Pork Chop Bake

I love and hate that after college, all my friends scattered across the US. I have friends in Seattle, Boston, NYC, and Chicago. It's great when I'm traveling, but it's not so great when socializing. Last summer on my east coast solo trip, I stayed with Ayesha and Alex in NYC. I am so thankful that they let me crash on their couch for a few days and gave me a great culinary tour of the city.

This Christmas, it dawned on me that Alex would probably be home for the holidays, so we got together for lunch. I picked him up in Holland (his home) and we had lunch in Grand Rapids (my new home). His family owns Montello Meat Market in Holland, so when I picked him up, I got a quick tour of the operation, complete with Sam in the back hacking a large piece of meat. Then, a lovely surprise! I welcome to the West Side box of meat from the market. There were pork chops, burgers, ground beef, various beef cuts and some amazing homemade bratwurst. I was really looking forward to savoring each cut and eating delicious meat over the new few months.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and you'll find my refrigerator not working. The compressor broke when I wasn't home (twice) and my entire fridge/freezer thawed out. Thankfully, it was really cold out at the time and my porch then acted as my freezer. The staff at my apartment complex did a nice job of replacing the fridge in a pretty timely manner. However, the meat had been defrosted twice in a few days and I was getting a little leary of how long it would last. I put on a request on Facebook for some recipes and this was one of the results. 

I grew up eating pork chops with applesauce and macaroni and cheese, so this was a great way of getting the apples without making full on applesauce. Go make it. It's delicious.

Pork Chop Bake
original recipe from Holly Hentz
 
2 pork chops
2 tsp. butter
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 small sweet onion, diced (1/2 cup)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon


In a small nonstick skillet, brown pork chops in butter. 

 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the apples, cranberry sauce and onion. Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish coated with spray.
 
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apple mixture. Top with pork chops.
 
Cover and bake at 325 for 45 to 50 minutes or until pork reaches 160 and apples are tender.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers

Sometimes I have to remember that not everyone likes all the same foods that I do. I love peas and lima beans. Matt hates them. I hate mushrooms. Matt loves them. Sometimes, I have to suck it up and put the things that I hate back into a recipe. There are plenty of recipes I have altered to get rid of things I don't like. Maybe it changes the recipe too much, maybe it doesn't. I'll never know.

When I found this recipe though, I knew that if I was sharing, I was going to have to include the mushrooms. I have never actually had a Philly Cheesesteak, but I assume that the mushrooms are important. That is how I found myself sauteeing mushrooms in butter one day last week. I took them out of the oven and they smelled delicious, but when it came time to eat the mushrooms, I couldn't do it. I can sneak the little guys in there, but a whole sliced mushroom? No way! There are delicious and definitely a way to get your fill of Cheesesteak if you're someone on a gluten-free diet. 


Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers
originally from Quick & Easy Recipes

8 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef

8 Slices Provolone Cheese

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium Sweet Onion

6 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 Tbs. Butter

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Garlic – Minced

Salt and Pepper – to taste

Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

Slice onions and mushrooms.  Saute over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic and a little salt and pepper.  Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized.  About 25-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*

Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture.  Allow to cook 5-10 minutes

Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese. 

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown. 

Blueberry-Raspberry Baked Oatmeal

Another recipe for when regular oatmeal or cereal just isn't cutting it. I have been craving blueberries lately and didn't want to take the time to make them into scones like I had originally planned. Good thing I had bookmarked this recipe. 

Blueberry & Raspberry Baked Oatmeal

originally from So, How's It Taste?

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup milk

 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup blueberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.

3. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.

4. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

F U, Penguin

Book #2
F U, Penguin - Matthew Gasteier


Another book given to me by Matt, this one was a Christmas present. Knowing my love of penguins, this book takes pictures of adorable animals and gives scathing comments about them. It's originally based on the blog fupenguin.com (read at your own risk). You'll be treated to cute pictures with titles such as "WARNING: Dogs are big-time fakers" or "Seals are always looking for handouts" and, of course "Penguins think they are so f***ing great." Also, random facts about the animals in the picture. I'm not sure they're true.

Rating: 7/10 because it's just pictures and a commentary

Oh Hey 2013!

So last year was a little bit of a fail. I made it to 30 weeks of new recipes.

I really did make more, I just didn't document them all. And I moved across the state at the end of the year.

Really, I spent two months interviewing for two jobs and then searching for an apartment and then moving and starting a new job. In there was also the holidays.

We can welcome in 2013 with a new resolution.

1. Do not move. I had four addresses last year and I am dead set on staying in this apartment.

2. 50 books. That is the new goal. I want to read 50 books this year. When I worked at the library, I read 50 books in a summer. This lasted for 3-4 years. Then my goal was 50 books each year. Then I started grad school and that went away quickly. So here it goes. 50 books this year.


Book #1
Micro - Michael Crichton

Back when I was living on the east side of the state and Matt was living on the west side, we decided to start reading the same book. This way, we were doing something together when we were 2+ hours away from each other. 

I have read a couple of Michael Crichton books before so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, Michael Crichton died before he was though writing the book. Richard Preston finished writing the book. You can't really tell where one stopped and the other began.

The book is about a group of grad students who are invited to work at a company in Hawaii that studies micro-biological type things. Soon there is a murder and in trying to solve it, the students are shrunk down and dumped into the forest. The resulting story is one of survival and science. There were some really great descriptions of micro-environments (kind of gross really) and some serious eye-raisers in the plot. The dialog and other descriptions weren't that great though. (in a nutshell)

Rating: 5/10 for a good premise, but a lack of follow-through.

 

Week 30: Easy One Pan Rice Stick Noodles

Make these if you're having a million people over for dinner. It makes a TON of noodles. 

Easy One Pan Rice Stick Noodles
from FussFree Cooking

Cooking Oil
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 cups water, boiling
2 tablespoons kecap manis
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
salt to taste
dash of white pepper
454 g dried rice stick noodles (Pandaroo brand, if possible)
150 g/5 ounces bean sprouts

Add about 4 tbsps of cooking oil and sliced shallots in a large pan and saute over low-medium heat until golden brown. Transfer the crispy onion and excess oil to a flat bowl and set aside.

With some of the shallot oil remaining in the pan, saute garlic over low heat until aromatic.

Add soy sauce and allow it to sizzle for about 5 seconds in the pan. 

Then add 4 cups of boiling water, salt, sesame oil, white pepper and kecap manis. Stir to combine and wait until the “broth” starts to boil.

When the broth is bubbling, add the dried rice stick noodles.

Using a tong, toss the noodles around in the broth until all are absorb evenly.

When the noodles are almost cooked, add bean sprouts and toss evenly with the noodles.

Sprinkle with crispy shallots before serving.

Week 29: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies (for Matt)

Is this not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? I mean, seriously. She's a beaut. The red microwave that was left here was very quickly moved to another spot so I could put my lovely red mixer in a place of honor. The only counter in my kitchen now holds my gorgeous 5 quart red mixer. All of this because I moved into my very own little apartment. My parents gave me this as a house-warming present.

I've never made these before and they aren't my very favorite cookie. However, they are someone's favorite cookie and that someone got a brand new job. So of course, I baked cookies. :)

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a bowl, mix the flour with salt and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, sugar and butter until they are mixed properly. Add vanilla extract and whisk again for a couple of minutes.

Pour the flour mix into the egg mix. Add the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips. Mix with a rubber spatula. 

Pre-heat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop a ball of the dough onto the baking sheet. Wet your hands and press the dough to flatten it a litt.e

Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are light brown in color. The middles should not look completely cooked.

Take the cookies out of the oven and let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes before putting on a cooking rack. 

Week 28: Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

Crockpot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

 

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts, can still be frozen

1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce

1 20 oz. can Pineapple Chunks, drained

Spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray for an easy cleanup.

Place frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Empty can of drained pineapple chunks on top. 

Cook on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with two forks while still in the crock pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce.  Serve over rice.

*In the last 20-30 minutes, throw in some veggies too. Green pepper and onion would be good.

Week 27: 3 Layer Upside Down Apple Pecan Breakfast Cake

Trying to catch up, so here is a recipe and a picture.

3 Layer Upside Down Apple Pecan Breakfast Cake

1 cup pecans
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon, divided
1/3 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and chop the apples. Grease a small casserole dish and spread 1 tablespoon syrup on the bottom of dish. Spread a layer of chopped apples followed by a layer of pecans on the bottom of the dish. Use just less than half of both.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together. In a small bowl, mix the applesauce, syrup, vanilla and butter. Mix.

Add the wet to the dry and mix well. Spread on a layer of the batter over the apples and pecans. Use half the batter.

Spread a layer of apples and pecans, leaving 2-3 tablespoons of each for the top. Follow this with the rest of the batter. Spread evenly.

Sprinkle with remaining apples and pecans. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 55 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

Serves 4-6.
 

Week 26: BLT Pasta

Make this and drink wine with it. If it's hot and you don't have A/C, only have one glass.

 I don't really like tomatoes. The original recipe calls for cherry tomatoes. Ick. I dislike them. I'm not the person who goes outside to the cherry tomato vines and eats them straight off the vine. Ew. So I substituted. I added sun-dried tomatoes instead. I also just used bread crumbs from a box and then cooked them with the oil and garlic. 
 
Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Pasta
originally from Framed Cooks

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt

4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, 

1/2 cup thinly sliced leek

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

6 ounces linguine

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Make the breadcrumbs by heating olive oil in a medium skillet, adding garlic and bread crumbs and stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

 

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

 

Add tomatoes and sugar to skillet with bacon drippings and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add leek and stir for another 3 minutes.

 

Add wine to skillet and simmer until wine is almost evaporated. Add broth, vinegar and red pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

 

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

 

Add spinach, bacon and thyme to skillet. Add pasta and toss with tongs over low heat until spinach is wilted.

 

Divide among plates, top with bread crumbs and serve.