Strawberry Pavê

Strawberry season is here and with so many strawberries in my fridge i gotta start cooking... like i need an excuse!
Pavê is a brasilian dessert layered with a yolk and milk cream , lady fingers dipped in chocolate milk and cognac and topped with egg whites and whipping cream, i changed a bit and added the strawberries , it came out pretty awesome!

Ingredients:

First layer:

1 can of condensed milk

1 can of milk (measure with the condensed milk can)

4 egg yolks

Second layer:

1 package of lady fingers cookies

1/2 cup of milk

2 tablespoons of cognac or brandy

20 strawberries washed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of sugar

Third layer:

4 egg whites

4 tablespoons of sugar

1 can of nestle table cream ( i find this in the spanish section in the supermarket), place in fridge a couple of hours before use.

First layer:

In a saucepan beat egg yolks. Add condensed milk and milk and cook over moderate heat always stirring until thickened , it will probably take 15 minutes.

Pour in a 9x13 pyrex. Set aside to cool down

Second layer:

In a large platter pour 2 tablespoons of sugar over the sliced strawberries , let them rest for 10 minutes until the sugar melts on top of the strawberries and turns into a syrup.

Mix milk and brandy in a bowl large enough to fit a lady finger cookie.

Dip lady fingers in the milk/brandy mixture quickly so the cookie doesn't fall apart and lay them on top of first layer. Place strawberries on top of cookies and pour syrup over them.

Third layer:

Beat egg whites in a mixer until stiff , add sugar and beat for another minute.

Make a tiny hole on the bottom of the cold table cream can( i use a cork screw for that) and flip it and open the whole top, the liquid part of the cream that got separated when it got cold will pour off the bottom hole when the top gets open. Add the cold thick cream to the egg whites and fold it in with a spatula. Pour on top of the second layer. Cover and refrigerate it overnight before serving it.

Roasted Pork Loin with Black Eyed Peas

Swine.....Yummmm...i mean really... as the dictionary translates : SWINE: 1. Any of various omnivorous, even-toed ungulates of the family Suidae, including pigs, hogs, and boars, having a stout body with thick skin, a short neck, and a movable snout. ...
Today i cook a pork loin! Went to costco yesterday and got a 9lb pork loin which i cut into 6 equal parts , froze 5 and left one to cook today. And what better way to add more deliciousnness to it...Black Eyed Peas...I cook these in lots of good flavors. Oh yeah , Cornbread to go with it or toasted thick slices of italian bread .
I like using a meat thermometer just to be sure of the meat temperature and i think that everyone should have one! Mine is a voice alert digital thermometer from Williams-Sonoma, it probably cost $20.00 but it's worth every penny especially when cooking poultry and Swine!

Check out the size of this baby...

Ingredients:


Pork:
1 1/2 lb Pork Loin
3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon fresh or dried chopped rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine


Black Eyed Peas:
3-15.5oz cans of black eyed peas ( I use Hanover and like it better than any other brand)
1 large shallot or onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
A glug of olive oil
1 rib of celery chopped
2 ripe tomatoes
Fresh chopped parsley
a touch of hot sauce (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 450F.
Chop garlic into small pieces and pour 1 tablespoon of salt on top , with the back of a soup spoon smash the garlic and salt into a paste ,add the pepper and rosemary and mix it all together.
Cut slits accross the fat top of the pork loin . Rub the garlic mixture all over the pork.

Place pork in a baking dish and pour the wine on top. Place your thermometer in the center of the loin. You should be looking to cook the pork to 150F internal temperature , that temperature will raise another 10° once its off the oven and rested for 10 minutes.
Place the dish in the oven and cook it for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350F and cook the roast for another 35 minutes or until your temperature reaches 150F. Remove meat from baking dish and place it on a cutting board , tent it with a piece of aluminun foil and let it rest about 10 minutes.Save the juices from the pan.

While the pork is in the oven , heat up a pan with olive oil. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat till translucent.add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the celery and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and bring it to a simmer ,lower the temperature and cook it covered for 20 minutes(mostly to soften the celery) .

When done add the juices from the pan, the chopped seeded tomatoes and the parsley. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.
I like toasting a thick slice of italian bread and pour a ladle full of peas on top and serve it with thin slices of pork loin.