Tried and true

And this, dear readers, is a story of why you should leave comments on people's blogs. A couple months back I received a comment from someone I'd never heard of. I didn't recognize the name, so being the curious cat I am, I clicked on it and was taken to an amazing blog - Equal Opportunity Kitchen. It's written by a mother and daughter, each submitting their recipes and gently chiding the other. Their relationship reminds me so much of my mom and I that I was instantly attracted and became a faithful reader.

Giz and Psychgrad have come up with another collaboration - a blogging event. Tried, Tested, and True celebrates those recipes that are surefire crowd pleasers. For me, tried, tested, and true refers to dishes I know I can throw together quickly after a long day at work and not be eating at 11PM. Of course, the added qualification of having to taste good also applies. Beer roasted pork is one of those so simple its embarrassing type of meals. But its really quick and tasty. I make mine look fancy by layering it with polenta and quick and easy mixed vegetables.

So lets go over this once more -
looks fancy
tastes great
cooks in under an hour?

Sounds tried, tested, and true to me.

Beer Roasted Pork

1-3 lb pork tenderloin
1 bottle of a dark beer, I used Boxer ale, but you can use whatever beer you like, whatever you have on hand.
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pkg onion soup mix

1) Preheat oven to 425.
2) Place tenderloin in oven safe baking dish. Pour beer over pork.
3) Sprinkle with brown sugar and onion soup mix.
4) Roast for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180.

Mixed Veggies

4 oz butternut squash
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1/2 Tbsp sage, minced
salt and pepper

1) Cook squash in large pot of lightly salted boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain.
2) In large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat.
3) Add garlic, red pepper, and onion to skillet; cook until slightly tender, about 4-5 minutes.
4) Add squash, peas, corn, and sage. Cook until heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
5) Season with salt and pepper