Sheet Pan Pork Chops

A nice quick and easily prepared meal for weeks nights when you come home mentally and physically exhausted ,like I am as I write this.

These pork chops also stand up great to high heat and assertive flavors, so they’re a natural pairing with hearty root vegetables and a bold vinaigrette.
Be sure to use pork chops that measure between 1 and 1 1/2 inches thick for this recipe.

(From Dinner Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 fennel bulb
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 4 (12-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, 1 to 1 ½ inches thick
• 1 small shallot
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep Vegetables and Aromatics: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Peel carrots and cut into 3-inch lengths, quartering thick ends lengthwise. Discard fennel stalks, halve bulb, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Peel garlic.
2. Roast Vegetables: Toss 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, potatoes, carrots, fennel, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a bowl. Spread vegetables in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until beginning to soften, about 25 minutes.
3. Prep Pork: While vegetables roast, combine paprika, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Trim pork and pat dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each chop. Rub chops with 1 teaspoon oil, then season thoroughly with spice mixture.
4. Roast Pork: Lay chops on top of vegetables and continue to roast until chops register 145°F and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.
5. Make Vinaigrette: While pork cooks, mince shallot. Mince 2 tablespoons parsley. Whisk vinegar, sugar, remaining ¼ cup oil, shallot parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
6. Finish Dish: When pork is cooked, remove sheet from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle vinaigrette over pork and serve.

Easy enough? Okay! Enjoy! Eat and Drink Well My Friends!

Fettucine Bolognese Made Easy

I always order this when I go to the California Pizza Kitchen...(Shameless plug...I kinow) but here is the crib notes version to how to prepare this..-

INGREDIENTS:

• One 9 oz package  Fettuccine
• Two 10-ounce containers  Meat  Sauce
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste

DIRECTIONS:
 Cook Fettuccine in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. Heat Meat Lovers Sauce in saucepan and then add Fettuccine. Add pasta-cooking water a little at a time, if necessary. Top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and serve.


That's it....Piece of cake......Enjoy it tonight!   Eat Well My Friends!

One Pan Ranch Pork Chops

This photo makes me want to make this tonight....Unfortunately for me, I can't...but with this recipe ,you can...

I promise you This promises to be the easiest 5-ingredient meal EVER! And yes, you just need one pan with 5 min prep. It’s quick, easy and effortless!  Check it out!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 (8-ounce) pork chops, bone-in, 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
• 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
• 16 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (1-ounce) package Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Place pork chops, potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Ranch Seasoning and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Place into oven and roast until the pork is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, about 20-22 minutes.* Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

There now wasn't that easy? Get to the supermarket and pick up the ingredients and fire up that stove...Enjoy! Eat well my friends!

Dixie Lamb Chops

Next to Beef, I love Lamb and if you want to cook something different for dinner...Here it is..Dixie Lamb Chops...Check Out this easy recipe-

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lamb loin chops (5 to 6 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

• Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook chops, covered, until bottoms are browned, 5-7 minutes.
• Mix molasses, steak sauce and vinegar. Turn chops; pour molasses mixture over top. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until lamb reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°), 5-7 minutes.

Piece of cake.Serve these with Cream Spinach and a Hearty Bread...

Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

Pumpkin Patch Pie

Fall Starts in about a week and in that season, Pumpkin Pie is always a favorite....Not Sweet Potato, We'll deal with that later..but Pumpkin Pie...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium pie pumpkin (about 3 pounds)
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, optional

DIRECTIONS:

• Wash pumpkin; cut a 6-in. circle around stem. Remove top and set aside. Remove loose fibers and seeds from the inside and discard or save seeds for toasting. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt; sprinkle around inside of pumpkin.
• Replace the top. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until very tender. Cool.
• Scoop out pumpkin; puree in a blender until smooth. Place 2 cups pureed pumpkin in a large bowl. Add the ginger, nutmeg and the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the eggs, evaporated milk and milk.
• Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate. Flute edges; pour filling into crust.
• Cover edges with foil. Bake at 375° for 75-80 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, top with whipped cream and cinnamon before serving.

And there you have it... Enjoy! Eat and Drink Well My Friends!

Tenderloin Steak Diane

I don't know why they call it this...I don't know what Diane had to do with this and I don't know Diane....All I know is this looks good and I have a recipe for you that shows you how to fix this...

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 beef tenderloin steaks (6 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced chives

DIRECTIONS:

• Sprinkle steaks with steak seasoning. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add steaks; cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness. Remove steaks from pan.
• Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat until tender. Add broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in cream, steak sauce and garlic salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
• Return steaks to pan; turn to coat and heat through. Stir in chives.

DON'T SWEAT THE TECHNIQUE- 

This recipe was tested with McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. Look for it in the spice aisle.

Nutrition Facts

1 steak with 2 tablespoons sauce: 358 calories, 21g fat (11g saturated fat), 111mg cholesterol, 567mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 37g protein. 

There...You have it....And Diane...Whoever you are....Thank You!

A confirmed Steak Lover!

BLT Tacos

Why BLT Tacos? Because everyone deserves bacon on their first day back at work.

 Everyone knows that bacon, lettuce and tomato is one of the greatest sandwich combinations ever. Here, I will take that trifecta and roll it up into taco form...Check it out-

INGREDIENTS:

4 servings

1 pound thickly sliced bacon
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
12 tortillas
6 leaves Boston lettuce, torn in half
2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 avocado, thickly sliced
Lime slices, as needed for serving

DIRECTIONS:
 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Arrange the bacon in an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with black pepper. Bake until evenly brown and crispy, 14 to 16 minutes. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, break each slice into 2 or 3 pieces.
3. While the bacon cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add 2 or 3 tortillas to the pan and heat until lightly browned on each side, 1 minute per side. Repeat until all tortillas are toasted.
4. To serve, place 1 piece of lettuce, 1 or 2 pieces of tomato, 2 slices of avocado and 3 pieces of bacon on top of each tortilla.
5. Serve immediately, with limes for squeezing.

And there you have it...Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

Grilled Sticky Honey-Sriracha Drumsticks with Slaw

Here is a nice September Recipe for a late summer night...

It’s the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend, so it’s basically criminal NOT to light up the grill.


INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 small red cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 medium heads fennel, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drumsticks

2½ pounds chicken drumsticks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
⅓ cup sriracha
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh minced ginger
Extra-virgin olive oil
Minced fresh chives, for garnishing
2 limes, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS: 

1. MAKE THE SLAW: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt and vinegar. Add the cabbage, carrots, fennel and scallions; toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
3. MAKE THE DRUMSTICKS: Prepare your grill for high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
4. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the honey, sriracha, lime juice, garlic powder and ginger; simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Brush the grill grates with the olive oil. Grill the chicken, turning as needed, until charred and fully cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Brush the honey-sriracha sauce generously over the chicken and continue to grill, turning frequently, for 6 minutes more.
7. Garnish the chicken with chives and serve with the slaw and lime wedges.

 Enjoy this with a nice cool glass of Ice Tea...

 Enjoy!   Eat Well My Friends!