Mar 12

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

Have you stopped cooking pork chops because they turn out tough and bland? The key is not to over cook pork. If you’re not sure of times, there are plenty of web sites explaining how long to cook different cuts of pork. The parmesan crust on these chops make them very flavorful and far from bland. If I happen to use a thicker cut chop I finish them off in the oven. Enjoy!

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
2 large eggs
1 C. dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 C. freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 oz.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbsp. olive oil

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, cook until golden brown and the center reaches 145 to 150 degrees, about 3 minutes per side. Let chops rest for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Mar 07

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Here is a blueberry muffin that is not bland; they are moist and bursting with blueberries. When you add the sprinkle of sugar on top it gives you a little sweetness and texture to each muffin. If you do not have buttermilk you can make your own by mixing 1 tsp cider vinegar to 1/3 cup of milk. Mix well, and let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Now you have buttermilk. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
2 C. fresh blueberries
2 C. flour, plus 1 Tbsp.
3/4 C. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/3 C. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry using as few stirs as possible; you want slightly lumpy batter, a few streaks of flour is fine. Do not over-mix. Toss the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour before folding them gently into the batter. This will prevent them from falling to the bottom of the muffin. Line muffin pan(12 muffins) with liners or spray with non-stick spray. Fill each cup all the way to the top with batter. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with sugar. Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden and springy to the touch. Let cool 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Mar 04

Tequila-Lime Fruit Salad

When I first tried this recipe it called for alot of sugar, and I think it took away from the fact that you where eating a “fresh” fruit salad. I subtracted many times the amount of sugar and water called for until I found what I liked, so feel free to add more if this isn’t sweet enough for you. This is a perfect summer salad for any picnic; it’s delicious, refreshing, and makes a pretty presentation. At the moment pineapples are not in season so I used frozen peaches I had and it was just as delicious. Enjoy!

Tequila-Lime Fruit Salad
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1/4 C. lime juice
3 Tbsp. tequila or more lime juice
2 C. fresh pineapple, cubed
2 C. strawberries, sliced
2 C. kiwi, peeled and chopped
2 C. red seedless grapes, halved

In a small pan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in lime juice and tequila. Combine fruit in a large bowl, and drizzle with syrup; toss to coat.

Feb 27

Tuscan White Bean Salad

This bean salad is a great healthy side dish that screams summer. There is a nice zing from the red wine vinegar, the crunch of the celery and then fresh basil. Though it is great with anything grilled, the gentleman who created it likes to serve it as a bed for grilled tuna. Enjoy!

Tuscan White Bean Salad
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 C. fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 C. finely chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over bean mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Serves: 4

Feb 23

Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas

Today it is cold and raining outside; a perfect day for comforting mac and cheese. Add ham and peas and you have a one dish meal. Using Swiss and mozzarella instead of cheddar gives you a different dish than your everyday mac and cheese also. If you’re going to a pot luck dinner or making a dish for a friend this would be an awesome idea. This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, or can be frozen for up to a month. Remember to not add your bread crumb mixture until you are ready to bake. If frozen, thaw completely before baking. Enjoy!

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1/4 C. butter
1 onion, chopped
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
3 1/2 C. whole milk
1 C. sour cream
2(8 oz.) pkg. shredded Swiss cheese
1(8 oz.) pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese
3 C. cubed ham
1 C. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 C. uncooked elbow macaroni, cooked
1 1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Slowly add milk, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; add sour cream, stirring to combine. add cheeses, stirring until melted. Stir in ham, peas, salt, pepper, and hot cooked macaroni. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Feb 19

Teriyaki Meatballs

These meatballs are amazing! So simple to make, and full of flavor. I took this recipe from budgetbytes.blogspot.com, which uses ground pork, but I substituted with chicken. Turkey would be great also. You could even have these as appetizers at your next party. Enjoy!

foodMeatballs:
1 lb. ground pork
1 egg
1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
2 in. fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
10-15 cranks fresh cracked black pepper

Teriyaki glaze:
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 in. fresh ginger, grated
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Serve over rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the meatballs, place the ground pork in a large bowl, and add the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix well until evenly combined. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, and place a rack such as a cooling rack on the foil. Spray with Pam. Roll the meatball mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon each, then place on the rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare the teriyaki glaze. In a medium pot combine the first six ingredients. Heat on low until the brown sugar has dissolved. Combine the cornstarch with just enough water to make it pourable. Add to the teriyaki mix and raise the heat to medium, stirring until thickened. Once thickened, add the sesame seeds.

When the meatballs are done add them to the sauce. Stir to coat. Serve over rice. For garnish, sprinkle with green onion tops.

Yields: 30 meatballs

Feb 16

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

A little kick from cayenne pepper and sharp cheddar cheese make these biscuits a great accompaniment to about anything! Of course, you can control the amount of cayenne according to your heat tolerance. I recommend with any recipe to start with a lesser amount and work up from there since it is a spice and does add flavor. Also, if you do not have a cookie cutter, a drinking glass works just fine. Enjoy!

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2 C. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. cold butter
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 c. buttermilk

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cheese and toss. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. pat or roll to 1 in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2 in. biscuit cutter. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yields: 6-8 biscuits.

Feb 13

Mocha Tiramisu Parfaits

This is a great dessert for two to end a special meal with. It is rich and decadent, but simple to prepare. If you do not have a vanilla bean you can substitute vanilla extract. It depends on your taste and quality of your extract, but usually 1-2 teaspoons can be used in place of the bean. Enjoy! food

2/3 C. plus 1/4 C. confectioners’ sugar, divided
1/2 C. strong brewed coffee
1/4 C. chocolate syrup
1 (8-oz) container mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
18 crisp ladyfingers
Garnish: crumbled crisp ladyfingers and cocoa powder

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, coffee, and chocolate syrup. In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, milk, and remaining 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mascarpone mixture. Beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Cover and refrigerate coffee mixture and mascarpone mixture until ready to assemble parfaits, up to 1 day. Dip 3 ladyfingers in coffee mixture and place in a 2-cup glass serving dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat layers twice. Repeat procedure with remaining ladyfingers, coffee mixture, and mascarpone mixture in another serving dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours. Garnish with crumbled ladyfingers and cocoa powder, if desired.

Feb 10

Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies

You just may have to make a double batch of these yummy brownies! When I send a plate of these in with my husband to work for his co-workers to enjoy they are gone before the morning is over. If you don’t have a 9-inch pan, use your 8-inch and cook a few minutes longer. Enjoy!

food 4(1-oz) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
3/4 C. butter
1/2 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 3/4 C. granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 C. all-purpose flour
1(8-oz) pkg. cream cheese softened
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. bourbon

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large bowl for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in vanilla, salt and 1 cup flour. Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with and electric mixer until smooth; add 2 Tbsp. flour and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until blended. Add bourbon and remaining egg, beating until blended. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; top with remaining brownie batter, and swirl together. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil; cut into squares.

Feb 06

Three-Bean Tuna Salad

If you’re looking for healthy meals, but having a hard time finding ones with flavor this one is for you. With omega-3 fats in the tuna, and fiber in the beans this dish is definitely one for your “healthy” recipe box. Feel free to use what ever beans you like. I pick one type of bean when I half the recipe. Enjoy!

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1 lemon
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cans (15 to 19oz each) assorted beans
such as cannellini, garbanzo, and pink beans,
rinsed and drained
2 cans (6oz each) chunk tuna in water,
drained and coarsely flaked
salt and pepper
Your choice of lettuce

From lemon, grate 1 tsp. peel and squeeze 2 tbsp. juice. In a large bowl, stir together lemon peel, juice, oil, celery, and green onions. Stir in beans until coated, then gently stir in tuna. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with your choice of lettuce.

Makes 4 main-dish servings