Mangia Monday!

"Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0."
-Sophia Bush

Hello! Sorry for the lull lately - I have been VERY busy! I hope you are doing well!
When I am busy, some things tend to suffer and one those things is cooking meals! It is so much easier to go out or pick up take-out, however that gets old REALLY fast.

I am lucky, our local grocery store publishes a magazine several times a year and it always has wonderful recipes. The following recipe has been published in their magazine a couple of times and the following is one of our favorites. Enjoy!

"No man is lonely eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention."
-Christopher Morley


Italian Pork Chops w/ Roasted Potatoes & Rappi
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 large eggs, whisked until foamy
* 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
* 2 pkgs (about 1 lb each) boneless thin-sliced pork chops
* Sea Salt and cracked pepper
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 3/4 cup marianra sauce, warmed (your choice)

Directions:

1.) Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.
2.) Blend cheese into bread crumbs.
3.) Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
4.) Coat each cutlet with flour.
5.) Dip each cutlet in egg until well-coated & then cover with bread crumbs.
6.) Heat oil in pan on medium-high, 1-2 min.
7.) Add 3 chops at a time to the pan.
8.) Cook about 2 1/2 min, until edges turn golden-brown.
9.) Turn over; cook about 2 min, until internal temp reaches 145 degrees.
10.) Drain on paper towels.
11.) Repeat with rest of pork.
12.) Transfer to serving platter & cover to keep warm.


Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 Lbs. fingerling potatoes, larger ones halved lengthwise
* 4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* Sea Salt
* Fresh cracked black pepper
* 4 Tbs. rosemary

Equipment Needed:

* Baking Sheet

Directions:

1.)Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Toss potatoes and garlic with olive oil in a large bowl.
3.) Season with salt, pepper & rosemary.
4.) Roast 25-30 min in oven, until potatoes are tender & light brown.


Cooked Rappi:

Ingredients:

* 6 cups water
* 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp)
* 1 Tbsp salt
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 12 oz Rappi, chopped
* 4 Tbsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Equipment Needed:

* Braising pan

Directions:

1.) Place water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, & oil in braising pan on high.
2.) Add rappi, then bring to a boil.
3.) Cover and cook 8-10 min, until rappi is tender and has changed color.
4.) Stir in cheese and serve with pork and potatoes.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."
-Federico Fellini

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was tiring, but good! I made this
recipe for dinner the other night. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!


Balsamic Marinated Pork Chops
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/8 cup olive oil
* 1 tsp soy sauce
* 2 tsp dry mustard
* 2 Tbsp rosemary
* 1 Tbsp minced garlic
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* salt and pepper
* 4 Boneless center-cut pork chops, patted dry

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400°.
2.) In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, oil and spices. Set aside.
3.) Heat oil in large non-stick skillet on medium high.
4.) Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
5.) Sear pork until it is until golden brown, 2-3 min each side.
6.) Transfer pork to large baking dish.
7.) Pour marinade evenly over pork.
8.) Bake on center rack of oven until pork reaches 150°, 8-10 min.
9.) Plate pork and pour marinade over top prior to serving.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello! I hope you are doing well! Now that grilling season is upon us I am pulling out my arsenal of favorites! The following meal is sure to satisfy any palate! Enjoy!

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good."
-Alice May Brock



Jerk Pork Tenderloin w/ Apple-Onion Relish & Sweet Pepper Salad

Serves: 6

Pork Tenderloin:

Ingredients:

* 2 Whole pork tenderloins (about 1 Lb. each)
* 1/2 cup Jerk Seasoning (I use Tropical Pepper Co.)


Directions:

1.) Coat pork tenderloins thoroughly with Jerk Seasoning (wear gloves).
2.) Marinate 2-4 hours in refrigerator.
3.) Preheat grill on high for 10 min.
4.) Clean grill with wire brush.
5.) Using a soft cloth, coat grill lightly with vegetable oil.
6.) Sear pork on grill until it changes color 1/4 way up from bottom, 3-4 min.
7.) Turn and sear all sides, 3-4 min longer.
8.) Reduce heat to medium and close lid.
9.) Cook to 145 degrees, 10-12 min. (Check by inserting digital thermometer halfway into thickest part of tenderloins).
10.) Remove from grill and let stand 5 min.
11.) Temperature will continue to rise and reach target internal temperature of 150 degrees.


"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
-George Bernard Shaw


Apple-Onion Relish

Ingredients:

* 1 Medium mayan sweet onion, peeled
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup all natural, chunky applesauce
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed: Aluminum foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on medium-high for 10 min.
2.) Brush onion with basting oil; wrap loosely in foil, creasing edges to seal.
3.) Place onion on grill, close lid, and grill 15 min.
4.) Turn and grill 15 min longer.
5.) Remove from heat.
6.) Carefully open foil to avoid steam and cool.
7.) Dice onion and combine with applesauce in medium-size bowl.
8.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.


"It's the company, not the cooking, that makes a meal."
-Kirby Larson


Sweet Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

* 6 medium assorted sweet peppers, seeds removed, cut into 1/4" strips
* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp parsley, finely minced
* 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed: 1 sheet (about 2 ft.) Reynolds non-stick grill foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on high for 10 min.
2.) Toss peppers with basting oil in large bowl.
3.) Place foil on grill.
4.) Arrange peppers on foil and grill 10-12 min, until tender.
5.) Remove from grill.
6.) Toss with vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Bad Joke of the day:

What do you call a stolen yam?
A hot potato.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello! I hope you are having a wonderful day everyone! I have a great meal to share with you - it is one of my husband's favorites!

"This is every cook's opinion -
no savory dish without an onion,
but lest your kissing should be spoiled
your onions must be fully boiled."
-Jonathan Swift



Italian-Style Slow-Roasted Pork Roast
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

*3 small onions, peeled, and thinly sliced
*2 navel oranges, unpeeled, thinly sliced
*1 pork tenderloin (4-5 Lbs.)
*6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
*1 Tbsp. fennel seed
* Salt and fresh black pepper
*2 Tbsp. corn starch
*2 Tbsp. cold water
*1 1/2 cups gravy (your choice)

Equipment Needed:

* Roasting Pan
* Medium sauce pan
* Gravy Separator

Directions:

The day before serving:

1.) Combine onion and orange slices in roasting pan.
2.) Diagonally score fat-side (top) of pork about 1/2" deep in a diamond pattern.
3.) Rub garlic and fennel seeds into top of pork.
4.) Season well with salt and pepper.
5.) Place pork on top of onion and orange slices.
6.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The day of the meal:

1.) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2.) Remove plastic wrap from pork and bake uncovered, 2-3 hours.
3.) Remove pork from oven.
4.) Carefully place roast on clean platter and allow to rest.
5.) As roast rests, ladle hot juices in roasting pan into gravy separator.
6.) Pour de-fatted liquid (about 1.5 cups) into a medium sauce pan.
7.) Discard remaining liquid, onions, and oranges.
8.) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
9.) Add gravy to the juices in the sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
10.) Mix in corn starch mixture and cook, whisking well - about 2 min.
11.) Serve with pork.

"Politicians say they're beefing up our economy. Most don't know beef from pork."
-Harold Lowman


Cooked Rappi
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

*6 cups water
*3 Tbsp. lemon juice
*6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
*1 Tbsp. sea salt
*1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
*12 ounces fresh chopped rappi
*1/4 cup asiago cheese, grated

Equipment Needed:

*Large sauce-pan

Directions:

1.) Mix water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oil in sauce-pan.
2.) Cook on high 2-3 minutes.
3.) Add rappi and bring to boil.
4.) Cover pan.
5.) Cook mixture 8-10 min. (rappi should be tender and has changed color)
6.) Place rappi on a serving dish.
7.) Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

"Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat."
-Fran Lebowitz


Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 Lbs. fingerling Potatoes, washed and cut in half
*3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
*1/2 tsp. rosemary
*1/2 tsp. thyme
*1/4 cup onion, finely diced
*3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
* Sea Salt
* Fresh cracked black pepper
* Nonstick cooking spray

Equipment Needed:

*Large baking sheet
* Aluminum Foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Line baking sheet with foil and coat with non stick spray.
3.) Toss potatoes and olive oil in large bowl.
4.) Mix in herbs, onions and garlic - coating potatoes.
5.) Arrange in single layer baking sheet.
6.) Roast 25-30 min on center rack, until potatoes are tender and light brown.

"Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart."
-Thomas Fuller

Have a great day and until tomorrow: Go Ahead & Indulge!