Honey Pecan Pork Chops

A few nights ago I made a delicious and easy meal. We're talking under 10 ingredients, very little prep, and maybe 15 minutes total in cooking time. I think this dish will definitely be a repeat in our household. I found the recipe here.
I love pork and tend to do the same old meal over and over with it. I just started grilling it a few months ago which has helped to liven up the dinner repertoire. I love this meal because I'm really interested in 10 item or less meals now. I may have to add that as a new category because we all need a go to place for great quick and easy dinners.


Ingredients:
4 pork chops- pound thin with meat tenderizer
1/2 c flour
s & p to taste
2 T butter
1/4 c honey
1/4 c chopped pecans

Directions:
Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat
Mix flour and s & p and dredge chops so they are lightly floured on both sides
Add pork to pan and cook until browned ( 5-7 minutes on each side)
Remove pork from pan and add honey and pecans to the left over drippings
You can just pour the honey sauce on the pork chops, but I returned them to the pan to caramelize them. It was just great. I highly recommend this easy dish.
As you can see I served mine with mashed yams and steamed broccoli. The mashed yams just have a little butter, milk, and salt and the broccoli is steamed in water so total number of ingredients is exactly 10. Not too shabby.

Blue Cheese Souffle...and Reconstructed Buffalo Wings

So what I was really craving for dinner on Saturday night was buffalo wings with celery sticks and creamy blue cheese dressing. But buffalo wings does not a meal make. Especially when it was my husband's first night home after his long project. So I decided to reconstruct the essentials of wings into a meal.



I decided to translate the blue cheese dressing into a blue cheese souffle.



The wings were a more literal translation; I stuffed a a chicken breast with a crunchy celery stuffing and sauteed it in butter and hot pepper sauce. I served it along with a baby green salad with a refreshing raspberry vinaigrette.

The blue cheese souffle was absolutely amazing and surprisingly easy to make. I have heard horror stories about souffles but I threw caution to the wind and gave it a whirl anyway. I think patience is the key to a good souffle. Keeping the heat low and slow seems to be really important. Also, not worrying about completely incorporating the fluffy egg whites into the yolk and milk mix is important. I didn't even really fold them in too much, just a quick flip over and figured it was enough...and it was. The souffle held it's height and it was fluffy and creamy and just plain wonderful.

Ingredients:

3 T unsalted butter, plus more for greasing ramekins
2-3 T grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ( I didn't have this so I just used flour)
3 T all-purpose flour
1 c milk (I used skim)
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dry mustard powder (I was all out of this, so I used 1T prepared mustard, it was fine)
6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (I used 4 oz blue cheese and 2 oz aged white cheddar)
5 egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the ramekins by rubbing the insides all over with butter. Divide the Parmigiano among the ramekins, holding them sideways and spinning them around to get the cheese to adhere to the sides. This gives the souffle something to cling to. ( This is where I used the extra flour)

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. When it is completely melted and the foam subsides, add the flour as you whisk constantly to form a smooth béchamel sauce. Cook for about two minutes, whisking constantly, to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly add the milk as you continue to whisk until incorporated and slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Whisk a small dollop of the hot butter-flour mixture into the egg yolks so they don’t cook when you add them to the saucepan. Now add the tempered yolks to your saucepan, whisking to incorporate. Add the salt, pepper and dry mustard. Whisk in the blue cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the saucepan and gently fold them into the cheesy mixture with a spatula. Add the remaining whites in two more additions, folding them in gently. It is not necessary to fully incorporate the egg whites. Since the goal of folding is to preserve as much of their volume as possible, it is okay to see small bits of whites in the mixture. Divide the souffle mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins. Bake, directly on your oven rack, for 25 minutes. The tops should form golden brown, jagged plateaus and the centers should jiggle ever so slightly. For the most beautiful presentation, serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from Tyler Florence but I found it at aminglingoftastes.com. Also, I used 1 2 quart souffle dish, but according to A Mingling of Tatses, you can use 4 8oz ramekins or 6 6oz ramekins.

Dinner For One

So one thing about not having my husband home for meals is that I don't feel the need to go to the grocery store as often. I'm basically living off pantry staples and frozen foods, which is good because it's time for some new stuff.

For instance, last night I had the ends of all my pastas mixed together( farfalle, penne, black rice elbow macaroni...) aglio e olio with sauteed chicken and broccoli. It was nice and colorful and totally decent tasting. Also, aglio e olio is one of the easiest dishes ever. You actually feel like you're cooking something, but it takes just a few minutes, and the outcome is always superb.



Aglio e olio is basically garlic and red pepper flakes fried in oil...mmmmmm. It's so easy to make, you don't really need a recipe. You just heat 2T olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Add one clove chopped garlic and a few pepper flakes and saute until the garlic is golden and remove from heat.
Cook your pasta per package directions and reserve 2T of the salted water. Add salted water to the garlic oil, drain pasta, and toss everything together. Voila! That's pretty much just a one serving recipe, but you can multiply it to fit your needs.

Splendid Spaghetti Squash

One of my favorite foods is the spaghetti squash. My husband, a squash lover, had never had one until I cooked it for him and he fell head over heels in love with it. Even if you aren't a squash lover the spaghetti squash is a fantastic alternative to spaghetti. It's totally easy to prepare as well.

With a butcher knife, cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and junk. At this point, you can bake, steam, or microwave. I almost always microwave because I prefer less of a mess. I sprinkle with Italian seasoning and a little garlic. Then in the recess where the seeds were I put about a T of water and I cover each half with plastic wrap. Then I microwave it for about 10 minutes.

Let it stand for about five minutes. With a fork, scrape the inside of the squash and you get all these spaghetti like strings. You can use the squash as the bowl and just pour sauce directly into the squash. I think it gets a little watery that way, so I scoop out the squash strings and serve it in a normal pasta dish.

I normally serve it with chicken parmesan or spicy Italian sausage, but it, again, is another one of those versatile dishes I love so much.

Enjoy!

What What in the Butternut

I purchased some butternut squash about a week ago for the purpose of making a soup or just as a side. I never did either of those things so I've had these huge squash in my refrigerator taking up precious vegetable space. So last night I decided I would stuff them with some left over rice.

I used this recipe as a guide but mine looks a bit different. I still wanted to have the squash as a main vegetable so I didn't hollow it out all the way. I didn't have cranberries so I used dried apricots and I used far less onions, maybe about 1/2 a cup. I also used brown rice instead of basmati. I cut the squash in half, then microwaved for 10 minutes. Then I sauteed the onions, apricots and garlic and mixed in the rice. I stuffed these babies, and baked for 25 minutes at 375.
This, again, is one of those versatile dishes you can play around with.

If I had bought these for the purpose of stuffing I thing I would have used dried pears, pecans and fresh sage.


I served mine with tangelo glazed chicken (about 1/4 c juice from a tangelo off my tree in the backyard, 1 clove chopped garlic, a few red pepper flakes and s & p. Brown the chicken and garlic then pour the juice over and let it reduce to a glaze, 10 minutes.) and green beans.

I Like Big Rumps

Until recently I've had problems preparing a tri tip roast, but I came to terms with it, and conquered it. But, dear friends, I failed to mention that I've had problems cooking all sorts of roasts. I believe it stems form a few different things. 1. I grew up in a family of well done meat eaters and meat makers. And 2. Now I have a husband that is a medium-well eater of meat. So when I prepared these dry hunks of stringy beef for them it was always okay, pleasant even, but not for me. I realized in the last year that I am (gasp) a medium to medium-rare sort of carnivore.

I had this epiphany and decided I could change my ways. Now I actually have a few good meat thermometers and I use them religiously. I don't trust myself with timing a roast anymore; time can get away from you in the kitchen.

And I'm purchasing different kinds of roasts so I can find new techniques and really get this roasting thing down. So this week I bought a rump roast. I did it because it was a huge piece of meat and it was on sale, I can't help that I'm frugal. But I figured it would make a tasty dinner as well and lunches for my home bound husband.

I used a recipe called Perfect Rump Roast from recipezaar.com. And it absolutely was a perfect roast. I marinated mine all day prior to cooking it.
Here's the marinade:
2T olive oil
2T cooking wine (red wine vinegar can work too; but any liquid is fine, diet coke, beer, etc.)
1T black pepper
1T coarse salt
1t cayenne
1t garlic powder
1t onion powder
1t paprika
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t rosemary

I cut off the layer of fat and then got out all my aggression for the day by stabbing the roast about 20 times on each side. I let it marinate all day, but I took it out of the refrigerator about 90 minutes before roasting.
I roasted it, pretty much, as recommended by the recipe author, maybe 22 minutes a pound. I posted a photo below of some of the leftovers. I think it continued to cook while we were eating, but I swear it was perfect. Try it, you'll like it.

Turkey Chili Verde

It was such a cold day today, overcast and windy. It made me want to cuddle up and eat something super hearty, so I made a chili verde with ground turkey. The main flavorful ingredient is salsa verde. It gives it a distinctive green hue that doesn't properly show up in the photo below. I love the brand Herdez, which is available in most grocery stores, but you can use whatever you prefer.


INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb navy/ white, or any bean will work, rinsed and soaked over night
2 c salsa verde (I used 2 eight oz cans, but you can make it yourself or use a jar of whatever you have, it's not an exact science recipe, so a 14 oz can or 20 oz can would probably work fine)
4 c low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 small brown onion chopped
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1 t oregano
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 T olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Cook beans, broth, salsa, onions, garlic and 1/2 , or so, of the spices in large pot over medium heat for 30 minutes (reserve a bit of the spices to brown the turkey)
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 hours or until beans are very tender and base becomes cloudy and reduced
Brown Turkey in olive oil with remaining spices over medium high heat for 5 minutes
Add Turkey to pot and raise heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes
Voila! Easy as that

I like mine with just a tiny bit of a flavorful cheese, such as parmesan. A little sour cream would be nice too. And definitely a little cilantro. I think the Herdez salsa has a good amount of spice but if you want things more spicy, add some jalapeno.
Enjoy

Healthier Chicken Marsala

I think Chicken Marsala is a fairly healthy dish, it has a good amount of protein and mushrooms are great for you. I used Emiril Lagasse's Chicken Marsala recipe but made a few changes. I added onions (also high in nutrients) before the mushrooms and sauteed them until they were translucent. I only used 1T of olive oil, 1/4 c flour, low sodium chicken broth, and I used 1/2 c of a white wine I had on hand (I guess this should be called Chicken 2 Buck Chuck) in lieu of the marsala.





I also made a whole wheat french bread that was fabulous. I used a baguette recipe and just substituted half the white flour for whole wheat. I also added 1/2 a T of brown sugar. It turned out perfectly. Also, this recipe just suggests "throwing water on the oven floor." I used a souffle dish that I use for this purpose all the time, which I think is better. Enjoy it warm out of the oven with butter and maybe a little honey. Yummy!

Garlic Tri Tip

Ok, so I have to confess that I often have a problem with over cooking tri tip. It's a really lean cut so it needs to be cooked at high heat for a short time. It can't really be slow cooked, unless you're interested in a rock. And it tends to look a bit more pink than a lot of meats...and I'm not a bloody rare meat eater so I tend to over do it. I found great cooking tips here.
I always have to change things up a bit so I did a wet marinade for 90 minutes, then dried the meat and did a peppery dry rub for 30 minutes. The meat was at room temperature for 2 hours total.

My marinade consisted of everything I had in the fridge, sounds gross but it worked.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4lb tri tip roast
1/2 c diet cola
1/2 c beer (I used IPA, but that's just what we had)
2T olive oil
2T worchestershire sauce
2T barbecue sauce
1t salt
1t pepper
1t garlic powder
1t onion powder
a bit of HP Sauce
a bit of horseradish


Toss in a zipper bag and let it sit at room temp 90 minutes
Drain marinade and thoroughly dry meat with paper towels
Rub meat with dry rub and let sit for 30 minutes

Dry Rub:

4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/2t salt
1t pepper
1t paprika
1/2t chili powder
1/4t cayenne

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 550 for 5 minutes
Cook at 550 for 5 minutes and reduce heat to 450 (the high heat seals in the juices)
Cook at 450 for 15 minutes and start checking temperature.
Make sure the internal temperature is between 115 and 130 (I wouldn't go beyond 130 because overcooking kills the meat, I know, I've done it enough)
Don't cut into the meat, it will look pinker than you want and you'll lose the moisture
Let the roast sit for at least 10 minutes to help complete the cooking without losing the juices
Cut in thin strips along the grain to serve.

I pretty much followed the directions on the site I listed, except for the high heat at the beginning which really get's a nice glaze on the meat. Holy cow, so good. My husband was seriously stoked on the tri tip. And we had plenty leftover for sandwiches! Enjoy!

Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown butter

This ravioli is another versatile recipe. You can change the main vegetable and have a completely different dish. Instead of butternut squash you can substitute spinach, mushrooms, yams, cabbage, artichokes, etc. Also, you don't have to make the fresh pasta, I use won ton wrappers in this recipe. The won ton wrappers keep really well in the fridge and allow you to have an Italian or Asian meal. I also found this link of fun things to do with leftover won ton wrappers.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pack won ton wrappers (48)
1 butternut squash ( about 2 lbs, or you can get pre cut at places like Trader Joes)
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 T green onions, chopped ( white part only, reserve greens for the sage butter)
1 egg
1/4 c ricotta
2 T grated parmesan
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t cinnamon
Pinch salt and pepper

For Sage brown Butter:
1/2 c salted butter ( I use a light margerine and it browns fine, but purists prefer real butter)
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 T green onions, chopped greens only)
1/4 c pine nuts

1/4 c shaved parmesan for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400
Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds
Drizzle 1 t olive oil, salt and pepper on each half of the squash
Put the squash on a cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes
Saute onions and garlic in remaining t of olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium, set aside to cool
When squash is fork tender, remove from oven and scoop into a bowl
Mash with a potoato masher and put in refrigerator for about 10 minutes to cool
While squash cools, heat 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot
Heat butter over medium in a small sauce pan
When the butter is melted add sage, onions and pine nuts and cook until golden brown
Once squash is cool add garlic mix and remaining ingredients and stir to combine
Spoon 1 T mix into wonton wrapper and and fold diagonaly, brush with water to seal
Drop by batches of 12 into water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until ravioli float to the top
Serve in shallow bowl with a drizzle of brown butter and shaved parmesan

I think 8 pieces are a good serving size. If you have any left over you can freeze the uncooked ravioli for up to a month or you can freeze leftover mix for about 3 months.

Caramelized Onion Flatbread

I really enjoy baking bread. I started doing it by hand only, no dough hook, no bread machine. I like the action of the kneading and I love the fact that it takes a little time to make but that the product is so amazing. I'm definitely better at cooking than baking but I've found some pretty fool proof recipes for breads that make baking fun and easy.
For the flatbread, I use a pizza dough recipe that's pretty great. I just roll it out extra thin. Remember that doughs fight back, so you have to use a lot of strength and really punch them down. I also sub in whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white flour. So you get this super tasty honey whole wheat crust.
Follow the crust recipe for cooking instructions but here are the ingredients for the toppings.

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2T light cream cheese, room temp
2T sour cream
3T skim milk
2T olive oil
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c shredded of any white, mild cheese ( swiss, gruyere, fontina, jarlsberg, monterey jack, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil, let heat up for a few minutes
Add chopped garlic
Add sliced onions and stir to coat
Cook for 10 minutes stirring intermittently, every 30 seconds or so
If the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, add 1 T of water to 'deglaze' the onions
I like the onions lightly caramelized but if you want to cook them longer, you can
When onions are finished cooking, remove them from pan and set aside to cool
Mix other ingredients in a seperate bowl
Add onion mix to cream mix and spread onto uncooked flatbread
Cover the flatbread in the white cheese
Bake according to instructions in link

This is a pretty versatile recipe; you can add chicken to the flatbread to make it an entree or just serve it with a big salad for a complete meal. I've also added canadian bacon and some pineapple, which is super yummy. I toss the pineapple in with the onions in the middle of the caramelization and the pineapple get's this amazing grilled flavor.

Grapefruit Halibut

First off, I don't love fish but my husband adores it, thus I have to make it at least once a month. We also have a freezer full of halibut from an Alaskan fishing trip my husband took that we have to use.
I don't like the smell of fish being cooked, so I wanted to try a recipe that could be grilled. I really don't like the stuff, so I didn't want to have to smell it in the house. I know that everyone says good fresh fish doesn't smell or taste fishy. We had the freshest of fish, so I know that's a bunch of bollocks. I know I sound so whiny but I'm getting to the point here.
So, as I said previously, fish is not my favorite food, so I wanted a very easy recipe that took very little handling. In this recipe I used grapefruit because we had a grapefruit tree, but I assure you lemons or oranges will be equally as good. But there's something about the sour-sweet of the grapefruit that is a nice balance.

Citrus Halibut

INGREDIENTS:
2 1 inch thick halibut steaks (other firm white fish works well too)
1 Grapefruit
4 cloves garlic smashed
2 T olive oil
course salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat Grill to medium high
Make sure the grill is clean otherwise the fish WILL stick
Squeeze juice of the grapefruit into a reclosable plastic bag
Add smashed garlic and 1 T of olive oil and let sit for 10 minutes
Rub salt and pepper onto steaks
Add halibut to bag and let marinate no more than 5 minutes
(This is an extremely acidic marinade and if it is left for any longer the fish will break down) Brush grill with remaining olive oil
Grill halibut for 4 minutes then turn and grill 4-6 minutes longer
Thinner steaks will grill in as little as 5 minutes

So quick, so easy, and seriously no mess. You put the mess in the plastic marinating bag and no smell.