Pork Chops with StirFry Vegetables

I have been getting the Everyday Food Magazine for years and have always loved it. Then when we got an iPad, I was thrilled with the extra features the ipad version promises including videos and step by step pictures.

Recently, Sara, the editor in chief has started a series of videos that come to me via email each morning.  The video series is a feature of "dinner tonight" and provides quick and easy dinners that you could make even if you were coming home from work and had to have the kids in bed by 7.

As you have probably noticed, I haven't done much cooking lately and have really been jonsing for a homemade meal.  I decided tonight was the night and whipped up this recipe in a matter of minutes (12 total I think).  I really liked the meal.  The vegetables were gussied up just enough to make them taste a little bit different, the pork chop was flavorful and cooked perfectly.  Joey thought the texture of roasted bell peppers (from the jar) was a little strange but I liked them because I have had them before--he thought they didn't provide much in the way of texture.  If you have that same issue you could easily omit the peppers or throw in some raw ones or another quick cooking vegetable like asparagus or um...something quick cooking and colorful of your choice!

The recipe is for 4, so I reduced the quantities at the store in my head based on what we usually eat. Also if you are adding a jalepeno, I recommend looking for a small one and mincing it instead of just rounds.  Our stirfry was very spicy because the jalepenos they sell here are supersized.

Recipe & Video
For 2
Recipe reprinted here in case they take it off the website and I want to make it! (:()

2 bone-in pork chops
salt
2 T olive oil divided
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled with a spoon and roughly chopped
1/4 lb green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 bunch scallions, whites chopped; greens cut into one inch pieces
2 roasted peppers from a jar, chopped into medium pieces
1 jalepeno (chopped or cut into rounds, you can remove the seeds if you want)

1. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the pork chops liberally. Heat a large skillet on high for 2 minutes. Add 1 T olive oil and move the pan to get the oil all over.  Add the pork chops. Cook on high 4 minutes per side or until cooked (but for me the 4 minutes per side was perfect)
2. Meanwhile, cut up all the vegetables
3. Remove pork chops from the pan and keep warm on a plate in the microwave (don't turn it on, just leave them there)
4. In the same pan add the remaining 1 T olive oil and reduce heat to medium high.  Add beans, whites of scallions and ginger and cook until beans are crisp tender about 3 minutes.
5. Add jalepeno, scallion greens, salt to taste and bell peppers and cook about 1-2 minutes more until peppers are heated through. Serve vegetables and pork chops together.

Coconut Key Lime Pie

 Easter dessert is always our challenge.  This year, the main challenge was that we didn't decide what we were going to make until the week before Easter and then we tested it and then made it all again the next week. By that time, I was already tired of our choices and didn't end up eating any of our desserts at the actual Easter celebration (luckily nobody noticed cause that would've been just weird).

The first dessert we made for our smaller group of just 14 people was coconut key lime pie.  This pie was perfected in our second try by really reducing the amount of whipped cream topping from the amount that Martha Stewart used in the recipe because on the first pass our pie and whipped cream were of comparable texture.  We also added some flavoring to the cream because we felt it was boring on top of the pie just as is--it was sort of useless.  This pie was a cinch

put together and a big hit with the family.  It really does need time in the refrigerator before digging in so try to make this pie ahead and let it set first. The coconut flavor wasn't very strong which but just a little hint of it was nice.

Coconut Key Lime Pie
adapted from Martha Stewart

For the Crust:
6 oz Graham Crackers
3 T sugar
1/4 t coarse salt (I used regular salt the first time and Joey used coarse the second time, there was no difference)
5 T unsalted butter, melted

For the pie Filling:
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (13.5oz) unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 C bottled key lime juice (or fresh!)
1 T lime zest (we zested some key limes)
7 large egg yolks

For the whipped cream:
1 t lime zest
2 t key lime juice
1 C heavy cream
2 T powdered sugar

For Decoration:
2-3 T toasted coconut
1 key lime's zest

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. In a food processor pulse the graham crackers until course sand. Add all the other ingredients and pulse until combined and the crackers seem wet
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie tin. Bake crust 12 minutes until dry looking and slightly more golden.  Let the crust cool while you make the filling
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325
5. In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the pie filling until mixed together well. Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake 40 minutes until set but still a little wobbly in the middle.  Cool on a rack until room temperature and then move to the refrigerator.
6. Meanwhile, toast 2-3 T sweetened coconut flakes in a small dry frying pan over medium heat.  Toss the coconut so it doesn't become too browned on one side.  Remove from heat when most coconut is browned and cool, then store in a ziploc bag.
NOTE:  We made our whipped cream 1 1/2 days before Easter dessert and it turned out fine, stored in the refrigerator without re-whipping. However, if you feel the desire to make it right before, feel free.  Whip cream
7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, juice & zest on high until stiff peaks form about 3 minutes.
8. Spread whipped cream over just the center of the pie leaving an edge of filling to see.  Sprinkle toasted coconut and remaining zest over the pie and chill until ready to serve.

Steak with Spicy Chipotle Mango Sauce

Have you watched that show Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network? It takes a bunch of cooks who's families think they're terrible at cooking and teaches them to be chefs in bootcamp training.  These cooks really go from terrible to good--it's pretty impressive actually.  One thing that they encourage the cooks to do on the show is to make up recipes based on what they've learned or what the celebrity chefs have just shown them.  Even though I consider myself to be a pretty good cook, that is not something I know how to do really. I am good with recipes.

So today, after watching the second to last episode, I decided to channel Vinny and try to make his steak sauce recipe that he uses in that episode.  I might have changed it up a bit but I think I got the general idea.  I thought that this sauce added a lot to the steak and was delicious.  Joey didn't really agree with me but I will let you make up your own mind!

*disclamer* this sauce looks a bit gross so if you are opposed to gross looking things tasting good this is not for you

A take on Vinny's Chipotle Mango Sauce

For the Sauce:
1 T vegetable oil (i am totoally out of olive oil)
2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (although if you're afraid of heat you may want to put more like one)
1/3 C cilantro leaves
1 mango, peeled and chopped
the juice and zest of one lime
salt

For the Steak:
NY strip steak or other of your liking
Paprika
salt & pepper

For the Potatoes & Carrots
6 red potatoes, cut into small chunks
3 carrots cut into rounds or half moons to be similar to potatoes
salt
olive oil

1. In a food process, pulse all the ingredients for the sauce until combined.  Add oil last and only add if you want a little more liquid.
2. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high heat
4. In a large, edged sheet pan toss carrots, potatoes, salt and about 1-2 t of olive oil or until everything seems coated.
5. Put the potatoes in the oven and bake, stirring once for about 35 minutes until crispy and carrots start to blacken
6. Rub the paprika, salt & pepper on the steaks.  Place on the grill over the flame and sear 2 minutes per side.
7. Turn off one of the burners and set the steak over that space. Grill without flipping until temperature reaches 130-135 degrees
8. Remove steak to plate and let rest while you prepare the plate.  Serve steak with sauce on the top or on the side

Simple No-cook 25 mnute Vanilla Ice Cream

Today I was having my nephew over and thought it would be a fun activity to make ice cream. The problem is that most ice creams that we make take lots of time and I knew that that is more time than most 5 year olds can stand!  But I knew that there are ways to make no-cook ice cream so I asked around and checked our cookbooks.  I found a recipe in the Ben & Jerry book to make a quick ice cream base but it notes that it doesn't last long in home freezers.  No problem!  My brother in law is an ice cream hound and I figured they'd be able to finish off a pint in no time!

This recipe is so fast and easy it takes about 5 minutes to mix and then the regular 20 minutes to churn.  My nephew loved watching the clock and the machine churn.  He really enjoyed seeing the mixture get thicker and thicker.  He was also a big help with all the measuring and mixing.  And, as luck would have it, vanilla ice cream is his favorite flavor!

Simple No-Cook Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 Cups Heavy Cream
2/3 C Half & Half
3/4 C sugar
2 t vanilla extract (I used tahitian)

1. In a medium bowl with a spout if you have it, pour in the heavy cream. Slowly add the sugar one quarter cup at a time while whisking vigorously.  You want to dissolve all the sugar in the cream before moving on.
2. When the sugar is dissolved, add half & half and vanilla and mix a little more
3. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn 20 minutes or according to the directions
4. Serve immediately with chocolate sauce or freeze.  It will be soft like frozen yogurt when it first comes out of the machine but if you have a patient child with you, serve right away and freeze the rest for later.

Bobby Flay's Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the moment I received the email in my inbox for 12 days of Christmas Cookies from the Food Network; I knew I had to make Bobby Flay's Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

The difference in Bobby's recipe from a traditional CCC recipe is the use of a sugar called muscavado brown sugar.  According to the internet, muscavado brown sugar contains a different quantity of molasses to regular brown sugar.  Bobby uses both light and dark brown muscavado sugars in this recipe plus plain white sugar.  He also uses only 10 oz of chocolate and a mix of semi sweet and milk.

As luck would have it, William Sonoma carries muscavado sugar and they had free shipping for Christmas so I was able to get the sugars in hand immediately.  He calls for chocolate to be cut in chunks but I decided to buy chips instead.  I bought ghirradeli semi sweet (those chips are huge!) and nestle milk chocolate and then I weighed them on the scale to get 5 oz of each variety.

These cookies are worth all the trouble of getting the right sugars!  They are crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. Despite their thin look they are everything I want a chocolate chip cookie to be.  I feel like the milk chocolate makes the cookie taste chocolatey but not too dark like semi sweet can do.  I love the texture.  Joey is a huge fan of these cookies and we're having trouble keeping our hands off them!  Perfect with a glass of milk!

Do use parchement paper, I think it makes a difference plus it keeps your cookie trays clean.  I learned a trick to just slide the parchment paper off the cookie trays and onto the cooling racks so that your cookies stay in tact and still cool effectively.

Bobby Flay's Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup dark brown muscavado sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown muscavado sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• One 5-ounce block semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, such as Callebaut
• One 5-ounce block milk chocolate, chopped into chunks, such as Callebaut

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone pads.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugars and continue mixing, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes longer. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture, again mixing until just combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the chocolate chunks.

Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie, and bake on the middle rack until the cookies are lightly golden brown and still soft in the middle, about 11 minutes. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them to a baking rack with a wide metal spatula. Let the cookies cool on the baking rack for a few minutes before eating. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops

Lamb is a hard to find meat that I really like to eat once in a while. Since it is springtime and Easter is just around the corner, lamb is suddenly available.  Joey has never had lamb before so we decided to pick some up at Sprouts on Sunday.  I browsed the recipes on my phone and finally found one on Epicurious that I adapted for our chops.

Lamb shoulder is a rather fatty but cheap cut of lamb. It is a good stand-in for regular chops as long as you are not afraid to do some carving. You still get that same great lamb flavor and the portion is a bit larger than that of a classic chop.  Joey didn't end up liking lamb too much so we probably won't be having it often, but if you do like lamb, this recipe is a keeper.

Ingredients:
3 T fresh mint, chopped
3 T fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 t olive oil
juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
2 lamb shoulder chops

Directions:
1. Combine 2 1/2 T mint, 2 1/2 T thyme, garlic and shallot in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the meat of the lamb and place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight
2. Later, mix oil, juice and zest in a bowl until slightly thicker.  Pour mixture all over lamb and let rest about 1 hour before cooking (I only did this part for 30 minutes if that)
3. Heat the grill to medium high
4. Grill lamb over indirect heat about 3 minutes per side until medium rare
5. Let lamb rest at least 10 minutes and then slice, working your way around the fat
6. Serve with yogurt sauce if you like.  I served with crispy roasted potatoes because I wanted to make sure it was filling, the lamb alone may not be filling.

Chili with bell peppers

It was a cold and blustery day on Saturday and Joey and I decided to warm ourselves up by making chili.  We scrounged the internet and our phones and cookbooks for recipes and ended up making a variation on this one from Bon Appetite.

One thing I both like and dislike from this recipe is the amount of bell peppers involved. I like it because it gets everyone to eat bell peppers but i don't like it because the whole chili has a taste and texture of bell peppers.  If you make this recipe I encourage you to either make it with less bell peppers or cut them smaller.

We didn't actually follow this recipe to the T. We halved it because we we didn't want to make enough for 8-10 people and then guess what? Even the half portion made enough for 8-10 people! We cringe to think how much the full recipe really makes!

We didn't use any beer because I couldn't find less than a six pack of stout anywhere and we decided against using Newcastle or Hefeweisen instead because we didn't know what that would do. We aren't what one would call beer aficionados.

Our adapted recipe of this chili was actually pretty good. I recommend it to you and yours.  Serve with corn bread or biscuits.  If you know Jenny, invite her over to make you biscuits to serve with the chili.

*Note - I just realized as I was typing this recipe up that I did not halve the chili powder from the original recipe but I did halve all the other things...whoops.  The thing is it wasn't THAT spicy and I kind of feel like if I only used 3 1/2 T total it wouldn't have been enough.  Your choice here.
Ingredients:
5 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I advise that you use less bell peppers)
1 jalepeno, minced
1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 chipotle chili in adobe sauce, minced
3 1/2 T Chili Powder
3 1/2 T Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 T coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 T cumin
2 1/2 lbs ground beef (actually I used half ground beef and half steaks cut into 1/2 inch pieces but I think I would stick with ground beef if I did it again)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can chipotle pinto beans, undrained because of the chipotle seasoning and to add liquid since we omitted the beer (or regular, I was excited I had these on hand)
1 T canola oil
3 T masa harissa (Mexican cornmeal)
cheddar cheese (for serving)
green onions (for serving)
sour cream (for serving)

Directions:
1. Chop everything up, this takes about 15 minutes for two people to do so leave time!
2. Meanwhile, in a small, dry skillet toast the cumin and coriander seeds until smokey and darker, about 4 minutes, set aside.
3. In a large skillet heat the oil and saute the peppers, onion and jalepeno until soft, about 15 minutes.
4. In another or the same or even the pot you are cooking in brown the meat until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.  Drain if you used the pot you're cooking in
5. Add all the ingredients to a large heavy bottomed pot except for the masa harissa
6. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes
7. About 5 minutes before serving, add the masa harissa to thicken the sauce. Stir it into the pot and continue to simmer.
8. Serve with cheese, green onions and sour cream and with biscuits or corn bread