Pork Chops With Mustard Sauce

My husband is a dipper. Just about every piece of meat I serve has to be accompanied by some kind of sauce at the table, whether it is soy sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, steak sauce. He loves to mix his sauces and create his own, too. You name it, he loves it. So, when I have the opportunity I like to make a sauce to go with our dinner that doesn't come out of a bottle. I have made this recipe a couple of times now and it is so flavorful and delicious.

Word of caution: Don't overcook your pork chops. There's nothing worse than a dry piece of meat. You want the pink inside to be gone but it doesn't have to be white and dry inside. When you take your pork out of the pan it will continue to cook a little, so take that into consideration. Cut into your chop if you have to to make sure it is done (I've done this many times). If it is, great; if not just put it back into the pan and allow it to cook further for another minute or two.

Pork Chops, with Mustard Sauce

4 pork chops about 1 1/2 inches thick (if your chops are thinner, don't cook as long)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoon dried rosemary

3/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with the salt, pepper, and flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until it is sizzling (you want it good and hot!). Cook the pork chops for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Add the onion, thyme and rosemary and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and boil until its reduced a little, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rest of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the Dijon mustard and parsley, if using. Return the chops and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes to warm the porkchops and thicken the sauce. Transfer the chops to a serving plate and either top with the sauce or serve the sauce separately. Serves 4.

I'm linking up with Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap

Thai Style Pork Noodle Toss

We love stir fry dishes. It's a great way to use up whatever bits and pieces of vegetables or meats that you have in the refrigerator. I found this one on the Common Room site and stayed with the original recipe for the most part. I added about 1/2 of a red pepper to it since I had some in my fridge.

Thai Style Pork Noodle Toss

Serves 6

1 pound raw pork loin (I used tenderloin), sliced into thin strips

Combine:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger-root (or you can use ground ginger)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Add the meat to the above marinade for about 1/2 hour. (I only marinated the pork for about 10 minutes because I was using tenderloin, which is a very tender cut)

Meanwhile:

4 1/2 tablespoons oil

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1 teaspoons crushed red pepper, or to taste

4 cups sliced Chinese Napa cabbage-or regular if it is cheaper

1 grated carrot

1/2 of a red pepper, sliced thinly

1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

Sauce:

Mix together:

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

3/4 pound pasta, cooked al dente, drained (I used spaghetti)

In a bowl marinade meat for at least half an hour as stated above. Heat a wok or large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of oil and then the meat, stir-frying until no pink remains. Set meat aside in the serving bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until hot. Add the onions and crushed pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the cabbage, carrots, and any other vegetables you are using. Toss in the oil until the vegetables are cooked to the desired doneness (we like our vegetables more tender than crisp but not mushy). Add the sauce and heat until boiling. Add the cooked pork and noodles and toss to coat and blend.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

My husband can really surprise me sometimes. He is definitely a spaghetti and meatball or sausage with red spaghetti sauce kind of guy and hardly ever warmed up to any other kind of pasta-until I made this recipe a couple of years ago. While I love making his favorite dishes, I also like to try new ones, too. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it flops, but not this time. When he was eating this yesterday, he kept saying how good it was. While the pasta is the star of the show in this dish and I only used 3 links of sausage, you don't feel like you are being deprived of protein in any way. I also only had one bell pepper to put in this dish so I took out my frozen bag of peppers that I buy in the grocery store during the months when peppers are way too expensive. I also love how quick this is to put together.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

2 tablespoons oil
About 1 (you can use more or less) pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
OR
1 bag of frozen chopped peppers
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta (I used penne rigate), cooked according to package directions
Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned. Add the peppers, onions, basil, and oregano and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic the last couple minutes.
Add the tomatoes with the juice, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss.
Add the parmesan cheese to taste and serve immediately or pass the Parmesan cheese separately at the table.
Serves 6.

I'm participating in Make It From Scratch, Foodie Fridays, and Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Roast Pork Loin with Potatoes and Onions

Roast pork is one of our family's favorites but if not cooked properly, it can be a little dry-ask me how I know! :( Which is why I was so glad that I finally learned to cook a juicy and flavorful pork roast. I combined a recipe from the Joy of Cooking, along with a recipe I had copied from an Amish cookbook many years ago and, unfortunately, didn't copy the name of the book, so I can't tell you where I got it. This recipe comes out great everytime I make it and I've made it several times, so I hope you will try it.

The first thing you need when roasting pork is a meat thermometer. There is really no other way to tell if it's just the right temperature. Otherwise you could end up with a pork roast that is either undercooked or overcooked.


Pork Roast


1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin roast (a larger roast can be used but it will take longer to cook through)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon each of: dried thyme, rosemary, sage, or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered (if the potatoes are cut any smaller they will be overcooked by the time the roast is done)
2 cups chicken broth


Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Mix together the oil and seasonings and rub over the entire surface of the roast. Place the meat in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, onions, and broth and cover. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 250 degrees F. Roast until the meat registers 150 to 155 degrees, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (the temperature will continue to rise about 5 to 10 degrees out of the oven). Remove the roast to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice thinly. You can remove the potatoes and onions with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl and thicken the broth, if desired.

Pork and Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans

I love finding recipes that let me use meat as more of a condiment rather than the main item on my plate. It almost always means less calories and it's usually less expensive, too. Remember the big pork roast I cut up? Well the pork for this dish was sitting and waiting in my freezer until I had all the ingredients to put it together.



Starting at least the day before, prepare your Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans. Soak 1 cup (I doubled this part of the recipe) of whatever kind of beans you like (I used pinto) overnight. The next morning, drain the beans and put them in the slow-cooker, along with a chopped up onion, a minced clove of garlic (optional) a tablespoon of bacon fat or butter and enough hot water to cover the beans. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for about 6-8 hours until the beans are cooked through. Add salt to taste, reduce heat to keep warm until you are ready to serve.



When you are ready to prepare your meal, slice a poblano in half vertically; remove core, membrane, and seeds. Flatten halves skin-side up on a sprayed baking sheet or a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under the broiler until the skins blister and blacken, like above. Remove from the broiler, fold the foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest 5 minutes.

Lift off and discard the skins; chop up the remaining flesh. Meanwhile, heat oil on medium high and add the pork, salt to taste, and stir often until browned, about 5 minutes.

Leaving the liquid behind, remove the meat to a plate. To the pan, add onions, cook until it begins to brown, add the garlic, water and Worcestershire sauce and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomato and poblano. Cook down a bit, about 5 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet; cook 15-20 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens, adding cilantro in the last 5 minutes.
Serve with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans, and/or cooked rice, and a dollop of sour cream.

Pork and Poblano Skillet With Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans

1 cup dry beans (your choice), soaked overnight

1 chopped onion

1 tablespoon bacon fat or butter

hot water

Drain soaked beans. Put beans, onion, bacon fat or butter, and hot water to cover into slow-cooker for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Add salt to taste.

Pork and Poblano Skillet

1 poblano pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin, cubed

Salt to taste

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

15 ounces canned diced tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Slice pepper in half vertically; remove core, membrane and seeds. Flatten halves skin-side up on foil on baking sheet. Place under broiler til skins blister and blacken. Remove from broiler, fold foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest 5 minutes. Lift off and remove skins; chop up pepper.

Meanwhile, heat oil on medium high til shimmery in large skillet. Add pork, salt to taste, stir often til meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Leaving liquid behind, remove meat.

Add onions, cook til beginning to brown; add garlic, water, and Worcestershire. Stir in tomato and poblano. Cook down a bit about 5 minutes. Return meat to skillet; cook 15-20 minutes until sauce darkens and thickens, adding cilantro in last 5 minutes. Serve with beans and rice and a dollop of sour cream.

I'm posting this as a part of $5 Dinner Challenge and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

What To Do With a 5-pound Pork Loin

Sometimes pork loin roast will go on sale in my area anywhere from $1.48 per pound to $1.79 per pound. I've seen them for both of those prices this week. I picked up a big 5-pounder but it is way too much to feed the 4 of us so I divided it up into three pieces.



I put one of the thirds into a freezer bag to make pork roast and threw it in the freezer for later in the month. I cut the second piece into cubes and put it into a freezer bag and it also went into the freezer. I have special plans for that one (Pork and Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans-yum!). I will share my recipes for both of these dishes as I make them.

The last piece I cut up into cubes, too, but we ate it right away. I sauteed some onions in olive oil until they were sweet and tender and then added the cubed pork. It only took a very few minutes to cook on a fairly high heat. With pork you either cook it on high heat very quickly or at a very low heat for a long time. I cooked the cubes until they were cooked through about 5 or 6 minutes. I added barbecue sauce to the pork and onions, spooned them onto french rolls and topped it with a little shredded cheese. I popped them into a 375-degree oven for a few minutes until the cheese was melted and the bread was toasted. They were very good!

So, don't be intimated by those big pieces of meat at the grocery store. I'll share later about my 10-pound bag of chicken legs and thighs!

For more great recipes go to the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap,

Image of pork roast courtesy of Savenors Market