BBQ Porkchops for Two

BBQ Pork chop with brown rice and veggies

In an effort to expand my dinner repertoire, I decided to pick up some pork chops.  I've never made a good pork chop, but surely, it couldn't be that hard.  It is the 'other white meat', right?

Turns out, they are easy.  And this recipe makes 2 which will feed a very hungry person, you and hubby, or you and your stomach for lunch tomorrow. 

If you can get pork, you can make this recipe.  I used bbq sauce as the topper, but feel free to substitute any other thick sauce (think sweet and sour). 

BBQ Pork Chops for Two

2 pork chops, about the size of your palm, 3/4 inches or so thick
olive oil
salt and pepper
BBQ sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees and heat oven-proof skillet on stove on medium high heat.  Put a little olive oil in the pan to coat.  Rinse and pat dry pork chops and shake a little salt and pepper on both sides.  Put pork chops in skillet and sear both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.  This will help keep them moist during baking.  

Next, remove from stove and put about 2 Tbsp of BBQ sauce on top of each pork chop.  You may need to use a spoon to spread it over the entire chop.  Place oven proof skillet in oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Check chops after 30 minutes for doneness.  Continue baking if still pink in center. 

I paired this with leftover brown rice, cinnamon sugar baby carrots, and steamed broccoli.  For the carrots, steam, dab with a little butter or margarine, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Promise, they are tasty!

Enjoy this easy and simple way to make pork chops.  I'm not sure if you can even call it a recipe, but it was too good not to share with you guys!

Pork Chops and Applesauce...

Every time I say this out loud I think of Peter Brady on the Brady Bunch. Regardless, you may find that you'd like to cook up some loveliness in the form of pork chops and apples, and I have the easiest recipe for you. This is courtesy of my cousin in Charleston, and it is as easy as pie.

What you'll need:

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 pounds of pork chops

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of salt

Directions:

In a crock pot, layer the pork chops on the bottom and cover with the sliced apples. Then, in a small bowl combine the spices, and once combined, spoon spice concoction over the apples. Cover the pot, turn on high, and let cook for 3-4 hours. The juice from the apples is all that you need to cook the chops. So let it do its thing and voila! Good stuff.

This is the easiest recipe in the world. Once the pork is cooked, scoop the apples from the top and put in a separate bowl. I added a generous dollop or two to the cooked apples, and then plated the chops with some of the apples as well. I paired the chops with some mashed potatoes, some gravy (I cheated with a bought package from the commissary-Go McCormick's!), some carrots, and a nice green salad. Everyone loved the pork and apples and I didn't have to do much except take all the credit. If you're lucky enough to have a box of gingerbread cake, this would be an excellent choice for dessert. Or perhaps you have a home-made recipe for gingerbread, which we'd love you to post.

Not Your Everyday Pizza, Part 2

So last night's pizza was a hit, but as a result, there isn't a left-over piece to be found. But you're still hankering for just another taste of that delish dish--what's a girl to do? Luckily, here's a solution. And a great dish for dinner.

Last night, I cooked an entire batch of sausage, and because I didn't need all of it, there was still about a cup and half left in the fridge. I also had a large amount of the chevre left (I use Rondele garlic and herb flavor), which is a rarity for me, as I usually finish off every package I open. So I decided to use the left overs and see what I could come up with. Since I had pizza last night, I figured pasta might be the way to go tonight. So, here it is:

In a large pot, boil enough water to heat a half box of pasta. Add a 1/2 pound of penne pasta, salting the water and cooking for about 15 minutes. When pasta has finished cooking, drain off the water, and then return the pasta to the warm pot. Microwave the sausage for about a minute, then toss that into the pasta. In addition, you may want to add some cooked peas for a little color. Then, toss in the rest of yesterday's soft cheese and mix gently all the ingredients in the pot. The cheese will melt nicely against the warm pasta and the hot pot. Continue to gently stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted/incorporated. You may want to add some salt and pepper for additional flavor. Serve hot and enjoy this very quick and easy dinner.

Not Your Everyday Pizza

In Tunis, there's a lack of delivery options for dinner. While I would love there to be a Papa Mohammed's on my speed-dial, it just isn't so. There are other pizza options here, namely the very thin crust Margherita, with red sauce and cheese (and sometimes tuna sprinkled on as a helpful condiment). But for times when you want a pizza, you have to invest some time and make your own. There are many mixes for pizza dough on the shelves of the markets here, and you can also make your own from scratch. I have discovered the lazy girl's way of getting a pretty tasty pie on the table. The key is all in the pastry dough.

In Tunisia, you can find phyllo and pastry dough very easily in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets. I buy mine sometimes from the freezer section of the commissary and just keep it in my freezer at home.

Here's what you'll need:

One sheet of pastry dough, thawed

One large onion, sliced

One red bell pepper, sliced

One container of sausage

Soft cheese (chevre works well)

Cook the sausage over medium heat until fully browned. (I use the Bob Evan's mild sausage from the commissary and keep it in the freezer for emergency pork purposes such as these). Drain the fat and set aside. In a saute pan, melt a tblsp of butter, and cook the onions and peppers until they are softened a bit. I actually like to carmelize the onions, which takes a little longer, but produces really sweet tasting onions. Once the onions and peppers are cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Follow the directions for heating the pastry (some brands vary).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a cookie sheet, unroll the pastry dough, and liberally spread the onions and peppers over top. Then, spoon on the sausage. Next, using a spoon, put dollops of the soft cheese on top of the pizza, trying to gauge where the pastry will be divided into square slices once cut. You want to be sure that each bite gets a little bite of the cheese. After you've assembled the pizza, cook for 20 minutes at 400. When the pastry begins to brown and puff, your pie should be finished and ready for consumption after cooling for about five minutes.

I made this pizza last night and think it's pretty amazing. It's a far distant cousin from the pepperoni slices I grew up eating from Marzella's in downtown Collegeville, PA, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Our friend Nana made a similar pizza using onions and apple slices, and it rocked. You can substitute any of the ingredients to include your favorites. Black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon...Enjoy.

This Ain’t Your Mama’s Mini Meat Loaves

My friend Nana sent me this recipe after it was a big hit for dinner one evening with her hubby. Meat loaf normally gets a bad rap, but these are really fantastic. Pair them with some potatoes, and you've got yourself a meal that will please any meat-n-potatoes fan in your house.

Many of the ingredients that are listed are interchangeable for local ingredients. If you're on the newer side of cooking, try my Substitutions link on the main page. Also, if you make the full recipe, they can be frozen and the directions on how to reheat are listed. What a fabulous solution to a mid-week meal crisis!

Mini Meat Loaves

• 1 cup ketchup
  
• 3 to 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar (regular sugar or Splenda can also be used)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard (try yellow or brown mustard if you don't have the dry stuff)
  
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 3 cups Crispix cereal, crushed (I've used Rice Krispies, but any other 'rice' cereal can be subbed---Fitness, Rice Chex, etc)
  
• 3 teaspoons onion powder (again, use real onions or even dried)
  
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (steak seasoning works great!)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (fresh garlic works great)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
  

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Remove 1/2 cup for topping; set aside. Add the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, cereal and seasonings to remaining ketchup mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes. Crumble beef over cereal mixture and mix well.
  
• Press meat mixture into 18 muffin cups (about 1/3 cup each). Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes. Drizzle with reserved ketchup mixture; bake 10 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°.
  
• Serve desired number of meat loaves. Cool remaining loaves; freeze. Transfer to freezer bags; seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
  
• To use frozen meat loaves: Completely thaw in the refrigerator. Place loaves in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through, or cover and microwave on high for 1 minute or until heated through. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.
  

Enjoy these tasty treats with your family soon. Because isn't meat loaf truly American?

Mark’s I Want My Baby Back Ribs

While in Texas for RandR, my brother graciously hosted a Football watching party complete with all the Texas type food you could want. Mark is a great cook, and he has far fewer epic fails in the kitchen than I do. He had been bragging about these ribs for a while and decided to finally make them. When he told me that these were done mainly in a CrockPot, I thought, OK, it's possible, since I did my Thanksgiving turkey in one 2 years back. Anyone who thinks good ribs have to be done on a grill will be sorely mistaken with this recipe. It's just plain ol' good.

As for ingredients, if you are not like me in Tunis, you should be able to readily find pork ribs. However, you can also sub in beef ribs and have them cut down by your butcher to fit in your CrockPot. I've bought 2 different kinds of rubs from my local BBQ place in Houston (shout out to Carl's BBQ in Cypress, TX!!), but you can look up some made from scratch rubs online at http://www.allrecipes.com/. As for BBQ sauce, I always keep some on hand because I am a TX girl, after all.

Oh, and I almost forgot: CROCK POT ALERT!!!

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Mark's I Want My Baby Back Ribs

Equipment:
- slow cooker or crock pot at least as deep as width of ribs
- oven
- oven pan or broiler pan
- knife

Ingredients:
Baby Back Ribs (as many as you want and can stand on their bone end in a crock pot or slow cooker)
2-3 T dry rub per rack (I like Head Country but I think any smoky type sauce should work)
1/2c + 1/4-1/2 c BBQ sauce per rack

Prep: Take silver skin off the back of the baby back ribs. The easiest way to do this is take a knife, insert it under the skin, work your fingers under the skin and slowly work your finger under it down the ribs until it's all off. On the meaty side, trim any excess fat or any silver skin that might be there.

Rub ribs with a dry rub on both sides. I've let them sit overnight and I've done that right before, I'm sure over night lets it sink in more but life doesn't always give you the call for ribs a day in advance.

Cooking: Put the ribs under the broiler for 15-20 minutes flipping once. You want them to get a little cooked on the outside. My oven is gas and I'm not sure it works as fast as an electric so keep any eye on them... no burning should happen.

I pour maybe 1/3-1/2 cup off bbq sauce and maybe 1/2-1 cup of water in the bottom of slow cooker or crock pot and arrange the ribs where they stand up on the bone end. My crock pot only fits 1 rack so I cut it into 3 pieces. You don't want them soaking in the liquid while cooking, that'll make the meat fall straight off the bone when removing. I've cooked them on low for 6 hours, or 4ish on a combination of high and low, just depends if you're around the house or not.

Finish them: Pull them out of the slow cooker, put them on sheet pan or broiler pan, put a thin layer of bbq sauce on them and put them back under the broiler until the sauce is bubbling a little bit but watch to not burn. I'll start them on meat side down, then flip to bone side down.

Enjoying: For the neat freaks, you should be able to eat these with a fork and knife. For the real deal, get in there with your hands. If you need more bbq sauce, have a little warm sauce nearby for individual bite dipping purposes. If anyone criticizes you on this, just tell them "The ribs told me to do it."

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Impress your friends with these. They will thank you for it.

A Man's Gotta Eat (Ground Beef Casserole)

While ladies lunching is a delicate thang, I think it's worth addressing the hardier of the gourmands in your house. My husband, who consumes more food than any human I have ever known, once told me that he doesn't really care what he eats, he just needs sheer volume. While I enjoy creating delectable morsels for the family table, I cannot avoid tossing together an old-fashioned 1970s era casserole once or twice a week so the poor man doesn't starve. Toward that end, I offer the A Man's Gotta Eat (Ground Beef Casserole):

Couldn't be simpler and is easy to adapt to any taste palette.

1 pound of ground beef

1 lb. package of pasta (I like rotini)

mix of cream of chicken soup

1 cup (or more depending on your taste) grated cheddar, gruyere or monterey jack cheese

1 diced onion

1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt and pepper

bread crumbs (optional)

Using a hot saute pan, heat the EVOO and add the diced onion. Saute until tender, then add the ground beef, making sure to brown thoroughly. Salt and pepper to season the beef, and when fully browned, drain the fat and return to pan. Cook the pan of pasta, drain and set aside. If you have canned cream of chicken soup (lucky you), things get pretty simple here. If not, like some of us in far away lands, you'll need to mix the soup and water until it boils and thickens. Once the soup is heated, combine the pasta with the ground beef. Toss the mixture with the cream of chicken soup and mix thoroughly. Then toss in as much cheese as you like. Throw on some bread crumbs, bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, and you're done. Couldn't be simpler.

Some other options: Obviously, you can change the flavor of the casserole with the flavor of cream of whatever soup you choose. I find that cream of chicken has a mild flavor, but some folks like cream of mushroom for this, and some like cream of asparagus. By all means, choose what you love. You can up the heat/spice factor by creating a Tex-Mex version of this and throw in some diced chilis and use a chili seasoning as you brown the meat. There are tons of different options. Good comfort food for all.

Have your Veggies and Meatballs too!

TV and mags are always telling us to eat more vegetables. If you are like me, you don't get the daily recommended amount. Well, this Veggie Meatball Soup will help you and your family achieve this goal.

The recipe was submitted to me by my gal pal Christine who was in Tunis and is now in Paris (oh-la-la!). The only thing that you may have to buy at the commissary is the meatballs unless of course you are lucky enough to find them locally OR you made extras 2 weeks ago and have them frozen. This is great this time of year when the temps are changing and it's rainy and drizzling outside. It's what I call a smeal, or, a soup meal.

CROCK POT ALERT!!!

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Veggie Meatball Soup

25 frozen cooked meatballs
1 can (28oz/775gm) diced tomatoes (I just bought whole tomatoes and mashed them with a potato masher in the crockpot)
3 cups beef broth
2 cups shredded cabbage (we hate cooked cabbage so we left this out)
1 can (16oz/40gm) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cup green beans
2 carrots sliced
1 cup water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (I use fresh chopped)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (or whatever shape I can find, spirals or small shells work fine)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a 5 quart crockpot, combine the first 14 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5.5 to 6 hours or until veges are almost tender. Stir in macaroni and parsley and cook 30 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender. Serve with parmesan if desired.

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Seriously, this is one of the easiest meals ever. If you have a knack for planning a few hours ahead of time, it may become your go-to, clean-out-the-veggies-in-the-house, Tuesday-night meal. Christine's kids love it and yours will too!

Are you ready for some Football Chili?!?

To all you football widows out there, this recipe is for you! It will get your hubby and his friends away from the flat screen on Sundays and into the kitchen to dig in. You can double for more people and add your own flair, but this is the basic recipe. Most ingredients you'll be able to find locally and put your crock-pot to use (bonus appliance use!!). And in my house, crock pot= fall=football season. You do the math.

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Tracy who hates to measure stuff.

Crock Pot Football Chili

1 regular package of ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 onion (red, yellow or white), diced
1 or 2 bell peppers, diced (I like red, though green are readily available in Tunisia)
Garlic cloves, minced (1 or 2 will do)
1 packet of Chili seasoning (Sorry, this is something you may have to get at the commissary or on Netgrocer. You can also use taco seasoning).
1 big a** can of diced tomatoes
1 normal can of kidney beans
1 regular can of pinto beans
Optional: jalapeno peppers, red chili flakes (If you like your chili hot, use 'em!)

Cook veges in pan for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add ground beef to pan and cook until brown. Mix seasonings and stir. Dump the mixture into the crock pot. Add diced tomatoes and beans to mixture and set on high for 1-2 hours or until heated throughout. Serve plain or with cheddar cheese, Frito's, tortilla chips, saltine crackers, or sour cream.

I love the beans in this recipe, but you can leave them out if you don't. Also, if you can't get your hands on onions or peppers, that's ok too. The seasoning packet usually has dried onions in it. When you use both the beans and the veges, the recipe is super hearty.

Cloudy with a Chance of BBQ Meatballs

This next recipe comes from my friend Julie who is currently back in the states for a tour. She definitely remembers the trials and tribulations of cooking in Tunis! No BBQ sauce, no problem!!!

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BBQ Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (These can easily be made if you don't have them. Think day old baguette or bread!)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried)
1/4 cup of milk

Combine meatball ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls and bake on foil lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a sauce pan:

1 cup water
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar (you can substitute honey as brown sugar is not available locally in some locales)
Tabasco/hot sauce to taste (you can substitute a little harissa if you want)
Worcestershire sauce (good, but not necessary)

Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes.

This recipe is easy to double, triple or quadruple for parties. It can be made ahead and reheated in a crockpot. The longer the meatballs are in the sauce, the better they taste.

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Thanks Julie for submitting to LLOR. This sounds like an excellent bunco or party recipe, though meatball-lovin'-hubbies around the globe would certainly enjoy for an ordinary Wednesday night.

Keep those recipes coming to my email address! New recipes will be coming to LLOR soon. Stay tuned!