Kelly's Marinated Pork Tenderloin

4 tbls soy
2 tbls olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pepper

Trim excess fat from pork tenderloins. Combine soy, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, ground ginger, and pepper. Pour over tenderloins and marinate. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove pork from marinade and discard. Grill tenderloins over medium heat for 16 minutes, turning every 4 minutes, until done.

Gingersnap Pot Roast

3 lb. beef chuck roast
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup water
8 gingersnaps, crumbled
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or 1 cube)
1/8 tsp. red pepper, ground
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & quartered
3 medium carrots or 2 parsnips, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bay leaf

Trim fat from roast. Cut if necessary to fit crock pot. In a large skillet brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine water, gingersnaps, vinegar, bouillon and red pepper. In a crock pot, place potatoes, carrots or parsnips, and bay leaf. Place meat atop vegetables. Pour gingersnap mixture over meat. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hrs. or high-heat setting for 5-6 hrs.

To prepare from frozen:
Thaw roast for 24 hrs in refrigerator. Peel and cut vegetables and place in crock pot. Add bay leaf. Place meat atop vegetables. Mix contents of Ziploc with water and vinegar and pour over roast. Cook as described.

Smoked Portobello Soup - Artists' Point, Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge

Ingredients

9 medium Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup sweet onions
1/2 cup Chardonnay
1 1/4 quarts heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 1/4 cup white roux (1 stick butter and 1/2 cup flour, whisked over low heat until golden)
salt & pepper to taste

Garnishes (optional)

toasted croutons
chive oil
roasted Shitake mushrooms
sour cream

Preparation

Clean the Portobellos by wiping them with a damp towel (do not wash!). Remove the mushroom gills (slats on the underside of the caps), scraping with a spoon. Slice three mushrooms in thirds and place slices on a prepared smoker. Leave covered for 1 hour (mushrooms will be chewy, dark and may appear burned). Roughly chop remaining six mushrooms into 1-inch chunks.

While mushrooms are smoking, sauté the onions lightly (to sweat). Add the unsmoked mushrooms to the onions. Add the garlic when the mushrooms are almost cooked. Add the smoked mushrooms. Stir to blend over low heat.

Add the Chardonnay and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Place in a blender or food processor in batches or puree in pan over low heat with an immersion blender. Add the heavy cream slowly and continue to blend. Season to taste. Place the mixture back into the pot. (Unless you are using an immersion blender; then it is already in the pot.)

Whisk in the roux and let simmer for 20 minutes; soup will thicken significantly as soup simmers. Serve hot and garnish with: croutons, roasted Shitake mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream, chive oil, and cut chives.

Croutons

Pre-heat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Toss 1 cup of tiny cubes of French bread (cuts more easily if frozen slightly) with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes.

Chive Oil

1. Place 1 cup of light olive oil in a blender and add to that 1 cup of chives
2. Blend for 30 seconds and let rest for 1 hour
3. Strain through a fine sieve.

Roasted Shitake Mushrooms

Thinly slice 2 cups of Shitake Mushrooms. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375 Fahrenheit until crispy and golden brown, turning as necessary. Cool and set aside.