Tag Archives: meat

Roasted Pork Loin

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , , ,

Although last year was a tough year dealing with the new corona virus Covid-19, we had a very Merry Christmas. Instead of making another traditional holiday meal with turkey and ham I decided to make a nice Roasted Pork Loin and indeed it was nice.

I must have hit the supermarket at the right time because I found a couple of beautiful pork loins on sale. One for Christmas and one for a later date. I have to admit I wasn’t sure my hubby would like pork loin since he is not a big pork fan except for bacon. Because of that I also made my Baked Chicken with a Mango Chutney Glaze in case he didn’t like the pork loin.

The first sign that the pork loin might go over well with hubby was the wonderful smell roaming through the house as it cooked. The next was when I pulled the pork loin out of the oven and let it rest before slicing and I saw several eyeballs checking out the pork loin. I even thought I heard the smacking of lips. While I was slicing up the meat hubby came over and said that looks really good and I’m hungry. I asked if he wanted to try a piece and he happily took it and gobbled it up. His first response was “Wow, that is tender. I like it”. Then he took another small piece of meat to tide him over until dinner.

After that hubby was hooked and at dinner he praised the roast pork loin. He even went back for seconds which is rare unless it is for salad. Looks like I have a new menu item to choose from for future holidays.

Roasted Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 pork loin

½ small onion sliced

½ cup chicken stock or white wine

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp salt

½ tbsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place Cajun seasoning, rosemary, oregano and olive oil in a small bowl and mix until seasonings are wet. Set side.

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Rinse the pork loin and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper on all sides. Place in hot skillet and brown on all sides.

Place sliced onions on the bottom of a large casserole dish or Dutch oven and top with the browned pork loin. Top the pork loin with the wet seasoning mix and rub into the meat on all sides. Add the chicken stock to the casserole dish.

Place the pork loin into the oven (uncovered) and roast for approximately 45 minutes. Baste the pork loin then cover with foil and cook for another hour and 15 minutes. Baste the pork loin approximately every 20 minutes. Remove the pork loin from the oven (keep covered) and place on a platter to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before slicing..

Sticky Ginger Pork Chops

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

During the coronavirus pandemic I have had to be a little more creative with putting dinner on the table. Since most of us are shut up in the house it means cooking a lot more. Especially for those of us who had college kids return home. My youngest had to come home to complete his senior year of college (Congratulations to T on his graduation 5/21/20). The traditional mom side of me makes me want to have a nice dinner every day for the family. When it was just hubby and me I bailed on cooking dinner and opted for healthy take out food more than I probably should have done. Sorry hubby! Don’t worry, hubby really didn’t suffer because the take out was usually his favorite meal from a Korean BBQ restaurant EB told me about. Hubby could eat their food every other day if I was so inclined.

Anyway, back to the Sticky Ginger Pork Chops. Growing up, pork chops were one of my favorite foods. My dad used to tell people I could eat five pork chops in one sitting. Yes, he was exaggerating because my mom usually only made two pork chops per person. So, unless someone else was giving up their pork chops I couldn’t eat five of them at one time. Granted, I am a meat eater and if I only had a plate of pork chops for dinner and no side dishes, I might have been able to eat at least three chops in my younger days. Today, I eat only one unless I am super hungry then I could eat two.

Sticky Ginger Pork Chops came from a recipe I saw on the Test Kitchen show. They showed how to make Sticky Pork Spareribs instead of pork chops. I used pork chops because my local grocer had a fantastic sale on a large package of chops for less than $4.00 so I couldn’t pass them up. When it came time to cook the pork chops I decided to tweak the Sticky Pork Spareribs to create my own recipe.

My recipe has the basics of the Test Kitchen recipe but with a few changes based on what I had in the refrigerator and pantry. The end result was a thumbs up so I knew the recipe was blog worthy. Enjoy!

Sticky Ginger Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 – 6 bone in pork shops

3 scallions diced

½ cup chicken stock or broth

2 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp slice fresh ginger

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp garlic powder

½ tbsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season pork chops with sea salt, garlic powder and cracked black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops in batches and brown on both sides (place browned pork chops on plate while cooking other pork chops). Lower heat to medium and place all pork chops back in the skillet. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and ginger slices. Drizzle with honey, soy sauce, rice wine and rice vinegar. Sprinkle with scallions and then pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cover the skillet with foil then place in the oven to bake. Baste the pork chops after the first 15 minutes and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the foil then baste again and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite side dishes.

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Skillet Baked Spaghetti

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Pasta and Grains, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

I am dedicating this post to my hubby and mother-in-law (may she rest in peace).

Hubby and I were discussing our childhoods the other day and reminiscing about the comfort foods our mothers would make. One of the comfort foods my hubby mentioned was the baked spaghetti his mom would prepare for the family. Mom B. had a special frying pan with rings in the bottom that she would use to bake the spaghetti in. I kind of remembered a similar pan from my childhood my mom would use but I don’t think she used it for baking.

Skillet Baked Spaghetti was pulled together based on how Mom B. would make her baked spaghetti. As always, I added my own twist to the recipe but hubby said my version did remind him of his mom. What a great compliment. I was happy that we could share a moment from his childhood and feel the same warmth and comfort his mom’s cooking would bring to the family.

Fast forward to today and now I have a recipe I can share with my kids and grand kids that makes them feel the comfort we felt from old family recipes. Pasta is usually a hit with my family. Add spice to the mix and a crispy cheesy topping and it’s a home run.

Thanks Mom B. for leaving hubby with a wonderful memory and giving me a delicious recipe.

Skillet Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 box vermicelli pasta (prepare per package instructions and save ½ cup pasta water) al dente and drained

1 pkg hot sausage links (casing removed)

1 pkg Italian sausage links (casing removed)

1 large jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the sausages in medium non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Remove most of the grease from the skillet then add the spaghetti sauce, ketchup and seasonings (except for the red pepper flakes). Stir to mix then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes.

After preparing pasta drain it and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Place the pasta back in the pot and add the spaghetti sauce. Mix well and add a little pasta water if the spaghetti seems dry. Spray a large cast iron skillet with cooking spray and drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

Place have of the spaghetti in the skillet then top with ½ of the shredded mozzarella and ½ of the Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining spaghetti and sprinkle with the remaining cheese along with the red pepper flakes. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the top is slightly crispy and golden browned.

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Mixed Pasta with Kielbasa

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Pasta and Grains, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , ,

Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables because it is a quick process that brings out a lot flavor. Before I started my blog I never thought about roasting unless it was chicken. Instead, I would just saute vegetables in a pan. Believe it or not the two techniques of sauteing vs. roasting will affect the nutritional value and flavor depending on the vegetable.

I did a little research and found that both roasting and sauteing are healthy methods of preparing vegetables. Steaming is the best way to go and grilling is better than frying when trying to maintain nutrition. Both tomatoes and onions maintain their antioxidant capacity after baking but green peppers tend to lose antioxidant capacity when baked. No, that has not stopped me from baking peppers because I like the taste. It’s just good information to know when preparing them.

Mixed Pasta and Kielbasa was a last minute recipe I came up with based on what I had on hand for dinner. I keep a jar of dried mixed pasta which are the remnants of different boxes of pasta. Elbow, penne, bow tie – whatever! Pasta is pasta. All that really matters is what you add to the pasta. On the night I made Mixed Pasta with Kielbasa I had some baby spinach, tomatoes and a package of kielbasa I needed to cook.

The end result was pretty tasty and definitely a hit with my pasta eating crew. It is hard for me to mess up pasta when dealing with an audience that loves pasta in any shape or form. But, I know just how delicious my pasta dishes are when they go for seconds and this one certainly hit the mark. Seconds all around!

Mixed Pasta with Kielbasa

Ingredients:

1 ring of smoked kielbasa sliced

1 small onion sliced thin

1 pkg baby leaf spinach

1 pkg vine ripe tomatoes quartered

½ green pepper seeded and sliced

1 cup mixed pastas (penne, twists, cavatappi, etc) cooked al dente per package

½ cup chicken broth

¼ shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp Adobo

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add tomatoes, onions and green peppers to a rimmed baking sheet. Season with 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for 20 – 25 minutes until slightly charred. Set aside.

Brown kielbasa in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken broth, roasted vegetables and remaining seasonings to the kielbasa. Stir to mix well. Toss in pasta and stir. Cook until pasta is heated up then sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

 

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Eb’s Brussel Sprouts and Turkey Bacon

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Eb’s Brussel Sprouts with Turkey Bacon is a sister recipe to my Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta recipe and post.

Ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts cut in half

6 – 8 slices of turkey bacon diced large

½ cup diced onions

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp Sazon seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp minced garlic

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bacon in a single layer in a rectangular casserole dish. Sprinkle with onions and minced garlic. Pour white wine and broth over the bacon. Season the brussel sprouts with salt, pepper, rice vinegar and Sazon seasoning. Place brussel sprouts cut side down over the bacon. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

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Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta (or Turkey Bacon)

Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

My hair stylist Eb (and little brother) and I often discuss anything from family, food and sports to politics while I am sitting in his chair. A while ago we talked about a couple of the dishes he makes for Mother’s Day. He showed me a picture of one recipe in particular he had created which consisted of brussel sprouts and turkey bacon. I must say it looked absolutely delicious and of course made me want to create my own brussel sprout recipe. So this post is dedicated to Eb and all the brussel sprout lovers of the world.

Brussel sprouts are one of those vegetables I found that people either love or hate. I am on the side of loving them. Not just because I love most foods but because they are very low in fat and have a high percentage of potassium and vitamin C. Plus, they have a nice little bite in flavor. Contrary to what some folks think, brussel sprouts are not baby cabbages. Where as cabbage grows out of the ground and we eat the head of the cabbage, brussel sprouts are buds that grow on thick long stalks. Both vegetables are in the same cruciferous family along with kale, collard greens, bok choy and other types of greens.

The haters of brussel sprouts have given this vegetable a bad rap. Probably because whomever prepared them were not totally sure how to cook them. Take frozen brussel sprouts off your list. Once frozen they are not quite as delicious as they could be. Brussel sprouts need to be cooked fresh. The smaller the brussel sprout the sweeter the taste. Larger brussel sprouts tend to be more bitter but if they are prepared the right way large sized brussel sprouts will taste wonderful too. Lightly browning or caramelizing the brussel sprouts enhances the nutty flavor and cuts down on the bitterness in my opinion. Pairing the brussel sprouts with other wonderful flavors like pancetta and onions also brings out the savory taste of the sprouts.

However, you decide to fix them just make sure you give brussel sprouts the tender love and care they deserve. I think if given another chance, even haters will grow to love brussel sprouts.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Ingredients:

10 – 15 small brussel sprouts cut in half

1 pkg pancetta

1 clove garlic minced

½ small onion sliced thin

¼ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp onion powder

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion softens and pancetta slightly browns. Add brussel sprouts and seasonings. Stir to mix the pancetta, onions and brussel sprouts. Lightly brown the brussel sprouts for approximately 3 minutes then add the chicken broth, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until the brussel sprouts are fork tender but do not over cook. Serve with your favorite fish or meat.

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Spicy Meatballs

Appetizers, Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Spicy Meatballs are one of the simplest dishes I have ever made.  Most good chefs/ cooks know how to make a meatball.  Whether you are adding them to pasta or making a meatball sandwich, meatballs are pretty easy to make. The trick is to make them flavorful. This meatball recipe was created to go with my Penne Pasta and Eggplant with Spicy Meatballs on the side.

Follow the link for another delicious recipe.

Spicy Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 package fresh Italian sausage

1 package ground pork

1 package fresh hot sausage

1 egg

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to low broil.

Combine Parmesan cheese, egg and milk in a small bowl. Place meats and seasonings in a large bowl along with panko bread crumbs. Add egg mixture to the meat. Mix well to combine but do not over work the meat. Form into golf ball sized balls (or whatever size you like) and place meatballs in a large iron skillet. Place in the oven and brown the meatballs for about 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs and place in a large pot with marinara sauce. Simmer over medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until meatballs are cooked all the way through.

These are good for spaghetti and meatball dishes, meatball sandwiches, appetizers and of course Penne Pasta and Eggplant with Meatballs on the side.

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Teriyaki Baby Back Ribs

Dressing/ Sauce/ Dip, Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Ribs, ribs and more ribs. Okay, so you may be wondering how many rib recipes can there possibly be in the world. Well, the short answer is a lot! Granted, my family does not eat ribs often but when we do I like to try different sauces instead of using bbq sauce all of the time.

Teriyaki Back Back Ribs are a new favorite flavor whenever we get tired of traditional bbq and don’t feel like firing up the grill. Ribs can taste great whether you char them on the grill or bake them in the oven. One is just less time consuming to prepare. Baking ribs means you can do minimal work up front then stick them in the oven to bake low and slow. After that you can move on to doing something else productive like blogging.

If you like Asian flavors, you will enjoy Teriyaki Baby Back Ribs. P. F. Chang has become my  favorite teriyaki sauce because of the subtle hint of garlic, the slight tang of ginger and the sweetness of brown sugar. I use it as a marinade, glaze for pork, chicken or salmon and for a teriyaki brown rice side dish I recently made.

Whatever brand of teriyaki sauce you decide to use you cannot go wrong making a rack of ribs with a teriyaki twist.

Teriyaki Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

1 rack pork baby back ribs sliced
1 bottle P.F. Chang Teriyaki sauce
1 small onion sliced
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Season ribs with seasonings. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat in a non stick frying pan. Brown ribs on all sides. Place ribs and onions in dutch oven. Add water then pour teriyaki sauce over the ribs. Cover and back for 1 ½ – 2 hours until ribs are tender and cooked through.

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Mustard Baby Back Ribs

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Growing up with southern influences while living in the northeast region has been quite interesting to me. I embrace my southern roots but not all of the delicacies enjoyed by my southern brethren. For instance, my mom is a true southern chef and would prepare things like pig feet, chitterlings, pork ribs, muskrat, fried chicken livers or chicken gizzards smothered in onions and gravy with rice. Don’t ask about the muskrat which is really called musk rabbit. It smelled good but is one food I refused to eat. I preferred cereal or lunch meat sandwiches on muskrat dinner night.

Although I ate the other dishes growing up, I can say the thought of eating pig feet, chitterlings or chicken livers makes my stomach churn a little and my head ache. Back then you ate whatever was served (except muskrat) just because your mama made it. Now, I have total control over what I eat and it does not include anything that makes me frown when I look at it. The one thing I do like that my mom prepared in my younger days is ribs!

Mustard Baby Back Ribs is a slight twist on the ribs my mom made for every family BBQ. Everyone loved my mom’s ribs because they were smoky and tender plus she made her own BBQ sauce which had a tangy mustard and vinegar flavor. Once you tasted her sauce you were hooked. Even my neighbors started asking if Mrs. T could make them a batch of sauce after they tasted it at one of our backyard BBQs.

Okay, back to the Mustard Baby Back Ribs. A few weeks ago, I had a taste for baby back ribs but I did not have any of my mom’s sauce on hand so I had to think outside of the box to get the flavors I wanted. I decided to place the ribs in a mustard marinade to mimic the nice tangy flavor of my mom’s BBQ sauce. I think my idea worked beautifully and by the number of clean bones left on the family’s plates they thought it was a good idea too.

Mustard Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients:

2 packages baby back ribs

½ onion sliced thin

4 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1 ½ tbsp salt

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tbsp black ground pepper

½ tbsp lemon pepper

½ tbsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Place baby back ribs in a large bowl. Add seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Mix thoroughly to coat ribs with seasonings and mustard. Place in a plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray cooking spray on the bottom of a baking dish then line it with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray then spread sliced onions on the bottom of the baking dish. Season with a little salt. Remove ribs from plastic bag and place in a single layer over the onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes then cover with foil and bake another 30 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and top with your favorite BBQ sauce. Place ribs back into the oven uncovered and bake an additional 30 minutes.

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Mommys’ Pork Chop Sandwich

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Yimg_5509_1Yes, I am over the age of 30 and I still call my mother “Mommy”. What can I say? I never made the transition from Mommy to mom and I could not see myself calling her mother. Mother seems much too formal to me but I don’t knock anyone that calls their mother – mother. Actually, a couple of my aunts called my maternal grandmother “Mother”. The rest of us called her Ma Dear. However, mother seemed to fit coming from my aunties.

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Okay, I digressed. Mommy’s Pork Chop Sandwich jumped into my head the other day when I was trying to come up with something for dinner other than chicken or beef. We had already had both during the week along with fish so I had to make a decision on which one would get a second turn for the week. Truth be told I love pork chops. The problem was that my hubby is not big on pork unless it’s bacon. So tentatively, I decided to make pork chop sandwiches like my mom did back in the day.  I wasn’t sure he would go for it. To my surprise, when hubby asked what were we having for dinner and I said Mommy’s Pork Chop Sandwich he only said what time do we eat. Now, I am not sure if he was just really hungry or was in the mood for pork. Either way, I was happy.

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Mommy’s Pork Chop Sandwich is fairly straightforward. Two slices of bread. Mustard. Hot sauce and on occasion a little mayo. This basic combination of flavors tastes wonderful – at least to me.

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As for my hubby, he jazzed up his pork chop sandwich by adding lettuce, tomato and the cole slaw I made to go with the sandwiches. After thinking about my hubby’s creation, I realized the sandwich he made was similar to another sandwich I make which has chicken instead of pork chops. Great minds think alike.

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Enjoy!

Mommy’s Pork Chop Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 – 3 pork chops

2 – 3 cibatta rolls sliced

1 medium tomato sliced (optional)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup flour

½ cup shredded lettuce (optional)

½ cup cole slaw (optional)

1 tsp mustard

salt

seasoned salt

black pepper

hot sauce

Adobo seasoning

smoked paprika

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.

Place flour in a shallow dish and season with a little Adobo seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.

Season pork chops with salt, pepper and Adobe seasoning. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Dredge seasoned pork chops in flour. Shake off excess flour. Gently place chops in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Approximately 5 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.

Spread mustard on one side of each sliced roll. Place one pork chop on each roll. Shake hot sauce over pork chop (you decide the level of spiciness). Top pork chop with the other slice of bread.

Optional: Add sliced tomato, lettuce and cole slaw.

Eat Up!

 

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