HONEY BUTTER GARLIC PORK LOIN

There is no better was to describe this dish except DELICIOUS. It melts in your mouth and soothes your taste buds with its sweet, sour, sticky, ooey gooey sauce. Don’t mind the kitchen twine in the picture – unfortunately I thought I bought a WHOLE tenderloin, but ended up with 2 halves. 😀

HONEY BUTTER GARLIC PORK LOIN

RUB
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, ground fine
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

PORK LOIN
3 pound pork loin roast, trimmed
1 + 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
Rub mixture from above
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 cup water

  • Pat pork DRY.
  • Combine 1 tablespoon of oil with rub ingredients.
  • Rub mixture into the meat, completely coating.
  • Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat.
  • Quickly sear pork all over until golden browned, rotating the pork around to avoid spices burning.
  • Place seared/browned seasoned pork in a roasting pan.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Prepare sauce, as above.
  • Reserve 1/2 cup sauce for basting.
  • Pour remaining sauce over pork.
  • Add in 1/2 cup stock and 1/2 cup water around the pork.
  • Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.
  • Baste with half of the reserved sauce and continue roasting, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. 

  • Baste again and roast another 10-15 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 14
  • Transfer pork onto serving plate and baste with pan juices.
  • Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

HONEY GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE
1/2 cup QUALITY honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, FINELY minced or mashed
3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
2 tablespoons rice apple cider vinegar

  • Melt butter in the same pan the pork was seared in in while scraping up any leftover bits in the pan.
  • Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Stir in remaining sauce ingredients; bring to a rapid simmer for 1 minute.
  • Add FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper to taste.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chicken stock

4 teaspoons cornstarch

  • Scrape up any browned bits leftover in the pan blending them with the pan juices.
  • Pour juices into a saucepan.
  • Whisk in cornstarch, stock and water mixture and bring to a simmer.
  • Add another 1/4 cup if needed, until reaching a honey-like consistency.
  • Slice pork and drizzle with Honey Garlic Butter Sauce.

NOTE:

  • Homemade bone broth is the MOST flavorful!
  • Sauce will thicken as it cools.


HOT ITALIAN SANDWICHES

HOT ITALIAN SANDWICHES
1 package King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
1/2 cup QUALITY mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Classico tomato pesto
6 slices provolone cheese
6 slices Tavern ham
6 slices Hard Salami
6 slices oven roasted turkey
6 slices Pastrami
1 cup giardiniera, chopped small
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup FRESH basil leaves
1/2 SMALL red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup River House Parmesan Herb dressing (or a zesty Italian)
Pepperoncinis, garnish
Giardiniera, garnish

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Slice the rolls horizontally in half.
  • Lightly spray a 11×7 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Whisk together the mayonnaise and pesto until well blended.
  • Spread mayonnaise mixture over the cut rolls.
  • Place roll bottoms in baking dish.
  • Layer the provolone cheese followed by the meats in an even layer.
  • Add basil in a single layer followed by the red onion slices and giardiniera.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • Place roll tops over the ingredients.
  • Gently press to flatten.
  • Bake 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and and brush with dressing.
  • Bake another 5 minutes.
  • Cool slightly before slicing.
  • Serve with pepperoncinis and giardiniera.

TUNA TARRAGON

TUNA TARRAGON

1 tablespoon salt
5 cups small shell pasta*
1 1/4 cups penne pasta*
1 cup egg noodles*
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 small cans tuna in water, drained WELL
1 1/2 cups sweet pickles with their juice
1 3/4 cups Duke’s mayonnaise
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dried tarragon leaves
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
chopped red onion
chopped tomatoes

  • Bring a LARGE pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  • Add all of your pastas and cook for about 8-10 minutes until al dente.
  • Drain pasta and cool by running cold water over pasta in strainer.
  • Drain pasta completely and immediately coat with canola oil to prevent sticking.
  • Drain pickles, reserving juice and chop pickles.
  • Drain tuna completely and use a fork to break apart into flakes.
  • Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, vinegar, salt and pepper until well blended.
  • Fold in tuna and pickles into dressing.
  • Combine the dressing and cooked pasta, mixing thoroughly.
  • ALLOW SALAD TO MARINATE FOR 8 HOURS!
  • Serve over a bed of lettuce with chopped red onion and tomatoes.

NOTE 1*: or 2 pounds of your desired pasta mix

ORIGINALLY posted 9-16-2017 but needed a serious updated picture!

Save

Save

BEEF STROGANOFF on a BUDGET

When I was a kid I was served beef stroganoff on a fairly regular basis. NO ONE told me it was the middle class version of stretching a dollar. It was pretty good in my opinion, but I was a kid, what did I know? 😀

When I grew up and read the recipe in a “real” cookbook, I was amazed to find that it wasn’t actually made with ground beef LOL 😀

Taking the budget a step farther, my folks used canned mushrooms. I didn’t even know what a FRESH mushroom was until many years later. I will tell you I have NEVER EVER liked canned mushrooms. They also used them in chop suey YUCK!!!!! They also used dehydrated onion and garlic.

This version with REAL veggies and a QUALITY ground beef is really good though. It may not be a great picture, but the flavor made up for it.

BEEF STROGANOFF on a BUDGET
3/4-1 pound QUALITY ground beef
1 cup sliced FRESH mushrooms
1 LARGE shallot, FINELY chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 + 3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
3 cups prepared egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped parsley

  • In a large skillet brown the ground beef until crumbly.
  • Drain off excess fat and set aside for the moment.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butterin the same skillet.
  • Add shallots, garlic and mushrooms, sauteing until soft.
  • Remove veggies with a slotted spoon adding to the meat.
  • Melt the remaining butter in skillet.
  • Whisk in flour salt and pepper, whisking until golden.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in milk.
  • Add meat and veggies back into skillet.
  • Return to heat, reduce heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
  • Fold in sour cream, prepared egg noodles and parsley.
  • Serve immediately.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 46 of 2021

Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up
with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Did you remember to set your clocks back? I did, but my body didn’t get the message so I was WIDE awake at 5AM on a Sunday! Oh well, I got a lot done and was happy for the extra time. 😀

I’m anxious to jump into some normalcy and begin this holiday season! I started with our local Harvest craft fair last Saturday and did a bunch of Christmas shopping while supporting local artists. The Christmas holiday fair is in a month and I will support it also. Entry into both fairs is canned goods for the food drive which I highly support.

I also have everything gift wrapped to date which is such a relief to be ahead of the game. I even have the Christmas cards started 😀

While we didn’t have “luck” on finding a new project home this trip YET I’m a believer in things happening for a reason and know what is supposed to be will be in time so I’m okay with it. It is prompting me to spend the winter sorting and planning a HUGE garage sale for spring to downsize when I know things will work out better. I’m hoping by then we have entered the endemic phase of this pandemic and to find a bit of normalcy in the world around us.

The Pacific North West in November and it’s raining, imagine that LOL We’re supposed to be in the 50’s with low in the 40’s all week along with more rain. We needed the rain so bad that I don’t even mind! I love that all the flannel and layers are back with my comfy UGGs.

Hot water and black cherry yogurt

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have a couple loads of laundry to do today and tomorrow and then will begin a DEEP CLEAN from the ceiling down later this week. And by deep clean I mean EVERY light fixture globe, everything on the “decorative” ledges above the living room, the tops of the cupboards etc… I want to get it all done before they come to clean the carpets on the 22nd.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have an appointment with the Chronic Care manager FINALLY on Tuesday and the eye doctor on Wednesday. Between being in town on those 2 days I’ll get ALL the errands done. Hubby has a follow up with his doctor Friday afternoon that I need to cancel since the doctor actually called us last Friday afternoon. I also received a letter saying my primary doctor is leaving the area for an area to our north. I have an appointment with her later this month, but I’m going to try and move it up so I can get all my referrals and prescriptions handled. Poor timing for the whole meter fiasco getting handled. I’m hoping whatever practice she’s moving to will take some of her patients – I’ll make the hour drive to stay with her.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS I need to get follow up referrals from the primary doctor for the dermatologist and endocrinologist. This was already on the to do list when I received the letter (which was dated 10/25, but not postmarked until 11/4) on Saturday. The practice she’s leaving was on my S**T list already for not meeting my needs as a patient and she was the only saving grace for it. So, I have no regrets leaving them behind by hopefully following her to her new practice or finding another doctor in the area. The jury is still out on the chronic care manager as I have yet to meet her.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING Everything is planned through Thanksgiving so I’m taking a rest, despite collecting a few new recipes.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • NETFLIX Season 2 Locke & Key
  • CABLE I finished all the Halloween Baking shows and arm beginning on the Holiday ones 😀 I also got caught up on most of the prime time shows from when we were traveling. Oh and Hallmark Christmas movies have begun 😀

I’m working on Kristen Proby’s book #3 Serendipity: A Bayou Magic Novel, but I keep falling asleep before I get but a few paragraphs in.


Hubby and I were both getting a little cabin fever from the recent rain storms so took a drive to a neighboring town and had lunch at a favorite old haunt and did a little antiquing. It was cold, but so good to get out and I actually took a few new pictures.

Buster’s Main Street Cafe where we went is too small and unable to operate under current COVID restrictions, but we were happy to find that several of the downtown businesses have banded together with a local Brewery, Covered Bridge Brewing and are able to still function and stay in business. They deliver your food directly to you at the brewery who in turn serves your drinks and is large enough to have tables that meet the social distancing requirements.

It’s a cute little town and actually has a fun history dating back to the filming of Buster Keaton’s The General in 1926 and John Belushi’s Animal House parade scene down Main Street in 1978. Cottage Grove is also home to many working covered bridges and a go to spot when people are visiting. The covered bridge below is actually only a mile and half from the house and one of my favorites that we use quite often.

with the links to last week’s posted recipes, featured party links for the week and upcoming recipes to be posted soon.

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
MEATBALLS & PASTA with SALAD
LOADED HASHBROWN POTATO SOUP & BISCUITS
TUNA TARRAGON
S3 PORK CHOPS & VEGGIE
PAPRIKA RUBBED CHICKEN & RICE PILAF
RED CABBAGE SALAD
PAN SEARED CHICKEN with MASHED POTATOES & BUTTERMILK POBLANO GRAVY
DESSERT
CARAMEL MACCHIATO CUPCAKES

  • BEEF STROGANOFF on a BUDGET
  • HONEY BUTTER GARLIC PORK LOIN
  • MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CHICKEN PARMESAN

ENCHILADA MEATBALLS, RE-FRIED BEANS & TEX MEX RICE

ENCHILADA MEATBALLS, RE-FRIED BEANS & TEX MEX RICE

ENCHILADA MEATBALLS
1 slice sourdough sandwich bread
2 pounds QUALITY ground beef
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2+ tablespoons avocado oil
2 cups enchilada sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Pulse bread into fine crumbs.
  • Combine bread crumbs, ground beef, egg, garlic, salt and pepper until well mixed.
  • Shape into small balls.
  • Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Work in batches searing the meatballs quickly, but not cooking all the way through.
  • After they are all seared add the enchilada sauce to the pan and nestle meatballs into the sauce.
  • Simmer sauce and meatballs 10 minutes over low heat.
  • Top with grated cheese and serve with re-fried beans and rice.

SAUCE
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 LARGE yellow onion, sliced thin
6 dried Ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
6 dried California chiles, stems and seeds removed
6 dried Guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2-3 Arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed (optional – these chiles bring more heat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
5 cups homemade chicken bone broth
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

  • Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat.
  • Add onion slices, sauteing until beginning to caramelize.
  • Add chiles.
  • Add garlic, sauteing 1 minute more until fragrant.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Turn off heat, cover and let chiles steep 20-30 minutes.
  • After steeping time, use an immersion blender to make smooth.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil again.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Add a bit more chicken stock if sauce is too thick.

RE-FRIED BEANS
2 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 small onion, FINELY chopped
4 tablespoons bacon grease
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon each FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar/ Monterey Jack grated cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Rinse beans and pick out any bad ones.
  • In a small stock pot cover the beans with about 3 inches of water. If there are still any bad beans in there they will float to the top.
  • Bring them to a boil, lower heat and simmer 2 hours or until skins break.
  • Drain.
  • In a heavy skillet (cast iron works best), melt the bacon grease and butter.
  • Saute’ onion until translucent.
  • Add beans and stir well.
  • Smash beans continuously until desired texture is reached.
  • Transfer beans into a large mixing bowl.
  • Use hand mixer and beat smooth.
  • Add sour cream, salt, pepper and red pepper.
  • Beat smooth again.
  • Transfer into a 9×9 casserole and top with cheese.
  • Bake 20 minutes.

TEX MEX RICE
1 MEDIUM yellow onion, FINELY diced
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon QUALITY tomato paste
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 cups jasmine rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
4 cups homemade bone broth
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef TexMex Chipotle South Western spice
1/2 cup FRESH chopped cilantro
1 LARGE bunch green onions, minced
Juice of 1 LARGE lime

  • Heat the oil in a sauce pot over medium heat.
  • Add diced yellow onion, sauteing 3-4 minutes, but not browning.
  • Add tomato paste, salt, pepper and Tex Mex spice, cooking 2-3 minutes more.
  • Add the rice and garlic, cooking 2-3 minutes more.
  • Add the green chiles and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering 15-20 minutes until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
  • Fold in the cilantro, lime juice and green onions.

CHAT TIME


There has been so much going on for so long that I haven’t taken the time to JUST BREATHE. The trip we just finished made me realize how much I need to TAKE the time to catch up with myself instead of the world. 😀

I have finally finished all the laundry and gotten everything put away as well as cleared off my desk. I have a bit more paperwork to get through and some appointments to set up, but that aspect is under control.

As soon as all the Halloween candy was handed out I was ready to move on! And move on to Christmas even though we haven’t had Thanksgiving yet!

I’m not actually decorating yet, BUT I do have MOST of the Christmas presents not only bought, but wrapped too. I will finish up at the local craft fair this weekend and I have a couple shipments coming from Amazon for oddly specific items. I also have the Christmas card envelopes started with the return addresses and stamps.

I did pick up the turkeys yesterday at the grocery store since I had some awesome coupons as well as the necessary staples for the munchkin baking day.

ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILI

ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILI
10 tomatillos
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 SMALL red pepper, diced
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons red chile flakes
3 cups homemade chicken bone broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can small great northern (Navy) beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped FRESH cilantro
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken OR 2 cups diced cooked tri-tip pieces OR crumbled cooked ground beef
sour cream, garnish
grated cheddar cheese, garnish

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Peel papers from tomatillos and wash well.
  • Wash jalapeno halve and seed if preferred.
  • Arrange tomatillos and jalapeno on baking sheet.
  • Roast 15-20 minutes until tomatillos burst and brown.
  • Remove from oven and cool.

 

  • Heat avocado oil in soup pot over medium heat.
  • Sweat onions, red pepper, garlic and spices 5-7 minutes.
  • Chop tomatillos and jalapeno. Add them to soup pot.
  • Simmer 10-15 minutes.
  • Add chosen meat pieces.
  • Add stock, tomatoes and drained beans. Simmer 20-30 minutes more.
  • Fold in cilantro.
  • Serve with sour cream and grated cheese.

PISTACHIO CRUSTED ROCKFISH or HALIBUT

PISTACHIO CRUSTED ROCKFISH or HALIBUT
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1 shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
FRESH ground black pepper
2 tablespoons FINE breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
4 skinless halibut fillets (or white fish of choice like a rockfish)

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Coarsely chop pistachios, shallots, black pepper and sugar in a small food processor.
  • Add breadcrumbs, butter and lemon zest pulsing JUST until combined, but before it becomes paste.
  • Season to taste with additional FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper or SILPAT.
  • Dip fish in lemon juice and shake off excess.
  • Gently pat pistachio mixture onto each fillet arranging in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes until center is cooked and fish is opaque and flaky.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 45 of 2021

Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up
with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

I hope you are all doing well and I promise to play a better catch-up game this week now that I’m home! I’m still playing catch-up on mail, laundry, current events/news (so much happened while we were traveling), etc…, but I’m home! As wonderful as the trip was, it’s always good to get back!

Oh my can you believe it is November already? 24 days until Thanksgiving and 54 days until Christmas if you were wondering! I can say that now that Halloween is over. I hope your was great whatever you did. Ours was quiet with about 4 dozen or so kids. At one point we wondered why we heard them coming to the door, but not ringing the bell when we realized they were just taking from the delivery driver bins 😀 We brought those inside so they would ring the bell for the Halloween candy instead. HA HA, It never occurred to me to bring those in.

I was planning on doing BLOGTOBER and BLOGEMBER this year, but honestly will be lucky to do BLOGMAS. I do have high hopes of returning to a more normal blogging in 2022.

We’re back in the cool fall of the Pacific Northwest! I’m absolutely loving it, but need to get my wardrobes changed out to warmer clothes and soon! Highs will be in the low 50’s with the lows in the high 30’s and lots of clouds and rain. Flannel shirts and UGG’s are in! 😀

Hot water and pear applesauce

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING Believe it or not, but I’m caught up! I didn’t do laundry the week before we left so that made things worse! I won’t be making that mistake again! Doing a month’s worth of laundry in one weekend is horrible!
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS Hubby has an appointment later today and we have a few errands to run. I have a pedicure tomorrow and will do the grocery shopping and remaining errands the.
  • PROJECTS I’m trying to get ahead of the game this year on Christmas cards and presents being wrapped early and ready for shipping with all the shipping channels being overloaded. I’m also working on the “down sizing” sort for winter so we can do a BIG garage sale in the spring.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS I need to go through my desk and play catch up on paperwork as well as a couple phone calls.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I have the menus planned through Thanksgiving, but beyond that I need to go through and decide.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • DVD There is so much to catch up on on the DVR alone that I don’t know where to begin. We made a bit of a dent in it over the rainy weekend.

We got through 12 books of the Jana DeLeon Miss Fortune series while on the trip and I didn’t get much reading done at night, but did finish the 21st book in the series. I’m about to begin the 3rd in the Bayou Magic series by Kristen Proby.

I’m still editing the last of the trip photos, but those of you that follow my Instagram have seen most of them already. I still have the last few days of the trip to go, but hope to get them up on Instagram the next couple days. 😀 One of my most favorite is this old photo booth style composite of lunch with some of our oldest friends 😀 I know I shared it last week, but it’s still one of my favorites 😀

with the links to last week’s posted recipes, featured party links for the week and upcoming recipes to be posted soon.

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
CHICKEN PARMESAN CASSEROLE
1000 ISLAND PORK CHOPS
C.O.R.N. CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR NIGHT and GRANDMA’S APPLE CAKE
MEATBALLS & PASTA with SALAD
HOT ITALIAN SANDWICHES
MEXICAN STREET CORN CHOWDER
PAPRIKA RUBBED CHICKEN
DESSERT

  • PISTACHIO CRUSTED ROCK FISH or HALIBUT
  • ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILI
  • ENCHILADA MEATBALLS, RE-FRIED BEANS & TEX-MEX RICE

PORK TONKATSU with WATERMELON TOMATO SALAD

TONKATSU basically means breaded with seasoned Panko bread crumbs and fried – traditionally deep fried though I pan fry.

PORK TONKATSU with WATERMELON TOMATO SALAD
PORK
4 boneless center cut pork chops, pounded thin
4-6 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 LARGE eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

  • Whisk together the eggs and mayonnaise in a shallow bowl.
  • Add Panko crumbs to a similar shallow bowl.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Season egg mixture with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Season pork chops with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Dip each pork chop in egg mixture and then dredge in Panko crumbs.
  • Add pork chops to skillet and cook on both 2-3 minutes per side until golden, adding more oil as necessary.

SALAD
2 cups 1/2″ watermelon cubes
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup CHOPPED, FRESH Italian leaf parsley
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Toss the watermelon cubes, tomato halves, red onion pieces and parsley together. Set aside.
  • Whisk together avocado oil, mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  • Just before serving pour dressing over the salad and gently toss.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with WINE HERB PAN SAUCE

This is a recipe I’ve made repeatedly over the years with whatever I had on hand. Then a few months ago I ran across one of those antique recipe boxes with a bunch of OLD handwritten recipes in them and was surprised to find a recipe ALMOST identical to mine so I had to try it! And you know what I think I like it almost better. 😀 I ended up mixing a bit of mine with a bit of theirs and now have the PERFECT recipe.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with WINE HERB PAN SAUCE
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 pound THINLY sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups sour cream
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Frank’s Original Hot Sauce
Prepared egg noodles
Minced green onions, for garnish

  • Pound chicken breasts to even sizes.
  • Generously season chicken breasts with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • LIGHTLY dredge chicken in flour.
  • Heat avocado oil in large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Saute’ chicken breasts 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the wine, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
  • Remove chicken to plate and keep warm.
  • Add mushrooms to pan along with remaining wine and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Blend in sour cream and hot sauce, stirring constantly.
  • Adjust seasoning and serve over prepared noodles.
  • Garnish with green onions for color.