11 April 2026 Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

April 11, 2026 By Leave a Comment

We live in North Caroline where pork is king. There’s just beautiful pork here and every cut looks better than the next, so I’ve been switching our beef-heavy diet to pork since moving here. As such, I’m always experimenting with different recipes, and this one is a sure winner. I love how easy it is to make, all in one pan, and that it uses Tarragon, which is a favorite.

Serve this easy pork dish with mashed potatoes, rice, orzo or a side of veggies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin
  • Tbsp. Dijon mustard, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
  • 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. dried Tarragon
Ingredients
Pork Coated in Mustard
Onions and Tarragon
Pork Searing
Pork Simmering in Sauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Coat the pork tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard then season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large oven-safe frying pan, I use a cast iron pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the tenderloin in the pan and sear until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes in total. Remove pork from the pan and set aside for later use.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, then, in the pan used to sear the pork, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until lightly browned.
  5. Add the garlic to the onion and continue to cook for another minute.
  6. Bring the heat back to medium-high and add the chicken broth to the onion mixture. Allow the broth to come to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cream, Dijon mustard, and tarragon. Stir until the ingredients are combined and the pan sauce is homogeneous.
  7. Add the pork to the pan, turn to coat in the sauce, then add the pan to the preheated oven and cook about 25 minutes, until the pork reaches 145 degrees F internally.
  8. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  9. Slice the pork and spoon the Dijon cream sauce over it.

Makes 2 large servings or 4 small ones.

Filed Under: American, Cuisine Type, Entrees, Meal Type, Pork Tagged With: , , ,
31 March 2026 Dijon Maple Green Beans

Dijon Maple Green Beans

March 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment

One of my favorite vegetable side dishes is Dijon Maple Green Beans. This dish can be prepared in minutes, especially if you use microwaveable greens beans, which saves the step of boiling the beans.

The combination of tangy Dijon mustard and sweet maple complement each other nicely and create a delicious coating for the green beans that I just cook to tender-crisp.

Easy to prepare and sure to impress, this dish is perfect for any occasion, from casual family meals to holiday dinners.

Ingredients:

  • 1-pound green beans, trimmed and cooked to tender-crisp
  • 2 Tbsps. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsps. pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsps. Dijon mustard
  • Big pitch of salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, stirring a few times, for about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the maple syrup, the Dijon and the salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  4. Add the green beans and toss in the mixture for about 2 minutes until fully coated. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional minute.
  5. Serve warm.

Makes 2 large servings or 4 smaller servings.

Filed Under: American, Maple Syrup, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,
23 October 2025 Smoked Creamy Tomato Bisque

Smoked Creamy Tomato Bisque

October 23, 2025 By

There’s something magical about combining smoke and soup. On a slightly chilly Sunday, I decided to fire up my Recteq pellet smoker and experiment with smoked tomatoes, red bell peppers, and onions. The result? A creamy tomato bisque that’s rich, comforting, and layered with flavor.

Why Smoke Your Veggies?

Smoking vegetables adds depth and complexity that you just can’t get from roasting or sautéing. The gentle heat and wood smoke infuse the tomatoes and peppers with a subtle sweetness and a hint of char that elevates this classic soup.

This smoked tomato bisque is perfect for cozy evenings or as a starter for a fall dinner party. The smoky undertones make it stand out from traditional tomato soups, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.

🛒 Ingredients

Smoked Vegetables

  • 12 Roma tomatoes, halved
  • 2 large red peppers, quartered
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp each, salt and pepper

Soup Base

  • 3/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp each, salt and pepper
  • 16 ounces chicken broth (use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

🔥 Smoking Instructions

  1. Preheat your smoker (I use a Recteq pellet smoker) to 225°F.
  2. Arrange tomato halves and red pepper pieces on a baking rack, skin side down.
  3. Place chopped onion in a small metal dish.
  4. Drizzle olive oil over all vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Smoke for 2 hours.

🍲 Soup Assembly

  1. Transfer smoked vegetables to a blender (I use a Vitamix).
  2. Add basil, sugar, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Pulse for one minute until mostly smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the cream, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  5. Serve hot and enjoy!

🥄 Yield

Serves 6

Cheers,
Veronique

Filed Under: American, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Spicy Strawberry Frozen Margarita

October 17, 2025 By

What’s better than a cold drink on a hot day while sitting by the pool?

I recently bought strawberries from the farmers’ market that I’d frozen, so decided to use some up for frozen strawberry margaritas with a spicy rim on the glasses.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen strawberries (farmers’ market freshness—perfect!)
  • 5 ice cubes
  • Juice of 3 limes (or ~¼ cup fresh lime juice)
  • 2–3 Tbsp agave syrup or honey
  • ½ cup silver Tequila (reposado if you want a richer flavor)
  • ¼ cup Cointreau (or Grand Marnier for a deeper orange note)

Directions:

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender (I use a Vitamix) for 20–30 seconds until mostly smooth.
  2. Taste and adjust: Add more agave/honey or lime juice if needed.
  3. Rim the glasses: Rub a lime wedge around the rim, then dip in Tajin, chili-lime sugar, or smoked sea salt for a gourmet twist.
  4. Pour in prepared glasses and serve immediately.

Serves 2 generous margaritas or 3 smaller ones.

🍸 Pro Tips

  • Chill your glasses ahead of time for extra refreshment.
  • Add a splash of sparkling water if you want a lighter, spritzier version.
  • Make it a mocktail: Skip the alcohol and add ½ cup coconut water + splash of orange juice.
Filed Under: Cocktails, Fruits, Mexican Tagged With: , ,

Top 10 Cookie Recipes on Food and Wine Chickie

October 16, 2025 By

🍪 Cookie Lovers, Rejoice!
Food & Wine Chickie has rolled out a mouthwatering lineup of cookie recipes that’ll make your baking sheets beg for action. Whether you’re craving a timeless chocolate chip or something with a festive twist, there’s a treat here for every mood and moment.

Koulourakia

Here are some of the top picks:
Kitchen Sink Cookies by Claire – Everything but the kitchen sink, and somehow it works.
Brown Sugar Crackle Top Cookies – Crispy tops, chewy centers, pure magic.
DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe – Yes, those famous hotel cookies.
Easy Recipe for Two Cookies – Because sometimes, you just need a small batch.
Koulourakia (Greek Cookies) – Twisted, buttery, and perfect with coffee.
Chocolate Rolo Cookies – Gooey caramel meets rich chocolate.
Pepernoten (Dutch Spiced Cookies) – Bite-sized bursts of warm spice.
Candy Bar Cookies – Your favorite candy, now in cookie form.
Quadruple Chocolate Brownie Cookies – Four kinds of chocolate. Enough said.
St. Louis Gooey Butter Cookies – Soft, sweet, and unapologetically indulgent.

Cookies for Two
Quadruple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

🎉 Whether you’re baking to impress or just treating yourself, there’s something here to spark joy. So preheat that oven, grab your mixing bowl, and let’s get baking!

Which one’s calling your name? Drop a comment—I’d love to know what you’re whipping up!

Cheers,
Veronique

Filed Under: American, Chocolate, Desserts Tagged With: , , ,

Easy Bruschetta Dip

September 13, 2025 By

I recently had this tasty starter at a friend’s home (thanks Lorelei) and added it to my repertoire as it’s delicious and simple to make.

It’s truly the easiest little appetizer you can make yet, it garnered so many kudos at a recent outdoor pool party at my home. It can be prepared in advance and served when guests arrive and would be great for sports watching.

You simply spoon Garlic and Fine Herbs Boursin cheese in a serving dish, I use an 8” pie plate or a rectangular platter then fix an easy chopped tomato “salsa” that’s a great way to use up garden tomatoes and basil. Little olive oil and balsamic glaze drizzle and you’re all set.

The recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd.

Ingredients:

1 5.3 Oz Garlic and Fine Herbs Boursin cheese, allowed to come to room temperature for 30 minutes 

3 medium ripe tomatoes, small diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. finely diced shallots or onion

2 dashes of hot sauce, I used Cholula

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper 

Directions:

  1. Using the back of a spoon, spread the Boursin on the bottom and sides of a dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and allow the flavors to meld, at least 30 minutes or overnight. If making I advance, you may need to drain a bit of the liquid that will come out of the tomatoes.
  3. Top the cheese layer with the bruschetta and serve within a couple of hours.

Serve with grilled bread or pita chips.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Snacks, Starters, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Gouda and Sage

July 16, 2025 By

When I have a lot of sage in the garden, like right now, I typically make a traditional Easy Veal Satimbocca but last week, I had leftover Gouda cheese so decided to mix things up a bit by stuffing chicken I’d butterflied with the Gouda and tons of sage. I then wrapped the chicken in Prosciutto, tied it up, pan fried it and finished the dish in the oven. So flavor packed, moist and perfectly paired with a salad.

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thinly
  • Large bunch of sage leaves (will need about 8-10 leaves) 
  • 4 ounces Gouda, sliced or shredded (could use aged Cheddar)
  • Large pinch of salt and pepper
  • 6 slices Prosciutto
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Press 4-5 sage leaves on each chicken pieces and top with Gouda. Season with salt and pepper and close the chicken over the stuffing.
  3. Wrap each chicken pieces with three slices of Prosciutto. Tie each chicken breast with kitchen twine or toothpicks to ensure the stuffing is secure inside the chicken.
  4. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil for a minute. Add the two breasts to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on one side, until the Prosciutto is crispy. Carefully flip the chicken and cook 2 additional minutes on the second side. Place the skillet in the oven and cook 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the chicken from the oven, remove the twine or toothpicks and serve.

Serves 2. 

Cheers, Veronique

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Chicken, Entrees, Italian Tagged With: , , , ,
29 March 2025 Buffalo Cauliflower and Chicken Bake

Buffalo Cauliflower and Chicken Bake

March 29, 2025 By

I’ve been making a conscious effort to lower the amount of carbs I intake and always looking for, or coming up with, recipes that I can easily reheat for weeknight dinners.

After the Big Game, I decided to try to make a simple-to-prepare cauliflower bake using the flavors of Buffalo wings. Since I only had a small head of cauliflower, I added some leftover roast chicken, but this could be made with just cauliflower for a meatless option.

After making this recipe on Sundays, I portion the mixture into four small meals for the week that I eat with celery and carrot sticks to keep things low carb. The mixture would be super served with crackers or tortilla chips also.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets and blanched/steamed for 5 minutes
  • ½ cup blue cheese dressing (could use ranch dressing also)
  • 1 cup Buffalo sauce (I use Frank’s)
  • 1 cup each shredded Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and coat a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, gently combine the chicken, cauliflower, blue cheese dressing, Buffalo sauce, ½ cup each Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese and salt and pepper.
  3. Add the mixture to the baking dish and sprinkle with the rest of the two cheeses.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
  5. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve!

Yields about 5 cups.

Filed Under: American, Appetizers, Cheese, Chicken, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,
28 March 2025 Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever

Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever

March 28, 2025 By

If you’ve seen me cook, you know that I mostly use the “throw a little of this and a little of that” in the pan mentality.  Even when I use a family recipe as a guideline, I modify the ingredients, measurements and techniques to make the final dish my own (okay, I follow my grandma’s meat sauce recipe to the letter).

With this in mind, I tested Martha Stewart’s Meatloaf 101 recipe years ago and have never veered off from the original – it’s simply the best meatloaf I’ve ever eaten.  It’s all that a meatloaf should be: comforting, moist with a caramelized, crusty topping.  I’m willing to be proven wrong if you feel your favorite meatloaf recipe is better than this one.

While I often just make a meatloaf, I also like to divide up the mixture between a load fan and individual ramekins for one-serving mini meatloaves I freeze and thaw for weeknight dinners. The mini loaves I cook for 45 minutes.

Martha Stewart Meatloaf 101 (first published January 2006)

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
  • 1 3/4 pounds ground beef
  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 4 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. coarse salt
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. packed light-brown sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add ground beef and ground pork.
  2. Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to beef mixture; combine using your hands. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; combine thoroughly, using your hands. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and the brown sugar; stir until smooth.
  4. Brush mixture over top of the meatloaf. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drippings, and transfer to oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. (If the top of the meatloaf gets too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.) Let meatloaf stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Yields 8-10 servings.

Filed Under: American, Beef, Entrees, Pork Tagged With: , ,

Chunky Pistachio Pesto

March 27, 2025 By

Last weekend I found amazing wild caught king salmon at my local fish market and brought it home without a plan on how I’d cook it. I had leftover pistachios so decided to add them to my food processor with garlic, flat leaf parsley, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. With a few pulses, I had a chunky concoction with lovely herby/garlicky aromas – heavenly!

This pesto would be great on grilled chicken, roasted vegetables and just about anything. I eyeballed the ingredients, but this is a good estimation of the measurements.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted pistachios
  • 2 small cloves of garlic (or a large one)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Big handful of flat leaf parsley, about 3/4 cup, stems included
  • ½ tsp. each red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse about 10 times, until mixture is well blended but still chunky.

Yields about 1/2 cup of pesto.

Filed Under: Italian, Sauce, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
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