Crock Pot Iowa Pork Chops With an Asian Glaze

I have to start using up some of the meat I have in the freezer.  I have some Iowa chops I got on sale and think I'm going to put them in the crock pot for supper. Going to make the Iowa chops international though by putting an Asian glaze on them.  I only have two chops so am cutting my recipe in half.  This recipe is for 4 chops. 

4 Iowa pork chops

Kosher salt and pepper

½ cup soy sauce

1 cup ketchup

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (which ever you have in the house.  I'm using honey)

1 tbs. rice vinegar

1 tsp. dried ginger

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional if you don’t want heat)

Salt and pepper your chops on both sides.  Brown them on both sides on the grill or in a cast iron skillet with a little olive oil.  Do not fully cook them. 

Mix the sauce ingredients in the bottom of the crock pot to save dirtying any more dishes.

Put the chops in the crock pot.  Ladle the sauce mixture from the bottom of the pot over the meat, cook on low for about 4 to 5 hours.  The meat should be tender and moist and cooked all the way through.

Serve with your favorite rice or Soba noodles.

Variation – You may add a can of crushed pineapple to the sauce for an even sweeter sauce. 

  

Soba Noodles 

8 ounces Soba noodles

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain. Set aside.

Whisk together rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, chopped garlic and ginger.

In a large bowl, combine noodles, rice wine vinegar mixture, green onions, and sesame seeds. 

Iowa pork chops on a cold Iowa winter's day.  That should warm me up.  Keep warm, be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Copy Cat Applebee's Quesadillas and Pico de Gallo

There are a few staples I usually have in my home and they are tortillas, a bag of shredded cheese, bacon and Picante Sauce.  It makes it easy to always make a quesadilla for lunch.  Thought I'd show you this copy cat recipe in case you don't know what to make for lunch.  

2 Slices of Bacon (sliced into 1/2" pieces)

2 Flour Tortilla Shells (8" diameter)

Softened butter (softened for lightly spreading on tortilla shells)

1 tablespoon Pico de Gallo (recipe below) or you can use a Picante sauce from a jar

1/4 cup Shredded Colby/Monterey Jack Cheese

Guacamole

Picante Sauce for the side

Slice bacon and fry until bacon starts to turn crisp but not hard and brittle (I always have the pre-cooked bacon in the freezer for just such a thing and I save a mess). Remove from pan, drain bacon and set aside. Spread butter lightly on one side of the flour tortilla shell (I use a little olive oil). Place buttered side of shell down, into a non-stick fry pan that has been preheated on medium heat. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of bacon over entire shell, then add 1 Tbs. Pico de Gallo, and 1/4 cup shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese over the bacon. Place the second flour shell on top of fixings, buttered side up. Cook for about one to two minutes over medium heat hot pan.  Cook just long enough to heat the inside ingredients and then carefully flip the quesadilla on the other side and finish cooking. The quesadilla should be heated through but not browned. Remove quesadilla and place on a serving dish and cut into individual triangle serving pieces. Serve quesadillas with your favorite guacamole and/or Picante sauce.

You determine if mild, medium or hot.  You may replace the bacon with cooked chicken and make it a chicken quesadilla.  I also like to serve with sour cream and fresh lettuce and tomato on the side to build it up to a super quesadilla.  Another variation is to use pepper cheese in place of the Mexican blend for real heat.

Copy Cat of Applebee’s  Pico de Gallo

3 large tomatoes diced

1 large onion diced

2 tablespoon diced Jalapenos

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (diced)

2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in large container until well blended. Allow sitting for at least 6 hours, it is better if allowed to sit overnight. 

Well it is going to be another cold one outside.  Grin and bare it, stay warm , be happy and may God bless you and yours.   

Baguette and Quick Leftover Appetizers

Standing in front of the refrigerator and wondering what needs to be used up and see I have a half of a baguette that is in need of being used.  Have some left over olives from another recipe and some left over Mozzarella so decided I’d make appetizers for myself to watch the Iowa game. 

I cut the baguette into individual pieces and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder and put under the broiler to make garlic bread.  When it was golden brown I took it out.

I’m making two different appetizers with the garlic bread.

Pepper Jelly Appetizers

Garlic bread

Whipped cream cheese

Pepper jelly I made this summer (Got to use it up.  I have lots of it)

Spread your cream cheese and pepper jelly on your crusty garlic toast.  One down and one to go.

Olive Spread Appetizers

Paste

Pitted green olives

Pitted black olives

Pitted Kalamata olives

2 tbs. olive oil

¼ tsp. garlic powder (two shakes)

¼ tsp. onion powder (two shakes)

Put your olives, oil, and garlic and onion powder in a small food process and chop until it is a paste.  If it is a little too dry, add a little more olive oil.

Appetizer

Olive paste

Garlic bread

Mozzarella cheese (I used left over Mozzarella pearls, but you can use fresh, sliced or grated (What ever you have in the house.  Provolone would be good too ).

Put the Mozzarella cheese on your toast and put back under the broil until it is melted and warm.  Take out of oven and top with the olive paste and serve it while it is still warm. 

Variation on both – You may also sprinkle the garlic toast with Parmesan cheese for even more cheese flavor if you like.  

Just an FYI on the benefits of olives:  They are an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, along with having anti-cancer benefits.  I love them and they are a regular part of my diet.  They make a great afternoon snack.

If you have any leftover spread use it in a pasta salad or on your next pizza. 

Hope you enjoyed your day in front of the TV watching the parade and football. Iowa lost but I still love my Hawkeyes.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Black-eyed Peas

Eating black-eyed peas for New Year’s has long been a Southern tradition. It signifies luck or prosperity, one of several New Year’s foods that are associated with good fortune.  So today to spread good fortune through out your year, I’m sharing a black-eyed pea recipes with you.

Simple Black-Eyed Pea Soup

1 bag of dried black-eyed peas

3 cups of water 

3 smoked ham hocks or a good big ham bone

Small pieces of salt pork (optional but true to the recipe)

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

Black pepper to taste

Salt, if needed (With ham taste test first.)

Soak your peas over night in plenty of water.  Rinse your black-eyed peas and pick through them for imperfections.

Chop your onion and garlic.  I like to put mine in my small food processor to avoid tears and make sure they are finely chopped.

Rinse ham hocks and place in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for an hour. Remove hocks from water, tasting the water to see if is salty enough on its own or if salt will need to be added.

Add the black-eyed peas. Add more water if there isn’t enough to cover the peas. Cut up the salt pork and add to the pot. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and salt if necessary.

After about 30 minutes, return the ham hocks back to the pot. Cook until tentder, continually checking the moisture, adding more water if necessary to keep it at a soup-like consistency.

Taste for seasonings and adjust as desired. Take meat off the hocks or ham bone and stir in.

Serves 10.  Serve with corn bread. 

Variation – You can add a spicy smoked sausage to the soup to replace the ham if you want a spicier soup.  To make it healthier, you can also chop some carrots or kale and add to the soup but this is suppose to be a poor man’s dish so don’t over do it.  You may also use chicken stock in place of water for more flavor.

Hoppin' John

Hoppin’ John  (black-eyed peas with rice) is also a traditional Southern New Year’s food. The idea is to eat poor on New Year’s Day and eat rich the rest of the year.  Rice for riches and peas for peace. 

2 cups black-eyed peas

2 cups rice

½ cup finely chopped scallions

2 ham hocks

1 onion

1 clove of garlic

1 ½ quarts of chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt (taste first)

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Soak your pea over night.  Make sure that you cover with plenty of water because the peas will double in size.  Drain and rinse them well.

Chop one onions and one tablespoon of garlic.  Again, I like to use my little food processor.

Add your ham hocks and sear in a pan with a little olive oil.  Add your onion and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes.  Add 1 ½ quarts of chicken stock. Add your soaked drained peas, a bay leaf, 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.  Cook until the peas are tender.  Remove your bay leaf.  There should be some good gravy with the beans.  Add a little water or more broth if it becomes too dry.

Make plain white rice and pour your black-eyed peas over the cooked rice.  Read directions on the rice package on cooking. That is Hoppin’ John, a poor man’s supper.

You can garnish with chopped green onion or add grated Cheddar cheese when serving.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

I want to wish you a very Happy New Year.  May it be filled with all you need.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Caprese Salad Bites

Here is another vegetarian appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party tonight.  It can’t get much simpler than this. 

A simple Caprese salad skewered onto toothpicks makes a great appetizer for your New Years buffet.

Cherry tomatoes

Mozzarella balls

Marinated artichoke hearts

Basil leaves

Italian dressing or balsamic vinegar with Italian seasoning

Cut your tomatoes in half for a flat base.  Cut your Mozzarealla balls in half.  Drain your artichokes and cut to the same size as the tomatoes. 

Marinate your tomatoes, mozzarella balls, artichokes and basil leaves in a baggie with a little Italian dressing or seasoned balsamic vinegar for an hour. 

Skewer each ingredient on a toothpick starting with the tomato on the bottom for the base. 

When you serve them don’t forget to bring a small bowl for guests to dispose of their toothpicks.

Here is hoping you have a safe and warm New Year’s Eve.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours all the New Year. 

Artichoke Fillo Cups Appetizer

Here is another New Year's Eve super simple appetizer.  I still have one box of fillo cups.

15 fillo cups

Small can marinated artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoons sundried tomatoes (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

Drain and chop your artichoke hearts.  Chop a sundried tomato.  I get the ones in oil.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the chopped artichoke, parmesan, mayonnaise, and sun dried tomato.. Salt and pepper to taste. Fill each fillo cup with the artichoke mixture, place filled cups on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  Serve immediately. 

It makes a nice vegetarian appetizer.

I have one more New Year's appetizer I'll share tomorrow with you tomorrow.  Meanwhile, have a great Monday.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours. 

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Sal and I played in the kitchen yesterday and made Boston Cream Cupcakes.  He did most of the work, but I'll share the recipe with you.

1 (3.4 oz) box Vanilla instant pudding

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream
Box of yellow cake mix

Note: this pudding mixture tastes like pastry cream.  It can be used as a filling for other pastry calling for cream filling such as cream puffs.

Make cupcakes according to directions on box. Use your favorite yellow cake mix.  Let the cupcakes cool.

Mix together pudding, cream, powdered sugar, milk, and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until stuff peaks form.

Cut each cupcake like below to allow room for the filling and add a dollop of filling.

Put top back on cupcake and frost with ganache.

Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream in sauce pan until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, pour over chocolate in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix together and melt the chips. Let cool slightly.

Pour over the cooled cupcakes.

Sal loved this recipe.  I'm sending it home with him for his recipe book.  He loved it because he got to eat all the cake he cut off to make the holes in for the centers, plus licking the ganache bowl.  

Hope you have a blessed Sunday.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.