Porkchops and App... Orange Sauce?

In Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook, every recipe page has 2 check boxes: "Try This Later" and "It's a Keeper". Well this one is a KEEPER! Here's the recipe for "Citrus Lover's Menu: Rosemary-Orange Pork Chops and Lemon-Butter Broccolini".

Ingredients:

Zest and juice of one navel orange
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I used cayenne, maybe... 1/4 tsp?)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 1-inch thick center-cut pork loin chops (ours were 1 1/2 inch thick)
1 1/2 lbs broccolini (we used asparagus)
3 tbsp cold unsalted butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (Caution: looks like cilantro, double check!)

Crusty bread

Cook:

In a medium sauce pot over high heat, combine the zest and juice of the orange, brown sugar, chicken stock, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil , then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half (I pretty much started this and simmered it the entire time while cooking everything else).

Heat a large skillet over mediu-high heat with the EVOO (twice around the pan). Season the chops with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook the chops for 5 minutes on each side (I think due to the THICK chops, I did 7 min a side).

I think at this point I put the oven on low and put the baguette in there to warm and crisp up a bit.

While pork chops are cooking, trim the broccolini (asparagus) ends. Place the thing stalks into a skillet and cover with water. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Add salt and reduce the heat. Simmer the broccolini for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender and bright green (ok, so I just boiled the asparagus for about 3 minutes instead, perfect).

Drain the broccolini and return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add the butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the broccolini to the skillet and stir and toss until butter melts. Season the lemon-butter broccolini with salt and pepper.

Add the parsley to the reduced rosemary-orange glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooked pork chops. Toss to coat and transfer to a serving platter. Serve along with the lemon-butter broccolini and some crusty bread.

(Serves 4)

Enjoy!

Grilling Indoors!

This grilled chicken recipe has been a favorite of mine since the first time I made it. Actually, it may be the first thing I ever grilled! Here is the recipe for "Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Fresh Sage and Mozzarella" from the Williams-Sonoma Grilling cookbook.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
Olive oil or Canola oil for coating
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
8 fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Butter:
1 cup (2 whole sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Note: I doubled the butter recipe so I'd have some to toss with pasta, at the recommendation of the recipe!

Sides
3/4 lb. long noodled pasta (I used angel hair)
fresh vine ripened tomatoes

Prepare

Slice tomatoes or cut them into wedges. Place in a shallow dish. Drizzle with Italian dressing or olive oil and red wine vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Let marinade in the fridge until it's time to eat.

Get the pasta water going. Don't forget to season with salt after you add the pasta to the boiling water. This is your only opportunity to flavor the actual pasta itself. Cook according to instructions and then toss with half of the sage butter (see directly below).

Make the butter. With a fork, mix together the butter, sage, garlic, and cayenne in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside or form into a log in waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook

Prepare a charchoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack. (I actually used a grill pan indoors, but have found in the past that gas grills work great for this recipe, though I have never tried charcoal.)

Using a long, thin, sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breasts: Cut horizontally into the thickest part of each breast to within 1/2 inch of the other side. Open the breast like a book and place it between sheets of plastic wrap and lay 1 slice of cheese and 2 sage leaves on one half of the flattened breast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fold the chicken over the cheese. Coat with oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.

Grill the chicken on one side directly over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, then turn carefully with a spatula. Grill on the second side for 3 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting into the center of one of the breasts. There should be no pink showing. Cook longer if necessary, but be careful not to overcook them, as chicken breasts dry out and toughen if cooked too long. (This chicken is actually pretty hard to dry out, due to the cheese. For larger breasts, 5 minutes a side worked pretty good on the grill pan. Also, using a grill pan, make sure to make a foil tent; this time around it took me forever to grill, until I realized that when I grill outside, I use the lid, and I had no lid, so I made one!)

Top each breast with 1 tbsp or more of the sage butter and serve with pasta and tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Lasagna for days....

Dave and I probably ate off this recipe for at least 5 meals haha. I guess it wasn't so smart to make an entire lasagna and not invite anyone over to share, but it was a new recipe! I had a bunch of homemade sauce left over, and some already cooked Italian sausages (hot and mild), but jarred sauce is an easy substitute! Lasagna is not for the faint of heart, but since this lasagna is so saucy, no need to cook the noodles, just add extra cook time!

Ingredients:
1 recipe of Giada de Laurentis' pesto, see the bottom of the Quick and Easy Scallops recipe (or you can use a 7 oz. store bought pesto)
16 oz of Ricotta (I used the low fat kind)
8-10 Italian sausages, cooked, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick (your choice hot, mild, or a mixture)
1 box of whole grain lasagna noodles (you won't use them all, depends on your lasagna dish)
5-ish cups prepared sauce (or about 1 1/2 jars of store-bought sauce, your favorite kind)
Salt and pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella (I use skim, you use what you like)

Prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the pesto and ricotta and season to taste with salt and pepper (FYI this spread is delicious and makes extra, spread it on toast. DELICIOUS).

Now, let the layering begin! Spread 1/3 of sauce in your lasagna pan (should be around 13 x 9 inches, I think my All-Clad pan is around 14 x 11... it's a monster). Make a layer of the uncooked noodles. Make sure to press into the sauce. Next spread 1/2 (or less if you want some extra) of the ricotta-pesto mixture on top of the noodles. Then create a layer of sausage slices. Repeat with the second third of the sauce, noodles, other half of ricotta-pesto mixture, and sausage slices. Top with remainder of sauce and final layer of noodles. Make sure that you press the noodles into the sauce so that the sauce covers the noodles. At this point, you can refrigerate and bake the next day.

Cover with foil, and bake in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Served with a simple salad dressed with oil, vinegar, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and maybe some crusty bread, this could easily serve 8 (maybe 10-12). Enjoy!

It's freezing outside. Let's have soup!

Williams-Sonoma's Broccoli and Leek Soup. I know it's not as cold everywhere as it is in Virginia, but this will warm you up no matter how cold (or not cold) it is outside. Serve with a section of sourdough, brushed with olive oil, and toasted in the broiler (keep watch so it doesn't burn)!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, including tender parts, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb broccoli, trimmed, florets and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock or prepared broth
salt and freshly ground white pepper (I just used black, same thing)
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (they didn't have any at the store, no biggie)

Prepare:
Clean leeks. To do this, fill a large bowl with water, chop up the leeks, and put them in the water. The sandy grit that the leeks grow in will all fall to the bottom. It's that simple! Chop up the broccoli.

Cook:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the broccoli and continue to saute, stirring frequently until slightly softened, about 2 minutes longer.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover partially and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pan until smooth. (I used a food processor). Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and white (or black) pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sour cream and chives. Serve immediately.

(serves 4)

It's a new year...

so instead of embarking on a new workout plan, I decided to make Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes!! I changed some of the ingredients slightly, and I used store bought frosting, so here's the link to the original recipe: Cupcakes!!!

The original recipe makes 24 cupcakes, since it's just Dave and I, and neither of us want to be obese, I only made 12!! I halfed the ingredients (except for the chocolate):

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (heaping) tsp of cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tbsp red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Store bought vanilla frosting

Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.

Bake:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer (I used my standalone KitchenAid).

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet (gradually to avoid lumps) and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Frost and EAT (uh... I mean serve... :P )