Chipotle Pork and Low-Fat Creamed Spinach

I love Cooking Light magazine. It's one of my must-buys at the grocery store, and I have both Apps for my phone and iPad :-). Tonight I had two recipes from them that were a hit!

Anyway, when I saw this Chipotle Pulled Pork recipe in the February 2012 issue, I had to try it. My family doesn't like things super hot, though, so I only used two chipoltes, instead of the three in the recipe. It's one of those recipes that you have to plan ahead for--it marinates for an hour and cooks for 2 1/2 but it was great. If you can't find a Pork Shoulder that small, just cut the one you buy and freeze it (I got a 3-pound one and put half away for another dinner). The recipe says 300-odd calories a serving, but I found it made enough servings for 6, not four, so I get less than that calories per serving.

I also love Creamed Spinach--when it's homemade, not in a can or from a freezer package (eww). I've made a low-fat version before (that I used to make high fat, LOL) but this one looked awesome. And it definitely didn't disappoint! It's only 102 calories a serving, so not bad at all!

I served this with mashed sweet potatoes--just baked them and mashed them with a little honey, some cinnnamon and a dash of salt--a healthy, really good dinner all around :-) I can see using the Chipotle Pork to make pulled pork nachos...though that might undo all the low-cal goodness I had tonight! ;-)

Enjoy!

Shirley

Cauliflower and Ham Gratin

Tonight's dinner was a sort of "what's leftover" creation, with a vegetarian version on the side for my daughter. I had come across a recipe for a cauliflower ham gratin but it had received iffy reviews for the lack of flavor. So I decided to make mine with lots of stuff, which really boosted the flavor.

It was easy, and quick and used up a lot of that ham from Easter :-)




Cauliflower Ham Gratin

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2-3 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 8 ounce package button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
dash nutmeg
1 16 ounce bag frozen cauliflower
1/2 cup gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (I don't use the can stuff), divided
1-2 cups cooked ham, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the cauliflower in the microwave, then drain well and chop it into one-inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onions, garlic, shallots and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until vegetables are softened. Add mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes, until mushrooms are softened. Sprinkle with flour and add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Stir until flour coats the vegetables. Add milk and broth a little at a time, stirring well after each addition, until it's all incorporated. Add nutmeg. Bring sauce to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, until thick. Add 1/4 cup Swiss and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and cauliflower, and stir.

(at this point, I divided out one-quarter of the mixture and put it in a small baking dish, topped with some of the reserved cheddar cheese and set it aside...that was the vegetarian version for my daughter).

Add the ham, then pour the mixture into a Pam coated baking dish. Top with reserved cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. This one was a big hit with everyone in the family. They even had seconds :-)

Shirley

Tyler's Ultimate Barbecued Ribs

Tyler Florence is amazing. I have always liked his shows and his recipes, and lately have been on a kick to try his "ultimate" recipes from Tyler's Ultimate.

I have yet to be disappointed. Last night, I made the Ultimate Ribs. They were AMAZING. The sauce alone...OMG. Incredible. Sweet, sticky, a tiny bit of spice...exactly what a good barbecue sauce should be. These take some time (two hours total) and I did them in the oven since we were out of propane and the directions call for oven cooking.

There's a video of him cooking the ribs on the Food Network site. I made these exactly as the recipe said (I know, for once I followed a recipe exactly, LOL). And they were the best ribs I've ever cooked, probably the best ones I've had. I'm not a huge fan of ribs (not a fan of messy meals, really) but I couldn't stop eating these ones. It was only me and DH last night for dinner (he loved them too) so no kid opinions.

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Ribs

NOTE: For mine, I used red vinegar and had Dijon mustard so I used that, not the dry mustard. It makes more sauce than you need, which is great for another dinner. I'm going to put it on some chicken next week. But truly, I loved the sauce so much I could eat just that, LOL.

2 slabs baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 bacon slices
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 onion (NOTE: NOT CHOPPED UP, just leave it whole or cut it in half)
3 smashed garlic cloves
2 cups ketchup
1 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven, and let the ribs bake, low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat a 2-count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring (NOTE: I THINK HE MEANT STIRRING), for 5 minutes. Add all of the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.

Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven. You can let them hang out like this until you're ready to eat.

When ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce. They should become crisp and charred, about 5 minutes on each side. Pick the onion and garlic out of the sauce and serve with ribs. (NOTE: I broiled 5 minutes on one side, 5 on the other, then basted once more on the "pretty" side and broiled another 3 minutes).

I've had great success with the Tyler Florence's recipes. My whole family loved the Ultimate Chicken and Dumplings. I'm dying to make that one again! I saw he has a Fried Chicken recipe, so that one's going on my list to try. FYI, he also has a blog and website. What I like most about his "ultimate" recipes is that they are rarely complicated, and become those kind of stand-by dishes you'll make over and over again.

The Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleu was also awesome. The only change I made was serving it with a cherry chutney, which was truly the perfect complement to the dish. It's another dish I'm already craving again! I haven't posted his Ultimate Roast Chicken yet but trust me, it was INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend it. I made two at a time, so I had a ton of leftover chicken for other dishes. And then I made stock out of the bones. Yum all around!

Today I'm making a Tyler wings recipe for an appetizer. I'm figuring they'll be just as fabulous as all his other dishes. That man can definitely cook :-)

Shirley

Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Glaze

Tonight's dinner was quick, easy and tasty. It wasn't OMG awesome like the Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad I had this afternoon or like yesterday's Chicken Cordon Bleu but it was good. And like I said, quick and easy, which after the long day I had (spent almost TWO hours at the Verizon store...ugh), was what I wanted. I did have a cheap bourbon, and having tasted good bourbon, I think I'll toss the cheap stuff and get some good stuff for future dinners...and sipping ;-)

Pork Chops with Bourbon Peach Glaze

4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, your choice)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about two cloves)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3-4 peaches, sliced (you can use frozen)

2 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon butter

In a skillet, heat the oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then pan-fry until browned on each side and nearly cooked through. Remove chops, then add shallot, garlic and cook that for about 30 seconds. Add the broth, and cook another minute. Add brown sugar and peaches and cook until peaches are partly softened. Add thyme. Add bourbon and boil for a minute or two, to help cook off the alcohol. Replace the pork chops in the pan and cook until cooked through (about 5-10 minutes). Remove chops, stir in butter until sauce thickens, then serve over pork chops.

I served this with asparagus that I steamed with a little bit of butter, a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, a dash of salt and the juice of a little less than half a lemon (maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice). The asparagus was very yummy :-) and went well with the chops. My son and DH liked it--my daughter who is not a big fan of meat anyway, didn't, LOL.

Shirley

Chili Glazed Ribs and Tangy Coleslaw

Yesterday, I got the bright idea to grill. I didn't check the weather report first--heck, it's been raining here for days, and it looked like rain, which isn't really a big deal for grilling.


Until the rain turns into torrential downpours and lightning when you're supposed to be basting baby back ribs for the last thirty minutes of cooking time ;-) I was going out there with an umbrella balanced on one shoulder, the basting liquid and brush in my hands, trying to stay dry and still get the ribs done. Then DH saw me and being a smarter person than me, LOL, dragged the grill to sit in front of the patio doors and under the overhang.


Uh, duh. ;-)


The ribs were fabulous. A little crispy but I wasn't as vigilant as I could have been, what with the rain and lightning and all ;-). I served them with a Tangy Mustard Coleslaw and baked potatoes. I'd like to try these ribs again, on a better weather day. :-)


I also didn't read the directions before I got this bright idea, so I did not let the ribs set in the fridge for the hours recommended. Next time, I'll do that. So do these either the night before or the morning before you grill them. They also take a LONG time to cook (they're slow cooked) so start them about 3 hours before you're planning to eat.


Chili Glazed Ribs (from the Food Network Magazine, May 2010 issue)


2 racks pork spareribs (about six pounds)
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder (which I didn't have, so I used regular chili powder)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups apple cider
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce


Prepare ribs ahead: Make shallow cuts between ribs on bone side with a sharp knife, piercing just the membrane. Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, chili powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the ribs, then place them on a rack in a roasting pan, loosely covered. Refrigerate four hours or overnight.


Prepare the grill: Set it on low, then set the ribs bone-side down on the grill. Close the lid and cook until tender, about 2 1/2 hours.


Meanwhile, prepare the glaze: mix the cider, ketchup, mustard and Worcestshire in a saucepan. Heat over medium at a simmer until reduced to two cups (I reduced it to about 1 1/2 cups because it seemed too thin at 2 cups. I still had WAY more than I needed).


After ribs have cooked for the 2 1/2 hours, start basting them with the glaze every 10 minutes, for another 40 minutes. Remove from the grill, let sit for a few minutes, then cut into pieces.


Tangy Mustard Coleslaw


I'm not a big fan of regular coleslaw, BTW. And I really despise coleslaw with pineapple in it. But I like this--it's low calorie and has a bit of a bite to it. The one kid who would try it (kids, argh!) liked it.


1 bag shredded coleslaw mix
1 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise (as I've said before, DH is a Miracle Whip only guy so I used Miracle Whip)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper


Mix the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then toss with the coleslaw. Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes, and stir before serving.


Happy grilling! More recipes to come this week, including Tandoori Chicken!

Shirley

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Herb Dressing

I'm not a big fan of pork chops. They're not the easiest things in the world to cook, because it doesn't take much to turn them from delicious to dry and tough. I'm too distracted of a cook, and often end up forgetting them a little too long.

This recipe, for Panko-Crusted Pork Chops, is the kind that requires a little paying attention, but it's done really fast, which is great. I had about 40 minutes total from when I walked in the door until I had to walk back out the door, taking both kids to two different places. Could I make a healthy, yummy dinner in that short a period of time, from start to finish?

Turns out I could :-) Though this is one of those breading and dredging kind of recipes (another of the winners from my Cooking Light cookbook), it came together quite fast. I served it with my Ginger-Honey carrots, a couple other leftover side dishes (pasta or potato salad, diner's choice ;-) and some rolls. The original recipe is here--I altered it slightly because I was feeding four, and knew only two of us (DH and me) would eat the dressing. So I doubled the pork chops part, kept the dressing at a serving for two. The dressing really offset the chops nicely. I liked the combination of hot and cold, crusty and smooth.

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Herb Dressing

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
3-4 teaspoons canola oil (I ended up adding more than the recipe called for. I think I didn't get the pan and oil hot enough first, so the pork chops absorbed it pretty fast, and I needed to add more to get that nice golden crust)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons sour cream (the recipe called for FF, which I hate, so I used light)
1 tablespoon milk (recipe called for fat-free; I had 2% on hand)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (DH is a Miracle Whip guy, so that's what I had on hand)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat a saucepan at medium-high (I used one that could go in the oven; reduced the number of dishes because I didn't have to transfer the pork to a baking pan).

I find pie plates make the best containers for dredging, so I used three: in the first, combine the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder. In dish #2, combine the soy sauce and the egg whites. In dish #3, put the panko bread crumbs (yes you can use regular bread crumbs but panko is VERY yummy and very cheap. It's in the bread crumb aisle. Worth the extra box in your cabinet!). Add the canola oil to the pan and let it heat while you ready the pork chops. Dredge the pork chops in flour, then egg mixture, then bread crumbs. Shake off excess, then put the chops into the pan and fry them on each side for a couple minutes, enough to get that yummy golden brown color. Put the pork chops into the oven and cook for 6 minutes (or until done), or if you're like me and forget, they end up cooking for 8 minutes, LOL.

Mix all ingredients for the dressing. Serve on top of the pork.

The verdict: all members of the family liked the pork chops. DH was a little skeptical about the sauce at first, but told me later he really liked it and thought it added a nice flavor to the chops. This was nicely flavorful, and pretty quick and easy. It's definitely on my to-cook list for another time.

Shirley

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin & Roasted Potatoes

While I was doing the Jillian Michaels diet thing, I kind of fell out of the whole cooking mode. Then I tried a few new recipes, and had some friends over for Cinco de Mayo (still paying for all those margaritas, LOL), and when I was talking to my friend Julie Sellers, who loves to cook (and did a great cooking challenge in September), I decided to try a cooking challenge of my own--me and Julie, each trying some new and/or cool dishes in the coming month.

I had a copy of the annual collected recipes of Cooking Light magazine, and had a bunch of cool new ingredients I wanted to try, so I tried two new recipes today.

Yummy. That was pretty much the only word I spoke, LOL. Both were big hits! I improvised on a couple of ingredients, so this is what my version ended up being (rather than their original). I served these with roasted green beans.

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin


4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 large shallots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds pork tenderloin (I divided mine into two one-pound portions)


Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and shallots. Spread them along the roasting pan. (I drizzled in a little extra oil because it didn't seem to be enough).



Combine remaining oil, salt, rosemary, then add the lemon rind, lemon juice, fennel, pepper and garlic. Rub this mixture over the pork tenderloin, then arrange it in the pan on top of the shallot mixture. Roast at 500 degrees for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve.


Roasted Garlic Mustard Potatoes


3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 tablepoons minced scallion (or chives)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, minced garlic and unpeeled cloves (these will be roasted and later used, so they go in the pan now), and potatoes. Toss well to coat, and put in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, stirring at 30 minutes.


Remove potatoes from oven. Take out whole garlic cloves and press out the garlic pulp (I gripped the teeny end with my fingers and used tongs to squeeze them because they were hot. The pulp just slips out of the skin). Mix with all remaining ingredients, then toss potatoes in the mustard mixture. Serve :-)


I'm dying to see what Julie comes up with this week :-)


Shirley

Ham, Potato and Cheddar Pie

When I was a kid, my mom made something she called Spam Pie. I loved it, and it's always been one of those comfort foods that I love when it's cold and icky out. I know, I know--SPAM? But it was good, believe me.

My husband is anti-Spam, so I now make the pie with ham. Whatever leftover ham I have from roasting one, that's what goes in there (so, the Blackberry Glazed Ham became this later). It's easy, quick, and though most people would use two pie crusts to make it a true pie, I usually just use one to save the bottom calories. LOL because this is not a low-calorie meal (it's the whole Diet Coke and large fries concept, LOL).

Ham, Potato and Cheddar Pie

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3 baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (if you don't have leftover ones, just bake them in the microwave, let them cool and then cut them up)

1 pound ham, cubed

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

salt and pepper

pie crust

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter in a pan, add peppers and onions and cook until softened. Add the ham and potatoes, then stir in ONE can of cream of mushroom soup and the cheddar cheese soup. Season with salt and pepper. Put into a pie plate, top with pie crust (cut a slit in the top) and bake (I put a cookie sheet underneath since it tends to bubble up) for 30 minutes. In a separate saucepan, mix the remaining can of soup and milk, and cook until warmed through. Serve pie with soup on the side.

Shirley

Roasted Tomato and Sausage Tortellini

I was on deadline last week (turned the book in today, yeah!) so that meant dinners were pretty quick and easy affairs (for the most part...I got a little wild with a Butternut Squash Bisque that I'll post later in the week). Anyway, this was a recipe I'd seen in a magazine that was a tad more complicated than I wanted it to be, so I made things easier--and they were just as delicious. I made two batches, intending to freeze one. Uh, the family ate both ;-)

Roasted Tomato and Sausage Tortellini


6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
1 pound Italian sausage (either links or ground)
1 pound dry tortellini with cheese filling, cooked (I got mine at Trader Joe's (have I mentioned lately how much I WISH TRADER JOE'S WOULD OPEN A STORE IN MY CITY?)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black and red pepper blend
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Italian blend cheese

Turn the broiler on High, and put the rack in the center of the oven. Put the sliced tomatoes in a bowl with the oil, garlic and salt and pepper and toss to coat. Then lay them on a foil-lined cookie sheet, trying not to overlap, and broil until tomatoes are just starting to crisp around the edges. Then turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cook and drain the tortellini. In a saute pan, cook the sausage (if you're using Italian sausage links, then chop them into 1-inch chunks), then add the tortellini, the seasonings and the tomatoes. Dump the whole mixture into a casserole dish, then top with grated cheese and cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

That's it! Very easy and quick. And yummy :-)

Shirley

Blackberry Glazed Ham

I love ham. Not so wild about pork chops, ironically, but ham, bacon, prosciutto --everything in that family is great. So when I bought a ham this week, I was excited to roast it with a root beer glaze, something I had tried with pork chops before with great success (I still need to post that particular recipe...sorry, folks).

Anyway, when I got up this morning, I found the last can of root beer on the table. Empty.

I could have run to the store, but honestly, just for a can of soda? Instead I decided to come up with another recipe. I didn't have any apple juice, either, so that eliminated a lot of things I came across.

Then I started thinking about what I did have--and liked combining. I came up with a Blackberry Maple Mustard glaze that smelled heavenly and tasted great. I glazed the ham during the last hour, baking it uncovered for that last bit of time, and also boiled the extra glaze, to make a thick, sweet dipping sauce. On the ham, the glaze was nice and thick and caramelized nicely.

Yummy :-) I loved it, and think I might do my Christmas ham this way, too. Or some variation (though I still want to try the root beer glaze on ham). It's very easy, and I am sure would work fine with other kinds of berry jam:

Shirley's Blackberry Maple Mustard Glaze

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon mustard powder (I substitute mustard itself when I am out of this)

1/2 cup blackberry preserves/jam

That's it! I tasted it as I mixed it, and adjusted the mustard a bit. Baste the ham in the last hour of cooking, then put any extra glaze in a pan and reduce it down for a dipping sauce.

I served this with homemade mashed potatoes, and creamed corn (we were out of other veggies too. Clearly someone needs to go to the grocery store around here, LOL). Thumbs up from everyone in the family for this one.

Shirley

Two Great New Dinners

I had pictures of these, but accidentally deleted them from my Blackberry before I sent them to myself (silly Shirley!). Trust me--they both looked yummy!

The first dish was from an Ocean Spray ad. They have this whole series of recipes created by Tyler Florence, whose recipes I always like :-). I made the Chicken Tenderloins with Cranberry Mustard Sauce, except I used chicken breasts instead of tenderloins (I really don't like tenderloins because they have that weird tendon thing running down the middle of them and when you try to cut it out, you end up with like zero chicken).

I had a heck of a time trying to find Craisins at Meijer. I don't know what is up with that store lately, but nothing ever seems to be in a logical spot. The Craisins weren't in the canned and dried fruit aisle. Weren't in the snack aisle. Weren't in the baking products aisle (although I found raisins...what was up with that?). They did have a display of raisins and some kind of industrial size bag of Craisins in the veggie section. I didn't need twenty pounds of Craisins, just a small bag.

Finally found them tucked in the dark corner behind the Starbuck's that's inside the store. Oh yeah. FIRST place I'd look.

Anyway, I made this recipe, just using slightly more of all the ingredients to account for the fact that I used six chicken breasts instead of the pound of tenderloins. The sauce was good--a tad mustardy, so next time I'd use just a tiny bit less. Like a teaspoon less. And extra Craisins would be good too. They were the best part, IMO.

Also, because I used chicken breasts instead of tenderloins, I browned them, then baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes while I made risotto to accompany the chicken. It's the same method I use to make Emeril's Pan Roasted Chicken. It works well and if you don't overcook the chicken, it stays moist.

The second recipe I made this week came from a Rachael Ray magazine. I love Chinese food and I love mangoes, so when I saw Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir-Fry, I thought it sounded really good.

Stir-fry, IMO, is one of those things that seems simple, but always involves more work than you anticipate ;-). This one doesn't have a ton of ingredients (pork, flour, salt, cabbage, oil, garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce and mangoes) so it wasn't as involved as some things I've made.

I didn't put bean sprouts on top like the recipe called for because I hate bean sprouts, LOL. But other than that, I did it was recommended. It was good...but one of those dishes that you try and at first are like, eh, okay. Then you have another bite, and another, and before you know it you're...going back for seconds and thirds ;-) I ate way too much of this. It's the crispiness of the pork mixed with the mangoes that was great.

FWIW, I've found that cornstarch makes a good breading for Chinese food. I might try that next time.

Shirley

Another Worth the Work: Peking Pork and Easy Pad Thai

My kids had a serious Asian food craving this past week. So I spent a whole lot of time in the kitchen ;-).

First up was Peking Pork. This recipe came from Rachael Ray (and you know, I can never tell which issue it is, because I tear out the recipes I want to use before I recycle or pass on my magazines, and they don't print the month on the pages...kind of stupid, if you ask me). Anyway, this has a lot of steps, BUT I can tell you that both the dredging in rice wine vinegar and the cornstarch/flour mixture, plus the double frying (and I used peanut oil, which I found in bulk at my local Kroger, but you can buy MUCH cheaper in bulk at Asian stores) makes this JUST like what you get in a Chinese restaurant.

And the sauce...I can't even begin to tell you how yummy the sauce was. It made WAY too much and that was so awesome. I had bought vegetable dumplings at the Asian store and I've been making a few here and there for lunch or a snack, and using that sauce as a dipping sauce. It's beyond yummy :-). You can get the recipe here, and I did it (for once ) exactly as it was written. Mine, as you can tell from my photos, came out in thicker chunks, but but I think it was because I used boneless chops instead (hey, that's what was on sale ;-).

Along with this, I served Pad Thai, my own version, adapted from the Everything Thai Cookbook and Alton Brown's version on Good Eats. In my opinion, it's better with brown sugar (the Everything Thai ingredient) than Palm Sugar (the Alton Brown version). Plus a little I've learned from a Laotian cook I know. I recommend going to Google Images and looking at SEVERAL images of the ingredients you've never heard of, like Tamarind Paste, before going to an Asian store to buy them. The Tamarind paste that I bought came in a brick, not a jar, but it works just the same (FYI, I keep the excess in the freezer).

Other than that, I usually add some cooked chicken to my Pad Thai, instead of shrimp, since my daughter, who is the biggest Pad Thai fan in my house, doesn't like shrimp.

If you are feeling daunted by the thought of Chinese/Asian food cooking, let me tell you that it's not nearly as hard as it looks. Be sure to A.) have all your ingredients assembled and ready ahead of time. When I'm making two dishes like this at the same time, I set up two different "stations," with the ingredients. One cutting board with all the Pad Thai ingredients, including the bottles of wet ingredients, and a second for the Peking Pork. If there are shared ingredients, those go between the two cutting boards. I have a really small kitchen, so this kind of organization is essential for cooking Asian food. Once you get food into the wok, it all goes pretty quickly.

B.) everything you need for Asian food is MUCH cheaper at an Asian market. Don't be nervous about going into one. Most of the proprietors also speak English, or at least enough English to help you, and if you bring your ingredients list, they can help you find what you need. Most of the ingredients have Enlish directions, too. I'm continually amazed at how the ingredients are at least half the cost of my local grocery. I buy rice in bulk at the Asian market, buy things like dumplings and won tons, sometimes vegetables and garlic, and soy sauce (SO much cheaper) there.

C.) Taste as you go along, and feel free to season. I find that many of these recipes are guidelines. I taste and season, and add a little more soy sauce or fish sauce (which is a staple in Asian cooking. It does smell fishy, LOL, but it cooks wonderfully), or lime juice, or whatever it seems to need. I never add MSG and go for MSG free seasonings. So you don't have to have that seasoning if you don't want it.

D.) Start with something easy -- Fried Rice, for example, and move on from there. Do a simple stir-fry. Then work your way up to something like Spicy Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup (which is really easy BTW) and Pad Thai. Before you know it, you'll be cooking at home instead of ordering out ;-).

Shirley

Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Two Rockin' Side Dishes

All I can say about this dinner is...

I wish my stomach was bigger. I'm not usually a huge fan of pork, because to me, it's just one of those blah meats. But I now have two recipes that really kick butt. One is the ever-popular Roast Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Ginger Sauce, the recipe that gets a hit every single day on this blog, and the second is this one.

I kind of stumbled on making this because I didn't have the right ingredients for another recipe, so I improvised. :-) And this I think turned out way better than the other might have (though I think I might still try the other...maybe.)

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

1 2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix spices together, rub meat with half of dry ingredients and reserve other half to mix with honey. Set aside. Drizzle meat with chili sauce, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Baste with honey/spice mix, blending with the chili sauce as you do (otherwise, all that great baked chili sauce will just fall off the meat). Bake until meat is done and meat thermometer registers 160-degrees F. About 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.

This second recipe for penne rapini I got from the April 17th issue of Family Circle magazine. I didn't have any broccoli rabe, which is what the recipe calls for, but I found that buying the "premium" frozen broccoli gives you really tiny broccoli florets, and those seemed to work just fine. I also forgot to buy fresh mushrooms, and used canned instead, but they worked out fine. This was really good. Another one that everyone had seconds on, so I knew it was a hit :-). So click here for that one and see their much better picture, LOL.

Third is my yummier take on baked apples. I threw these in with the pork, for the last 30-40 minutes or so of the pork cooking time. I don't really remember exactly how long I cooked them, but it was around 30 minutes at 425 degrees F. I had the candied walnuts from another recipe for a salad that I haven't posted yet (I keep forgetting to take a picture because I'm always too hungry for lunch and end up eating it first!). FYI -- I usually quadruple the walnut recipe and make a ton of them so I have them for this kind of thing and for the apple-feta salad I've been eating for lunch.

Candied Walnut Baked Apples

6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup walnut pieces
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 Gala apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan. Add walnuts, white sugar and butter. Stir until sugar is melted. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring every few minutes.

Meanwhile, core apples and scoop out centers. Set apples in small baking dish. Fill centers with half a pat of butter, evenly divided amounts of the brown sugar, then other half of pats of butter (basically dividing the butter and brown sugar between the four apples). Top with candied walnuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender.

The kids saw this as dessert, so that was great. Everyone loved the apples, and wished I'd made more. :-)

Shirley

Apple Pear Salad and Peachy Pork Chops

I miss the Olympics already. Sigh. I have never watched so many sporting events in my life and now that the Olympics are over, it's like I don't know what to do with my TV. I ended up doing Pilates with Kathy Smith on my On Demand on Comcast this morning.

Now that's being desperate for sports. ;-)


Saturday night, I made Cola Barbecue Ribs from the Rachael Ray magazine. The ribs I had were not the best -- not sure what happened there because they sure looked good in the package and sure cost enough -- so the meal itself didn't turn out well, but the recipe was good. I do suggest, though, doing the sauce in like, half, because it took FOREVER to cook down. I found that taking half for the ribs for basting (it was thin, not thick), then using the other half to boil down into a syrupy sauce like you get in a rib place, was REALLY good. I just saved all the leftover sauce to put on a dinner later. Like on chicken or something.

I served the ribs with fresh corn on the cob (went back to the open-air market. YUMM-O) and an apple-pear salad.

Apple-Pear Salad

1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 apples sliced
2 pears, sliced
lettuce

whisk dressing ingredients together. Toss with apples and pears, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Top with nuts if you like those (I do :-) but I didn't have any on hand).

The night before, I made peachy pork chops. I know I'd said I was going to make pecan crusted pork chops, but the peaches I'd bought were just about to go bad, so I decided to use those up instead:


Peachy Pork Chops

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 egg
1 cup Bisquick
2 tablespoons corn meal (or if you don't have it, it's no big deal
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup butter
4 large peaches (I used two, I wished I'd doubled the recipe), sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix Bisquick, corn meal and salt and pepper. Dredge pork chops in egg, then Bisquick mix. Heat oil in pan, then fry pork chops on both sides until cooked through (about 6-8 minutes per side, if you have thin ones).

In a separate pan, melt the butter. Add peaches and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved, peaches are softened. Spoon peach mixture over pork chops.

My kids LOVED the apple-pear salad. So much that they were eating it before it even hit the table. One kid isn't wild about peaches, but didn't mind them in "syrup" with the pork chops, so that meal was a pretty good hit. I served them with Asiago Red Potatoes, which I'll try to get up in a day or two. I didn't follow that recipe exactly, and maybe next time I will -- the real recipe was more work than I wanted, LOL.

Shirley

Amazon Daily

Did you guys know about Amazon Daily? I swear, I visit this site all the time (spent way too much money there this week...just the camera alone, LOL), and just now saw this. I was visiting my Profile page, just updating my booklist (my Blog is RSS fed over there...some kind of magic web thing that Deborah MacGillivray, a fellow author, suggested. She is the guru of all things Amazon Connect, I swear) and noticed that it said "Shirley Jump is on Amazon Daily."

Hmm...I say. Wonder what that is. Off I trot to the Amazon home page and scroll down and there is a link to Amazon Daily. It's an editor's pick of the blogs of the day. Apparently my two were picked. The one on the Booksquare post (not one of my best...guys, pick a recipe post!) and the one on Dolphin Training. Okay, so I have better posts. Now it's making me want to achieve better posts.

Ah, the pressure. Must post better posts... :-)

So, I guess that will mean that adding a long diatribe about my visit to the dentist would be out, huh? We'll stick to stuff people care about, like the recipes (hey, I had several recently: Miracle Breaded Herb Chicken, Barbecue Chicken with a Twist, Ranch Cheddar Chicken and the ever-popular, though Lord only knows why, Pork Tenderloin Roast with Balsamic Vinagrette.)

Tonight, I start reading Harlan Coben's newest book. Oh, and I bought a Light Wedge for a book light after seeing one on Oprah. They're kind of cool but also kind of a pain (because I read really fast, so I have to move it from page to page a lot). I can't decide if I like it or not. Will try a couple more books with it and then report back.

Shirley

What is with Some Posts?

I have a StatCounter on my website, and I check it from time to time to see what pages are most popular and which ones get the most hits. It's kind of cool to see where people come from and what pages they visit.


This past week, for instance, I had a lot of visitors from the United States--no surprise there -- but also visitors from Singapore, Seychelles, Dublin, the UK, Slovakia and Israel. I've had a wide variety of countries in the past (Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Germany), I think mainly from when my books come out in the other countries (I'm out in 20 countries now).


Or maybe these people just stumbled upon my site by accident, LOL.


But what gets me is the Blogger Posts that draw people EVERY day. There are certain posts that, no kidding, get a hit EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't know why. My stats are pretty evenly divided between my site, my contest and my blog, meaning all get equal play and visits (which is heartening, because it means people are visiting all equally) and I'm pretty evenly visited by returning visitors and new visitors alike (also nice), but certain posts are hit on a daily basis.


My post on getting my hair cut.


And my recipe for Roast Pork Tenderloin.



LOL. I don't know why. Apparently my angst over whether or not to cut my hair short is shared by many women who Google cutting their hair, because it leads them to that Blogger post. They read it, sometimes zip through my blog or over to my website, sometimes not. Either way, it cracks me up that EVERY SINGLE DAY those two get hit.



I guess I should post about my hair and cooking pork roast more often. If only I could find a way to sell books while doing that, I'd be all set!


The picture above, BTW, is from a past Romance Writers of America conference. That's me on the left, my friend Becke, my critique partner Janet Dean (whose first book is out with Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals next year) and my friend Ruth on the end. I'll be at the Dallas conference in a month, and if you're in the area, stop on by!

Shirley

What is it about January?

Cleaning out closets.



Normally, I really hate to do that. Closets are for shoving stuff away, shutting the door and hoping no one opens said door so that shoved-in stuff won't fall out and expose you as a closet pack-rat (pun intended). But this morning, I woke up dreaming of cleaning out the closets. And this past weekend, I cleaned out not one, but two closets. Ugh. It's clearly January, because I did this last year, too. The closet cleaning frenzy lasted, oh, about two weeks, and then I got over it. Thank goodness, because my husband was starting to think I was mentally ill. ;-)

I'm even thinking of cleaning my office. Organizing it. Getting all these stacks of papers and books and magazines and the clutter that surrounds me like a blanket into a neat, orderly arrangement. February better hurry up and arrive and take away this New Year mania or before you know it, I'll be labeling my shelves like Martha Stewart. And then how fun will I be to live with?

In writing news, the new novella is going really well. It's a Christmas story, and I have enough Christmas spirit left over (and 10 hours of Christmas songs on my computer to play in the background) to keep me plowing through. Plus, it's finally gotten cold here and might even snow, which actually has me feeling Christmas-y for the first time this year (it's hard to feel Christmas-y when it's 50 degrees out and you're not even wearing a coat. Though it does make shopping a lot easier :-). This one will be out next Christmas in the UK, and I think simultaneously in the U.S., though I don't know for sure. Will keep you all posted.






As promised, I did take pictures of my dinner I cooked last night. I told you -- I am freakishly on the ball right now. It's kinda scary actually. I had Pork Chops with Maple Pecan Sauce. These were so good, my son had seconds and I wished I had more pork chops for leftovers. I made 6 instead of 4 (so I increased the ingredients by 50%), and only had one leftover pork chop (lunch today! :-). I didn't bother with the whole flattening thing. IMHO, life is way too short to be pounding meat into little 1/4-inch-thick portions. I just cooked them longer in the pan and they were just fine.




But my favorite thing was the Squash Rockefeller. This took a tiny bit more time, but it was worth it. Next time, I'll brown up some turkey sausage and add that and make it a one-dish meal. It was REALLY good, IMO and even both kids liked it and DH. You could even add some Parmesan cheese with the meat for the one-dish option, but this was good enough that it didn't need it (though I was temptedbecause IMO, cheese goes with everything (hey, I wrote a whole book about cheese, which comes out in February). I use kosher salt in my cooking, which I think has more flavor, instead of regular, and I also used Chili Garlic Sauce (I didn't have any hot pepper sauce, but I had that leftover from some Thai cooking) and it was a nice little added bite. I think I used just under a teaspoon. I cooked the squash for 10 minutes in the microwave -- that's how long it took to steam them enough to get the centers scoop-able.




Now for a blonde moment ;-) I'm searching all over the store for yellow squash. Lots of squashes are yellow, folks, and where I come from, yellow squash is called SUMMER SQUASH. Then I see the sign at the grocery store that says "yellow squash" never even realizing in all the years I've lived here that they probably have always called it that out here and I've always called it Summer Squash. Ah well. I'm blond. I'm allowed a moment of idiocy here and there ;-)


Shirley

Recipe: Roast Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Ginger Sauce

This is a tried and true recipe from my house and one I absolutely love. I don't even have a pork roast in the fridge right now, so I think I might be stopping by the grocery store today to pick one up :-) It's really easy, but it's one of those recipes that wow guests when you make it because it looks really impressive.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Ginger Sauce

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger

2-pound pork loin roast (I don't know about you, but I love pork roast, and I use a much bigger one)

4 small sweet potatoes (if you want to roast these with it; they're optional if you don't like sweet potatoes, of course)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (buy good stuff for this--it's worth it with balsamic vinegar, IMO)

1/2 cup soy sauce

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Mix garlic with 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and ginger to form a paste. Rub on the roast, then put the roast in a roasting pan and put it in the oven. Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining salt, arrange on the pan with the pork. Put in the oven and roast 20 minutes per pound, or until meat thermometer reads 155 degrees or higher in thickest part of pork.

Meanwhile, mix last four ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until thickened, about five minutes, stirring often. Keep an eye on it -- you don't want it to burn. Serve on top of the pork.

Enjoy! I'm working this morning, then off for a quick Christmas lunch with two writer friends before going back to work for a few more hours and then hopefully going to start shopping. Egads! I never start shopping this late in the year!!

Shirley