Crock Pot Pork Chops

We play a game every day. We meaning hubs and I do. The game goes like this, "What do you want for dinner", one of us says, "I don't know what do you want". Hubs says, "I'll make pork chops". I say, "It's too cold for grilling, it's 10 degrees out." Hubs makes chops one way and one way only, on the Grill. He says, "It's okay, it doesn't bother me if it's cold outside." ( Hubs has been known to grill in sub zero weather). So I decided to make Crock Pot Pork Chops and not have any freezing bodies lying around.

This recipe is so easy, you are just going to love it!
Crock Pot Pork Chops
Ingredients:

• 6 Pork Chops
•  1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce ( I used 1/4 cup sot sauce and 1/4 cup Uncle Gary's Hot Pepper Jelly)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup fried onions
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place Pork Chops in Crock Pot, mix all of the ingredients and place over pork chops. 
2. Cook on Low setting for 6 hours, or high setting for 4 hours until internal temperature of pork has reached 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

This recipe has been adapted from ALLRECIPES.Com and made even better by Me!

Chicken Saltimbocca with Pasta

When we lived in New Jersey, we frequented a great restaurant called Hook Line and Sinker. I always ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca with Pasta. It was so delicious and enough for a family of four! Don’t you just love those restaurants that do take out and when you order a meal it’s enough for a family of four? I do. My kids were small at the time, but still! I tried recreating the dish, this is super close. I forgot to add mushrooms, but will next time. I would also add more chicken broth next time too, when I added the pasta to the sauce it soaked it all up. But other wise I think this is a fabulous dish, my family ate it all like it was nobody’s business. Meanwhile I was still walking down Memory Tasting Lane.

Chicken Saltimbocca With Pasta
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or strips
5 slices of prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup Marsala Wine
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
fresh sage
4-5 tablespoons butter (can be adjusted or substituted with Olive Oil)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound Rigatoni pasta or any short tubular pasta will do
1 box frozen spinach, drained or one bag of fresh spinach

Method:

1. Season all purpose flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lightly dredge chicken into flour shaking off excess. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil into a large hot pan. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until nicely browned, remove from pan and set aside for later.

2. In the same pan sauté 4 cloves garlic adding more butter or oil if the pan is dry. After a minute or so add the prosciutto slices and let them crisp up. Add a few torn leaves of fresh sage. Toss garlic and prosciutto together and then add Marsala Wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let liquid reduce to about half. Add chicken broth and cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. At this point you can add some more sage to infuse the flavor into the liquid. Sprinkle in flour a little at a time and stir after each addition until you get the the thickness you like. You want the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Once desired consistency is reached add cooked chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce and spinach.

3. Meantime cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain pasta and add in with the sauce and toss.

Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

 

So, it's a summer day and I am really craving a great red sauce, real Italian style, hearty. I have just finished baking a couple batches of my English Muffin Bread and it's LOVE Italian Style! This pasta dish is so easy and so delicious, you won't ever want to buy a jar sauce again, yes I promise you, it's true!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 16 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 12 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tbsp sugar
•  1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves crushed garlic

Method

1. In a saute pan, add Olive Oil, meat and onions and garlic, brown meat, drain fat. 
2. Add tomatoes, water and sugar and seasonings, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 25 minutes. You will smell the fabulous aromas. 
3. In a large pot of salted water bring to a boil, add spaghetti, cook at a rolling boil for 8-10 minutes until pasta is Al dente, drain water. 
4. Cover pasta with a scoop of meat sauce. 
5. Add grated Parmesan cheese and basil. 
6. Enjoy! Nettie. This post has been linked up to these fabulous blogs!
   
   
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Souper Meat Loaf

Meatloaf is my go to meal when we have a big group for dinner. I usually make a double batch. This time I have added a couple of different ingredients and it came out fabulous. I added roasted red peppers and crunchy onions and Romano Cheese, everyone was going back for seconds, some thirds! We won't embarrass them by mentioning any names, but it really was the usual suspect, yes you know who I am talking about~ HUBS!!! My favorite lunch sandwich is a slice of meatloaf on English Muffin Bread ( toasted) with lettuce~ HEAVEN-LY!!!

Mix all of the ingredients well~ take off all of your rings, wash your hands well, and dig in, best way to mix a meatloaf! Shape mixture into a loaf pan.

Delicious! Crispy onions are a great addition!

Cook in 350 degree oven or until done. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Super Meat Loaf Recipe

Ingredients:  

2 lbs of extra lean ground beef

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 eggs

1 package Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix

3/4 cup Roasted Red Pepper, chopped

1/3 cup Liquid from Roasted Red Pepper's

1/3 cup Gourmet Fried Onions (Trader Joe's) 
 1/3 cup grated Romano Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 uncovered..
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Shape into loaf in 13 x 9 baking pan or roasting pan. Top with Gourmet Fried Onions and Romano Cheese
4. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until done. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. This post has been linked up to these fabulous blogs! ...
   
   
   
   
   
   

Easy Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

Enchiladas are an easy delicious meal. There are endless options for the fillings.Use chicken, pork, beef, vegetarian, the combinations are endless.

Today, I have made Easy Cheesy Beef Enchiladas with Ground Beef,  Onions, Green Chiles and Olives. I am sorry to say that I didn't get a picture of the inside of the enchilada, obviously you have to be quick with the camera in my house!!My kids ate them up very quickly. Yes these are always a big hit. I always make a double batch just for that reason, they go very quickly. Serve with a side of brown rice, refried beans and a Mango Margarita, ARRRIBBBA! 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1  lb. Natural Ground Beef
• I small can chopped Black Olives
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 small can Green Chiles
•  8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)
• 2 small cans enchilada sauce
• 1 jar mild salsa
• 1 package ( 12 count) small tortillas ( flour or corn)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat Olive oil in a  saute pan, add chopped onions, saute until soft about 2 minutes.
3. Add ground beef cook until brown, drain fat.
4. Add one can Enchilada Sauce, 1 cup grated Cheese, Olives and Chiles to the onions and meat mixture.
5. Spread 1 tbsp. of meat mixture to the middle of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla.
6. Place tortilla seam side down and repeat step 5 until all of the meat mixture has been used.
7. Pour 1/2 can Enchilada Sauce and 1/4 jar mild salsa over the tortillas. 
8. Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top, covering the tortillas. 
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Serves 4

I have linked up this recipe to these fabulous blogs!:

Grilled Plank Salmon

I have never made a Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon before, so when I was sent a wonderful gift of Cedar Planks and seasonings from Fire and Flavor, I was thrilled to try it. I love seafood and fish, lucky for me, I live on the water. The only fish my kids will eat is Salmon, so I just had a feeling they would love this way of grilling the Salmon. It is super easy and delicious.Fire and Flavor also sent me a Coffee Rub for meats and Salmon. I rubbed some on the salmon and off it went on the grill!



Salmon was delicious with Fire and Flavor Ancho Chile spices on hand cut fries.

Cedar planks have to soak under water for at least one hour.

This is the yummy coffee rub made of Chili Pepper, other spices, pure ground coffee, brown sugar, and salt.

Soak Cedar Planks under cold water so that they don't catch on fire on your grill!

I placed a big bowl full of water on top of the planks so that the planks would be submerged.

Place your lovely filet of Salmon on the plank.

Rub Coffee Rub all over the salmon. Rub, rub, rub, that's why they call it a rub....

Salmon is ready to go on the grill.

Set grill at 350 degrees or Medium setting. The grill's temperature kept raising to 400, so I would try to moderate it so that the Salmon would stay moist. Cook until Salmon is firm to the touch.

Verdict: I liked the coffee rub flavor, it tasted sweet and was a great combination on the Salmon. The Salmon was very moist. Pair it with a Chardonnay, delicious!

 Would I make it again? Yes I would. Another way to use this rub is to make a marinade with orange juice, Olive oil and coffee rub and let Salmon set in marinade in the refrigerator for a couple hours. This post has been linked up these wonderful blogs!