Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

When I want to make my pork chops, (or a pork roast, or loin), extra special - this is my glaze that turns a weeknight dinner into a Sunday dinner.  It's so fast and easy.  Tonight I'm serving some thick pork chops with my mustard glaze.

 You will need:
4 nice sized pork chops, (or a roast up to 4 lbs)
2 Tabs olive oil
2 teas Dijon mustard
2 teas whole grain mustard
1 teas fennel seed
2 teas kosher salt
1 teas freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Place a wire rack in a baking pan, (this allows the air to circulate completely around the meat).

Note:  I lined my baking sheet with foil for easier clean up, but it's not necessary   Also, I always allow my meat to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, (so I am not putting ice cold meat into the oven - this avoids uneven cooking spots internally).

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, fennel seed, kosher salt and pepper.  Whisk together.

Coat both sides of the meat, and place on the cooking rack.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees, (up to 1 hour for a larger roast).  Remove from oven.

It's been 20 minutes, and this is how my pork chops look.  They smell wonderful.  Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes until you are ready to serve.

Tonight I am serving my pork chops with bacon saute' brussel sprouts, fresh tomatoes from my garden, and a fresh green salad.

As you can see the inside is very moist and juicy, and the mustard glaze is delicious with the combination of the 2 mustards and the fennel on the outside.  Try this simple glaze on your pork dishes, and you will be amazed at how wonderful they taste.

Enjoy !

Southwest Chicken Chili

The weather is turning colder in most parts of the country, which means it's time for more soups and chili.

Today, I'm going to use the slow cooker.  But, you could easily make this dish on the stove top in a dutch oven pan, (with a few modifications).  This dish will easily feed 8 - 10 people, and the leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day.

At the end - I tell you how to make this on the stove top.

You will need:
1 pound of chicken, (breast, legs, thighs - your choice,  today I am using breast meat). skinned and boneless
2 cups of tomato sauce
1 15 oz can of white kidney beans
1 15 oz can of dark kidney beans
1/2 of a medium onion
3 cloves garlic
2 Anaheim peppers, (1 red / 1 green)
1 large carrot
1 stalk of celery
salt / pepper / chili powder / cumin / oregano

Chop the celery, 1/2 onion, carrot, garlic, and peppers, (be sure to remove the seeds and membrane from the peppers).

Note:  If you want more heat in your chili, you can leave in some of the seeds.

I add the carrot so it will mellow the chili with a little sweetness, (I add it to all my different chilies).  Try it, you will like it and it's a good way to sneak extra veggies in your family's meals.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, then sprinkle salt, pepper and chili powder over the chicken.  This is the only chance you have to season the chicken.  If you like the meat more spicy add more chili powder.

Note:  If you are not using "NO SALT" beans and tomato sauce, you may want to watch the amount of salt you add to the chili.

Add the tomato sauce to the slow cooker.

My tomato sauce is no salt - actually it is my homemade sauce from my garden tomatoes.  You can use any kind of tomato sauce you like.

Add the chopped vegetables.

Now you need to season the vegetables, so sprinkle them with salt, pepper, cumin, (this will give the chili a nice warm roasted flavor), oregano, (about 1 tablespoon), and chili powder.

Drain and rinse the beans, then add them in.

Note:  I did not rinse my beans because I am using a "Western style chili bean" which has onion, garlic and jalapeno added and I wanted to keep that flavor in my pot of chili.  Also, I went a little light on the salt, since I did not rinse my beans.

Now add the chicken.

Do NOT stir.  Just cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6 -8 hours, (or high for 4-5 hours).  Until the chicken and vegetables are done.

When it is almost time to serve, you can decide on what toppings you want for your chili.

Shredded cheese, sour cream, onions, tortilla chips, black olives, the list is endless...

The chili is done, and the whole house has had the wonderful smell for most of the day.

Tonight, I am going to have my chili with some chopped green onions, a little shredded cheese, and a small spoonful of sour cream.

So yummy and warm on a chilly night.

OK - so how do you make it on the stove top?
Pretty much the same way.  First you brown your chicken in a dutch oven in 1 tablespoon of oil.  Remove the chicken.  Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the vegetables until they are partially cooked, (onions are translucent).  Add the chicken back to the pan then add the tomato sauce and the rest of the ingredients, cover with a tight fitting lid.  Cook over medium low heat for about 2 hours until the chicken and vegetables are cooked.  Then serve with your desired topping.

So let me know what changes you made to the chili, (maybe you added corn, which is really good in this chili).  And what toppings did you choose?

Enjoy!

Fresh Basil Pesto and Pesto Chicken

In my last post, I told about drying herbs to use in mixes, and I showed you my Greek seasoning blend mix and an easy Greek salad dressing.  In addition to drying herbs, I also use my fresh herbs to make pesto.  I grow lots of basil and parsley, so I tend to make basil pesto and parsley pesto several times a month during the summer.  On the plus side, you can put the excess in a zip lock bag and freeze it to use during the winter months.  Let me show you my easy basil pesto and my easy Pesto Chicken recipe.

You will need:
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup walnuts
1/6 teaspoon salt

 First wash and dry the basil and remove the leaves from the stems.  You will need 2 cups of basil leaves

 Chop 3 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup of onion, and grate 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

 Into a food processor add 1/4 cup walnuts, grated cheese, chopped garlic, chopped onion, 1/6 teaspoon salt, (I like to use sea salt, but you can use whatever you have on hand), and 1/4 cup olive oil.

Process until a smooth paste.

Add in the basil leaves.

Process until a smooth paste, and you have your pesto.

Note:  some people like to use pinenuts, instead of walnuts, (but at this time of year they are $15.99 a pound, so I used walnuts and will wait till the pinenuts go on sale).

You can now use your pesto, or store it in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze it for the winter.

Let's make a delicious, and easy Pesto Chicken.
You will need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
basil pesto
fresh tomatoes (I just picked these)
garlic powder
onion powder
ground black pepper
grated Italian blend cheese (or mozzarella)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spray a baking sheet, with baking spray, (I lined my pan with foil for easier clean up, but it's not necessary).
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper, then lay the chicken in the pan.

You will notice we didn't salt the chicken, because there's salt in the pesto.

Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of pesto on top of each piece of chicken.

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices and lay the slices on top of the pesto.

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the tomatoes.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

It's been 30 minutes, and oh man does this smell delicious!  And the melted cheese on the tomatoes and pesto is so inviting!  It's ready to serve.

And the chicken inside is so juicy.  Serve this with a green tossed salad and a side of vegetables and you family will ask for seconds.  And it was so easy!

Enjoy!

Greek Seasoning Blend Mix and Salad Dressing

 As some of you know, I am a gardener.  So, during the summer months most of my dishes are prepared with fresh vegetables and herbs.  In addition to enjoying the freshness of our garden's bounty, I am always drying my herbs on any available flat surface I can find.  My house always smells of these wonderful herbs drying, which I can then use during the winter months.

I also collect all kinds of small jars with tight fitting lids, to hold my dried herbs.  Tiny ones hold dried lemon and lime peels for seasoning salts and salad dressings, the larger ones hold my dried herbs.

Then I just stick a label on the jar, (or baggie), and I save tons of money using my garden's bounty.  I also watch the produce section for mark down herbs.  I bring them home, dry them and save.  Having dried herbs that do not grow in our area of the country (i.e: marjoram, etc.).

 SO - let's make a mix using some of my dried herbs.  You may even have some of these in your pantry right now.  Today, we are making a Greek seasoning blend mix that is very versatile.
You will need:
2 teas salt, (I am using sea salt)
2 teas oregano (store bought)
1 1/2 teas onion powder
2 teas garlic powder
1 teas cornstarch
1 teas ground black pepper
1 teas cinnamon
1 teas paprika
1 teas nutmeg
1 teas thyme
2 teas dried basil (from garden)
1 teas dried parsley (from garden)
1 teas dried rosemary (from garden)
1 teas dried mint (from garden)
1 teas dried dill weed (from garden)
1 teas dried marjoram (from produce dept - then dried at home)
1 clean container with tight fitting lid, to hold the mix

 In a small bowl add:
salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, nutmeg, oregano.

Then finely crush the dried herbs:
basil, parsley, rosemary, dill weed, marjoram, mint,  and thyme.  This will release the oils and make them easier to incorporate into the mix.

 Add the crushed herbs to the bowl.

Gently stir everything together.

Pour the mix into the container and label.  When you are ready to use, give the container a shake and measure out.

This is great on salads, grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, meats, just about anything.  It's great for making your own tzatziki sauce for gyros.  I always have a jar of this in my cupboard.  And it cost me about 25 cents to make.

If you don't garden, watch your produce section for herbs marked down, take them home and dry them, then start making your own mixes.

Now, let's make a Greek salad dressing -

Into a container, measure 1/4 cup of vinegar.  I like using rice vinegar, but you can use any kind you have on hand, (I think the rice vinegar has a much milder flavor).

Add 1 teaspoon of Greek seasoning mix.

 Add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, (I like to use fresh squeezed, but if you have bottled on hand go ahead and use that).

 Add 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Give the container a good shake, to mix everything and incorporate all the ingredients.

Now give the dressing a taste.  Is it sweet enough for your family?  We like ours a little tart, but if your family likes a little sweeter, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and shake the container again.  Then taste it.  How does it taste now?

And you now have fresh Greek salad dressing.  This will taste better and not have all those preservatives that the store brands have.  And it only cost you 50 cents to make.

What dishes did you make with the Greek seasoning blend mix?

Enjoy!