Exposure

I walk on water.
Though it's usually thin,
she still calls it ice.

Song For My Heart

I don’t mean to be too bold
but you told me I’ve a heart of gold
and I just wanted you to know
though you treat me like it’s been bought and sold

I’ve replaced each valve myself
it’s not store bought off some shelf
I didn’t haggle on the price with God
as His mechanic pulled it out the mould
I’ve cut my chest – I’ve sewn each stitch
to replace the pieces that were missed

brushed each chamber with steel wool
and oiled by my blackened soul
I do have this Heart of Gold
and it did shatter left exposed

so it’s unfair as I close my chest
of you to ask for one more kiss
I don’t mean to be too bold
but you told me I’ve a heart of gold
and I just wanted you to know
Hearts are heavy when they’re gold

Pork Tenderloin Autumn Salad

Now I know what you're thinking... A Salad? You can't be serious! But I guarantee this salad is right up your alley. First of all, let's get rid of the lettuce, the dressing, the croutons, the bacon bits. Bacon bits? Who wants a bacon BIT!? No, instead we're going to use the best cut of pig we can find. Let's make a salad out of Pork Tenderloin! Instead of lettuce, for color and "nutritional value" we'll use broccoli florets and Delicata squash. Three ingredients, easy enough right? Let's hit it.

What we need:
1 Pork Tenderloin (cut down the center as to flatten into a large steak)
1 Delicata Squash (Cream color with green stripes, oblong, tastes like sweet potato)
3 Cups of Broccoli Florets (FRESH! Don't you even touch the freezer!)

Now, you CAN get creative with the rest of these ingredients (I give you permission), if you don't have it, substitute!

1 clove of garlic
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Curry
Salt
Pepper
Water
Butter
Olive Oil

Grab your Delicata (the squash, dummy) and cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the guts and peel it with a potato peeler. Take the peeled Delicata and cut into one inch cubes. Warm a 12" non stick skillet on Medium heat, throw in a Tbsp of butter and equal olive oil. Salt and pepper the cubes, and throw them on the hot skillet. Cover and let sear until crisp and brown on one side. Flip and add 1/2 cup of water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook. Sprinkle generous amounts of curry or any Indian spice mix you have (Tandoori is perfect, but I like the spice in a Red Curry blend). Add more water if needed, and cook until a fork easily cuts the cubes. Once this is done, dump the cubes into a large mixing bowl, mix in 2 Tbsp of water, and 2 Tbsp of brown sugar. Leave in the bowl.

Now throw a Tbsp of olive oil into the skillet. Salt and pepper the non fat side of your tenderloin (the pork) and throw it seasoned side down into the skillet. Raise back to Medium and cover. Cook until browned and beginning to crisp. Salt and pepper the fat side, and flip. Again cover and cook until fully seared. Take the tenderloin off of your skillet, and place on a cutting board. Now cube the tenderloin into pieces about 1 1/2 inches in size (yeah, bigger than 1" but smaller than 2" cubes). Throw them back into the skillet with about a cloves worth of minced garlic, a Tbsp of butter, and flip to all uncooked sides. Make sure they get a nice brown crisp on all sides. Once this is done, place them in the mixing bowl with the Delicata cubes.

Lastly, throw your broccoli florets into the skillet with some salt, pepper, and a half cup of water. Cover and let them ghetto steam until partially softened (keep a little crunch, for the "salad" effect). Add more water and flip if needed. reduce heat to low, and add all ingredients back to the skillet. Flip a few times, and enjoy your "Ain't no bacon Bits" Pork Tenderloin Salad.

Parmesan Chicken Pieces

To me, the staple of any decent Italian restaurant is their Parmesan Chicken. If it's great, you'll be back next week. If it's horrible, there's just no reason to try anything else they make. My Parmesan Chicken is so good that it will soon find itself a monthly staple in your home. We take the best part, the crisp skin, and multiply it by cutting the chicken into pieces. This also helps the chicken pieces hold more sauce, and cook faster. Good enough to eat on its own, my Parmesan Chicken Pieces are best over pasta with your favorite red sauce. Here goes:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2/3 cup if you are using a Microplane zester)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches

1 Preheat oven to 450°F.

2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.

3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top. If you prefer the chicken to be crispier, flip after 10 minutes, and cook on the second side for the remaining 5 minutes.

Serves 4-6.