Split Pea Soup - Tried and True

2 pounds split green peas

1 pound bacon

1 large onion

12 carrots

1 bundle of garlic

12 cups cold water

1 ham-hock (OPTIONAL)

3 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Before you start cooking:
take your 2 pounds of split green peas and soak in filtered water.

In the large pot you are going to use for your Split Pea Soup, brown: 

1 pound of bacon; cut into 1 inch pieces before browning.

Set aside your brown and crispy bacon for when your soup is done cooking.

In the pot, leave the bacon grease and add:
1 large (2 medium/small) onion, diced

When onion is translucent and starting to caramelize, add:

10-12 carrots (2 pounds), peeled and sliced

1 bundle of garlic, minced

Add to everthing you’ve cooked in a soup pot:
12 cups cold water

2 pounds split green peas - rinsed

Optional:  Add a ham-hock bone for the remaining cooking time.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour.

Stir consistently - you DO NOT want to scorch the bottom of your lovely soup.

Add water WHEN and IF necessary; IE: the cooking water is gone and your split peas are still looking crunchy...

Add 3 teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper.

Simmer for an hour - (ADD 1 cup of water... if necessary.  See note above about adding water!)

Simmer for one more hour and TASTE - ADD Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste.

Stir in your browned bacon into the soup.

Serve with cornbread or or toasted natural yeast bread.

Before you start cooking:
take your 2 pounds of split green peas and soak in filtered water.

When onion is translucent and starting to caramelize, add:

10-12 carrots (2 pounds), peeled and sliced

1 bundle of garlic, minced

Add to everthing you’ve cooked in a soup pot:

12 cups cold water

2 pounds split green peas - rinsed

Optional:  Add a ham-hock bone for the remaining cooking time.

Simmer for an hour - 

(ADD 1 cup of water... if necessary.  

See note above about adding water!)

Simmer for one more hour and TASTE 

- ADD Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste.

Stir in your browned bacon into the soup.

Dear Blake Brown:
In your defense - coarse black pepper and chia seed look nearly identical.
  
Dear Everyone else:
Make sure you are adding coarse black pepper - and NOT chia seed.

Link to recipe for:    Basic Natural Yeast Bread

Link to recipe for:    Cornbread - Gluten FREE


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Best EVER Pork Tenderloin

"BEST  EVER"  ???  

Can I really say that and get away with such a statement?

Yup.

PROOF:  Tonight, Gavin walks into the kitchen without being told what dinner is, he looks around and sees nothing... but then - he smells, closes his eyes and says, "YYYYYEEEESSSSSSS." 

It is the best EVER pork tenderloin.  (And it puts the "tender" in tenderloin...)

2 - 4  1 pound pork tenderloins (for Costco shoppers = a tenderloin 2 pack in the pork selection of meats)

1/4 cup olive oil  (Bertoli’s is preferred)

6 teaspoons Italian seasoning

3 teaspoons garlic powder

3 heaping teaspoons cumin 

3 teaspoons Kosher salt 

3 heaping teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

6-8 Tablespoons of fresh LEMON juice

6-8 Tablespoons of fresh LIME juice

6-8 Tablespoons of fresh ORANGE juice

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9X13 casserole dish with a double layer of foil.

Combine all dry seasonings and set aside.

Combine all citrus juice and set aside.

Place  you meat side-by-side on the foil in the 9X13 baking dish.

Pour olive oil over the meat and then pierce tenderloins all over with a fork.

Sprinkled 1/2 the dry mixture over the meat; FLIP each tenderloin and sprinkle remain 1/2 of the dry mixture on the other side.

Pour ALL of the citrus mixture over all of the meat.

Place in the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes until each tenderloin reads at least 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Remove from the oven and let rest 10-20 minutes before slicing into 1 inch pieces.

USE  YOUR  MEAT  JUICES  FROM  THE  PAN.  (Do not discard…)

Serve meat with and save juices from the pan.  

(They will help keep the meat tender in the fridge and then help you again when you re-heat leftovers!!!) 

Serves 12.  OR the Davis family of 6  :0)  

WE  EAT  A  LOT  OF  FOOD  LATELY…

If you need to - cut recipe in 1/2 and keep cook times and temps the same.

Oranges were a surprise from a neighbor,
lemons from a friend
(thanks Jennell!)
AND our own backyard,
limes are honestly OLD and from Kroger...
:0)

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Chocolate / Hazelnut GELATO

Let's be honest  - ...really should just be called "Nutella Gelato".  But that's a brand and we can't.  (But it IS Nutella Gelato.)

Funny thing to share with y'all:
I've had this recipe for nearly 10 years now, printed from the Food Network and being safely kept in my Paleo Cookbook.  NOTE: This is NOT Paleo.  ...the irony made me laugh out-loud when I remembered where I was keeping it.  :0)

You need an ice cream maker.  

Can I recommend one?  The ONLY one I can recommend is the KitchenAid bowl with two small attachments to keep track of.  NO  EXTRA  APPLIANCE.  You just use your KitchenAid stand and keep the bowl frozen in the freezer.  Genius.  I love it.  You'll love your's and learn to keep the bowl in the freezer so that it is ready and waiting for you to make this and MANY other ice creams.  

That said, this is the only gelato recipe that I've TRIED and that I've LIKED.

It's a "plan ahead" and "make ahead" kind of a thing, but worth the work and planning.

Chocolate / Hazelnut GELATO 

4  egg yolks
1/4  cup sugar

2  cups whole milk
1  cup heavy whipping cream
1/2  cup sugar

1/2  teaspoon vanilla
1/2  cup  chocolate-hazelnut spread (NOTE:  Nutella is preferred - shouldn't be a surprise)



In a medium mixing bowl whip the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar using an electric hand-mixer on high for 3-4 minutes until the eggs and sugar thicken and become a pale yellow.

SET  ASIDE.

In a medium to large sauce pan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar and stir consistently over medium heat.

Cook, (stirring!) for 5-7 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Take a 1/2 cup of the the hot milk and cream mixture and POUR into the egg yolk and sugar mixture - STIR.   (NOTE: This will warm up the egg mixture before adding all of it into the milk and cream saucepan.)

NOW - Add the egg yolk and sugar mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream mixture.

COOK - Stirring consistently over a low heat, cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.  7-12 minutes.

Place a mesh strainer over a medium bowl; then pour the cooked mixture through the mesh strainer.  Discard anything to catch in there...

Add vanilla and chocolate-hazelnut spread and stir until dissolved.

Let cool  UNCOVERED  -  and then chill in fridge for 12-24 hours.

NOTE:  Be sure your ice cream bowl is frozen ahead of making this recipe so you are READY for the final step.

Assemble your KitchenAid ice cream bowl attachments BEFORE pouring your mixture in.

MIX on "stir" setting for 25-30 minutes.

Serve and share and enjoy...

OR

Transfer all contents from ice cream bowl into incognito containers and hide in your freezer for personal consumption and personal, un-shared enjoyment...

 

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