A New Bourbon Chicken Recipe

I found this recipe last week and decided to try it. I changed it based on the reviews! It really is a keeper! Yum!

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast - cubed
4-5 tbsp canola oil
cornstarch
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 c apple juice
1/3 c light brown sugar (Domino is gf)
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 c water
1/3 c tamari (gf soy sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a skillet.
2. Lightly coat the chicken pieces in cornstarch.
3. Saute chicken until lightly browned and cooked mostly through. Remove.
4. Add garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and light brown sugar, sautéing until sugar is dissolved. 
5. Continue adding ingredients, over medium heat, and cook until well combined.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes. If it isn't thickened to your liking, add a slurry of water and cornstarch and thicken.

Served with coconut rice and stir-fried veggies!

Paula Deen's Herb Crusted Pork Loin Roast

Now that Marc is heading out every weekend, I need to make dinners during the week that will give me leftovers!

Well, I decided to try a pork loin roast this week. Not a bad things, since I have three of them in my freezer! I figured it would give me lots of leftovers for sandwiches, etc.

Here's her recipe. Seemed easy to me!
______________________________________________________________

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I increased this to 8 because my cloves were dinky!)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.

Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests.

______________________________________________________________

I read the reviews of many people and changed a few things about the cooking. I did start it at 475, but lowered after 20 minutes. I dropped the temperature to 400 and inserted my temperature probe. It took about an hour total to reach 150. I removed it from the roasting pan and tented it, letting it rest for 20 minutes (brought the temperature up to 160). 

The result: BEAUTIFUL, TENDER, and JUICY PORK LOIN! This recipe is definitely a keeper. 

I served with fried apples, green beans, and risotto (Lundburg Farms makes great gluten-free risotto mixes)!

For My Valentine

My meal plan for today:

MAIN DISH: Steamed Lobster, fresh from Maine (shipped overnight, caught yesterday) with clarified butter and lemon

SIDES: Twice-Baked Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

DESSERT: Vanilla-bean Infused Creme Brûlée with Strawberries

Check back later this week for a detailed post! Hopefully, I'll have pictures too!!! :)

My Take on Caprese Salad

I really wanted a salad to go with the mushroom bolognese I made tonight! I didn't want a simple salad, though. We have that all the time! I was craving something a little different, so I decided I'd make a caprese salad as a first course! I had everything I needed, too! Well, I thought.

I had gotten these beautiful large basil leaves in a package (no one around me sells them loose) on Sunday. They were perfect - until I opened the package. Everything under the first four or five leaves were black and the ones on the bottom were growing mold! I was very angry - I'd just bought these yesterday and I needed to make this salad TONIGHT!

What to do? I could have cried - that's been a common response lately! I could have gone to the store (taking what I had bought back) and demanded my money back! But that would accomplish little, since I wouldn't get any of the basil there and the next closest store is a 45 minute round trip! I could have just scraped the salad, but I'd already bought these beautiful tomatoes and some great mozzarella that would have gone to waste!

What did I do? I made a salad with a nod to the caprese salad! I had some romaine lettuce needed for a meal later in the week in the refrigerator (I don't need all of it)! I decided to make a salad dressing that used the basil that was good (washed thoroughly, several times), lemon, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil! Since I would drizzle the balsamic vinegar and EVOO over the caprese salad anyway, I figured this would work well! I also sprinkle salt and pepper over my caprese salad and finish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, so I combined it all! After tasting the dressing, I realized it needed something more, so I added a couple of garlic cloves! Perfect! I poured the dressing over romaine lettuce with quartered cherry tomatoes and cubed mozzarella!

Below is my recipe! It turned out well! I hope that you enjoy this interesting twist next time you don't have the full amount of basil required by a traditional caprese salad!

INGREDIENTS

• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 large garlic clove
• salt
• pepper
• handful of basil (6-9 large leaves)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• whole-milk mozzarella, cubed (I use Sorrento)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the basil and place it in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Pulse until chopped and combined. Turn the processor on slow speed and pour EVOO slowly into it, until it reaches a dressing-like consistency (this is different for everyone)! 

Wash chopper romaine lettuce and lay out on a platter. Quarter cherry tomatoes and cube mozzarella. Place on top of the lettuce. Slowly pour the dressing over the salad!

Enjoy!

My Version of Marinated Italian Pork Loin Chops

Tonight started FIVE nights of cooking new meals! Tonight, I tried to make a marinated pork loin chop that is based on Rachael Ray's "Marinated No-Mystery Meats" recipe.

I did make several changes to the gravy recipe, but I made the marinade exactly the same way she did! I really loved the meat, but I did let it sit longer than she states in the recipe.

First, I combined 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar with 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (chopped), 3 tbsp of fresh parsley (chopped), and 4 cloves of garlic (chopped). After they were whisked together, I began marinating the chops (salted and peppered). I marinated each side for 10 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. After removing the chops, I reserved the marinade for the gravy.

I removed the pork loin chops from the marinade, making sure that no herb or garlic pieces remained on the chop (a visual inspection and simply picking them off will do - DO NOT RINSE). I placed the pork chops in a sauté pan over medium-high heat (no oil necessary). I cooked on each side for about 6 minutes, then removed the chops to a plate and tented with aluminum foil.

In the same sauté pan, over medium heat, I added 2 tbsp of salted butter and the remainder of the marinade (including the herbs and garlic). I also added 1/2 of a chopped onion and 2 tsp of red pepper flake, then sautéed until they were slightly browned. I sliced 10 small button mushrooms and sautéed them with the onions and garlic for about 10 minutes, slightly browning them. I then added 2 cups of chicken stock and a half cup of dry red wine (white would have worked as well), whisking in 3 tbsp of multi-purpose gluten-free flour after about 5 minutes. I brought the mixture to boil for 10 minutes (to kill any remaining bacteria from the raw meat). I added another 2 tbsp of butter (it wasn't quite rich enough) and fresh thyme and parsley to the gravy. This is not a super thick gravy. Instead, it was just a bit thicker than the simple chicken stock!

I served the gravy over the pork loin chops and simple brown rice made in chicken stock. It is flavorful without being spicy. I saved the gravy in separate individual containers and froze them. I am hoping to use them for rice in the future (when Marc is out of town)! This really was yummy! I hope you enjoy!

A Crockin' Girls Meal - Balsamic Chicken

Okay, so I RARELY use my slow cooker. I have bad luck with it, I guess. Everything I've cooked in it has been dry, tough, or both! I just don't get it! Yes, it's a convenience tool. Set it and leave it. But, for some reason, I can cook a moist and delicious pot roast in the oven but not in the slow cooker! Go figure!

Well, I was skeptical when a friend posted about a delicious Crock-Pot Balsamic Chicken meal that they made. It sounded good, but I just knew that my chicken would come out like dry bricks! But I decided to give it a shot. Here is the original recipe by Crockin' Girls. I would suggest following them on their Facebook page or at their website! They are so awesome! (I just tend to make the stuff in my dutch oven.) Below the recap is the original recipe and the additions/changes that I made. I'm sure that it would have been brilliant the way it was written. To be honest, it was delicious! (No pictures today, sorry. I just am not in a picture-type mood!)

I used four boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about two pounds total), seasoned with salt and pepper. First, I sliced two onions (small, yellow), eight ounces of cremini mushrooms, and one large bell pepper into strips. I added two tablespoons of olive oil (Bertolli Classic) to the bottom of my slow cooker, then placed the chicken onto it. The bell peppers and onions went on top of the chicken. Then, I added one teaspoon oregano, one teaspoon of sweet basil, one-half teaspoon of rosemary, and one-half teaspoon of thyme. I also added three tablespoons of dried garlic, one-half teaspoon of garlic powder, and two whole cloves (crushed) of garlic. (As you know, we LOVE garlic). Lastly, we needed liquid! I poured in one-half cup of balsamic vinegar and two cans of undrained Hunt's diced tomatoes (with nothing added, to ensure that they are gluten-free).

That's it! As simple as that! It took longer to defrost the chicken than it did to make the meal! I covered it and turned the slow cooker onto high for three hours!

I have to say that it was a bit dry. In fact, when I took the temperature of the chicken breast (and I had very thick breasts), it was over 200 degrees! White meat chicken is only suppose to get to 160 degrees to keep it from being too dry! It had a lot of liquid with the sauce, but was still dry. Next time, I will cook it on low for three hours or high for one and half hours. I will definitely check after an hour though! :) 


I served it with a parmesan risotto (a recipe given to me by that same friend - thanks, Kim!) and steamed green beans! The whole meal was very good! Yum!

Enjoy!



RECIPE

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 chicken breasts (approximately 2 lbs)
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes (undrained - Hunt's is gluten-free)
• 2 small, yellow onions, sliced (Kim actually used frozen diced; the original recipe calls for one onion)
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 large bell pepper, sliced (I used green; this isn't in the original recipe)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed whole (original recipe calls for four, diced)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tbsp dried garlic (this isn't in the original recipe)
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 tsp dried sweet basil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (original recipe called for 1 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar (original recipe called for 1/4 c)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Salt and pepper chicken breasts.
• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to bottom of slow cooker, then add the chicken.
• Add sliced onions, mushrooms, and peppers.
• Add all of the seasonings.
• Pour the balsamic vinegar and undrained cans of tomatoes on top of the chicken, veggies, and seasonings.
• Set the slow cooker to high and leave for two (recipe calls for four) hours! Please use a meat thermometer to check! It should read 160 degrees!

This can be served over pasta or with rice! Enjoy!

Not A Fan of Dr. Oz

I decided to watch Dr. Oz a few weeks ago because the previews (seen during the evening news) made it seem like he was going to be talking about Celiac disease! The previews showed Elizabeth Hasselbeck talking about what gave her more energy. I was very excited to see something as near and dear to my heart as Celiac disease being shown on a popular daytime show. I was let down, sadly.

The show (or at least the first half) WAS, indeed, about Celiac disease and gluten-intolerance! I did learn some interesting things, such as Garnier Fructis is gluten-free (I've been looking for a good hairspray that won't cause me harm)! However, I was HIGHLY disappointed in Dr. Oz for promoting a gluten-free diet without seeing a doctor first. 

Now, I do understand that many Americans cannot afford doctor visits. However, most of those that cannot afford the visits probably wouldn't want to spend the extra money to go gluten-free unless they had to! It is a simple blood test! 

What I want people to understand is this: IF you go on a gluten-free diet BEFORE you get tested, you will get a negative result. There will be NO antibodies in your system because you are not feeding it anything in which to react! If your doctor is wise, they will make you go back on a gluten-loaded diet for upwards of three months before rechecking! I once read that you should eat a slice of bread a day in addition to your normal intake of gluten for a month before the test! I know that I did NOT want to eat gluten once going on a gluten-free diet. Most people wouldn't because they feel so much better without it! But in order to get that positive and be sent through the next step (endoscopy for intestinal biopsy), you have to ingest gluten!

This was not what Dr. Oz recommended. He'd angered many in the gluten-free world on two prior occasions for being negative toward the gluten-free diet because it was not a 'healthy' alternative for losing weight (2009, 2011). Now he has made a statement that most doctors would never endorse - try the diet then go to the doctor! I really wish he would devote ONE show to Celiac disease, gluten-intolerance, and allergies. Maybe he could have Dr. Fasano (University of Maryland) or Dr. Guandalini (University of Chicago) explain their research! But I doubt that will happen...

So, why am I writing about this now? Well, I've had this written in a draft for awhile, but didn't want to publish it until today! On his episode today, he was talking with Montel Williams about health and energy. First, why interview him as an authoritative figure on health and energy? He's a TV celebrity - that's it. Just because he's found what works in his life, it doesn't make him an authority that ANYONE should listen to! 

On the show today, he was touting the benefits of B12 injections. While they are relatively safe (B vitamins are water-soluble - what you don't need, you excrete), most doctors will NOT prescribe them unless you are deficient. I could not figure out if he was saying to take it daily or monthly, but he wants people to inject 1 mL subcutaneously. That's what I take. Yes, I do it monthly and it helps me tremendously! However, if you test my blood halfway through a cycle, I have a middle-of-the-road number in my system. If I test at the end of a cycle, I am DEFICIENT! Most people are NOT deficient. And if they are mildly deficient, they can take supplements. My small intestines no longer absorb B12, but most people's do. Just take it in pill form. Because of people like that, it is a hassle to get my insurance company to pay for B12 shots!

I'm sorry. That's my rant for the day! I am not a happy camper. I think Dr. Oz pushes lots of vitamins on people that are unnecessary. I also believe that too much can be just as dangerous as not enough. Think before you reach for what he tells you to take! 

Mom's Chili 3.0

I made chili again tonight for the Super Bowl. I only changed a couple of things, but it helped.

First, I added 4 stalks of celery, diced small. I sautéed them when I sautéed the onions and bell pepper.

The second thing I did, after it had cooked for awhile and I realized it still wasn't right, was add carrot! Yep, carrot! It gives it a bit of sweetness, which toned down the canned tomatoes and paste. I grated the carrots in my food processor. It really did work. I grated three large carrots. It looked like a lot, but it wasn't.

Next time, I will try to add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar when I add the rest of the spices!

I'm getting closer... Might not get it this chili season, but I should have it by next year!

My Birthday Gift to Marc

Dinner tonight was a belated birthday gift to Marc. I wanted to do something special for him, but I've been so tired lately! Today, I had extra time, so I spent it in the kitchen all day to make some of Marc's favorite foods!

I decided to make French onion soup, lamb loin chops with a mint pesto, roasted garlic red potatoes, and roasted asparagus. The French onion soup is a LONG recipe! I added it first!

The side dishes had to be made first! I preheated my oven to 425 degrees F. While I waited, I minced 5 cloves of garlic (we love garlic - you can use more or less) and quartered or cut into eighths about 2 pounds of washed baby red potatoes.

Washed baby red potatoes 

I added the potatoes to a pyrex casserole dish and liberally drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil. Yes, I know that you are not suppose to use EVOO in the oven when it's over 350 degrees F, but I do! I love the extra flavor that it gives. I added the garlic, coarse Kosher salt, and pepper.

Mixed potatoes, garlic, salt, and extra virgin olive oil.

I hand-mixed them so that they were all covered with the seasonings. I covered the casserole with aluminum foil and placed them in the oven for about an hour.

While the potatoes began to cook, I started working on my roasted asparagus. This is an adapted recipe from Ina Garten. After rinsing my asparagus, I broke off the woody ends. I laid them on an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet and drizzled them with extra-virgin olive oil and salt! 

I made sure that they were entirely covered! I put them into the oven on a lower shelf. 

These need to cook about 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.

Asparagus with olive oil and salt.

If you time it right, you can pull both the asparagus and potatoes out at the same time! 

But beware, the potatoes aren't done quite yet!

Now it was time for the main course - a lamb chop with mint pesto. The original recipe comes from Guy Fieri on the Food Network. I changed a few things, mainly that I didn't grill the chops and I used pistachios instead of pine nuts in the pesto. I don't grill - that's Marc's territory and I'm not making him do his own lamb chops! And I do NOT like pine nuts. To me, they are bitter and that's it - no other flavor profile at all! I know that Alton Brown makes a pistachio pesto, so it isn't unheard of to use pistachios for a pesto!

As I waited on the sides, I dried my chops and made the rub to go on them. It was simple, mixing together 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. I rubbed the chops with olive oil and the rub mixture.



This is enough for 8 chops, but I only had 4 (2 per person) so I decided to save the rest for a later date! I let the chops sit in the rub at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until I was ready to use them!

I made the pesto quickly, throwing a few cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup pistachios in my food processor and pulsing. I added all of the herbs, about 3/4 c each of basil, mint, and parsley and chopped for 30 seconds! I added 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped for about another minute. I then drizzled in about 2/3 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil into the mixture while the processor is running. 

You may want to use more or less olive oil, based on the consistency you like your pesto! 

Pesto

The potatoes and asparagus were ready for me by this point! My next step was to broil the French onion soup, so I set the oven to low broil and added my crocks about 8" from the heat source! 

After the soup was out (and served), I dropped the temperature back to 450 degrees F and placed the potatoes, now uncovered, into the oven for an additional 15 minutes (while we ate the soup).

As I took the soup out of the oven, I added olive oil to my Calphalon Unison 12" sauté pan (with the sear technology) over medium-high heat. After eating the soup, I came back to work on my lamb chops while Marc digested! I added the chops to the HOT pan (test it with water before you put in your chops) and sautéed for 3 minutes on each side, then I covered and cooked in the oven at 425 degrees F until they were medium-rare (140 degrees F for gourmet cooking, 150 degrees F for USDA). 

Notice that many of the chops had two rib bones in them! They were very thick!

This oven step took about 5 additional minutes, but my chops were 1-1/2" thick. 

Your chops may not even need to go into the oven, depending on their thickness!

At about the same time that the chops were ready, the potatoes were ready! It was great! I'm not a lamb fan, but these were actually pretty good, especially with the pistachios in the pesto!

Julia Child's French Onion Soup - GF Version

Of course, Julia Child did not make a gluten-free version of this classic. Marc LOVES French onion soup and I wanted to make it for him! I figure, why not use this classic recipe but get rid of the gluten? It's tried and true, not to mention REALLY GOOD, apparently! It calls for flour and crusty French bread. I'll adapt!

I've never had French onion soup. Ever. I don't know what it is suppose to taste like. Hopefully, Marc will love this new version of a classic!

First, I thinly sliced five medium to large yellow onions. It's important to make the first cut from root to stem. I make my slices in that same direction. Julia Child actually goes the other direction. Either is fine.

Onions cut in half through the stem and root.

Sliced onion.

Four of the six and a half cups of sliced yellow onion!

Next, I melted two tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot 

(I used my Dutch oven) over medium heat.

Oil and Butter

I added all of the onions and stirred to coat. I turned the heat down to medium-low 

so that they could sweat, and added the top.

Dutch oven covered with onions sweating.

After 20 minutes, I removed the top from the Dutch oven. 

Onions sweated and ready for caramelization.

The onions reduced by half, losing a lot of their moisture. I added a half of a teaspoon of sugar to aid in the caramelization of the onions and a teaspoon of salt. I increased the temperature to medium-high and stirred the onions every two to three minutes, being careful not to burn the onions. 

We want them brown and caramelized with lots of flavor - not burnt! Be careful not to leave these!

After about 15 minutes of caramelizing.

After about a half hour of caramelizing.

After about 45 minutes of caramelizing.

Once they are caramelized, I reduced the heat to medium-low. I added three tablespoons of multi-purpose flour (I used King Arthur's) and about two more tablespoons of butter. 

I stirred the flour mixture two to three minutes, making a paste.

Flour mixed with the onions. You can tell how much the onions reduced!
They filled over half the pot to begin with and now they are only about a third of the bottom!

This is where I truly depart from Julia's original recipe. She adds warmed beef stock first. I have never been able to deglaze a pan with stock of any kind. So I switch the wine and stock steps! 

I added one cup of red wine (I used Childress's Cabernet Sauvignon) to deglaze the pot bottom. 

Next, I scraped all of the blackened bits from the bottom! 

I actually whisked the mixture to make sure that the flour was combined well!

After the red wine was whisked into the onions!

You can see that the red wine is thickened quickly with the flour in the onions.

After deglazing the pot, I combined the beef stock (I used a combination of Pacific Beef Broth and Kitchen Basics Beef Stock, but using homemade stock would be best) with the red wine-onion mixture.

Stock whisked into mixture.

I made a bouquet garni of fresh parsley, fresh thyme, and fresh bay leaf. This is a difference from the original recipe also. I don't like sage, which is called for in her recipe, along with bay leaf. Alton Brown's recipe calls for parsley, thyme and bay leaf, so I chose to use that flavor profile. 

I added the bouquet garni to the stock.

Fresh parsley, thyme, and bay leaf!

After bringing the mixture to a boil, I reduced it to a simmer. I simmered it, uncovered, for half an hour. I tasted it and added a pinch of salt. Julia's recipe calls for adding some of the Swiss cheese to the pot. Instead, I added the rind of the Gruyere (a Swiss cheese with a little more bite than our normal Swiss with holes) and a rind I had from some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Because I wasn't ready to do the rest of the meal, I covered the pot and left it over low heat for about an hour. I didn't really follow the rest of Julia's recipe at this point. I can't have cognac, which the original recipe calls for, and 

I wanted to do everything in individual crocks and freeze any of the remainder of the soup.

The original recipe calls for a crusty French bread. I didn't have a lot of options because of the limited breads that you can use on a gluten-free diet! Against the Grain Gourmet makes amazing gluten-free artisan breads. They make a baguette that can be purchased at EarthFare in the frozen foods section. It's actually  pretty crusty, the key to making a good crouton according to Julia Child!

Against the Grain Baguettes

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees F and sliced the baguette at an angle. I lined my cookie sheet with aluminum foil and placed my cut baguette slices (about 3/4" to an inch thick) on it. I drizzled the tops of the baguette slices with extra virgin olive oil, then flipped them to do the same thing to the other side. Unlike her recipe, I did add a pinch of salt to each. I baked them on each side for 15 minutes, totaling 30 minutes in the oven. They were nicely browned and crunchy, like any good crouton should be!

Toasting the baguettes with extra virgin olive oil.

Toasted to a golden brown on both sides!

Once I was almost ready to serve the soup, I turned the broiler on "lo." I moved my oven grate so that it was about eight inches from the heat source. I added the soup to two medium crocks (I think they are Corningware), grated a small amount of Gruyere into the soup, placed a crouton (or two, depending on how big your croutons are and how big the crocks you are serving it in are) on top, and grated a lot of Gruyere and some Parmagiano-Reggiano cheeses over the top of the croutons, making sure that the edges of the toast are completely covered.

Guyere added to the top of the crouton - it could have used more! 

I broiled each of the crocks for about one minute. This can vary depending on your broiler. You just want the cheese to be bubbly and browning. It may take 45 seconds or 90 seconds, so keep your eye on it!

Crocks under the broiler.

Most of the cheese fell into the soup! I will definitely use more cheese next time!

After serving, I was interested to see Marc's reaction. I thought it was very good,  but I'd never had French onion soup! I wanted to know if it was as good as he remembered it! He liked it. He said it was very rich, richer than a lot of restaurants make it, but it was really good! 

My First Dinner on the New Stove!

Yes, it isn't fancy! It's actually a stand-by biweekly recipe that is easiest when it's been a long day, which today has been!

Today's dinner consisted of pork loin chops smothered with Thai Kitchen's Spicy Mango Sauce, Jasmine rice made with coconut milk, and freshly steamed green beans. It was delicious! The recipes follow, are very easy to do, and take less than 20 minutes from start to finish! Like I said, great for a quick gluten-free weeknight meal! And, yes, I do use some pre-mixed stuff for this! If I knew how to make Thai spicy mango sauce, I would do it!

You can find this in the Asian aisle of your local market.  

First, I started making the Jasmine rice heating two cups water and one and a half cups Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk in a medium sauce pan over high heat. 

Also found in the Asian aisle, this makes the rice so creamy!

As the coconut milk mixture was coming to a boil, I removed the pork loin chops from the refrigerator, dried with a paper towel, and seasoned. I sprinkled each with salt, pepper, and ground ginger (Spice Island) on one side and just salt on the second side. I preheated the 12" non-stick (Calphalon Unison with sear technology) sauté pan over medium-high heat and added about a tablespoon of olive oil. 

While the pan was heating, I added one cup of water (about 1/2") in a 12" aluminum sauté pan, covered, and heated over medium heat to produce steam. By this time, the coconut milk mixture was boiling, so I added two tablespoons of butter and two cups of Jasmine rice (well-rinsed in a mesh strainer). I brought that to a boil, covered, and reduced to a simmer. It stayed covered for 15 minutes!

I added the pork loin chops to the sauté pan with oil. I sautéed the meat for 5 minutes on the first side. 

Pork loin chops, after flipping the first time! I should have had the heat up a little higher,
but it was my first time using the new stove, so I didn't know. I'd like a bit more sear on these!

As it sautéed, I added the fresh green beans (I cut the tips off of the stem end and rinsed under running water) to the steamed pan and recovered. 

Steaming the green beans.

I flipped the pork loin chops and cooked an additional 4 minutes. I removed the Jasmine rice from the heat, but left covered. Once the temperature reached 155 degrees F at the middle of the chop, I added about one tablespoon of Spicy Mango Sauce to the top of each. I continued to cook one more minute!

Spicy Mango Sauce covering the chops. You can tell that some spilled off and was browning in the bottom of the pan!

I turned off the burner with the green beans and removed the lid. I also removed the lid from the rice. 

Coconut Milk Jasmine Rice - so creamy and very yummy!

I plated simply, adding the rice first, then the pork loin chop on top of the rice. I put the green beans to the side. I chopped fresh snow peas to top the chop! This makes it really good, adding crunch and sweetness!

Snow peas to add crunch and sweetness to the chops!

Doesn't it look nice, and tasty too?

Marc's plate! You can barely see the rice!

It's so easy to make! I hope that you try it soon! Really, it takes 20 minutes from start to finish! I started at six and we were sitting down to eat by six thirty, after making drinks and feeding the two pups!

YUM!!!

My New Stove

MY NEW STOVE

This was a combination gift from Marc's parents! Isn't it wonderful?

It covers Marc's birthday, our anniversary, my birthday, and probably Christmas this year! But that's ok!

It is so exciting!

We got an LG Self-Cleaning Gas Range with a 5.4 cubic foot oven! Yay! More space!

UPGRADE #1

It has FIVE burners, and came with a griddle for the middle oval burner!

The front two burners are power burners; the front right burner is a SUPER BURNER and heats large amounts of water RAPIDLY!

UPGRADE #2

Fewer individual grates and a flat underside allow for easily cleaning of the stove top!

\

UPGRADE #3

It has a pad instead of dials!

UPGRADE #4

You can use the convection bake and roast features!

UPGRADE #5

It has a delayed start time AND a favorites setting!

UPGRADE #6

It's stainless steel!

UPGRADE #7

Cobalt blue interior to reflect the true color of the food! No opening and closing the doors!

And it's pretty too!

ISN'T IT PRETTY?!

I CAN'T WAIT TO START USING IT!

THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD H!

Marc's Birthday!

I did, indeed, make Marc breakfast in bed! It was simple, not fancy: 3 eggs scrambled with a little bit of milk, salt, and pepper (btw, they were the best scrambled eggs I'd ever made), 1 thick slice of pork roll, and 2 pieces of cinnamon French toast (with Udi's Wholegrain GF Bread). He had to wake up 15 minutes early, but I don't think that he minded, especially since I woke up half an hour before him (5:00 AM) to make him the breakfast!

My day just went downhill from there. I had to sub at a local school, so I didn't get to go back to sleep. Not only did I have to make breakfast for myself, I needed to figure out something to take for lunch that I didn't have to reheat. I'd made a bolognese the night before to go over Tinkyada Vegetable Spirals. I used the spirals to make a pasta salad. It was simple. I chopped a bell pepper, 5 large radishes, and carrots. I added them to the left over pasta and a couple of handfuls of grape tomatoes. To dress it, I put in extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper! But it took energy! By the time I got to school, I was tired. By the end of the day, I remembered why I taught middle and high school! Third graders are just too hyper! Not to mention, you have to be with them ALL DAY!

By the time I got home, I didn't have the energy to make anything fancy for Marc's dinner. I felt really badly, but I couldn't help it. I had planned on lobster, but the store didn't get a fresh shipment, so that was out of the question. I asked Marc what he wanted and he said that steak would be fine! I bought nice NY Strips and some asparagus. There are no step-by-step pictures this time! I was way too tired to detail it that much! But, I did manage to take a picture of the plate before Marc dug into it! I hope you enjoy the recipes!

STEAK with MUSHROOM RED WINE REDUCTION
This is really Alton Brown's recipe on how to cook a steak! It is so easy and quick! First, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and insert the pan you plan on using on the stove top! Cast iron is great, but I use my Calphalon Unison, which is labeled to be used in a 500 degree oven! Make sure to use a pot holder to take it out, or you'll get burned! I cook my steaks medium-rare, so that is what the times reflect. 
I liberally coated two 1-1/2 inch NY Strip steaks with canola oil, salt, and pepper. I place the HOT pan over high heat and seared the steaks for 30 seconds on each side. I inserted the pan with steaks into the oven. After two minutes, I flipped the steaks. After two additional minutes, I removed the steaks, used a meat thermometer to check the temperature (I wanted 135 degrees F), and placed them on an inverted plate over a slightly larger plate (this allowed the juices to run off and not make the crust soggy). I tented them with aluminum foil (not tightly sealed, just laid over to keep the heat in). This will allow the meat rest and to continue cooking a little, so be careful that it doesn't get too done! 
I left the hot pan over high heat and sautéed mushrooms in the drippings from the meat! I didn't add anything else! After sautéing for five minutes, I added about two cups of red wine (I used Childress Vineyards Classic Red Table because it was all I had on hand) and reduced it by about half. This took about five more minutes. I added 3 tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper. 
I served the reduction over top of the steak! It was delicious!


ASPARAGUS and BAKED POTATOES
Yes, I took the easy way out! I steamed the asparagus for five minutes in 1/2 inch of water over medium-low heat! That was it! Of course it was covered! I put the water on to begin bubbling and trapping steam when I began the steaks. I added the asparagus when mushrooms were finished sautéing. 
The baked potatoes were even easier. I cheated and used the microwave, one kitchen appliance that I never use except to reheat! I pierced the potatoes with a fork several times wrapped each one with a damp paper towel. I just used to potato function on the microwave when I began my mushrooms and they were ready when the reduction was finished! I loaded them with butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese! After all, this was a special occasion!

Before the Mushroom Red Wine Reduction

After the Mushroom Red Wine Reduction

I hope that you all try at least the steak! 

It is so easy and great for those times that you can't use the grill!

***Of course, it wouldn't have been a birthday for Marc without an ice cream cake. I don't like them, so I just bought a Carvel cake at the store! Thirty-two candles barely fit on the tiny thing! :) But he liked it!