"Grilled" Pork Chops w/Green Beans and Rice

Pork Chops w/mushrooms, green beans & rice - YUM!
Such a delicious meal it was!

I was in Whole Foods and they had double thick bone-in pork chops on sale so I got two for our dinner. Took them home and told the hubs to fire up the charcoal grill. Shortly later, he came up to the kitchen to let me know that while we had LOADS of charcoal, we had no lighter fluid. Damn. I happened to be on the phone with cousin Julie and she reminded me that there IS another grilling method for meat that is just as tasty - sear in a hot iron skillet and then finish in a hot oven. I hadn't used that method in, well, forever, and had forgotten all about it. I will forget it NO MORE! What delicious pork chops we had!

pork chops

seasonings of your choice; I used Penzey's Arizona Dreaming mix and Southwest mix

salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste

olive oil

butter

1 box already sliced mushrooms

basmati rice

french-cut green beans (frozen this time)

Preheat oven to 425º. Start the rice, following package directions. Season the pork chops. Place iron skillet (any oven-proof skillet will do, but if you don't have an iron skillet, you really should treat yourself) on stove and turn heat to high. Add a swirl or two of olive oil to the skillet along with a pat or two of butter. When they just begin to smoke, add the pork chops and saute on each side till nicely browned. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake an additional 10 - 15 minutes, depending how thick your chops are, or, better yet, use a meat thermometer and remove from oven when internal temp. is around 140º (pork should be 145º, but they will continue to "cook" after removed from the oven). Once you've put the chops in the oven, cook the beans, either boiling in a bit of water, or steaming. When the chops come out of the oven, remove from the skillet and lightly tent them with a piece of foil. Return skillet to stove and add the sliced mushrooms. Stir and add more butter/oil if needed. Saute the mushrooms until golden and they're beginning to crisp around the edges. To serve, place a chop on each plate along with a serving of rice and green beans. Spoon the mushrooms, along with their juices over everything, just the chops, just the rice - however you want to plate it! 

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again!

xoabb

Chicken in the Oven (3 Ways!)

Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken w/a Twist

Over the last week or so, we've had three chicken dishes for dinner that we all loved and will repeat again and again. The first one, pictured above, Remy made and I took the loverly photo. For the other two, I found their delicious-looking photos on pinterest.com and, after much clicking, was finally able to track down both recipes! Remy's recipe is only six ingredients, and the next two are only four ingredients!

Here's a tip I've found to be extremely wonderful: Toward the end of cooking any chicken in the oven (or anywhere else), start checking to see if it's done by using a meat thermometer. Before I started using one (a digital thermometer), I almost always overcooked chicken because I was scared of not getting it cooked thoroughly.

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Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken w/a Twist

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces - Remy used skin-on chicken legs. (Use your favorite pieces.)
flour for dredging
1/2 - 1 cup milk
1 egg
1 box Kraft brand Oven Fry for Extra Crispy Chicken
1 package Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup & Dip Mix
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 400º. Put oil on a cookie sheet and be sure all the sheet is covered in oil. Put flour in a bowl or bag. Mix together milk and the egg in another bowl. In your third bowl, mix together the box of Oven Fry and Lipton package. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour and shake off excess. Dip pieces in the milk/egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Roll pieces in the Oven Fry/Lipton mixture, pressing mixture into the chicken. Place on the cookie sheet. When all are coated, put pan in the oven and bake, if bone-in 20 minutes per side or until chicken registers 165º internally, if boneless, bake about 20 - 30 minutes in total, or until chicken registers 165º at the center of its thickest part.
Delicious! The onion packet gives it such a good flavor!

~~~

"Man-Pleasing" Chicken

From: Witty in the City

Please click on either of the above links to see a photo of this incredible chicken dish.

1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs, bone-in and with skin (or use whatever pieces you want)

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
fresh chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 450º. Mix together the mustard, maple syrup and rice wine vinegar. Put your chicken in an oven-proof baking dish; don't worry about crowding. Salt and pepper the chicken and then pour your maple-mustard mixture over them, turning to coat the pieces on all sides.  Put your dish in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until they are 165º at their thickest part. Let chicken rest, lightly tented, for 5 minutes before serving. Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You'll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it's still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more. Be sure to spoon sauce over each serving, and add the rosemary.

*Witty in the City also sprinkled some fresh chopped rosemary over her chicken just before serving it. I didn't as I totally forgot to do this step - and I have a beautiful rosemary plant right in my kitchen! I'm sure it would have been delicious. 3/4/13 - this time I remembered to sprinkle the chicken with the rosemary - what a great additional taste! LOVE this dish!
I made a double batch of this for our Sunday Family Dinner, plus a double batch of the following recipe, thinking I'd have chicken to take to word all week. It's only Tuesday and every single morsel of both of them is history. Yup, they were that good!

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Easy Garlic Chicken

From: http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478

Please click on either of the above links to see a photo of this incredible chicken dish.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or whatever chicken pieces you enjoy)

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

3 teaspoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

(This dish makes for a very sticky pan. Do yourself a favor and line you pan with foil for easy clean-up.)
Preheat oven to 500º. Lightly grease a casserole/baking dish. In a small skillet, over low-medium low heat, sauté garlic until tender - do not brown. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Place chicken breasts in the baking dish and cover each with the garlic and brown sugar mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake, uncovered for 15 - 30 minutes; until the chicken is 165º at its thickest part. Just delicious!

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again!
xoabb

Thai Stir-Fry w/Rice Noodles

Thai Stir-Fry with Rice Noodles

(First and foremost, I do apologize for my photographic skills - well, actually, lack thereof! Most of my pictures are taken around dinner time and, as anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of photography is aware of, unless you have good camera lighting equipment, natural dayligh,t and not just the camera's flash, is most definitely the only way to go! However, I will guarantee you that tho the pictures leave a lot to be desired, the food does not! What's found here is not only tried & true, but scrumptious - and much better tasting than any stinkin' photo looks like!)

Though our youngest daughter Brynnly has been in the food industry, both front and back of the house for, well, forever - and can she ever create one mean skillet of food - she's not the only good cook in our family. Eldest daughter Remy is turning out to be one mean cook as well. And it doesn't hurt that she spent the last year in Missouri cooking with her grandmother - who is one of the finest amateur chefs we've every known. Mom/Grandma Mary has always cooked healthfully, seasonally and innovatively long long before it became the only way to cook. I think the only processed food (if you can call it that) we ever had as children was orange-flavored Hi-C drink. Wonder if it's still made...

Now that Rem is home for the few weeks before she's off to her next adventure teaching in Haiti, she's more or less taken over my kitchen on the nights she's home. I thought I'd be bothered by this as I love to cook as well. Surprisingly, I'm not missin' cookin' one little bit! Rem's dad, on the other hand, isn't as keen on her cooking as she makes lots and lots of veggies, beans and whole grains. I've spoiled the man. Yes...there are Kraft Macaroni & Cheese boxes in our pantry (sigh). 

Remy threw the following together the other night using what she found in the pantry and fridge, and, yes, I really did happen to have rice noodles and canned unsweetened coconut milk in the pantry. I'm sure I was going to try some fancy-schmancy new recipe and then promptly talked myself out of it.  

We served it with chicken breasts that were pounded to be the same thickness, marinated for and hour and then char-grilled. 

~This one's a throw 'n go from start to finish!~

The Sauce: 
1 13.5 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk (not the one in the dairy case)
3 tablespoons+/- soy sauce
3 tablespoons+/- rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Whole Foods brand Thai curry peanut dry mix*

*if you can't get to Whole Foods, use a mixture of curry and cayenne pepper. I'm sure there is also garlic powder and tumeric in there as well. It is very spicy!

Mix all in bowl and set aside.

The noodles: 
1 package rice noodles - we used the "A Taste of Thai" brand thin flat noodles - cooked almost to package directions, but undercook just a bit. When done, drain and cover; set aside.

The veggie stir-fry:
While you can use any veggie combination that suits your fancy, below is what Rem used as it's what was in the fridge. Just remember to put your veggies in the pan from what needs to saute the longest to what cooks in the shortest amount of time. The first group of ingredients, the stir-fry base are a must; the second group, up to you.

The stir-fry base:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat the skillet plus extra if needed
4 - 8 cloves garlic, minced (amount to your taste - we love garlic!)
1" - 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (amount to your taste - we love ginger, too!)
juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
large onion, halved across, the each sliced in half again. Slice in slivers from top to bottom

Saute in the olive oil all of the above for 5 or so minutes over medium high heat. Then add your other veggies in the order of what will cook longest to shortest. Below is what Rem used:

The whatever you want veggie combo:
red pepper, sliced into strips
broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
sugar snap and snow peas, stemmed
frozen peas

Add the veggies in order of the cooking time needed. Toward the end, add the sauce and cook until all is well blended, about 5 - 9 minutes. Add the pasta and stir again till all is blended. Taste and correct seasonings - a splash of soy sauce, a dash of Kosher salt, a touch more ginger, a splash of lemon juice; stir...then serve and enjoy!

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again!
xoabb

Chicken Curry with all the Fixin's.

Chicken Curry 
(that's a dollop each of apricot jam and chutney on top!)

(Click on the photo for two more pictures of the other stages of this recipe.)

When I was growing up in Missouri, my parents were part of a group of 12 bridge players that met once a month pretty much year round. One of the night's duties for whomever was hosting was feeding all those folks dinner. I remember this chicken curry dish well from those nights! First time I ate it, I fell in love! The flavors are just wonderful and it's such a pretty dinner to serve what with all the little bowls of the different flavors you put on top of the rice and chicken. Try it, and I guarantee everyone will be ohhing and ahhing! (This looks long and complicated. It's not. The entire thing takes maybe an hour - think shortcuts! And if you're having a dinner party, almost the entire dish can be made ahead of time.)

The main ingredients part:

5 cups chicken meat - I tend to lean toward all white meat, but you can certainly use dark as well

2 cans coconut milk (be sure it's UNsweetened and look for it in the Asian foods section) OR equivalent homemade coconut milk from a fresh coconut (directions below)

1-2 large cans chicken stock, or equivalent homemade, boiled down to 3 - 4 cups

1 cup chopped onion (or buy a container of already chopped)

1 cup chopped celery (see above)

1/4 cup++ unsalted butter

4 tablespoons or so flour

3 tablespoons+++ Madras brand curry - Penzey's has some great ones as well (hot curry if you prefer, I personally like the mild one and add cayenne)

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

cayenne pepper to taste

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste 

2 cups basmati or jasmine rice, cooked according to pkg. directions so it's done just before you serve

The chicken part:

Simmer chicken in the canned chicken broth, or make your own broth - whichever is used, I always add 3 or 4 whole allspice and the juice from a fresh-squeezed lemon to enhance the broth's flavor. When the chicken is barely done (it will cook more toward the end), remove from broth and cool. When cool, shred/tear (no knives allowed!) it into bite-size pieces. (Tap on photo above to see an example of size.) Boil broth down till you have 3 - 4 cups. Skim off fat if there is any. 

The coconut part:

(Canned coconut milk is so much easier and NO one will know the difference!)

However, if you're feeling particularly ambitious: Poke open the holes in the end of 1 or 2 fresh coconuts, drain the juices from inside and discard (unless you want to drink it.) Break into manageable pieces (A hammer and a concrete cracking place works well.) Microwave pieces on high for 1 - 2 minutes. You can then carefully insert a knife between the shell and coconut meat and easily wiggle them apart. Put 2 - 3 cups HOT water in a blender, and while running on a slow speed, add the coconut meat pieces bit by bit. When all is added, blend on high until meat is very finely chopped. Let set until ready to use, then strain through cheese cloth. (This was written long before food processors - I'd think that would be a more efficient way to make this.)

The curry part:

In 2 tablespoons butter, saute the onion and celery. When becoming translucent, push aside to make a ring. Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the center, and when melted, add the flour and the curry. Stir, cooking for 3 - 5 minutes, then stir the entire skillet together. Transfer this mixture to the pot you boiled your chicken in and add 2 cups chicken broth and one can coconut milk. Simmer this mixture for about 30 - 40 minutes. (You can cool and refrigerate at this point.) Just before serving, heat and taste your curry mixture to be sure the seasonings are correct,(I always end up adding more curry and cayenne), then add chicken and mix thoroughly. Add at least 1/2 more can of coconut milk and more chicken broth if still too thick (again, click through on above photo to see an example).

The most important part: 

(What goes on top of your chicken curry (and what makes it such a perfect party entree).)

The condiment part:

Putting each in their own pretty bowl with a spoon, you must include the following: 

3 hard boiled eggs, very finely chopped

1 cup +/- unsalted peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped

1 cup +/- curly parsley, chopped

1 lb. bacon, fried very crisp, drained and finely broken up (I've been known to use bacon bits from Costco.)

1 cup +/- Major Grey's Mango Chutney (usually in the jelly/jam aisle)

1 cup +/- sweetened coconut, toasted

1 cup +/- fresh bananas, roughly chopped; squeeze a little lemon juice on to keep from discoloring

1 cup +/- apricot preserves

1 cup +/- scallions/green onions, tops included, roughly chopped

1 cup +/- golden raisins or currants

(If you think of anything else to add to this list, do let me know!)

To serve:

Put the chicken curry in one lovely serving dish, preferably with a lid. Place the rice in another bowl, preferably lidded, and place both on the buffet - this works much better if it's not on the table you're eating at. Place all the condiments by them. Let everyone serve themselves: rice first, curry mix over the rice, then the condiments in whatever combination each person wants. 

A green salad completes the meal. 

 The zing of all those flavors in your mouth is incredible!

This is so so good, everyone will love it, it's so impressive to serve, such fun for everyone to put together their own flavors, so cheap - just perfect!

~~~

YUM! 

'till we feast again!
xoabb

Pork Chops w/Pineapple Fried Rice

The Pork Chops w/the Sauce & Onions Part
(click on the above photo to see 3 more)
(or just go to P-Dub's to see really good photos)

Smart girl that I am, when I see a particulary appealing recipe, I want to EAT it! And pretty much immediately. Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman/P-Dub for the 3 folks in the USofA that don't know who she is) posted a recipe for pork chops with grilled pineapple fried rice the other day that looked so darn good, I couldn't wait to try it. It didn't disappoint. Not in the least! Now don't go and compare my camera work to Ms. Drummond - there is absolutely no contest as to who is the better photographer - just do yourself a favor and visit the recipe link above or here to see her step-by-step pictures.

I followed all of P-Dub's recipe except the veggies in the fried rice (yup, that's the T'nG). I couldn't find the jarred pimentos (was at Whole Foods and they don't carry any), so for color, I added corn and 3 carrots. Delicious!

The T'nG:

1/2 whole pineapple, cut into spears

2 cups white (or brown) basmati rice

3 carrots, quartered length-wise and then cut so size is same as peas and corn

4 - 6 boneless pork chops

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

1 whole large sweet onion sliced, quarter slices (or slice from top to bottom - I like that better)

6 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce (more to taste, or if more liquid is needed)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole eggs

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 tablespoons soy sauce (additional)

Throw carrots in with the rice and then cook the rice according to package directions. (The brand of basmati I use calls for cooking 2 cups rice in 8 cups water and then drain when done.)

Grill  pineapple spears until they have good grill marks on all sides. When cool enough to handle, cut spears into bite-size chunks and set aside. Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color. Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are beginning to soften, add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey and sriracha. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the chops and onions look like the above photo and to chops are done. Remove chops to a bowl, the let the cause cook another minute or two. Taste and correct seasoning of sauce. When satisfied, pour sauce over the chops and set all aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add the peas and corn and a couple additional tablespoons soy sauce. Add the cooked and drained rice and carrots and stir all until well blended and veggies are cooked through. Add the pineapple bites and gently give the fried rice a final stir.

To serve, pile rice on the plate, top with a pork chop and onions and drizzle some of the sauce over all.

YUM!

~~~

'till we feast again!
xoabb

Shaping the Trout Cakes

Remy shaping the trout cakes into patties

When we went home to Columbia, MO last summer, I found that my mom and daughter had discovered a new cookbook, Cooking Wild in Missouri, that is printed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Rem took one look at it (it's beautifully photographed) and declared she was going to "cook the book". A worthy endeavor! The recipes are spot-on, and the ingredients Missourahhh wonderful! The first recipe she made was the following trout cakes. 

Columbia happens to have an over-the-top-wonderful farmer's market and there's a gal that comes up from the Ozarks each week who sells fresh farmed trout. The day we were there, we bought two extra trout knowing we wanted to try this trout cake recipe the next evening. We were not disappointed. Oh no, not in the least were we disappointed! 

Missouri ~Crab~ Cakes

Actually these are Missourahhh trout cakes made New England crab cake style. What could be better than that? (As I said, this recipe is from the cookbook written by Bernadette Dryden and titled "Cooking Wild in Missouri". It's only $15.00. Do yourself a favor and buy it! Now!) Ms. Dryden serves this over a salad with a citrus vinaigrette (recipe follows) - and so did Remy. Delicious!

The T'nG:

1 cup picked over trout (no bones allowed) (left over from previous grilled meal)

1 cup breadcrumbs (homemade preferred)

4 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1 gargantuan tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 heaping teaspoon of fresh Bum hot or other hot red pepper

juice of one fresh lemon

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix trout well with 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs and the next 7 ingredients, through the salt and pepper. Your mixture will be moist. Form into 2 inch wide patties. Dip patties in the remaining bread crumbs and pat all over. Fry in the butter over medium heat, cooking until the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully turn over and brown the other side.  Toss your salad greens with the citrus vinaigrette dressing. Serve 1 - 2 trout cakes on top of the salad. 

~

Citrus Vinaigrette Salad

fresh mixed salad greens

extra virgin olive oil

fresh lemon juice

fresh garlic, finely chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

Wash salad greens, dry and put in salad bowl. Mix approximately 3 parts oil to 1 part lemon juice. Add a touch of garlic and whisk vigorously. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and whisk again. To test, dip a piece of lettuce in the dressing. Correct seasonings. 

Put salad on a plates and the add two trout cakes per plate. 

From: "Cooking Wild" by Bernadette Dryden (Missouri Department of Conservation, 2011)"

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again! 
xoabb

Shepherd's Pie & Mary Poppins - Yes, They Go Together!

Well, at least the beginnings of Shepherd's Pie

When our children were growing up, our lovely Sheila lived with us and was their ~Mary Poppins~. In the years since, tho no longer living with us, she has most definitely become family. She brought many wonderful things to our family, and one of the very best was her English cooking. No groans allowed, as we all quickly figured out that most English cooking, aside from waaaay over-cooked veggies, is really really delicious! Miss She introduced us to Scotch eggs, rice pudding, corned beef hash (whoa thunk that would be delicious!?!) and, drum roll please, Shepherd's Pie, to name a few. 

Much as I love it, I hadn't made Shepherd's Pie for years. Until recently. I had a taste for it about a month or two ago and decided it was time to recreate Sheila's masterpiece. It was wonderful and most amazingly, the hubs loved it too.  We've enjoyed it pretty regularly since then, to the point that when I made one for dinner for the Murray family who were returning from a ski trip, George (the hubs) said I couldn't take them one unless there was one for us as well. Happy to oblige!

Amounts to your preference:

1 1/2 or so lbs. ground beef

3 - 5 carrots, quartered length-wise then sliced 1/4" thick

1 medium onion chopped to size of the carrots

1 - 2 Tablespoons butter 

1 - 2 cups water

frozen corn, amount to your taste

frozen peas, amount to your taste

1 1/2 C. gravy (homemade or if you don't have that, a Better 'n Gravy or McCormick packet)

Worcestershire sauce to taste

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

any other seasonings you might like

mashed potatoes

shredded cheddar cheese

paprika

Preheat oven to 350º. 

In an iron (preferably) skillet, brown the ground beef and then drain into a bowl so you can separate fat from any liquids. Set aside. Melt butter in same skillet and sauté the carrots and onions over medium high heat for 5 or so minutes. Pour the water over the carrots and onions just to cover and boil off the water. This tenderizes the carrots. Add beef, and any liquid left from draining it, back to the skillet and mix all together. Pour on the gravy to moisten it all - but don't add too much as you don't want it soupy. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and paper and any other herbs you might like. Stir together well and taste to be sure seasonings are to your liking. Just before topping with the mashed potatoes, pour in desired amounts of corn and peas. I generally add about a cup of each. 

If you're not using the skillet you've just made everything in, pour mixture into a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes (recipe below), then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese and lightly with paprika. Bake until bubbly and hot through and through, about 30 - 45 minutes. This can be made ahead. Just be sure to bring it to room temp. before baking. 

Mashed Potatoes

Alrighty then...a bit of honesty is required here. Because of good advice I've gotten from cousin Julie, the last two times I've made Shepherd's Pie, I've cheated and bought already made mashed potatoes. Simply Potatoes and Country Crock are two brands. I heat them in the microwave according to package directions, then whip them with a little extra melted butter, salt and pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Heck of a lot easier than making from scratch, and in this instance, no one can tell the difference! However, for those of you (hello Mom!) who are pure of heart, here's the from scratch way: 

3 - 5 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled, halved and cut in thirds

1 C. or so hot milk

1 stick butter, melted in milk

salt, fresh ground pepper and nutmeg to taste

Put potatoes in a pot with water just to cover. Boil until potatoes are done. Drain potatoes and put through a ricer (my preferred way). Mix in milk, butter and seasonings to taste. 

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again! 

xoT'nGG