Sweet’n’Sour Pork Chops

This was last night’s dinner.

**Source**Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup honey barbecue sauce

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 tbsps chili sauce

4 bone-in pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick and 8 oz each)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, barbecue sauce, onion and chili sauce. Pour half into a greased 3 quart slow cooker. Top with the pork chops and remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-1/4 to 5-1/4 hours or until meat is tender.

Notes

We found the chops to be flavorful and tender, but a little on the spicy side. Next time I think I will use only 1 tbsp of chili sauce. We served this with whole grain brown rice and sauteed wild mushrooms, carrots, & spinach.

Mayonnaise Chicken

Ingredients:

1 c mayonnaise (use whatever brand/type you like)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp dried basil

4 chicken thighs

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and brush over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour.

Notes:

The chicken was juicy, tender, and tasty. But I think it would taste even better if one were to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have marinated for at least an hour. I served this with whole grain brown rice and sauteed veggies.

Christina’s Easy Pasta

I made this from scratch, and it was great…I’m not going to put ingredient amounts, because I only eye-balled it. Furthermore, use these ingredients only as a base…you can add anything else you may want to. As well, you may add a little cornstarch or tomato paste to thicken it to your liking as it was quite liquid-y.

garlic cloves

carrots

canned whole tomatoes with herbs

ground beef

pasta (I used elbow pasta, but just about anything would work)

seasonings

Procedure

Start browning beef. Peel carrots and cut into small pieces. Boil until cooked but not mushy. In a food processor or blender, process peeled garlic cloves with a little bit of oil until finely chopped. Add cooked carrots and process until they are finely chopped, but not pureed. Begin adding tomatoes from can one at a time, processing between each. At this time you can also add any additional seasonings. Pour tomato mixture into a small pot to warm. Add juice from can. Add sauce to beef once it has been browned and drained; heat until warmed through and all flavors have had a chance to meld. Serve over prepared pasta with fresh garlic bread and caesar salad.

*Sorry there’s no picture – my camera battery died!

Hearty Lasagna Soup

I love to cook and of course have had both successes and failures in the kitchen throughout my lifetime. But nothing has caused me more culinary heartache than soups and stews. These are the bane of my cooking experiences. In fact, part of my goal in regards to trying out new recipes is to see if maybe I can finally make a delicious soup. The one we had tonight comes close, and it is super simple to boot. I honestly don’t remember where the recipe came from.

Hearty Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground beef

1/4 chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

3-1/2 cups Swanson beef broth (regular, 50% less sodium, or certified organic)

1 can (about 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1-1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the beef, onion, garlic, and parsley in a 3-qt saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the bee is well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat. Stir the broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning into the saucepan and heat to a boil. Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes:

For the pasta, I used tricolor Rotini. I didn’t have any Parmesan, so I used a little shredded marble.

Results:

This soup was flavorful and tasted very fresh and summery. The whole family devoured it and wanted more!

Conclusion:

This WILL be served again in my home. And again. And again.

Tasty Burritos

Burritos were on the menu last night. Something I was really looking forward to, as it was to be my first.

Tasty Burritos, from Taste of Home Magazine

1 lb ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

6 12 inch flour tortillas

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

4 tsps canola oil

Sour cream and salsa

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning. In a small saucepan, cook refried beans over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Spoon about 1/3 cup of beans off-center on each tortilla; top with about 2 rounded tablespoons of beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends of tortilla over filling and roll up. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown burritos in oil on all sides. Serve with sour cream and salsa. 

Yeld: 6 servings

Notes:

For this recipe I added the refried beans to the beef, and I used Monterey Jack slices, rather than shredded cheese.

Results:

The kids really weren’t fond of the filling, and neither of them finished eating. I ate a whole burrito and really enjoyed the texture and flavor of the filling. I honestly don’t think it would have mattered if we had used less expensive cheddar cheese instead of the Monterey Jack, because you really didn’t taste the cheese anyway. Justin ate two whole burrios, himself, and asked for more.

Conclusion:

I might actually prepare some of the filling for these burritos and keep it on hand in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner for Justin or myself.