Easy Tomato-Basil Bruschetta

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

In addition to our Shrimp with Penne and Herbed Cream Sauce Matt and I made a double batch of traditional Tomato-Basil Bruschetta for Christmas Eve dinner. The bruschetta was surprisingly easy to make and everyone loved it!

Super-Easy Tomato-Basil Bruschetta (from The New Best Recipe)

You will need…
8-9 medium Tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2/3 cup Basil, shredded
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 loaf of crusty Bread – we used Ciabatta
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1-2 cloves Garlic, cut in half lengthwise

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper. Cut the loaf into 3/4 inch thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Toast the bread under a broiler, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. Rub the cut sides of the garlic clove over the top side of each slice of bread and then brush on a small amount of olive oil. Top the slices with a generous helping of the tomato-basil mixture and serve immediately.

30Dec2012

Shrimp with Penne in Herbed Cream Sauce

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

For some reason our families make nearly identical holiday meals, usually featuring a juicy filet roast, twice-baked potatoes and green beans. Matt and I love this dinner (and in fact got to enjoy it twice this month – once at my mom’s and again with Matt’s family!) but when it came time for us to host Christmas Eve dinner at our house we decided to do something completely different.

After an online search we settled on Shrimp and Penne in Herbed Cream Sauce and it was perfect! The shrimp were tender and the combination of white wine, garlic, parsley and basil made the whole kitchen smell wonderful. The pasta was nicely coated in a light cream sauce and the red pepper flakes provided just the right amount of heat. To streamline the cooking process I prepped the herbs, tomatoes and cheese ahead of time so assembling this dish was actually pretty easy once our guests arrived.

In addition to the shrimp and penne we served fresh bruschetta, a tossed salad with Matt’s mom’s balsamic vinaigrette, and wedges of rosemary-studded Italian bread with butter. We finished off the meal with a tray of Christmas cookies, chocolate-dipped coconut sticks, and white chocolate holiday bark. Yum!

Shrimp with Penne in Herbed Cream Sauce (from Giada De Laurentiis)
serves 4-5; we doubled this to serve 7 and had enough leftovers for dinner a few days later

You will need…
1 pound Penne Pasta
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves Garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 – 15 oz. can Whole Tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Basil Leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 cup White Wine (we used a Chardonnay)
1/3 cup Clam Juice
3/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes until they are pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley and the red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly, then add the wine, clam juice and cream. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add about half of the Parmesan along with the shrimp, pasta and remaining basil and parsley. Mix well until the pasta is coated and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with the remaining freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with a wedge of Italian bread and a glass of white wine.

23Dec2012

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Cookie Sticks

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! 🙂 Matt and I kicked off our holiday cooking last week by baking dozens of Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Cookie Sticks. We chose coconut cookies because I have fond memories of making a similar cookie with my mom years ago so I thought it would be fun to recreate them this year. I don’t have my mom’s original recipe so I used this recipe from Vesta Vamps and it was perfect! The cookies turned out buttery, crisp and chocolatey and they looked great “wrapped” in mason jars with red bows. We shared several jars with friends and family and still have a couple dozen left over for ourselves.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Cookie Sticks (from Vesta Vamps)

You will need…
1 pound (4 sticks) Butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
3 Egg Yolks
2 teaspoons Vanilla
4 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 bag (approx. 5 1/2 cups) Sweeted Coconut Flakes
16 oz. Semisweet Chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:
In a stand mixer beat together the butter, sugar and salt until light a fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time and add the vanilla. Beat until smooth, then add in the flour in small increments and mix until combined. Scoop the dough out of the bowl with your hands and form into two dough balls.

Meanwhile, empty the bag of coconut out onto a large rimmed cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350° oven. Toast the coconut for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and allow to cool.

Place one of the dough balls and half of the toasted coconut into the mixer bowl. Mix until combined and then remove the dough from the bowl and divide in half. Use your hands to form each dough half into rectangles that measure approximately 18 in. long by 5 in. wide and 1/2-3/4 in. tall. Place the dough rectangles onto parchment paper and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this step with the second half of the dough; you should end up with 4 chilled rectangles.

Cut the chilled dough into cookie sticks that are approximately 1/2 inch wide. Roll the dough slightly between your palms to create a round cookie (or leave it flat to create more of a biscotti-type shape) and place the dough sticks onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake each batch of sticks in a preheated 350° oven for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then carefully transfer them to cooling racks until they cool completely.

Place the chopped chocolate in a double boiler bowl over simmering water and stir until it melts. Dip the end of each cookie into the chocolate mixture, scrape any excess chocolate off on the side of the bowl, and place each of the cookies on parchment paper to cool.

This makes about 120 cookies and they are perfect to share with friends and family around the holidays!

30Nov2012

Pozole Verde

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

After (finally!) finishing our Thanksgiving leftovers Matt and I decided that we wanted to make a meal that featured tons of flavor, fresh veggies, and oh… NOT turkey! 🙂 We pulled out our trusty The New Best Recipe cookbook and found Pozole waiting for us in the stews chapter. Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with shredded pork and hominy (a type of corn) and it is DELICIOUS! We enjoyed our Pozole for dinner on Sunday and then happily ate it for lunch the next four days (and I’m still not tired of it!).

There are different types of Pozole including Rojo (made with chiles) and Blanco (made without any added sauces). This recipe is for Pozole Verde which includes a liberal amount of blended tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro. Make sure not to skimp on the garnishes – although Matt preferred the Pozole without any added flavors, I really enjoyed the freshness that the chopped onion, avocado, radish and tomato added to the finished dish!

Pozole Verde (Pork and Hominy Stew with Tomatillos, Cilantro and Jalapeño)
Serves 8-10; from Cook’s Illustrated – The New Best Recipe

Pozole Ingredients…
1 bone-in Pork Picnic Roast or Shoulder Roast, about 4-5 lbs.
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 1/2 White Onions; 2 coarsely chopped, 1/2 quartered
5 cloves Garlic, minced
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 pound Tomatillos, husked and quartered
3 Jalapeño Peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Water
2 bunches (5 cups) Cilantro Leaves and Stems (thin parts)
3-15 oz. cans White or Yellow Hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes…
1/2 White Onion, finely chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, finely chopped
6 Radishes, thinly sliced
1 Lime, sliced into wedges
8-10 Corn Tortillas, warmed and sliced into quarters or strips
1-2 Fresh Tomatoes, chopped
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Trim excess fat off of the pork roast and cut along the muscle into several large pieces (approx. 8-9 pieces for a 4 lb. roast). Reserve the bones. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large (8 qt.) oven-proof dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 coarsely chopped onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for approximately 4 minutes until the onions have softened and released moisture. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the pork and bones to the onion mixture and stir frequently for approximately 8 minutes until the outside of the meat is no longer pink. Add the chicken broth and another 1/2 teaspoon salt and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove, then cover and cook in a preheated 300°F oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place the tomatillos, jalapeños, water, and the quartered 1/2 onion in a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for another 2 minutes. Set this brilliant green mixture aside.

Pozole Verde with Pork and White Hominy (pre-garnishes)

Pozole Verde with Pork and White Hominy (before we added garnishes)

After 2 hours, remove the dutch oven from the oven and return to the stove. Remove the pork and bones and place on a plate to cool. Stir the rinsed hominy into the broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Once the pork is cool, shred the pork with your fingers (or with two forks). Pull any remaining meat off of the bones and discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat and the green tomatillo mixture into the stew and simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the meat is hot. Serve in a large bowl with a liberal helping of the garnishes on top.

Liked this Pozole Verde recipe? You may also enjoy my post on Pozole Rojo!

23Nov2012

Candied Yams

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Happy Thanksgiving! Matt and I ate our Thanksgiving meals separately at our parents’ houses but we still got to do some cooking together before the big meal. For the second year in a row we were responsible for making my mom’s traditional side dish of candied yams and, for the second year in a row, they were a hit! We joke that this is a “healthy” vegetable side full of brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows but, like so many of the delicious foods that we eat during the holidays, the extra calories are totally worth it! The brown sugar caramelizes between the layers of soft, moist sweet potato and the melted marshmallows form a crunchy, sugaring topping. Yum! Matt’s sister made a similar dish at his family’s dinner and he tells me that she added toasted slivered almonds to her marshmallow topping with delicious results… maybe we’ll have to try that next year!

Candied Yams (aka Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Marshmallows)

You will need…
7-9 Sweet Potatoes (Yams), washed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter
Approx. 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Approx. 1 1/2 cups Miniature Marshmallows

Directions:
Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 25-30 minutes until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Carefully remove the potatoes from the water and place in a colander. (You can drain the entire pot into the colander but I used tongs to transfer the potatoes individually since the pot was so big.) Allow the potatoes to cool before moving onto the next step. If you are doing this step a day ahead of time like we did, transfer the cooling potatoes into large ziplock bags and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Peel the cooked potatoes by cutting off 1/2 inch on each end and scoring each potato lengthwise. The skin should peel off easily with your hands. Slice each potato into 3/8 inch thick disks. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 casserole pan with butter and layer the potatoes in the pan. Place a small amount of butter between and on top of every few potato slices and sprinkle the brown sugar over the potatoes as you go.

Sprinkle the marshmallows on top of the layered potatoes and bake for 24 minutes in a preheated 390° oven. Enjoy as part of a delicious holiday meal!

28Oct2012

The Perfect Storm Food – Five Bean Chili!

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

It’s October in Pennsylvania which means that leaves are changing color, geese are flying south, pumpkins are being carved into jack o’lanterns, and we’re filling up the bathtub with water in preparation for a hurricane. Wait, what?? That’s right, we’re about to receive a direct hit from a real live hurricane in October!

The storm, billed as Hurricane Sandy, “FrankenStorm,” and, most dramatically, “The Perfect Storm,” is forecasted to take a sharp left turn in the Atlantic Ocean and sweep up the Delaware Bay tomorrow. If the Weather Channel is correct, we’ll experience 6-10 inches of rain, hurricane-force winds, and extended power outages. That brings me back to the bathtub. Since our water is pumped into the house from our well, we lose our running water when the power goes out. That tub full of water will allow us to flush the toilet and have clean water available for washing hands and faces. For drinking water, I filled up several pitchers and glass bottles with water from the kitchen sink. (I didn’t want to join the mobs at the grocery store for “real” bottled water!)

That little yellow star is where we are. Eek!

I’m mildly worried about the 70mph winds and rushing floodwaters, but I think that right now my biggest concern is actually that the food in our freezer might go bad. We have about $50 worth of wonderful fresh Maiale sausage along with yummy frozen pastas, vegetables, and fish and I am having nightmares about it all thawing out and going bad during a long power outage. In order to give the freezer a fighting chance I reorganized all of the food so it is tightly packed together in the bottom drawer. I also put ice packs in the freezer along with a big ziploc bag full of water and a reused gallon jug filled with water. These are all frozen solid now and should help to keep our food cold. (Watch, after all of the preparation the power isn’t even going to go out… but better to be safe than sorry!)

Anyway, all of this stormy and cold weather has me thinking about warm stews and soups! A nice five bean chili would really hit the spot right now, but we are going to try to use up some food in our fridge tonight so I think I’m going to have to wait until after the storm to get my chili fix. But, without further ado, here’s my chili recipe along with some photos from our last batch a few weeks ago…

Five Bean Chili (serves 5-7 and makes great leftovers!)
Note: I revised this recipe on 10/29/14. The original recipe had chick peas (visible in the photos) which were yummy but in my most recent batch of chili I removed the chick peas and added a third can of kidney beans and second can of tomatoes with delicious results. I also added fresh minced garlic, upped the ground beef from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, and adjusted a few of the spice measurements. Oh, and I added another half bottle of beer to give the chili a little more liquid consistency… feel free to drink the remaining beer as you cook!

You will need…
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
1 White Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 tablespoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Cumin
1-15oz. can Pinto Beans, rinsed & drained
1-15oz. can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
3-15oz. can Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained
1-15oz. can Corn, drained; or 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
2-10oz. can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (not drained)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
18 oz. (1 1/2 bottles) Dark Beer

Directions…
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the ground beef. When it is almost browned, add the onion and stir. Once the onion has started to soften add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the powdered ingredients and then, when the meat is completely browned, add the beans, corn, and tomatoes and stir. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, taste the chili and add salt and pepper as needed. (You can also add more chili powder and paprika at this point if you want more of a kick.) Add the beer, stir again, cover, and allow the chili to cook over low heat for 60-90 minutes. Serve with a generous slice of fresh cornbread.

22Oct2012

Poblano Sausage Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Crema

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Most people visit their local Farmer’s Market for organic fruits and vegetables but here in Newtown Square, PA we are a little different: we go to our Farmer’s Market for freshly made sausage! The sausage is made by Maiale in nearby Wilmington, Delaware and it’s available in mouth-watering flavors like Chicken Sausage with Spinach and Sharp Provolone, Wild Boar Sausage with Apples, Caramelized Onions, and Blue Cheese, and Thai Curry Sausage with coconut milk, curry powder and cilantro. Yum! (Check out the full offering here.)

We picked up some Fire-Roasted Poblano and Corn Sausage last week and decided to do something fun to play off of the sausage’s Southwest flavors. After a little experimentation we ended up with a wonderful dinner of delicious tacos with a tangy slaw and creamy sauce that complemented the spiciness of the sausage perfectly. Here’s the recipe!

Poblano Sausage Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Crema (serves 2)

You will need…
1 1/2 cups Bagged Cole Slaw Mix
2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped
Juice from 1 Lime (for the slaw)
½ Jalapeño Pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
½ cup Guacamole*
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Oil Spray for the grill
2 Fire-Roasted Poblano and Corn Sausages, grilled
6 Corn Tortillas
½ Red Onion, chopped

Directions:
Make the lime-cilantro slaw first by mixing the cole slaw mix, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeño in a large bowl. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to develop while you are making the rest of the meal.

Create the avocado crema by combining the guacamole and sour cream. If your guacamole is chunky or if you are making your own from scratch, you could try combining the guacamole and sour cream in a food processor. We tried this and only succeeded in splattering the sour cream all over the inside of the food processor bowl so we ended up scraping the ingredients out of the food processor bowl and stirring the mixture together by hand instead. If desired, thin the crema with a bit of water so that it will be easier to drizzle over the tacos.

Grill the sausages until they are cooked through and then slice them into bite-sized pieces. While the sausages are grilling, oil the grill and heat the corn tortillas. Be careful not to overcook them – you still want them to be soft and pliable, not crispy! Place the heated tortillas on a warmed plate and cover with a towel to keep the heat and moisture in until you are ready to use them.

Assemble your Poblano Sausage Tacos by putting several pieces of sausage on a warmed tortilla and topping with the slaw and red onion. Drizzle a generous amount of avocado crema over the taco. Serve with a cold beer and enjoy!

*If you don’t have pre-made Guacamole you can make your own by mashing together 1 peeled avocado (pit removed), 1 clove of minced garlic, juice from ½ lime, 1 tablespoon of minced yellow onion (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.

13Oct2012

Roasted Root Vegetables with Turkey Sausage

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Fall is officially underway in southeastern PA. The temperatures dipped below freezing last night which means that our bedroom was a balmy 58° when we woke up. That’s right, 58°. We haven’t turned the heat on yet and Matt likes to sleep with the window “ajar” so, as you might imagine, it’s a bit chilly in the morning. But, I digress… The real point of this post is that cold Fall weather means that it’s time to eat root vegetables!

Root vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, beets, and carrots taste delicious when they’re tossed in garlic and olive oil and roasted in the oven. It’s amazing how the flavors of these veggies change after being cooked at 425° for 40 minutes: the parsnips become soft and nutty, the carrots are sweet, and the potatoes are crispy… YUM! If you want to turn your root vegetables into a complete dinner, add some sausage or chicken to the mixture and voila! the perfect Autumn meal is born.

For tonight’s dinner I used an assortment of root vegetables along with cauliflower and brussel sprouts. You might also want to try using turnips, rutabagas, asparagus, broccoli, butternut squash or zucchini.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Turkey Sausage

You will need…
2 Red Potatoes
1 Purple Potato
1 Sweet Potato
1 Parsnip
2 Carrots
1/2 Yellow Onion
1/2 Beet
1/2 cup Cauliflower
4-6 Brussel Sprouts
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
4-5 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary (or Thyme or Italian Seasoning… whatever you want!)
3 Hot Italian Turkey Sausages

Directions:
Cut up the vegetables into large bite-sized pieces. Try to cut the hard vegetables like the beet, sweet potato, carrots, and parsnip into smaller pieces and cut the softer vegetables (cauliflower, brussel sprouts) into larger pieces to ensure that the soft veggies don’t overcook. Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl and add the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Stir well to combine. Transfer the vegetables onto a large baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Place the sausages on a second baking dish. If your veggies are a bit crowded on the first baking sheet you can add a few of them to the sausage dish.

Cook the vegetable and sausage in a preheated 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Check on the vegetables every 15 minutes or so and flip them with a spatula. After about 30 minutes, remove the sausage from the oven and slice it up into bite-sized pieces. Return the sausage to the oven for the remaining time so that the cut edges will crisp up while it continues to cook.

Remove both baking trays from the oven when the vegetables are starting to crisp and enjoy!

3Oct2012

Cumin-Scented Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

I love my 14 inch carbon steel wok. Yup, I said it – LOVE!! Matt gave me a wok last year for my birthday and our old 12 inch frying pan has barely touched the stove since. We are constantly using the wok for a variety of culinary tasks such as sautéing peppers and onions, frying bacon, concocting the ideal combination of sausage and pasta, browning taco meat, and, of course, making delicious Asian stir fries.

If you want to learn more about woks and the yummy creations that can be made in them, I recommend that you invest $23 to buy Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge by Grace Young. In addition to featuring dozens of delicious recipes with full color photos, this book includes several pages of clear, concise instructions that cover techniques like seasoning a wok, slicing fresh ginger, shredding scallions, and properly cutting a variety of meats and poultry.

We’ve spent the last year honing our stir frying skills on several of the recipes in the book including Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Lamb, and Hot Pepper Beef. Here’s the recipe for our latest dinner from the cookbook: Cumin-Scented Beef with Cauliflower, Carrots, Tomatoes and Green Onions… yum!!

Cumin-Scented Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables (from Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge)

You will need…
12 oz. Flank Steak, cut against the grain into ¼ in wide strips
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Dry Sherry (or Rice Wine if you have it)
1 tablespoon Peanut Oil
1 ½ cups Canola Oil
1 tablespoon Garlic, Minced
½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 cup Cauliflower Florets, cut into bit-sized pieces
½ cup Carrots, thinly sliced
½ cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
¾ teaspoon Salt, divided
1 teaspoon Cumin
½ cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
10 oz. Cooked White Rice

Directions:
Combine the beef, corn starch, soy sauce, sherry, and peanut oil in a bowl and mix well. Heat the canola oil in a flat-bottomed wok over high heat until the oil is 280°F. (We used our normal meat thermometer to check the oil heat.) Add the beef to the oil and spread it evenly in a single layer on the bottom of the wok. Cook until the outside surface of the beef is just starting to change color, about 15 seconds, and then remove the wok from the heat. Carefully extract the beef from the oil with a kitchen skimmer and place on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Pour the oil into a large cup or bowl and set aside. Clean and thoroughly dry the wok and the return to the stove over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil along with the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir fry for 20 seconds or until aromatic. Add the cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and stir fry 2-3 minutes. Add in the cumin and stir fry for 5 seconds. Return the beef to the wok and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and green onions. Stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute until beef is cooked through and ingredients are well combined. Serve with rice and enjoy!

18Sep2012

More Comfort Food… Smothered Pork Chops!

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Last Friday Matt sent me an email that said “Let’s make something blog-worthy this weekend.” Ha! I guess that means we were eating really boring meals last week, right? 🙂 I immediately agreed to Matt’s proposal and Matt spent the better part of an hour paging through our voluminous The Best New Recipe cookbook on Saturday before settling on a wonderful Fall feast: Smothered Pork Chops.

Despite being a Fall “comfort food” recipe, we were still able to use several ingredients fresh out of our summer garden including thyme, parsley and garlic. The rest of the ingredients are mostly standard pantry items which meant that we only had to go out to purchase the bacon, pork chops and onions. This meal takes a while to prep and cook, but I guarantee you that the smell of the simmering pork chops and onions in a thyme-garlic broth will be MORE than worth every minute!

Smothered Pork Chops with Onions and Bacon (adapted from The New Best Recipe)

You will need…
3 slices Bacon, cut into 1/4″ pieces
2 tablespoons Flour
1 3/4 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
3 Thin-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops, patted dry with a paper towel
Ground Black Pepper
2 medium Yellow Onions, halved and sliced thinly
Salt
2 tablespoons Water
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon minced fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh Parsley
1 package Egg Noodles, cooked accordingly to package instructions

Directions…
Fry the bacon in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until the bacon is browned and the fat has rendered, approx. 8-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon bits and set aside on a paper towel lined plate for later use. Whisk the flour into the bacon fat over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is light brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and then bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the Oil over high heat until smoking. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper over the pork chops and then transfer them to the skillet and allow to brown – approximately 3 minutes per side. (Watch out – the oil will splatter so use a splatter guard!) Remove the browned pork chops and set aside on a plate.

Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon oil, onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and water. Scrape up the browned bits of pork with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened and are turning brown around the edges, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and stir until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Return the pork chops to the skillet, cover with the onions and add in the reserved sauce and bay leaves. Cover and allow to simmer over low heat until the pork is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a serving platter and tent with foil. Increase the heat of the onion mixture to medium-high heat and simmer, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the finished sauce over the pork chops. Sprinkle each smothered chop with the reserved bacon bits and serve over a bed of egg noodles.