2day's recipe: Pork Chops with Pepper Jelly Sauce

For those of you that don't know it I was raised in the south, eastern NC to be exact.  I was lucky enough to be around a lot of great cooks and farming.  My great grandparents practically lived off their land.  It was so cool because I had a city mouse grandmother and a country mouse grandmother.  Very different, but sometimes the same.  


Like, a staple in country mouse's kitchen was Pepper Jelly.  Now, if you have never tried pepper jelly, you need to find it and give it try.  In country mouse's kitchen, hot peppers were every where, in everything like our famous pepper vinegar for BBQ here in the south and even as decoration in the kitchen.  


Pepper jelly was in also in city mouse's kitchen, just used differently.  Like at a casual bridge game... served over cream cheese.. OMG!  It is the best thing ever!  I love it.  


I have been looking for ways in cooking to use more pepper jelly.  I thought I would share a recipe today that uses pepper jelly and wine, two of my favorite staples in my kitchen.  
Enjoy!

Pork Chops With Pepper Jelly Sauce   

Ingredients 4 (3/4-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops (about 2 1/4 lb.) 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons butter divided 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 large jalapeño pepper seeded and minced 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup red pepper jelly

Instructions1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150°. Remove from skillet, and keep warm.
2. Add flour and jalapeño to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until flour is golden brown. Add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.
3. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Return pork to skillet; turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce.

Yields: 4 Servings
Source - I believe this came from Southern Living (of course!)

2day's recipe: Beer-Braised Beef with Italian Salsa Verde- delicious!

I don't know about your house but in several households I work with I find that someone is a meat and potatoes person and really doesn't care to much for anything else.  I have to say, I love meat and potatoes but I also like everything else.  I'm sharing one of my favorite dishes that will satify the meat and potato lover & add a little something extra for the more diverse eater in the household.  It is simply delicious, trust me.  I serve the beef over mashed potatoes and serve crusty bread with this. 
Enjoy :-)

Beer-Braised Beef with Italian Salsa Verde


Outstanding
This meat dish is a specialty at Simpatica Dining Hall. You can prepare and refrigerate the salsa verde up to two weeks in advance. It's good with chicken or fish, too, or simply atop grilled bread as an appetizer. Serve the beef and salsa over mashed potatoes instead of toasted bread, if desired.


Ingredients
Salsa Verde:
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped capers
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Beef:
2 pounds boneless chuck roast trimmed, cut into 3-inch cubes or larger roast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
1 cup fat-free less-sodium beef broth
1 (12-ounce) can Guinness Stout or dark stout beer like Bad Penny made in Raleigh!
Remaining ingredient:
1 (16-ounce) loaf Italian bread cut into 16 (1-ounce) slices, toasted


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare salsa, combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare beef, sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add 1 teaspoon oil and onion to pan. Reduce heat, and cook 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Return beef to pan. Add broth and beer; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender. Remove beef from pan; shred with 2 forks. Return beef to pan; stir. Spoon 1/4 cup beef mixture over each bread slice; top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa.



Yields: 8 Servings

Source:  Katherine Cole, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2006

2day's recipe: Caramelized Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast with Fontina and Bing Cherries

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!  I hope you have a very good 2011.  Wow, 2011!  Shouldn't I be able to step inside a tube and come out in 2 seconds fully dressed with make-up & hair done?  Going to work in a flying car?  I'm not fussing, I'm just sayin the Jetson's got it all wrong.  I do love the things we do have, like the INTERNET & SMARTPHONES.
Well, I wish you the best new year and to help you start it off right, here is a wonderful fancy recipe for you to try tonight.
Cheers!

Caramelized Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast with Fontina and Bing Cherries   

Ingredients Marinade: 2 ounces red wine vinegar 3 ounces apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dry mustard 4 teaspoons honey 7 ounces olive oil 8 chicken breasts boneless and skinless Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 medium Fuji apples 1 ounce unsalted butter 6 1/2 ounces fontina cheese shredded 6 1/2 ounces dried bing cherries roughly chopped

InstructionsFor the marinade: Place the red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, the mustards, and honey in a food processor. Turn it on and drizzle in the olive oil until fully incorporated (emulsified). Marinate the chicken breasts overnight in this mixture.

Preheat grill or grill pan on high. Remove chicken breasts from the marinade and transfer to a plate. Season them with salt and pepper. Mark the chicken breasts by grilling them only long enough to make grill marks and then rotating them about 45 degrees to make crosshatch marks. Do this on 1 side only. The chicken breasts should still be completely raw inside. Hold breasts in refrigerator until ready to stuff.

For the stuffing: Peel, core, and very roughly chop the apples. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium/high heat and add the apples. Cook the apples for roughly 5 to 10 minutes or until they are deeply browned. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the fontina and cherries and mix. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

For the chicken: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a slit in the side of each breast (in the thicker part) about 1-inch wide, creating a pocket almost as large as the breast itself. Stuff the breasts with the apple stuffing mix – cramming in as much as possible without ripping the breast. At this point the breasts are ready to bake and can either be held in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or baked right away. When ready to bake, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.


Yields: 8 Servings

Recipe courtesy Celebrity Events

2day's recipe: Sara's Homemade Chicken Pot Pie - quick n easy!

Today's recipe is super easy and one I like to use when I need something easy and quick for dinner.  I usually always have the ingredients in the house so that when I'm pressed for time I can throw this together and put it in the oven.  Well, tis the season for being in a rush.  You could serve with a salad but it is really not needed.
Enjoy :-)

Sara's Homemade Chicken Pot Pie   

Creamy chicken and veggies in a flakly crust. like grandma use to make... Ingredients 1 whole Chicken roasted or prepackaged 2 can (12 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup or other cream soup 2 cans Mixed vegetables 1 can (12 oz) Green beans or other veggie 1 packages Pie crust dough contains 2 crusts or 2 deep pie shells will work Salt and freshly ground pepper

InstructionsAdd all ingredients together except pie dough. Place pie dough in pie shells or 8x8 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40mins. until the top is golden brown.

Yields: 4 Servings

2day's recipe: Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans-Quick!

Quick and Easy!  Today's recipe can be made with the cooked roasted chicken from your grocery store's deli.  Top with some cheese and sour cream and you have a wonderful meal.  I serve with refried beans or a salad with fresh salsa.
Enjoy :-)

Baked Chicken and Rice With Black Beans   

Ingredients 1 (10-oz.) package yellow rice mix 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 (15-oz.) can black beans drained 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained 2 cups (8 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, sauté onion, bell pepper, and carrot in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender.

3. Combine hot cooked rice, onion mixture, chicken, beans, diced tomatoes and chiles, and 1 1/2 cups cheese in a large bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 3-qt. or 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Yields: 6 Servings

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2009

2day's recipe: Creamy Lentil Soup

Well, it is just plain cold outside.  Today's recipe is heart warming soup. 
Enjoy :-)

Creamy Lentil Soup   

Ingredients 3 bacon slices 2 cups chopped leek 1 cup chopped onion 3 cups water 2 cups chopped peeled baking potato (about 12 ounces) 1 cup dried lentils 3/4 cup chopped carrot 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free less-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons dry sherry

InstructionsCook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add leek and onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add water, potato, lentils, carrot, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Place vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return puréed mixture to pan; stir in half-and-half and sherry. Cook until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with bacon. Serves 6.

2day's recipe: Artichoke and Tomato Chicken

Today's recipe is one of my base recipes.  I change it a lot.  Using different veggies and sauces.  Don't like artichokes, use spinach, etc.
Enjoy:-)

Artichoke and Tomato Chicken   

Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 4 fresh tomatoes diced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 6 artichoke hearts drained and chopped 2 red bell peppers chopped 1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese cubed 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 2 cups marinara sauce

InstructionsHeat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, artichoke hearts and red peppers. Cook until just hot, then remove from heat. transfer to a large bowl and toss together with mozzarella cubes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lay out the pounded breasts and spoon filling onto the center, leaving an inch on each side. Adjust filling as you roll so as not to over stuff. Place them seam side down into a 2 quart baking dish. cover with marinara sauce. Place lid onto dish or cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is cooked through. You'll love it!

Yields: 6 Servings