Pork Chops with a White Chocolate Sauce

Oh my! Decadent, rich and oh so yummy! This is perhaps one of my newest favorite pork dinners! Granted, its probably not a meal for the men folk in our lives. My hunny for example is not one for any type of chocolate on any type of meat... he just wasn't raised right! But that's ok, just leaves so much more for me to enjoy! To my waistline... so so so sorry! This serves 2-4 people, depending on how many women are at the table! I have to thank My Delicious Recipe for this one!

3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
8oz Chicken Broth
2oz White Chocolate, chopped fine
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Peanut Oil
4 Pork Chops, boneless thick cuts
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash Cinnamon

1) In saucepan, melt butter over med-low heat. Add flour and mix well, making sure not to let it stick or burn to the bottom. Slowly add the stock, a little at a time, while stirring until sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2) Meanwhile, in large skillet over med-low heat, melt butter in oil. Season chops with salt, pepper and just a sprinkling of cinnamon, add to skillet.

3) Cook chops 8-10 minutes on each side until cooked through.

4) Remove sauce from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted. Pour over the chops just before serving.

The West Texas Rolltini

Once again one of my favorite TV cooks showed me a mouth watering recipe that I was unable to duplicate out here. So, on my one day off work, I decided to give it a go with the foods I was able to improvise with.

Thank you Giada De Laurentiis for giving me a great new idea and a twist on the ravioli!

Dough:

1 1/2 cup Flour

2 Egg Yolks

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup + Water

Filling:

1 1/2 cup Spinach, fresh and chopped

4-6 Bacon slices, par-cooked (see below for tips) and chopped fine

3/4 cup Mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

2 Egg Whites

1/2 - 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Topping:

Parmesan

Garlic Powder

1) In large bowl mix flour, yolks, olive oil and salt. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir. Slowly add more water a tsp at a time until the mixture begins to hold together.

2) Turn out onto floured surface and knead until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and set in refridgerator for 30 minutes to cool.

3) Meanwhile, in large bowl mix the filling ingredients. Set a really big (wide) pot of water on the stove to boil.

4) When the dough has cooled, place it on a floured surface and roll out to about 1/16th of an inch.  The trick to this is to make sure the roll will not be longer than your pot is wide.  Once the dough is rolled out, spread the filling over it, leaving about a 1/2 inch edge all around. 

Gently roll, jelly roll style, folding in the ends. 

Very carefully place the entire roll on a linen napkin (do not use cheese cloth. This needs something a bit sturdier) and roll, tieing the ends off with bread ties.

5) Preheat broiler.

6) Place in pot of boiling water 10-15 minutes. It really depends on how hard you want your dough to be. Remove from water, unwrap from napkin, and let rest about 5 minutes to cool.

7) Slice roll into 1/2" - 1" pieces. Lay out on a foil lined, oil sprayed baking sheet. Sprinkle Parmesan and garlic powder lightly over tops. Place in broiler about 2 minutes to get browned.

8) Serve with your favorite red sauce.

***Par-cooked Bacon: Lay slices flat on skillet or grill and cook until top side of bacon turns a foamy white, flip and cook 1 minute more and remove from heat to drain on a paper towel. ***

Cumin Chicken with Apples & Mushrooms

Trying to change up meal plans can be hard when living way out here in the West Texas frontier. Not being able to purchase many things I would have back home makes this a big challenge... but one I happily except. This dish is something I came up with after researching many different recipes on line and not being able to come up with all the right ingredients. I've never been a big fan of Cumin, but found it really works well with the different ingredients I was able to throw together. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

3 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in small pieces

2 tbs Butter

1 tbs Olive Oil

2 Apples, peeled and diced

2 Green Onion, chopped or 1 tb Garlic, minced

2 Carrots, grated

1 cup sliced Mushrooms

1 tbs Baking Mix (Jiffy or Bisquick)

1 10.5oz can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup Water

1 tbs Ground Cumin

1 tsp Worechestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 tbs Bread Crumbs, plain

3 tbs Parmesan Cheese

1/4 tsp Chili Powder

*Hot Brown Rice 

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) In large skillet, drop butter in oil to melt. Brown chicken and place in 13x9x2" baking dish. Sprinkle grated carrot on top of chicken. 

3) Using the drippings in the skillet, saute up the onion/garlic, apples and mushrooms until apples are crisp-tender. Add baking mix and stir to combine. Add soup, water, worechestershire sauce, salt and pepper. mix well to incorporate soup. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Cover baking dish and bake for about an hour, until the chicken juices run clear. 

4) After 45 minutes, sprinkle top with grated Parmesan and return to oven without cover.

5) When finished, ladle chicken dish over hot rice, sprinkle with chili powder and serve.

Pesto Dip

1 Pkt Dry Pesto Sauce (made according to package)
Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar

In a small serving bowl for dipping, drop 2 tbsp Pesto Sauce and sprinkle red pepper. Fill with oil and a few drops of vinegar. Serve with Pesto Bread or your choice of breads.

Pesto Bread

I love bread. All kinds of breads. Back in the big city I was able to hit the bakery whenever I had a hankering for some that was fresh out of the oven. Living here, all the bread I can get my hands on has been shipped across the state to arrive wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. Not very appetizing and only your basic varieties. So, I have learned how to make various types of bread right here in my mountain home. Below is a recipe that is a wonderfully flavorful bread that goes great with any Italian meal you plan to make... or by itself with a Pesto Dip.

3 cups warm water
1 1/2 tbs (or 2 packets) Dry Active Yeast
2 tbs Course Salt (I prefer Sea Salt but Kosher works too)
6 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Pkt Dry Pesto Sauce

1) In large bowl ( I used my crock pot for this), mix water, yeast and salt until yeast dissolves. Mix in flour. Batter will be wet and loose. Transfer to a bowl that has a lid or cover tightly with plastic wrap and poke a small hole in it. You want the gasses to escape.

2) Now set it on top of your refrigerator for about 2 hours to let it rise.

3) Place bowl in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Dough works best after it's been chilled.

4) Prepare Pesto Sauce to package directions.

5) Place about a 1/4 of the dough on a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 12x9 inches and about 1/8 inch thick. Spread with pesto sauce entire surface. Gently roll up as you would a jelly roll and transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet.

6) Let rise, uncovered, about 30-40 minutes (this is where you put it back on top of your refrigerator again). Its OK if it doesn't rise too much, it will rise in the oven.

7) Preheat oven to 450. If using a toaster oven drop the temp to 400 and do not use the fan. This will burn it. Place a separate pan filled with water on the bottom rack of oven.

8) Pour water in heated pan (the steam will help to brown the loaf) to fill it and place bread on rack over it. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, turning loaf pan half way through.

9) Now, let this cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before you tear into it.

Hearty Italian Chicken & Veggie Soup

Here's another soup recipe made just for snowy weather. I was so surprised to find such pretty veggies here in West Texas that I had to through them all together in one pot! As it is, this recipe makes a thin broth. But if you like it to be a bit thicker all you have to do is mix 2 tsp corn starch in about 1/4 cup of water and pour it into the soup about 10 minutes before you serve it.

2 tbsp Olive OIl
1 lb Chicken breast, cut up
1 cup Fresh Green Beans, cut into 1" pieces
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Celery Stalks, sliced
1 cup Broccoli Florretts
1 Zucchini, halved then sliced into half moons
4-6 Mushrooms, sliced
1 can Itallian DIced Tomatoes (with garlic and olive oil)
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
1 tbsp Oregano, dried
1 tsp Basil, dried
2 tbsp Chalula Sauce (or Tabasco)
1 box (32oz) Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Boullion Cubes
Water

1) Heat oil in large pot. Add chicken and brown pieces on all sides.

2) Add in remaining ingredients except water. Stir well.

3) Fill empty broth box with water, shake to get all flavor out and pour in pot to cover veggies.

4) Cook for 30 - 40 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender.

Beer Bratts

So I woke up hungry this morning, and not for the typical breakfast foods. Instead, I wanted Bratts! Beer Bratts to be exact. Who ever said I was a traditional kind of girl?

1 12oz cans beer

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tsp Black Pepper

10 Bratwurst

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

10 Rolls, toasted

1) Preheat oven to 375 or 350 for toaster oven. Line casserole in foil for easy clean up.

2) In a saucepan, heat beer, sugar, pepper, oil and garlic until sugar dissolves. Do not boil!

3) Place bratts in casserole and pour beer over top.

4) Bake 30 minutes, turning once half way through.

5) Serve on toasted rolls with spicy mustard.