Herb Seasoned Pork Loin, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, and Green Bean casserole

Every once in a while, I try to shake things up. We don't eat a whole lot of pork, but it's nice to have occasionally. This time, I decided on a pork loin. I seasoned it with herbs typically used with pork. Since I don't make it too terribly often, I decided to play it safe. :) This actually turned out really well, so I'm happy with it. I paired the pork with Parmesan mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
For pork loin:
-1 two lb pork loin
-olive oil for drizzling (about 1/4 cup or so)
-1 teaspoon marjoram
-1 teaspoon rosemary
-1 teaspoon dried parsley

For potatoes:
-2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
-3 tablespoons butter
-1/4-1/2 cup cream or milk
-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

For Green Bean Casserole:
-1 can French cut green beans, drained
-3 tablespoons butter
-1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon flour
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Pork Loin-
Place the pork loin in a baking dish. Drizzle the pork loin with half the olive oil. Sprinkle on the herbs, then drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Cover with foil and bake at 450 for about 35 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Potatoes-
Boil the cubed potatoes in a large pot of water until fork tender. Use a potato masher to mash butter into the potatoes.

Add the cream/milk and parmesan and continue mashing. Use a large spoon to stir and incorporate anything not already well incorporated.

Voila!

Green Bean Casserole-
In a medium sauce pan, combine the green beans, butter, and flour and heat over medium heat. Add in the cream and onion powder.

Pour into a small baking dish or a couple ramekins.

Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top in a thin-ish layer.

You can use more or fewer bread crumbs than listed...whatever you prefer. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes, until everything is hot and the bread crumbs are slightly browned.

When everything is ready, serve it all together and enjoy! Yum!

Apple Cranberry Pork Chops

Ok, so I know this isn't really "seasonal" or anything, but it sounded really good to me, so I made it. So there. I'm a rebel without a cause...or something. Haha. But really, I did like this. I think I could improve upon it the next time I make it, but it was good none-the-less. Sweet apples and tart dried cranberries with pork chops= yummy. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
-pork chops (I used 4 boneless chops, about 1/2 in thick or so)
-2 green apples, cored and chopped into bite size pieces
-about 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1/2 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a baking dish, lay the pork chops in a single layer. Season them with salt and pepper.

Add in the apple pieces and dried cranberries, and smooth into a relatively uniform layer on top of the chops.

Pour the water over the top and cover with foil.

Bake in the oven until the chops are cooked through, approximately 20-30 minutes, depending on how many there are. Serve with some yummy veggies (I made steamed and buttered asparagus with Yukon gold potatoes), and enjoy!

BBQ Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Ok, so...I'm originally from TX. This kind of thing is "normal" there. If you've never had a BBQ stuffed baked potato, you should try it. The BBQ can be beef or pork or chicken or whatever, but shredded is best. I guess the correct BBQ terminology would be "pulled pork" or something, but whatever. Haha. Shredded up beef or pork or chicken, mixed with some BBQ sauce, dumped into a large baked potato. Amazing.

Ingredients:
-Large baking potatoes, one for each person eating. (I used russets that were monstrous)
-butter
-cheese, shredded (I used colby jack)
-sour cream (if desired)
-shredded BBQ meat, already cooked and hot

Directions:
Bake the potatoes in your favorite method. Some prefer microwave (poke some steam holes in the skin and cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 7-8 minutes for a large potato, and let sit for 2 minutes before unwrapping), some prefer oven baking (Poke steam holes in skin, wrap in foil, and bake at 350 for an hour or so, until the insides are soft). Whatever your method, bake it. Haha.

Cut a line down one side of the potato. Press the ends toward the center, making your potato "pucker" and open up, kinda like a bowl. Scoop in a dollup of butter, then some cheese, then a spoonful of sour cream, if desired.
Typical baked potato toppings. Then, the piece de resistance, the BBQ meat. Scoop a hearty serving of the meat into the potato, and voila...BBQ stuffed potato. I always mix mine all up to get some of everything in one bite, but feel free to eat it however you want. So yummy, and so filling. Mmmmm. Enjoy!

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, etc

I know the title is so revealing, but you know...I made a bunch of stuff to go with the pork chops, and it would be a really long title if I put it all. So instead, I will just list it all here. :)

I made parmesan crusted pork chops, seasoned couscous, parmesan roasted asparagus, and baked cinnamon apples. Mmm. The pork chops are slightly adapted but based on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis from Food Network. You can find her original recipe here. The Asparagus and Baked Apples are the same as my Easter Dinner. They were so yummy, I decided to make them again. Haha. The couscous, well...that was a new creation and experience all together. I had never made it before, but it was yummy. This may sound like a lot of, and possibly difficult, cooking, but it's really not. Simple ingredients, and simple preparation, but lots of yum. You'll see what I mean.

Ingredients:
For pork chops-
-boneless pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick (enough to feed everyone)
-shredded parmesan cheese (for 4 chops, about 3/4 cup should be good)
-Italian seasoned breadcrumbs(1 cup or so for 4 chops)
-2 eggs
-olive oil, about 2-3 tablespoons, for cooking

For Couscous-
-1/3 cup uncooked couscous per person
-equal amount of heated chicken broth/stock as couscous
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder per cup of chicken broth/stock
-1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or similar seasoning blend per cup of broth

For Asparagus-
-Asparagus, enough to feed everyone
-olive oil, for drizzling
-salt and pepper, to taste, but probably 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of each depending on how much asparagus you have
-garlic powder, to taste, approximately 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
-parmesan cheese (enough to sprinkle over all your asparagus), around 1/4-1/2 cup

For Apples-
-Baking apples, one per person or so (I actually did 3 apples for 4 people and it was plenty)
-brown sugar, about 2 tablespoons per apple
-cinnamon, about 1/4 teaspoon per apple
-butter, about 1-2 tablespoons per apple

Directions:
For pork chops-
Put the parmesan cheese, eggs, and bread crumbs in three separate shallow dishes. Scramble up the eggs for dredging. Dip the uncooked chops into the parmesan cheese, pressing to adhere. Dredge in the egg, then in the bread crumbs. They will look something like this when they're all breaded. Place the breaded chops in a large skillet with heated olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the chops are cooked through, about 6 minutes on each side. Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes before eating.

For Couscous-
Heat the broth/stock until just boiling. Add in the garlic powder and other seasoning. In a large bowl, measure out 1/3 cup of couscous per person. Add an equal amount of the broth/stock to the couscous, and just let it sit, without mixing, for about 8 minutes. You must resist the urge to stir in the liquid! Don't do it! After that, fluff it with a fork and serve.

For Asparagus-(This is the same recipe as my Easter Dinner from Ina Garten via Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
Rinse the asparagus, and trim the rough stalk ends off. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, preferably a lipped one. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until asparagus is cooked but not mushy. It will be "soft" but still have a bite to it. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another minute or so.

For apples-(my own "recipe," also from Easter Dinner)
Rinse the apples. You can peel them if you want. I like to leave the peel on. It helps keep the wedges together as you cut them, and as they cook. Cut the apple into thin wedges, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (You're basically cutting the apple into 16ths). Remove the seeds and core. Lay all the apples into a baking dish. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, then cinnamon. Finally, "sprinkle" the butter over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and cooked, but not falling apart mushy. Stir up the apples and sugar and cinnamon and butter as they cook, making sure every apple is coated in yummy goodness. I probably did it 3 times total. Serve while still hot.

Serve everything together for a yummy meal. I enjoyed this meal, as did my husband, Sister in law, and Brother in law. Yum. Hope you enjoy it too!

Easter Dinner

Hello everyone. Happy Easter (a day late)!

As I was making my meal plan, wondering what to do for Easter, I was looking at some of my favorite food blogs for ideas. I came across a wonderful idea on a blog I've mentioned on here several times now-My Kitchen Cafe, which has recently switched over to Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She had an Easter meal on there, and I'm using a couple parts of it and then adding my own. :) The link to her original recipe is: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/03/easter-dinner-delights.html

I will now let you know what I did. Hehe.

Ingredients:
For Pork Tenderloin-
-Pork tenderloin (Mel uses a 5 lb one, mine is about 2.5lbs. I don't need that much meat. :) )
-Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Garlic powder (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Black pepper (a "dash" or "pinch")
-rosemary (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-1 cup water

For Potatoes-
-Red New Potatoes (I would say 2-3, if they're small, per person)
-3 tablespoons butter
-garlic powder (about 1/2 teaspoon)
-Italian seasoning, or whatever seasoning blend you like (I'm using a spice blend by McCormick, similar in flavor to Italian)

For Asparagus-
-Asparagus, enough to feed everyone
-olive oil, for drizzling
-salt and pepper, to taste, but probably 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of each depending on how much asparagus you have
-garlic powder, to taste, approximately 1/4 teaspoon
-parmesan cheese (enough to sprinkle over all your asparagus), around 1/4-1/2 cup

For Apples-
-Baking apples, one per person
-brown sugar, about 2 tablespoons per apple
-cinnamon, about 1/4 teaspoon per apple
-butter, about 1-2 tablespoons per apple
-raisons and nuts, optional

Directions:
For Pork Tenderloin-(from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with a few minor tweaks to the seasoning for preference)
Mix together all the herbs and spices. Place the pork tenderloin in a lipped baking sheet pan, or a roasting pan. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the pork. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, when then meat will be a little brown on the outside. Reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Add the cup of water to the roasting pan. Cover the meat with foil, and return to the oven. Continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through. (Mine was PERFECTLY done using this method. Still juicy, no pink in the middle. Wonderful). Let the meat sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. I left mine in the foil until we were ready to eat, about 20-30 minutes later, and it was still hot.

To make a pan gravy for the meat, drain all the meat drippings/juices from the baking pan to a sauce pan. Mix together about 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup corn starch. Heat the juices over medium low heat. Add the corn starch slowly, stirring continuously, until the gravy begins to thicken. Start out with just a little cornstarch, and add it until it's the right consistency. And don't forget that it will thicken a little as it cooks, so don't over do it. Serve with the meat.

For Potatoes- (my own "recipe")
Wash the potatoes, then cut them into large bite size chunks, about 1 inch pieces.Put them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder and herb seasoning. Cut up some butter, about 3 tablespoons, and sprinkle it over the potatoes. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and tender, stirring up the potatoes and seasonings with the melted butter as it cooks (I did this about 2 or 3 times during the entire cooking time. It just helps all the potatoes to cook evenly, and have equal amounts of flavor). Serve while still hot.

For Asparagus-(from Ina Garten via Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with my addition of garlic)
Rinse the asparagus, and trim the rough stalk ends off. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, preferably a lipped one. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until asparagus is cooked but not mushy. It will be "soft" but still have a bite to it. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another minute or so. Serve hot.

For apples-(my own "recipe")
Rinse the apples. You can peel them if you want. I like to leave the peel on. It helps keep the wedges together as you cut them, and as they cook. Cut the apple into thin wedges, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (You're basically cutting the apple into 16ths). Remove the seeds and core. Lay all the apples into a baking dish. If using raisins and nuts (I didn't this time), sprinkle them over the apples. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, then cinnamon. Finally, "sprinkle" the butter over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and cooked, but not falling apart mushy. Do the same as with the potatoes-stir up the apples and sugar and cinnamon and butter as they cook, making sure every apple is coated in yummy goodness. I probably did it 3 times total. Serve while still hot. Mmm. My mouth is watering.

Serve everything together for best wow factor and dining pleasure. :)

For my dinner, pictured, I also "baked" some frozen parker house rolls, a friend brought a Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (which was AMAZING), and for dessert we had red velvet cupcakes (not pictured), also brought by a friend. It was a WONDERFUL Easter dinner. I'm so ecstatic to have leftovers to eat. Yummmmmmmmm.

Pork Fried Rice

Have I mentioned that I love friend rice? Oh, wait, I have. In my post about Chicken fried rice. Haha. So I guess it's not terribly surprising that I would make another variation-pork fried rice. It's similar to my chicken version, but slightly different. If you can make my chicken version, you can make this one. Away we go.

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork chops
3 cups cold, cooked rice
1 zucchini
1-2 carrots (1 if large, 2 if smaller)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Oil (maybe a tablespoon for each step, so 4 tablespoons total)

Directions:
Slice the pork chops in 1/4 inch slices, then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Cut the zucchini and carrot(s) into similarly sized pieces, no bigger than 1 inch cubes. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat with a little bit of oil. Cook the pork until it is done. You're basically stir frying it. The small pieces should cook relatively quickly. When the meat is cooked, set it aside. Put a little more oil in the skillet or wok. Cook the veggies until just tender. Don't let them get mushy. Set them aside. Add a little more oil to the skillet or wok, and scramble the eggs. Set aside. Add a little more oil, and stir fry the rice for a couple minutes. Add the eggs back in and stir to combine. Add the spices and soy sauce, and stir to mix evenly throughout the rice. Add the veggies and meat back in, and stir it to mix it evenly in to the rice. Make sure everything is heated through and mixed well. Serve hot and enjoy!

Porkchops and Applesauce...and Potatoes

Porkchops and applesauce go together really well. I don't know why. They just do. It's also nice to have some roasted potatoes too. So that's what I'm doing. Haha.

Ingredients:
Chops-
Boneless pork chops (enough to feed everyone)
olive oil (about 1 tablespoon per chop, for marinating)
oregano (1 teaspoon per chop)
rosemary (1 teaspoon per chop)
garlic powder (1 teaspoon per chop)
onion powder (1 teaspoon per chop)

Potatoes-
Potatoes-russet or red-enough to feed everyone
olive oil-enough to coat potatoes when cubed
garlic powder- 1 teaspoon per potato
onion powder- 1 teaspoon per potato
Italian seasonings- 1.5 teaspoons per potato

Applesauce-
Apples-at least 4
1/2 cup water per 4 apples
1/2 cup sugar per 4 apples
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon per 4 apples (optional)

Directions:
Peel and cube all the apples. Place them in a large pot over medium low heat with the water and sugar. Stir after about 10 minutes. The apples will start breaking down on their own. Cook another 10 minutes, and stir. Lower heat to low and cook another few minutes, until the apples are mostly broken down. Stir in the cinnamon if desired. Stir and mash the apples until desired consistency. Set aside.

Wash and cube the potatoes, about an inch cubes, but leave the skins on. Toss the potato cubes with the olive oil and spices until evenly coated. Place the potatoes in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and roast another 10 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.

In a gallon size zip top bag, pour in the olive oil, garlic, onion, and seasonings. Place the pork chops in the bag and zip it up. Coat the chops with the oil and seasonings and let them sit in the bag marinating for a few minutes. Place the chops in a single layer in a baking dish, and cook in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Flip them over and cook another 10 minutes, or until the chops are cooked through. If the juice in the chop run clear when it's punctured, then it's done. If it's milky or pink, it's not done.

Serve everything together and enjoy!

Moo-Shu Noodles

I'm gonna be honest with you, cause that's how I roll (yes I did just say that). This was not my favorite. It would have been awesome with a few tweaks, so...I will try again and update with my improvements eventually.

I got the original recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs, here:
http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2009/08/moo-shu-noodles.html

You might want to follow her recipe more closely than mine until I work out the kinks. She uses some weird stuff like cabbage and mushrooms (two of my least favorite "veggies" in the whole world), so I was trying to adapt it to my persnickety taste. Like how I did that, throwing in the word "persnickety" in a blog post? :) Sorry, I digress. I blame the stomach flu I had earlier this week...

I ended up just using the pork, substituting carrots and peas as the veggies, the eggs, noodles,and the sauce. The sauce was overpowering. I think I added too much sauce for the amount of noodles I had, and there just wasn't enough substance. Not enough...something. Probably veggies. Haha. I think next time, I will try adding some broccoli, carrots, maybe some zucchini, etc, to try to break up the noodles and sauce more. I'm pretty sure that if there would have been more to mine, it would have been great. So anyway...the original recipe is above, and mine is below. Good luck!

Ingredients:
12-ounces fettuccine, linguini, or spaghetti
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3 medium-sized boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (it is easier to slice thinly if pork chops are slightly frozen)
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup peas and carrots, cooked
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Boil the pasta, drain, and set aside. While pasta is cooking, scramble the eggs in a skillet with some oil or butter over medium heat. When they are cooked through, scoop them into a bowl and set aside. In the same skillet, heat some vegetable or canola oil (I like veg oil) over medium high heat. Cook the pork chop slices in the oil, basically stir frying them, for a few minutes until they are brown but not overcooked. Overcooked pork is tough and yucky. You don't want that. :) Put the cooked pork in the same bowl as the eggs and set aside. In a separate bowl mix the hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Set aside. Add another little bit of oil to the skillet. Stir fry your veggies until tender, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine. Add the hoisin and soy sauce mixture, heating through. Add the eggs and pork to the party, and stir it all up. Lastly, add the noodles, and stir 'em around until everything is hot and the noodles are coated with sauce. Serve right away.

Like I said...the sauce was overpowering, but I didn't use the entire 12 oz or whatever of pasta, so that was my fault. And like I also said, a few more veggies or something would have made this better and less...noodle-y. Haha. Anyway, hope you can learn from my mistakes and yours turns out wonderfully. Enjoy!