Category: PROTEINS

PORK CHOPS in ORANGE SAUCE

PORK CHOPS in ORANGE SAUCE
4 boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cold water

  • Combine paprika and pepper.
  • Rub both sides of all pork chops with mixture.
  • Melt butter in skillet and brown pork chops over medium heat.
  • Combine the orange juice and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour over pork chops.
  • Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes until chops are cooked through.
  • Remove chops and keep warm.
  • Whisk together the flour and water until smooth.
  • Whisk into orange juice mixture and bring to a boil, simmering until thickened.
  • Serve over the chops.

With just the 2 of us, I take the leftover pork chops and shred them into the sauce. We then eat the leftovers over noodles or mashed potatoes.

HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE

HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 cups Portland Ketchup

  • In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients except the ketchup. 
  • Cook uncovered until sugar is dissolved and all ingredient are well blended.
  •  Add ketchup and bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. 
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often (about 30 minutes) until dark and thick.

TROPICAL GLAZED ROAST CHICKEN

TROPICAL GLAZED ROAST CHICKEN

1 Whole Chicken
kosher salt & pepper
16 oz. can*
1 Bartles & Jaymes Tropical Mango Malt Ale
2-3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup apricot pineapple jam or plain apricot
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray can with PURE.
  •  Rinse and pat dry chicken. Tuck wings on the chicken. Puncture large fat deposits at top of thighs and breasts. Pat kosher salt and pepper onto chicken.
  • Fill can ½ full of Tropical Mango malt ale. Drink the rest. Spray 9 inch baking dish with PURE. Stand chicken over can in 9 inch baking dish.
  • Set oven shelf to lowest position.
  • Roast chicken 90 minutes OR until internal temperature is 140 degrees.
  • While chicken is cooking whisk cornstarch and water together until there are no lumps – set aside. Bring remaining ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan until reduced and thickened to about ¾ cup, 6-8 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from oven and increase heat to 500 degrees.
  • Slowly whisk cornstarch mix into glaze and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  • Place 1 cup water in saute’ pan and place in bottom of oven. Return chicken to oven for 15 minutes more.
  • Remove chicken and brush with ⅓ of glaze.** Return to oven until glaze is browned and sticky. About 10-15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and brush with another ⅓ cup of glaze. Let rest 20 minutes.
  • Strain drippings and add to remaining glaze over low heat until heated through and use as gravy. I like to serve with mashed potatoes.
Recipe works really well on chicken legs too. If using these, foil tent the pan with the legs and can of ale for first 60 minutes to infuse the flavor.

*I use a green bean can that I put in the dishwasher after each use and reuse for future chickens. I like it better because of the more substantial than a beer can and supports the chicken throughout the entire cooking time.

**If glaze has become stiff, return to heat for a few minutes to soften.

TEXAS RED CHICKEN

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 cups homemade chicken broth
1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

  • Whisk together the ketchup, BBQ sauce vinegar, soy sauce, broth and sugar.
  • Place chicken pieces in slow cooker.
  • Add onion pieces.
  • Pour ketchup mixture over top.
  • Cook on low 6-8 hours.
  • Remove chicken and shred – add back to sauce.
  • Serve over Rice or on buns.

LEMON CREAM CHICKEN

When I first started blogging it was about home renovations that were forced on us when we bought some investment property.  Soon after though I realized that my favorite blogs to read and the women I met were those of the foodie genre.  Since then I have made more recipes from the scraps of paper I collected over the years.  Some were real duds, but some shone brightly.

Tonight the Lemon Cream Chicken shined the brightest of all recent recipes I’ve tried. So, I’m going to share it with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

LEMON CREAM CHICKEN
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves**
3 tablespoons butter
1 KNORR chicken homestyle stock tub
3/4 cup hot water
1 cup whipping cream
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

  • Wash and dry chicken pieces.

  • Generously salt and pepper each side.

  • Dredge in the flour, pressing to coat well.

  • In a large skillet, melt butter.

  • Add chicken pieces and brown on each side.  Remove chicken and keep warm.

  • Add KNORR stock and hot water, whisking into drippings until well blended.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer about 10 minutes until reduced by half.

  • Whisk in the lemon juice and whipping cream until well blended.  

  • Reduce heat and add mushrooms cooking about 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

  • Simmer to desired consistency.

  • Pour over chicken and mashed potatoes.

**I use thinly sliced chicken steaks which are basically chicken breasts that are sliced at least once and many times 3 times.  This helps for portion control and works wonders!  Since my last surgery and for medical reasons I’m supposed to eat less each meal and eat more meals.  This it happens allows me to try even more recipes as long as I adjust them to feed 2.

SMOTHERED CHOPPED STEAKS

SMOTHERED CHOPPED STEAKS

2 pounds ground sirloin
1 sleeve Keebler club crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon liquid Smoke – MYSTERY ingredient
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped,
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
large shred cheddar cheese
  • Combine all the hamburger steak ingredients until well mixed. Form six steaks.
  • In a well seasoned cast iron grill, sear steaks on both sides.  About 4-5 minutes each side should leave you with medium steaks.
  • In a large skillet melt the butter. Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and caramelized.
  • Top steaks with onions, tomatoes and cheese.

PORK in ORANGE SAUCE

My wonderful SIL recently (this was originally posted 11-19-2010) returned from a cruise to Panama – lucky her! – she had a great time, but lucky me – she sent me a new cookbook of Mexican recipes.  I have tried 3 recipes so far this week and we loved all 3!!!!!!!!!  But, hubby all but licked his plate on this one tonight. And this recipe was soooooooooo simple!  I did tweak the original recipe to suit us, but the basics are all still there.

2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into pieces
1/3 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
sliced oranges for garnish
mashed potatoes (original recipe called for mashed sweet potatoes but hubby doesn’t care for them)

  • In a large bowl combine vinegar, cumin, garlic, red pepper and salt.
  • Drop in pork cubes and make sure they are completely coated.
  • Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or more.
  • Remove pork pieces from marindae, but reserve the marinade.
  • Pat the meat dry.*
  • In a heavy skillet, melt the butter.
  • Brown the pork cubes until golden.
  • Add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pork is tender (30 minutes or so).
  • Stir in orange and lemon juices last 15 minutes.

*Next time I will brown the pork first and then marinade the meat so there is a bit of a crusty edge.

NOTE:  Any time you marinade in vinegar, meat will take longer to brown.

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
CAKES
12 ounce can all white albacore tuna, drained well**
1 large egg
1/8 cup mayonnaise
panko crumbs
sea salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce

SAUCE
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg until golden and consistency is smooth.
  • Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and green Tabasco sauce, whisking until well blended.
  • Add enough panko crumbs to make a paste.
  • Add tuna and blend well.
  • Form 6 cakes or logs.
  • Set cakes on paper towels and chill 30 minutes.  The paper towels will draw out excess moisture
  • In a cast iron pan melt butter.
  • Roll cakes in panko crumbs.
  • When butter is frothy, add tuna cakes.
  • Brown each side until golden.
  • In a food processor mix together all the sauce ingredients until well blended.
  • Microwave 1 minute until hot.
  • Pour over tuna cakes and enjoy.

**Crab or Salmon works well too.

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won’t eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.
When I do ‘recipe experiment’ night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I’m a ‘no measure’ cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS

1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

  • In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add seasonings and blend well.
  • Slow simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to ‘swim’.
  • Drain chops.
  • Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
  • Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  • Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add onions and garlic, Saute’ until tender.
  • Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  • Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Cool 15 minutes.
  • Refrigerate,
  • Makes 4 cups.

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE
2-5 ounce cans tuna, REALLY well drained
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 can chopped green chiles, well drained
1 can Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup
1 cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375˚.
  • Blend together milk and soup until well blended.
  • Fold tuna, onions, green chiles, garlic, salt and pepper into soup mixture.
  • Fold in cheese.
  • Gently fold in egg noodles.
  • Pour into a generously greased baking dish.
  • Top with potato chips.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.

Mediterranean Chicken Alfredo

Mediterranean Chicken Alfredo
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Classico sun-dried tomato pesto
4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pasta of your choice

  • Drain and rinse artichoke hearts, cut into small pieces
  • Cut chicken into bite sized pieces
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in skillet over medium heat
  • Saute’ chicken pieces and garlic until cooked through and tender
  • While chicken is cooking melt 2 tablespoons of butter in sauce pan
  • Whisk in flour until smooth and golden
  • Gradually add whipping cream, bring to a SLOW simmer, stirring frequently
  • In a mortar and pestle rejuvenate your herbs and add to the sauce pan, whisking in well
  • Simmer 8-10 minutes until sauce reaches desired thickness and is smooth
  • Add tomato pesto & Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth
  • Drain chicken mixture and add to the sauce mixture.
  • Pour over prepared pasta, top with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
On a side note – this is what a dejected face looks like. She wasn’t happy about being relegated outside while I cooked.

CHICKEN ala BAD DAY

I was having one of those days with trying to get my aunt to a specific appointment at a specific time.  You know the type that she wasn’t (or wasn’t able to) cooperating, the weather was storming, it was hot and muggy and I was just plain getting worn out dealing with her.  We were supposed to have leftovers tonight, I had planned it that way knowing I would be gone dealing with her, but someone, who will remain nameless decided that it looked better for lunch.  So when I got home I rooted around the crisper and the pantry trying to throw together enough dinner for tonight and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.  My uncle asked what I called this and I said Chicken ala Bad Day.  He asked if I would post it to my blog and I said yes, because guess what?  They want me to make it again and it turned out REALLY good.

CHICKEN ala BAD DAY
3 tablespoons butter
2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed 
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

  • Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
  • Generously salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
  • Saute’ the onions and garlic until they soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides. 
  • Pour in vinegars and molasses.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is well glazed.  I removed the chicken and then added mushrooms and green beans and sauteed them in the remaining sauce creating a great accompanying vegetable.
I was going to use soy sauce when I discovered I was completely out and so I looked up substitutes.  I found this and it sounds like a great mix that I plan to try soon.
Soy Sauce Alternatives
If you are looking for a substitute for soy sauce which can be stored for sometime, here is a concoction which can be used for a month, if stored in the refrigerator.

Prepare garlic vinegar
5 garlic cloves
½ a quart of boiling white wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons of peppercorns 

1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
+/-5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (a spiritous mixture of rum and molasses)

  • Add garlic and peppercorns to vinegar and  let it stand for 3 weeks.
  • After 3 weeks,  add onion powder and ground ginger to 1¾ cups of the strained garlic vinegar. 
  • Next add +/-5 tablespoons. Take care to add the blackstrap based on how sour or sweet you want it to be. 

This soy sauce alternative is actually the best choice for those who are on a low sodium diet owing to blood pressure or cardiovascular issues and also makes way for the health benefits of blackstrap molasses which includes regularization of bowel movement, arthritic pain relief and restoration of color to graying hair.