Brown Sugar/Basil/Chipolte Pork Chops

Rubbing the pork chops with the brown sugar mixture, then cooking in a skillet, makes a glaze form as you cook. I use chipolte chili powder because I like the smoky, spicy flavor it lends.  Don't like chipolte? Substitute an equal amount of regular chili powder. I used a cast iron grill pan, but they cook up just fine in any non-stick skillet. This is adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.

I apologize in advance if the pics are in odd places....first time using the Blogger app ;)

Brown Sugar/Basil/Chipolte Pork Chops

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet basil
1/2 teaspoon chipolte chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4 inch thick

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and mix to form a crumbly texture.  Rub mixture all over the pork chops.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet.  Cook about 4 minutes on each side--until juices run clear.

Makes 4 servings.

Nathan's Pork Chops

My very picky grand-nephew Nathan once declared these the "best pork chops ever."  I got this recipe from one magazine or another as Cheddar Chicken.  You can use either boneless chicken breasts or pork chops -- works just great.

The baking time is based on 1-inch thick pork chops -- these were custom cut by a local grocery store from a pork tenderloin.  If you use thinner chops, or chicken breasts, cut the cooking time down to 20-25 minutes. 

NATHAN'S PORK CHOPS
  

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers

¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

4 boneless pork chops

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil – I use the nonstick foil.

Put the crackers in a large (gallon) zipper bag. Beat them (great tension relief after a frustrating day at the office) until they are crumbs. I suppose you could use a food processor or a blender to do this, but I like to pulverize something once in awhile ;)

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl. (You can use the bag you made the crumbs in, shake-n-bake style, but this seems to work much better when I use a bowl.)

Dip each pork chop in butter, then coat with the cracker mixture, making sure to coat completely. Place on foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any leftover cracker mixture on the tops of the pork chops. Drizzle any leftover butter along the pork chops. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and juices run clear.

Bite-size Cheese Crackers

I won't use the brand name, but you know what I am talking about.  The square cheese crackers that are easy to eat one-by-one, by the handful -- or by the boxful.

When I was working at the call-center for a major pharmacy chain, my coworkers and I were addicted to 'em :)

This is a homemade version of those yummy crackers -- certainly not any lower in calories, but no preservatives.

I got this recipe from cooking ala mel -- mine didn't turn out as bubbly looking as hers, so I am thinking she used self-rising flour, whereas I used all purpose.  I also didn't go the "healthier" route she did -- she used white whole wheat flour, but I just used regular all-purpose flour.  They taste awesome, even if they aren't bubbly -- I'll try self-rising flour the next time (or add baking soda & extra salt to the all-purpose).

In reading her comments, she said that you don't need to shred the cheese if using a food processor -- but I did anyway.  The second batch I used ¾ cup cheddar and ¾ cup pepper jack cheese -- I liked those best.  They didn't turn out too spicy -- just a bit of a "kick".  I will definitely try this recipe with different kinds of cheese.

Cheddar/Pepper Jack Crackers

BITE-SIZE CHEESE CRACKERS

1 ½ cups cheddar (about 6 oz.)

4 tablespoons butter (cold, not melted)

¾ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350.

In a food processor, pulse all of the ingredients together until it forms a ball (about 2 minutes). You could do this by hand, using a pastry cutter or two forks.

Place the ball between two pieces of wax paper, and roll it out to about 1/8" thick.

Using a pastry wheel or small cookie cutters, cut into shapes. 

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2" apart from each other

Poke each cracker with a fork or skewer so that they don't puff too much. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Bake for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size/shape of your crackers), until lightly browned on the edges.

Cool on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container (if they last that long).

Follow @Goddess_of_Yum

Savory Four Cheese Mini-Meatloaves

I started with Kraft Fresh Takes  to make these mini-meatloaves – they mix together in a snap and bake quickly in a muffin tin. I used ground deer, but you can use lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground bison if you want :)

Savory Four Cheese Mini-Meatloaves 

 
1 pound ground deer (or beef, or turkey, etc.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 package Kraft Fresh Takes Savory Four Cheese
5 slices mozzarella cheese, each divided into four strips

 Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9 of the cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl, making sure the bread crumb/cheese mix is distributed equally throughout.

Divide into the muffin tin. (Mine made 9 – could be a little more or less)

Bake for 30 minutes, or until done all the way through – internal temp of 160 for deer, beef, bison – not sure of the temp for ground turkey.

Remove from oven and top each mini-meatloaf with two strips of mozzarella, crossed. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes – until cheese is melted.

Herbed Pork Chops

This is a recipe I came up with on my own, just throwing this and that together until it tasted right. I used a cast-iron grill pan to sear these before baking them – what type of pan you use doesn't matter, but the searing seals in the juices, making sure these chops turn out moist. Marinating in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, herbs and salt makes them flavorful. Don't be afraid to play with the herbs – change them around, add less if you think they will overpower your taste buds or add more for a more robust flavor. This recipe calls for 4 chops, but the marinade would easily cover 6. If you need to cook more, just double the ingredients ;)


You need to let this marinate at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld, but no more than 24 hours. After 24 hours, it may ruin. I like to let them marinate at least 8 hours.

Herbed Pork Chops

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 ½ teaspoons ground marjoram
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless pork loin chops – about 1 inch thick

Mix the first 6 ingredients (I usually just mix it in my measuring cup) and brush generously on both sides of the chops. I also brush some on the bottom of the container I will be placing the meat in while it is marinating. Place in a covered container, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

 Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil – I use the nonstick foil, but if you don't have that, spray your foil with cooking spray.

 Heat a skillet, grill pan or whatever pan you need to use over medium high heat. Sear chops on both sides for about two minutes.

Transfer to your foil-lined baking sheet.

 Bake for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear. Enjoy!! (I served mine over rice.)

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

Not sure where I got this recipe from....I cut it out of something lol.  These are great warm.  Can't enjoy them fresh from the oven??  Just warm in the microwave for a few seconds.

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

¾ cup ( 1 ½ sticks) butter, softened

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

25 Hershey Kisses – unwrapped

1 ½ tablespoons confectioners' sugar

¾ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour and cinnamon in another medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well.

Shape the dough into 25 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball into a 2-inch round. Place the rounds 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets – as usual, I used baking parchment – I love the stuff!! Place 1 Hershey Kiss in the center of each round. Enclose the candy with the dough, making sure the candy is completely sealed in the dough. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cocoa in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot cookies. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

HINTS
To sprinkle the confectioners' sugar mixture evenly over the cookies, put it in a shaker and sprinkle it over the cookies.  The warm cookies will absorb the sugar, so you may wish to sprinkle them again later.

Take advantage of the many different flavors Hershey Kisses come in.  Pop in whatever you like and, if you prefer, omit the unsweetened cocoa powder. Follow @Goddess_of_Yum

Banana Cream Pie Cookies

These are oh so banana-y. I adapted the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake recipe from Bakergirl – her blog. I got the inspiration when I saw this muffin mix:

I had never seen banana muffin mix without walnuts.  I got to thinking – banana, cream cheese, white chocolate chips – sounds like banana cream pie!!

They make a very soft cookie. Be sure to keep the balls of dough small – about one inch – to keep the cookies from spreading out and becoming thin.

2 (7-ounce) boxes Jiffy banana muffin mix

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 small ripe banana, mashed up 

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, banana, and brown sugar, until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add the muffin mix and using a wooden spoon, mix until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Lightly grease baking sheets (or do as I do and use baking parchment) and roll dough into one-inch balls Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just turning golden around the edges.

Cool five minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Individual Lasagna Ramekins

I made individual ramekins of lasagna – this allows for endless customizing – even a version for my pesky pescatarian nephew! :) I got the idea while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

I made the pasta from scratch – really a simple recipe --  used lots of cheese and jarred pasta sauce. Yes, I know – pasta from scratch and Ragu – but that's just how I roll. I made the pasta dough, and while it was resting, prepped everything else. The baking time is cut in half, because the smaller dishes cook faster. I used 14-ounce ramekins I picked up at Walmart. I served this with a salad and some easy to make garlic Parmesan rolls – Garlic Parmesan Knots

The following will make eight servings

For the pasta:

3 cups sifted flour

4 eggs

5-6 tablespoons olive oil

I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed to mix the above ingredients until a very thick (almost like play-doh) dough formed. I kneaded it for 10 minutes by hand, then wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to rest for an hour.

I rolled small bits by hand (I don't have the handy dandy pasta attachment for my mixer – YET) to the desired thickness (think of a lasagna noodle – a little bit thicker than that) and cut out 12 circles. I rolled each one by individually – a lot less effort that way to get to the desired thickness. For the ramekins I was using, a Tupperware onion keeper cut out perfect-sized circles.

For the lasagna:

1 pound ground round

1 pound ground Italian sausage (or you can use 2 pounds of ground round seasoned with some Italian seasoning & garlic)

2 24-ounce jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I used about 1 ½ jars) or about 4 ½ cups of your homemade tomato sauce

5 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup grated Parmesan

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups of chopped up veggies (I used sliced yellow squash, green peppers and mushrooms)*

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning*

½ teaspoon garlic powder*

2 tablespoons butter*

2 tablespoons olive oil*

*I used these to make the meatless version for my nephew – if you just are making the traditional type, you can omit these.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown the ground round and sausage until done. Drain well. For the meatless version, toss the veggies with the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet. Sautee the veggies until tender.

Beat the egg and mix in with the ricotta cheese.

In each ramekin, spread a little sauce in the bottom. Layer meat (or veggie) mixture. Add a couple tablespoons of sauce. Place one pasta circle in the ramekin, cover with sauce. Divide the ricotta between all the ramekins, then add mozzarella to each. Add another meat (or veggie) layer, followed by sauce. Add the other pasta circle, covering it with sauce, then meat (or veggies), more sauce and mozzarella. Finish off by sprinkling Parmesan on each ramekin. Cover each ramekin with foil, making sure it doesn't touch the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and return to oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese starts to brown. Allow to set for 15 minutes before serving.

Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I made these for dinner one night, and my dad loved them!! The ingredients are simple, the prep is a bit time consuming, but the hard part is keeping the stuffing from falling out during the browning and transferring to the baking pan process. I got this recipe from blogchef.net.

I didn't change anything big -- I just used pre-sliced mozzarella ;)

Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1 package sliced pepperoni
2 eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs (I used panko -- I love panko style bread crumbs)
½ cup vegetable oil
cooking spray


Using a small sharp knife cut a pocket into the front of each chicken breast. Be careful not to cut all the way through the chicken breast or the filling will come out. Stuff each chicken breast with 1 slice of cheese (I sliced mine in half), and 6-8 pepperoni slices.

Place flour into a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish beat eggs, and in another shallow dish add the bread crumbs. Coat each chicken breast first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. During the coating process make sure to press down on the pocket to keep the filling from falling out.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the aluminum foil lightly with cooking spray. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Test the oil to make sure it’s hot enough by dropping a small pinch of breadcrumbs into the oil. The bread crumbs should sizzle a lot if it’s hot enough. Once the oil is hot enough, place chicken breasts into the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove the chicken from the skillet and place onto the baking sheet.

Place chicken into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (has reached and internal temperature of 165 degrees).

Capellini al Forno con Gamberi

The fancy name makes it sound like something exotic, but it is just baked angel hair pasta with shrimp.  I adapted it from a Food Network recipe.  The original recipe called for prosciutto, but I wanted to make a main dish my pescatarian nephew would eat, instead of making him rely on side dishes for dinner.

Capellini al Forno con Gamberi

•  6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced at room temperature, plus extra for greasing pan
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian seasoned panko style)
• 1 pound shrimp -- peeled, deveined, lightly sautéed with garlic and Italian seasoning -- tails removed
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (25 - 28 ounce) jar marinara/spaghetti sauce, warmed

Place oven rack in center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain well and place in a large bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.  Toss well until coated.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in the bottom of the pan.  Spread 1/3 of the pasta on top.  Arrange half of the shrimp in a single layer on the top.  Sprinkle half of the mozzarella on top.  Add 1/3 of the pasta and push down slightly to form an even layer.  Repeat the layers with 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, the remaining pasta, shrimp and mozzarella.  In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and Parmesan together.  Sprinkle over the layers and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden on top - 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.

Remove he sides of the pan and cut the pasta into wedges.  Serve with warm marinara sauce.


HINT:  If you don't have a spring form pan, a casserole dish would be just fine to cook and serve.

Texas Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

This is not jelly for your morning toast hehe.  It goes well on crackers, either by itself or paired with cream cheese.  When you taste it, the first taste is green pepper, followed by the jalapeño & cayenne hotness and finished with a bit of sweetness to cool down.  I'm thinking it might be a good ingredient in a glaze for pork.  One friend thinks it might be good on scrambled eggs, but he hasn't tasted it yet -- I think it is a bit too sweet for eggs. 
 
I got this from Taste of Home

If you need basic canning instructions, check out this site:  Ball Canning

I used 3 jalapeños instead of 2 and about 6-7 drops of food coloring.  My yield was a lot less than their stated 11 half-pint jars -- about 7 half-pint (jelly) jars -- but that could be some fluke in my prep methods.  :)

TEXAS JALAPEÑO PEPPER JELLY

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

3 medium green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces, divided

1-1/2 cups white vinegar, divided

6-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid fruit pectin

About 6 drops green food coloring, optional

In a blender or food processor, place the jalapeños, half of the green peppers and 1/2 cup vinegar; cover and process until pureed. Transfer to a large Dutch oven.

Repeat with remaining green peppers and another 1/2 cup vinegar. Add the sugar, cayenne and remaining vinegar to pan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Add food coloring if desired. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. head space. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.


HINTS

Wear disposable gloves when handling the jalapeños.

Cut open your pectin pouches and stand them up in a glass or plastic cup so you can quickly add them to the boiling mixture.

Measure and assemble ALL of your ingredients and supplies before starting the cooking process.

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

I just made a batch of this using habanero and orange bell peppers (3 of each) -- it turned out very hot, but the sweet still helps cool it down.  I added 2 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red food coloring to enhance the color a bit.

 

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies

This recipe is awesome!!  I got it from Bakergirl (her blog).  I first tried it with the Jiffy brand raspberry muffin mix she lists.  They were great.  Because I can only get the Jiffy brand muffin mix at one store, I tried just the bagged muffin mix (here in the south it is Martha White) -- as long as it is 7 ounces, it seems to work.  I have made blueberry and strawberry using this muffin mix. All were yummy!!

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE COOKIES

2 (7-ounce) boxes Jiffy raspberry muffin mix

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 tablespoons butter-flavored shortening 

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and brown sugar, until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add the muffin mix and using a wooden spoon, mix until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets and roll dough into tablespoon-size balls. Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until just turning golden around the edges.

Cool five minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Follow @Goddess_of_Yum

Greetings and salutations

I am extremely new to blogging, so bear with me while I get this up and running!!  The goal is to post recipes and cooking tips.  I'll give credit when I use or modify somebody's recipe...heck, how many do we really develop on our own??


Please be kind as I go through the learning process...hints and suggestions are always welcome!!