FoodFash

FoodFash is a food and travel blog based in Austin, TX.

Brined & Seared Pork Tenderloin

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AllNaturalPork #CollectiveBias

Whether I’m making dinner on a Tuesday night for myself or on a Saturday night for guests, I get a ton of enjoyment from making a meal that feels special. Smithfield All Natural Pork Tenderloin is one of those cuts of meat that always feels special, but is easy enough to prepare on a busy weeknight. And since there is a good amount of inactive cooking time when preparing this tenderloin, there’s plenty of time to whip up a few simple, veggie-filled sides while the meat is brining/cooking {like the mashed cauliflower and sautéed zucchini/squash pictured above}.

Brining meat is also a very simple way to achieve top notch moisture and flavor. By soaking a piece of meat in a salty, flavorful bath of water, the meat absorbs the water and, as a result, loses less water during the cooking process. And more water yields an incredibly tender tenderloin.


In the theme of keeping this recipe simple with classic flavors, I created a brine with water, salt, Herbes de Provence, and sugar. Herbes de Provence is an herb mix that typically consists of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano, all of which compliment pork very nicely. A step-by-step recipe can be found at the bottom of this post.

Smithfield All Natural Pork Tenderloin is perfect for my home because it doesn’t contain steroids, hormones, or artificial ingredients. And since Smithfield All Natural Pork can be found at your local Walmart, this tenderloin is also a convenient choice.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AllNaturalPork #CollectiveBias

Layer Dip @popchips For The Big Game

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Other than watching the Florida vs. Florida State game growing up, football wasn’t a deal in my house. It wasn’t until college that I remember celebrating any big games. And even then, I certainly didn’t get excited about who was playing who. But what I did get excited about was all the yummy food. If tolerating football meant I would be granted access to dozens of dips and bite-sized snacks, then I was all about tolerating football.

And while I loved eating the snacks that other people had dreamt up, I’ve always taken it upon myself to make a lighter version of something – a safe dish, one that I know with certainty didn’t include a super secret jar of mayonnaise.
So when popchips gave me the opportunity to create a big game recipe using popchips ridges, I was all over it! popchips ridges are gluten-free and have zero grams of trans fat, no artificial flavors, and no added preservatives. These chips aren’t baked or fried, but popped!  They also come in flavors that make the perfect as-is snack, like cheddar & sour cream, tangy bbq, and chili cheese. The perfectly salty version is also delish on its own, but makes a wonderful foundation for a variety of big game snacks as well.

Combining my loves of layer dips and bite-sized snacks, I topped the perfectly salted popchips ridges with a simplified version of “seven layer dip”. The chips are topped with a layer of melted cheese that adds flavor and acts as a moisture barrier between the chip and bean dip, keeping the chip crispy for longer.  And then I added layers of spiced bean dip, green chiles, and tomatoes for tang {and color}.

Shop popchips online and get 20% off on your order by clicking http://popchi.ps/shopridges and using offer code “BIGGAME20”!

This post is sponsored by Single Edition Media on behalf of popchips.

Spinach & Parmesan Deviled Eggs

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spinach-deviled-eggs

It’s potluck h’orderves season which, for someone who loves tasting bites of everything, is the greatest time of year! Growing up, there were two dishes that were sure to be on my grandma’s kitchen counter before a special occasion meal: a relish tray and deviled eggs. Now that I’m in Austin and, well, it’s 2016, counters are more likely to be filled with hummus and charcuterie than Grandma’s classics.

hard-boiled-eggs

But over the past couple years, there’s been a resurgence of deviled eggs on restaurant menus. And not your typical deviled eggs, super fancy pants deviled eggs. So when I unpacked a package full of La Terra Fina spinach dips into my fridge and placed them next to a carton of eggs, putting the two together in a dish seemed like the obvious way to whip up some fancy pants deviled eggs.

vital-farms-eggs

There a few wonderful things about this recipe. First, the ingredient list is minimal and there’s no “salt and pepper, to taste” line in the instructions. So when your mind is in party-mode and you’re more interested in remembering to put on mascara than worrying about the right balance of salt, this recipe’s got ya covered.

la-terra-fina-spinach-greek-yogurt-dip

Second, this dip is made with Greek yogurt which is much lighter than mayonnaise. And if you’re going to eat an embarrassing amount of deviled eggs in one sitting {like me}, a lighter deviled egg will allow you to move on to your next bite a little more comfortably.

And lastly, it’s a fun and easy way to change up a classic dish!

Although I received compensation to create a recipe for La Terra Fina, the opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

Chocolate, Coffee & Cherry Protein Shake

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Chocolate Coffee Cherry Shake

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, it’s impossible not to notice how many “#media” burgers I’ve eaten recently. I’m fairly certain I’ve consumed more burgers this month than ever in my 33 years. And while I love eating {and photographing} a beautiful burger, my body just isn’t equipped to handle heavy food. Much like a child who’s eaten too much candy, I get sick and tired and grumpy {like really grumpy}.

But I’ve been having so much fun bouncing around town with my favorite bloggers/Instagrammers that turning down events doesn’t feel like a good option {right now}. To combat the negative, I’ve tried to keep non-media meals nutritious and light and not feel obligated to eat everything on my media-meal plate {only eating one bun or splitting with a friend}.

This chocolate, coffee, and cherry shake is my go-to when I’m on a tight morning schedule because it allows me to combine caffeine, protein, vitamins, and a serving of fruit. If things don’t go as planned throughout the day or I have an event, I feel better having had at least one balanced meal.