Main Course

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
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Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts

Was on Mastodon or Post the other day and saw this I’ve been looking for an alternative recipe and this sounded pretty good. I think it would be good with cauliflower also. I can’t remember who’s this was but many thanks.

10-12 Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
Optional: diced red bell pepper, 3/4s cup
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts, no salt
1 clove & 2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
Splash of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Cornstarch

I rarely measure when I cook, so these are approximations.

  • Mix soy, ginger, honey, hot sauce  & 2 cloves garlic together. Whisk in cornstarch to thicken. Heat in saucepan until just boiling. Reduce heat & stir in peanuts. Remove from heat after 2 minutes.
  • Toss cut brussels sprouts (& bell pepper, if using) with 1 clove garlic & cook in air fryer 9 minutes at 400°. 
  • Place cooked vegetables into bowl. Pour sauce mixture over & toss to thoroughly coat. 

Makes 2 servings if side dish, one if main course.

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Pepper and Cheese Lasagna
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Pepper and Cheese Lasagna

So I came home and on the counter was an old yellowed recipe that we haven’t seen for years. Lyn was having a craving and laid out the dish, box of lasagna pasta and had already prepared the spinach and broccoli. This is an interesting recipe everything but the initial pasta cooking is made in the microwave. You can tell the age by the one step that was rotate pan half way through, if you remember way back there was either no tray and it never rotated during cooking.

Ingredients

6-9 lasagna noodles

2 carrots shredded

1 small onion chopped –Steve Note: I used red I had half of one left over

1 red or green pepper, cut into thin strips

10 ounce of frozen chopped broccoli or spinach thawed and drained. Steve Note: Lyn had prepared a combo of each but used fresh.

I added 4 mushrooms sliced.

1/2 tsp of salt

15 ounce container of ricotta cheese

Optional 1 egg beaten Steve Note: like to add this to ricotta binds it together.

2 cups of shredded Fontina, Swiss or other cheese. Steve Note: Did not have enough mozzarella or provolone so I grabbed a stick of cheddar and shredded it. BTW take minutes and is way cheaper than buying already shredded. The cheddar turned out a nice choice went well with the veggies.

Lyn’s pasta sauce Steve Note: The recipe did not call for but I put small amount on bottom and top (before the last topping of cheese).

How

  1. Prepare noodles conventionally as package directs; drain, separate and set aside.
  2. in 12×8″ backing dish cook carrots, onion and pepper covered on high 6-8 minutes until tender-crisp stirring half way through. Spoon into bowl and add broccoli. In separate bowl combine egg, and salt and a real good pinch of dried basil.
  3. thin layer in baking dish then top with three noodles. top that with half the ricotta cheese mixture and top that with 1/3 veggie mixture then 1/3 shredded cheese.
  4. Repeat except except set aside the shredded cheese
  5. Cook covered on high for 7-10 minutes until hot through
  6. Sprinkle remain cheese cook 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted
  7. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve

Makes 8 servings

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Dumpling Banquet

My daughter in-law Gail and I had a Homemade Chinese Dumplings ala Chef Gail where she showed me how to make dumplings that was fun. They are expecting their first child Sofia and her parents are her to visit. This was the first time we have met them other than virtually and it was great fun. Her Mom and Dad graciously decided to make a dumpling banquet for us.

I was good at the prep work and laughable at the rolling out of the wrappers and stuffing them. Dicing Chinese chives, and cabbage and was complemented on my skills. I even got to mix the pork stuffing and there were no faces so I must have done it right, I’ve never mixed using chop sticks. I finally gave up and continue to watch them rolling out the wrappers at lighten speed and her mom was very patient with me when showing how to stuff but I Gail told me that using store bought wrappers and home made were different I just couldn’t get it down.

What I did get was eating them nothing better than homemade. We made two kinds pork and shrimp and chives. Important to make sure that each one had a piece of shrimp in them. They also had premade a batch of meat dumplings and froze for us to take home.

What I learned, you boil them 3 times first bring water to boil then add about a cup of cold water do this three times. this is also covered. If they are frozen wait for the water to boil and then add the dumplings and follow above steps. I have the concept down on how to seal. I got better at chop sticks but her dad slipped me a fork halfway through the meal. Oh they have a custom to have a bowl of the water the dumplings were cooked in to sip from time to time during the meal. I also learned that there was no way I could match their eating speed. I also learn that leftover are great the next day fried.

Impressive fact her Dad took her Mom to the hospital to give birth on a bicycle about 20-30 minutes a way.

the last two pictures are something her mom made earlier.

Stuffed Delicata Squash
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Stuffed Delicata Squash

this was a cook from the gut meal in other words open the fridge and see what I have.

We had some sweet Italian sausages left over, green pepper, sweet onion, short grain rice and some marbled cracker barrel cheese.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise , deseeded and roasted until done (fork slips in easily) about 25-30 minutes cut side down

I finely chopped sausage, pepper and onions, I had cooked the rice earlier and it had cooled already the last thing was to just shred some cheese.

In a nonstick fry pan I sautéed the onions, pepper, added the sausage until warm and then added the rice stirred until all was warm.

stuffled the squash and topped with the cheese and back into the oven until melted.

I like this squash you eat the skin just like acorn squash.

SKILLET FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
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SKILLET FRENCH ONION CHICKEN

Lyn was going to be cooking last night and I had taken out some chicken breast so she was browsing for interesting chicken recipe. After sending me the link asking me if I like carnalized onions, she know I do, she decided she would play the make pudding trick. Once she called me over and said could you please stir the pudding. I didn’t know it had to be stirred continuously until thickened and she walked away smiling. Anyway carnalized onions have to stirred continuously. I looked over the recipe and agreed to cook tonight. I did not have the correct cheese and the goat cheese had gone a little bitter, it was forgotten in the back of the draw, so I used combo mozzarella and parmigiana cheese not the same sweet, mild, and nutty flavor but it worked just fine. there is always next time. I’ll include the picture from the recipe as reference. My chicken breast were large so I made cutlets but I should have cut each one in half width wise

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless (skinless chicken cutlets (16 to 20 ounces total))
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or more as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 ounces Gruyère cheese* (coarsely grated (about 1 cup))
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour mix*)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pepper (to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. In a large nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, increase to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to brown around the edges.
  3. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the onions are very tender. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze. Set aside and wipe out the skillet.
  4. If the chicken is not uniformly thin, place it between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy pan until thin but still intact. Season to taste with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper and set aside.
  5. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the flour*, pinch of salt, and paprika.
  6. Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt 1 teaspoon butter.
  7. Dredge two of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, then shake off the excess and lay them side by side in the pan. 
  8. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, then flip and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside on a dish and repeat with the remaining butter and chicken. Set aside.
  9. Combine the broth and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and mix, add it to the skillet and whisk on low heat, 1 minute, until it thickens. Toss the rest of the flour out.
  10. Return the chicken to the skillet, top with onions and cheese and cover. Cook low 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Notes

*only about 1 tablespoon gets used in the end

Gruyère is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, and Berne in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d’origine contrôlée, which became the appellation d’origine protégée as of 2013. Wikipedia

Xmas Dinner with Rose in mind
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Xmas Dinner with Rose in mind

Memories of my Mother in-law Rose’s typical Sunday Dinner inspired our Xmas dinner. picture homemade pasta, sauce, meatballs, lasagna, roasted potatoes & carrots, bread and some times some Braciola and or a pork roast. I did cut back on the pasta have to watch the carbs you know. I remember her asking if you wanted seconds and she would hold your plate in one hand (so you could not pull it away) and load up your plate with more than you first plate full held.

Anyway made Lasagna, meatballs, sauce, loaf of Italian bread, Lyn mad her version of menese (sp) soup (similar to Italian wedding soup), Italian wedding cookies that melted in your mouth, moist chocolate pistachio cake. Like I said no pasta we had enough in the lasagna.

I hope she approved and was smiling from above. Love and miss you Rose.

Our grandchild Sofie enjoyed the meal she was quite active in Gail’s tummy after.

Chopped Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing
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Chopped Salad with Creamy Balsamic Dressing

My Dad used to call it Israeli Salad said he learned it from and Indian in the war but he said that about most everything. Anyway it was Wednesday which is salad night at our house so I open the fridge and went to town.

Pear, kale, lettuce, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, green pepper, broccolini, celery, carrots, radishes, roasted chickpeas, bacon and I added some mayo to the balsamic vinegerete dressing we had.

Butternut Squash, Navy Bean Tacos
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Butternut Squash, Navy Bean Tacos

Ok it was Taco Tuesday and I had planned to make Black Bean Butternut Squash Burritos but when I looked I had no black beans and only 1 tortilla wrap so what to do. I had frozen some blue corn taco shells and I had a can of navy beans, so I went with it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, & roasted
  • 1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
  • 1-2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • One 15-oz can white navy beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Blue and yellow Corn taco shells
  • Toppings of choice: (avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream, spinach/lettuce, cilantro, etc)

How

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.

2. Cook brown rice

3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.

4.  Add chopped red pepper, navy beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.

5. When butternut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add cheddar cheese and heat another couple minutes.

6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper. now that they are rolled lightly spray the tortilla with cooking spray and crisp in pan over medium heat. Start with seam side down . I have also placed under a broiler watching carefully of course.

Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops
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Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Juicy honey garlic pork chops with caramelized edges ready and on your table in less than 15 minutes! smothered in the best 4-ingredient sauce!

I had some center cut pork chops from ButcherBox and I was wondering what to do with it. Maria had given us some Mike Hot Honey so I though honey mustard but after checking out a few recipes on line I decide to modify this one from Café Delites. I only had two chops so I split them in half. I think next time I won’t cut in half. Anyway this was pretty darn good.  

This Honey Garlic Pork Chops Recipe is so easy you won’t believe it when it’s done! No marinating needed, this recipe is an incredibly quick and delicious way to serve bone in or boneless pork chops — seared until golden then simmered and broiled (or grilled) in the most amazing honey garlic sauce!

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 pork chops bone in or out
  • Salt and pepper, to season
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup honey Steve Note: I used Mike’s Hot Honey
  • 1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar)

How

  1. Preheat oven broiler (or grill) on medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder just before cooking.
  2. Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Sear chops on both sides until golden and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water and vinegar. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes), while stirring occasionally.
  4. Add pork back into the pan, baste generously with the sauce and broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred.
  5. Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad.

Optional

Baked Pork Chops:

  1. Preheat oven to 390°F | 200°C.
  2. Sear seasoned chops in a hot oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes per side — get them crisp.
  3. Remove chops and make your sauce following the recipe above (Step 3).
  4. Baste with sauce and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until reaching your desired doneness.
  5. Broil/grill for 2 minutes to get those caramelized edges!

Butcher Box

If your interested in great grass fed beef plus chicken, pork seafood and more check it out.

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Sweet Basil Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Horseradish Cranberry Sauce and Japanese Sweet Potato
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Sweet Basil Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Horseradish Cranberry Sauce and Japanese Sweet Potato

Lyn and I decided this will be added to our rotation so here it is again with slightly different twist .

Want to thank Martha for sharing this with us.

Extremely simple to prepare and cook, tender and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons spices or seasonings (See Recipe Note)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

How

  • Heat the oven and pan. 10 to 20 minutes before you plan to cook, place a large cast-iron or oven safe skillet on the middle rack in the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. The skillet will heat along with the oven.
  • Season the pork. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and trim off any large pieces of surface fat. Mix any spices being used with the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix onto the pork on all sides.
  • Swirl the pan with oil. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
  • Roast the pork for 10 minutes. Place the pork in the pan. (It’s fine if your pork tenderloin is a little long for the pan; just bend it to fit as we did here.) Return the pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
  • Flip the pork, reduce the heat, and roast another 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the pork. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and continue roasting 10 to 15 minutes more. The pork is done when its internal temperature registers 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part, 20 to 25 minutes total.
  • Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Transfer the pork to a clean cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing crosswise. For extra-thin slices for sandwiches, cool the pork completely, then refrigerate before cutting.

RECIPE NOTES

  • Seasoning the pork: You can keep this pork simple and season with just salt and pepper, or you can rub it with any favorite spices or salt-free blend of spices.
  • I used a basil blend rub.