Recipe Review from 12/25/2017

Happy New Year!  

OMGosh!  Cold cold week!   Though in all honestly, I take the -22* temps over the 6 feet of snow poor Erie Pennsylvania received.  Yikes! 

Cold temps mean warm hearty meals.  Add in a potluck for work and it was a week of leftovers.  Yum!

The Meal Plan
Sat (L)   leftovers  (S) gumbo
Sun (L) polenta and bolognese  (S) beer cheese soup
Mon (Off) (L) polenta with leftover bolognese    (S) Smothered pork chops
Tues -  pork chops
Wed (Potluck) uff! Full!   pulled pork for potluck
Thurs (yoga)  leftover soup
Fri - leftover mashed potatoes and pulled pork

Lunches - Creamy Lentil Stew

Smothered Pork Chops  (modified from  ATK TV Book Cookbook)  gluten free option**
This was pretty good, if not a tich putsy and the 30 minute simmer in the middle was a bit unexpected (I misread the directions).  I used some organically raised pork chops so these were a bit leaner and smaller than what the recipe calls for.   My note would be, watch the total cooking times for your chops, because times will vary. 

The recipe never noted what to do with the bacon bits after cooking, so I tossed on the chops right before serving.

I did serve this over buttermilk mashed potatoes, there is definitely enough gravy to cover chops and potatoes.  I would make this again,  I don't know that I would do this for a week night meal unless I had a tich extra time, but would be good for the weekend.

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
2 tbsp flour** 
1 3/4 cups chicken stock (I used 2 cups)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 (7 oz) bone-in rib loin pork chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thin and trimmed of fat
2 medium yellow onions, halved ad sliced thin (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh parsley  (I skipped)


1) Fry bacon until crisp, set aside.  Reserve 2 tbsp bacon fat, adding oil if there is not enough.

2) Whisk flour into bacon fat and cook over medium-low until golden (about 5 minutes).  Whisk in broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 12" skillet (I used a 14" skillet, 12" was too small).  Dry chops with a paper towel, make two slits about 2" apart on outer fat layer, and season chops with pepper.  Brown chops, 3 minutes per side, and set aside.

4) Add 1 tbsp oil to skillet and heat till shimmering.  Add onions, 1/4 tsp salt and water, scrapping any brown bits and cook until lightly browned, about 5 are minutes.  Add garlic and thyme, cook 30 seconds.  Add pork chops and cover with onions.  Add sauce, bay leaves and any accumulated meat juices.  Cover and simmer over low heat until chops are tender, about 30 minutes.

5)  Uncover and let sauce thicken (mine was nice and thick at this point).  Discard bay leaves, season to taste and serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.  


[Squash] Beer Cheese Soup (Ckng Lght, Oct 2017)  gluten free
Let me say this right off the bat:  this is NOT "Beer Cheese Soup".  This is Squash soup with beer and cheese.   I'm from Wisconsin, now living across the border in Minnesota.  I know what beer cheese soup should taste like and THIS was NOT it.

It tasted like squash soup. 

Which is fine if you want squash soup.  But I didn't.  This make-over just didn't quite make it.   Not recommended.

1 (2-lb.) butternut squash
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped white onion
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (12-oz.) bottle pale ale-style beer
1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock 

1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted pumpkin seeds

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise. Coat each cut side with cooking spray. Place squash halves, cut side down, on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Scoop out 2 1/2 cups flesh. Set aside.

2) Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion and carrots; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, nutritional yeast, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add beer; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in squash, stock, and milk.

3) Pour mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process until smooth. Pour mixture back into Dutch oven.

4) Combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; mix well. Whisk cornstarch mixture into soup; cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until soup begins to thicken. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Ladle soup evenly into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds.

Slow Cooked Creamy Lentil Stew  (Ckng Lght, Jan/Feb 2018)  gluten free, vegetarian

We have a winner!

This is incredibly easy to pull together!  A chop, plop and walk away recipe where final assembly takes mere minutes.  A bit refreshing actually, after all the ATK recipes I've done.  I also thought using pureed chickpeas to thicken the soup/stew was kinda brilliant - extra beans for a thicker texture.  

I skipped the kale because I didn't have any on hand and wasn't going to get to the co-op before making this.  You could also use spinach as a very acceptable substitute.  But, the dish was tasty without too.  

Best part (other than it tastes great), this makes about 5 servings!   Highly recommended.

4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked green lentils
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 thyme sprigs (I used 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups thinly sliced lacinato kale  (I skipped)
1/2 teaspoon sherry or red wine vinegar  (I forgot...)

Step 1

Coat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place broth and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on low 7 hours.

Step 2

Process chickpeas, 3/4 cup water, oil, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Add chickpea mixture and kale to slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on low 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar.