Smothered Pork chops

It was funny to me that Emilee and I would both have a pork dish on Sunday. I have wanted to try this recipe for some time but it looked time intensive and to be truthful it was. It was dish intensive too ( which interpreted means lots of dishes to wash) but it was tasty. I got the recipe off Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She has this recipe in her best recipes. I followed the recipe and served it on brown rice.
INGREDIENTS:
5 slices bacon, chopped
6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
Salt and Pepper
2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.

Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).

When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Cook’s Country Cookbook

Rosemary Garlic Pork Loin Roast

This is the star of the best Sunday dinner I've ever made.  Seriously.  The key (MOM) is not to overcook the pork.  Pair this with roasted cauliflower, a yummy green salad, and some one-hour rolls, and you have a delicious "fancy" dinner.  I got this recipe (and I've gotten so many other delicious, delicious recipes) from epicurious.com.


4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 1/2-pound boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch roasting pan with foil. Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl. Rub garlic mixture all over pork. Place pork, fat side down, in prepared roasting pan. Roast pork 30 minutes. Turn roast fat side up. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155°F., about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes Pour any juices from roasting pan into small saucepan; set over low heat to keep warm. Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork slices on platter. Pour pan juices over. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Crepe Sandwich

Susanne's Crepe Recipe
1 1/2 C. Milk
3 Eggs
1/4 C. Melted Butter
1 C. Whole Wheat or White All-Purpose Flour
Dash Salt

Mix ingredients in blender. Add the butter first then flour so the hot butter doesn't cook your egg.

I used the ingredients for a California sandwich and tweaked it a bit, but really anything that would be good in a Pita Pocket would work.

Sandwich
1 Avocado Sliced
1 Tomato, sliced thin
1 Cucumber, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. chopped Basil or Cilantro
Salt & Pepper
Alfalfa Sprouts
Pepper Jack Cheese
Deli sliced Turkey Breast

Chive Spread
1/4 C. Greek Yogurt or Mayo (or 2 Tbsp. of each)
1 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Chopped Chives (I used scallions, they're cheap)

Place the cheese and meat within reach of the stove. Pour batter on med-high skillet. According to Mike flip it when the edges are browned and start to curl.....As soon as you flip the Crepe place cheese on one half of it and layer meat on top of the cheese. When your crepe is done fold it in half so the cheese and meat are sandwiched and remove from heat.

Now smear it with chive spread. Place remaining ingredients on one half of your crepe (which is really a quarter of your crepe). Fold it in half again so it's quarter sized and eat:)

Tip-When you remove it from the stove it's good to have some parchment paper on your plate so you can fold it around your crepe. It's easier to pick up that way, otherwise I eat it with a fork.

Tip-Have strawberries and whip cream on hand for dessert crepes:)

Mustard Pesto Sandwich Spread

I was inspired by the sandwich I had at Zupa's on our girls day trip to play with Annie so last night I made a regular pesto and added Dijon mustard to it for our open faced sandwiches and it was EXCELLENT!!!!

Mustard Pesto
Olive Oil
Pine Nuts ( I used Pecans)
Basil
Dijon Mustard to taste (I want to try it with whole grain mustard)
pinch salt

I put generous portions on them........so good. I topped each sandwich with turkey, sliced tomato and grated parmesean then put them unnder the broiler till the cheese melted and goldened:)

Yummy Quinoa

Seriously, this is one of the yummiest recipes I've tried.  It tastes like delicious fresh salsa.  I served it with hot homemade braided bread, and it's a fabulous meal. I bet it's yummy cold, too, as leftovers.  Yum!

Yummy Quinoa

1 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 c uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 c broth (I use chicken broth)

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Heat oil in saucepan. Stir in onion and garlic. Mix in quinoa and cover with broth. Add spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 20 mins.

1 cup frozen sweet corn

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 T lime juice

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c cliantro, chopped

Stir in corn, simmer 5 more minutes. Add rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle with feta

Fish lake menu

Monday
Dinner:
Frozen pizza?  Something easy?- What time do we get in?


Tuesday
Breakfast
Hootenannies
Sausage
Fresh Oranges
Steamed milk or hot chocolate

Lunch
BLT's w/ avocado or loaded sandwiches with everything from peppercini's to sprouts with Kneader's sauce?
chips
mini carrots

Dinner
Creamy vegetable soup in soup bowls

Treat for the evening
caramel corn drizzled with white chocolate and brown chocolate from Jamie Cooks it Up

Wednesday
Breakfast:
Crepe Bar

Lunch: Cheese Quesdillas with avacadoes and fresh salsa or nachos with cheese



Dinner:
This is the day the men are on their own. I propose the men make Paninis again (if we do quesadillas for lunch on this day and then have the men make Pakistani's (spell check suggested it) for dinner then we could do them for lunch on Thursday. I think this will give us a little variety so we are not eating sandwiches 2x in one day or Mexican food 2x in one day.)


Thursday
Breakfast
Cold cereal (Men on their own)

Lunch
Panini's

Dinner: 
Cafe Rio Salads? We could buy the rice, beans, and metal containers from Costa Vida in Provo to make it easier and then make the meat, dressing, and tortillas at the cabin. Let's buy those uncooked tortillas to make it even easier. - What time do we get back from Provo?

Friday
Breakfast
Ebelskivers

Lunch:
Leftovers.  There's bound to be leftovers

Dinner:
Noquis (John-directed)
with John's sauce  (Who's willing to get their hands dirty?)

Saturday
Breakfast: 
Cold Cereal and smoothies


Lunch: Butternut Squash Risotto and a salad? When are we leaving


Dinner:  Are we having our New's Year Eve party at Fish Lake?  Should I (Em) bring more floating lanterns?


General Food needed:
Cinnamon rolls
Kettle corn (I'll bring my popper and the supplies) yum!
Soda?

Holy Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.