JBug's Kitchen Antics

Peaches And Pork On The Grill

In my opinion, nothing screams of summer quite like the smell of a sweet juicy sun kissed peach. Add a grill and a few pork loin chops to the equation along with a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar and you'll find perfection on a plate. It is darned easy on the cook too.

We've Williams-Sonoma to thank for last night's inspiration although their recipe calls for a basil garnish that I didn't have, but no matter. It is perfectly acceptable without.

Simply pork loin chops seasoned with salt and pepper, then brought to room temperature before they hit the grill, the real flavor quotient's fresh from the tree peaches, quartered and splashed with a little oil and maple syrup then grilled for 60 seconds until golden. Finished with a touch of balsamic vinegar and a dusting of freshly ground black pepper, they are a perfect accompaniment to moist and tender pork chops. Throw in a tossed salad and dinner's cooked in under 10 minutes.  Here's the link to the recipe and just so you know, I'd be inclined to try it with chicken or halibut or even salmon too. In fact, I'm going to do just that. 

Other ideas for grilled peaches - how about serving them with a grilled Ham Steak or show them off along side a chipotle chicken salad for a soothing grilled sweetness next to the salad's spicy heat. 

      

 

Chile Verde Pie and Coast Time

In case you're wondering why JBug's Kitchen Antics has gone from "every day" to twice or three times a week, here's the reason. It's not that I haven't been cooking every day and as much as I'd like to blame this blog's service provider as they've been undergoing challenges recently that have stretched my frustration level to a breaking point, the real story is that I think I may have finally converted my Type A inner clock to "coast time". 

Coast time is our local version of "manana" or when 9 o'clock means noon and 1 pm means 4 which then becomes 5 o'clock somewhere. Do you get my drift? I've been meaning to tell you about this chili verde pie for days now, but kept saying "ah heck, maybe tomorrow". See, I AM on coast time. 

Anyway if you're a regular here at J'Bug's, you'll know that after our 11 years in Tucson, we came away with a rather strong appreciation for Mexican cuisine and one of our favorites is chile verde. I mean what's not to like about cubes of pork shoulder braised until tender in green chile, onion and beer? (Hit the link and see our version here).  It's perfect "coast time" food because after the prep work it basically cooks itself. Leftovers are fabulous in taco's, enchiladas or even under an egg for breakfast but we happen to love our savory pies around here, so in the interest of trying something new I thought why not? 

Leftover pork chile verde, an extra dose of chopped green chile, a cup or so of frozen corn all wrapped up in a flaky crust - really, what's not to love and love it we did. 

Next time you're looking for a new way to cook up some leftovers, try thinking outside the box a tad and make a pie. I mean you can slap darn near anything between two sheets of flaky dough and call it dinner. In fact, I'm going to put my thinking cap on right now and...on second thoughts, the rain is over, the sun is out and the beach is calling. Maybe tomorrow. OK?

Chile Verdi Pie an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

Pastry for a double crust pie

4 cups leftover chile verde

2 roasted green chilies, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn niblets

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Coarse sea salt

 Preheat oven to 450. Line a 9” deep dish pie pan with pastry. In a medium bowl, mix together chile verde, chopped green chilies and corn. Pour into pastry lined pan and top with second crust. Seal edges, flute, slash and decorate and you wish.  Brush crust with heavy cream to glaze and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350 and bake additional 45 minutes or until crust is golden and filling bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings. 

 

Pork and Mushroom Ragu

Some optimistic soul (like Big Guy) would say there's a plus to every minus which is all just fine and dandy but personally as a staunch realist I'd say it's more'n likely there's 2 negatives for every positive, except for this ragu of course. Then he'd be right! 

This totally made from imagination dish may not be the prettiest thing you've ever seen but holy smokes it sure is good. 

The other day I was remembering the pork chops my Mother used to make. She'd put the chops out on a rimmed baking sheet, cover them with onions, salt and pepper and drown the whole shebang in milk. Baked in the oven, they may not have been the best looking chops, but holy batman baby they sure were tasty tender moist morsels. I figured why not try making a ragu out of cubes of pork shoulder using the same idea but ramping up the flavors somewhat.

Well seasoned pork browned on all sides, flavored with sauteed onions, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay and rosemary, braised in a pan deglazed with vermouth then covered in milk and slow simmered in the oven is what this dish is all about. Finished at the last minute with a little sour cream for added richness, extra black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, it's incredible on a pile of pasta garnished with shards of parmesan cheese.

The flavors are subtle, the meat incredibly tender and moist and it's all very filling particularly if you use a hearty style of pasta like the trottole I used or even rigatoni or bucatini. The only downside is the sauce's curdled appearance but what the heck - put enough cheese on it and you won't even notice. 

Pork and Mushroom Ragu an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

2-1/2 to 3 pounds pork shoulder

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

2 large shallots, peeled and sliced

8 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small onion, finely chopped

8 oz. large mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup white vermouth or dry sherry

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 to 4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream

Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Meanwhile remove excess fat from pork shoulder and cut meat into 1 inch cubes. Season very well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add oil and butter to hot pan and when shimmering, brown meat in batches on all sides, removing to a bowl when finished. Add shallots, garlic, onion and mushrooms to the pot and sauté until transparent, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add vermouth or sherry to pan and scrape up browned bits from bottom. Cook until wine is almost completely reduced. Add thyme, bay and rosemary and season all liberally with additional salt and pepper. Return meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add milk until meat is covered. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and place into preheated oven. Cook for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender (remove lid during last half hour to thicken sauce slightly).

Before serving, stir in nutmeg and sour cream. Serve over pasta garnished with parmesan cheese, additional grated nutmeg and black pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Island Chili - Pork, Peppers, Pineapple and Black Beans

Looking at what some of you are calling spring weather these days, a trip to sunnier climes may be in order. It has been wonderful here but typically coast like with fog, sun, rain, warm winds and cool gales all happening on the same day. As far as I'm concerned it's perfect for an imaginary trip to the Caribbean for a bowl of chili, assuming of course they make such a thing in the Caribbean but who really cares right? Whatever provides a little inspiration is A-ok in JBug's kitchen.

Take for example a pound of lean ground pork, stop light peppers (red, yellow and green), a little salsa verde, black beans, tomatoes, a few appropriate spices, and a pineapple tidbit garnish and we called our bowls of spicy sweet stew a roaring success. I'd make it again in a heartbeat and I'm pretty well guaranteed you know who'd devour it too. 

Pork, Pepper, Pineapple and Black Bean Chili an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 each green, red and yellow bell peppers, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

8 ounces tomato sauce

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices

2/3 cup salsa verde

1 – 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained

Sour cream as garnish

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook, crumbling until no longer pink. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened. Stir in cumin, chile powder, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and salsa verde. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat and cook covered for 15 minutes. Add black beans and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls garnished with pineapple and sour cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

For some extra yum, give these a try too....

Black Bean, Pumpkin and Turkey Chile   Santa Fe Pork Stew

  

Gingery Pork Meatballs on Chopped Salad With Peanut Dressing

We love meatballs around here. We're rather fond of Asian flavors as well and pork is on our favorites list too so last night we put 'em all together and came up with a real winner.

Big Guy whipped up the pork meatballs using a recipe adapted from Cooking Light although maybe I should say inspired by because he juiced up the spices by adding more ginger and garlic along with red pepper flakes for a little added bite.  

While he was in charge of the meatballs, I made a simple peanut dressing and opened up a bag of Dole's Asian Blend Chopped Salad ...hey we saw it in the grocery store and absolutely HAD to try it. I gave the greens a little extra somethin' somethin' by adding slivers of sweet onion, drained canned water chestnuts and another handful of snap peas to a salad already loaded with some of those sweet crunchy beauties along with red and green cabbage, broccoli slaw, kale and carrots. 

It was amazing!  Moist tender gingery meatballs garnished with a little sweet chile sauce on top of a crisp bed of good for you green stuff dressed with peanutty sauce...well, talk about a perfect no fuss Sunday night dinner! Darned fine teamwork too, huh!

Gingery Pork Meatballs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com

1 pound lean ground pork

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 large egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients together. Form into 1-1/2 inch balls. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high. When hot, add meatballs  and brown on all sides. When browned, place in oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on salad or with peanut dressing on the side for dipping.

 

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon sriraccha (or to taste)

Combine ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. 

 Other pork meatball recipes you might like to try ...

Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Meatballs     Asian Flavored Pork Meatballs

  

 

A Strata with Sausage and Hash Browns

We had friends visiting over this past weekend so I'm slightly off the grid as far as posting our "everyday" meals but I do want to share some of our weekend meals with you especially since we'll be enjoying the leftovers over the next few days.

I love a relaxing Sunday morning breakfast with good friends and a quiche like strata with its combination of eggs, bread and cheese is a hostess' dream because it needs to be prepped in advance.

Savory Croissant      Sausage, Pepper Torta  Easy Breakfast Casserole

       

We've lots of strata recipes on this site but what makes this one different is the addition of hash browns. Oh and we mustn't forget the meat. I used bulk pork sausage (Jimmy Dean's Original to be exact), but you could certainly substitute chopped ham or even crispy bacon. 

We really enjoyed this casserole, particularly the guys because it really is a "he man" kind of hearty flavor filled dish. My only wish is that I'd made the strata in a cast iron pan rather than a casserole dish because the heat from the cast iron would have given the hash browns more of an opportunity to crisp up; however, I solved the issue this morning by re-warming leftovers in a frying pan to make my "wish" for a crispy crust a reality.

We've Paula Deen to thank for the original, but since I cut down on the butter, eggs, and cheese and adjusted the spices, I've listed my version below. 

Sausage and Hash Brown Strata from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Paula Deen

4 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 cups cubed French bread (with or without crusts)

1 pound bulk sausage (I used Jimmy Dean’s Original)

7 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole with cooking spray and set aside. Dry thawed hash browns by blotting with a paper towel and spread evenly in bottom of casserole. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and when butter melts, add onion. Sauté until onion is transparent. Sprinkle onion on top of hash browns in casserole dish. Layer bread cubes on top of

Return sauté pan to heat and crumble in sausage. Cook, stirring with a fork until sausage is cooked through and no longer pink. Cool slightly then sprinkle on top of bread cubes in casserole.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs until light. Add milk, salt, pepper, Dijon and hot sauce. Pour mixture evenly over sausage/bread/hash browns in casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To bake – preheat oven to 350. Remove plastic wrap from casserole sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 1 hour. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake additional 10 minutes or until casserole is puffy and a knife placed into center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings. 

 

Pork Chops with Peppery Maple Bourbon Sauce

I don't know if you've noticed but JBug's Kitchen Antics seems to be undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts and it's all Big Guy's fault. Now that he's retired I seem to spend  a lot less time in the kitchen and working on this blog too for that matter. Gone are the days he'd have shaved, showered, shampooed, eaten a hot breakfast and be off to work by 6:30. I'd have my kitchen cleaned, dogs walked and blog written by 8:00 AM; house relatively immaculate by noon, dinner on the go by 4:00 and martini chilling for his homecoming at 6:00. 

Heck, now we're still having coffee in bed at 8:00 and by 4:00 we're sitting down with a libation and watching for the sun to set over the ocean. Nine times out of ten dinner's the last thing on my mind. That's why you're seeing so many quick, simple and kinda' ordinary meals on the blog; however, last night's dinner while quick and simple was more extraordinary than ordinary. Just sayin'.   

Imagine plump pork loin chops, seasoned, dusted with flour and sauteed to a rich brown before they're quickly finished in beef stock, maple syrup and bourbon. The thick and juicy chops are removed from the pan after 9 minutes and kept warm while the sauce is reduced and hit with a glug or two of heavy cream. Served on a bed of mixed mash - Idaho potatoes and ruby yams in our case, it truly is bliss on a plate.  

A note from the wise. Please use real maple syrup, not the phony stuff and DO NOT attempt to make this creamy whiskey sauce with your significant other's prized "Knob Creek" or heaven forbid "Blanton's" bourbon. I mean really. Talk about how to make a grown man cry. Use Buffalo Trace or Maker's Mark instead because they're good but won't break the bank and save the really really good, really expensive stuff for sipping. OK?

I'm telling you this only because we watched The Pioneer Woman over the weekend as she used a cup and a half of Blanton's in a peachy chicken dish that I thought looked utterly superb. Unfortunately I darn near had to call in the medics with emergency life support for you know who because he was "incensed" (not insensed...but incensed). Hey, at least he was paying attention.    

Pork Chops with Peppery Maple Bourbon Sauce from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Idaho a la cARTe

2 – 1-1/2 inch thick pork loin chops

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

3 tablespoons bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace)

2 tablespoons good quality real maple syrup (I used Trader Joe’s Amber B Grade)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt and coarse ground black pepper and dust with flour. Add oil to pan and when shimmering, add chops. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until richly browned. In a small bowl whisk together  stock, bourbon and maple syrup. Move chops to the side and add liquid to the pan. Turn chops into liquid to coat both sides, reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 6 to 9 minutes or until chops are cooked. Remove chops from the pan and keep warm. Increase heat to medium high and reduce sauce slightly until it begins to thicken. Add cream and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over chops. Makes 2 servings. 

Two years ago - Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Caraway

Pork Paprikash

During my young and impressionable years (yes, I had them and no I'm not so old I can't remember), I thought paprika was something you dusted on deviled eggs to give them a little color. Thankfully, time and cooking experience have changed my tune somewhat.

I've learned that sweet, hot and smoked paprika can all be used in a variety of dishes and each have a distinctive flavor depending on where they're produced and what kind of pepper was used. In my opinion, Hungarian sweet paprika is in a class of its own and that's what went into the pork stew we enjoyed last night.

A take on a recipe in Food & Wine, I used chunks of pork shoulder rather than the tenderloin called for, the difference being a more tender result thanks to a longer cooking period. The porky flavor's further enhanced thanks to the addition of onions, green bell pepper and paprika and I used "cook's license" and included diced canned tomatoes and beef stock rather than chicken, because that's what I had on hand. 

Finished at the last minute with sour cream to thicken and enrich the sauce and served on buttered egg noodles greened up with a chopped fresh parsley, it's a meal fit for a hungry bunch fresh off the slopes, or as in our case, Big Guy after a day hiking Drift Creek National Wilderness Area.  

By the way, be sure to buy a good quality sweet paprika for this dish and take the time to cook it for a minute with the onions and peppers before returning the pork to the pot and adding liquids. The heat activates the subtle sweet flavor of the paprika. Also, for a true "Hungarian"  experience, try and brown the pork cubes in bacon fat instead of oil if you can because after all isn't everything better with bacon?

Pork Paprikash Adapted from Food & Wine

3 tablespoons bacon fat, divided

1-1/2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons flour

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, sliced thin

1 jumbo green pepper, sliced into thin strips

1-1/2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices

1-1/2 cups good quality low sodium beef stock

3/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Heat half the bacon fat in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season pork cubes liberally with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Brown in batches in hot fat until rich golden brown on all sides. Remove from pot and repeat until all pork is browned.

Add remaining bacon fat to pot and add onion and green pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper and paprika to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return pork to the pot along with tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven for 1-1/2 hours, removing cover after 1 hour to reduce sauce. Remove from oven when pork is very tender. Stir in sour cream. Serve over egg noodles. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - One Pot Spaghetti 

Two years ago -  Ravioli in Sherry Mushroom Alfredo

Three years ago - Leg of Lamb Provencal

Four years ago - Pork Medallions with Mushroom Madeira Sauce

Pork Chile Verde - A Lighter Version

We love our pork around here and it's no secret we're into Mexican food as well. While enchiladas, tamales and the like are out of the question at the moment, there's nothing wrong with a little Mexican flavored pork stew.

Big Guy was out on the cool not so high seas crabbing so I figured a spicy, comforting bowl of chile verde wouldn't be frowned upon - the only hitch being we're watching our carbs so that nixed the beer found in my original version (here). There were also a few items I didn't have on hand, like Anaheim peppers and fresh cilantro, but that didn't stop the process. I replaced the beer with extra chicken stock and used a whole jar of prepared salsa verde courtesy of Trader Joes. It had not a smidge of carbohydrates in it but be sure to check the label on the brand you buy before you commit.

I'm fairly certain if we were to compare the taste of the original with this one, we'd find a huge difference but honestly when you've been carb counting on Phase 1 of South Beach for nigh on 2 weeks, you tend not to be that particular.

Served with some shredded cabbage for added crunch and sans the usual pile of tortillas, I have to say the effort had our spoons doing the macarana. Just sayin'.   

Pork Chile Verde

1-1/2 pounds pork butt, shoulder or boneless country style ribs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 - 12 ounce jar salsa verde (I used Trader Joe's)

1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned (optional)

2 cups chicken stock

½ to 1 teaspoon honey

Cut pork in 1-1/2 inch cubes, removing all visable at. Season well with salt & pepper. Heat Dutch oven over medium high and add oil. When shimmering, add pork cubes and brown in batches, removing cubes to a bowl when browned. Remove all but 1 tablespoon accumulated fat from the pot. Add onions and green pepper and sauté until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes before adding oregano, cumin, coriander and bay leaf. Cook 2 more minutes. Add meat back to pan along with salsa, chicken stock and cilantro if using.  

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally or until pork is tender. Remove cover and simmer for additional 15 minutes until sauce is thickened and meat is very tender.  Adjust seasonings, and add honey to mellow out the heat. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Pumpkin Gingerbread Tiramisu

Stuffed Squash

We picked up a rather large squash  marked "Danish" during our weekend shopping trip but it looked like an acorn to me. Who was I to know they're one and the same but I guess I do now. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?

Anyway, it was the perfect size for stuffing so that's what I did following an Alton Brown recipe from foodnetwork.com. Loaded with ground pork, onion, celery and carrot along with cooked rice and chopped spinach too, the stuffing's rather like a meal on it's own. I followed his recipe almost to the letter but added more ground pork along with garlic to the mix, as well as a lot more dried oregano than called for. Oh, I substituted almonds for the pine nuts - have you seen the price of those little nubbins? 

It's a pretty good recipe that received rave reviews online but I wish I'd followed my instincts and roasted the squash before adding the stuffing because the flavor and texture would have been better. In my humble opinion, it's good but not great.

I've over half of the stuffing left and plan to fill a bunch of multi colored mini sweet peppers and bake them in a spicy creamy sauce so we'll see how that goes. You can be sure I'll let you know all about it in the near future.

Hit the link here and it'll take you directly to Alton's recipe. I'll re-post my revisions when I've done it all again.

 A year ago - Buttermilk Peach Pudding

A year ago - Italian Style Meat Sauce with Polenta

Two year's ago - Pork, Pork and Prunes

 

 

Savory Pork and Apple Pie

I know we've been here before so I won't go into details too much although this version is the best one ever. In case you're wondering what to do with leftover pork roast, look no farther.

       

As you can imagine, a 6 pound slow roasted pork shoulder (see link) for 2 people means there's an awful lot of leftovers but we're not complaining regardless of the fact we've been chowing down on it quite a bit over the last few days.

First time around, if you don't count the original, is a take on our favorite sandwich. We love Southern Illinois BBQ sandwiches but felt like we needed a bread break so simply had the skillet crisp meat slices with barbecue sauce on top of a big pile of mustardy coleslaw. Call it lunch or dinner, it's a blissful thing.   

Our second leftover feast involves this wonderful cross between a pie and a stew. I know we've bragged about it before but anything good is worth repeating so you'll find no apologies here. Just hit the link for the down and dirty on the other versions OK.

Last night's included pearl onions, carrot, potato, parsnip cooked briefly in a saute pan along with a little chicken stock and finished with leftover apple onion gravy from Saturday's roast. A glug or two of heavy cream, a splash of chicken stock, pinches of thyme and rosemary to freshen the seasoning, then cubed up roast and a peeled, cored and diced apple hit the pan. 

After a few more minutes of bubbling, I ladled the stew into a couple of ramekins and covered them with pre-baked pastry. Not too shabby looking is it?

If you're not inclined to whip up a little pastry for the topping, this would be equally delicious served in a bowl with biscuits on the side, or topped with mashed yams, turnips or sweet potatoes as a glammed up cottage pie. Check out a few more leftover ideals by hitting the INDEX on the right of your screen. 

Oh My, Another Savory Pork ‘n Apple Pie from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

Pastry for a single crust pie

1 carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 parsnip, peeled and diced

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup chicken stock

2 cups leftover roasted pork, cubed

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1-1/4 cups leftover onion/apple gravy

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out pastry and cut to fit individual ramekins. Decorate as you wish. Cut slashes in tops. Place onto ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Heat deep sauté pan over medium high. Add butter and when melted add pearl onions. Sauté until golden brown. Add carrots, potatoes, parsnip and chicken stock. Cook uncovered until vegetables are soft – about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat until bubbling and gravy is reduced to desired consistency. Ladle into individual ramekins and top with pre-baked pastry crust. Makes approximately 4 servings.

 

Pork Roast with Apple Onion Gravy

Lately we've been craving a good old fashioned pork roast. Normally when I'm thinking that way, a loin roast is on the menu mostly because it's the most common cut at least in this neck of the woods. The problem is pigs are being bred so darned lean these days and unless pork loin is brined before cooking, or chops too for that matter, chances are you'll be disappointed with dry and somewhat tasteless results. Afterall fat, particularly pork fat, equals flavor.

During yesterday's shopping trip, instead of sinking $20.00 of our dwindling food budget into a single 5 pound pork loin roast, we left our local store with 13 pounds of pork shoulder aka butt. Richly marbled with fat and therefore more flavor, it's the usual choice for serving pulled, braised, or ground for sausage. Most of our purchase ended up in the freezer suitably bagged for the aforementioned but we kept a lovely 6 pound roast out for curing the craving.

A little internet search turned up this lovely recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes, so hit the link and head right to it. Because we were too impatient to wait, the fennel seed, peppercorn, thyme, rosemary, and garlic rub hit the roast and said roast hit the oven on its bed of apples and onions without benefit of the required 24 hour hiatus in a refrigerator. That, plus the fact I used apple cider rather than white wine are the main changes I made to the preparation. 

Four hours later, the boned and tied roast was sliced and served with a combination of mashed sweet and russet potatoes slathered in an incredibly rich gravy. Oh, by the way, I neglected to sieve the gravy for a smoother texture, but no matter and I added a splash of cognac to round out the flavor, though applejack brandy would have been the choice of the day if I'd had any.

What a feast! Fork tender slices of moist  and tender pork with a sweet/savory/tart gravy not unlike pureed applesauce, it made "pigs" out of all of us. Yup indeed it did! 

 A year ago - Apple, Dried Fruit and Sausage Stuffing

Two year's ago - Asian Glazed Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad

Three year's ago - Turkey Burgers with Smoky Cheese Mayo

Make Your Own Breakfast Sausage

I know we're usually all about every day dinners but we happen to love our breakfasts too. We're getting by around here with 2 meals a day, at least we're trying to, so when we have breakfast we don't have lunch. Course heaven forbid we should have the same thing every day never mind that "light" just isn't in our vocabulary. I know, I hear ya!

Most all of our morning meals include some form of meat to satisfy the resident carnivore and there's only so much bacon and ham one can eat, at least that's my excuse.  To be honest, I had a yen to make some bulk sausage so a little research and five pounds of ground pork, a bunch of spices and very little time resulted in 2 different kinds and 6 tidy rolls of bulk sausage sitting pretty in the freezer.  

Maple Sage is my personal favorite and pretty much speaks for itself although I did add some poultry seasoning to the mix and a lot of coarse ground black pepper, along with salt, rubbed sage, minced onion and real maple syrup. As you know, Big Guy's into the spicy kind and with that in mind I threw in lots of red pepper flakes, freshly ground nutmeg, thyme, ginger, and paprika as well as salt and lots of black pepper.  The key to success in the sausage department is to make sure your meat is very cold, that it isn't too lean and be sure to mix the spices into cold water and incorporate them into the ground meat using your hands. Mix gently too!  Freeze the sausage in tubes wrapped air tight in plastic wrap and be sure to give them a few days to mellow out before you dig in. 

My first batch went into one of Big Guy's very favorites - biscuits with sausage and gravy and I'm telling you, spicy sausage in a creamy gravy on top of flakey buttermilk biscuits isn't a bad way to start the day Thank goodness Big Guy's working his way through a very long honey do list and yours truly's spending her days staining cedar shakes, because we've gotta' wear off the calories somehow.  Just sayin'.

The moral of the story ... give Jimmy Dean's the cold shoulder next time you're at the market and pick up some ground pork instead. Making your own sausage isn't rocket science and your tastebuds are going to thank you big time. 

Make Your Own Breakfast Sausage lfrom JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from letsmakesausage.com)

Maple Sage:

2-1/2 pounds ground pork, very cold

1/4 cup very cold water

1/4 cup real maple syrup (I used “B” Grade Dark)

1 teaspoon non-iodized salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 medium onion, finely minced

Place ground pork in a large mixing bowl. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Using your hands, mix thoroughly but gently to incorporate. Divide meat into 3 and shape into tubes. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a large zip top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

 

Spicy Breakfast Sausage:

2-1/2 pounds ground pork, very cold

1/2 cup very cold water

2 teaspoons non-iodized salt

2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less if you wish)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

Place ground pork in a large mixing bowl. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Using your hands, mix thoroughly but gently to incorporate. Divide meat into 3 and shape into tubes. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a large zip top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. 

A year ago  - Southern Spoon Rolls 

Two year's ago - Pina Colada Cupcakes

Four year's ago -  Perky Pea Salad

 

MMM Meatballs and More - Spicy Apple Glazed

I have to remind myself on occasion this blog is all about every day and while there have been times we have enjoyed flights of fancy, I'd like to think we mostly stick to our everyday roots. That being the case, there's really nothing fru-fru about meatballs. 

My resident carnivore's been craving meatballs which is a good thing because there's a ton of hamburger in the beef order we just acquired from Oregon Coast Cutters so I took two pounds of extra lean along with a pound of ground pork and with said carnivore's assistance, we whipped up over 4 dozen little bundles of flavor. 

I used a pretty basic recipe including whole wheat bread soaked in milk and eggs for moisture, as well as garlic, onion, salt, pepper and cayenne for just a touch of somethin' somethin'. I learned while I had my catering business that frying a huge number of meatballs can take up an incredible amount of the precious time never mind make a huge mess, so we slapped our beautious little balls on a couple of foil lined sheet pans and put 'em in a hot oven for 25 minutes. I mean, who cares if they come out a little flat on one side, or lacking in color. It's all about the sauce anyway, right?

Last night's sauce just happens to be a spicy apple one, and although it could be a simple glaze for some appetizer meatballs, I chose to make more so we could call it a main course along with some nice fluffy long grain white rice. Simply a mix of apple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar, it's spiced up with fresh minced ginger and a smidge of red pepper flakes, thickened with a cornstarch slurry, and brings some great sweet/sour flavor to the party.

Oh and should you be wondering what we're going to do with the rest of the meatballs, bagged and waiting in the freezer for just the right occasion - well, you could always do the old fashioned grape jelly/chile sauce thing or check out some of the other versions we've enjoyed from JBug's Kitchen.

    

Place meatballs inside dinner rolls with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and make super Meatballs Sliders (left), or add a beefy stroganoff sauce like this one on the right and you'll make your crew very, very happy!

  

How about some Greek flavors -  spice up your meatballs with a cinnamon, oregano tomato sauce (left). Served on a pile of grilled eggplant, your family will be transported to the sunny mediterranean, and speaking of sun, bring on the sunny smiles with the old standby Spaghetti and meatballs (right). They're guaranteed to please. 

Spicy Apple Glazed Meatballs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from myrecipes.com

Meatballs:

3 eggs

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork

Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil and set aside. In a large bowl beat eggs until light. Add milk and beat well to combine. Add breadcrumbs and stir to moisten, then add garlic, onion, salt, pepper and cayenne. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, and then mix in ground beef and ground pork. Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place onto sheet pans, without crowding. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Move to a fresh sheet pan and freeze, then place in zip bags for longer storage. 

Spicy Apple Sauce:

2 cups apple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Whisk together all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and clear. Lower heat to simmer and add 1/3 one third above meatball recipe and warm through. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Oven Fried Chicken

 

Pork Picadillo Mini Meat Pies

Last nights main course started out as empanadas and ended as mini meat pies. Who says you have to follow a recipe to the letter anyway.

This one's from Southern Living via myrecipes.com but I jazzed it up so much I just couldn't see the point in limiting the amount of meat filling to a mere speck of flavor in a little handpie so here you go. Muffin cup sized meat pies filled with ground pork, spiced up with mexican flavors and sweetened with golden raisins and crunchy almonds -  I mean what could be better?

To be perfectly truthful, I didn't feel much like standing at the counter fussing over the miniature version because my back was aching and hands cramping after spending a good part of the day staining individual cedar shakes that will be the siding on the house when we're finished. Lordy, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting us in to but on the other hand, it sure is going to look pretty when we're finished. 

Oh incidentally, our version of the pork picadillo has some "attitude" so be forwarned; however, they went beautifully with the gorgeous salad Big Guy whipped up while the meat pies were in the oven and I was sitting on my duff drinking wine and moaning. Nothing like a little teamwork in the kitchen!

Pork Picadillo Mini Meat Pies (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Southern Living via myrecipes.com)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground pork

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup salsa (I used Herdez salsa verde)

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup sour cream

1 16.3 ounce can refrigerated “grands” biscuits

Heavy cream & coarse salt

Heat oil in a skillet until shimmering. Crumble in pork and cook, stirring constantly until meat is no longer pink. Add jalapeno, chili powders, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cook stirring for another minute. Add raisins, salsa and lime juice. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and sour cream. Cool.

To prepare, preheat oven to 425. Spray 12 muffin cups lightly with cooking spray. Open biscuit tube and separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half to make 16 rounds. Roll each on a floured board to approximately 4 inch circle and place 12 dough circles into the muffin cups. Fill cups with cooled filling. Cut remaining 4 circles into decorative shapes and place on top of muffin cups. Brush lightly with cream and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is bubbling and dough is browned.  Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 12. (I used silicone muffin cups which made removal very easy)

 A year ago - Spicy Peanut Noodles with Ground Pork

Two year's ago - It's A Boy!  Happy Birthday Finnigan

Meatloaf with Fresh Herbs and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Thinking ahead to this week's menus I knew I had to make something that could be recycled a few times. There's a lot going on this week not the least of which is the construction on the house, plus we've friends coming for the weekend and to top it off, I'm working. I'm not sure how I managed it all before "we" retired. LOL

Last night's meatloaf was JBug "just wingin' it" including a combination of extremely lean ground beef and ground pork, mixed with panko crumbs, sauteed onion,  thinly sliced green onions, garlic, sweet paprika, parsley, basil and sun dried tomatoes just about sums it up except that sour cream, some leftover romesco sauce and 3 eggs helped moisten it all up. A little over an hour in the oven, 10 minutes to rest while the veggies grilled and dinner was on.

So what did we think? Well, Big Guy will eat almost anything, especially any kind of meat and he liked this with a slather of horseradish and a side of ketchup, but yours truly thought the end result was a little flat and kinda' dry. To be honest, I try not to make meatloaf or meatballs with super lean meat because it lacks the flavor and moisture only fat can provide. I'd make this meatloaf again using 80-20 ground beef and next time I'd be inclined to add a little feta cheese and some worcestershire for added punch. Just sayin'. 

Meatloaf with Fresh Herbs and Sundried Tomatoes (an original from JBug’s kitchen Antics)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef (80/20 preferred)

1 pound ground pork

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Salt and course ground black pepper

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups panko crumbs

1 cup sliced green onions, white and green part

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup romesco sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes

Note - you may wish to add some crumbled feta, and a good splash of worchestshire sauce for added punch)

Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté onions until transparent. Cool. Combine remaining ingredients with cooled onions, mixing gently with your hands until just incorporated. Place on a sheet pan and form into a loaf. Bake at 350 for 60 to 65 minutes or until interior temperature reads 160. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  

One year ago - Cauliflower and Green Chile Gratin

Two year's ago - Chili Dog  Perfection

 

 

Celebrating Mexican Style

We entertained friends for dinner last night and drew upon our years in Tucson for a menu loaded with some of our favorite Mexican dishes. Good thing too because not only did we celebrate the fabulous flavors from our sunny neighbors south of the border but we had other reasons to toast our collective good fortunes. 

Now you know my theory on having a stress free dinner party is to go with what you know as far as the menu goes. It wasn't always that way in JBug's Kitchen as I was known to maximize stress by trying out a ton of new recipes on unsuspecting guests and thereby making the whole event a total nail biter in the "success" department ; however, I'm getting a lot smarter in my old age..at least I think I am.

The menu consisted of Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas - a take on the coulda' been meatless ones we made way back in 2011. This time they really were meatless. As a first course, I figured their sweet spicy heat would set the tastebuds up just fine for the main event; afterall, it's kinda' hard to go wrong with roasted sweet potatoes and black beans in combination with the subtle heat from green chile. All wrapped up in a corn tortilla and blanketed in red chile sauce, they're a super way to whet your appetite. 

Second course was Pork Chile Verde, a flavor packed pork stew gussied up with Anaheim peppers, onions, green bell pepper, garlic and beer.

Served with a platter of "withs" including shredded cabbage, sweet onions, tomatoes, assorted salsas and a dollop of sour cream, it's a party in a bowl and perfect food for entertaining because once the pot's in the oven, the cook can relax. 

For dessert, we enjoyed a repeat of the Peach and Raspberry Pie from a few weeks ago accompanied by an unbelievable roasted strawberry sherbet brought to the party by Sharron and Jim.  With an intense berry flavor and rich creamy mouth feel, I can't wait to make a batch of it from some of the Oregon strawberries hiding in our freezer.

 

Speaking of Sharron and Jim, they're an example of the wonderful things that can happen when you least expect it. They were part of a group of friends in highschool and went their separate ways, both raising families and enjoying successful careers, one in the east and one west. They've recently reconnected and I think we can just let the pictures speak for themselves, don't you? Talk about a happy couple!

 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas (from JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from Karina’s Kitchen, Recipes from a Gluten free Goddess)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used spicy)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups roasted diced sweet potato

1/2 cup chopped green chiles

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 -1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

12 small corn tortillas

3 tablespoons canola oil

1-1/2 cups prepared red chile sauce (I used Herdez Roasted Pasilla Chile Mexican Cooking Sauce)

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add cumin, chili powder and cook for additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove onion mixture to a bowl and add sweet potatoes, chiles, cilantro and black beans. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.

Place oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium low heat. Warm tortillas briefly until pliable. Lay tortillas flat on work surface and place approximately half a cup of filling along one edge. Top with some of the grated cheese. Roll tortilla into a cylinder and place seam side down into prepared casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Casserole may be refrigerated at this point to be reheated later. Pour chile sauce over filled tortillas and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until enchiladas are hot and sauce is bubbling. Serve with sour cream and additional salsa if desired. – Serves 4 to 6.

Pork Chile Verde a favorite from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

2 pounds pork butt, shoulder or boneless country style ribs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Flour for dredging

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 Anaheim chiles, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 cup salsa verde

1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned & chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 bottle (12 oz) beer (I use Modelo)

½ to 1 teaspoon honey

Cut pork in 1-1/2 inch cubes. Season well with salt & pepper. Dredge in flour and brown in hot dutch oven. Do not crowd the pan. Remove from pan. Add onions and green pepper and sauté until onion is soft. Add Anaheim chiles and garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, coriander and bay leaf. Cook 2 more minutes. Add meat back to pan, then add salsa verde, cilantro, chicken stock and beer.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover, and simmer for additional 30 minutes, or until sauce is thickened and meat is very tender.  Adjust seasonings, and add honey to mellow out the heat. 

Two year's ago - Chicken in Wine Sauce 

Braised Two Pepper Pork

Imagine chunks of pork butt or "blade" as they're calling it now, slowly braised in white wine and chicken stock with the added punch of anaheim and green bell peppers, lots of onions and garlic and lovely cumin too. Add capers for saltiness, yams for sweetness, red wine vinegar for a touch of the sour and cilantro as a final kiss of flavor and I guarantee the end result will knock your socks off. Oh, we can't forget about the beans either. 

One of Big Guy's favorites, this pork 'n pepper combination is also known as Santa Fe Pork Stew and we have Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso and the New Basics Cookbook to thank for it. Personally, we've thanked them for their ingenuity every one of the many times we've enjoyed this pot of deliciousness and we'll be thanking our lucky stars again because it's a definite "classic" in our books. Perfect for a relaxed Sunday dinner at the beach. If you haven't already tried it, you've got to give it a go because believe me there's a lot more to "stew" than the usual beef version.   

Oh, in case you're wondering what Big Guy's doing on his first official day of retirement - well, he's off buying a lawnmower and a chainsaw. He's not about to let any grass grow under his feet! (Punny isn't she?) 

Santa Fe Pork Stew (by JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from The New Basics Cookbook) 

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

Flour for dredging

2 medium onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 anaheim peppers, seeded, ribs removed and diced

2 sweet potatoes (1-1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1-1/2 cups dry white wine

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

6 cloves of garlic, minced (divided)

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained (divided)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (divided)

1 can black beans or pinto beans, drained, rinsed and drained again

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350. In large dutch oven with lid heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Dredge pork shoulder in flour and sauté in batches until pork is well browned. Remove from pot and set aside.

In same pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add chopped onions, green bell pepper , Anaheim peppers and half the garlic (3 cloves, minced). Cook until vegetables are soft. Add one tablespoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Return browned pork to pan, add 2 tablespoons capers, sweet potatoes, white wine, chicken stock, red wine vinegar and Italian parsley. Bring to a boil then cover and place in the oven for 1-1/2 hours.

After 1-1/2 hours, remove cover from pot and add remaining 1 tablespoon of capers, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon black pepper and black beans. Return to oven and cook uncovered for additional 25 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Fold in cilantro, being careful not to break up potatoes. Serves 6.

 

Oven Roasted Pulled Pork - I dare ya'

Self said to me the other day - "I dare you to be different". Needless to say I took up the challenge. Cooking for one can be an absolute pain in the hiney and while I was used to it for the many moons before I married Big Guy in 2000, the past 13 years have me a trifle out of practice.

Consequently I put my thinking cap on earlier in the week and decided to cook up a batch of oven roasted pulled pork just to see how many different ways I could use it. I mean leftover leftovers are fine and dandy once or twice, but too much of a good thing is - well, it's just a little too much.  

You know we've used the stuff a myriad of ways in the past so I have to admit it was a challenge thinking of something different.

Individual Pork Pies        Red Neck Egg Rolls            Deep Dish Pizza

    


Of course there's always the lowly potato. After all, it is the perfect vehicle for all things wonderful, don't ya' think? 

Whether mashed, smashed, baked or fried - you'll never hear a complaint out of me. I coudn't repeat a shredded pork stuffed baked potato because we've already gone there. We've also done pork piled high on top of crisped up smashed potatoes and heck, personally I've even tried potato skins that way because you all know by now how much I love me my 'taters.  So listen, are you wondering where I'm going with all this? 

How about this one from earlier in the week; pulled pork in a bed of crisp golden fries smothered in cheddar and creamy melted Velveeta ...are ya with me?

Or last night's effort including a mess 'a Mrs. T's cheese and potato perogies and crisped up pork with barbecue sauce? 

As for tonight - well, I think maybe a nice crisp salad is in order. I'm kinda' all porked out.

A year ago - Flatbread with Lamb Sausage and Basil Mint Aoili

Two year's ago - Curried Lamb Samosa Pie

There's A Big Difference

I'm here to tell you my extended vacation is almost over and I'd be an idiot not to apologize for the amount of time it's taken me to get back on the cookin' track. I'll also confess that over the past few months the kitchens of the Salty Dawg, Carol's, China Restaurant, Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine have had a heck of a lot more action than JBug's has. What can I say except "my bad" - oh that and the fact Big Guy's still working through his notice period in Tucson so the incentive's been missing somewhat. 

The move has gone relatively well and the few snafu's incurred along the way are becoming distant memories - except for some very important lessons learned of course but I'll save those to tell you all another time. I will though share with you something utterly profoud...there's a huge difference between the desert and the Oregon coast and please don't roll your eyes and say "ya, well" like Big Guy will when he reads this, OK?

For example, the view from our back yard in Tucson kinda' ended rather abruptly, don't ya' think?

This one - well, it goes on and on to what seems like infinity and also proves one hundred percent that somewhere over the rainbow, skies ARE blue...very, very blue...yup, they really are but let's keep that our little secret OK. I mean, all the people that complain that all it ever does is rain on the Oregon coast can just keep on believing it if they so choose, but it's not really true at least not that I've noticed. Course I could be wearing blinders because I'm just so darned happy to be here. It is amazingly beautiful!

Oh, more about differences - there's also a big difference between a powerful gas range like the one I had before and the electric number I've got now. I mean the oven takes a minumum 30 minutes to heat up and cooking on a smooth top range means I've been chasing my pots around on it with a spoon - not that I can brag about having that much experience mind you. Of course on the other hand, I have a feeling the new electric range will be much easier on said pots since the gas one burned through a few of 'em but I guess I didn't tell you about that now did I.

Oh, another thing just so you know, Big Guy's here for a week so he's enjoying my kitchen antics including but not limited to yesterday's burnt pancakes. Nothing like a little more honesty is there...(sorry there will be no pictures).  

Larger surface area equals less liquid and more intense flavors

Now, I guess I'd best tell you about another big difference and that's the one that occurs when you make a favorite bean/pork country rib braise in a smaller deeper cast iron Dutch oven, a change from the usual large shallower oval Dutch oven.  The bigger bottom surface of the oval pot means the liquid evaporates more and the flavor intensifies, although I'm not quite sure what I would have done with "more intense flavor" now that I think of it. 

Other than changing the pots I used because my favorite larger shallower oval Dutch oven is still in Tucson and I'm not, I also switched the pepper jelly to a green version from the red one called for in the recipe because red's not a popular version in this neck of the woods. Oh, I also added some chopped jalapeno's to the mix just in case the whole thing was missing a little zing. As you can see, Big Guy's dish on the left included extra red chile peppers for even more added heat while my version on the right required sour cream to cool the assault to my tastebuds.  

 And the moral of the story is, you ask? Well, sometimes differences aren't such a bad thing after all, because it really matters not what pot you use just as long as you enjoy the results. Right? OK...it's lame I know but I'm outa' practice. 

A year ago - Nacho's

Two year's ago - Beer Braised Short Ribs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down Home Cookin'

I'm giving you fair warning people. Unfortunately this will be the last post for a little while, at least until we get to Oregon, hook up to internet service and most importantly, once we have a kitchen to cook in. From what I hear, the renovation's running a tad behind through no fault of the contractor I might add. He's been a true gem, and he's had a lot of unexpected issues to deal with. Buying a 40 year old house is kinda' like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna' get.

Because I won't be cooking for Big Guy for a while, I thought I'd make last night's dinner memorable for him so it included all the things near and dear to us - roasted brussels sprout, mashed potatoes, lovely nutty parsnip and more importantly fried pork chops with country gravy. You know the kind of gravy I mean, don't ya. The one that can be whipped up in mere minutes and tastes great with fried chicken, or smothering some nice flakey biscuits. In fact, if I'd had a pan to cook'em in, we would have had those biscuits too.

Anyway, I can't give you recipes for last night's dinner because it's all off the cuff, so I'll just tell you what I did, OK? The chops were lovely three quarter inch bone in beauties that I coated in flour seasoned with a little sage, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper then fried in a hot pan in a smidge of butter. Ten minutes did the trick for the chops, then I kept them warm in the oven while I whipped up the gravy. A little more butter in the same pan, chopped onion sauteed until translucent, followed by a couple tablespoons of the seasoned flour made a nice thick roux. About a cup and a half of milk along with a package of chicken Flavor Boost (I know, I love the stuff so it's used a lot around here), a splash of water and a little more time on the element to bubble and dinner was ready. 

Big Guy's comments "it was good comfort food...just the way we like it". 

A year ago - Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

Two year's ago - Thai Chicken Curry

Three year's ago -  Dutch Baby Pancakes 

Mozzarella Stuffed Beef and Sausage Meatloaf

Thanks go to Epicurious.com and Armandino Batali (Mario's Dad) for this beauty, although I'll admit to using cook's license and making a few adjustments. So sue me. 

If you're looking for something different to make in the meatloaf department, this one's a real keeper. I used spicy Italian sausage rather than sweet, and once again divided the recipe in half so we're not eating it indefinitely, but otherwise I almost followed the recipe as is. It's loaded with garlic, fresh basil, chopped onion and sun dried tomatoes ...if it sounds like too much fuss for you, just throw it all in the mini chopper attachment for your immersion blender like I did and the job's done in no time. Oh, rather than shredding the mozzarella, I cut it into chunks and stuffed it in the center of the loaf before rolling it up like a jelly roll. 

The end result is a moist basil filled celebration of all that's fabulous about Italian flavors. Delicious with smashed potatoes and a large green salad, just wait until you see what we're doing with the leftovers. 

Mozzarella Stuffed Beef and Sausage Meatloaf (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Epicurious.com)

1.25 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (I used spicy)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes

1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cut into half inch sticks

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the mozzarella until well mixed. Pat out onto a sheet of foil or parchment paper as you would if you were making a jelly roll. Lay a layer of mozzarella down the center of the loaf and using the foil, fold the meat up over to meet in the center, covering the cheese. Press loaf together to seal the seam and turn over so seem is down. Transfer loaf using the foil to a sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until loaf is cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

A year ago -  Creamy Onion Horseradish Sauce

Two year's ago - Crispy Orange Beef

Three year's ago - Tamale Pie

Pork Pot Pie

Remember the cranberry glazed pork loin roast we had a week or so ago? Well the frozen leftovers morphed into a memorable pot pie for last night's dinner and with no apologies to a chicken. After all, pork is the other white meat, right? 

I simply browned cubes of it quickly in a hot pan, deglazed said pan with a touch of sherry and added the flavorful morsels to a dish filled with sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms, pearl onions and chunks of carrot. Spiced up with herbs and swimming in a sherry and cream enriched gravy, then covered with a layer of pastry, the end result looked like this.

Delicious, you bet. Afterall, it's hard to go wrong with flakey pastry and gravy, isn't it. The only thing I gotta' say is next time I'm packing up kitchen essentials for a temporary residence, I'll remember to pack a casserole dish or two never mind a rolling pin. This little brownie pan's getting a tremendous amount of use. 

 Leftover Pork Pot Pie (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Kiira Hall) 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup quartered crimini mushrooms

1/2 12 ounce package frozen pearl onions, defrosted

1 cup peeled carrot chunks

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled sage

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Montreal grill seasoning

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 package chicken concentrate (like Swanson’s Flavor Boost)

1/4 cup sherry, divided

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups cubed pork loin roast

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Pastry for single crust pie

 Preheat oven to 425. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat and add onion, garlic, mushrooms and pearl onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally until chopped onions have softened and mushrooms start to brown. Meanwhile, partially cook carrots in microwave until tender crisp and add to casserole dish. Add sage, poultry seasoning and grill seasoning to sauté pan and sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons sherry along with chicken stock and concentrate as well as sage, poultry seasoning and grill seasoning. Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Add heavy cream and set aside.  Heat another sauté pan over medium high heat and add butter. When butter is melted and starting to turn golden, add pork loin cubes. Brown cubes on all sides. Deglaze pan with sherry, and place pork and pan juices in casserole dish. Pour vegetables and gravy over top. Top with pastry and decorate as you wish. Be sure to cut holes in pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is browned. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Grilled Shrimp with Basil and Proscuitto 

Two year's ago - Poppers in a Blanket

Three year's ago - Chocolate Chip Cranberry Nut Cookies

Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin Roast

When you're thinking about doing something special for dinner you might want to consider a pork loin roast. Impressive and relatively low maintenance, it's the perfect solution for dinner on a cold winter night or anytime for that matter.

Our local Sprouts had pork loin roast on sale yesterday and honestly, I couldn't pass it up. I whipped up a quick brine and let the little 4 pound beauty soak all day before it hit the oven. While it roasted away, I whipped up a sauce that included green onions sauteed in butter followed by orange juice, cranberry sauce, chicken stock and a touch of apple cider vinegar. A quarter cup of the reserved sauce mixed with an equal amount of tangerine/kumquat marmalade worked as a glaze on the roast during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Removed from the oven, it looked and smelled amazing and after a brief resting period, thinly sliced and slathered in more sauce, it was incredible. Moist, tender, perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, the brining really is the key to a moist and flavor filled plate of awesomeness.  Like a little sauce with your meat? How about fluffy creamy mashed spuds? Ya, that's what I thought!

Brined and Glazed Cranberry Pork Loin Roast

Recipe adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks by Rebecca Woods 

3-1/2 to 4 pound boneless rolled pork loin roast

Brine:

4 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

6 cups ice cubes

Bring water, sugar, salt, bay leaves and peppercorns to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat and add ice cubes, stirring until they’re melted and the mixture is cooled. Place roast into a container big enough to hold the brine and roast or a zip top bag. Refrigerate covered for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight if you can.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove roast from brine and dry well with a paper towel. Discard brine. Place roast into a roasting pan and sprinkle liberally with coarse ground black pepper. Roast uncovered in the middle of the oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce:

Sauce/Glaze:

½ cup chopped green onions, tops included

4 Tablespoons butter, divided

¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 bay leaf

1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

½ cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup orange marmalade

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in skillet over medium high heat. Sauté green onion in the butter for 1 minute. Add orange juice and bay leaf and stir constantly for 4 minutes. Add chicken broth, cranberry sauce, cider and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens – about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and stir in pepper and remaining butter. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Remove 1/4 cup of mixture and pour into a small bowl. Cover the remaining sauce and hold.

To cranberry sauce in the small bowl, add marmalade and whisk well to blend.

After pork has roasted for 1 hour, brush cranberry marmalade glaze over the meat. Return roast to oven and bake an additional 45 minutes or until thermometer inserted into middle of roast reads 160 F. Remove roast from oven and let stand 15 minutes before slicing. Serve sliced pork with reserved sauce.

A year ago -Pastitsio 

Two year's ago - Pizza Soup

 

Three year's ago - Fried Catfish and Hushpuppies

Ramped Up Toad In the Hole

We can thank Martha for this one and talk about tasty. Of course she called it what it is - sausage and tomatoes in a savory pudding but for those of us who happen to love Yorkshire Pudding, we know it's just exactly that but on steroids. Hey, it might not look pretty and certainly not as gorgeous as Martha's, but along with a salad it made for a rather lovely dinner. 

I used fresh Bratwurst sausages all browned up nice along with some green onions and joined in the pan by a handful of cherry tomatoes, the whole thing's covered up in a blanket of pudding mix that's simply flour, milk, eggs, salt and a touch of melted butter, or olive oil in my case. 

Thirty minutes in a hot oven and it comes out puffy, glistening and smelling absolutely delicious. Give it a try and I'll bet you'll be amazed. I just have a few hints for you - a 10 inch cast iron frying pan is a must and for a successful rise to your yorkie pud, I've found it best to whiz the mixture together about an hour before I need it and let it sit on the counter getting happy. Don't ask me why, it just works best that way. Oh, one more thing - add the tomatoes after you've poured in the pudding because that way they'll stay where you put 'em. I didn't do that so they kinda' floated around a bit. 

Hit the link and head to Martha for the recipe. It's not that I'm lazy or anything. I just have a few fires to put out this morning. TTFN (ta,ta for now). 

A year ago - Leftover Prime Rib Taco Salad

Two year's ago - Nantucket Cranberry Pie with Tangerine Ice Cream

 

Individual Pulled Pork Pies

The oven barbecued pulled pork we cooked on Sunday has been a real blessing this week. All the packing along with what Big Guy calls "stupid pills" has resulted in a hitch in my getalong and I've been unable to spend a lot of time on my feet the last couple of days without significant back pain. 

The three plus pound pork shoulder has really come in handy and produced some quick and delicious dinner solutions including but not limited to last night's pulled pork pies.

I simply warmed the pulled pork in the microwave slightly so it made it easier to handle and added more barbecue sauce to give it a better consistency. A scoop of pork placed on a rectangle made from the Dough Boy's crescent rolls (Pillsbury) along with thin slivers of red onion and a palm full of grated Mozzarella cheese made up the pies' innards. Coated in an egg wash, the bundles hit a 425 oven for 15 minutes while I concocted the salad and dinner was on the table. Yumm - you betcha!  Here's a few other fabulous things we've made before too ...

     

       Served in a baked potato                   In an ooey gooey Deepdish Pizza

     

          Red Neck Eggrolls                               On A Smashed Potato  

Now, about today - you can count on the fact I will not be packing boxes, lifting anything more than a cup of tea and I'm sorry to say, I won't be spending much time in the kitchen either. There is a lesson in all of this that I may or may not have learned...if you're moving and already have a bad back to begin with, hire the packing done. For darn sure it'll be a lot cheaper than the surgery you're setting yourself up for. Just sayin!

 

Peanut Sesame Noodles with "RedNeck" Egg Rolls

Who says pulled pork is only good for sandwiches?  As promised, here's the second example of what can be done with yesterday's Oven BBQ Pulled Pork. I can't take credit for someone else's ingenuity since we first saw this on D,D & D but I swear I'll be making them so often I'll be able to call them my own. Delicious morsels they are!

A little internet research and here's the result thanks to the Neely's. SImply leftover pulled pork, warmed briefly and jazzed up with a touch more barbecue sauce, cozied up along with some leftover spicy slaw in a purchased eggroll wrapper. Rolled and deep fried for a few minutes, it's the kind of kitchen miracle that makes one wonder why it wasn't thought of before.  Big Guy named these beauties although I'm not quite sure what defines a "redneck" so (don't laugh, OK) I had to look it up.

According to the site, BSorNot, "...a redneck is a stereotypical southern United States socially conservative, fiscally liberal, rural, working class white person with northern European ancestry." Of course Big Guy proudly attests to being one; however, the site contains a more involved description that you may or may not want to check out. Personally I'm not sure that man of mine qualifies since we don't live in a trailer, he doesn't drive a truck, no longer owns a stained sleeveless t-shirt and he lost the mullet (literally). Hold on a minute here because ya' gotta give me time to recover from my laughing jag!

Anyway, we had our egg rolls with some sweet spicy chile sauce for dipping and a bowl of Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles courtesy of epicurious.com. Hit the link for the recipe, OK - I changed very little, except that I used Annie Chun's Chow Mein noodles, added srirachi instead of red pepper flakes and left out the toasted sesame seeds.

A year ago - Pork Chops with Golden Apple Sauce

Two year's ago - Chicken Cutlets with Romesco

Three year's ago -  JBug's Baked Eggs

 

 

Oven BBQ Pulled Pork

Another one pot meal inspired by the Neely's of Foodnetwork fame, last night's dinner is the start of what I'm hoping will be 3 great meals for two hungry people.

A 3.5 pound pork shoulder roast seasoned with lots of salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika hit a Dutch oven along with a sliced onion, a few cloves of garlic and a bottle of hard cider (I used Woodchuck amber) along with purchased barbecue sauce spiced up with hot sauce, worcestershire and soy. Covered and left to its own devices for nigh on 3 hours, the cook took the liberty of adding a good half cup of Apple Jack brandy during the last half hour of cooking just because it's in the cupboard and needed using up. 

So how good was it? The pork fell apart before Big Guy even had a chance to hit it with two forks and when the shredded pieces returned to the sauce waiting in the pot...well you can just imagine.

Thinking a little outside the box, we enjoyed our pork on a bed of baked, smashed potatoes topped with a scoop of Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw - also thanks to the Neely's. I mean who says pulled pork can only be served in a sandwich right?  Hit the link for the slaw but please note - I used packaged coleslaw mix and cut the sugar in the recipe to 1/3 cup. One whole cup seemed a little excessive to me. I also used a combination of yellow mustard and Dijon.

I made enough changes to the pork recipe, I've taken the liberty of printing my version below. Surely it's enough to get your mouth watering, but just wait and see what we have planned for the rest of it! You're going to be impressed, I guarantee it.  

Oven BBQ Pulled Pork (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by the Neely’s  at Foodnetwork.com))

Cooking spray

3.5 pound pork shoulder roast or Boston butt

Kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup purchased BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 10 oz. bottle hard cider (I used Woodchuk Amber)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Optional - 1/2 cup apple brandy (I used Applejack)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray inside of Dutch oven with cooking spray to help with clean up. If pork roast is tied, cut strings off and discard. Season all sides of roast well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika, rubbing seasoning into meat. Place into Dutch oven along with onion and garlic. In a small bowl mix together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, hard cider, hot sauce, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Pour over and around roast. Cover roast and place into oven for 3 hours until pull apart tender. If using apple brandy, add during last half hour of cooking time.

Remove roast from pot and allow to sit briefly, then using 2 forks shred meat. Return meat to sauce in Dutch oven and stir well to combine. 

A year ago - Chicken and Veggie Stew with Dumplings

Two year's ago - New England Style Clam Chowder

Three year's ago - Lamb Ragu Over Vegetables

Hash Brown Casserole

We were out last night to a neighbor's surprise birthday party so there t'wasn't nuthin' cookin' last night in our kitchen. It's rather a good thing too since 16 plus boxes will testify to the fact the kitchen's almost packed up.  There's just another couple or maybe five boxes left which begs an answer to the question - "what the heck do I need all those dishes for anyway, never mind 2 sets of pots, enough cast iron to sink a battleship and wine glasses and champagne flutes for 16 people"...really, when is enough a enough?

What we're eating between now and moving day remains to be seen never mind tasted but one thing I can brag about is this Hash Brown Casserole we had on Christmas morning.

A Paula Deen recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com, I'll admit to cutting the recipe in half, then further cutting down on butter and cheese. I did however, leave the full pound of sausage in the mix to satisfy our resident carnivore and exchanged some of the cheddar for Velveeta for a creamier ooey gooey texture.

The other thing I'll admit to is that I made it a day in advance and stored it (unbaked) in the refrigerator so in that respect it's much like every other breakfast strata slash casserole we have enjoyed on this site before.  

Savory Croissant Bread Pudding   Sausage, Pepper, Spinach Torta  Easy Breakfast Casserole

     

The thing that makes this one different from all the others is (duh) the hash browns. They create a hearty layer of yummy goodness next to the sausage and the creamy cheesy savory bread pudding making up the rest of the casserole.

Garnished with salsa and spiced with extra hot sauce, we quite enjoyed this little number. Next time you need to come up with breakfast for a crowd, be sure to put this one on your list. I doubt you'll be disappointed. Hit the link here and head directly to the source for the recipe.

A year ago - Pan Fried Tilapia with Romesco Sauce 

Two year's ago - Chocolate Gelato

Three year's ago - Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

 

Apple Bourbon Country Style Pork Ribs

OK, so here's the thing. This recipe is meant to be made in a slow cooker but you all know how I feel about the contraptions; however, if you really must use one, go ahead but I'm giving you fair warning. You're not going to get the color, consistency or the flavor that we had by using a Dutch oven. So there!

Discovered on Better Homes and Garden's website, this recipe is a cinch to make - country style pork ribs, preferably bone in for more flavor slow braised in a kinda' sweet, kinda' tart oh so easy bourbon boosted sauce. I mean really, what's not to like!

Needless to say, I changed up the recipe somewhat because that's a cook's prerogative. I seasoned the ribs, coated 'em in a dusting of cornstarch and browned them till golden before adding the sauce. They hit a 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours, then were topped with apples and returned to the oven for another half hour. Quite honestly, they were fall apart delicious. The apples caramelized in all the sugary goodness and turned into transparent little flavor bombs, and the sauce - well you're looking at it so you can well imagine, right?

The only thing I gotta' admit is while delicious, they weren't quite perfect which means a second go round in the not to distant future. (ah darn) Next time I'll add some garlic to the mix and maybe a little fresh ginger too, although Big Guy suggested some smoked chipotle chile powder as his favorite flavor booster. He would, wouldn't he?

Incidentally, I peeled the apples (Granny Smith and Braeburn) but you can leave 'em peel on if you prefer, and don't be using expensive fabulous smooth and wonderful bourbon for this, OK? I used what we call cookin' bourbon in this house - Maker's Mark to be exact but Jack Daniel's or Buffalo Trace would be fine too.  Just sayin'. 

Apple Bourbon Country Style Pork Ribs (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds country style ribs, bone in (about 4 large)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup apple jelly

3/4 cup bourbon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (I used Granny Smith and Braeburn)

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high. Meanwhile season ribs well on both sides with salt and pepper and dust with cornstarch. Cook on both sides in batches without crowding pan until richly browned in color. Arrange ribs in single layer in Dutch oven when all are browned. In a small bowl, whisk together apple jelly, bourbon, brown sugar, vinegar and thyme. Pour over ribs, cover and place in a preheated 350 oven. Bake for 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven and cover with apple wedges. Return to oven and cook for additional half hour. Serve with rice or noodles. Makes 4 servings.

 

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Sweet Spicy Country Style Pork Ribs and Beans

Pork au Vin

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Skillet Lasagna

When Big Guy and yours truly were in Oregon last weekend on a house hunting mission, there was no question we had to see our friend Lorraine from Figs & Artichokes fame. Being a consummate foodie and "sista' from anotha' motha'" that she is, we love spending time with her and her family.

Being much more in the Christmas spirit than anyone here in JBug's Kitchen, she thoughtfully gifted us with the Oregonian Cookbook, Best Recipes from FoodDay by Katherine Miller. A fabulous book loaded with incredible things, I've read it twice cover to cover and can't wait to make every single dish in it.

The adventure began last night with this Skillet Lasagna. A very fast, incredibly flavorful combination of all the things that make traditional lasagna so delicious, this version includes sauteed Italian sausage, red peppers, lots of garlic and jarred marinara sauce. Lasagna noodles are broken into the mixture and simmered for a mere 20 minutes until they're perfectly cooked then topped with lots of cheese and dabs of ricotta.  

Naturally I made a few subtle changes by using hot Italian sausage, more garlic, finely chopped onion and dried Italian seasoning in place of fresh basil because it is the middle of winter after all and who on earth wants to spend the fortune they're currently asking for the fresh stuff. 

The verdict?  Delicious, soul satisfying flavor with oeey gooey cheesy goodness that tastes just like traditional lasagna but without all the fuss and bother. You absolutely HAVE to make this one never mind the next time you're at the grocery store, promise me you'll thumb your nose when you go by the aisle that holds the packaged ground beef "helper" kinda' boxes many of us have seen advertised but of course never admit to using ourselves. Rest assured after you've tried this recipe, you won't be buying it ever again. From my lips to your ear...well, uh, you know what I mean!

Skillet Lasagna (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Oregonian Cookbook)

1 pound Italian sausage (I used hot)

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

8 curly edged lasagna noodles broken into 2 inch pieces (do not use no boil noodles)

1 – 24 ounce jar Marinara sauce (I used Bertolli)

2 cups water

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

In a deep 12 inch skillet with a cover, sauté Italian sausage until no longer pink, crumbling sausage with a fork as it cooks. Add red pepper, onion and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and a half teaspoon of salt and coarse ground black pepper. Add lasagna noodles, marinara sauce and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to a hard simmer. Cover pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If mixture becomes too dry add a little more water. When noodles are cooked, sprinkle half the mozzarella on top. Dot with spoonful’s of ricotta and finish with the rest of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Remove pan from heat, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes so cheese melts. Serves 6. 

A year ago -  Salmon with Crispy Horseradish Crust

Two year's ago -  Honey Baked Chicken Drumsticks