Apple Cider Glazed Chops

Don't you just love fall, when the leaves are crisp, the pumpkins are bright and shiny, and there's always a jug of spicy apple cider in the fridge? Yes, I KNOW it's January! A girl can dream, can't she?

I normally would be fantasizing about springtime instead, but thanks to some creative freezing, I still have plenty of tangy cider at my disposal. When cider was in season, I froze about a half a gallon of it in ice cube trays then stuck the cubes in a freezer bag. Now, whenever I want some cider for my favorite fall recipes, all I have to do is thaw it!

Apple Cider Glazed Chops
Prep time: 15 min  Cook time: 15 min
Serves 6

2 lbs bone-in pork chops
3 apples (optional)

Rub:
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 Tbs olive oil

Apple Cider Glaze:
1½ cups apple cider
¼ cup maple syrup
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
½ tsp crushed pepper flakes
½ tsp salt

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

In a small saucepan, prepare the glaze by combining the apple cider, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a simmer.

While the cider comes to a simmer, prepare the pork rub. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork. Add the oil to the spice mixture. It will be the consistency of a crumbly paste. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and then cover the chops on all sides with the spice rub.

Put the spice covered pork chops on the heated grill and thoroughly brush with the cider glaze. Grill for about 6 minutes. Flip the chops and thoroughly brush with the glaze on the other side. Grill for about 2 more minutes, flip and brush again. Repeat this process until the chops cook for 10-12 minutes total, and reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. It's okay for pork to have a little pink in the middle.

If you're also grilling apples, slice them into 1/2 inch thick rings, brush them with glaze and grill for about 2 minutes per side.

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

Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

I have been a super busy girl lately, barely time to make supper let alone blog about it. Work has been crazy, so my energy level at the end of the day is pretty much zero. That's why I was thrilled when this deceptively simple recipe turned out so darn good!  It's not surprising really, with it's Alfredo-esque sauce studded with fresh basil for gourmet flavor.  Next time I might double up on the sauce and serve it with some garlic breadsticks so I can sop up every last drop.

Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

Prep time: 5 min  Total time: 20 min
Serves 4

2 Tbs butter
¼ cup milk
½ cup bread crumbs (I used seasoned)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into 4 thinner pieces
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 jar (4 oz) chopped pimientos, drained
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup minced fresh basil
Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 170°F or warm setting.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Pour the milk in a shallow dish. Place the breadcrumbs in a second dish. Dip each of the chicken pieces into the milk then into the breadcrumbs. Transfer to the skillet and allow to cook until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

Add the broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil and whisk to bring up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add in the cream and the pimientos. Cook until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat, then add the Parmesan cheese and basil. Season to taste with pepper.

Serve the basil cream sauce over the chicken.

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

Crock Pot Corn Casserole

My best friend has this really great corn casserole recipe. It's sweet and creamy and very corny (I mean that in a good way--unlike my husband's sense of humor!) The only problem is that it has to bake for a long time. It's totally worth it, but still, I don't have that kind of patience when I come home from work hungry and cranky.

So I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day for Crock Pot corn casserole, and the ingredient list was pretty much identical to my friend Melissa's.  Of course, I had to give it a try, and it was awesome! It had the same crispy exterior, creamy interior and corny sweetness, but I can throw it together on my lunch break and it's ready when I get home!

Crock Pot Corn Casserole

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time:2-4 hrs
Serves 8

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar
8 ½ oz corn muffin mix
2 ½ cups frozen corn
1 can (16 oz) creamed corn
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp seasoned salt
¼ tsp nutmeg

Grease a slow cooker or line it with a liner.

In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, eggs and sugar. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 3-4 hours.

Tip: If you need to be away from your slow cooker for longer than this takes, put your Crock Pot on a timer! I assembled this at 1pm and set the timer to start at 3 so it would be ready around 5.  It worked out perfectly!

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

Crock-Pot Sticky Chicken

Today I had the day off work as the start of my Christmas break. My vacation activities included a doctor's appointment, picking up my child from swim practice and taking her to her friend's house, a two-hour drive to get my brother-in-law from the airport and take him to his mother's, a trip to Aldi and a full cart of groceries to buy and put away, three days' worth of dishes to wash, the whole house to vacuum, and supper to make. How relaxing!

As you can imagine, when it was time to make dinner I was awfully glad I had a Crock-Pot meal planned. This one was as easy as most slow cooker meals, but tasted even better thanks to the final few minutes of oven-broiling that turned the sauce into a sweet, crispy crust.  The thighs were great, but I'm sure any type of chicken you like would be fine.
  

Crock -Pot Sticky Chicken

Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 4 hrs

Serves 6

3 lbs chicken thigh

3/4 cup brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup soy sauce, divided

1 tsp ground ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup water

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in the slow cooker. Add chicken and stir to coat evenly. Cook chicken for 4 hours on low or until done. 

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, water, and tomato paste to create the sauce. When chicken is done, place on a lined cookie sheet and brush all sides with sauce.

 Broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until desired crispness.  

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

Thai Delight

I have been looking for a new perfume for years. Every time I find one I like I ask my husband if he likes it, and every time he says the same thing, "I don't know."

Soooo frustrating! How can you not know if you like something? We went shopping tonight and he said that about half a dozen different perfumes, so I was getting pretty annoyed. When we got hoe, the house still smelled delectably of the amazing dinner we had. His comment? "Man, that still smells good! You should get some perfume that smells like this!"

He may not know what perfume he likes, but he sure does appreciate a good dinner, and this is definitely a good one!

Thai Delight
Total time: 15 min
Serves 4

4 cups cooked Jasmine rice
2 Tbs oil
1 cup green onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp crushed ginger
12 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bag (16 oz) frozen stir fry veggies
3 Tbs Thai pesto*
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, if desired

In a wok, fry the green onions, garlic and ginger in oil until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.  Add the vegetables and shrimp. Stir fry till veggies are crisp tender and shrimp is pink.

Add the pesto, soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk and honey. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

*If you have trouble finding Thai pesto in the store, you can easily make your own with this quick and easy recipe!

Thai Pesto
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil   
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree till smooth.  This makes more than you will need for the Thai Delight recipe, but you can easily freeze the rest for later.