Autumn Pork Supper

Source:  Schnucks recipe contest grand prize winner

1 cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 apples cored and cut into eights
6 loin chops
3 T oil
1/2 c apple juice
2 T brandy
1 bay leaf
2 T breadcrumbs
2 T parmesan chees
1/2 cup heated cream

Bring two inches of water to boil in a large pot.  Cook cabbage about 3 minutes and drain.  In a large skillet, melt butter.  Saute onion and garlic over low heat, stirring until translucent.  Add apples and cabbage and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir another 3 minutes.  Set aside in a bowl.  Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.   In the same skillet used for the cabbage and apples, heat the oil.  When hot, add the pork chops and brown for a few minutes on each side.  Remove and set aside.  Add cider and brandy to deglaze pan.  Boil rapidly and reduce liquid by half.  Pour this liquid over the apple cabbage mixture.   Preheat oven to 350 F.  Use a covered heavy oven safe dish.  Spread 1/3 of the apple cabbage mixture, then layer 3 chops, then another third of the apple cabbage mixture, then a second layer of chops. Finish with a layer of apple cabbage mixture.  Lay bay leaf on top and sprinkle on breadcrumbs and cheese.  Pour heated cream over all.  Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.


Today the first day of Fall.  This recipe screamed Fall.  And not just b/c of the name of it.  I love pork chops, I love cabbage and apples, this just sounded like a perfect Sunday dinner on a Fall day.

I am not going to lie -- there are several steps and layers to this recipe.  I am always particularly aggrieved when multiple pots and pans need to be used for a recipe such as this one.  Chopping a cabbage is no fun.  And it was not fun or easy to get the steaming hot heavy cast iron Dutch oven out of the lower rack of the lower oven.

With all that said -- spectacular dish for company.  There is something super comforting about the big cast iron Dutch oven with the delicious smell of porkchops, cabbage and apples mixed together. The taste is exactly what you'd expect from this traditional flavor combo.  The cream adds a touch of richness to the sauce.  There is a surprising amount of liquid -- but that's perfect to keep everything nice and moist.  Don't be afraid to season aggressively, this dish can take it.  Would be good with boiled potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the liquid and add a starchy element.  A perfect Fall meal.

Pasta with Roasted Tomato- Meat Sauce

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

1 pint cherry tomatoes
8 oz uncooked spaghetti
2 t unsalted butter
9 oz ground pork
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/2 t crushed red pepper (I omitted this b/c I didn't think my 3 year old could handle the heat)
3 canned anchovy fillets, drained and chopped (I use tubed anchovy paste -- keeps better and is less messy -- so I just used a nice big squirt)
1/4 dry sherry
1.5 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c fresh basil (I omitted this., b/c ....well, b/c I was too lazy to walk down to my neighbor's yard, and pick some)


Put tomatoes on cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Melt butter in large skillet.  Add pork, garlic, salt, pepper and anchovies.  Cook 4 minutes or until pork is browned, stirring to crumble.  Add sherry to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add tomatoes and vinegar; cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices and sauce is slightly thickened.
Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat.  Sprinkle with basil.


I was looking for a quick and easy recipe.  The fact that it's "healthy", didn't hurt either.  And I am always on the hunt for recipes where the leftovers make for a good and portable lunch the next day.  And then, my daughter LOVES "noodles", so I knew this would be a hit.

This recipe is a little work, and there are a few unusual flavor twists.  But well worth it.  You can tell just from the recipe that the seasoning is fairly aggressive, and the recipe takes advantage of every trick to impart flavor without fat and salt.  (think -- roasted tomatoes to make sauce).  And it's absolutely dynamite.  Juicy, flavorful, rich tasting sauce.  I highly recommend this one.

And one quick closing note on the issue of anchovies.  I know most people don't like them.  I don't like them.  People on Food Network always say:  "it doesn't tasty fishy, it just deepens the flavor of the dish.  Sounds stupid -- maybe.  But absolutely true.  So don't skip this ingredient.  It'll add much to your dish.

Merry Cherry Plum Berry Tart

Source: Pillsbury Pie Crust

Crust and  Topping

2 refrigerated pie crusts
1/4 c chopped almonds
3 T turbinado sugar (I used regular sugar, and it turned out fine)

Filling

1/2 c dried cherries
1/2 c dried cranberries
3/4 c Amaretto
1 1/4 c fresh blueberries (I couldnt' find fresh blueberries, and used frozen ones thawed -- I made sure I let them drain well after thawing not to make the filling too wet)
2 plums cut into pieces
1/5 T cornstarch

White Amaretto Truffle Sauce

1/3 c white vanilla baking chips (I've seen recipes calling for vanilla baking chips, and haven't been able to find it in the grocery stores -- so I used white chocolate chips -- maybe that's wrong, but that's how I roll)
1/2 x whipping cream
2 T Amaretto

Heat oven 425.
Let 1 pie crust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften.  Unroll  crust onto 9 inch tart pan.  Lightly press crust into fluted sides. Cut of excess crust on top of pan.  Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork.  Bake for 10 minutes.

In saucepan heat cranberries, cherries and Amaretto for 5 minutes.  Add blueberries and plums.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Stir in cornstarch.  Pour into parbaked pie crust.

Remove remaining pie crust from refrigerator.  Chop into small pieces, adding almonds and sugar to make crumblike topping.  Sprinkle over pie.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes.

Place baking chips in medium bowl.  Heat cream over medium heat.  Just before boiling, remove from heat and pour over baking chips.  Stir until chips are melted. Add Amaretto.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, and stir every 15 minutes.


Yes, I am back to making desserts.  I love desserts.  Tarts are so elegant.  The weather has started to cool down, so you just want to make a pie.  Plums are fresh and delicious, cherries and dried cranberries are always lovely -- I had almonds and Amaretto at home -- come on, who wouldn't want to make this pie. Oh,  and I am crust impaired, so I use premade crusts in all my pies.  And the rolled up refrigerated pie crusts are so good these days, I don't think you can tell the difference.

This is not a very technical dessert -- which for me is a good thing. The only special equipment is a tart tin, which I happen to have.  I suppose it would work in a pie pan as well.   I wish I would have put my pie weights in the crust, so it wouldn't have puffed up at all.  The filling starts at very liquid but never fear, once you cook it per the recipe, it turns dry and jammy -- which is necessary so the crust doesn't get soggy.

The finished pie -- yes, I know, I should have covered the edges with foil so they don't burn.  I was so worried that the bottom of the pie would be soggy, that I didn't think to cover up the edges.. :(

I forgot to take a picture of the pie sliced.  It was definitely overbaked -- Like I said, in my quest to make sure that the bottom doesn't get soggy, I overbaked it.

The flavors were great -- a less burnt crust would have been great, and it would have benefitted from the filling being a little more moist, but the taste was good, and paired really nice with the toasted almonds in the topping.  I wasn't overly impressed with the sauce -- tasted very alcoholic.  I would experiment with a different sauce -- the tart definitely needs the moisture.  Maybe even with half the alcohol it would have been better.  All in all, i think with a little tweaking, this has the potential of being a really delicious dessert.

Tiramisu Bowl

Source: Jell-O

8 oz cream cheese - softened
3 c cold milk
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) Vanilla Instant Pudding
8 o.z CoolWhip - thawed
48 Nilla Wafers
1/2 c brewed coffee
2 squares of semi sweet chocolate -- grated
1 c fresh raspberries

Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy.  Gradually beat in milk and pudding mixes.  Stir in 2 c CoolWhip.

Line trifle bowl with 24 wafers, drizzle with 1/4 c coffee.

Top with half the pudding mixture and half of the chocolate.  Repeat layers, starting with wafers.

Top with remaining CoolWhip and raspberries.  Refrigerate 2 hours.

I needed a recipe to take to  a Labor Day party.  People generally expect me to bring dessert, and it's been so hot, that I really didn't want to be baking anything.  Tiramisu is also my favorite dessert, so this recipe seemed an ideal choice.

Now, before everyone gets all upset, I am fully aware that this is not a tiramisu recipe per se.  The use of Nilla wafers , CoolWhip and cream cheese instead of lady fingers and mascarpone cheese is enough to rile up most traditionalist.  I thought the name was a little misleading -- "American Tiramisu" might be more appropriate.  Nevertheless, I had high hopes for these combination of flavors, and the ease of preparation.  (The most challenging part is finding enough room in the fridge!).

i ended up making 3 layers -- the bowl I picked was fairly big, and I didn't want the dessert to look skimpy.  I also was very conservative with the "custard" layer at first, so I had enough to have three layers.  And I was happy to use up the entire box of Nilla wafers (no need to have that temptation around the house, right).

So here is what it looks like:

I thought it looked really good, quite spectacular for a party.  I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in the taste -- it was a little one note, just sweet.  Maybe b/c I didn't use quite as much coffee as the recipe called for (there were kids at the party, and I didn't want them to taste bitter coffee taste) -- but it was just sweet, and that's it.  So it's a recipe that needs a little tweaking -- bit of a disappointment.

Creamy Grilling Sauce

Source:  Hellman's Mayo

1 c mayonnaise
2 T snipped oil packed sun dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 t dried basil

Mix ingredients together.  Brush half the sauce onto 4 chicken breast halves, burgers or steaks.  (I used chicken breasts).  Grill or broil meat.  Serve with remaining sauce.

So you say this is not much of a recipe?  Give me a break guys, I trying to ease back into things.  I have also been getting a big box of vegetables each week from my CSA, so I constantly need ways to make chicken breasts to go with all the produce I am trying to use every day.

Obviously, this was a very easy meal to put together.  The fattiness of the mayo made the sauce melt during the grilling, keeping the chicken breast moist.  The little chunks of garlic and sundried tomatoes in the sauce caramelized nicely.  Made for a messy grill pan though.

This was a good meal.  A nice "pantry meal" -- you'd have all these ingredients in your house, and does jazz up a traditional grilled chicken breast.  I did not care for the leftover sauce put on the chicken -- that overwhelming uncooked mayo flavor was just overwhelming, so I would suggest put all the sauce on the meat during grilling, let that raw mayo flavor melt/cook off, and you'll have a delicious and easy meal.

Fried Green Tomatillos

Source:  Sunny Anderson

1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/4/ c honey
hot sauce to taste

6 green tomatillos
1 c flour
1 c buttermilk
salt
pepper
1 c plain breadcrumbs
1c cornmeal
garlic powder
chili powder
fresh thyme

Sauce:  mix all ingredients together.

Tomatillos:  Slice tomatillos 1/2 " thick.  Lay them on a plate and season both sides with salt.  Let rest 10 minutes.  Pat dry with papertowels.
Combine flour and pinch of salt in a shallow dish.  Pour buttermilk into second shallow dish.  In third shallow dish, add breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt, chili powder and salt.  Dredge tomatillo slices in flour.  Shake off excess.  Dip slices in buttermilk, then press both sides in cornmeal mixture.
Pour enough oil into a large saute pan to coat the bottom.  Heat over medium heat until oil begins to shimmer.  Fry coated tomatillo slices in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan, 2-3 minutes on each sides.

ingredient note:  You can get tomatillos at most grocery stores.  They sort of look like green tomatoes.  But.  As all of us who have ever watched Food Network know,  tomatillos are not related to tomatoes.  In fact, they are related to gooseberries.  They look pretty neat with their papery husks.  I found my tomatillos slightly sticky inside the husk.

 This is what a tomatillo looks like.  Pretty cool looking, huh?

And this is what they look like slice.  See, not related to the tomato.

Ever since I saw the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, I've been intrigued by recipes of this sort.  My dislike for tomatoes has stopped me every making it before. The fact that this recipe uses tomatillos (which look like freaky alien berries) just clinched it for me. I had to try it!

The recipe is fairly straightforward.  I always make a disaster with breading -- my fingertips end up wearing little dough"covers", there is flour everywhere -- it's a mess.  Also, I my ratio of cornmeal to breadcrumbs was 1 to 3 (third of a cup of cornmeal to one cup of breadcrumbs) -- instead of half and half.  I don't care for the texture of a cornmeal crust, so I wanted to downplay that.  The whole frying is always a disaster for me too -- the smell of oil, hot oil blah blah blah  (would be so much easier with a deep fryer, but I refuse to get that kind of temptation into my home).  So the recipe makes a mess.

The crust is crispy and flaky and perfect.  Once you bite into these you'll never doubt again that the tomatillos are related to gooseberries.  They are extremely tart.  The dipping sauce is PERFECT for this.  I thought that the 1/4 c of honey was an overkill -- you need every bit of sweetness.  And the heavy creaminess of the sauce is also great to balance out the acidity of the tomatillos.

And below is a picture of my daughter enjoying them:

Banana Mini-Chip Muffins

Source: Splenda

2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 c butter softened
1/2 c Splenda sugar blend
1/3 c Splenda Brown sugar blend
1 t vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas mashed
1 large egg
12 oz package of semi- sweet chocolate mini chips

Preheat oven to 350

Spray 48 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray (or line them with muffin cups -- as I did).  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Combine butter, sugar blend and brown sugar blend and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat until creamy.  Beat in bananas and egg.  Gradually mix in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake 15-30 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in pan; cool on wire rack completely.

Yes.  My oven is back.  So I am back to baking, baking, baking.  YEAH!!!   I am not a huge artificial sweetener fan.  I am aware of all the studies etc. that state that they are actually worse for you then regular sugar.  But mostly, I am a believer in just eating natural foods, with as little processed and artificial components as possible.  With that said, I was drawn to this recipe -- the little choco-banana muffins sounded delicious.  If I could figure out how to substitute sugar for the Splenda bled, I would have.  I was worried that it might change the texture or taste of the recipe as it was clearly formulated with Splenda in mind.

Obviously, easy to make -- just throw things in a mixer.  I used regular chocolate chips -- mostly b/c I didn't pay attention to the recipe calling for mini-chips.  It turned out fine.  The recipe says it makes 48 mini muffins -- for me, it made 61, and I didn't underfill my muffin cups.

These are tasty little two bite muffins -- the banana taste is very pronounced, with the chocolate chips providing creamy little bitter-sweet surprises.  A solid option for using up mushy overripe bananas.