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Twisting a Classic: Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs

As sacrilegious as it may sound, I don’t like pasta. I have never eaten it, even when I was a little kid. I don’t know if it’s the taste, flavor, texture or what, but I just don’t like it. Don’t get me wrong; if I am at someone’s home and that’s what they serve, I am eating it without a fuss. Do I go out of my way to make it at home? No, not for me. I do make it for Michelle and Sean, who both love pasta, but I make something else for myself. So when I decided I was making meatballs this week, I wanted to try something different. It was lucky that I had come across this recipe from Food Network recently to give me the inspiration.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 28-ounce cans tomato puree

2 large sprigs basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle the cut sides with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and then brush both sides with olive oil. Put the squash, cut side up, in a baking dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 minutes, then uncover the squash and continue roasting until the squash is tender, about 35 more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs: Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Pulse the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor to make a paste. Transfer half of the vegetable paste to a bowl; add the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix with your hands until it is just combined. Form the mixture into about 24 two-inch meatballs; transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until they are firm but not cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining vegetable paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it looks dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree; rinse each can with 1 cup of water and add it to the pot. Stir in the basil, oregano and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the basil.

Use a fork to scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into strands; transfer the squash to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt to taste. Divide the squash among plates or bowls and top each with some meatballs, sauce and the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.

A couple of notes about this recipe. This particularly recipe makes a lot of sauce and meatballs, so you will have leftovers to store or freeze if you like. You can store the sauce and meatballs for up to a month in the freezer. You can always skip making the sauce and just use your favorite jarred sauce if you choose to go that route. I have tried multiple meatball recipes and posted several of them on here. This one is one of the more flavorful I have tried, so it’s worth a shot. Everyone really liked the spaghetti squash as an alternative. I thought Sean would resist, but he really liked it too. There is a great flavor from the squash and it goes well with the meatballs.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. I did make the lemon icebox pie, so you’ll want to check back for that one. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 12, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: food network, meatballs recipe, spaghetti squash, spaghetti squash and meatballs

A Honey of a Recipe: Honey-Roasted Ribs

11 Sep

I picked this recipe up from Cook’s Country a few weeks ago and have been planning to give it a try. I finally found the ribs on sale this past week, so the opportunity really presented itself. I also had quite a bit of honey on hand for some reason, so it lent itself perfectly for making good use of this recipe. All you need is the time to put into this. The recipe itself is quite simple and easy to make.

Honey-Roasted Ribs

2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) racks baby back ribs, membranes removed, each rack cut into 3 equal pieces

1 cup honey

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

4 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, crushed

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Divide the ribs between two 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bags. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, scallion whites, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper and the cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Divide the marinade between the two bags, seal, and turn to coat the ribs evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, turning the bags occasionally.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack in the baking sheet. Add enough warm tap water to cover the entire bottom of the sheet (about 2 cups of water). Transfer the ribs, meat side up, to the prepared wire rack; reserve the marinade in the refrigerator. Tent the ribs loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Uncover the ribs and continue cooking until just tender, about 1 hour longer.

Bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook until it is thickened to a glaze consistency, about 5 minutes. Brush the ribs with 1/3 cup of the glaze, return the ribs to the oven, and continue to cook until the glaze begins to bubble and the ribs are brown, about 15 to 30 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board (leave the hot water and the baking sheet in the oven to cool), tent the ribs loosely with foil and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.

Cut the ribs between the bones, add them to the Dutch oven and toss them to coat with the remaining glaze. Transfer the ribs to a platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Just a couple of quick points about this recipe. I didn’t have any scallions on hand, so I omitted them this time. i don’t think they make a very big difference in the recipe anyway. I also cut the recipe in half since I only made one rack of ribs for the 3 of us to have for dinner. It is important that you put the marinade in a Dutch oven and not just a saucepan. It may seem big for a small amount of marinade, but when the honey begins to boil it will bubble and rise up and if you have it in a small pan you risk making a big, sticky mess or burning yourself n very hot sugar. Using the Dutch oven also makes it possible for you to give the ribs one last toss in the glaze to make sure they have a really nice coating. I served the meal with some broccoli and sweet potatoes. I think the honey glaze was fantastic and was not overly sweet thanks to the soy sauce and mustard. I’ll surely be making this one again.

That’s all for today. Check back next time to see what recipes come along. I do have a lot of things planned, and the latest issue of Cook’s Country just arrived at my home yesterday and there are some great recipes I want to try out and share over the coming weeks. until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 11, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork

Tags: baby back ribs, Cook's Country, honey roasted ribs, honey roasted spare ribs

A Couple of Not Quites – Not Quite Shake N’ Bake Pork Chops and Banana-Blueberry “Ice Cream”

10 Sep

I always like to look for ways to make things that you can either find at some of these chain restaurants when you go out and try to duplicate it and make it taste a little better. I do the same thing with some of the classic ideas that have been used for years with dinners and try to make them taste better without all of the preservatives or other additives that might be in the products you buy. This is was the case with two recipes I tried recently. First up is a very simple version of the classic Shake N’ Bake pork chops. More than likely, you have all tried the coating at one point in your lives. You probably had it when you were younger and maybe even made it yourself when you have been cooking. This recipe brings back that nostalgic feel by updating it a bit and making it taste even better, along with a simple peaches spiked with mustard to replace the applesauce.

Not Quite Shake N’ Bake Pork Chops with Peaches and Mustard

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

4 eggs

2 cups panko bread crumbs

4 boneless thin-cut loin pork chops, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

2 cups vegetable oil

2 ripe peaches or any stone fruit, such as nectarines, plums or apricots, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees. In a shallow dish, stir together the flour, salt and pepper. in a separate dish, beat the eggs. in a third dish, spread the panko bread crumbs.

Working with 1 pork chop at a time, dredge the chop in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the egg (shaking off any excess egg), then dip the chop in the panko bread crumbs, pressing firmly so the crumbs adhere well. Repeat the process until all of pork chops have been breaded.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over high heat until it registers 375 degrees. Carefully lower to chops into the oil and fry for 2 minutes, until just golden brown. Flip and fry the chops for 2 minutes more until the other side is golden. Remove the pork from the oil and transfer the chops to a clean dish and place on a rack in the oven to keep warm until the remaining chops have been cooked. Repeat the process with the remaining pork chops.

For the compote, toss together the peaches, mustard, salt and parsley until blended. Serve with the pork chops.

Using the panko really does give the crisp coating that you would get with Shake N’ Bake. Pounding the chops thin make them cook even faster, so this meal can be made very quickly for you in a matter of minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve it with some rice and the peach compote (or homemade applesauce if you prefer)and you have a great meal. I actually served this with the polenta and roasted vegetables recipe I posted last week.

With a little planning, you can have the next recipe for a very healthy dessert. I came across this recipe on Bon Appetit’s website. It is so simple it was impossible to pass up and try just to see how it would come out. It is for banana-blueberry “ice cream.” It’s not quite ice cream since there is no dairy at all in it, but you do get the creamy texture and great flavor in just 3 ingredients.

Banana-Blueberry “Ice Cream”

4 firm, ripe bananas, cut into chunks and frozen overnight

1 cup blueberries

Pinch of kosher salt

Puree the bananas, blueberries and salt in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and creamy.

The ice cream can be 5 days ahead. Simply cover and freeze it. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. It is very creamy, has great fruit flavor without fat or cholesterol and is only 120 calories a serving. It’s a fantastic fruit snack. Michelle and I both really liked it and Sean liked it too, though he thought it needed some sugar, which we were trying to avoid by making this in the first place.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again to see what recipes come up this week. I do have some plans for a new version of spaghetti and meatballs, some honey roasted ribs and we still have the lemon icebox pie to come, so keep checking back to see what shows up. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 10, 2013 in Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Pork, Sauce

Tags: banana-blueberry "ice cream", bon appetit, homemade shake n bake pork chops, pork chops with peaches and mustard, shake n bake pork chops

Keep it Simple – Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

06 Sep

Stir fry is a great weeknight meal. You can plan everything out, make use of any vegetables you may have around, any protein that you want to use or any sauce you want to create. You can really do anything you want with them. I had some pork chops that I wasn’t sure how I wanted to cook so I did some searching and found this recipe from Bon Appetit for a very simple pork stir fry that tasted great.

Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Peanuts

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1-inch strips

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

Mix the pork, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the honey, half of the garlic, and the crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Mix the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl and set aside.

Cook the green beans in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until they are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots to the green beans in the water; cook for 1 minute. Drain the carrots and the green beans. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.

Add the pork mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer the pork to a separate dish. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet; add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the green beans, the carrots, the ginger, and the remaining garlic; stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the pork to the skillet along with the reserved soy sauce-honey mixture. Stir everything well until it is heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the stir fry to a bowl. Sprinkle the stir fry with the sliced green onions and the chopped peanuts and serve.

This is very simple to make and you will likely spend more time preparing everything than you actually will cooking. The green beans are nice and crisp and pick up a little bit of the soy sauce and honey flavor from the pork. If you don’t want to add the peanuts or have nut allergies, you can certainly leave them out of the dish altogether.

I made this dish with some homemade fried rice since we had some leftover rice to work with. I used a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that I have used before and was able to use a lot of leftovers we had like the rice, a leftover pork chop from the other night and some frozen peas. All in all it was a very simple meal that you can make anytime and easily substitute out other ingredients if you wish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what other recipes come along. I still have the homemade Shake N’ Bake pork chops and I am planning to make the lemon icebox pie this weekend, so check back for those. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 6, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Rice

Tags: bon appetit, fried rice, pork stir fry, pork stir fry with green beans and peanuts

Side Dish or Main Dish – Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

05 Sep

I saw this recipe from Williams-Sonoma about 2 weeks ago and knew I wanted to give it a try. I have been trying to introduce more things polenta into our meals to cut back on starches like potatoes, bread and white rice. Sean isn’t exactly thrilled with it so far, so I try to do things with it to make it a little more palatable to him. This recipe could easily be a main course on its own if you wanted a vegetarian meal or you can use it as a side dish for a meal, which is what I did.

Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pans

1 small eggplant, cunt into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 small yellow squash, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup stone ground cornmeal (polenta)

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a rimmed baking sheet and an 8-inch baking dish with olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, red onion and bell pepper. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set the vegetables aside and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly, very slowly add the polenta. Cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the polenta, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft, about 25 minutes. Add the butter and Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted. Pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Bake the polenta just until it begins to set, about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and top the polenta evenly with the roasted vegetables. Place the polenta back in the oven and continue to bake it until the vegetables are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve the polenta directly from the dish.

I did change a few things about the original recipe. The original recipe also calls for 2 cups of Fontina cheese to be added at the same time as the Parmesan. I did not have any on hand, so I just used the Parmesan instead and I think it turned out fine. Since I am not a cheese eater, this was more than enough for me but you may like it even better with the Fontina. Also, I did not use the eggplant or the pepper. Michelle and Sean are not big eggplant fans, so I omitted it from the recipe and used extra zucchini and squash instead. I also did not have an orange pepper so I added a diced carrot instead for similar color. You could easily make this as a main course for a meal and it would be quite filling. We have leftovers to use as side dishes for other meals this week. I loved the creaminess of the polenta and the vegetables added just the right texture and flavor to the dish.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes I have been working on. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 5, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: polenta, polenta with roasted vegetables, vegetarian, williams-sonoma

Rainy Labor Day? Make Some Indoor Beer Can Chicken

02 Sep

It looks like it is going to be a rainy, cloudy and muggy day here for Labor Day today, which may put a damper on some people’s plans for picnics or cookouts. While you may not be able to have the barbecue you were hoping for on the last unofficial day of summer, you can still have food that tastes just as great. I came across this recipe in the New York Times awhile back and have been waiting for the right time to use it and with the rain we had yesterday and the fact that I found a whole chicken on sale for $4.00 the time was right to give it a try. I have done beer can chicken outdoors before, but I had never ventured to try it in the oven.

Indoor Beer Can Chicken

1 whole chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds

4 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 can beer, ideally yellow in color, with the top half consumed or poured off

Remove the top rack from the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken. Rinse the chicken well in cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Combine all the spices together in a large bowl and blend. Apply the dry rub to the chicken both inside and outside. Place the beer can on a solid surface such as a counter top or tabletop. Pick up the chicken and, taking a leg in each hand, put the cavity of the chicken over the beer can and slide the bird down the can. Carefully transfer the bird and the can to a roasting pan and place the pan carefully in the oven.

Roast the chicken for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until the breast meat registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer or until the legs of the chicken feel very loose in their sockets. You can tent the chicken with foil after 45 minutes of cooking if you want to try to keep the skin from getting too dark. Carefully remove the chicken from the oven, remove the can from the chicken and allow the chicken to rest, tented loosely with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving.

The one I cooked was literally falling off the bone. It was very moist on the inside and the spices not only added great flavor but made for a super crispy skin that everyone just loved. You could easily just use this spice rub if you want to just roast some chicken pieces or do some chicken on the grill. You could also baste the chicken with barbecue sauce along the way as it roasts if you want that flavor, but I chose to just go with the dry rub this time. We had the chicken with some mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and biscuits and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be making this one again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again during the week to see what else comes up. I have a few things on hand to make this week and I am going to get to the lemon icebox pie, ciabatta bread, some homemade pizza rolls, a new pork chop recipe and a nice polenta with roasted vegetables recipe I got from Williams-Sonoma. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on September 2, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Grilling, Poultry

Tags: beer can chicken, indoor beer can chicken, new york times, New York Times beer can chicken

Having an Easy London Broil Meal

31 Aug

London broil is one of those cuts of meat that cries out for seasoning and marinade. When you cook it and season it right it can be a great meal at a very reasonable price. Leave it plain and overcook it and you might as well just eat a sneaker. I had picked up a London broil on sale recently and decided to make it for dinner last night using this recipe I picked up from Food Network. All that’s really required is the time to let the meat sit in the marinade; the cooking time itself is only about 15 minutes.

London Broil with Herb Butter

3/4 cup beef broth

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 top round London broil steak (about 2 pounds)

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Prepare the steak: Pour the beef broth into a medium bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade and seal, squeezing out the air. Refrigerate the steak for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Prepare the herb butter: Mix the butter with the chives, parsley, tarragon, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the lemon juice in a bowl.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade. Dry the steak well with paper towels and bring it to room temperature. Heat a large skillet over high heat, about 2 minutes. Rub the steak with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over the surface of the pan; add the meat and set a heavy skillet on top to weigh it down. Sear the steak for about 7 minutes; turn the steak, replace the weight over the steak and cook until a thermometer inserted into the side of the steak registers 110 degrees for medium-rare, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board, brush with some of the herb butter, tent with aluminum foil and allow the steak to rest for about 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and top with more of the herb butter.

The herb butter adds a really nice flavor to the steak and the marinade is tasty but not overpowering at all. You want to make sure that you don’t overcook this cut of meat. It gets very chewy pretty quickly, even if you marinade to help break the meat down some before cooking. I actually added 1 tablespoon of Montreal steak seasoning and rubbed it into both sides of the steak before cooking just to get some extra flavor and it was great. I served this steak with mashed potatoes, some mixed vegetables and I whipped up some caramelized onions right in the pan I had cooked the steak in.

Caramelized Onions

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon butter

Add the sliced the onions to the pan you cooked the steak in along with the beef broth. Turn the heat to high and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir, allowing to cook down, about 1 minute. Add the butter to the pan and swirl to melt and coat the onions.

It’s a quick little side dish that makes up some great onions. You can try it anytime you cook any type of beef or change things up and use chicken broth when you make some chicken.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time to see what recipe comes along. I am starting to plan some things out for next week so check and see what I decide to make. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 31, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: caramelized onions, herb butter, london broil steak, London broil with herb butter, London broil.Food Network

A Quick Dinner of Beef Tacos

29 Aug

I am always on the lookout for quick weeknight meals that taste great. Sean had requested we have tacos for dinner a few nights ago. I like to make taco dinners because they are simple to make and clean up from and always taste great. The nice things about tacos are that, like fajitas, you can use any protein you like best for your main component. I have made and posted fish taco recipes before, but this time I thought I would keep it simple and use the ground beef we had on hand to make some beef tacos using this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

Beef Tacos

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Taco shells

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until it is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink,about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and brown sugar and simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Divide the filling evenly among the taco shells and serve, putting out any toppings or accompaniments that you wish.

If you have ever bought any of those packaged taco kits, you know that they come with a seasoning packet. Perhaps you have even bought a packet separately to use to make tacos. Do yourself a favor and just use the spice mix listed here in this recipe. It tastes a lot better than anything you will buy. Also, instead of adding the water like the packet asks you to do, you can add the tomato sauce and broth used here and get much better results and flavor.

I always serve tacos with some homemade salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese and lettuce for toppings. Very often I also have guacamole to serve as well, which I did not have this time. I made some Mexican rice to go along with it, which makes an excellent side dish for tacos.

That’s all I have for today. it’s just a simple and quick recipe today. Check back next time as I will have a recipe for london broil with herb butter that sounds pretty tasty. I also hope to have some other recipes this weekend that I have been promising to make but just haven’t had the time to get to yet. You’ll want to check back for those as the lemon icebox pie looks great and I am anxious to try making the ciabatta bread. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 29, 2013 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Rice

Back Home For Some Pork Chops and Applesauce

26 Aug

As fun as vacation was. it is always nice to be back home. It also means it’s back to the kitchen for some cooking, which I did for the first time in a week last night. Anyone who is my age remembers the Brady Bunch episode where Peter talked about pork chops and applesauce. They seem like a perfect pairing and since I had picked up some early season apples and some pork chops yesterday when shopping, it made for the perfect dinner last night.

Sautéed Pork Chops with Brandy-Apricot Sauce

4 bone-in rib pork chops

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped medium

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels then season them well with salt and pepper. Heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the pork chops on the first side, about 3 minutes.

Flip the chops over and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the chops until the center of the chops away from the bone registers 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the chops to a clean plate and tent with foil, allowing the pork chops to rest until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 degrees before serving, about 5 to 10 minutes.

While the pork chops rest, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and return the skillet to medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the shallot and cook until it is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the bourbon and the apricots, scraping up any browned bits still in the pan. Add the chicken broth and the thyme and simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in any accumulated pork juices from the plate the pork has been resting on and the red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops before serving.

The pork was cooked perfectly and this pan sauce was great. I really like the flavor you get from the apricots and bourbon and the vinegar gives it just that hint of bite and acid. it’s a very simple meal that you can make on a weekend or a weeknight with little effort at all.

Now for the applesauce. Everyone has their own version of the applesauce thhey make, often passed down through families. Applesauce itself is pretty basic to make and all I did was follow America’s Test Kitchen recipe for a very simple sauce.

Old-Fashioned Applesauce

4 pounds apples (about 8 to 12 apples), peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 cup water, plus extra if needed

1/4 cup sugar, plus extra if needed

Pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the apples, water, sugar and salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Mash the cooked apples with a potato masher or against the side of the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Season with extra sugar or add more water to adjust the consistency to your own liking. Add the cinnamon to the sauce and mix well. Serve warm or cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

You can make the applesauce as chunky or smooth as you like it or even run it through a food mill instead of mashing it if you have a food mill. We all like the cinnamon in the applesauce, but you could just as easily leave it out if you prefer just the great apple flavor on its own.I also made some plain white rice and xorn on the cob to round out the meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for more recipes. I do have some things planned for this week that I didn’t get to before I left on vacation, such as the lemon icebox pie, the ciabatta bread and a few other recipes. Keep checking back to see what is next. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 26, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, Fruit, Pork, Sauce

Tags: americas test kitchen, applesauce recipe, bourbon-apricot sauce, old-fashioned applesauce, pork chops recipe, pork chops with bourbon-apricot sauce, sauteed pork chops

Grilling Season Home Stretch: 20 Recipes To Know And Love | Food Republic

20 Aug

Grilling Season Home Stretch: 20 Recipes To Know And Love | Food Republic.

As summer starts to wind down, there is still plenty of opportunity for you to make good use of your grill and make some great dishes and meals. Food Republic has put together 20 recipes that make great use of your grill and cover everything from vegetables to fish to meat to dessert. Check it out!