Pork Chops and Golden Apple/Raisin Sauce

I'm not really much of a pork fan, but I try to cook it once a week or so; otherwise, we'd be eating chicken every night!

This is a Rachael Ray dish (surprise...) and wasn't bad. Ryan, as usual, wouldn't touch the pork, but he did gobble up the apples like nobody's business.

I thought that using 4 apples was WAY too much; I was initially wary of chopping up so much and I wish I had followed my instinct. I have a plastic container in my fridge FULL of the stuff... I also wasn't super crazy about the mustard/syrup thing at the end.

Not my favorite meal, but it was edible...



Pork Chops, Golden Apple and Raisin Sauce, and Whole Wheat Pasta Mac-and-Cheddar
(I didn't do the mac-and-cheese thing.)

Salt
1/2 pound whole wheat shells or penne pasta
4 golden apples, cored and chopped
1 cup cloudy apple cider
3 tablespoons brown sugar
A handful golden raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large center cut pork loin chops, 1 1/2-inch thick
Black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 pound extra-sharp white cheddar
A few grates nutmeg, to taste
Dash hot sauce
2 cups broccoli tops, cut into small florets
2 tablespoons spicy brown or grainy Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrupHeat a large pot of water for pasta. Season water with salt and cook pasta to al dente.

Add apples to a medium pot and stir in cider, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Place pot over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

While chops cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook a minute then whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Grate cheese and stir into sauce and season with nutmeg, to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Reduce heat to low.

Add broccoli to pasta last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain and return to pasta pot. Add cheese sauce and stir to coat.

Add mustard and syrup to chops and glaze, 1 minute.

Serve pork with apple sauce, macaroni and cheddar with broccoli along side.

Swedish Meatballs

I have never made Swedish meatballs before, and I really don't know what possessed me to put it on the week's menu. Actually, the only time I can even recall eating it was when I bought a Lean Cuisine.

What's interesting is that when I went in search of a recipe, I found I had actually starred this one in my Google Reader; since this isn't something I ever crave or cook, I figured it was fate and that I was destined to prepare this meal for my family.

Or something.


This was really easy and quick to make; it wasn't until I started blogging it that I even realized it was a Rachael Ray recipe... but it was very good. I will definitely do this again.

Swedish Meatballs and Egg Noodles
Comfort Foods: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chuck, or ground beef, pork and veal mix (I used ground turkey.)
  
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (or grated on a box grater)
• A few drops Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 bag wide egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon butter
• A handful of chopped parsley

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. While waiting for the water to boil, make the meatballs and sauce.

To bake meatballs: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients for meatballs in a medium-size bowl. Form bite-size balls and place on nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

To cook meatballs on the stovetop: preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Mix ingredients for meatballs in a medium-size bowl. Form bite-size balls and add directly to the pan as you roll them. Once the last ball has been rolled, give the pan a good shake and place a lid or aluminum foil over the top. Cook meatballs 10 to 12 minutes, turning them occasionally. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate, wipe out pan, and return to heat to make the sauce.

To make the sauce: melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and continuously whisk until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly add sherry while continuing to whisk sauce; cook until sherry reduces by half. Add broth in a slow stream and continue to whisk until sauce thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Turn off heat and whisk in salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and sour cream.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and toss with butter and parsley. Add meatballs to the sauce, stir to coat, and serve over the noodles.

Menu: March 31

I was sick for most of last week, so I never got to making much of the menu; I've carried many of them over to this week.

Sunday: Swedish Meatballs w/ Egg Noodles

Monday: Pork Chops with Golden Apple and Raisin Sauce, Veggies

Tuesday: Cheeseburger Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday: Calzones

Thursday: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (from The Brown Eyed Chef)

Friday: No cooking - Yankee Game!!

Saturday: No cooking - wedding

Butternut Squash Risotto

I needed something to go along with my Provencal Chicken, so I figured I'd give Rachael Ray's Butternut Squash Risotto another try.

I made it once a few months ago and didn't like it. I used brown rice, though, in an effort to be a bit healthier, and I think that had a negative effect on the texture.

This time, however, it still seems a tad try and not as "creamy" as she swore it would be when I saw her show. It was still good, though...


Ingredients:

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (10-ounce) box cooked frozen butternut squash
• Nutmeg, grated, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 7 or 8 leaves fresh sage, slivered (I omitted.)
  
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (I omitted.)

Bring 1 quart stock plus 1 cup water to a simmer in a sauce pot then reduce heat to low.

Heat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat with olive oil. When oil ripples, add the onions and garlic and soften 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and toast 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and cook it out completely, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle in stock in intervals, a couple of ladles at a time. Allow liquids to evaporate each time. Risotto will cook 18 minutes, total, from the first addition of liquid. Defrost the squash in your microwave in a dish to collect any liquids and stir in squash the last 3 minutes of cook time, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. In the last minute of cooking time, stir in butter in small pieces, sage leaves and cheese, serve.

Chicken Provencal

This recipe intrigued me when I first saw it on Bella Lately's blog. I bought herbes de Provence once... I can't remember why. But I was excited to find a recipe in which to use it again!

(I didn't make ANY alterations - this recipe was perfect for me as is!)

The chicken was nice and tender and juicy. The flavors were amazing! It was really quick and easy to make; there's really nothing to it. As usual, however, my chicken needed extra time in the pan.


Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth and herbes de Provence; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; add butter and lemon juice, stirring until butter melts. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 2 tablespoons sauce)CALORIES 248 (30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 1.8g,mono 4.5g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 40.2g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 376mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Menu: March 24

Monday: Chicken Provencal, Butternut Squash Risotto, Veggies

Tuesday: Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday: Meatloaf Muffins, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Thursday: Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Friday: Swedish Meatballs w/ Egg Noodles

Saturday: Deep Dish Pot Pie

Sunday: Pork Chops with Golden Apple and Raisin Sauce, Veggies

Beef and Potato Stroganoff

I got this recipe from the Oct 2006 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. It was one of those that I clip out, store somewhere, and forget about for a year or two until I stumble across it and think, "Wow, I should make this..."

So tonight, I did.


It was just "ehh." It was super easy to make, so it would be a great weeknight meal, but I just wasn't all that impressed with it. Perhaps it would have tasted better if I used actual beef or sirloin rather than the turkey.

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes (about 3lbs)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon onion powder (I chose to use an actual onion.)
  
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (See above - I used a couple of cloves of garlic.)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb lean ground beef
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
• Snipped chives, for garnish
  

1. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and microwave on high until cooked through, about 9 minutes. (Mine took almost 20!).

2. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder and 3/4 cup water (I used beef stock.) and boil to reduce the liquid by half, about 2 minutes; stir in the heavy cream and remove from the heat.

3. In a medium saucepan, brown the ground beef over high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the mushroom mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Slice one-third off the top of each potato and chop the tops. Using a spoon, hollow out each potato, leaving a thick wall. In a microwavable bowl, mash together the chopped potato, potato centers and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper and reheat in the microwave.

5. Return the beef and mushroom mixture to a simmer. Stuff the hollowed potatoes with the beef mixture and top with chives. Serve with the mashed potatoes.

PERFECT TIMING - Free iPod!!

I have spent the last 2 or 3 days frantically searching for my antiquated iPod Mini or whatever they were called a couple of years ago.

I KNOW I took it to the hospital... when I gave birth to Ryan... in November... of '06...! And I THINK I took it on vacation... last summer...

So I can't find it. And I'm sad.

BUT - I have the potential to be very happy again soon; Jerry over at Cooking by the Seat of my Pants is giving away a FREE iPod Touch - that's SO much better than the one I have (had?).

Anyway, go enter... I sure am!

Creamy Chicken with Artichokes

I noticed that several bloggers in my Google reader had prepared this recipe from Cooking Light. I had also ripped it out of the magazine and filed it in my Big Fat Cooking Binder.

However, I noticed that Pleasure Cooker put an interesting spin on it; she swapped in artichokes for the asparagus. I like artichokes, so onto the weekly menu it went...

Her adaptation was perfect; I didn't change a single thing! (Sorry, Brooke - no humorous and unexpected subs... hee hee!)



Ingredients:

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add wine, broth, garlic and artichokes to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. If sauce needs to thicken, mix 2 tablespoons of broth with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and add to sauce. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Serve sauce over chicken.

It's HERE!! TCHO Chocolate!!

If you know me in real life, you know that I am a chocoholic. My greatest vices in life are chocolate, coffee, and my son. So when Blake announced a contest for some TCHO Chocolate, I was determined to win.


I reminded my husband a billion times that I HAD to be on the computer at 9:30pm so I could be among the first 40 responders to Blake's blog. I had my comment typed and copied, so that all I'd have to do it his paste it in and I'd be good to go.

Well, the pause in American Idol that night was well worth it, because I succeeded! And today, waiting for me in my mailbox was the most adorable silver bubble wrap envelope. Seriously, that was the coolest envelope ever. Who's with me on that one? I need to get me some...

Anyway, I wish I could say that I did something really cool with it, like baked some awesome cookie using the chocolate... but alas, half of it is already in my belly, and I would venture to guess that the rest won't be too far behind. This is some SERIOUSLY GOOD CHOCOLATE. You have to check them out and order some for yourself.

Thank you SO MUCH, TCHO - you guys rock, and I will for sure be ordering from you! And Blake, you rock too for bringing this delightful piece of heaven into my life... and into my mouth.

Okay, I kind of went a little overboard with the pictures. But you have to understand that I spent all afternoon trying to take cute little pictures of my son in his St. Patrick's Day shirt, so it was refreshing trying to capture something that wasn't running away from me...

(I was so proud of this last picture. I just wish I knew how to rotate it on here...)