Maple Dijon Chops

Have you ever noticed the difference between men and women when it comes to food? I think women's palates are kind of like their brains - complicated and going in a million different directions at once. We like casseroles and one-dish meals with unique combinations of flavors and textures while men prefer simple entrees with bold and distinct flavors - a slab of meat and a pile of potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I can certainly appreciate a simple piece of meat, but it gets so boring after awhile! I mean, a pork chop pretty much always tastes the same, doesn't it?

Not if you marinate it in this amazing combination of flavors then grill it for even more smoky deliciousness! This recipe is a perfect compromise for me and my husband--a big hunk of meat for him and an exciting flavor combination for me!

Maple Dijon Pork Chops
Prep time: 5 min (plus 1 hr marinating) 
Cook time: 15 min 
Serves 6

6 pork chops, bone-in
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp each salt, pepper, and thyme
1 Tbs drizzle oil (this just helps them to not stick on the grill)

Combine all  ingredients in a large zip-top bag and let marinate for at least one hour--the longer the better!

Preheat grill to medium-high then grill chops 5-6 minutes per side till at least 135°F. Remove to serving plate and cover with foil; let rest 10 minutes. Temperature should continue to rise. Make sure pork reaches 145°F to ensure doneness.

418 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Turkey & Cranberry Spread Croissants with Grilled Peaches

Don't you just love simple suppers? You know, the kind that only take a few ingredients, whip up in minutes, and dirty just a few dishes? Yeah, I know, that's a pretty rare combination! Usually I try to blog about interesting recipes--the kind that look complicated and gourmet, draw oohs and ahhs, and will impress your friends and family.

This supper was none of those things, but it was so quick, so easy, and so yummy, that I figured maybe you would appreciate it just as much as I did. This is actually three recipes in one, though, so maybe that makes up for its simplicity. Make each one separately or make them all at once, but definitely make them!

Turkey & Cranberry Spread Croissant Sandwiches
Total time: 5 min
Serves 4

4 large croissants, split
1 batch cranberry walnut spread (recipe below)
8 oz shaved turkey
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cucumber, sliced
8 lettuce leaves

Spread cranberry spread on insides of croissants then top with turkey, cheese, cucumber slices and lettuce.

Cranberry Walnut Spread
Prep time: 5 min
Serves 4

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs cranberry sauce
2 Tbs chopped walnuts
1 Tbs honey
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

Stir cream cheese until smooth then blend in remaining ingredients.  Serve as a dip for veggies or crackers, spread on a sandwich, or just eat by the spoonful! 

Grilled Peaches
Total time: 10 min
Serves 4

4 peaches, halved and pitted
4 Tbs honey
8 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preheat grill. Grill peaches flesh side down for 4 to 5 minutes over low flame. Flip and grill for an addition 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let skin blacken.

Remove and drizzle with honey. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Marissa's Pancit

Did you miss me?! It seems like I haven't blogged in forever! It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me at work and the stress followed me home like a stray puppy dog and took up residence in my brain like a flea infestation. I barely had the energy to make supper, let alone blog about it. Life is slowly normalizing again, so I decided I owed you all a really great recipe to make up for my month-long absence.

This dish is really nothing "special," but it is oh-so-yummy. This is a traditional Filipino recipe that I learned from my stepmother who makes it for my husband every time we visit because he loves it so much. I finally got the recipe from her and now I can make it for him whenever he wants--or at least whenever I can find pancit noodles at the Asian store. They were out for weeks! In a pinch you can use angel hair or rice vermicelli, but the real thing is always the best. Like all my favorite recipes, this comes together super quick and, amazingly, even my picky kid likes it!

Pancit Bihon
Prep time: 15 min  Cook time: 15 min
Serves 6

16 oz pancit bihon noodles
2 Tbs oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups water

1 onion, sliced 
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 cabbage, sliced into small strips
1 carrot, sliced into strips
3/4 cup snow peas (or red peppers)
3/4 cup diced celery
3 Tbs soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs lemon juice (juice from half a lemon)

Soak the noodles in water for 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, saute chicken in 1 tablespoon oil till lightly browned.  Remove and keep warm.  Saute vegetables in remaining tablespoon of oil till slightly tender, about 5 minutes.

Return chicken to pan with vegetables. Drain noodles and add to chicken and veggies. Pour in bouillon water and soy sauce and simmer till noodles are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and squeeze lemon juice on top.

353 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Monkey Squares (Banana Bread Bars)

What is up with bananas and their incredibly short edibility window? Nobody in my family cares much for bananas except me, so I don't buy them often, but when I do it seems like I never actually get to eat more than one of them before they're brown and mushy! I've tried buying them green to give myself a little more time, but somehow they manage to go from under-ripe to overripe in less time than it takes me to convince myself to snack on a banana instead of a bag of chips.

I used to turn my brown bananas into a loaf of banana bread, but this recipe takes it up a notch with the addition of a browned butter icing that is freaking awesome! Even better, I've learned that I don't have to use my over-ripe bananas immediately, I can stick them in the freezer and pull them out when I'm good and ready! This is great for when you only have one sad, little banana left and the recipe calls for three.  The skin turns completely brown when you freeze them, but the inside is just the right kind of mushy for this yummy treat.

Monkey Squares
Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 25 min
Serves 24

1-1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs milk

Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.

For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and mix just till combined. Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately. (The color change happens in an instant so watch carefully or it will burn!)

Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

286 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Blackberry Crumble Bars

They say you appreciate things more if you have to work for them. If that's the case, then this ought to be the best dessert my family has ever had, especially for my mom!

Every summer, my husband and I pick blackberries from a tangle of bushes that grow wildly along the path we like to walk each night. I've never been to a blackberry farm, but I can only hope that cultivated bushes are a little easier to pick from than the unruly snarl we try to harvest. We usually leave bloody and covered in scratches and splinters, with purple fingers and torn clothes, but also with full baskets and happy smiles.

This year, my mom was visiting, so she agreed to help us with our endeavor, but her enthusiasm got the best of her when she tried to climb a little too deep into the maze and fell flat on her tushy, right in the middle of a thorny bush! She lost her whole bucket of berries, and her pride, but Allen and I managed to pick enough that she still got to enjoy this delicious dessert.

If you don't have access to your own berry patch, or prefer not to injure yourself in the quest for fresh berries, you can certainly go buy them.  I'm sure they'll taste almost as good! Actually, this recipe would work just fine with lots of different fruits, so feel free to try whatever kind you like!

Blackberry Crumble Bars

Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 40 min
Serves 16

3/4 cup + 1-1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbs lime juice
2 cups blackberries
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment and spritz lightly with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lime juice. Add blackberries, toss to coat, and set aside.

In larger bowl, whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add egg yolk, vanilla and butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter, work the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Spread 2/3 of the mixture into prepared pan, pressing down to even out and flatten. Top with blackberry mixture, spreading into an even layer.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top and then sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick test is clean and top is golden brown.

Let cool completely before cutting and serving unless you are serving with ice cream, which is better with a warm bar. Cool about 15 minutes in pan before cutting if serving with ice cream.

117 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!