compote. I have actually never made a pork loin before since Shaun was of the non-pork eating variety, until very recently. It also had a fairly short cooking time. So when I saw this recipe, I knew it had to be on the list.

 

The verdict? It was SO delicious! And incredibly easy. Ok, Shaun actually did most of the cooking. But it looked incredibly easy.

The pork tenderloin was tender with a light crispness on the outside and the apple and onion compote added some sweetness and made the meal just a little special. This is one for the permanent collection! Though this book is very helpful in terms of wine pairings and the like, we actually went wine-free. However, the book recommends a Pinot Gris or a Pinot Noir as a pairing.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney

*Adapted from Williams Sonoma Wine + Food

**7 Weight Watchers Points+ per serving

for the pork:

1 pork tenderloin, about 1-1 1/2 lbs
kosher salt
black pepper
2 Tbsp apple jelly
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

for the apple chutney:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced or diced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 C golden raisins
2 Tbsp apple jelly
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 C white wine or low sodium chicken broth (I used the latter)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Use a roasting pan or line a baking sheet with foil and set an oven-safe wire rack over it. Place your pork loin on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, whisk together the apple jelly and mustard. Brush the pork all over with the mixture. Roast about 30-35 minutes, or until the inside is pale pink and a probe thermometer reads 145-150 degrees. Remove from oven, cover with foil for 10 minutes.

While the pork is roasting, make the chutney. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine and saute the onions about 8 minutes. Add the apples, raisins, apple jelly, ginger, mustard and stir to combine. Pour in the wine or chicken stock, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer. Stir occasionally until the apples are soft, about 10 minutes.

To serve, slice the tenderloins into thin slices and serve with the apple chutney.

 

The original recipe called for 2 tenderloins, but for just the two of us, we didn't need more than one. With one loin, we will get about 4 light servings out of it. Perfect for lunch today!

We enjoyed some couscous on the side. Probably should have gotten some greens in there. Oh well...next time!

So there you have it. My first cookbook challenge was a success!

Questions of the Day:

Did you watch the Puppy Bowl?

What seemingly common ingredients are out of your comfort zone?

When Shaun Makes Dinner, Part 2

I love being married to a man who cooks.

Although I obviously love cooking and baking {and even get a little antsy if I haven't been in the kitch for a while}, it's so nice to simply not have to make dinner on nights when I want to get to the gym, run errands or just don't want to. That's where this guy comes in.

For Christmas, I gave him a new grill. We have a charcoal grill, but it seems as though charcoal grills + condo living = frowned upon. So we went electric. Though it's not quite the same as the charcoal grill, we found out last night that it is pretty darn close!

 

Since I've been on a healthy kick in 2012, his last dinner masterpiece just wouldn't do. Classic fish and chips...sigh.

Using an Asian-style marinade (with fresh ginger!) Shaun grilled up some chicken and sauteed up some veggies.

 

The result was like a healthy, real-food version of take-out Chinese! It was so delicious. The chicken was tender and juicy, while the veggies were sweet and soft. Oh and please excuse my horrible iPhone pic...the battery in my camera had died...

 

I'll take his cooking any day!

Questions of the Day:

Do you like grilling? I usually leave it to Shaun! And I could eat a cheeseburger just about everyday in the summer.

Do you prefer cooking or to have someone else cook for you? I like both!

psst...Kimberly is blogging about her upcoming winter trip over on The Peach & The Pit! Czech it out!