Xmas drink

On choice few occasions its ok to drink in the morning, I consider xmas to be one of these. This seemed like a good drink:

2 ounces egg nog
1 ounce brandy
1 ounce godiva liquer
1/2 ounce vanilla schnapps

stir ingredients together in a glass with ice.

or if your looking for caffeine:

2 ounces espresso
2 ounces egg nog
1/2 ounce brandy
1 shot godiva liquer
1/2 shot vanilla schnapps

mix ingredients together.

In other news, I made chili last night. Its really easy because you only have to cut up and onion, chilis, and some garlic. Some recipes call for none of these which would make the preparation even easier. It turned out good. Here's what I did:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 jalepenos, cored, seeded and sliced
1 habenero, stem removed
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cans red kidney beans
1 can canellini beans
2 15oz cans tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes with liquid
1 bottle new zealand lager, 12oz

brown the meat and drain, reserving the liquid. Seperate the fat from the juices and discard.

Saute the onions in the oil until golden, add the garlic, chilis and spices and cook another few minutes until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and beans and bring to a boil. Add the meat and juices and the beer. Simmer 30-45 minutes and serve!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Hash and Yellow Pepper Compote

The inappropriateness of this image should illustrate my frustration at my inability to continue serious photography. I was sabotaged since I moved here. I no longer have access to lighting equipment, light metering equipment, cheap developing and film scanner. On top of which all my fujifilm somehow vanished in the move. I'm looking into a digital camera since its economically the best way to go.

In other news I made a nice pork dish the other night and added white wine to everything. In retrospect, it would have been better to periodically baste the roast with the wine instead of adding it to the jus reduction. This was a little to complicated in the combination of flavors. The sauce and the starch clash in differing sweetnesses and the It's incomplete as a full meal in that it lacks a vegetable, to which I have no suggestion. My reasoning was as follows:

1 the pork was cooked without any flavor as a blank canvas, leaving greater possibility for complexity of sauces.
2 lean white meat with subtle flavor is often paired with sweet items. I love the combination of sweet and spicy where peppers also excell - yellow as sweet and chipotle as spicy.
3 who doesn't like peppers and pork together?
4 I have no idea what vegetable would go well with this

It's extremely good. Could be served family style as well as plated for guests or an intimate dinner for two. Steph liked it a lot.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Hash and Yellow Pepper Compote

1 bone-in pork loin (about 5-6 pounds)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Rub the pork loin with oil and roast to 135 internal temp. While the pork is cooking, prep the ingredients for the sweet potato hash and the compote. Remove the pork from oven and cover with aluminum foil.

While the meat is resting, make the potato hash and yellow pepper compote simultaneously. When ready, slice 1 inch pork chops off the loin using the ribs to help guide your measurement.
Drain off the pan juices. Seperate out the fat and add to the same pan over the stovetop over medium heat. Reduce down to by 75% of original volume. You can add the sauvignon blanc during this as well.

For the Yellow Pepper Compote:
4 yellow peppers, small dice
1 large shallot, small dice
1 1/2 tsp thyme, chopped
4 Tbs butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sauvignon blanc
salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan. Cook the shallots and peppers for 5 minutes over low heat. Season with salt and white pepper. Add the white wine and cook 3-5 minutes until the alcohol cooks off. Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce

For the Sweet Potato Hash:
1 large sweet potato medium dice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. chipotle finely minced w/some adobo sauce
1 Tbs sauvignon blanc
3 Tbs pure maple syrup
salt and pepper

Make this last because it cooks very fast and must be served hot. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the chipotle and cook 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes and stir through. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes and add the white wine. Cook just until the wine is cooked out and potatoes are cooked through. Add the maple syrup and stir until potatoes are evenly glazed. Serve immediately.

For Plating:
spoon a small amount of potatoes on the plate into a mound. Rest pork chops on the potatoes with the bone up. Spoon a small portion of pan jus over the top. Top with a little compote and serve.