Category: General

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin

Since retiring, I have indulged myself in a wide variety of projects, basically all the stuff I’ve wanted to do since, like, forever. One that I am having some fun with is cooking. It is easy to combine with one of my other loves, wine. As my co-conspirator in life has similar tastes, this was a no-brainer to move forward. So, I have put writing a book, learning to speak Spanish and becoming a guitar hero on the back burner while concentrating on this one. Unfortunately, I returned to work and have had to cut back on some indulgences.

Our Saturday night dinner on this occasion was Tuscan Pork Tenderloin. A very simple recipe, quick to prepare with very little fuss or muss. Here’s the recipe. Note it is for 4 servings, but we find far too often that 4 equals 2.5.

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

4 servings

  • 1 ⅓ teaspoons garlic, minced
  • ⅘ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ⅘ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅓ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 ⅓ pounds pork tenderloin

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2 Combine garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over the pork tenderloin. Place in a baking dish.

Step 3 Bake in the preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Like I said, it’s very simple. We would suggest upping the time to 30 to 35 minutes. That was the only issue we had. The clean-up was super easy as well. We used Jasmine rice for a base, mixed with frozen broccoli and butternut squash. The vegetables were cooked in a bit of olive oil and spiced with salt and pepper to taste.

We paired the dish with one of our go-to wines, Meiomi Pinot Noir. The two went together very nicely. The wine is a typical California Pinot, although it has more of a vanilla taste than most. A popular brand, it goes in the $20.00 range.

Overall the supper was a success and one we will repeat in future. The tenderloin was excellent. The minimal spice only accented the overall taste and melded with the wine. I’d rate it a 9 of 10, very subtle, very good.

Blog Notes

Kootenay Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Good day! These are just a few notes that have been building up inside that need to be removed.

First off, returning to blogging and writing. My first impression is Holy Crap, the format here has changed radically. Going to take some time to relearn some things and become a proficient user once again. Similarly, the site’s look needs some updating, which is a second learning experience. I think I’m up for it.

Second is the format of the site itself. Lori and I have visited many places, but nothing recently other than Mexico. The travel side of things will consist mainly of recent reviews and photos in Mexico, mixed with some of our movements around our places in Alberta and British Columbia. I have a few items on Mazatlan that I am currently working on, which should drop over the next few weeks.

I will also review all the sites I have on all social media, delete some, and connect everything left to this brand. This is another goal that may take some time. It is amazing how these collect, almost like they self generate.

Another big part of our life is music. Posts will appear regularly and highlight new music, independent music, Canadian music and some top 10 list things. I did some interview work with a magazine I once affiliated with, mostly independent artists, and I will try to get back to that somehow. I have a couple of dormant X and Facebook sites with many artists that I follow and follow back, and I will work to revive them and renew some contacts.

A third set of topics will involve our journey to retirement. It is not so much an advice column but more of a journal of how we are moving to retirement and how our progress toward that goal is coming along.

Another feature that we will include is to share our favourite recipes and wines. Cooking is therapy, and wine augments the experience.

In closing, we look forward to touching base with everybody and will try to be a much more regular contributor, while learning to put forward a quality product. That will take some time.

Just For A Chuckle

Blog Note

Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Just back, but posting will be light over the next few days . Have a several events and then some travel.

Yes, we are outta here. Heading to Mazatlan, Mexico for the next 3 months. Been doing this for a few years now. This time I’m going to do my best to give the reader a taste of what our winter home has to offer. Restaurant reviews, night life, things to do, we will give an overview of a great city.

A Mazatlan sunset. Taken by myself.

Remembering Myles Goodwyn

Myles Goodwyn. (2023, December 14). By Tabercil – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4449811In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Goodwyn

Myles Goodwyn, a blast from my past, passed away on December 3, 2023, at 75.  I say a blast from the past as the band he basically led, April Wine, was a big part of my life’s soundtrack. Not well known internationally, April Wine is a Canadian treasure.

He formed Apil Wine in 1969 with David Henman , Ritchie Henman , and Jim Henman. The band underwent many personnel changes over the years with Myles being there through it all until late 2022 when he retired from touring due to health issues. He left the band in March 2023.

His accomplishments were many and included the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canada’s Walk of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The band has recorded 16 albums, 15 compilations and 9 live albums. To my detriment, I never saw them live even though I had many opportunities. A regret for sure.

The memories attached to their volume of work are huge and plentiful. Their heyday was perfectly placed in my music timeline. He will be missed. I leave you with one of my favourites, and as always, a live version.

Tip Of The Day

We at Is It Possible To See It All aim to be a go-to site for good advice. Our first tip!

Chicken Thighs in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Today’s adventure in Saturday night suppers is Chicken Thighs in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce. As a bonus we prepped a side dish, Roasted Asparagus in Lemon Vinaigrette. Both are reasonably simple recipes, however, we made a few changes due to a poor shopper, me. We used 18% cream instead of heavy cream, and dried basil instead of fresh basil leaves for the chicken. The asparagus did not have lemon zest because someone forgot to buy lemons and we did not have parsley either. Still, both turned out fine, and after the second bottle of wine, we didn’t care very much.

Today’s adventure in Saturday night suppers is Chicken Thighs in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce. As a bonus we prepped a side dish, Roasted Asparagus in Lemon Vinaigrette. Both are reasonably simple recipes, however, we made a few changes due to a poor shopper, me. We used 18% cream instead of heavy cream, and dried basil instead of fresh basil leaves for the chicken. The asparagus did not have lemon zest because someone forgot to buy lemons and we did not have parsley either. Still, both turned out fine, and after the second bottle of wine, we didn’t care very much.

Chicken Thighs in Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

These chicken thighs are quick and easy dinner. Eat them as is, or serve over pasta or rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 566kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. chicken thighs skinless and boneless

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth/stock sodium free

1 cup cup heavy cream

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped

1/2 cup parmesan grated

1 cup basil leaves

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel

2. Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add olive oil and then add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides.About 6-8 minutes total. Remove onto a plate.

3. Chop your sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes.

4. Add white wine and simmer for 2 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.

5. Now add chicken stock heavy cream, Dijon mustard, salt, Italian Seasoning, onion and garlic powders. Bring the mixture to a low simmering point and then add Parmesan cheese. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon and mix it in until you have a smooth mixture.

6. Add basil leaves and cook until wilted.

7. Return chicken to skillet and allow it to warm up for an additional 5 minutes.

8. Serve chicken with sauce on top.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette

Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 22 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Servings 4

Calories 91 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (450 g) asparagus

2 tablespoons (30 g) very finely chopped shallot

1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar

Freshly grated zest from one lemon

1 tablespoon (25 ml) fresh lemon juice

½ – ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 green onion root end and one inch green top trimmed

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

Flaky sea salt optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 (225C) degrees.

2. Trim off the tough ends from the asparagus and place on a small rimmed baking sheet.

3. Whisk together shallot, vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.

4. Pour 2 tablespoon of the vinaigrette over the asparagus and season to taste with black pepper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water.

5. Slice the green onion into thin rings. Combine the green onion, parsley and remaining lemon zest in a small bowl.

6. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast10 – 12 minutes, until the asparagus is beginning to brown at the tips.

7. Transfer asparagus to a serving plate. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with the parsley mixture. Finish the dish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you like.

We served with a bed of white Basmati rice and paired with Chilean wine, one of our favourites, Coyam. It is a blend of a variety of organic grapes. A very good wine, in the $20.00 range and is great with food and and as a glass when the doctor orders it.

What’s Up Next – Some Notes – December 10, 2021

It’s Friday, and a good week it was. Just a reminder, we are looking for contributors to the blog. We are planning on expansion in the new year and it is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Do you like music, sports, food, beverages, travel or just like to write, then we have a place for you as a weekly, monthly, daily or your schedule contributor. Reply to this post or email me at johnlorieh@gmail.com.

Now a look at the next week. The weekend will see some musical posts on random bands (Sylvia Tyson is up next) and we continue with our countdown of Canada’s top 100 rock songs.Starting Monday, we will have another Saturday special recipe. We have a new post from Dean and Laynni, who are on their way home from Cyprus as I write. Safe travels. Our interview with Maddisun will be up during the week, we had a nice conversation on the 9th.

If you are an active musical artist and would consent to an interview, please contact me at johnlorieh@gmail.com and we can have a chat.Have a great weekend all.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Orange

This week we have Orange.  Interesting choice.  I took this sunset photo on Kootenay Lake in September of 2014.  The pictures do not do it justice.

IMG_2149 13IMG_2148 13

Images Of World War 1 Sites Today

Very interesting article showing sites of WW1 battles as they look today.  The war to end all wars started just over 100 years ago.  One of my grandfathers fought for Canada in this and was gassed at some point.  I’m going to have to look into that a bit further.

The Article