Juicy Pork Chops with Agrodolce Sauce

Typically when you say "pork chop", I say "not interested." The majority of pork chops, at least that I've encountered, have been dry and tough (sorry, mom).

That was before I was introduced to using a brine. A brine, if it's new to you (like it was to me), is a heavily salted water that you soak meat in before cooking. It helps to break down the muscle fibers and keep the meat juicy...really juicy.

These pork chops are served with an agrodolce sauce. Agrodolce is a traditional Italian sauce that has sweet and sour elements. In this case - honey and balsamic vinegar. Oh yeah, it's incredible.

We paired it with mashed sweet potatoes. Perfection. And the guys really loved the flavor and crunch of the green onions on top. If you avoid pork chops like the plague, as I once did, you have to give the recipe a shot. You just might change your mind.

It all starts with some kosher salt and a little molasses in a pot full of water.

Add some fresh rosemary and little black peppercorns. 

Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream

It's late...and I have to be up bright and early in a couple of hours. So let's just get to it, shall we? 

This sauce is incredible! Despite being a cream sauce, it tastes somewhat light and it has a refreshingly subtle jalapeno taste (says the one with oh-so-heavy spicy hand). I paired it with spicy fried rice, but Ryan and I both agreed, it would be better with pasta next time. It's yummy...make it!

Start by pulsing fresh jalapenos, shallot, and garlic in the food processor. Try not to lean over the top, to take in it's beauty, as I did. The shallot/jalapeno fumes will punch you in the face and make your eyes water uncontrollably. You've been warned.

Asian Mexican Fusion

That's right we're mixing it up. A few nights ago for dinner we combined Sriracha Fried Rice with Chorizo and Asian Marinated Fajitas. Asian and Mexican flavors collided and Ryan and I could not get enough of the leftovers. They were a match made in heaven! Simply delicious. 

This fried rice uses Sriracha, which Ryan loves. It's a spicy Thai hot sauce, very tasty...very tricky to spell and pronounce. Just one more reason that Ryan and I were made for each other: we both love spicy food. I mean burn-your-lips-off spicy. I feel bad for those we love, who come over for dinner. We try to tone it down, but it's difficult (especially for me). I'd rather it be too spicy than bland.

BUT... before you run away, let me just say that this fried rice is not spicy (at least not to us, but I do suppose our taste buds may have burnt off by now). It's got an incredible amount of flavor and a very subtle heat. If you're still worried about the spice level, just nix the serrano peppers (replace with green onions for color) and reduce the Sriracha to 1 Tbsp.  

Brown Butter Parmesan Chicken Linguine

This pasta dirties A LOT of dishes. And despite that horrifying image, I would make it again. 'Cause I liked it...I liked it A LOT. Unfortunately, Ryan was sick, all stuffed up, and couldn't taste anything, so he obviously didn't appreciate this pasta as much as I did. You best believe I had no problem finishing the leftovers all by myself. Mmmm...so good.

Sweet caramelized onions, decadently rich brown butter, wine-soaked mushrooms, topped off with salty Parmesan = one kick-ass pasta! It's mighty delicious and definitely an indulgence. I tried to tell myself "well at least the pasta is whole-wheat."  It's that kind of thinking that led to these little love handles of mine. Oh well...I indulge, then I Zumba!

Not Yo Mamma's Meatloaf Muffins

For some people, the word meatloaf conjures up unappetizing memories. I must say I ate my fair share of nasty meatloaf as a kid. Despite the name of the post, my mom made a pretty good meatloaf, but somehow I was forced to eat greasier versions at other houses with unidentified crunchy chunks.

Now that I have you reliving all of those terrible meatloaf experiences, I wanna introduce this recipe. My mom found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine and I fell in love. It's delicious! The perfect amount of moisture without grease. A delicious flavor from sauteed onions and garlic. And best of all, they're already in individual portions! So whether you've had an aversion to meatloaf in the past or you love meatloaf, you've got to try this recipe. 

The recipe calls for lean ground beef. However, since I'm humbly inching towards my "bikini by summer" goal, I decided to try the recipe with ground turkey instead. I've gotta say...it wasn't bad. But if I'm being honest, I prefer the beef. Turkey is just so much leaner (hence it being better in the attack against my love handles), which means that it's not as juicy as the ground beef.

I made some mashed potatoes. I know, not the healthiest side on the planet. I used a pastry bag to pipe a little bit of mashed spuds on each meatloaf. Wouldn't this be great for kids? How fun for a kid to have a "cupcake" for dinner.

Diner Meatloaf Muffins

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Flavorful White Chicken Chili

This is my all time favorite chili recipe! It's rustic and hearty, warm and comforting. It's pure perfection on a chilly fall day. My friend Katie made this chili for me years ago and I fell in love instantly. It's her mother's recipe. Thanks Mrs. Lamont!

Yesterday, it was finally chilly enough here in Paradise to start a fire in our wood stove. That's when I knew that it was time for white chicken chili! We had friends coming over so I doubled the recipe. This chili recipe is not as thick as others, so you wanna make sure that you have some fresh warm bread to soak up all of the deliciousness.

Try this dutch oven bread, it's so easy to make at home. You could make fresh baked cheddar-jalapeno bread, or pepperjack, or garlic, so many options to accompany this amazing chicken chili.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I also add fresh minced garlic, if I have any laying around)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 2 Tbsp. diced jalapenos (optional, if you don't like it hot)
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Somewhat Sneaky Sloppy Joes

I've never been a huge fan of Sloppy Joes. Mostly because the only ones I'd ever had were as a child, when the men in my family were making them out of a can. They were bland and never looked appetizing. That and they always remind me of that Lunch lady song by Adam Sandler. Suh-lop-pee Joe, slop, Slop-pee Joe. 

That was until I came across this recipe by the Foodie Bride. They taste nothing like typical Sloppy Joes. They have great flavor and they're packed with veggies. Hence the name "Sneaky" Joes. The Foodie Bride blended the veggies in the food processor to sneak them in on her husband. This would also be a great way to sneak veggies in, if you have kids. 

I made a few adjustments like adding chorizo and using sweet hot mustard. I always end up using ground beef, because I always have a ton in the freezer. Next time, I'm going to try it with ground turkey. Either way, I promise you'll love this recipe. It smells incredible and it reheats really well for lunch the next day!

Read on for the recipe...

Caprese Panini

Ryan and I just bought a panini maker. 3 days later...I don't know how I ever lived without one! It takes only a couple of minutes to create an amazing sandwich.

I love love love Caprese salad, which is weird since I'm not the biggest fan of tomatoes. It's just so light and fresh. With fresh mozzarella sitting in my fridge and an out-of-control basil plant on my porch, I decided to make a Caprese panini.

All you need is:

• Bread, sturdy and thickly sliced (I used sourdough from Trader Joe's)
• Fresh mozzarella 
• Tomato
• Basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt 
• Fresh ground black pepper

Chicken Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce

I had planned on making this dish last night, but Ryan's friend Ryann invited us over for dinner. She owns a pony ranch nearby. Normally, she's working the fair circuit this time of year, but she happened to be in town last night. The tri-tip she served was delicious! I love me some tri-tip. I also love me some baby ponies. So cute!

Back to the stir-fry, I've been making this recipe for years (since I was in college). I'm sorry I don't remember where I got the recipe from originally, but I have made a lot of adjustments to it since. I almost always double the batch when I make it, and triple the sauce. I like it saucy! This is one of the recipes that I think tastes even better reheated = great left-overs.