Recipes
We will be adding recipes on a weekly basis.
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You will find both BBQ and Home Cooked meals and sides.
Pork Chops with Pear-Maple Sauce
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, sea salt or salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup
3 tablespoons peach, apricot or plum preserves or jam
½ teaspoon dried basil or 1½ teaspoons snipped fresh basil
3 medium pears, cored and thinly sliced
Hot cooked couscous
Directions
1. Trim fat from pork. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chops 8 to 12 minutes
or till chops are done (160 degrees F) and juices run clear, turning once. Remove chops from skillet; cover to keep warm and set aside.
2. For Sauce: in same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup, peach preserves and basil. Add pears. Cook, covered, about 3 minutes or just till the pears are tender and heated through, occasionally spooning sauce over pears. Place couscous in a mound in the center of 4 dinner plates. Top with a chop and spoon sauce over pork.
Moroccan Chicken
Makes 2 Servings
Can be Doubled or Even Tripled
The Base
1 teaspoon paprika (I use Hungarian)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large chicken breast halves on the bone with skin
The Sauce
One medium onion diced
1 tablespoon minced ginger (jar ginger will do)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (jar garlic will do)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup white wine
3 oz tomato paste (1 small can)
2 cups chopped tomatoes (you can use 15 oz of canned tomatoes)
1 cup chicken broth (unsalted)
15 oz can of cannellini beans (or white northern beans or chickpeas)
2 tablespoon honey
1 lemon cut into wedges
Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Optional: 2 cups of baby spinach
On the Side
2 rounds whole wheat pita bread
Olive oil spray
Onion salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the base spices in a large sauté pan. Add the olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon. Spread them around the surface of the pan. Heat on medium high and add the chicken, skin-side down. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes. Don't move it around. Just let it sit while the spices and the chicken cook. That way you'll get a nice brown surface to the chicken and much of the spice mixture will stick to the chicken.
3. Take the chicken out of the spice mixture and put it in a 9" x 13" pan. Put it in your oven to roast, bone-side down for 30 minutes. You'll finish the rest of the sauce while the chicken cooks.
4. Add the onion to the spices left in the pan. Stir to mix the onion with the spices. Now add the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Cook this for about a minute on medium. You just want to get the spices to "open up." Add the white wine and the tomato paste. Stir to break up the paste. Then add the chopped tomatoes, broth, beans, honey and all the lemon wedges. Stir to mix this all up. The sauce will continue to cook on medium low until the chicken is done. About 20 minutes more.
5. When the chicken is done take it out of the oven (Cut open to make sure you have no pink left in the chicken. Smaller breasts might take less time to cook). Turn off the sauce.
6. To make the dish even more colorful and healthy, mix in the spinach. The heat of the sauce will wilt it and you'll have green bits in your sauce as the spinach collapses.
7. Spray the pita bread with the olive oil spray and sprinkle on the onion salt to your taste. Heat the pita bread in the oven while you are plating the dish, about 3-4 minutes.
8. You can decide if you want your sauce on the top or underneath the chicken. This is just a presentation-style difference. I like mine underneath because I went to the trouble of crisping up the top side of the chicken and I want it to stay that way. Sprinkle on the chopped fresh parsley for color. Cut your pita bread rounds into wedges and serve on the side.
Buffalo Wing Dip
Ingredients
2 8 oz blocks Cream Cheese
2 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 large can chunk chicken drained (I use leftover smoked chicken)
10 oz Ranch Dressing
½ to 1 cup Franks Red Hot to taste
1 cup diced celery
Directions
Mix and put in an ovenproof container. Heat until hot. Takes about 30 minutes at 350. Serve with Tortilla Chips, Pita Chips, Fritos and / or Crackers.
Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
This is good for covering 1 to 1½ medium size cabbage heads
Ingredients
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup white sugar
1 cup mayo
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce (Crystal, Texas Pete, Franks)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
Cut your slaw in a fine chop, add dressing and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
Created by Creek Q
Golden Onion Rice
Directions
Bring 2½ cups chicken stock to a boil, stir in 1 package Golden Onion Soup mix and 1 cup rice.
Continue to boil for 3 minutes, reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes.
Mix with 1 tablespoon sea salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and serve.
“Russian” Pork Tenderloin with
Sautéed Apples, Bleu Cheese and Pecans
Makes 2 Servings
Can be Doubled or Even Tripled
Ingredients
For the Pork
1 (1.5 lb or so) pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste
All purpose flour for dusting
2 tablespoon of olive oil
6 oz of Russian dressing (bright red)
½ cup of honey
1 (1 oz) package of dry onion soup mix or onion dip mix
For the Apples
2 large apples (Fuji is a good one). Core the apples and slice thinly.
2 teaspoons of butter
A light drizzle of honey
½ cup of bleu cheese crumbles
¼ cup of chopped pecans
Directions
For the Pork
1. Season pork with salt and pepper.
2. In a large zip lock bag, toss in a handful of flour. Put in the pork tenderloin, close the bag and toss it around until the pork is coated. Remove the pork from the bag and throw away the excess flour.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and sauté the pork on medium high just to lightly brown the edges.
4. In a bowl, mix the dressing, honey and the onion soup mix. Stir well.
5. In a roasting pan just large enough to hold the pork, (I use a 3" x 8" baking pan) put in the pork and pour the sauce over the top. Toss the pork so it is completely coated.
6. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and insert a meat thermometer. Roast for 15 minutes more and then check the temperature on the meat. If you like your pork with a bit of pink in the middle, roast to 160 degrees. If you want NO pink roast it to 170 degrees or a bit more. This should not take longer than 15 more minutes.
7. Remove from oven, and let rest while you make your apples.
Directions
For the Apples
1. In a medium sauté pan melt butter and sauté the apple slices for one minute. Drizzle on a teaspoon or so of honey and continue to sauté the apples until slightly wilted. You can cook them longer if you like them mushy, but now it is popular to sauté them only until there is a bit of a crunch left in them. Take the pan off the heat and add the bleu cheese crumbles and pecans. Let sit for a minute until the bleu cheese melts.
2. Serve the sliced pork with the apples on the side. Drizzle some sauce over the pork and serve the rest in the gravy boat for those that ask for extra sauce.
Oriental Pork Pot Stickers
Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped cooked pork tenderloin
1/3 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 cup mined green onion
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
About 36 won ton wrappers
6 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup water
Chinese mustard
Soy sauce
Directions
1. In a medium bowl combine pork, cabbage, celery and green onion; mix well. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry and 1 teaspoon oil; stir in cornstarch till dissolved. Pour soy mixture over pork mixture; toss to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Spoon about 2 teaspoons filling in center of one wrapper. Bring up sides diagonally to form a triangle and seal edges with water. Transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a dry cloth. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
3. In a large skillet heat 2 tablspoons of the oil. Carefully place half the pot stickers in skillet. no letting sides touch. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or till bottoms are browned. Carefully add 1/2 cup water to skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 3-5 minutes or till water evaporates. Add more oil, if necessary. Cook, uncovered, 1 minutes.
4. Transfer pot stickers to a baking sheet. Place in a 250 degrees F oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining pot stickers, oil and water. Serve with Chinese mustard and soy sauce for dipping.
Dijon Mustard
Ingredients
2 c. dry white wine
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz Coleman's dry mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
few drops Tabasco sauce
Directions
1. Combine wine, onion, and garlic in a saucepan: heat to boiling. Lower heat: simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Pour mixture into a bowl: cool. Strain into dry mustard in a saucepan, beating constantly with a wire whip.
3. Blend oil, honey, salt and red pepper sauce into mixture. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens: cool.
4. Place in a container (not metal): cover. Chill at least 2 days to blend flavors.
Variations: After mustard thickens and is removed from heat, add either 1 tablespoon tomato paste, or 1 teaspoon leaf tarragon, or 1 tablespoon grated orange rind.
Applesauce Stack Cake
Makes 10 Servings
Recipe by: Southern Living
Preparation Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup Shortening
1 cup Sugar1 cup Molasses3 Eggs4 cups All-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon Salt1 teaspoon Ground ginger1 cup Milk3 cups Applesauce
Ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Cream shortening; gradually add sugar and molasses, beating until smooth.Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, soda, salt, and ginger; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Mix after each addition. Pour batter evenly into 6 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove layers from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Spread about 1/2 cup applesauce between each layer, and stack layers.
Spoon remaining applesauce on top of cake.
Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon. Let stand at least 8 hours before serving.
Store in refrigerator. Yield: one 9-inch stack cake.
NOTES: Flavor of Applesauce Stack Cake is enhanced when stored for up to 3 days.