Marinated Baked Pork Chops

This recipe and the photo are from allrecipes.com. 

These were pretty good.  I like the balance of tangy and sweet. 

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings.        

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

1 tablespoon soy sauce                                                                     

2 tablespoons vegetable oil                                                                     

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce                                                                     

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

6 pork chops

 

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup.
3. Place pork chops in a medium baking dish, and spread with 1/2 the sauce.
4. Bake pork chops 30 minutes* in the preheated oven. Turn, and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking 30 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chops has reached 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

 

*I amended the baking times to suit the thickness of my chops.

Shepherd's Pie

I'm finally posting again...and it's for shepherd's pie.  My teenage self would find that comical as I loathed Shepherds Pie growing up.  I like it more now (acquired taste?), and as a mom I also like that it recycles leftover mashed potatoes and is made with things I typically keep on hand.

This recipe and photo are from About.com and can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/lhgg4yb

Both the image and (most) of the text will be borrowed from there.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic

1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups refrigerated mashed potatoes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In heavy skillet cook ground beef and onion until beef is brown and onion is tender, stirring to break up meat, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Stir in vegetables and soup and cook until hot, about 4 minutes, then add marjoram and salt and pepper to taste.
Place in 9 inch pie plate. Spoon mashed potatoes over hot meat mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and pie is bubbling.

Cola Chicken

Hands on Time:20 mins
Total time: 55 mins
Serves 6 (serving size 1 breast half and 1 tbs sauce)

Ingredients
1 tbs canola oil
2.5 tbs finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup cola
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tsp chili powder
1.5 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs sweet paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
6 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

Directions
1) Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2) Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan, swirl to coat.  Add onion to pan; saute 2 mins.  Add garlic, saute 1 min.  Stir in cola and next four ingredients (through chili powder).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 mins or until sauce reduces to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally.Set 6 tbs sauce aside.
3) Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients (through cumin), stir well.  Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of chicken.  Arrange chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; baste with 3 tbs of remaining sauce.  Grill 5 mins.  Turn chicken over, baste with sauce.  Cook 5 more minutes or until done.  Serve with reserved 6 tbs of sauce.

Calories: 254
Fat: 4.7g
Protein: 40g
Carb: 11.2g
Fiber: 0.5g
Chol: 99mg
Sodium: 498mg



(Photo credit: www.foodgawker.com, recipe from Cooking Light magazine)

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil

I haven't actually tried this one since my husband doesn't like us cooking fish at home (smell), but I think it sounds really good. The recipe is another one that I found at the Commissary, image is from http://www.cooking.com/.

Makes: 4 servings

Active and Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt, divided

1 tbsp olive oil

1 whole wild salmon fillet (about 1.5 pounds)

1/3 cup plua 1/4 cup fresh basil thinly sliced (see photo), divided

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat grill to medium.

Mash minced garlic and 3/4 tsp salt on a cutting board with side of chefs knife or a spoon until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil.

Check salmon for pin bones and remove if necessary. Measure out a piece of heavy-duty foil (double regular foil) large enough for the fillet. Coat foil with cooking spray. Place salmon skin side down on the foil and spread garlic mixture all over it. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup basil. Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper.

Transfer salmon in the foil to the grill. Grill until fish flakes easily, about 10 mins. Use two large spatulas to slide salmon from foil to serving platter. Serve topped with remaining basil.

Nutrition:

248 cal, 10g fat, 1g fiber, 80 mg cholesterol

Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Peach-Ginger Chutney

I actually got this recipe from a flyer at the Commissary, but according to Dr. Google, it also is apparently on recipes.com (where the image is from).

Makes: 4 servings

Active Time: 35 min

Total Time: 35 min

Ingredients:

2 medium peaches (not overly ripe)

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1-1.25 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed (get uniform thickness)

1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp rice vinegar

Directions:

Preheat grill to high.

Peel peaches (Bring water in med saucepan to a boil, immerse peaches in boiling water for one minute then plunge into icy water. Remove skins with paring knife.) Cut peaches in half and remove the pits. Brush the cut sides with 2 tsp oil.

Brush pork with remaining 2 tsp oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Grill pork, turning occasionally, until a constant thermometer reading of 160* occurs, 14-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the peaches, cut-side down on the grill rack. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender (6-8 minutes). Transfer pork and peaches to cutting boards. Let peaches cool while pork rests.

Whisk ginger, brown sugar, vinegar and remaining salt in a medium bowl. Chop the peaches and add them to the ginger sauce. Stir to combine. Slice the pork on the diagonal. Serve the pork topped with peach chutney.

Per Serving:

208 cal

7g fat

74 mg cholesterol

11g carbs

1g fiber

279 mg sodium

*We served this with a green veggie and mashed potatoes as well...though these aren't figured in to the nutritional values.

Roasted Chicken

(photo and recipe adapted from www.allrecipes.com, key words: juicy roasted chicken)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 15 minutes (for 3 pd bird)
Ready 30 mins after done cooking
Serves 6 (3 pd bird)

Ingredients
1-3 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
salt & black pepper to taste
1 tbs onion powder, or to taste
1/2 cup butter, divided

My additions to make a meal of it:
Chicken Stove top Stuffing
potatoes
carrots
chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place chicken in roasting pan and season generously inside and out with salt & pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. I placed some Stovetop Stuffing in the bird at this time as well (prepare as per directions on the container). Melt butter and coat the exterior of the bird with butter. At this time I also cut up some potatoes and carrots and placed them in the roasting pan with the stuffed bird. In hindsight, I should have added some chicken stock to the pan at this point as well to keep the veggies moister.

3. Bake, uncovered, an hour and 15 minutes or until the minimum internal temperature of the bird is 180* (go by temp for a bird of a different weight). Remove from heat, baste with drippings in pan. Cover with aluminum foil and allow bird to rest for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Rosemary Chicken

4 Chicken Thighs (~1.25 lbs total)

1.5 TBSP fresh Rosemary leaves, chopped finely

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Cooking spray

2/3 cup white wine

Remove bones and excess fat from chicken thighs, leaving skin in tact. Combine rosemary, zest, salt & pepper in a small cup. Rub over the chicken.

Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 until meat is done (guessing 30 mins). Flip if necessary.

Transfer chicken to plates and pour wine into the pan. Let boil 2 mins (may need to put on heat again). Spoon liquid over chicken.

**Note: The original of this recipe called for the chicken to be cooked in a skillet. This didn't work well when I tried it. I think the oven would provide for a more even cooking of the meat. Might require some improv regarding the wine though. Also, this picture isn't from this exact recipe**

245 cals/serving

17g fat

0 g fiber

Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice

Makes 6 servings

1 cup wild rice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.25 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 carrots, diced (optional...at least to me)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tbsp dried
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp orange marmalade
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Cook the wild rice according to package directions

2. In large non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and saute until golden (~2 mins). Add in chicken and carrots and saute, stirring frequently. Stir in rosemary. Cook until chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir in marmalade, mustard and pepper. Cook until heated through. Add the rice, toss to combine.

Per serving (generous 1 cup):
304 cal
6 g fat
3 g fiber
Points: 6

*I tried this one tonight...minus the carrots of course. Probably a 6/10. The orange and mustard were an interesting compliment to one another. Tangy and sweet.

Dijon-Crusted Pork Chops

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 pork loin chops, 3⁄4 in. thick (about 11⁄2 lb)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3⁄4 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp canola oil
8 oz wide egg noodles
11⁄4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 Tbsp butter
1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper
(check applesauce situation)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place a sheet of foil on your kitchen counter. Measure mustard and bread crumbs separately onto foil. Coat pork chops with mustard, then coat with bread crumbs.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until bread crumbs are browned. Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan and bake 5 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 4 quarts water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Add vegetables in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and toss with butter, pepper and salt; serve with pork chops.

Nutrition Facts
Yield 4 pork chops
Amount Per Serving
Calories 577
Total Fat 23g
Saturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 108mg
Sodium 795mg
Total Carbohydrates 57g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Protein 33g

**Tried this one. Pork chops I got were too thick and needed extra cooking...throwing off the timing. Otherwise it was fine. Donny ate it :-). We did it with mashed potatoes, spinach (had some I needed to use up) and, of course, applesauce.

Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin

Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin

1 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 cup + 1 T orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
2 T + 1 tsp apricot preserves
1 T + 1 tsp chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T olive oil

Combine 1/4 cup orange juice, lime juice, 2 T apricot preserves, 1 T chili powder, garlic, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper in a large food storage bag and add pork tenderloin. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat. Add tenderloin and cook about 5-6 minutes on each side to form a crust. Resist the temptation to turn the meat too early.

Transfer the pan to the oven and finish cooking for approximately 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Combine 1 T orange juice, 1 tsp preserves, and 1 tsp chili powder in a small bowl, brush on tenderloin for last 5 minutes of cooking. Let meat rest covered with foil for about 5-10 minutes before cutting to let juices redistribute. Pour any remaining glaze over sliced tenderloin.

Baked Eggplant & Turkey Rotini

Baked Eggplant and Turkey Rotini

1/2 pound lean ground turkey
6 oz whole wheat rotini or other short cut pasta
2.5 cups marinara sauce
1 cup onion, diced (I used red but white works just as well)
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 eggplant, chopped (mine was pretty large so I only used half)
2 T olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt (plus more for salting pasta water)
1/2 cup cheese, shredded (I used a mix of 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add salt and pasta and stir. Cook until just al dente, do not overcook since you are going to continue baking. Drain pasta and add to a large bowl.

While water boils, heat a skillet over medium high heat. When hot add ground turkey and brown, crumbling with a wooden spatula as it cooks, add 1/2 tsp fennel seed while it cooks. When cooked through, remove from heat and transfer to large bowl and add marinara sauce.

In the same skillet, heat 1 T olive oil and add garlic and onion. Cook about 2 minutes and add green peppers. Add about half of crushed red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and cook about 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to bowl with ground turkey. Add remaining olive oil to skillet and heat. Add eggplant, salt, and remaining fennel seed and Italian seasoning. Cook about 5 minutes until slightly softened and transfer to bowl. Toss mixture together gently until well combined and transfer to a baking dish (I used an 8x8 square pan but any similar size baking dish will do just make sure its 2-3 inches deep).

Top pasta mixture with cheese and bake for about 15 minutes until cheese begins to melt. At this point, I switch the oven to broil and let the top brown for a few minutes. You can also just continue cooking an additional 5-10 minutes if you prefer. If you do broil it, watch it carefully so you don't burn the tips of the pasta.

New York Strip Steak with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

New York Strip Steak with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

2 steaks, 1 1/2 - 2" thick
Salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion
1/2 cup mushrooms
1 T butter
1/4 cup red wine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a large, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until nice and hot. Rub steaks lightly with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. When pan is hot, add steaks. Do not move the steaks. Cook about 4 minutes on the first side until a nice crust develops, turn once. Cook an additional 4 minutes. Immediately transfer pan to the oven. Cook an additional 5-8 minutes to desired done-ness. (Mine took about 6 minutes to get to medium, pull it out just before its done as it will continue to cook a little as it rests.)

Transfer steaks to a plate and cover with foil. In the same pan over medium low heat, add butter, onions, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and add red wine to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up some of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid is reduced and the onions are browned and softened, about 5 minutes, turn off the heat and pour over steaks.

This works best in a stainless steel or cast iron pan (not non-stick) and make sure the pan can go in the oven at a high temperature. You can use a grill pan if you want the grill marks but a regular pan works just as well and is much easier to clean up.

This method is not limited to just steak... it works well for many types of meat, especially thick cuts. I used a strip steak but use whatever you like best. I also added some caramelized onions and mushrooms to finish this off.

Make sure you let your steak sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking it so you are not putting cold meat into the hot pan which will make it tougher.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

For the chicken:
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Juice of 1 lime
Approx. 1 cup water

Add chicken to crockpot insert, add tomatoes, seasoning, and lime juice and add water. Make sure there is at least 1" of water in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. When the chicken is cooked through, drain off the water, reserving the tomatoes, shred chicken with 2 forks, mix with tomatoes and set aside.

For the enchiladas:
Cooked, shredded chicken from above
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, quartered and sliced into thin slices
1 T olive oil
1 cup colby jack cheese, coarsely grated
8-12 tortilla shells, depending on size
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray. Spread enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes until softened and translucent, add beans, corn, and jalapeno and stir to combine. Add chicken and cook until hot. Add 1/2 of the cheese and stir until melted and remove from heat.

Warm tortillas wrapped in a paper towel for about 20 seconds in the microwave so they are flexible. Add a couple spoonfuls of filling in a line down the center of each tortilla. Fold over one end and roll up tightly. Lay seam-side down in prepared baking dish. Place enchiladas tightly together, continue until pan is full.

For the sauce:
1/2 cup red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso but substitute homemade if you want)
1 can green chilis
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice of 1 lime

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour sauce over enchiladas.

Top with remaining grated cheese and bake about 30 minutes until bubbly. Top with salsa, more sour cream or guacamole as desired.