Pork Chops with Tomato Gracy and Biscuits

Here is a link to the exact recipe!

To start this recipe, I got the "biscuits" ready.  The recipe called for 1 8 oz box of biscuit mix, such as Jiffy.  I thought to myself, "Well, self....you have Jiffy mix."  I didn't realize until I was mixing it that it was Jiffy Corn Muffin mix instead of Jiffy Biscuit mix.  Oh well....It was too late then.  So, I prepared the corn muffin mix according to the instructions on the box and added a tsp of ground cayenne pepper.

 They baked in a muffin pan for about 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, I melted butter in a skillet and added a diced onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño, salt. pepper, and garlic.

Those sauteed while I prepared the pork chops.  I seasoned the chops with salt and pepper and browned on both sides.

Then, I put them in the oven to finish baking off.  Next, I added a can of Rotel, 1/2 c. of chicken stock and a sprinkle of flour into the sauteed vegetables.  Once they were simmering, I added 1/2 cup of cream to the skillet and let it thicken for about 10 minutes.

Finally, the corn muffins, pork chops, and gravy was done.  I plated my wonderful husband and I a dish and we ate it happily!
 

 

This meal was delicious!  Even though we were supposed to have a biscuit instead of a corn muffin, Darren really liked it.  He loves spicy foods and said, "If it was supposed to be any different, you shouldn't have told me.  I think it is good!"  I thought it was to spicy.  We both loved the pork chop and gravy.  In fact, we both gave it an A.  There was some left over gravy, and I may try it on chicken another day!

Meatball-Stuffed Peppers with Spinach and Garlic

Here is the link to the recipe!

The very first thing I did for this recipe was make the homemade tomato sauce.  I added 2 TBS of EVOO and 2 sliced cloves of garlic to a saucepan and let them cook for a couple of minutes. 

Then, I added 1 large can of San Marzano tomatoes, a 14oz can of diced tomatoes, a half of an onion, a bay leaf, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.  I broke up the tomatoes with a potato masher and  let the sauce simmer and thicken for about 30 minutes.

Next, I prepared the peppers.  The recipe called for 4 large red bell peppers.  Well, I had one.  To keep from spending an outrageous amount on bell peppers just because they were red, I got some small green ones out of the freezer from last years gardening season. :-) I drizzled them with EVOO, salt, and pepper, and roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes.

While the sauce and peppers were cooking, I took 4 slices of bread and cut the crusts off and soaked them in milk.

This recipe called for ground veal or lamb, which is outrageously expensive.  So, I just used good ole ground beef instead.  I browned 1 lb of ground beef with 4 cloves of minced garlic.  This gave the beef a completely different aroma than it usually does.

Once the meat was browned, I let it drain and cool. I wrung out the bread and crumbled it into crumbles.  I added the bread to the ground beef, along with 2 slightly beaten eggs, a box of frozen spinach (thawed and drained), salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and a cup of the tomato sauce.

I mixed thoroughly and filled the peppers with the mixture (I had to add another small pepper to the mixture).  Lastly, I poured the remainder of the tomato sauce around and over the tomatoes and sprinkled with a little more cheese.  These baked in the oven for 20 more minutes.

Then we plated and ate!

This recipe was delicious!  Darren and I both gave it an A.  Darren said "I hate spinach, but I love this!" However, I had to wash 2 large loads of dishes when I was done.  I would probably just make it easier by using a can of diced tomatoes with the spices already in it and a can of tomato sauce instead of making my own sauce.  I could also spread this recipe out a lot by adding more beef and using up a lot of those bell peppers in the freezer! I would definitely recommend this recipe because it was great tasting and is a good way to get my husband to eat more vegetable! :-)

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Herb Ricotta

Here is the link to the exact recipe!

To start this recipe, I grated 3 TBS of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, minced a clove of garlic, and finely chopped some parsley, basil, and thyme.

Next, I took 3 large chicken breast and butterflied them and salt and peppered them.

I mixed the previously chopped spices and cheese with 1/2 cup of ricotta.

Next, I filled the 3 chicken breast with the ricotta mixture and wrapped them with prosciutto. I added the chicken bundles to a hot skillet with some EVOO and browned on both sides.  Once they browned for about 3 minutes on each side, I transferred them to the oven for 15 minutes to finish cooking.

Meanwhile, I prepared a simple salad with Italian Blend salad greens and chopped tomatoes.  I made the dressing that Rachael mentioned, which was only EVOO, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

When the chicken was out of the oven, I took it out of the skillet and set it aside.  I turned up the heat and added a splash of white wine and a TBS of butter to make a sauce for the chicken.

Lastly, I plated the chicken and simple salad and topped the chicken with some of the yummy sauce.

Darren and I both gave it an A.  Even Darren ate the salad without drowning it in RANCH DRESSING!  He said, "You know that if I didn't put ranch on it, then I really liked it."  Personally, I would have liked the chicken better if it was filled with a good melting cheese like Gouda or Cheddar.  The ricotta was a pleasant taste to try anyway.  My mom also tried it and said that it was really good.  I would recommend this dish and also make it again. Thanks for checking my blog!

Chicken and Chorizo Skillet Supper with Thick-Cut Oven Fries in Garlic and Paprika Butter

Click here for the exact and full recipe in which I halved

To start this recipe, I cut 2 large baking potatoes into wedges.  Next, I put them on a cookie sheet and seasoned them with fresh ground salt and pepper and coated them with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).  I put them into a 425° oven for 45 minutes and flipped them when they where halfway done.

While they were baking, I heated my cast iron skillet on med-high heat and added 1 TBS of EVOO.  Next, I salt and peppered 2 chicken thighs and browned on both sides in the skillet.

This recipe called for chorizo.  Chorizo is a Spanish sausage that is made with pork and seasoned with paprika, salt, and a few other seasonings.  Apparently, it is rare around here because I couldn't find it at Publix or Winn-Dixie.  So I used our favorite instead: Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage.  Once the chicken was browned on both sides, I took it our of the skillet and set it aside.  Next, I sliced the sausage at an angle and added them to the skillet to brown.

Once they were browned (Ok, maybe a little burnt), I set them aside with the chicken.  I thinly sliced an onion, garlic clove, red bell pepper, and a red hot pepper and added them to the skillet.  Next, I added salt, pepper, thyme, and doused the pan with white wine.  The recipe calls for sherry, which I did not have.  I had some white wine left over from another recipe, so I just used that.

Once the vegetables were starting to get tender, I added the meat back to the skillet and put it in the oven for 15 minutes so the chicken could finish cooking.

Meanwhile, I heated 2 TBS of butter to a skillet and melted over medium heat.  To the butter, I added 2 cloves of minced garlic and let the flavors infuse for a minute or so.  Then, I added the potato wedges, butter mixture, parsley, and 1/2 tsp of paprika to a bowl and tossed them around until the potatoes were coated.

Lastly, I plated the potatoes with the chicken and sausage and covered it with chopped parsley and the peppers and onion mixture.

Darren and I both liked it.  This got an A from both of us even though the chicken was a little bland. I could eat potato wedges like that all the time.  However, I probably shouldn't :-)