Pork Tenderloin with Port Wine Fig Sauce

I hope everyone had a Happy Valentines and got to enjoy a long weekend! I did :) I should have posted this recipe last week since it would have been the perfect Valentine at home meal. But, you don't need an occasion for this one. It's simple enough to make on a weeknight, while being oh so "gourmet".

I made it with bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, but the port-fig sauce would be even better with duck breast. I had trouble finding duck breast that day, and didn't feel like buying the whole duckling. The pork was a great substitute and a hell of a lot more economical.

Anyways, I absolutely love fig (and port), and it's the sauce that makes this dish so delicious. I served it with balsamic glazed cippoline onions and creamy polenta. Hope you try this one!

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Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Looking through my posts over the last year, I realized that I haven't posted many recipes for breakfast. So, I'm posting the pancakes that I now make almost every Sunday morning. Growing up, it was always my job to make pancakes for my younger sister and brother on the weekends. Back then, I made them using Bisquick...yes, Bisquick of all things! I got pretty sick of it over the years, and I swore off pancakes for a while after moving out. By "a while", I mean that it wasn't until last year that I even thought about making pancakes again. But, this time I attempted it sans Bisquick, and realized that it's just as simple to make from scratch, and the end product is exponentially better. Pancakes are officially back in my life :) This recipe always come out light and fluffy, the way pancakes should be. It also uses orange zest and chocolate chips as a delicious twist. Sometimes, I use lemon zest and blueberries during berry season. If you haven't already noticed, I love adding zest to many recipes. It's this subtle ingredient that makes so many dishes shine.

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Creamy Roasted Vegetable Pasta

What a night!!! We ended up going to a friend's super bowl party, and Neil handled it just fine :) He found his spot on the couch and barely moved all night. I didn't watch much of the game, and spent most of the time eating. But, I did catch the last 5 minutes, which were incredibly intense. I really thought it was over for the Steelers, and I'd end up having to take home a zombie. The final play was a godsend! I think the whole block heard Neil when Pitt finally scored the winning touchdown. He's on top of the world, and I'm just happy that this will be a good week :) So, that's that...I will no longer be writing about football in the near future. It's finally over!

Now, on to the reason for this blog...this roasted vegetable pasta is one of my favorite weeknight meals. I usually make it on a Monday or Tuesday and it lasts throughout the most of the week. I've never been one for leftovers, but this is one of the few dishes that I think tastes even better the next day. The recipe as I posted is vegetarian, but sometimes I add cooked italian sausage to it. This is definitely one where you can experiment to your own tastes. Play around with the vegetables, types of cheese, etc.


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