Pork Chops & Potatoes in Mushroom Sauce

PORK CHOPS & POTATOES 

in MUSHROOM SAUCE

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
6 medium red potatoes, sliced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
6 boneless pork loin chops

• In a 5-qt slow-cooker, combine the first 7 ingredients. 
• Stir in potatoes and onion. 
• Top with pork chops. 
• Cover and cook on low for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Easy Supper Club: Herbed Pork Roast

"Easy Supper Club"

from Southern Living's 

"Cooking for Christmas"
Bacon-Arugula-Apple Bites
Herbed Pork Roast
Roasted Fall Veggies
Puffed Mashed Potatoes
Basil-and-Blue Cheese Salad
Brandy Alexander Cheesecake

For the Introduction to this series of recipes, click HERE

HERBED PORK ROAST

1 (4-5 lb) untrimmed pork loin roast

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Kitchen string

5 Tblsp olive oil, divided

2 Tblsp chopped fresh sage

2 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tblsp chopped fresh thyme

1 Tblsp chopped fresh rosemary

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle pork with kosher salt and ground pepper. Tie pork with kitchen string, securing at 2-in intervals.
• Cook pork, fat side down, in 3 Tblsp hot oil in a stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place fast side up, on a wire rack in a aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Remove kitchen string; make 5 (1/2-inch deep) cuts in pork.
• Stir together sage, next 3 ingredients and remaining 2 Tblsp oil. Stuff herb mixture into slits in pork.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155 degrees F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Thursday: Roasted Fall Veggies & Basil-and-Blue Cheese Salad

Creamy Nutmeg Chicken [crock-pot]

CREAMY NUTMEG CHICKEN

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tblsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 (10-3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 Tblsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

• Brown chicken in skillet in the oil. Reserve drippings and place chicken in the slow cooker.
• Saute onions and parsley in dripping until onions are tender.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour over chicken.
• Cover. Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until juices run clear.

recipe from "Fix-It and Forget-It" Christmas Cookbook @2010

Roasted Vegetables

Discovered this "new" way to cook veggies, and its been a huge hit for the family! The picture is of carrots, but you can use zucchini, squash or whatever your heart desires.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Veggies of your choice [carrots, zucchini, squash...]
Olive oil
Seasoning [use can use any mixtures: salt & pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage, paprika, cumin...] I used salt, thyme and rosemary

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut veggie into even wedges (almost impossible, picture proves that) and toss with olive oil.
• Lay out on lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with choice seasoning.
• Roast in middle rack for about 20 minutes, tossing half way, or until lightly browned on edges.

Crock-Pot Potato Medley

CROCK-POT POTATO MEDLEY

1 pound of mixed potatoes, (such as red potatoes, golden potatoes and purple potatoes, and the combination is usually called a "medley")
2 tblsp butter, plus 1 tblsp
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary

• Wash and slice potatoes in half or into similar sized pieces. Toss in olive oil, thyme and rosemary.
• Melt butter and pour into bottom of crock-pot. Add potatoes on top. Dice the 1 tablespoon into small pieces and place over potatoes.
• Turn crock-pot on low and cook 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until fork tender. Turn to warm until ready to serve

Veal Chops & Spaghetti Squash

VEAL CHOPS WITH THYME AND ROSEMARY

2- 8-oz veal loin or rib chops about 1-inch thick1 tablespoon of vegetable oil3 tablespoons vegetable oil3 cloves garlic, minced2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• Preheat the oven to 250°F.
• Season the veal chops well with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil with the garlic, rosemary and thyme spread the mixture over both sides of the chops.
• Heat an oven-proof skillets over medium high heat.
• Heat oil over high heat and when hot, place the chops in each skillet and sear the meat for approximately 3 minutes per side.
• Serve warm and with the spaghetti squash.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Slice spaghetti squash in half across the smaller width. Remove the seeds and "guts" using a big spoon.
• Invert the squash sides on a cookie sheet and cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove squash from oven and let cool for 15 minutes or until easy to handle.
• Use a fork and scrape out the squash and place into a bowl. 
• Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and a few tablespoons of butter and mix thoroughly until it is all melted.
• Serve warm with veal chops.

Blackberry Cabernet Roast

BLACKBERRY CABERNET ROAST

• 5 pounds eye of round beef roast
• 1-1/2 cups wild blackberries
• 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cracked pepper 

Au Jus Sauce

• 1 -1/3 cups wild blackberries
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cups Cabernet Sauvignon

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• Pierce all sides of meat using a meat fork every 1 in and place in a large resealable plastic bad.
• Puree blackberries in a blender or food processor. Press through a sieve to remove seeds. Discard solids.
• Combine blackberry puree with Cabernet, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour mixture over roast and seal bag.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning roast occasionally.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Drain meat from marinade.
• Sprinkle cracked pepper evenly over meat and place in large roasting pan.
• Pour 2 cups marinade from plastic bag into roasting pan. Discard remaining marinade.
• Roast 15 minutes, reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Continue to roast 1-11/2 hours or until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees F.
• Remove meat from pan. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Sauce:

• Puree 1/2 cup blackberries in a blender or food processor. Press through a sieve to remove seeds. Discard solids.
• In a saucepan, combine blackberry puree, beef broth and Cabernet, and heat over medium and bring to a simmer, constantly stirring. Boil for about 10 minutes.
• Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then add to saucepan. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat and serve with roast.

Herb Lamb Kabobs

Its getting warmer outside and that means we use the grill a whole lot more...so expect to see quite a few grilling recipes! We got a new grill that has gas/charcoal/smoking option. So cool! Its also a very healthy alternative way of cooking--I take full advantage of that! =) So enjoy!



1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds boneless lamb
1 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

• In a small bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Pour 1 cup into a large resealable plastic bag; add lamb. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 6-8 hours [I forgot to put it in the marinade in in the morning, so it only had about 1-1/2 hours to marinate and it was still amazing!]. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.


• Drain and discard marinade. On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread lamb and vegetables. Grill, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 8-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness(for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°), basting frequently with reserved marinade.

recipe derived from Taste of Homes "Herb Lamb Kabobs Recipe"

Grilled Lemon Chicken

GRILLED LEMON CHICKEN

1 lemon
2 tblsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tblsp chopped fresh parsley [plus extra for garnish]
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

• Use peeler to remove strips of zest from half of the lemon, then trim into fine strips with a small knife. reserve and set aside. Grate the other side of the lemon to make 1 tblsp zest. Finally, squeeze the juice from the lemon into a bowl.
• In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and spoon the marinade over the chicken until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes, or overnight if you have time.
• Preheat the grill to medium heat. Put the chicken pieces on the griddle, reserving marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes on each side. Brush with reserved marinade 2-3 times during cooking. Sprinkle with reserved lemon strips and serve immediately garnished with parsley sprigs.

Recipe from Great American Recipes "Quick and Easy Chicken Dishes"

Beer Can Chicken

I loved saying "I'm gonna shove a beer can up a chicken's butt." And then I have to admit this is the first time I've done this too! After it was all done, I couldn't believe how good it was. So moist and tender! Can't wait to try this again, and maybe change up the spices.

BEER CAN CHICKEN

2 tsp salt
2 tsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 12-oz can beer
1 3 1/2 to 4-pound broiler-fryer chicken
2 tblsp butter, softened
1 lemon quarter

For rub, combine salt, brown sugar, paprika, dry mustard, thyme, pepper and garlic powder. Discard about 1/2 of the beer from can. Add 1 tsp of the run to the half-empty can--beer will foam up.

Remove neck and giblets from chicken. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the rub inside the the body cavity. Rub outside of chicken with butter and sprinkle with the remaining rub.

Hold chicken upright with opening of the body cavity at the bottom and lower the chicken so the beer can fits into the cavity. Pull chicken legs forward so the bird rests on its legs and the can. Stuff lemon quarter in neck cavity to seal steam in. [if you have a special beer can chicken holder, use it now--we did, made it so much easier!]

INDIRECT grilling. Heat grill on med-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Turn off the flames for half the grill, and place chicken over the flame-free spot. Cover and cook for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. Cover with foil if its browning too fast.

Carefully remove chicken from grill, cover chicken with foil and let it stand for 10 minutes. Remove can from chicken and serve.

[Don't skip the part to let the chicken rest--this is what makes it really tender and juicy]

Grilled Lamb Chops with Wine Sauce

This isn't the BEST lamb recipe, but its still really good! Be careful not to over cook the tomatoes, like I did. And having an instant read thermometer is really helpful on getting the lamb to the right doneness. If you like lamb, also try my Wine & Mint Lamb Chops, Lamb & Olive Pasta and my "How to use a guy in 10 day" Rack of Lamb!

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS WITH WINE SAUCE

Click HERE for printable recipe

2 Tbsp finely chopped sweet onion
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup dry red wine
\1 tsp butter
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 cup cherry tomatoes
6 whole unpeeled garlic cloves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 lamb rib or loin chops (6oz each)

Directions:
In a small saucepan, saute onion in 1 tsp oil until tender; add the wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons. Stir in butter and thyme. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Place tomatoes on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil. Fold foil around tomatoes and seal tightly; set aside. Repeat with whole garlic cloves and remaining oil. Grill garlic, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the minced garlic, salt and pepper; rub over chops. Grill lamb and tomato packet, covered, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until lamb reaches desired doneness.

[medium-rare 145 F, medium 160 F, well done 170 F]

Open tomato packet carefully to allow steam to escape; place tomatoes in small bowl. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze softened garlic over tomatoes; toss to coat. Serve the lamb with tomatoes and wine sauce.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Crock-pot: PORK CHOPS & RED POTATOES

Sorry my friends. I've been cooking in the crock-pot all week, but slacked on the photos of them. I will make it up to ya'll!

And for now...

Crock-Pot: PORK CHOPS & RED POTATOES

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
6 medium red potatoes, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick (make sure they are consistently same size)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 boneless pork loin chops

In a 5-quart crock pot, combine first 7 ingredients.

Stir in potatoes and onion and top with pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

~~ I didn't take a picture of the pork chops--they weren't as pretty as the potatoes! I would also quickly sear the chops quickly to brown the sides before placing in crock pot. Enjoy!

HERB GARDEN

Know what its time for? HERBS! I love this time of year! Of course, there is still time for another freeze, so make sure you have a spot inside to move the herbs at night or on cold days.

What you need...

Herb seeds
Little baggies (ziplocs work great too)
Planting soil (make sure its free of chemicals)
Water sprinkles
String
Clothes pins

In each bag, place a little soil, then a few seeds, sprinkle a little water and zip them close. Hang a line, and overlap the baggies a little and secure them with a clothes pin.

I usually tie the string loosely so I won't wrestle with knots when I need to move them inside.

The clothes pins are fun to decorate or use as labels!

This is simple, fun and the kids love to help!

You'll start to see them sprouting, and when they are big enough, and the freeze isn't a threat anymore, move them to bigger pots and planters! Use the clothes pins (if you labeled them) and clip them on the side of the pots so you know whats growing. And don't throw away the bags--you can use them again.