BBQ Ribs

Yesterday was the Super Bowl...the infamous yearly event that people look forward to at the end of every football season.  It's the time to get together with friends and family to root for your favorite team, to pig out like there's no tomorrow and to laugh your butts off at all of the crazy commercials!

I will say that I normally look forward to it; however I'm not much of a fan of Green Bay nor Pittsburgh so it was rather difficult to get into the festive mood.  I thought the commercials really lacked substance this year (with the exception of a few), but none really stood out to me as the best of the year.  The half-time show was a flop and Christina Aguilera's rendition of the National Anthem was rather a disgrace to our country and what it stands for.  And the game, itself, really wasn't that good...I was hoping for something a little more exciting!

With all that negativity though, some good definitely came out of it.....these ribs!!!  We love BBQ ribs and being in the South, BBQ anything is always on the menu!  You really can't go wrong and even though it's not Summer and you can't throw 'em on the grill and slather 'em up with BBQ sauce, you can still make a pretty mean meal out of it with just a little help from the trusty 'ol oven.  Actually, I prefer them this way as opposed to the grill because they become so tender and so succulent; the meat literally falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.  And the caramelization that the BBQ sauce goes under during the process.....TO.DIE.FOR!!!

BBQ Ribs

Ingredients
5 lbs. Baby Back Ribs
Salt
Pepper
BBQ Sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's)

Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Prep the meat by bringing it to room temperature well before getting ready to cook it.  Once it's ready, flip it over to the back side where you'll find a layer of white membrane.  Gently insert the tip of a butter knife between the membrane and the meat to lift it up and pull it away (you definitely want to remove as much of it as you can...it tends to make the meat a little tough and stringy if you don't).  Discard the membrane when finished.

Season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.  Covered with double thickness aluminum foil, bake for 4 hours.

Remove the ribs from the pan and place on a baking sheet.  Slather them with BBQ sauce (as much or as little as you want) and place them under the broiler for 5 minutes (be sure to leave the oven door slightly cracked so they don't burn)!

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Steamy Kitchen

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Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce

Since we've moved, one of the things I've been really trying to stay on-task with is fixing a big dinner on Sundays.  Especially now that it's Fall, there's nothing more comforting to me than having a warm, home cooked meal on Sunday and sitting down to a game of football!  Comfort is defined by food in so many ways with things like soup, chili, pot roast, turkey dinner, and pork loin (to name a few).

Roasting a pork loin is actually one of the easiest things to do in the kitchen; however I know that it can be frightening and very intimidating for some.  But it really is a fool-proof dish and one that can help you to overcome any fears you may have about cooking pork if done the right way.  I'm telling you that by following this method of searing and roasting to temperature, you can be guaranteed to have a delicious, juicy and tender pork loin cooked all the way through!  It really is fool-proof!

This recipe actually comes from the Pioneer Woman and while I know there are mixed reviews of her recipes out there, I will say that so far, I have yet to be disappointed.  I love a good pork loin but I am obsessed with dressing it up with some sort of sauce!  The sweet and savory combination is one that tickles my taste buds and the cranberry sauce that accompanies this dish is by far, my favorite yet!  I cannot get enough of it!  Seriously, y'all, this sauce is a must...in that you.must.try.it!  It's sweet from the onions, but it has a slight hint of the tart cranberries and the warmth of the rosemary and chicken stock help to bring it back around.  It is purely delightful and the nice thing about it is that it would pair well with poultry (especially at Thanksgiving or Christmas)!

Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

2lb. Pork Loin, trimmed of fat

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

1 Sm. Onion, chopped

1 cup Chicken Broth

1 Tsp. Dried Rosemary

1/2 cup Cranberry Sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large pan over high heat.  Generously season all sides of the pork with salt and pepper and transfer to the hot pan, searing it for 1 minute on each side to form a nice brown crust.  Transfer the pork to a roasting dish or pan and roast in the oven until the inside temperature of the pork reaches 160 degrees (approximately 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over med-high heat.  Add the onions and saute until they become tender and translucent (approximately 3-5 minutes).  Add in the chicken broth and rosemary; stir to combine.  Mix in the cranberry sauce and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat and let thicken. 

Remove the pork from the oven and set on a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.  Slice the pork and serve with the cranberry sauce on top or alongside for garnishing.

Yield: 4 Servings

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad

Unfortunately, this weekend was not as nice as they had predicted. We had plans set for 2 weeks to hang out with some friends on the lake but Mother Nature decided to her own thing and gave us dreary and wet weather the entire time. We were nothing short of disappointed, to say the least, but we made the most of it and still hung out together and as usual, we had a great weekend with them!

In addition to our lake plans, I had high hopes of grilling out and making this recipe for a nice, summery salad I recently heard about! But, yet again, my plans were foiled. However, I did not let Mother Nature get me on all accounts, so I still decided to make this salad and we cooked inside instead. I am SO glad I made this recipe because it was so much better than what I anticipated!

Since moving to the South, I have quickly become a fan of Black Eyed Peas. If you've never had them, I highly recommend you try them sometime (I think most of you would probably enjoy them)! Despite their name, they're not peas. Not at all. They're more like a bean and a great source of protein! I think they're delicious and I usually have them warm but this salad is a refreshing way to eat them and a great pairing with practically any entree you make during these warm Spring and Summer months!

The dressing base for this salad is vinegar and I'm not a fan of the flavor of vinegar, so while I was excited to try the dish, I was also a little nervous because I wasn't sure how that flavor would come across. Honestly, I couldn't taste the vinegar at all! It was really light and the crunch of the celery and onion provided a nice texture blended with the peas and ham. And the flavors of garlic and parsley were a great accompaniment! I improvised a bit on this recipe because I didn't realize until half-way into making it, that I was out of a couple of ingredients, but nonetheless, it turned out wonderfully and both Chris and I were pleased with the addition of a new side dish to eat this year!  He even referred to it as being "the flea's knees!"  If you remember, he said this dish was "the bee's knees" so he changed it up to fleas....whatever that means!  I'll take it as a compliment though!

Black Eyed Pea & Ham Salad

Ingredients
1 cup Dried Black Eyed Peas, sorted and rinsed
1 cup Cooked Ham, cubed
1/2 Sm. Red Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 1/2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

Directions
Add the peas to a large pot of boiling water and cook, over high heat, for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ham, onion and celery; mix well. Add in the cooled peas along with the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, oil and parsley. Toss to combine and let set to bring to room temperature before serving.

Note: I actually used 2 Tbsp. of Red Pepper Flakes and it was pretty hot (even for us) so I would cut back to at least 1 1/2 Tbsp. or less depending on how much heat you like in your dishes! Jalapeno peppers would be a great source for heat instead as well!

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Oishii

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Honey Mustard Chops with Fresh Apple Slaw

I don't know why, but I feel like I always have the darndest time coming up with creative ways to prepare pork, specifically, pork chops. Now there is always the traditional so-called "Betty Crocker" method of breading them and serving them with applesauce, because after all, who doesn't like pork chops and applesauce?! But breading them is just messy and fattening and it doesn't really appeal to me anymore.

One thing I love with pork is mustard - not the yellow kind you'd put on your hot dog but a Dijon mustard or spicy mustard or even a grainy mustard of some sort. And what doesn't pair well with mustard other than honey?! You're probably thinking by now, then why don't you use honey mustard?! I'll tell you why. It's not the same. Pure and simple - it's definitely not the same. I like honey mustard, but I like making my own version, again, because I can control the ingredients and alter the flavors to my liking. It's really a brilliant idea to take advantage of when you're cooking! You should try it!

Recently, a fellow foodie/blogger, things alauna makes, came up with a dish that grabbed my attention - so much that I put it on the menu for this week! It was a pork chop dish utilizing my favorite pork ingredients: mustard, honey and apples. I tweaked it a little bit to my liking, but I've gotta tell you that this adaptation has got to be the best version of pork chops I have ever had! The flavors were perfect and for the first time in my life, I can honestly say that I cooked a pork chop to perfection! I'm not trying to brag or anything, but pork is hard for me to cook. It always makes me nervous that it's not done and then I end up over-cooking it, making it tough and chewy. Not this time. This time, it was juicy and tender and it wore the flavors of honey and mustard so well. Sitting on top of a bed of apple slaw, each bite was perfection! You got the juiciness of the steak with the flavors of the honey mustard sauce, the crunch of the slaw and the tanginess of the dressing all rolled into one. Every bite left my mouth yearning for the next...it was unbelievable! Thanks Alauna for this wonderful version of pork!

Honey Mustard Chops with Fresh Apple Slaw

Ingredients
1 Lg. Granny Smith Apple, sliced into matchstick size
1 Sm. Red Cabbage head, shredded
7 Scallions, cut into 1" pieces
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops
Salt
Pepper
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. Honey

Directions
In a medium bowl, add the cabbage, apple and scallions. Mix in lemon juice and toss to coat. Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil and vinegar; toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat remaining olive oil over med-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper to taste; carefully add to skillet. Cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side and remove pork chops from pan, allowing to rest.

Pour chicken stock into the pan and using a whisk, begin to scrape bits of pork left on the pan, mixing into the stock until well combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Add in mustard and honey; stir to combine. Cook on low until heated through (about 3-5 minutes). Add pork back into the pan and let re-heat in the sauce (about 3 minutes).

Serve immediately over apple slaw.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from things alauna makes

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Pork Loin with Peach Marmalade Sauce, Collard Greens, Black Eyed Peas & Mexican Cornbread

Happy New Year!!!  2009 seemed to go by rather quickly for us and certainly had its ups and downs.  But it's a new year and we're anxiously anticipating what is to come in our lives within the next 12 months!
As many of you know, I'm a "Yankee" girl from West Michigan and recently moved to the South for Chris to pursue a great opportunity with a new company.  What you may not know is that Chris is a true southern boy - born and raised in sweet-home Alabama!  Living in the South has definitely provided me with new experiences (mostly good)!  With that, though, comes Southern cooking and Southern traditions.  Today is New Year's Day and it's certainly a day filled with traditions and superstitions; I feel it's necessary to abide by them 1). Because I'm with a Southern boy and it's "a must" and 2). I'm very superstitious!  Let me indulge you....Never wash clothes on New Year's Day because if you do, you'll wash someone out of your life...If your house isn't clean at the beginning of the year, it won't be clean all year long...Whatever you're doing on the first day of the year, you'll be doing all year long! 

The most popular of them all....One must eat collard greens and black eyed peas if they want a year full of wealth.  Collard greens represent the money you'll have and the black eyed peas represent the pennies or coins.  Today, our house is filled with the aroma of smoked pork, onions and garlic...yum!  I am learning how to make these items and also taste them for the first time with the hopes that I will be pleased with their Southern flavors and the wherewithall to make them in the future!  Our menu consisted of a Roasted Pork Loin with a Peach Marmalade Sauce, Collard Greens with garlic and spice, Black Eyed Peas, and Mexican Cornbread. 

After sitting down to a nice, warm meal, I found myself going for seconds on the Collard Greens and Black Eyed Peas - they were delicious and to my delight, tasted much different than I had imagined!

Peach Marmalade Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup Peach Preserves or Marmalade
2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp. Cumin
1/4 Tsp. Chili Powder

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over med-high heat, stirring frequently.  Cook until heated through (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Adjust ingredients and their amounts according to taste.  Serve immediately over meat or poultry.

Source: With a Cherry on Top

Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients
1 lb. Black Eyed Peas
1/2 lb. Smoked Ham, diced
1 Lg. Onion, diced
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Zatarain's Crab Boil Seasoning
1 16 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
3 cups Water
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Carefully sort through black eyed peas, tossing out the bad ones. 

In a large pot, combine all ingredients and cook for 1 1/2 hours on low heat.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes more.  Remove from heat for 30 minutes to thicken and then simmer for an additional 45 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Source: With a Cherry on Top

Collard Greens

Ingredients
1 Lg. bunch of Collard Greens, rinsed and stems removed
1 1/2 lb. Ham Hock
5 qt. Water
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
2 1/2 Tbsp. Zatarain's Crab Boil Seasoning
2 Tbsp. Sugar
Pepper

Directions
In a 8 qt. pan, combine all ingredients except the collard greens and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add collard greens and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.  - Note: we like our food spicy, so if you don't, it is recommended that you cut back on (or omit) the crab boil seasoning.

Source: With a Cherry on Top

Mexican Cornbread

Ingredients
1 pkg. Mexican Cornbread mix
1 Egg
3/4 cup Milk
4 Tbsp. Jalapenos, sliced
1 lb. Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine cornbread mix, egg, milk, jalapenos and 1/2 lb. cheese.  Mix together and pour into 9x9 greased dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese browns.  Serve immediately.  - Note: we like our food spicy; if you do not, it is recommended that you decrease the amount of jalapenos used or omit them altogether.
Source: With a Cherry on Top

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Roasted Pork Loin

Since I've revamped my blog, I have had a few things in mind that I wanted to incorporate not only into the blog, itself, but also my weekly menu planning.  But, I have to remember to do one thing at a time and not get ahead of myself (which is easy for me to do when my mind is going a million miles a minute)!  One of the new things I have added into my weekly menu planning and posting is Fake-Out Take-Out Friday, where I (on most Fridays) plan my own take on our favorite take-out foods!  Another new feature I have started to incorporate starting this past week is Sunday Suppers at Home, highlighting a home cooked dinner that is reminiscent of my childhood, where we had sit-down dinners together as a family every Sunday!

This week, as I am pulling things out of the freezer to use up, I decided to make a Roasted Pork Loin and let it cook all day long in the crockpot!  Dinners seem to taste the best when you can throw everything into a big pot and let it cook all day long!  This recipe was one of those that, literally, had less than 5 minutes of prep time and just did it's thing in the crockpot while I ran errands and tackled some chores around the house!  When it was time to pull the pork out and we were ready to eat, I barely had to use a knife to cut it - it was so juicy and tender; it literally just melted in our mouths! 

Roasted Pork Loin
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Ingredients
3-4 lb. Pork Loin
2 packets Dry Onion Soup Mix
3 cups Chicken Broth
6 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
Pepper

Directions
Place the pork loin in a crock-pot, adding in the onion soup mix, chicken broth and soy sauce.  Add in the garlic, leaving as much as possible on top of the pork loin.  Season with pepper and cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve with cooking liquid on the side as Au jus. 

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

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