Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1/8 cup honey
1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pork loin chops, boneless, trimmed of excess fat

In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic. Coat chops in mixture. Reserve left over honey mixture for basting. Place chops on greased grill over med high heat, close lid and cook.

2 servings.

Source: cooklight.com

Nutritional info:
Fat: 6.0g
Carbohydrates: 19.3g
Calories:214.5
Protein: 20.9g

Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus spears
1 Tablespoon butter
4 oz (1 1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 cups water to boiling. Add asparagus. Boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in skillet cover medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Stir in asparagus, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with cheese.

4 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker cookbook

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pond unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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Coarsely chop onion. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar; cook and stir 8 – 10 minutes or until onion is tender and deep golden brown. Remove from skillet; set aside. Meanwhile, place potatoes and enough water to cover in a small saucepan. Cover; bring to boil. Boil 8 – 10 min or until potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes in small colander; return to saucepan. Using a masher, mash until no lumps remain. Add milk; stir until well-blended Add cooked onion, parsley, garlic and salt; mix well. Cover; keep warm.

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4 servings.

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Source: simplytasty.blogspot.com

Healthy Chicken Creole

2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" strips*
1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes, cut up
3/4 cup low-sodium chili sauce
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

brown rice

Cook rice according to package directions. Spray a deep skillet with nonstick spray coating. Preheat pan over high heat. Cook chicken in hot skillet, stirring, for 3-5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Reduce heat. Add tomatoes and their juice, low-sodium chili sauce, green pepper, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

2-3 servings.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 255, Fat 4.5 g, Carbs 21 g, Protein 33 g.

Source: cookinglight.com

Healthy Baked Pork Chops

2 lean butterfly cut pork chops, 1/2" thick
1/2 egg white
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt

Trim all fat from chops. Beat egg white with evaporated skim milk. Place chops in milk mixture and let stand for 5 minutes, turning chops once. Meanwhile, mix together bread crumbs, spices, and salt. Spray a 9xl3-inch baking pan with nonstick spray coating. Remove chops from milk mixture. Coat thoroughly with crumb mixture. Place chops in pan and bake in 375º F oven for 20 minutes. Turn chops and bake 15 minutes longer or till no pink remains.

2 servings.

Nutritional info: (per serving) Fat 7.3 g, Carbs 7.3 g, Calories 195, Protein 23.6 g

Source: cookinglight.com

Pork Chops in Dijon Sauce

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 center-cut rib or loin pork chops
black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Melt the butter in the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper and brown them, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Reduce heat slightly if the chops brown too quickly. Remove chops from the pan and pour off most of the fat. Add wine to pan and bring to a boil, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the stock and return chops to the pan. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook until chops are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chops to a warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Raise the temperature of the pan to boil the pan juices, reduce the juices by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream and boil 2 minutes more, until sauce reduces and thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk in mustard and parsley. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

2 servings.

Source: http://erinrach.blogspot.com/2008/02/pork-chops-with-dijon-sauce.html

Ultra Crunchy Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 boneless center-cut pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
1 cup bread crumbs
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tablespoons thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 425. Toss bread crumbs with salt, pepper, Parmesan, thyme, and parsley. Place flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour, shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to pan. Repeat with remaining chop. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of chops registered 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

2 servings.

Source: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html I took the short cut on a couple of steps, because DH and I were starving. They still turned out wonderful though.

Peasant Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound extra lean ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen or can green peas

1 Tablespoon basil

1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente

Grated Italian cheese

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Cook beef in large skillet over medium high heat until cooked. Drain. Add garlic to the pan. Deglaze the pan drippings using chicken broth. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir cream into your sauce, this will blush the color and cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir peas and basil into your sauce to combine. Toss hot drained penne rigate in pan with the sauce, then transfer pasta to serving bowl. Top with cheese.

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6 Servings.

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Source: adapted from Rachel Ray

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 ultra thin boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 package cream cheese with chives

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon tarragon

3 Tablespoons of butter

1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Mix together the filling: goat cheese, cream cheese, chives, oregano, basil, and rosemary. On two chicken breasts place 1/2 of the mixture on each. Top with the other chicken breast. Place into a greased baking dish. Melt remaining 3 Tablespoons butter and mix in tarragon, celery salt, rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken breasts in baking dish and place in oven. Cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 25-30 minutes.

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2 servings.

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Source: http://www.chompdown.blogspot.com/

Chicken in Parsley Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Parsley. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

2 servings.

Smothered Steaks with Peppers and Onions

This recipe is wonderful - delicious, yet quick and easy. I will definitely be making it again. I made it for Brent's lunch, and it was a big hit.

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

4 beef cube steaks or beef patties

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tablespoons EVOO

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 small onion, sliced

2 Tablespoons flour

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons parsley

Make rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Brown in hot oil in pan over medium-high heat. Cook until done. Remove from pan. In pan, saute onions and peppers. Sprinkle with parsley. Meanwhile, in bowl, mix flour, soy sauce, and 1 cup water. Mix well and pour over vegetables. Cook and stir until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve with rice.

2-3 servings.

Filet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce

Another recipe Brent found in New Orleans. The sauce is tangy, but we both really liked it.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. wine vinegar (may substitute apple cider vinegar)
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 tbsp. minced dried onions
1/2 tbsp. dried tarragon
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Pinch salt
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp. cold butter
1/2 c. melted butter
2 tbsp. dried parsley
2 filet mignon steaks
steak seasoning

Season steaks and cook on grill. In a bowl, combine first 6 ingredients in a 4 cup measure. Microwave on High for 4-5 minutes reducing liquid to 2 tablespoons. (When doubling the recipe, microwave 13 minutes reducing to 1/4 cup). In blender, beat the egg yolks until thick. Strain in the vinegar mixture and beat until mixed. Pour mixture into pan. Add one tablespoon of cold butter. Place pan over low heat to thicken egg yolks using wire whisk to beat. When egg yolks are thick, remove from the heat and whisk in the other tablespoon of butter. Beating this mixture with a whisk, pour in the melted butter slowly. Add parsley and stir. Serve warm, not hot.

Hint: If butter is added too fast, mixture may separate. If this happens, add a very small amount of vinegar at a time and beat with wire whisk. Se

Serve sauce over steaks and souffle.

2 servings.

Arnaud's Pommes Souffle

During a recent business trip to New Orleans, Brent went to dinner at Arnauds. When he got back, he really wanted to replicate the souffle and Bearnaise sauce he had. He tried these. They were really good, although he felt that they didn't "puff" enough. These are best served with the Bearnaise sauce (see above).

Ingredients:
2 Baking potatoes
vegetable oil
salt

Peel the potatoes and trim away the round edges to form rectangles. Cut lengthwise in slices that are uniform from end to end, 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch thick. Cut the slices into uniform widths and trim the end to round slightly. Soak the sliced potatoes in ice water for at least 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly. Pour vegetable oil, about 2-1/2 to 3 inches deep into 2 saucepans. Heat oil in one pan to 325B0, and the other to 375 . Drop slices into the 325 oil and shake back and forth on the heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Use a mitt or heavy potholder, being careful not to splash oil onto yourself. After about 5 minutes the slices should start to blister and rise to the top. Keep shaking 1 more minute. Using a skimmer, remove the slices a few at a time and drain on paper towels 1 minute or longer, until they begin to soften. For immediate service, start returning pre-fried potatoes to the second (375 ) pan. They should swell instantly. Cook until golden, then remove and drain on paper towels. Discard any that have not puffed.

* Place puffed potatoes on a paper-lined tray, sprinkle with salt and cover with a towel, continuing frying until all potato slices are cooked

2 servings

Source: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/510/Arnauds_New_Orleans_Pommes_Souffle46137.shtml

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

This is the ugliest pie I have ever made!! The crust is terribly ugly. The pie was so delicious and wonderful, but if I had to do it again, I would have used a store-bought frozen crust. However, this pie is wonderfully decadent.

For the crust: (or you can just buy one)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup ice water

For the filling:
6 oz. dark chocolate
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk or cream
fresh strawberries (approx. 2 pints), sliced

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in butter with fingertips (or mix with stand mixer/food processor) until mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand. Stir in water, adding an additional tablespoon if necessary until dough starts to come together and clumps easily. Press dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface and press into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and place a piece of aluminum foil over the pastry. Fill the foil with pie weights and bake for 12 minutes at 350°. Remove foil and weights and continue baking for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before filling.

Melt 4 oz. dark chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. When melted, pour into the pastry crust and spread evenly to coat the bottom with a thin layer of chocolate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cool and firm.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Pour into the cooled crust. Top cream cheese layer with sliced strawberries. Melt remaining dark chocolate and drizzle over berries. Refrigerate the tart for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Source: http://annieseats.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/strawberry-cream-cheese-tart/

Penne with Oven-Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I made this when some friends came over. It turned out wonderful. Thanks, Celeste!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, with 1 Tbsp oil reserved
16 asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, sliced diagonally into 1/2” pieces
2 - 2.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
8 oz penne pasta
Olive oil
Shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle chicken with a mixture of seasonings - basil, garlic spice, and parsley. Cook in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until chicken is cooked thoroughly through. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.Add 1 Tbsp. of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil and 1 Tbsp. olive oil to a large skillet. Over high heat, stir-fry the asparagus for 3 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup basil, oregano, chicken broth, wine and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and simmer until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Put cooked pasta on a plate. Place a heaping layer of the shredded mozzarella/Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta. Next, drizzle sun-dried tomato mixture over the pasta and cheese. Place oven-roasted chicken on top.

2 servings.

Source: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post.html