Category: PROTEINS

WINTER PORK ROAST – CRANBERRY ORANGE

WINTER PORK ROAST

3 pound boneless pork loin roast
avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 + 1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
8 ounces sweet orange marmalade or apricot pineapple jam
8 ounces whole cranberry sauce (canned is okay, but I prefer fresh)*
FRESH cranberries, for garnish
sliced oranges, for garnish

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Pat pork roast dry.
  • Rub with avocado oil.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper on all sides.
  • Sear each side over high heat for 2 minutes per side.
Place in roasting pan.
  • While searing the pork, start your sauce.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup orange juice, apple cider vinegar, apricot pineapple jam or orange marmalade, and cranberry sauce.
  • Pour sauce over the pork.
  • 
Roast for 60-80 minutes (140°-145° in the most central part of the pork), basting every 20 minutes with the sauce mixture.
  • Remove from oven and place pork on a foil tented plate to cool/rest for 10 minutes.
  • While pork is resting, add remaining 1/4 cup orange juice to the juices left over from cooking to a saucepan.
  • Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce to a simmer while pork rests.
Slice and serve pork, drizzled with more sauce and garnished with orange slices and fresh cranberries.
  • Enjoy!

NOTES: * I always make a HUGE batch of homemade cranberry sauce over the holidays so I have some in the freezer. Cranberries are hard to come by the rest of the year.

MONGOLIAN BEEF ala INSTANT POT

MONGOLIAN BEEF serves 6

2 pounds flank steak, sliced into thin strips across the grain
1/3 cup cornstarch
2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
3/4 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
1 cup water
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish
Cooked white rice

  • Place flank steak strips in a 1 gallon resealable bag.
  • Add cornstarch, seal bag and shake to coat evenly.
  • In a medium bowl, add ginger root, garlic, soy sauce,  water, brown sugar and Hoisin sauce stirring well to combine.
  • Set your Instant Pot to the saute setting.
  • Add olive oil.
  • When olive oil is heated, add beef and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Pour mixture over beef and stir to combine.
  • Add carrots and stir again.
  • Turn Instant Pot off.
  • Place the lid on and lock.
  • Steam release knob should be set on “sealing”.
  • Cook on manual setting (high pressure) for 10 minutes.
  • Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
  • Carefully remove lid and stir.
  • Serve over cooked white rice and top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

NEW ENGLAND STYLE BAKED STUFFED CLAMS

One of the wonderful things about living near the coast is FRESH seafood!!  Start with steamed clams and mix them with the veggies and seasoned crumbs. They bake to perfection every time!

NEW ENGLAND STYLE BAKED STUFFED CLAMS
8 LARGE quahogs or cherry stone clams
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 Vidalia onion, finely diced
1 LARGE clove garlic, minced
1/4 red pepper, finely diced
1 cup FRESH seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely minced FRESH parsley
Juice of 2 lemons, divided
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/8 teaspoon sweet Paprika

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Wash the clams free of any grit.
  • Steam clams in around 1 inch of boiling water until they open up, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove clams from the water (reserve a couple tablespoons of clam water).
  • Allow the clams to cool before taking them out of the shell – if the “foot” gets stuck, don’t worry about it since it’s not as tender anyway.
  • Split the shells open and keep 8 of them for stuffing.

 

  • Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat until onion is soft.
  • Add the garlic and peppers cooking another minute before adding the breadcrumbs.
Add the bread crumbs and blend well.
  • Add parsley, 1/2 of the lemon juice, Parmesan and paprika mixing well.
  • Add a tablespoon or two of the clam water to bind the mixture.
Divide the mixture between the 8 shells you held back and press it so it holds together.
  • Put them in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes until they gently brown on top.
  • Drizzle with lemon juice just before serving.

NOTES:

  • If clams don’t open on steaming, don’t use them, this means they were already dead.
  • When I make the bread crumbs I start with 2-3 slices of buttered sourdough sprinkled with lemon pepper, baked to toast in the oven and then ground in a food processor.

BBQ APRICOT PINEAPPLE CHICKEN

BBQ APRICOT PINEAPPLE  CHICKEN adapted from Carrie at Northwoods Scrapbook

BBQ SAUCE
Avocado oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 small onion)
1 tablespoon minced Fresno chile, seeds removed (1 chile)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
13 ounce jar apricot-pineapple jam
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (1 large orange)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup jalapeño ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the chile and garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the jam; cooking until the jam melts, 3 to 4 minutes more.
  • Add the orange juice and cider vinegar, bring to a simmer.
  • Add the ketchup, honey and Worcestershire.
  • Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 10-15 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth.
  • Add salt to taste.
  • Remove 1 cup for basting the chicken; reserve the rest for serving.

CHICKEN
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon each FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
16 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Avocado oil
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
  • Pat dry chicken breasts.
  • Coat chicken breasts on both sides with avocado oil.
  • Generously sprinkle both sides with seasoning mix.
  • Place the chicken thighs on two foil-lined baking sheets.
  • Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 35 minutes.
  • Turn the oven to broil.
  • Generously baste the chicken pieces with BBQ sauce and broil until the sauce has caramelized and chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes
  • Sprinkle the chicken with parsley.
  • Serve with the reserved BBQ sauce.

GREEN TABASCO CHICKEN & CORN RICE

One of the things I LOVE to do is sort through my boxes of old recipes.  I do this when I’m looking to spice up our menus every now and then.  I even throw some recipes out.  I mean I look at it and ask myself what I was thinking when I saved it!!  The other thing I LOVE to do is taken previously so-so recipes when the were made alone and combine them together to make a WHOLE new recipe.  Many times the new recipe does NOT resemble either of the original recipes in ANY way except the name and main ingredients.  Part of the beauty of this recipe is the almost charred onions and the flavor they lend to the chicken AND the rice!

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RECIPES!  Inspiration hit me and turned 3 recipes (a so-so roast chicken Tabasco, a so-so slow cooked rice along with a so-so baked corn) into a super FLAVORFUL GREEN TABASCO CHICKEN & CORN RICE recipe.

GREEN TABASCO CHICKEN & CORN RICE serves 4
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken steaks
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
1 can Green Giant shoepeg corn
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet )optional – for color)
1 Vidalia onion half sliced thin and half chopped
1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Sour dipping sauce
1/4 cup Green Tabasco sauce
1 small can Hatch diced green chiles
1 1/4 cup white Moscato wine
2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
WONDRA flour for dredging
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • In a saucepan combine the wine, sweet and sour sauce, hatch chiles and green Tabasco sauce.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil. Turn to low and simmer while you prepare everything else.
  • After you put the chicken pieces in the skillet make a slurry of the cornstarch and water.
  • Whisk into the sauce and simmer until begins to thicken.
  • JUST before serving you can strain out the larger chile pieces if your prefer.

 

  • In another sauce pan combine the broth, a few drops of green Tabasco sauce 1 teaspoon of the minced garlic and rice with a pinch of salt.
  • Bring to a quick boil. Immediately reduce to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

 

  • Add avocado oil to a HOT skillet over medium high heat.
  • Add onions and saute until soft and beginning to caramelize.
  • Add garlic, cooking a couple minutes more.
  • Add 1 tablespoon melted butter, stirring to combine.
  • Generously season chicken pieces with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Dredge chicken pieces with WONDRA.
  • Add chicken pieces on top of onions and sear for several minutes before flipping to sear the other side.
  • Plate chicken.
  • Stir onions into the rice and add a scoop of rice to each plate.
  • Top with sauce!
  • ENJOY!

APRICOT PINEAPPLE PORK CHOPS with SWEET & SOUR RED CABBAGE

APRICOT PINEAPPLE PORK CHOPS with SWEET & SOUR RED CABBAGE

PORK CHOPS
4 boneless pork loin chops (no thicker than 1/2 inch)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup Smucker’s Apricot Pineapple jam
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Generously season pork chops.
  • Using the pan you cooked the bacon in, heat over medium high heat.
  • Add pork chops and sear for 2 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to baking sheet. Keep warm in pre-heated oven for 7 minutes.
  • In the same pan add onions to remaining bacon drippings and saute’ until soft.
  • Add jam and continue sauteing until heated through and slightly reduced.
  • Add pork chops to pan, turning to coat well.
  • Serve with a small amount of sauce over each pork chop.

SWEET & SOUR RED CABBAGE
3 slices bacon, chopped, cooked crisp (save bacon drippings)
1/2 head red cabbage
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 small red onion
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup + 1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • Wash and shred cabbage.
  • Cut onion into thin rings.
  • In a dutch oven bring 1 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white vinegar to a boil.
  • Add shredded cabbage and onion rings.
  • Cook until tender, but still crisp. DRAIN.
  • Add 4 tablespoons bacon drippings, 1 cup water and apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and flour whisking until well blended.
  • Add the cabbage and onions, coating well.
  • Heat through.
  • Top with crumbled bacon before serving.

ITALIAN PORK CHOPS

ITALIAN PORK CHOPS
4 boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 strips bacon, chopped and cooked crisp (reserve bacon grease for searing pork chops)
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup diced pastrami
1/2 cup heavy cream
Prepared egg noodles

  • Preheat oven to 275°.
  • Pound chops to 1/4-1/2 inch maximum.
  • Generously season chops with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
  • Add avocado oil and butter in skillet over medium high heat.
  • Sear chops 2 1/2 minutes per side and transfer to baking sheet to keep warm in oven.
  • Add onions and mushrooms to skillet, sauteing until starting to caramelize, about 10=15 minutes.
  • Add Marsala to pan and de-glaze and reduce until almost evaporated.
  • Add beef broth, pastrami and cream. Simmer until reduced by half and beginning to thicken.
  • Stir in bacon pieces.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve over pork chops and noodles.

HONEY BBQ CHICKEN

This week I made just chicken legs which are wonderful for leftovers, lunches etc… Just a hint of sweet from the sugar rub and then a bit of a bite from the cayenne pepper also in the rub and with the jalapeno ketchup influence in the sauce.  I served it with homemade chili and it was a HUGE hubby hit.

I love this recipe for a several reasons. 

  • 1) It is extremely flavorful
  • 2) It produces tender, juicy and flavorful chicken
  • 3) It is extremely easy!

HONEY BBQ CHICKEN
12 pieces of chicken (I like leg quarters or just plain leg and thigh pieces)
RUB
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon FRESH ground Sea Salt (I use Himalayan pink)
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • Pat chicken dry.
  • Combine rub ingredients until well blended.
  • Rub over chicken pieces and refrigerate in a shallow dish for 2 hours prior to cooking.

SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup Jalapeno ketchup
1/2 cup QUALITY honey
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Heinz mustard
2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

  • Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

 

  • Preheat oven to 450°.
  • Grease grill rack.
  • Place chicken pieces on rack in baking dish.
  • Roast 25 minutes or until 165°.
  • Brush with sauce and turn. Brush again. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or until 170°.
  • Serve with remaining sauce.

CHICKEN in OREGANO CREAM SAUCE

CHICKEN IN OREGANO CREAM SAUCE
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried oregano
FRESH oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, reserving a bit for garnish
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2+ 2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil

  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon avocado oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Sear chicken breasts 2-4 minutes per side until golden and ALMOST cooked through. DO NOT WIPE OUT SKILLET.
  • Transfer chicken to baking sheet and top with half the Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

 

  • Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to hot skillet.
  • Add tomatoes, cooking 2-4 minutes.
  • Add a sprig of oregano, half the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant, garlic is golden and tomatoes are blistered.
  • Season with half of the dried oregano salt and pepper to taste.
  • Remove to platter.

 

  • Add remaining butter to pan.
  • When butter is melted add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant.
  • Add cream, broth, tomato paste, remaining Parmesan cheese and remaining oregano, stirring frequently and cooking until desired consistency and starting to bubble, 2-4 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in last 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Season to taste.
  • Plate chicken, tomatoes and top with sauce.

BROWN GRAVY MEATBALLS

This recipe is great all by itself, but I like to make it along with the CHEESY CORN BREAD PUDDING for two reasons. The first reason being that I use the bacon grease to brown the meatballs in and the second being that the brown gravy is absolutely delicious over the corn bread pudding. These two recipes compliment each other PERFECTLY 😀 the CORN BREAD PUDDING will post in a couple days.
BROWN GRAVY MEATBALLS makes 30 golf ball sized Meatballs and 3 cups of gravy
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup grated onion
1/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon beef base
3 tablespoons WONDRA
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional – mainly for color)

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Spray baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • Whisk together the onion, half and half, cornstarch, egg, salt, nutmeg, allspice and pepper.
  • Add beef and pork, mixing to combine.
  • Portion into 30 meatballs, roll and set aside.
  • In a large skillet melt butter and avocado oil over medium high heat.
  • Add meatballs and gently brown all over, but do NOT cook all the way through. Transfer meatballs to baking dish.
  • Add 3 1/2 cups broth to pan and deglaze scraping up all the bits from the pan.
  • Stir in beef base and bring to a simmer.
  • Whisk together the WONDRA with remaining broth and kitchen bouquet if using. Add to gravy stirring constantly until thickened.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Pour gravy over meatballs, cover and transfer to oven for 35 minutes or until cooked through.

OMG CHICKEN

OMG CHICKEN serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup Caesar dressing **
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese ***
1-2 tablespoons FRESH chopped oregano

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
  • Generously season chicken breast with salt and pepper.
  • Arrange chicken breast in a single layer.
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Top chicken with dressing and back 5 minutes more.
  • Top with cheese crumbles and oregano.
  • Serve immediately.

NOTES:

  • **Also works well with Italian dressing or a combination of Ranch and balsamic dressing.
  • ***Mozzarella also works well for a flavor combo.

CELERY ROOT CHICKEN MEDLEY

CELERY ROOT CHICKEN VEGGIE MEDLEY – serves 4
4 boneless, chicken breasts
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
flour for dredging
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 pound celery root, peeled and grated
1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley
Juice of 1 LARGE Lemon
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon creamy horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Frank’s original hot sauce
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Flatten chicken breasts to 1/2 inch even sizes.
  • Wash and dry chicken pieces.
  • Generously season with fresh ground salt and pepper.
  • Dredge chicken pieces in flour.
  • Heat butter and avocado oil over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken pieces quickly on both sides. Remove and set aside.
  • Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Arrange onions, bell pepper slices, carrots and celery root.
  • Whisk together the lemon juice, hot sauce, creamy horseradish, heavy cream and parsley.
  • Arrange half of sauce over vegetables.
  • Arrange chicken pieces on top of sauce and pour remains sauce over chicken pieces.
  • Sprinkle with cheese.
  • Cover with foil using toothpicks if necessary to keep foil from touching the cheese.
  • Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is golden.
  • Serve immediately.