November 17, 2011: Orange Sauced Pork Chops Recipe

As I shared with you earlier, I’m getting into extreme couponing and it’s changed the way I buy groceries. I now have quite a stockpile going and I keep a much keener eye out for bargains.

At our Safeway store, there are special featured $5 deals every Friday. One Friday recently it was a big bag of cutie oranges. Although they were very good and sweet, my husband and I just couldn’t eat the whole bag. Rather than see any of them go to waste, I juiced what was left and decided to use that fresh juice for the night’s meal. Here’s what I came up with.

Orange Sauced Pork Chops with Whole Grain Sesame Noodles and Baby Corn

Orange Sauced Pork Chops

4 bone-in or boneless pork chops

Garlic salt and pepper

1 T. vegetable oil

1/3 cup orange juice

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

Rinse and dry pork chops. Sprinkle both sides with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil to medium in large saucepan or electric skillet. Add pork chops and cook for about 5 minutes each side, until juices are no longer pink (total cooking time depends on how thick the chops are). Remove and set aside.

Add orange juice to hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes, until reduced by half. Add teriyaki sauce. Return chops to skillet and heat through just until warm. Serve pork chops with sauce spooned over the top.

Serves 4

October 20, 2011: Slow Cooker Rathskeller Pork Recipe

Today’s recipe comes from an old cookbook called Crockery Cookery by Mabel Hoffman. The name rathskeller refers to a German bar or restaurant selling beer. I could easily imagine this dish being one served in a traditional German setting. I’ve made some adjustments, as usual, to not only include ingredients I had on hand, but to make it lighter and brighter. Use my homemade cream of asparagus soup recipe for the best flavor, color and texture.

Slow Cooker Rathskeller Pork

1 t. vegetable oil

4 bone-in pork chops

Garlic salt and pepper

2 cups cream of asparagus soup (preferably fresh but you can substitute one can)

4 green onions, white and green parts chopped

1 T. finely chopped fresh dill weed

4 small potatoes, thinly sliced

½ head of green or Napa (Chinese) cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded

1/3 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Brown pork chops in oil (do this in your slow cooker if it has a high setting or in a skillet if not). Make two layers of the pork chops, potatoes, green onions, dill and cabbage. Pour cream of asparagus soup over all. Cover and cook on low 5 – 6 hours. A half hour before serving, add the cream and increase heat to high. Leave uncovered and cook for an additional half hour.

Serves 4

Rathskeller Pork served with pickled okra and biscuits (dumplings would be a traditional German side).

June 21, 2011: Asian Spiced Pork with Sugar Snap Peas Recipe

I was looking for something new to do with pork chops the other day… Yes, I enjoy grilling them in these hot summer months but that gets old, particularly when I’m feeding a very picky husband and niece. So I decided to take four pork chops and slice them to make a Chinese main dish. But I wanted something new so I consulted my Hot, Hotter, Hottest chile cookbook. I took the basics of a Thai-style sauce and gave it my Candy spin to come up with this recipe.

Asian Spiced Pork with Sugar Snap Peas

1 ½ lbs. pork chops, trimmed of fat and bones and thinly sliced
One 2” piece of cinnamon stick
1 t. fennel seeds
1 T. coriander seeds
1 T. black peppercorns
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. minced ginger
2 t. Hunan red chili sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
One 1 lb. package sugar snap peas

Sauce:
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2/3 cups chicken stock

Combine the cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to toast the spices until fragrant. Remove from heat and crush finely.

Combine one teaspoon of the crushed spice mixture (save the rest to use in place of Chinese five spice powder) with remaining ingredients up to soy sauce; add pork slices. Marinate for at least half an hour.

Heat a wok or large skillet to medium high heat. Coat the bottom with about one tablespoon of vegetable or peanut oil. Slowly add the pork, being careful not to splash oil on yourself. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the pork is browned on all sides. Add the sugar snap peas, stirring constantly. Cook for a couple minutes, until the peas are bright but not soft.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Reduce skillet or wok heat to medium low and slowly pour in the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for a couple more minutes until sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice.

Serves four.

May 22, 2011: Honey Mustard Pork Chops Recipe

As you know, I love the challenge of looking through my pantry and fridge and coming up with a satisfying, delicious dinner. Since my husband and I have been on a salad kick lately, I wanted something a bit more substantial (plus the weather’s turned cool again, making me crave a hot dish).

For this dinner, I took a couple apples that were on their last legs and turned them into a quick applesauce. I marinated the pork chops in the sauce and while they were baking, tossed together packaged pierogis with caramelized onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Voila! Dinner was served and it was more than satisfactory.

Honey Mustard pork chop served with sauteed pierogis and homemade applesauce

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

1 pound pork chops, ½” thick
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 t. honey
½ cup cornflakes, crushed
½ cup dried French fried onions, crushed

Mix together the mustard, mayo, and honey. Coat the pork chops completely with the mustard mixture and refrigerate for several hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking pan or cookie sheet large enough to accommodate the pork chops in a single layer. Combine the crushed cornflakes and onions and sprinkle this mixture over the top of the pork chops. Bake for 35 minutes, or until just done (slightly pink) in the middle.

March 30, 2011: Shake and Bake Recipe

I remember when Shake n Bake first came out many decades ago (guess I’m showing my age here). It was marketed as a real timesaver – busy moms could just throw any type of moistened meat into the plastic bag, add the seasoning mix, shake, and presto! Nearly instant, tasty main dish. As I recall, there were formulas for chicken, pork, and fish.

I still like Shake n Bake meat occasionally. Just as it was promoted years ago, it is quick, easy, and tasty.

But the truth is, you don’t need to buy the spice mix and you don’t even need a plastic bag. Here’s a recipe for the homemade version of Shake n Bake. And it works just as well if you spread the spice mixture on a plate and dip the meat in it, plus that’s much more eco-friendly!

Homemade Shake and Bake Spice Mix

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 t. ground cumin
2 t. onion powder
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. dried oregano
2 t. paprika
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper

Mix and pour into a zip-top baggie or sealed container. Use ½ cup per four-person serving of chicken. Place in an oiled baking pan (don't use cooking spray). Bake chicken pieces in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Pork Variation

Substitute sage for the cumin, dried rosemary for the oregano, and increase garlic powder to 3 teaspoons.Same cooking directions as for the chicken, but adjust cooking time according to thickness of pork chops.

Note: This recipe makes enough to use approximately four times.