Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Green Olivida

Happy Memorial Day! This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Amy's blog, Fearless Homemaker. I absolutely loved reading through her blog. She seems like such a fun girl…and you have to read about her surprise wedding. How awesome! After bookmarking several recipes, it all came down to this pasta salad, in honor of the kickoff to outdoor grilling and picnic meals! I did swap green olives for a mixture of Greek olives, because that is all that my grocery store had in their olive bar container. (In the process of making this pasta salad, I discovered that a cherry pitter does NOT make a good olive pitter like the woman at the kitchen store told me!) When all was said and done, this pasta salad was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. In fact, I'm looking forward to having another bowl this afternoon, before I walk down to my corner to watch the Memorial Day Parade! Thanks for a great recipe, Amy! 

1 Garlic Clove, peeled
2 cups Pitted Green Olives, coarsely chopped and divided
3 tablespoons Capers, drained
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Pasta (I used gemelli)
2 pints Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved (I only used 1)
8 ounces Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls
2 tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Put the garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add 1 cup of chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse about 6 times to chop coarsely. With the machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup of oil, forming a coarse puree (almost like tapenade texture). Transfer the olive mixture to a bowl. Stir in the remaining cup of olives and season to taste with salt and pepper. (This mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate). Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and allow to cool (I ran my pasta under cold water to cool it down). Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the pasta and toss to coat (I skipped this). Add the olive mixture, tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to the pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. 

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Cocoa Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to the lovely blog, Lynsey Lou's. After reading through Lynsey's entire blog, I had bookmarked a whole bunch of recipes that I wanted to try. And, as she kept updating, I kept bookmarking! Just about every single recipe on her blog looks like something I would make, or something I have made. I had to laugh because we both posted a recipe for Chiles Rellenos right around the same time as each other, which confirmed the fact that she and I seem to have similar tastes when it comes to food! The recipe I ultimately chose was this one for pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is not something I get to have often, because of all the foods Joel does eat, pork is one he is not a huge fan of. So, when I made this dish, he made himself a piece of salmon, and then we shared our side dishes of Japanese sweet potato and roasted broccoli. I have to say, I was very impressed with this spice rub! I was a little afraid that it might be very sweet from the cocoa nibs and cocoa powder, but contrary to that belief, it was just the opposite! The other spices, like the cumin and allspice, really shone through, and the cocoa gave the flavor balance. Joel made me try a bite of his salmon (which was pretty good), and in turn, I made him take a taste of my pork. I was pleased when he said that he liked it! I'm not expecting him to dive right in and have pork for dinner anytime soon, but that's fine, because for now, I get to eat the leftovers! Thanks for sharing, Lynsey! I had a great time getting to "know" you through your blog!!

2 tablespoons Cocoa Nibs
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 1/2 pounds Pork Tenderloin
2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Place the cocoa nibs in a spice grinder, or use a mortar and pestle, and grind until broken into smaller pieces. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the pork and oil, in a bowl and mix together.  Trim off any fat from the pork, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly drizzle oil over the pork and coat with a generous amount of the rub. In an oven-proof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to a 450 degree preheated oven and bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

5-Minute Kettle Corn

Perhaps the most simple recipe that has ever graced the pages of my blog comes to you via Beautiful Disasters, my assignment this month for the Secret Recipe Club. This blog is written by Casey, a high school athlete. I admire the fact that she is able to maintain such a creative and cute cooking blog at this time in her life. I was a high school athlete and though it was over a decade ago, I can't imagine having the time to be that creative! So kudos to you, Casey!! Anyway, after flipping through Casey's entire blog, for some reason I kept coming back to this 5-minute homemade popcorn recipe. Joel and I do enjoy popcorn, but we always buy a box of microwave popcorn bags. Even if we try to grab the "light" buttered variety, you never really know how much junk is in it, so the simplicity of this recipe really caught my eye. I enjoyed how easy this popcorn is to make, and it is very tasty too, which is a good thing because the smallest sized bag of kernels that my store had was 2 pounds. Looks like I'll be enjoying homemade popcorn quite often!

2 tablespoons Popcorn Kernels
2 teaspoon Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
Dash of Salt
Brown Paper Lunch Bag

Pour the kernels, oil, sugar, and salt into a small bowl and mix until all kernels are coated. Pour the bowl's contents into the brown paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over 1 inch, then fold over again 1 inch. Place the bag in the microwave on the popcorn setting, or for about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Either way, turn off the microwave when the popping slows to less than one pop every second to avoid burning. Open slowly and carefully. Serves one (or like Casey says, 2 if you are nice!).

Singapore Noodles

I absolutely love being a part of recipe swaps and clubs, because it introduces me to different blogs from all over the world. For the February installment of Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to the blog Wandering Spice, which is written by Yasmeen who lives in Australia! While reading through her blog, I had a few Middle Eastern recipes saved that I wanted to try. I let Joel look through the recipe index, just in case there was another recipe that he wanted me to try first before I went ahead with my choice. As soon as he saw this recipe for Singapore Noodles, he begged me to make them, since they are his favorite. I did have a little bit of trouble finding the Madras Curry Paste, but at the third grocery store, I found it in the Indian food aisle. As soon as I opened the jar, I knew that this meal was going to be delicious! This meal came together so quickly and the end result was so delicious! Joel said that it didn't taste exactly like the Singapore noodles the he has had in the past, but he liked this dish anyway. I didn't know any better, since I've never had this dish before, and I enjoyed this meal very much!

1 nest Fresh Egg Noodles or 3 nests Dry Egg Noodles (I used a package of "Chinese Noodles" I found at a specialty shop)
4 ounces Broccoli, cut into small florets
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Carrot, julienned
3 ounces Fresh or Canned Baby Corn, quartered lengthwise
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
4-5 Fresh or Frozen Prawns per serving (we used 4 jumbo prawns total)
1 thumb-sized piece Ginger, grated
1 rounded tablespoon Madras Curry Paste
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2/3 cup Water
2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Prepare noodles according to package directions. In a large wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the broccoli, carrot, red pepper, and corn with the ginger and garlic until softened, but still a bit crisp. If the broccoli won't soften, add a drop or two of water and cook until it evaporates. Set the vegetables aside on a plate. Add the remaining oil to the wok and sauté the prawns until translucent. Set aside with the vegetables. Add the curry paste and soy sauce to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Then, add the water and bring to a boil. Add the cooked noodles to the curry sauce and toss to coat, then return the vegetables and shrimp to the pan and sauté to heat through and combine flavors. Serve immediately with lime wedges as a garnish.

Hummus Turkey Burgers

This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Megan's blog, Cooking Whims.  When I first got the assignment, I read through each of her blog posts and saved a bunch of them as separate tabs in my browser window.  I showed Joel the recipes I thought I wanted to make and he pared them down to this one.  Since we have had an unusually mild winter so far, I agreed that firing up the grill would make for a perfect dinner.  These burgers were quite delicious! We paired them with some parmesan roasted potatoes, which was a great choice!  I can see these burgers becoming a staple come summer-time.  Thanks, Megan, for sharing such a great burger recipe!

For the Topping:
1 Cucumber, diced
1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dried Mint (I omitted, since I don't care for it)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

In a small bowl, toss together the cucumber, feta, vinegar, mint, and olive oil with a sprinkle of salt.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.

For the Burgers:
1 pound Ground Turkey
1/2 cup Hummus, plus more for spreading
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
Toasted Burger Buns

In a bowl, mix together the turkey, hummus, parsley, and coriander. Season with your desired amount of salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into patties (I made 4).  Place the patties on the grill (lined with tinfoil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray), and cook for 10-14 minutes, or until cooked through, flipping once.  (Alternatively, you can cook the burgers in a skillet over medium heat with 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil).  To serve, spread hummus on each half of the toasted burger buns.  Set the burgers on the bun and top with the cucumber-feta mixture, adding a tomato slice if you wish.

German Potato Salad

This is my first month taking part in the Secret Recipe Club, and I have to say, I already really enjoy it!  I was assigned to One Lovely Life, which truly is one lovely blog!  I read through from the most recent post, all the way to the very beginning and I enjoyed it very much.  Emily's posts are so well written, her pictures are awesome, and of course, she has an absolutely adorable family including her beautiful little girl, who she writes about often.  I had a tough time picking just one of the recipes on her blog to share for the reveal, but ultimately, it came down to German Potato Salad.  I've always loved German Potato Salad (sadly, Joel doesn't share that love).  As a kid, we'd open a can of it and serve it as a side to a grilled dinner.  Canned is ok, but I'd much prefer homemade.  We had a family friend who made the best homemade German Potato Salad.  Of course, she guarded the recipe closely, as it was a family secret.  Well, I think that this recipe is spot on for the perfect German potato salad.

6-8 Red Potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
1/2 Sweet Onion, sliced thin (*I added this)
3 slices Bacon, diced
1 1/2 tablespoon Flour
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Water
3 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
3-4 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, minced (optional--I omitted)

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water, until the potatoes are completely covered by 1-2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil and cook until mostly tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain and allow to cool before slicing into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Spray a large, heavy bottomed skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Cook the onions over medium heat until they have become golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Remove the onions to a plate and add the bacon to the skillet, cooking until crisp and brown.  Remove the bacon and set aside to cool on paper towels.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour to the bacon grease, stirring to combine.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the sliced potatoes, onion, and bacon back to the skillet/pot and toss with the dressing.  Stir in the parsley, if using.  Serve warm or at room temperature.