I think I enjoy the cooking more than eating, there is nothing better than to watch the smile grow after someone’s first bite. Note from Steve: I am a flow of thought writer and apologize up front if I lose you. My family is used to it.
So I had 2 lbs of ground Turkey from Butcher Box and it was Taco Tuesday but that was just not hitting the spot. So instead of making my usually turkey meatloaf I google and found this . We both agreed this would be a repeat.
Servings: 6
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE GLAZE
⅔ cup ketchup
⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
FOR THE MEATLOAF
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
2 pounds ground turkey (93/7)
¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
A few springs chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil; grease the foil with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
Make the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
Make the Meatloaf: Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, eggs, and ¼ cup of the BBQ glaze. Whisk until well combined. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the ground turkey and breadcrumbs and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
Transfer the meat mixture into two even piles onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape into two long loaves about 1½ in high x 6 in long x 4 in wide. Spread the remaining BBQ glaze over the loaves, letting it drip down the sides a bit. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the meatloaves are cooked through. Scrape any fat away from the sides of the loaves, then transfer the loaves to a platter. Slice and garnish with parsley if desired.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatloaf can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat it in a 300°F oven until hot in the middle.
I was looking for a variation of how I usually cook porkchops and found this it was really good. From inspired taste
Pork chops are a quick, healthy and simple dinner. Our method ensures juicy, tender, and flavorful pork chops with little fuss. Check the notes section for our tips on which pork chops are best.
You Will Need
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 to 7 ounces each, see notes
1. Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator and season on both sides with salt — we use just less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt per pork chop. Set the chops aside to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the spice rub. Mix the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper in a small bowl.
3. After 30 minutes, use a paper towel to dry the pork chops, then rub both sides of the chops with the spice rub.
4. Heat the oil in a skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the pork. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Flip the pork so that the seared side is facing up. If there is a fattier side of the pork, use kitchen tongs to hold the chops fat-side-down until it sizzles and browns slightly, about 30 seconds.
6. Reduce the heat to low, then cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 6 to 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 145° F when inserted into the thickest part of the chop. Cook time depends on the thickness of the chops, so check for doneness at 5 minutes, then go from there, checking every 2 minutes after that. If you do not have a thermometer, you will know they are done, if, when cutting into the chops, the juices run clear.
7. Transfer pork chops to a plate, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes.
MAKE PAN SAUCE
While the chops rest off of the heat, add chicken stock, a little bit of apple cider vinegar and sliced apples to the skillet.
Bring everything to a simmer, and then reduce by about half. When it has reduced, slide the pan away from the heat and swirl in some butter.
Grab your chops and place them back into the skillet. You can add them whole or sliced. We love adding them sliced since the pan sauce gets all over the meat.
And that’s it, our no-fail method for cooking juicy and tender pork chops.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
What pork chops to use: We call for 1-inch thick chops in the recipe, but you can use thinner or thicker chops as a substitute. Keep in mind that thinner chops will cook much quicker, so keep your thermometer close by. Bone-in chops are an excellent option, too. The bone will add a minute or two of extra cook time.
Can I use my favorite spice rub? Yes, absolutely. Just make sure the spice rub is salt-free.
Gluten-free: If you don’t want to use the flour, it’s okay. The crust won’t be as even, but skipping the flour and just rubbing the spices over the pork will still taste great.
Make an onion-apple pan sauce: After removing the cooked pork chops from the skillet, add sliced onions, apples and a bit of fresh thyme. Cook until sweet and softened then pour in the stock, vinegar, and honey.
Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Steve Note: Mine chops from Butcherbox about 2″ thick so it took a little longer and I chose their suggestion slicing and then adding into pan. I prefer thicker so added a little corn starch to thicken the sauce. Served with roosted Honey nut squash
NUTRITION PER SERVING Serving Size 1 pork chop / Calories 369 / Total Fat 14.3g / Saturated Fat 5.1g / Cholesterol 138.8mg / Sodium 767mg / Total Carbohydrate 11.6g / Dietary Fiber 1.4g / Total Sugars 4.4g / Protein 46.1g
AUTHOR: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
How to cook pork chops so that they are juicy and tender
Tip #1:Don’t cook chops straight from the refrigerator. Thirty minutes before you cook, take the chops out of the fridge. The time out of the refrigerator lets you bring the meat to room temperature, which helps the pork cook more evenly throughout. Use this trick for other cuts of meat like pork tenderloin or steak.
Tip #2: Season the chops with salt half an hour before cooking. This way, the salt has a chance to improve the flavor and texture of the meat. Pork chops are lean, so seasoning with salt before cooking is essential for making the most flavorful chops.
Tip #3: Rub the chops with spices and some flour. Here’s where your favorite spice rub can come in. Alternatively, you can use our spice blend suggested in the recipe below or try this cajun seasoning. Whichever you choose, add a little flour to it. Rubbing a small amount of flour over the chops helps to add a flavorful crust. We use this trick a lot. When cooking scallops, we add a little flour to the outside so that they brown evenly.
Tip #4: Sear on one side, flip, and then cover with a lid. We use this trick a lot — it’s how we cook chicken breasts so they are juicy, and we use the same concept when grilling meat. First, we sear one side of the chops until browned, flip them, turn the heat to low, and cover the skillet with a lid. The second side will slowly turn golden brown, and since we added the lid, the heat from the pan will gently cook the middle. By gently cooking the chops this way, they stay juicy and become tender
Tip #5:Let the cooked chops rest. When they are cooked, transfer them to a clean plate and cover with foil. After 5 minutes, all the juices inside the chops will have distributed around the meat.
How to tell when pork chops are done
Pork is done when an internal thermometer reads 145° F. Depending on how thick the chops are, you might need to subtract or add a few minutes from the suggested cook times in our recipe below.
If you look closely, the pork chop in the back of the pan (pictured above) is thicker than the one in the front. When we were cooking them, we removed the thinner chop first since it reached 145° F a few minutes before the thicker chop. So if your chops aren’t all the same thickness or size, it’s best to check the temperature of each chop and remove them as they finish cooking.
I based mine on this recipe, Thanks Sue, but made some substitutions will mark below with Steve Note:
This yummy Thai Spaghetti Salad is an delicious twist on a potluck classic ~ quick to prepare using common ingredients, the Asian flavors in this colorful pasta salad really pop. This easy summer side salad recipe will be your go to for barbecues this season!
To make the dressing put all the ingredients in a small bowl and use an immersion blender to process into an emulsified dressing. Thin with more oil or vinegar to taste, if necessary.
Put the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes we went stickily Veggie
Make it a main course ~ add chunks of chicken, tender steak, or grilled shrimp.
Make it gluten/grain free ~ try this with zucchini noodles (spiralized zucchini) or spaghetti squash.
Make it with more veggies ~ try frozen and thawed edamame beans, broccoli, or bok choy, snap peas, or green beans.
We went to visit Sofie on Saturday, Gail was out with her girlfriends and Mike was home with Sofie. On a recent visit he had mentioned raviolis so we brought the makings for Ravioli Puttanesca. This is a good switch up from ravioli with pasta sauce and this time we had Kalamata olives not just the black made a huge different added that tart kick. While I was bringing the water to boil Lyn jump in and became my sous chef. Got to say I enjoyed that, I’m usually my own along with chief bottle washer. It was a great lunch.
Sofie enjoyed some sweet potato, Spaghetti was very interested in both.
Lyn’s last day is today then she joins me in the “Everyday is Saturday Club”
My wise brother explained to me that when retired choosing to treat all days as Saturdays is the best, It’s a weekend day so you free to do what you want and there is no work the next day.
Anyway Lyn grabbed this off her healthier cooking recipe work site and it was pretty good, you can do kabobs or just breast your choice no pressure. I was hanging with our 5 month old granddaughter so Lyn made the breast under the broiler to avoid the rain and I came home to this with a avocado side salad and corn tortillas. It was yummy especially after fighting the rush hour traffic on Mass Pike and the 495 exit work. Anyway enjoyed this.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large red bell peppers
2 small yellow onions
1 tablespoon garlic powder Steve Note: she used a Low Fodmap Foods substitute for this
2 teaspoons onion powder Steve Note: she used a Low Fodmap Foods substitute for this
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables with the oil and spices. If making a double batch, you can freeze at this point. Thaw completely before proceeding.
2. Alternate chicken and veggies onto a kebab stick (I recommend the metal ones).
3. Place on the grill and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Lyn and I took a vacation in Booth Bay area Maine back in 2020, we rented a small cabin in a cluster. There were about 6 scattered through the property. Looking out over the harbor and eating a great meal. I had pork chop which was prepared in a Juniper berry based brined. I was so impressed that I asked the chef how he created. He quickly rattled off the ingredients and I tried to duplicate. Came close but never hit it on the nose. I tried many variations of my recipe Pan Fried Pork Chops With Juniper and Rosemary.
Anyway I became a fan of juniper berry and while searching for some Ideas I came up with this we both liked this and will ad my tweaks to our rotation. I’ll add notes as to some changes I made.
Note: First only had two thick ButcherBox pork chops so i sort of cut ingredients in halve below is the full recipe.
Ingredients
4 cloves garlic divided
2 cups water
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons juniper berries Steve Note: I did not cut this in half
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided Steve Note: I did not cut this in half
5 cups ice Steve Note: did not use Ice
4 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork chops Steve Note: Only had 2 chops
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
sea salt to taste
Directions
Peel garlic cloves. Leave 2 cloves whole and set aside for basting. Halve the remaining 2 cloves crosswise.
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add halved garlic cloves, salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, and 1 sprig of thyme. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Transfer to a large bowl and add ice. Stir until brine is cool. Steve Note: I had errand to run so I left on the stove t cool skipped the ice then refrigerated until ready to brine the chops. The next morning I added pork chops in plastic bag, sealed, and chilled in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours.
Remove chops from the brine and pat dry. Discard brine.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Steve Note: just used my cast iron pan.
Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook without turning until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until beginning to brown on the other sides, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, turning every 2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 more minutes.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and roast, turning chops every 2 minutes, for 14 minutes.
Remove skillet from the oven and drain fat. Place on the stovetop over medium heat. Add butter, reserved 2 garlic cloves, and remaining sprig of thyme; cook until butter is foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Tip the skillet slightly and use a large spoon to baste the chops until butter is brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer chops to the prepared rack and let rest, turning often to ensure juices are evenly distributed, about 15 minutes. Finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt.
Next time I’ll try crunching the juniper berries bringing out more of the flavor.
spring has come and almost gone and to me it seems that the Rhubarb is late to the shelfs this year but the other day we hit it right he went in the back and made a package for us. Wholefoods had some strawberries on sale so everything worked out and via Barefoot Contessa we had our I just Love the taste of Rhubarb
4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
1½ teaspoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour (see note for gluten-free)
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann’s (see note for gluten-free)
For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8 × 11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.
Note: To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute 1 cup Cup4Cup all-purpose gluten-free flour for the 1 cup all-purpose flour and use gluten-free oatmeal, such as Bob’s Red Mill, for the quick-cooking oatmeal.
Copyright 2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved
Gourmet Dad, Don’t Let The Title Fool You 