Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic & Cherries

I should be a salesperson for pressure cookers. I am ready to get rid of the slow cooker and go all pressure cooker, all the time. I made a honey-garlic chicken crockpot thing a few weeks ago that really wasn’t very good. The leftovers were OK as tacos, but I wasn’t impressed. Why didn’t I make it in the pressure cooker?!?!? Anywho, pork tenderloin can be tough, dry, and flavorless. Enter the pressure cooker! 20 minutes and we had amazing and juicy pork that we all loved. The little one included! I was SUCH a proud Mama. Baby T ate pork, potato, and asparagus with us. My heart almost burst. On weeknights we don’t get to all eat dinner together. The babe eats the minute he and I get home and then we all sit together while Mr. J and I eat since he’s almost ready to sleep at that point.

The Three Bite Rule - Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic & Cherries

Ingredients:

Pork tenderloin
2 cups broth (I used chicken & my fav is Better Than Bouillion, or swap the broth with red wine)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup frozen whole cherries

Directions:

Sprinkle salt & pepper over the pork, on both sides.
(See below if you’re not using a pressure cooker) On the brown or sear setting on the pressure cooker, sear it on all sides for some brown coloring.
Add in the broth, vinegar, and cherries.
Set to high pressure for 15-20 minutes. (I cooked it for 20 minutes but a little less would have been OK too.)
The Three Bite Rule - Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic & Cherries
Quick release the pressure, let sit for ~3 minutes, then slice.
The Three Bite Rule - Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic & Cherries
Serve with lots of cherries or reduce some liquid for a sauce. Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic & Cherries

(If you’re not using a pressure cooker, brown the meat on all sides for 3-5 minutes. Then in an oven-safe dutch oven, bake for 30-35 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven. Be sure the middle is cooked to at least 145-degrees. Use that meat thermometer!)

I can’t even tell you how juicy this pork is. The flavors are great. Tang from the vinegar with the gentle sweetness of the cherries was perfect. I referred to this pressure cooker pork with peach salsa for the timing. I kept going back for more cherries. I wanted a cherry with each bite! The leftovers were great too. The pork was buy one get one free so I’m thrilled that I have another in the freezer!

Sausage and Ricotta Pizza with Truffle Breadcrumbs

Some of my pizzas just can’t leave well enough alone with toppings that are really out there (uhh, like this one or this one). I haven’t made a traditional-ish pizza in such a while but this one was soooo good and the little touch of crunchy breadcrumbs became the best part. About a year ago Mr. J got a sausage & ricotta pizza from a place down the street. Since then, he hasn’t been able to have it since! They’ve been out of ricotta! Foiled! Making it at home was long overdue.

The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Ricotta Pizza

Ingredients:

pizza dough
2 links Italian sausage
1-1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup ricotta
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp butter
1 tsp truffle oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven and pizza stone if using one to 500-degrees.
Sear the sausages in a skillet over medium heat turning to cook through.
Spread the pizza dough out onto the pizza stone or pan and bake for about 10 minutes, until cooked a bit and beginning to brown. Then remove from the heat and cut into slices.
Top the dough with sauce, mozzarella, dollops of ricotta and slices of sausage.
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Ricotta Pizza
Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese melts and ricotta warms through.
While pizza is baking, melt butter in a small skillet over medium low heat and add in the panko. Drizzle in the truffle oil and cook for 3-5 minutes to toast the breadcumbs lightly.
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Ricotta Pizza
Remove pizza from the oven. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the pizza.
Slice and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Ricotta Pizza
The pizza itself was SO good. I used more dough than usual and cooked it a bit more to get it really crunchy. I really love the flavorful sausage with creamy ricotta. I feel like a Project Runway contestant saying my design needed hard and soft.
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Ricotta Pizza

The truffle breadcrumbs MAKE this pizza from so one I liked to an amazing pizza. I’ve added truffle breadcrumbs to top pasta. Truffle breadcrumbs for everyone!
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Hot French Onion Dip

Warning: this is not the most photogenic dish I’ve ever made, but it was really too tasty not to share. You can’t miss with caramelized onions. Add fontina and I’m yours. I made this dip for the Superbowl and served it with some bread. My only thought was that half would probably have been plenty for two of us. Mr. J and I barely made a dent! It was pretty decadent but so perfect for a chilly winter night. Leftovers might be pretty good in a rockstar grilled cheese!

The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
1 pkg french onion dip
1/2 cup chicken/beef/vegetable broth
1/4 cup red wine
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
1 cup gruyere cheese
1 tsp dried thyme
ground black pepper

Directions:

In a heavy pan over low heat, caramelize the onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Stir regularly and be patient. Cook for about 30 minutes until they get soft, light brown, and sweet.
The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip
Bring to medium heat and add in the onion soup mix, broth, and wine. Stir well.
The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip
Bring to a low boil for about 5 minutes.
Add in cream cheese, sour cream, and stir until it is all melted and incorporated. Then add cheddar cheese just until melted and then put it all into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
Shred gruyere onto the top and sprinkle thyme & pepper over the top.
The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip
Bake for 15-minutes, or until melted.
Serve with bread. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Hot French Onion Dip
This was so good, and addicting. It was sort of a meal in itself with the bread. Mr. J made wings so we only made it so far with our sports-snacks.

Caesar Brussels Sprouts

My side dishes tend to be really supporting characters rather than the blog-worthy item. Until now! I saw a recipe for caesar green beans and thought it would be even better for brussels spouts since the leaves would hold the sauce so well.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

2 cups brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup creamy Caesar dressing
1 tsp grated Parmesan

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter while chopping the brussels sprouts.
Sear the brussels spouts to gently brown, stirring well. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium.
Add in the caesar dressing reducing the heat to low.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Sprinkle with Parmesan then serve & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
These were really addictive. We served them with some marinated grilled chicken.

Brie & Cranberry Burger

We had some super warm days here in New England which seemed like perfect timing for a burger. This burger had dried cranberries mixed into it, brie on top, and a lemon-y aoli. Jazzing up the aoli or ketchup definitely makes a burger feel more special. Lemon pepper aoli spread is so easy and I used some leftovers for egg salad.

The Three Bite Rule - Burger with Brie & Cranberries

Ingredients:

ground beef/turkey/chicken/pork
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp garlic, minced
brie cheese
2 tbs mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
ground pepper
hamburger rolls

Directions:

Mix together the ground meat, cranberries, garlic, and salt & pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Burger with Brie & Cranberries
Then form into patties and grill until cooked through.
The Three Bite Rule - Burger with Brie & Cranberries
Mix together the mayo, lemon juice, and pepper.
When the burgers are mostly cooked, top with brie until melted.
The Three Bite Rule - Burger with Brie & Cranberries
Serve with some dijon mustard and lemon/pepper aoli.

These were great. I liked the chewy and tartness the cranberries added with the creamy brie. So good. The zing of the aoli kept it from being too rich. These were good burgers and seemingly appropriate for winter burgers!