When it comes to entertaining, pork tenderloin is an ideal choice for parties and for weeknight meals. I’d say this stuffed pork recipe is easy for any home cook to prepare, and the flavor is out of this world. Pork is more inexpensive, which I love, and it’s impressive for company, too.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

For this recipe, you basically roll the pork with goat cheese and dates, stuffed and baked to perfection! I love the versatility of being able to serve this Goat Cheese Stuffed Tenderloin with rice, potatoes, or polenta. This has been a favorite for years, as it’s been on our blog since October 2012.

So the recipes I’m sharing today, which are SO easy (you can make the loins up ahead of time and then pop them in the oven when it’s time) and a beautiful presentation for entertaining this holiday season, were a hit at our dinner party, and I’m sure will be at yours!

The post Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love roasted butternut squash, it is one of my favorite fall vegetables. Every part of this easy Orzo Salad with Lemon and Butternut Squash is heavenly. I love the al dente texture of DeLallo’s earthy whole grain orzo combined with the creamy goat cheese and squash cubes. The sharpness of the bright green arugula and deep red radicchio balance the flavors, and the sweet, lemony dressing brings it all together. 

Orzo Salad with Lemon and Butternut

There’s so much going on in this salad, and every bite is an explosion of flavor! It’s also a beautiful salad – serve it in a pretty bowl that accentuates the colors in the salad, and it’ll be the talk of the table! And did I mention? It makes a scrumptious Thanksgiving side dish as well.

The post Orzo Salad with Lemon and Butternut appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

We love summer grilling here in Oregon, and our Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon recipe is one of our favorites. We first smoke it on the grill, and then we top it with a homemade cashew and pesto topping, with graden heirloom tomatoes. It’s the ultimate summer dinner, on a warm evening, and for sure it’s company-worthy.

Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto

Growing up in Oregon, I’ve enjoyed a lot of salmon recipes. My favorite has always been grilled salmon. There are so many ways to prepare the salmon, but this recipe today is the best. One reader recently wrote: “This is among the most delicious meals we have ever had at home. It was just so freaking juicy and GOOD.”

Why I love this recipe

• Salmon is so easy to grill – and easy for company!
• Make your own (dairy-free) cashew pesto!
• The flavor of cashew and pesto pairs perfectly with salmon and the tomatoes.
• The ultimate summer meal.

We recently served this Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon for dinner guests, with a side of Tennessee Onions, a Greenhouse salad, and Salted Watermelon Salad. We picked up the heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market here in Bend.

This is an easy salmon recipe, on the table in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a summer party!

Gather these ingredients

• Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon filet, we buy at Costco
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Ground cashews
• Olive oil
• Bunches fresh basil
• Black cracked pepper
• Salt
• Honey
• Garlic
• Lemon juice

How do you make Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with pesto

1. Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
2. Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
3. Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
4. Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
5. Remove from the grill and serve immediately!

How do you smoke salmon?

Using our Traeger grill, it’s optional to smoke the salmon first. You’ll want to cook it on low—170°F – 200°F . Use your favorite flavor pellets to get that nice smoky flavor. After smoking you can turn up the grill for a few minutes untilt he salmon is done (whiteness will form). Or if you don’t have a smoker, follow the recipe.

Tips and substitutios:

• The best wood for smoking salmon are hardwoods. Some of the best options include cedar, alder, apple, lemon, and cherry.
• You can buy Wild Sockeye Salmon at Costco or Market of Choice, Whole Foods, or even Safeway.
• It’s the best with heirloom tomatoes, but of course you can use any fresh tomatoes.
• Optoinal to use pine nuts in place of the cashew (to make your own pesto).
• Also optional to use store-bought pesto if you don’t want to make your own.
• We love that our pesto is dairy-free!
• Cook the bread on the grill the same time the fish is cooking.
• How do you know if the salmon is done? Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)

How do you serve grilled salmon?

Summer meals are the freshest and so healthy! Serve this salmon with sliced watermelon or cantaloupe, a side of green salad, and a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream (with fresh blackberries).

This meal was the essence of summer and good friendships, we all agreed.

More salmon recipes you may want to try while you are here:

• Grilled Lemon Dill Salmon
• Wild Rice Stuffed Salmon
• Pistachio Salmon with Lemon

Print

Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon

Delicious grilled Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with dairy-free pesto and cashew is a favorite summer recipe, with fresh heirloom tomatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 393kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 2 pound Wild Sockeye Salmon filet we buy at Costco
• 3 medium heirloom tomatoes
• 1 cup finely ground cashews
• ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 large bunches fresh basil
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. honey
• 4-5 tsp. garlic
• 6 tsp. lemon juice

Instructions

• Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
• To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
• Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
• Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
• Remove from the grill and serve immediately!

Notes

Reposted from May 2018.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 533mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

This is a restaurant-quality pasta dish you can make at home, and when you work with quality ingredients like those from Delallo, you can get authentic Italian flavors every time. From orzo salads to penne pasta, to this pappardelle recipe–we just love pasta, as it’s great for family meals and dinner guests. This post is sponsored by Delallo.

Pappardelle Pasta with Vodka Sauce

I love how rustic and chunky this dish is. It’s loaded with flavor from the fennel and ground beef, and the sauce is terrific! It’s thick and silky and coats every noodle with flavor. I use Delallo’s Pomodoro Creamy Vodka Sauce and a can of crushed tomatoes for the sauce. This way, I get a great cooked-all-day flavor without having to build the sauce from scratch. (more…)

The post Pappardelle Pasta with Vodka Sauce appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Whenever I create a new board, I always look for the best possible products and always strive to include a variety of different flavors, textures, and colors. Delallo Foods has a fabulous lineup of tasty eats that are perfect for this Mediterranean Charcuterie Board, and with such a great selection, it’s so much fun to build this show-stopping board!

Mediterreanean Charcuterie Board

I recommend serving these goodies on my 26-inch Big Board. This will give you plenty of room for all the bites and nibbles, and with the raised edge, nothing will fall off. I love presenting this board of goodies to my guests and hearing all their “oohs” and “ahhs”!  (more…)

The post Mediterranean Charcuterie Board appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Today we’re sharing a Cheeseburger Dill Pickle Soup Recipe, for easy causal hosting! Dill Pickle soup recipes have been around for a long time. There are Polish Dill Pickle soup recipes and and creamy base recipes. For this recipe we’re add the “ground beef and cheese” to make a Cheeseburger style!

Why we love this recipe

• It’s easy and delish!
• This dish is the first at every party to be devoured.
• Soup is a “hit” at every game day party.
• You’d be surprised at how many dill pickle fans there are out there, who love this soup (including me)!

(more…)

The post Dill Pickle Soup Recipe appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

This summer we explored some of the most beautiful countries and cities on the Viking Mediterranean Odyssey Ocean cruise. We had such a wonderful trip that we came back and created a Shutterfly book, because we didn’t want to forget our experiences. If you love the water, and you followed my travel last year, we were in Bermuda, on the Viking Cruises Bermuda Escape.

Viking Cruises Mediterranean Odyssey

The Viking Cruise line has quickly become the world’s most awarded cruise line on both ocean and river cruises. One of the most popular cruises is the sea voyage from Barcelona to Venice: The Mediterranean Odyssey. (more…)

The post Viking Cruises Mediterranean Odyssey appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Friends, when we want to make a special breakfast board, we reach for St Pierre bread products. For this board today, we used a loaf of Brioche Cinnamon Twist and Brioche Slider Rolls. This post is sponsored by St Pierre Bakery.

Brioche Brunch Board

The holidays are about bringing people together, and breakfast is an important meal, at least in our home. Maybe you tried our Brioche Breakfast Butter Board earlier this year, or this popular Holiday Best Brunch Board–more great holiday ideas!  Order your Big Board today! (more…)

The post Holiday Brioche Brunch Board appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Butter boards are all the rage right now. They make for a delicious appetizer, of course, but they also make for a great breakfast board. Serve two flavors of butter for an epic breakfast board. This year we’re elevating our Halloween and fall season with this Brioche Breakfast Butter Board, served with our delicious St Pierre Brioche waffles and bread loaf. This post is sponsored by St Pierre.

What is a butter board?

A butter board can be made many different ways, but specifically it’s softened butter that is spread on a board, served with various toppings, bread, crackers, and more.

You can make the butter flavors fancy (we’ve seen some beautiful boards with edible flowers), or with simpler flavors like we’ve included today.

For this Brioche Breakfast Butter Board, we decided that too many flavors can mess with the flavor of the butter, so we’ve kept it simple. (more…)

The post Brioche Breakfast Butter Board appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Friends, a few years back I went to the heart of rural America, to visit Black Gold Farms for a farm tour! This Farmer’s Red Potato Salad Recipe was inspired from that visit, so here’s a basic recipe that goes with any meal. You can make this one day ahead, too, which is great!

Farmer’s Red Potato Salad Recipe

Who loves a good potato salad? If you raise your hand, we can be friends! So if you love potato salad, this recipe has a creamy baslamic dressing with lots of herbs, and delicious, perfect soft boiled eggs. It just screams “summer” and “picnics!” (more…)

The post Farmer’s Red Potato Salad Recipe appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.