20 | March | 2012 | BakingMeHungry

We received a lovely gift of riesling jam and some leftover honey from Savannah Bee Company, which we wanted to use to create a glaze for a pork loin. The loin turned out slightly sweet, nicely roasted and the moisture of the pork was perfect.

The quinoa with chickpeas had a hint of lemon and went well with the pork and a new batch of broccoli casserole.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 cup quinoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse under cold, running water until the water no longer foams. Bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Once done, stir in the garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt, and pepper.

Quinoa with Chickpeas

Reisling Jam Glazed Pork Loin

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Place the pork tenderloin in a roasting pan, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove pork from oven, and baste with the reisling jam and honey. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue roasting pork 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the honey jam sauce, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

We paired the pork loin with White Out red wine from Tug Hill Vineyards. The cherry flavor of the wine highlighted the sweetness of the pork.

After tasting the zesty nacho kale chips from Rhythm Superfoods and a successful hand in making kale chips, it was a perfect time to try making my own nacho kale chips. The nutritional yeast, bell pepper and soaked the cashew paste creates a creamy, light orange sauce which lightly coats the chips.

The baking process took approximately 4-5 hours for my chips because I really thickly coated the kale leaves. The flavor of the cheesy, lightly spiced chip is unbelievable. There is a nice tang and these nacho cheese kale chips are very satisfying.

Makes about 4-5 cups baked chips (for 2 bunches of kale)

Adapted from Healthy Happy Life and Food.com

2 bunches of organic kale, shredded, thick stems removed (I use the thick stems as a substitute for the celery in a green smoothie)
1 large bell pepper (I would suggest red, orange for a more vibrant color)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup nutritional yeast + extra for dusting
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 cup soaked raw cashews (soaked for 2-3 hours and drained)
a few dashes of pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
optional: 1/8 cup vegetable oil (any variety oil will work – coconut, olive)

Before starting kale chip process, soak cashews for 2-3 hours before ready to make chips.

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lay a piece of foil on a baking sheet and lightly grease or use a silpat.

Prep kale by washing and drying very well. Remove thick stems and cut into bite size pieces at leasat 2 inches wide (This will help lower baking time). The kale will shrink in the oven so kale.

Add all the sauce ingredients to high speed blender. We prefer blending all the liquids first and then add all the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until very smooth.

To coat the kale, place it in a bowl and pour a half the sauce over top. Then lightly toss with hands like coating dressing on salad and transfer to baking sheet. The thinner the laer of sauce, the crispier the chips will be. We have made the mistake of really layering on sauce and the chips turn out dense, and take double or triple the time to bake.

Place kale baking sheet in oven. Turn heat down to 200 and bake for 1-2 hours. Check every 30 minutes and flip kale chips over.

Remove chips from and cool for at least 30 minutes before removing. Remove finished chips and continue to bake the ones that need more time at half hour increments.