Pork Chop with Sweet & Sour Peppers

Ok, the time for slacking off is done. After getting sick for a few weeks, friends and relatives coming to visit, building a new house (not done yet, but soon), and a restful Spring Break...it's time to get back in the kitchen.

I found a new recipe by Gordon Ramsay that I had to try:


Ingredients

Sweet & Sour Peppers
1 Red Pepper
1 Red Onion
2 Tbsp of Oil
1 Tbsp of Sugar
3 Tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Basil, Chopped

Pork Chop
2 Pork Chops, center cut
2 Cloves of Garlic, Skin on, but crushed
Small bunch of Thyme
3 knobs of butter




Watch Gordon Ramsay make this awesome meal!

Chicken Francese

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I have been celebrating my birthday :) Here's a delicious dish that's pretty easy to cook!

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breast, fillet cut
1 egg, beaten
6 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup flour
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken broth
parsley
lemon slices








Directions

1. In a bowl, beat egg and 3 tbsp of lemon juice. In a separate bowl, add flour, garlic powder, and paprika. 
2. Take each piece of chicken, dip in the egg mixture and then dredge in the flour till well covered. 
3. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat and add floured chicken. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Flip over and cook for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Add chicken broth and 3 tbsp of lemon juice, turn heat down to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes. 
6. Plate the chicken on platter, spoon some of the mixture over chicken. Top with parsley and lemon slices.

We had ours with pasta and creamy garlic lemon sauce!

Honeyed Chicken

My friends and I are fans of HBO's Game of Thrones, and I'm halfway through Book 5, it's a great series. More so in the books then the show the author describes some amazing sounding food. Last X-Mas, I recieved the official cookbook as a gift, so far I've tried some side dishes and deserts out of there, but tonight we went for a main course. (As of 2/22/2014 this recipe is available online for free so I am reposting it here):

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, gibbets removed
2 tbsp of butter, melted
Kosher Salt

Honey Sauce:
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2/3 cup Honey
1 1/2 tsp dried mint
1/4 cup raisins, or dried cranberries (pictured)
1 tbsp butter




Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Dry the chicken with a paper towel, place in a large dutch oven, rub with melted butter. Generously salt the chicken all over the outside and inside the cavity. Tuck the wings to the bottom, and tie the legs together.
3. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until juices run clear.
4. While chicken is roasting, in a sauce pan add all the ingredients for honey sauce, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. The dried fruit should puff up as they absorb the liquid.
5. Remove chicken from dutch oven, pour half the sauce over the chicken (save the rest for dipping), be sure to spread it around with a grill brush. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and then carve and enjoy!

This is a great winter meal, or for any medieval themed party or gathering!

Can't wait for season 4 to start in April!

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

This soup is one of my favorites. It uses a pre-made soup as a base but it gets so good!!

Ingredients

1 pound of ground sausage 
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 package of Campbell's Creamy Tomato Soup
1 package of Campbell's Red Pepper Soup
1 small can of V8
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup of Veggie Pasta, cooked
Salt & Pepper
Oregano
Parsley
Cayenne





Directions

1. Over medium high heat, brown the sausage and set it to the side. Clean out the pan.
2. In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat, add onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add carrots and mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes. Add Oregano and Parsley and cook for another minute.
4. Add both soups and stir to mix, then add in the can of V8, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
5. Taste for seasonings and add salt, pepper, and cayenne. Next, add in sausage and allow 5 more minutes to simmer.
6. Add cooked pasta and serve!

Hunter's Chicken

This is a good dutch oven meal, like it's name it can be made at home or out in the wilderness.

 

This was a meal from Food Wishes, and Chef John's cookbook so we'll let him tell you how it's done!

Hunter's Chicken - Food Wishes 

Chicken Pot Pie

This one is one of Katie's favorites! Chicken Pot Pie!!

Ingredients

Fresh Pie Dough:
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour 
1 stick of butter, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup of ice water

Pie Filling
2 carrots, quartered
1 onion, diced
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2 potatoes, diced
4 tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken, diced
2 cups of chicken broth
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried oregano 
3 tbsp all purpose flour
salt & pepper
1 egg + tsp of water for egg wash 

Chicken Pot Pie (450 per slice)

Directions

Pie Dough

1. Combine flour and salt, then add in the cubes of butter and mix them to it's course texture (similar to corn meal)
2. A tablespoon at a time, add in water and mix until the dough forms a ball. 
3. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Pot Pie 

1. Preheat oven to 425, and roll out pie crust and set aside (be sure to use extra flour so it does not stick).
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat, add onions, carrots, mushrooms, parsley, oregano, and salt & pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables till they are soft (10-15 minutes). 
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in potatoes and cook until they are tender but still firm. (this should also help soften the rest of the vegetables)
4. While potatoes are boiling, in a sauce pan, melt the remaining butter. Add chicken cubes and flour. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, then add milk and heat through.
5. When potatoes are tender, add the chicken/flour/milk mixture into the pan with veggies and cook until thickens.
6. Assemble your pie pan(s), and pour mixture into the pie pan, and place a pie crust on top of the filling. Flute the edges, and make 4 slits to allow steam to release. Using a cooking brush, add a good layer of egg wash and sprinkling of kosher salt to help give it a golden brown.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven to 350 and continue baking for 20 minutes, the crust should be a golden brown.
8. Enjoy! 

Smothered Porkchops

We've done smothered chicken...now it's time for the pork!

Ingredients 

4 thick cut Pork Chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth 
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Water
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning







Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan to medium-high heat, season both sides of chop with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Cook each chop about 3-4 minutes per side and reserve on a plate.
2. Remove grease from the pan, and add in the butter. Reduce to medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes, onions should get some real color on them. 
3. Next add in chicken broth and bring to boil, scrap the pan to deglaze. Reduce to a simmer and add milk and water. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. 
4. Add chops and juices from the plate to the pan and allow 10 more minutes to cook.