Grilled Porkchops topped with Sauteed Mushrooms

As part of my 24x24 dinner party, I had to come up with a main dish that I knew everyone would like. The idea was to make something that could easily be eaten in a Portuguese roll, or could also he eaten with a side like rice. I wanted to stay way from the traditional steak dishes. let's face it a grilled steak is a grilled steak in any type of cuisine. After pondering over this for a few hours, I thought why not make a nice pork chop with some sauteed Mushrooms.

As we all know Pork could at time end up being flavorless and dry. The best way to avoid this is by putting the pork chops into a brine over night and then seasoning them in the morning. Another thing you want to do is make sure that your pan is super hot. You want to make sure that you get a nice sear on your meat. If you put the pork on the grill to early, changes are your are going to end up with an over done dry piece of meat. What I love about this recipe is the fact that the pork chops come out so moist and are packed with flavor. This is by far one of the best pork chop recipe I have ever come up with.

Recipe source: myself

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1/2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cloves garlic minced
4 4-6oz pork chops about (1/2inch)
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8oz of chopped mushrooms your choice (we use the white stuffing mushrooms)
Salt and pepper to taste

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

In large bowl, combine wine, paprika, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes blend well. Add garlic cloves.

Layer pork chops in single layer and then pour marinade to coat chops

Marinate for 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain pork; reserve marinade.

Pat pork chops completely dry.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in large skillet.

Add pork chops, flipping chops occasionally so that the meat cooks and colors quickly and evenly.

Transfer and let stand.

Pour reserved marinade into skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping off any brown particles clinging to the inside of pan. and let marinade reduced.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil; and add mushrooms stirring frequently until mushrooms are soft and tender.

Once cook layer over pork chops and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Turkey, Sausage and Veggie Lasagna

If you believe that the only way to make Lasagna is to use fatty meats then I have news for you! This recipe is by far one of the best lasagnas I have ever had or made for that matter.

By now you all know how I feel about fat and extra calories in my meals. I'm a firm believer that if you substitute a few items you can make any dish taste just as good, as the ones with double the fat content. I promise that the few things that I have done will not compromised the savory taste of the Lasagna.

Besides my obsession with fat and calorie content, the other driving factor behind this recipe is me wanting to incorporate more veggie into my family's diet. Having a 2 and a half year-old who is now starting to develop likes and dislikes, it's becoming harder to get him to eat his veggies. In the recipe I am able to hide the veggies and take comfort in the fact that he is getting enough veggies in his daily intake.

This lasagna to make ahead of time and bake when you are ready to eat it. This is great to make for the late nights at work and is a great dish to bring to a new parent or someone who is recovering from a medical issue. I heats up great and taste fresh for days after baking.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and like always...HAPPY COOKING!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 pound Italian sausage (I like to use turkey sausage)cut into thin slices
1 large onion diced
2 large carrots finely diced
1 green squash finely diced
1 medium size red bell pepper finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups small cottage cheese
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On outdoor grill out using a stove-top griddle, grill sausages until golden brown.

In a large saucepan, combine ground turkey, veggies, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled.

Once meat and veggies are cooked make sure to drain the fat and liquids.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.

Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan.

Place row of uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce.

Overlapping the noodles just a little.

Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles and then top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 45 minutes.

Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Portuguese Pork and Clams Alentejo-Style

I have to say that this is by far one of my favorite Portuguese meals. I think that that is the best way to describe this dish is to call it a 'Portuguese Surf & Turf'.

Carne à Alenteja is a dish from the southern Alentejo province of Portugal, which is known for it's cooking and great wine selections. The dish is something that is simple to make and would leaving your guests thinking you spent all day in the kitchen. It is a true winner in our home and is something that I will continue making for years to come.

A few things you might want to keep in mind when making this dish is small clams are better since they cook faster and usually taste better. And of course fresh clams are always best.

Also another thing that you might want to do is marinate the pork over night. I think that the meat is more tender and is pack full of flavor. If you do try this recipe please let me know how it comes out. I would love to get some feedback.

Like always Happy cooking!

Adapted from The Portuguese Homestyle Cookbook

Original Recipe Yield 4 to 6 servings


WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic minced (we like garlic you could use half the amount if you like)
1 bay leaf
2 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
24 small clams in shell, scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

In large bowl, combine wine, paprika, salt and pepper, blend well. Add garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cubed meat, turn meat in marinade to coat pieces. Marinate for 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain pork; reserve marinade. Pat cubes completely dry. Discard garlic and bay leaf. Melt 1 teaspoon of oil in large skillet.

Add pork cubes, stirring frequently so that the meat colors quickly and evenly. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl.

Pour reserved marinade into skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping off any brown particles clinging to the inside of pan.

Boil briskly uncovered until marinade is reduced to 1 cup. Pour over pork and set aside.

In 6 to 8 quart pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil; add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onion is soft but not brown. Add garlic, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Spread the clams, hinged side down, over the tomato sauce; cover the pan tightly and cook over medium to high heat for ten minutes or until clams open.

Stir in reserved pork and juices. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat thoroughly.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Stuffed Sausage Bread

So why stuffed sausage bread you might wonder, well it's simple...My husband is not a huge fan of pizza, however he will eat homemade pizza and enjoy it, as long as I not make it every week and I change up the pizza toppings.

The plan for this week was I was going to make sausage and turkey meatball pizza...I mean that was the plan until my husband informed me that he had pizza two times that week at work. So now I thinking, I have dough that is going to go bad, what else can I do with it... then it came to me why not make a stuffed bread and that is exactly what I ended up doing. Needless to say it came out really good and my husband and son both enjoyed it.

Pizza dough recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, the rest of the recipe is an original. link to dough recipe below
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/fresh-pizza-dough-recipe/index.html




WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

1 Homemade pizza dough (store bought is fine, but I use Tyler Florance's recipe link to pizza dough above)
3 sausage spicy Italian links
1 medium red onion chopped
2-3 medium ALREADY COOKED meatballs sliced thin (I like turkey meat for this)
Olive oil
Garlic salt
Dry basil

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Preheat oven to 350

Open sausage links and crumble the meat.

In a hot medium saute pan, add crumbled sausage and allow it to brown and cook.

Once sausage it cooked, remove from heat place on paper towel to drain excess fat. Return pan to heat and saute onion.

Once onion is cooked place onions in a small bowl.

While everything cools, take your dough and roll it out into a square.

Once you have rolled out your dough, take the sausage and sprinkle it over the dough, top with onions, and then sliced meatballs.

Starting at one end, take the dough and start rolling it onto itself, to create a log.

Place on cookie sheet and let stand for 15 minutes, once 15 minutes have passed brush the top of the bread with olive oil, sprinkle garlic salt and basil.

Place in oven and let bake for about 30 minutes until it becomes a lite golden brown.

Serve with a side of your favorite sauce. Enjoy!

Grilled Pork-Chops with Weight Watchers Mushroom Sauce

I sometimes wonder if anyone else ever gets sick and tired of having the same thing over, and over again. I know, I sure do. When it comes to dinners I try to change things up as much as possible, especially when it comes to pork.

My husband is not a picky eater, however he also isn't a big fan of pork. He states that it tends, to be dry and tough, and in some cases, he is right. Which brings me to my point of how glad I am to have come across this recipe for mushroom sauce. It adds that extra something, and is a great alternative to the usual red sauce.

One of the great things about this sauce is that it's weight watchers recipe. It is packed with flavor, and is so easy to make. I hope that if you try it, that you all enjoy it as much as we did. Happy Cooking!

Mushroom sauce adapted from the Weight Watchers Cookbook

Makes 4 servings:

WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED FOR THE SAUCE:

1.5 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 shallot finely diced
2 garlic clove
4 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms (to save time you can buy the mushrooms already sliced)
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt (or more to adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons brandy (I didn't have brandy so I used some Portuguese Port wine)
1 1/2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup fat-free milk (you might need to add a little extra milk while cooking to thin out the sauce)
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream (A must have it makes the sauce creamy and makes the sauce taste really good.)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:

2 bone-in Pork-chops (doesn't need to have bone, and be center cut)
half box of your favorite Whole Wheat pasta
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of olive oil


WHAT TO DO:

In a stockpot bring water to a boil, and cook pasta as directed by package.

Season pork-chops with salt,pepper, and garlic powder.

Pour olive oil onto a hot grill pan, and place pork-chop to sear the meat. Once the meat is seared reduce the heat and let cook (about 5-6 minutes on each side depending on thickness of the pork.)

While pork is cooking, melt butter for sauce in a large skillet.

Saute the shallot until soft, it will take about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently until mushrooms are tender. (This will take another 5-6 minutes.)

Increase the heat to high, and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Add brandy (or Port) and cook another minute.

Stir in flour, and stir constantly until smooth.

Stir in milk, reduce the heat and simmer stirring constantly until thickened. (this will take about 7 minutes)

Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over your favorite pasta or protein!

Serving size for sauce is 1/2 cup....79 cal, 2g fat, 1g sat fat, 7mg chol, 187mg sodium, 11g carbs, 1g fiber
weight watchers points 2 for sauce only

Carne Adovada

I would have never thought of making this dish on my own. I had a 3lb pork shoulder in my freezer that I wanted to use up, and both my husband and I weren't in the mood for pulled pork again so soon. I then, turned to the ladies on the nest and BridgetMc posted this recipe which appeared to be something completely different from anything I had ever made. Needless to say...I was so excited to try something new.

Not only is this recipe easy and tasty, but its also lite and not fatty. My husband and I enjoyed this so much that I can't wait to make it again.

FYI....This is a spicy recipe so if you have stomach issues, or do not like spicy foods, then this recipe is not for you.

Thanks Bridget!

Recipe from BridgetMc blog link below
http://www.crumblycookie.net/2009/11/18/carne-adovada/

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
16-18 dried red chili pods
hot water
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt (adjust salt to taste, I had to add more)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (I omitted this because I didn't have any in the house)
4 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of thick layer of fat and sliced ½-inch thick

Remove stems and seeds from the chile pods (I left the seeds, because we like spicy foods.)

Place the chile in a large bowl add enough hot water to cover them.

Soak for 1 hour. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid.

Place the chiles, garlic, and salt in a blender and add enough soaking liquid to just cover.

Blend until the skins disappear and the mixture is smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Pour the sauce over meat, cover tightly, and marinate in the refrigerator for 24-28 hours. (I ended up marinating the meat for over 36 hours and it gave the pork a wonderful flavor.)

Directions for baking in oven... heat the oven to 350ºF.

Place the meat and chile sauce marinade in a baking pan and cover tightly with foil.

Bake the carne adovada until the meat is falling apart tender, about 4 hours.

Directions and the way I made it...crock-pot carne adovada cook on low heat for 7-9 hours.

When the meat is done, shred it or cut it into 1-inch pieces. Serve with your favorite Mexican sides. I served this with yellow rice and guacamole. Yummy!

Spicy Pulled Pork

What can I say about pork...the other white meat, besides that this dish has made it's way into our lives and will continue to stay for a very only time. My husband is not a fan of pork, mostly because he finds it to be dry. The day I told him that I was going to be making pulled pork sandwiches he didn't appear to be too excited to try it. Which to me was a major bummer because I was looking forward to it.

Once dinner time rolled around he actually eat a huge sandwich and asked if he could have another. After dinner he stated that he was in state of "food comma" but wanted to know if this recipe could be put on our regular meal plan rotation. So I knew that this dish was a hit. Based on his reaction to the dish I have decided that next time I have a Pot-luck dinner to go to, this will be what I bring.

The funny thing about this recipe is that I didn't find myself making all kinds of changes to the recipe like I always do with anything else that I make. I did however take two recipes for pulled pork and combined them to make this one. The outcome of combining the two recipes was amazing. Both recipes I used were great on their own, however I think together it's out of this world. (We are spice fans in this house LOL!) I hope that if you try it that you will come back and let me know how it came out. Good or bad I would love to get your take on it.


This recipe was adapted from...
both Melissa's blogs (http://melissaheartsfood.blogspot.com/2009/07/slow-cooker-pulled-pork.html and BrigetMc food blog http://www.crumblycookie.net/2008/05/30/crockpot-pulled-pork/


What you will need

6lb bone-in pork shoulder
2 cans or bottle root beer
1 bottle your favorite BBQ sauce
Burger Buns (We like Whole Wheat Bun)
1 medium tomato sliced (my husband like the fresh crisp taste with the pork)

What you will need for your Spice Rub

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

What you need to do....

Mix all dry spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

Rub spices into meat and then Wrap tightly refrigerate over night

Next morning place unwrapped pork into crock pot, cover with root beer, and cook on low for 8-9 hours, until meat falls apart without your help.

Remove pork from crock pot and discard all liquid in crock pot.

With two forks remove any access fat and shred pork shoulder. The meat should appear to be "falling apart" on it's own.

Once meat is shredded place it back into your crock pot and add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

Let the meat heat on low for another hour.

And your done!

Baked Mac and Cheeses w/ Ham and Broccoli

I have never been a huge fan of Mac and Cheese, however my husband lived on the blue boxed Mac and Cheese throughout college and until this day he can never get enough. After reading the label on the box I told him that I would never buy that stuff again. I decided that I would try to create something a little more "healthy" without all the additives. I think I have become successful and coming up with a recipe that will satisfy my husband's "cravings" and also satisfy me in the fact that I found a way of getting him and my son to eat extra veggies.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb box of elbow mac you can use wheat or white pasta (I only use whole wheat)
5 Tbls of unsalted butter
5 Tblp of flour
5 cups of milk (I use 2% and it comes out great)
2 Tbls salt
1 Tbls of cracked black pepper (optional)
1 lb grated cheese (I used 2% cheddar)
1 8-10oz Ham steak with fat trimmed off and chopped into small bite size pieces
2 large crowns of Broccoli
1/3 cup bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 350

Cook pasta according to boxed directions. once cooked drain, and rinse under hot water. Put pasta back into stockpot and set aside.

In medium skillet brown chopped ham steak. Once cooked place in stockpot with pastas and set aside.

In a steamer steam broccoli for about 4 minutes (broccoli should still be firm) once time is up remove from steamer and cut into pieces and place in stockpot.

Over medium heat melt butter in large sauce pan. Once butter is melted add flour. Let cook until mixture becomes slightly browned. Add milk and stir until it is boiling and has thicken.

Mix in salt and add cheese in slowly keep stirring until cheese is fully melted and smooth. Once this is done add all the cheese mixture into the stockpot and mix together well.

Pour mixture into a 13x9 SPRAYED glass baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes and until bubbling around the edges.

Let mac rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.