Patrick’s ‘Chocolate’ Citrus Pork

Our favorite aspect of any show we do is the opportunity to meet up with you all, our longtime fans. We can always tell 'a fan' – you make a bee-line to our booth, big smile on your faces. We often hear, “Oh good, you guys ARE here again this year!” It is so nice to hear your kind words and appreciation for our products - we have said this before; you all make this a fun job.

This past weekend, our friend Patrick came by our booth in Napa. He told us about how he uses our Dark Chocolate Balsamic with pork chops – and they sounded fantastic. We asked if he could take a moment and send some notes on it, and he did. Here is what he told us:

“For the record, I am not a chef by any means. This was just me playing around in the kitchen. I like your products and its fun trying to find interesting ways to use them. But I'm a novice by every definition. I should have made a note that the chops were standard cut, boneless, not thin cut. I've done it on thin cut and it works fine, but cooks in less time.”

He describes the pork as “smelling like a chocolate cake cooking, has a light chocolate/citrus flavor. The flavor is light but not overwhelming”
 

Here is a picture of Patrick’s prep:

Nan herself was eager to try this in the test kitchen. Here is the recipe (mostly from Patrick, some minor additions by us)

ingredients

• 1 pork loin (we used the loin, see Patrick’s note about using chops)
• ¼ cup of Nan's Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• juice of ½ medium orange (Patrick uses clementine’s, substitute juice from one whole)
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the pork loin in glass casserole dish. Drizzle the chocolate balsamic vinegar and orange juice on the pork. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of pork along with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for six to eight hours flipping the loin every couple of hours.
 
Nancy grilled the loin, but this can be baked as well. Patrick baked the standard cut chops at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (155 to 160F internal temperature).
 
Here are Nancy’s notes: “The flavor was very good; none of the ingredients overpowered each other. Actually you weren’t sure what you were tasting it just had a nice flavor.”

Nancy sliced the pork loin and served it with grilled asparagus drizzled with our Meyer Lemon Oil). Patrick recommends a veggie, polenta, a mushroom rice or orzo side.

~ With huge thanks to Patrick Burns! 

Sweet Citrus Salad Dressing

Nan says we don't even need a picture for this one! (We added one anyway...) Just a simple salad dressing that is yummy!

ingredients

• 1/4 cup Nan's Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Nan's Pear White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of Nan's Prickly Pear Mustard Blend or Nan's Blood Orange Sangria Mustard Blend
• small clove of chopped garlic or ½ teaspoon of finely chopped shallots (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. We recommend chilling the dressing covered in the fridge for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.

Balsamic Bacon Deviled Eggs

There are only a handful of recipes that I consider timeless.  These would be food items I loved as a child, and still love the concept today.  Deviled eggs fall into that category, and in fact go as far back as ancient Rome.  An idea as simple as an egg cut in two, yolk removed and whipped with something new, and then replaced.  It is no wonder these are the ideal party and holiday food.

Of course you know we have to have our own take on them.  The Nan's Gourmet mantra says it never hurts to have balsamic vinegar added, and why not some bacon?  As long as the food is easy to make yet elegant & healthy, we are all over it...

ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped finely
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon red onion, grated
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Nan's Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• a few sprigs of Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Place eggs in a large pot in a single layer. Fill the pot with water to cover the eggs by about an inch. Cover and bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and let eggs sit (covered) in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain. Cool the eggs under cool running water in the sink.

Peel the eggs and halve lengthwise. Place the cooked yolk in a medium bowl and place the white halves on a serving platter cut-side up.

Mash yolks with a fork. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined; taste and adjust/add seasonings as needed. 

Spoon the mixture into the egg white halves or use a piping bag with a large opening tip. Garnish with parsley. Refrigerate, lightly covered, until ready to serve.

Makes 24 deviled eggs.
 

Hatch Chile Pappardelle with Cilantro Pesto

Pesto is a sauce originating in northern Italy and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil, and European pine nuts blended with olive oil, and Parmigiano Reggiano.  Most Americans tend to think only inside this four (five including garlic) component box:  basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan.  If you haven’t done a variation on pesto, I really recommend you do so – there are some amazing combinations which will make you look back only for the occasional traditional fix.  My caveat: the only ingredient I always use in any pesto is garlic…

Here is my quick and easy Pesto Variation List:

1. Green Stuff:  This is usually basil, but try cilantro, Italian parsley, spinach, kale, mint, arugula, or even tarragon or thyme instead.  The result is dramatic and an amazing difference.  If you are really adventurous you can go ‘un-green’ and use corn, carrots, or beets!  The Green Stuff can be a mix & match of more than one.
2. Nuts:  Instead of traditional pine nuts, try almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans or hazelnuts.  I recommend you toast your nut choice first, a simple act which enhances the rich nut flavor.
3. Olive Oil:  extra virgin olive oil will give you richness, but you can also add or use instead a lemon olive oil (like our Meyer Lemon Olive Oil), sesame oil, lemon, lime or orange juice, champagne vinegar, even honey.  Try kicking it up a notch with red pepper flakes, or something spicy.
4. Cheese:  of course, Parmigiana Reggiano is the classic choice, but there are other ‘hard’ cheeses which can be used or added to give new flavor profiles.  Try Grana Padano, pecorino Romano, or Cotija.  Think of in terms of nice ‘hard’ grating cheeses.

For this pesto we are going more Mexican/New Mexican, hence the use of cilantro and the classic Mexican cheese; cotija.

We paired this with Pappardelle's unique Hatch Green Chile Pappardelle.  Unless you are from the southwestern part of the U.S., you probably don’t know this chili.  It is celebrated in New Mexico and its primary flavor is fire roasting goodness but not overly spicy.  I give it about a 3 on a heat scale of 10, similar to a Poblano Chile.  There are, however, other choices from our pasta selection in which this will work well:

• Lemon Pepper Linguini
• Dos Amigos Jalapeno Blend

ingredients

• 2 bunches fresh cilantro, washed and patted dry
• 1/2 heaping cup blanched, slivered almonds
• 3 tablespoons cotija cheese (or Parmesan), crumbled
• 1 large garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• one package Hatch Green Chile Pappardelle

In a small skillet add the almonds and toast until golden and fragrant over medium heat.  Allow to cool.

In the bowl of your food processor add the garlic and the cooled almonds, pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add the tops of the two bunches of cilantro, the cotija cheese, salt and the lime juice.  Pulse until coarsely ground.  With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Remove and refrigerate until ready to use.  This makes about one cup, which is more than you will need to coat the pasta (depending on your personal sauce to pasta ratio).

Prepare the pasta using the instructions on the side of the package.  Remember to use a large pot and a lot of water – the key in making great, evenly cooked pasta.  Add a tablespoon or two of salt to the water before adding the dried pasta.  Cook to al dente.

Strain cooked pasta and return to hot pot.  Add a large dollop or two of the pesto (to taste) and toss.  Serve immediately in pre-warmed individual serving bowls.  If you have some extra cotija, grate on top.

Serves 4 to 6.

Asian Style Balsamic Glazed Drumsticks

These Asian inspired drumsticks would also be great using chicken thighs or wings.  We suggest serving with steamed vegetables and rice to make a complete low fat meal.  You can drizzle the remaining glaze over the vegetables, or over rice.

ingredients:

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• olive oil spray
• 1 cup water
• I tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/3 cup Nan's Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoon chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and Sriracha and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.  Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8-10 minutes, until it becomes thick, turning chicken occasionally.

Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it starts becoming thick.  Transfer chicken to a platter and ladle sauce on top. Sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

Homemade Lite Caesar Dressing

It’s another quick and oh-so-easy recipe to eat well and stay healthy! Here is a salad dressing that is much better for you than the off-the-shelf (what-the-heck-is-in-it) fare you find at the grocery store.

ingredients

• 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon Nan’s Honey Roasted Garlic Mustard Blend (a good Dijon will also work)
• 2 good quality anchovy fillets
• 1 tablespoon Nan's California Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt

In a small bowl of a food processor add the cheese, lemon juice, chopped garlic, mustard and the anchovies. Pulse the machine until well combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the oil and yogurt and let the machine run for another 15 seconds.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Pork

This is an easy recipe for those of us who love the convenience of a crock pot or slow cooker.  A pork sirloin roast can be used instead of the shoulder roast.  This shredded pork makes for one heckova slider!

ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
• Kosher salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup Nan's Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Nan's Barrel-Aged Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Season pork all over with salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes and place in the slow cooker.  Mix together the broth, vinegar & Worcestershire and pour it over the pork,  Finally drizzle the honey over the pork and set the timer for 4 hours on 'high' or 6-8 hours on 'low'.

Once the pork is cooked and tender (it should fall apart easily with a fork), remove from slow cooker onto a serving dish.  Shred lightly with two forks.  Drizzle ½ cup of the remaining sauce over the shredded pork and keep warm until ready to eat.  As Nan says, “super easy…”!

Pasta Serving Suggestion #4

This is another in our series of ‘mix & match’ ideas for making great and fun meals with your flavored pasta.  As always, remember the mix and match concept: you can change any aspect of this to your liking or even to what you have in your fridge at the time.  Obviously other seafood combos will work: clams, mussels, scallops, tilapia, etc.  We went with a 50/50 ratio of Meyer Lemon Oil to regular olive oil as we did not want the lemon flavor to overpower, but you may find a different proportion to work better.

While this combo will work great with most of our flavored pasta, for this we chose our Artichoke Lemon Tagliatelle, which pairs well with seafood.  Here are a few others which we recommend highly:

• Meyer Lemon Trenette
• Garlic Chive Pappardelle
• Lemon Pepper Linguini
• Garlic Toasted Onion Fettuccine

ingredients

• 6 ounces cooked shrimp
• 6 ounce imitation crab, ‘chunk’ style
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Pastamoré Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• package of Artichoke Lemon Tagliatelle
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Combine shrimp, crab, tomato and garlic in a small bowl.  Drizzle both oils over the mixture along with the salt & pepper.  Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for at least one hour to meld flavors.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Cook pasta to al dente according to instructions on package and strain.  Divide pasta into pre-heated individual pasta bowls.  Spoon seafood/tomato mixture evenly over each pasta dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Serves four to six as an entrée.

Basil Oven-Grilled Flatbread

Here is a simple idea to be used as a snack or as a side to soup or salad.  Prepared flatbreads are more common these days in higher end grocery stores, and you can also use pitas or 'naan' for this recipe.

This recipe demonstrates the use of our Basil Pesto Olive Oil, but any of our oils will do, especially our Herbes de Provence Olive Oil or our  Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. 

 ingredients

• one package flatbread
• a leafy herb such as Italian parsley or basil, chopped & to taste
• Nan's Basil Pesto Olive Oil
• course sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Using a purchased flatbread or ‘naan’ (pictured is a Safeway brand), drizzle/brush a small amount of Basil Pesto Oil over the surface. If you have a leftover herb in the fridge, chopped and sprinkle on top (we used Italian parsley here). 

For more richness add a generous sprinkle of Parmesan. Last, add a pinch of course salt for texture and flavor, and a grind of black pepper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Cut into random triangles and serve.

Honey Ricotta Mousse with Balsamic Black Pepper Marinated Cherries

Our philosophy with food at Nan’s is to create ‘simple but elegant’ dishes. The following is a great example: we have taken a sophisticated dessert and made it very easy to make. The intention is for you to make something magical for your loved one in very little time.

Please do not let the black pepper/balsamic vinegar/fruit combo scare you. Believe it or not, it is a common dessert combination in Italy. The next time you have some extra fresh strawberries, slice and place them in a bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of a high quality aged balsamic vinegar like our Nan's Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar, grind some fresh pepper on the top and serve. It is a delightful and surprising taste sensation – special, grown-up and not too sweet.

We used frozen cherries for this, but strawberries, raspberries or even blackberries will work just as well. Pair with our other flavored balsamic vinegars, like our Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar. Normally we are advocates of fresh ingredients, but as you know Valentine’s Day falls in winter, not summer, so frozen will do just fine.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh ricotta
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 1/2 cups whole frozen sweet cherries, thawed and halved
• 1 tablespoon Nan's Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• freshly ground black peppercorns
• fresh mint leaves (optional as garnish)
  

For the mousse, place the ricotta, honey, and vanilla bean scrapings in the small bowl of a food processor and process/pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate minimum 1 hour to meld flavors.

Place the cherries in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar and add a small amount of ground pepper. Stir to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To serve, divide the cherry mixture between two glasses (we recommend martini glasses) or bowls and top with a scoop of ricotta mousse. Garnish with mint and a light dusting of black pepper, if desired.

Serves 2.

Cajun Pancetta Wrapped Scallops with Pear Balsamic Reduction

As we continue our theme of using flavored balsamic vinegars as a secret ingredient, here is a decadent recipe for one of our favorite food items, sea scallops. Don’t let the components intimidate you, this is an easy recipe to prepare, and the prep time should be no more than 15 minutes.

What is fun about this recipe is that you can vary it in different ways simply by using a different variation of our flavored balsamic vinegars. Here some quick thoughts: 

• Pear White Balsamic: obviously this is the one we choose to publish. White balsamic vinegars tend to be lighter and more delicate than traditional balsamic vinegar. The flavor of the pear is subtle, but marries well with the richness of the sweet scallops.  
• Nan's Traditional Barrel-Aged Balsamic Vinegar: this is a classic pairing. The balsamic flavor here is more robust and pronounced. You will not need as much time to reduce this as it is quite thick already.  
• Nan's Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar: we found this version to be fun and a bit eclectic. The raspberry balsamic matches the best with the spinach, and it too is more robust. We think this would be nicely paired as a summer outdoor dish warm or cold.
• Nan's Passion Fruit White Balsamic: another 'white and lighter' option, but the passion fruit comes through in spades. This changes the entire dish to be more exotic, tropical and Caribbean.

for the scallops

• 10 large sea scallops
• 10 thin slices Pancetta
• Cajun seasoning (we used Bayou Magic)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

for the spinach salad

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bunches spinach
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• ¾ cups Nan's Pear White Balsamic Vinegar 
• ¼ cup dry white wine 

Prepare balsamic reduction: Pour pear balsamic vinegar in sauce pan and simmer over low heat reduced by about ½. Set aside and let cool.

Wrap each scallop individually with one slice of pancetta and secure with a toothpick. Dredge scallops wrapped in pancetta in Cajun seasoning. Heat a skillet over medium heat with ¼ cup olive oil. Cook sea scallops on each side for about two minutes or until done (seared golden). In a second sauté pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and quickly sauté spinach, shallots and garlic for about one minute. Add white wine and cook for another minute, until spinach is tender. Place small amount of spinach on a plate and place 2 scallops on top. Drizzle balsamic reduction on top.

Serves 5 as appetizer.