Swedish Meatballs

From All Recipes:

Allrecipes.com/recipe/chef-johns-swedish-meatballs/

I was having a huge craving for meatballs and this recipe came up on google with lots of good reviews

Sadly we all just thought it was "meh" and did not provide the flavor we were looking for.  Maybe we should have had them with lingonberry sauce. 

French Dip Sandwiches

As adapted from April 2014 Food Network Magazine

French Dip Sandwiches

3 scallions

2 tsp fresh thyme (I used dried)

1 clove garlic crushed (I used more - minced from a jar)

Kosher salt and ground pepper

1/4 tsp celery seeds

1/4 tsp ground allspice 

1 - 2.5 pound beef eye round roast, fat trimmed

2 carrots sliced 1 inch thick

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1 cube beef bouillon

6-8 kaiser rolls

Horseradish or spicy mustard for serving

Pulse scallions, thyme, garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, celery seeds and allspice to make a paste. Pierce the roast all over with a paring knife. Rub the paste into the meat. Tie the roast with kitchen twine so it keeps its shape.

Spread carrots in a slow cooker. Put roast on top. Insert thermometer into roast's center so you can read it through the glass. 

Combine 1.5 cups water, Worcestershire sauce and bouillon cube in microwave safe bowl. Microwave 2-4 minutes until hot. Add to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until meat is 120-130 degrees for medium rare, about 2 hours.  Transfer meat to a cutting board and cover with foil - rest 15min. Skim excess fat from liquid.

Slice meat thinly. Spoon liquid onto cut sides of bun, sandwich with meat and serve with mustard or horseradish. Serve more liquid for dipping.

The kids were away when i made this.  Husband of Cheerios and I both felt the same about this. It smelled great and tasted boooooooring. Very disappointing.

We will not make this again.

Easy Rigatoni Casserole

As adapted from the blog "It's the small things"- June 17, 2011

Cut and pasted here for convenience:
Easy Rigatoni Casserole
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 box Rigatoni pasta (I used Penne)
1 24 oz. jar Marinara Sauce
8-10 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese  (I used 6oz plus more on top)
4 cloves or garlic, minced
3 Basil leaves, torn into small pieces (I used freeze dried)
Kosher Salt to tast

1. Cook pasta until el dente. Strain then pour into a large bowl. Add cooked Italian Sausage, cheese, and as much marinara as you would like! Stir.
2. Add Basil leaves, Garlic, and a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Stir well.
3. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 glass dish, then top with more cheese or marinara if you would like!
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover with foil.

This was really good....terrible for you - but all the cheese is what makes it taste so good.  Husband of cheerios said that it was "really good!".  Miss Almost Vegetarian scarfed hers down in record time.  Mr. Picky took the time to pick out all the tomato chunks from the sauce but then said the rest was good.  I would make this again but with even less cheese than this time.  :)

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

From Bytes to Bites blog http://bytestobites.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/slow-cooker-teriyaki-pork-tenderloin/

and originally from All Recipes.com

I am a sucker for those Pork Tenderloins at Costco so I was excited to try this recipe.  It came together quickly and smelled great while cooking.

The verdict?

Meh.

The pork was over done.  My fault for just walking away for the 6 hour cooking time instead of checking it.  :)   Aside from that - the sauce was ok but not awesome.  Mr Picky and Little Miss Almost Vegetarian wouldn't try the sauce at all but liked the meat.

We found that the meat just didn't take on the flavour of the sauce like it does in my favorite pork tenderloin recipe http://familysquabbles.blogspot.ca/2011/01/pork-tenderloin.html   I'm thinking that I should have tried Bytes to Bites author's modifications instead of making the original recipe.

I still have 2 pork tenderloins in the freezer so I will keep my eye out for something to-die-for.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

I just realized that I have over 500 photos on my camera dating back to Mid-April!!  Over the next few days? hours? weeks? I will be working to pull these photos off and will likely find a ton of recipes to try.

It's not like I have an excuse for not blogging...

Cousin Tamara's cake business is really picking up - see her stuff here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugar-Sugar-Cakes-by-Tamara/102285353219899

Cousin Tess' business is really taking off too - see her here:
http://www.facebook.com/CreativeXpressions247

Cousin Heather has her hands full with a beautiful brand new baby.  Yet, when I stopped by to visit - she had already baked a rhubarb crisp!!  Who has time to bake with  a newborn?  If anyone would make the time - it would be Heather!!

Anyway - without further delay lets talk Lasagna.  This recipe was an ad in a magazine that I was reading.  You can see the recipe posted on the Johnsonville website here:
http://www.johnsonville.com/recipe/italian-sausage-lasagna.html

This was an easy recipe to make with clear instructions.  It smelled delicious and looked great!

Mr. Picky declared it to be the best lasagna he had ever had.

Miss Almost-Vegetarian, in a constant bid to prove herself Mr Picky's best friend, quickly agreed.

DH and I thought it was quick tasty too but quite greasy.  We would make this again but would likely cut half the meat with some ground turkey and cut down on some of the cheese.

Bryan Voltaggio's Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Top Chef is one of my favorite Food Network Shows, I have watched every season. Last week I was surfing the Williams-Sonoma web site and was thrilled to find recipes from the Volataggio brothers, two of my favorite chefs from the shows. I printed out several recipes to try and this one topped this list (stay tuned for more).

Bryan Voltaggio's Pulled Pork Sandwiches

True Kansas City barbecue is pit-cooked low and slow and spiced with smoky-sweet tomato sauce. Crispy burnt ends are a local legend. Inspired by the burnt ends at Danny Edwards Blvd. BBQ in Kansas City, MO, chef Bryan Voltaggio created these pulled pork sandwiches so you can replicate that smoky, spicy flavor at home.

• 1/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. paprika
• 1 Tbs. freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 Tbs. dried English mustard
• 2 tsp. ground fennel seed
• 2 tsp. garlic powder or onion powder
• 1 pork shoulder, 3 to 4 lb.
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup water
• Soft white dinner rolls for serving
• Cowtown barbecue sauce for serving

In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, paprika, pepper, thyme, coriander, dried mustard, fennel and garlic powder.

Score a diamond pattern on the fatty side of the pork. Insert the knife tip into the pork to create 6 small pockets, spacing them evenly. Insert 1 garlic clove into each pocket. Generously rub the pork on all sides with 6 to 8 Tbs. of the spice mixture; reserve the remaining mixture. Wrap the pork with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pork. Place the pork, fat side up, in the oven-safe insert of a slow cooker. Transfer to the oven and roast until the top of the pork starts to crisp, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer the insert to the slow-cooker base and add the apple juice and water. Cover and cook on low according to the manufacturer’s instructions, turning the pork occasionally, until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork, 6 to 7 hours.

Transfer the pork to a deep bowl. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into large shreds or, using a cleaver, chop it into large chunks. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

(I skipped this part since I don't have one of these) Using a handheld smoking gun, smoke with 2 to 3 chambers of applewood chips. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Strain the cooking sauce into a bowl. Ladle 1/2 to 3/4 cup sauce over the pork. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp. of the reserved spice mixture. Serve immediately with rolls and barbecue sauce. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe by Chef Bryan Voltaggio, inspired by Danny Edwards Blvd. BBQ, Kansas City, MO.

RATINGS:

Heather - 10 - "Definite make again"

Brad - 10 - "Sublime"

NOTES:

We ate this as simply shredded pork with some veggies on the side. Brad is going to have sandwiches tomorrow for lunch.

There was quite a bit of leftover juice in the crock pot so I separated and strained it and made some gravy.

Ham, Macaroni & Broccoli Bake...I think

I have this picture on my camera card

I remember our whole family including both kids really liking this.  We liked it so much that I have it on our menu plan for next weekend and I put there right after we finished eating this last month.  I went to make my weekly grocery list today and can't find the recipe anywhere.  It figures right?

Loving Google as I do I searched for the term listed on my weekly menu plan: Ham, Macaroni and Broccoli Bake.  The first hit was this one.  Yay google!!  Something in my memory clicked - the recipe WAS from the Southern Food website.  Pretty sure this is it.  We'll be trying it out again next weekend to be sure.  :)

Pulled Pork Chili

From Krafts Kitchens http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/pulled-pork-chili-127085.aspx

What You Need

2 cans (10 fl oz/284 mL each) 25%-less-sodium chicken broth (we would definitely only add one can next time - it was too watery)

2 cans (19 fl oz/540 mL each) chili-style diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (19 fl oz/540 mL) red kidney beans, rinsed

1 can (19 fl oz/540 mL) black beans, rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 boneless pork shoulder (2-1/2 lb./1.1 kg)

1 cup Kraft Old Cheddar Shredded Cheese

1 cup sour cream

Make It

COMBINE all ingredients except meat, cheese and sour cream in slow cooker. Add meat; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 10 to 12 hours (or on HIGH 7 hours).
REMOVE meat from slow cooker. Shred meat; return to slow cooker. Stir.
SPOON into bowls; top with cheese and sour cream.

This was really really good! Both DH and I loved it but found it very very filling.  Mr Picky turned his nose up at it until he actually took a bite.  He then said it was good but ate the rest with a "something smells bad" expression on his face.  Miss Almost Vegetarian was most pleased with the cheese sprinkled on top and the buns served with the chili but even she managed to take in a few bites.  We WILL make this again.

Easy BBQ Ribs

From the Summer 2011 issue of What's Cooking and seen online here:

What You Need

4 lb. (1.8 kg) pork baby back ribs

1 cup Bull's-Eye Bold Original Barbecue Sauce

Make It

CUT ribs into 2-rib sections.

2

PLACE in Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add enough water to completely cover ribs; cover with lid. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 20 min. Drain. 

3

HEAT barbecue to medium heat. Grill ribs 10 min. or until done, turning occasionally and brushing generously

This is the third pork rib recipe that I've tried.  I have blogged 1 of the other ones here.  This was my least favorite of the 3 rib recipes but Mr Cheerios would likely disagree.  He thought the ribs were very flavorful.  I agree that while they WERE flavorful - they were also quite tough.  I like my ribs to be falling off the bone tender.  The next time I make ribs I am going to make my favorite recipe; one that I haven't blogged here yet.  I am also going to go out on a limb here and say that Mr Picky and Little Miss Almost-Vegetarian would agree with me.  Miss Veggie nibbled one bite before banishing it and tearing apart her corn cob. Mr Picky, a self-proclaimed meat-a-saurus only ate 1 rib before deciding that he wanted more potato wedges instead.  This is the same boy that would not stop eating ribs with the original recipe.  I think it's safe to say that I will not make this again. 

Saturday Evening Diner

Tonight's diner inspiration also comes from issue 82 of Everyday Food Magazine.

I wouldn't normally choose couscous but the whole meal looked good and asparagus is season so we decided to try it.

Pork Cutlets with Couscous and Sauteed Peppers and Asparagus

1 cup couscous

2 tbsp olive oil

2 peppers

1 lb asparagus

salt and pepper

pork cutlets

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Cook couscous according to package instructions. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pan and sautee peppers and asparagus. Transfer to plate. Add remaining tbsp oil to pan and cook cutlets. Stir parsley into couscous and serve with pork and vegetables.

RATINGS:

Heather - 8 - "Good all together but not separately"

Brad - 7 - "Not a fan of couscous"

Chinese New Year Dinner

By now you might be catching on to the fact that I like to do theme dinners.

This year we celebrated the lunar new year with stir fried vegetables, dry ribs, fried rice and button bones (sweet and sour pork ribs).

Button Bones is a recipe from my mom, I don't know where she got it from originally. You can buy button bones at the grocery store although I did have to go to 4 stores this time to find some.

Button Bones

1 lb button bones, cut into individual ribs

dip ribs in beaten egg, then flour

fry until brown and drain on paper towel

Mix together:

1/2 c white vinegar

1 1/4 c sugar

1 c water

1 c ketchup

Pour over ribs and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender.

Ratings:

Brad - 8.5 - "I look forward to these every year"

Heather - 9 - "One of my favorites"

Pork and Black Eyed Pea Chili

From Rachel Ray as seen here:
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3033

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, chopped or crumbled  (* I couldn't find this so we used another type of sausage *)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2-3 ribs celery from the heart with leafy tops, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• One can diced tomatoes or diced tomatoes with mild chiles (14.5-ounces)
• 1 can black-eyed peas (15.5-ounces), rinsed (*I could not find these either so I used a can of mixed beans that included black-eyed peas *)
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, such as Franks Red Hot brand
• A few sprigs thyme, chopped  (* I used dried *)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika (about a palmful)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander (about 2/3 palmful)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 4 toaster corn muffins or 2 split corn muffins, toasted and buttered

Preparation

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pork and cook, crumbling, until browned, 2 minutes more. Add the celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, hot sauce, thyme, chili powder, paprika and coriander. Bring to a low boil, lower the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes more.

Top the chili with the scallions. Serve with the corn muffins alongside or crumbled over the chili.

This was easy to make and turned out like the recipe said.  The only modification I made was to simmer the chili for a bit longer because it was a bit watery.  I used a cornbread mix to make some muffins to go along with this.

My husband LOVED this.  He wants to have it again soon and took all the leftovers to work with him.  I thought it was really good too.  Miss Almost vegetarian proclaimed it "Ewww" and only ate a few bites.  Neither my husband nor Missy were big fans of the corn muffins.

Mr. Picky started off giving this 2 thumbs down then quickly changed it to 1 thumb down ("but only because of the sausage Mom or it would be 2 thumbs down").  After eating 1 ingredient at a time from the chili and shuddering while he did it, my husband convinced him to try eating a whole spoonful at a time (the threat of no dessert may have helped).  After a few spoonfuls, Mr Picky gave his final review as 1 thumb up (lack of 2 thumbs was due to the celery).  He loved the corn muffins as much as I did.

We will make this again.

 

Pork Tenderloin

From the All Recipes recipe here

Cut and pasted for convenience:

Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker
chowsito

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

This was really really good.  The tenderloin was a great consistency and the au jus was so good that I dipped my potatoes in it too.  :)

The kids weren't home when I made this one but DH thought this recipe was a keeper as well.  We WILL make this one again!!

Bolognese with Pappardelle

as adapted from the book Rachel Ray's Look + Cook

2T EVOO
1/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 onion diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1T fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano, 1/3 palmful
1/2 tsp crush red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 pound pappardelle or fettucine pasta
1 cup whole milk or half & half
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano (I used the prepackaged Kraft Italian blend)
1/2 cup chopped parsley

In a large pot, heat EVOO over med-high then add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until it is browned and the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes.  Add the ground beef and pork and brown for 8-10 min, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, garlic, carrot and celery.  Cook, stirring, until the veggies are softened, 6-7 min.  Add salt/pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add tomato paste and stir for a minute or two then add the wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce wine by half for 2-3 min then stir in the stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and thicken the sauce for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.  Cook the pasta.  When pasta is done reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.  Add the milk to the sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes to heat through. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasonings to taste. Turn off the heat. Add the reserved pasta water back into the pasta pot, along with 1 cup of grated cheese and a couple handfuls of chopped parsley. Add half the pasta sauce and toss to coat.  Serve in shallow bowls, topped with additional sauce and cheese.

Miss Almost Vegetarian was not a huge fan of this but managed to eat some of it.  Mr Picky thought it was yummy.  Both DH and I LOVED this too.  We were also make this one again.  That's 2 for 2 in this recipe book!

Sausage Pie

This is from one of the Best of Bridge cookbooks.  We had it at a family function on Boxing Day years and years ago.  Going through some old recipes I found the written copy of this one and decided to make it.

1-28oz can tomato - well drained (796ml)
1/2 tsp (2ml) basil
1/4 tsp (1 ml) pepper
1 lb (500g) sausage meat
1/2 tsp (2ml) chili powder
1/2 tsp (2ml) oregano
1/2 tsp (2 ml) basil
1 1/2 cup (375 ml ) mozza cheese grated
3 green onions - thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125ml) red pepper - finely chopped
2 pkgs (2-235g) refrig crescent dinner rolls

Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl combine tomatoes, basil and black pepper. Set aside.  Brown sausage meat, stirring with a fork to keep separated. Drain off fat. Add chili powder, oregano, basil, 1/2 cup cheese, green onion and red pepper.  Stir and set aside.

Open one package of dinner rolls and unroll. Cut rectangles of dough in half along the perforated line. Mold half in the bottom of a 9" spring form pan, covering base completely. Pinch together any sections that have been separated.  Divide the remaining squares of dough along the perforated lines and it these around the sides of pan trimming off any edges that project above the top of the pan. Pinch all seams together.  Spoon sauce over dough and press down firmly. Add tomato mixture, meat and sprinkle with remaining cup of mozza cheese.  Using 2nd package of rolls, separate dough into triangles and cut into half inch strips.  Form these into a lattice pattern over top of the filling Don't worry about "joins", it all bakes together. Gently roll the dough along the rim down to cover the edges of the lattice strips. Bake 35-45 min or until golden brown. Remove. Cool 5 min. Run a knife around the edge to loosen crust. Remove from pan. Cut into wedges.

The only comments we have is to DRAIN THE TOMATOES WELL!!!

We both enjoyed it but I found that it wasn't as tasty as my mind remembered it to be.  :)

Miss Almost - Vegetarian loved it but Mr. Picky just poked at his.  My husband liked it but thinks it could be cooked longer...the runny tomatoes made the bottom a little soggy.

We will likely make this again, but not for a few more years. 

Ribs in Sauce

As adapted from "Spareribs in Sauce" from "Grandma's Touch"

1.5 kg lean pork spareribs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
2T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup water
1 onion, chopped

Trim visible fat from spareribs.  Place ribs in a baking pan.  Bake at 350F for 45 min. Pour off grease.

Combine the remaining ingredients.  Pour over ribs.
Bake turning meat occasionally, at 350F for 1.5 hours or until meat is tender.

They were really good but I forgot to take a picture until we were wrapping up the leftovers.

Mr Picky did not like his and just picked at his.  Little Miss Almost Vegetarian nibbled at hers but barely.  Both my husband and I thought they were ok but thought they turned out better using a friend's slow cooker recipe instead.  The flavor was good though.

Late Lunch / Early Supper

Friday's are my day off each week so I like to spend a little more time on meals since I am not pressed for time. With the whole day ahead of me this past Friday I decided to try the Easy Pork Shoulder recipe from the BIG BATCH section of EDF #71 (page 90) since it has to cook for 5 hours. You cook once and get 3 meals, sounds like a plan to me. Meal 1 from the recipe is pulled-pork sandwiches with coleslaw (page 91) with my mom's potato salad as a side.

Easy Pork Shoulder
This recipe is definately easy. You simply score the fat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put in a pan with 1/2 cup water and then leave it in the oven for 5 hours to slow roast. After the 5 hours the meat was falling apart. I even ended up with enough juices from it that I can make some split pea soup in the future. Then you just remove the fat and shred with 2 forks and divide it up for your future meals.

Next it was on to making the potato salad. I might be biased but I think that this is one of the best potato salads ever.

Mom's Potato Salad
4-5 cups diced cold boiled potatoes
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 finely chopped onion
3 hard boiled eggs
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
salt
pepper

Mix together Miracle Whip, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
Pour over potatoes, celery, onion and eggs.
Gently fold.
Refrigerate until cold.


Here's where things got a little out of hand. The pulled pork sandwhich recipe calls for homemade or store bought bbq sauce. I only use Bulls Eye bbq sauce (Bold Original I think it's called) and I didn't think that it would be good on pork so I decided that if I was going to chance tying a new store bought sauce I may as well make my own. So I pulled out my bbq cook books and found a couple of recipes. To further complicate things I elected to combine them and create my own.


Heathers BBQ Sauce
1 cup beef stock
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup fancy molasses
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 small onion very finely diced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground chipotle
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix together and simmer until reduced by about one third (approximately 20 minutes).

Last step, the pulled-pork sandwiches. We debated about whether to try the coleslaw on the sandwiches or not and figured that we would go for it. So I quickly chopped up the cabbage and carrots and tossed with the dressing, combined the pork and the bbq sauce and assembled.

Ratings (for the meal as a whole):
Brad - 7 - Would like to have this meal again
Heather - 7 - Didn't love it and am not sure that it was worth all the work I created for myself

As a side note my friend Kandice also made this recipe the day before. Her rating was the same as mine. The one thing that might have made a difference is that we both used smoked pork shoulder when I think we should have tried to find one that wasn't. If I see one in the store I may attempt again to compare.

My First Post

Hi Everyone! I love food. Cooking, baking, watching Food Network, eating out at nice restaurants, adding to my collection of kitchen stuff (dishes, baking pans, appliances, utensils (how many kinds of whisks does one person need?), muffin cup liners, sprinkles, the list goes on and on), reading cook books, I even enjoy wandering the isles at the grocery store. I am very excited to be part of this blog to have a place where I can chat about one of passions!

Everday Food Magazine from Martha Stewart is my absolute favorite source for new recipes. They are quick and easy recipes and have all sorts of great tips. I have a subscription and I just received issue #71 (yes I have them all) in the mail last week. I like to try new recipes the month I receive them otherwise it seems that I never do. In this issue there are several that have my mouth watering.

Last Saturday Brad and I spent the evening cooking together and tried the Eat Out (at home) Greek Feast recipes on page 49. We made pork souvlaki, greek salad and rice. I rated the meal a 10 and Brad gave it a 9 (10's are reserved for the super fantastic, special occasion meals he says). This meal is definately going to become a regular at our house.

The Marinade

This was easy to prep.
Just olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh oregano, salt & pepper.

I am going to try this marinade on both beef and chicken in the future.

Ready to Chill

I bought a whole pork loin from Costco for this and cubed the meat myself. It is a really inexpensive way to buy pork. $17 and it will be 5 meals for the 2 of us.

Heading to the BBQ

We only let the meat marinate 1 hour. Next time I would give it as much time as possible though (it would just get better and better I think).

Plating!

I was skepticle of the greek salad. When I have tried to make them at home before with greek seasoning mix they haven't thrilled me. This one was AMAZING. Who knew that just olive oil and lemon juice could taste so good!
The dipping sauce was good on the souvlaki but not essential (if you have no other use for the rest of the Greek yogurt I would skip it).

Meal for Another Day!

We doubled the recipe and then sealed up the extras with the FoodSaver and put them in the freezer. I have frozen store bought ones before so I figure this should work great. I will let you know.

Pork Chops and Rice

As adapted from Grandma's Touch -by Irene Hrechuk and Verna Zasada

1T vegetable oil
6 pork chops
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 cup raw rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
2 cups beef broth
1T worcestershire sauce
2 tomatoes, sliced

In a skillet, heat oil, brown pork chops.  Place 3 in the bottom of a 2L overproof casserole. Set the other 3 pork chops aside.  Saute inion and peppers in pork chop drippings.  Place raw rice on top of pork chops in casserole.  Place onion and pepper on top of the rice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining 3 chops.  Combine broth and worcestershire.  Pour over chops and rice in casserole. Place tomato slices on top. Bake covered at 350F for 1 hour or until rice is tender.

My husband thought this dish wasn't too bad - although a bit bland. Miss Almost-Vegetarian devoured the rice without touching the meat.  I thought the pork chop was good but wasn't a fan of the beef flavored rice.  Mr Picky loved the "chicken" as he called it but wanted to add soy sauce to the rice since he was "not a fan" of the original taste.  I'd try this again with chicken broth for a tastier rice and maybe add a few spices for kick.

Herb Marinated Loin of Pork

From the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook again, I tried the recipe Herb Marinated Loin of Pork.  It marinates overnight in a lemon herb marinade and then sits on the BBQ for about 20 minutes.  I altered the recipe slightly using bottle lemon juice rather than freshly squeezed.  I did use fresh rosemary but used dried thyme.

This was very simple and very, very good.  My husband said that this is his favorite recipe that I have tried so far.

I served it with "Pan Roasted Root Vegetables" from the same cookbook.  I did my grocery shopping this week at Walmart so couldn't get all the vegetables (celery root).  Aww, let's face it - I don't like brussel sprouts so I avoid those on purpose.  As for turnip - those only taste good raw.  Why cook them and mess with that?   I used as directed: carrots, parsnips, celery and added my own combo of green pepper and zucchini.   These turned out really really tasty and I will make them again but I think I could easily cut  back on both the butter and the salt in the recipe.