The Chutney Experiment

July 30th, 2008

I never really liked to cook. Matthew seems to enjoy it for some reason so he became the dinner boss. Unfortunately el jefe now works late 3 nights a week so if there is any hope in me eating dinner before 10pm I have to make it myself. Ugh. I don’t really mind the cooking but I hate having to choose what to make. How do people do it every day? For years and years? 

I started out really simple like…picking up a rotisserie chicken and making non-fancy sides (can of corn anyone!) I also made stir-frys and what I call 3 on a plate. You got your chicken/fish/meat, a veg side and rice side. Maybe some salad. Healthy? Yes. But nothing that includes a recipe.  I got so bored of that I couldn’t stand it and forced myself to learn how to actually prepare something that required the chopping and measuring of food products. But no appliances. I have to put my foot down somewhere.

I now have a lovely rotation of about 15-20 dishes and like to try and make something new just about every week.  Pork tenderloin with chutney is a favorite because its so quick but good chutney is expensive and has to be on the fruity side or its not quite right. While browsing the internet the other day I came across a recipe for Spicy Sweet Rhubarb Chutney and immediately thought “I can make that!”  which doesn’t happen very often. It looked so easy and we love rhubarb over here. What do you mean its not naturally sweet? 

The recipe could not be simpler:

1 lb rhubarb stalks, washed, trimmed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 medium yellow peach, diced
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:
Combine sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, cumin and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb, peach, onion and dried cherries; increase heat to medium and cook until rhubarb is soft, about 5 minutes (B’s note: took alot longer than 5 minutes, just let it cook till it gets goopy). The mixture should be slightly thickened and chunky. 

Its basically put stuff in a pot, add more stuff and stir. Right up my alley.

 

Now slather about half of that onto a pork loin:

Bake at 400 for about 20-25 min:

Open up a can of corn and call it done! Just kidding, I made it with rice pilaf and green beans. 

The verdict: Just like out of a jar! but more work! It really wasn’t once everything was chopped and measured which will only take the normal chef about 5 minutes. It was pretty delicious and a complete success. Even an eye opener because I found out that I don’t really care for the cumin/cinnamon combo. It inspired me to make more chutney. You might like it! Matthew did. 

Tags: recipe

Entry Filed under: At the stove