Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Put the flour in a Ziploc bag and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; shake well to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and place them in the bag with the seasoned flour and shake well to coat; shaking off the excess.
Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Salsa Chicken

Salsa chicken is an easy to make recipe with only a few ingredients. Seasoning chicken strips with Taco Seasoning Mix is perfect for nights when you're short on time but want a great meal to serve your family.

Salsa Chicken
1 package Taco Seasoning Mix
1 pound chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
2 tablespoons oil
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup apricot or peach preserves
1. Place Seasoning Mix on plate or in plastic bag. Add chicken tenders; toss to coat.
2. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned.
3. Stir in tomatoes and preserves. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice, if desired.

Bourbon Chicken

No one really knows why this is called bourbon chicken - there's no bourbon in the chicken. Almost everyone has stopped by Panda Express and had a good fill of chinese chicken. Anyway, here is a recipe for this delicious misnomer.

Bourbon Chicken
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken.
3. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well mixed and dissolved.
4. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Serve over hot rice.

Pasta with Tomato and Peas

This is another recipe that I got off television. It's quick, simple and delicious. This is definitely one of those quick dinner recipes for when you've had a long day at work and don't really feel like cooking.

Pasta with Tomato and Peas

• 1 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated Romano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir to melt the tomato paste and create a sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary. Stir in the oregano, thyme, and parsley. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, peas, and the cheeses, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

I saw these one night while I was watching the TV and I thought they sounded wonderful. They make a good side for chili or soup and can even be used for appetizers. Enjoy!

Parmesan Crisps

• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, or cayenne, optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Grate cheese on the small hole side of a 4-sided box grater into a small bowl. Using a tablespoon measure, place cheese in mounds onto a nonstick silicone pad or greased parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Flatten out mounds with the back of a spoon, making sure mounds are at least 4 inches apart. Season with pepper, paprika, or cayenne, if desired. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden.

Fried What?

This is gonna sound so weird and I thought so too when I first saw this recipe but it works. Plus it is a great way to get rid of left-over pasta, chicken or turkey. Before you dismiss it, at least try it.

Fried Macaroni

2 cups of cooked macaroni
2 chicken breast – cut bite sized (or leftover turkey)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot - julienned
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of chili paste – or use chili sauce
2 tbsp of tomato sauce
1 tsp of dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp of sugar
salt to taste
2 green onions – cut 1” length

1. Heat oil in wok. Add onion slices and garlic and stir-fry till fragrant and lightly brown.
2. Add meat and carrot and stir-fry until meat is cooked.
3. Add a bit of water (about half a cup) and put in the pasta. Stir-fry for a few seconds and add in all the rest of the ingredients (except the green onions). Stir until everything is well combined.
4. Lastly add in the green onions. Give it a quick stir and dish out. Serve warm.

Fancy Manchego Mac with Chorizo

I saw this recipe on TV and then found it on the net. It's awesome if you like chorizo.

Fancy Manchego Mac with Chorizo

Salt & Pepper

1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew) or other short-cut pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (For drizzling)

1/2 pound raw chorizo sausage, casings discard, chopped

3 Tbsp Butter

2 Shallots, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 Tbsp flour

1/3 Cup Dry Sherry

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Cup whole milk

2 Cups shredded Manchego cheese

2 Cups frozen peas, thawed

1/4 Cup jarred pimento peppers

1/2 Cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then whisk in the sherry. Stir in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened; season with pepper. Stir in the cheese. Fold in the peas and pimientos.

Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and top with the chorizo and parsley.

Soup? Pasta? Fagioli!!!!!!!!

A while back I was looking around the net and found this wonderful recipe for pasta fagioli. Now I have had this soup several times at Olive Garden but had never tried to make it. I tried this recipe and loved it.

Pasta Fagioli

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 package sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
½ large (or 1 medium) onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
64 oz. beef broth (I used a little less)
28 oz. can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
4 oz. small dry pasta (such as ditalini)

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large stockpot over medium high heat, and brown the sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. Once brown, remove sausage from pot with a slotted spoon and discard any grease that remains in the pot.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pot, and add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and saute over medium heat until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add sausage back to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes (do not drain), stir briefly, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the beans, and add the beef broth and tomato sauce. Add in all of the seasonings, stir well, turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn down to low heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Add the dry pasta and continue to simmer on low for another 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite bread or crackers.

A Texan breakfast - Migas

One of the fondest memories I have of living in Texas was being able to stop in one of the many restaurants around town and having a plate of migas in the morning. Here is a recipe I found on a site called the Homesick Texan.

Migas

8 eggs
1/4 cup of milk or half-and-half
1/3 cup of peanut oil
4 corn tortillas cut into strips
1/2 an onion diced (about 1/2 a cup)
4 jalapeno peppers diced
1 cup of shredded cheese such as Longhorn cheddar or Monterrey Jack
1 to 2 cups of salsa
1 cup of cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, whisk eggs together with milk. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
2. In a large iron skillet, heat up peanut oil on medium-high, and place tortilla strips into skillet, cooking for about three minutes, turning once.
3. Add onions and jalapenos to the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Pour egg mixture into skillet and let eggs sit for about one minute or until set on the bottom and then gently stir.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs and continue to cook until melted.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and top eggs with salsa and cilantro.

Serves four and note that migas go mighty fine with refried beans and flour tortillas.

General Tso's Chicken

Here is a recipe for General Tso's chicken that I discovered years ago. The funny thing is that this dish is not really Chinese food. It began as a Taiwanese dish in New York City to appeal to the American taste for fried chicken. This recipe calls for boneless thighs but you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The only difference is that your chicken won't be as moist or juicy.

General Tso's Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
6 dried red chilis (or red pepper flakes)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
3 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
2 cups cornstarch
1 big pinch white sesame seeds, for garnish
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Marinade:
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 egg yolk

Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chicken stock or water

Mix ingredients for marinade. Slice chicken into 1-inch cubes and add to marinade mixture. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mix ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

Place the cornstarch in a large Ziplok bag. Drip excess marinade off the chicken and toss cubes in the bag with the cornstarch. Shake to coat the chicken and then shake off excess cornstarch before frying.

Add about 2 inches of peanut oil to your wok. Heat wok until just smoking, then add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil. (You can pour the oil into a heatproof container and save for later use.) Reheat wok over medium-heat heat. Add dried chilis, garlic, and ginger to wok and stir-fry until chilis begin to blacken and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sauce mixture and stir until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return chicken to wok and stir well to coat with sauce. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Serve with white rice and vegetables.

This should serve 2 to 3 people as part of a meal.

Chocolate anyone?

Cookie Dough Truffles

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, I did not add them)
1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate candy coating, chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and freeze for 1-2 hours or until firm. (The dough softens quickly at room temperature so it works best if they are frozen, not just chilled in the refrigerator.)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth. Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, melt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 5 ½ dozen.