Stuffed Pork Chops

Dear Readers,

Have you ever tried stuffing a pork chop? It's very easy and brings an additional depth of flavor and texture to the dish. My focus for this dish was apples and raisins. I made a simple stuffing with a light apple gravy. Hope you enjoy the recipe!


Ingredients:
For Stuffing

1 stalk celery (cut into small dice)
1/4 cup onion (small dice)
1/4 cup Gala apple (peeled and cut into small dice)
1/4 cut yellow raisins
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
4 cups stuffing cubes

Directions:

1- In a pan add the oil, onion, and celery. Cook for 3 mins making sure the vegetables become slightly translucent. Add the apples and raisins and stir.
2- Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
3- Add in the stuffing cubes, mix, and then take off the heat. Stir and let it sit for 5 mins with the lid on.
4- Fluff with fork. Set aside

Ingredients:
Stuffing Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops, center cut, 1-1.5 inch thick
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Stuffing Mixture
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2- Cut a 1.5 inch slit into the middle of the pork chop. Sprinkle the inside with alittle salt and pepper.
3- Scoop about 1/4 cup of stuffing mixture into the middle on the pork chop. Sprinkle the outside with salt and pepper on both sides.
4- In a pan add olive oil and place the pork chop in the pan. Cook on medium heat, about 4 minutes on each side. Make sure you get a golden crust.
5- After both sides are browned place on an oven safe dish and cook for 23 minutes in the oven.
6- Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Ingredients:
Apple Gravy

1/2 Gala apple (peeled and thinly sliced)
1/4 cup onion (diced)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tsp flour
pepper
salt


Directions:

1- Using the pan from browning the pork chops, add the olive oil, onion and apple. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cider mix really well and bring to a simmer.
2-Using a whisk continuously mix the gravy until smooth and all the bits from the bottom are well incorporated. Add the sprig of thyme and sprinkle the flour slowly into the gravy. Whisk really well and bring to a boil. Cook for 6 minutes or until the liquid begins to thicken. Add pepper and salt.
3-Drizzle the apple gravy over the pork making sure each piece of meat also has apples on top.

Braised Sausage and Peppers

Dear Readers,

Try my spin on sausage and peppers. I braise the sausage in balsamic vinegar and chicken stock. This helps to add another dimension to the recipe. If you are looking to reduce the amount of fat in the dish try substituting the pork sausage for turkey or chicken. Enjoy! Below are some helpful tips when cooking sausage.

Helpful tips:
To be completely safe, use a meat thermometer. Links are done when internal temperature is at least 165° F.

Sausages can be poached until done and then eaten, or poached to precook them before grilling or frying. Poach for 10 minutes. This prevents burning the sausage on the outside.


Sausage and Pepper recipe:

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs sausage (sweet Italian)
1 large red bell pepper (sliced)
1 large onion (cut into large wedges)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1 Tbsp olive oil
16 fl oz. chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Italian rolls

Directions:
1- In a large pot add the olive oil and put the heat on medium. Add the sausage, peppers, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir and add a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium-high and keep the lid off. Cook for 25 minutes. The liquid will reduce leaving 1 cup in the pot. Take the sausage out of the pot and place on a plate. Add the diced tomatoes, basil, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes. While the liquid is cooking cut the sausage in half length wise and then in half horizontally. You should get four small pieces from each sausage link. Add the pieces to the pot and stir. Toast your Italian rolls and add the sausage and peppers to each roll adding additional sauce and fresh basil.

Linguini with Clams and Cherry Tomatoes

Dear Readers,

Looking for a pasta dish that is light and tasty. Try my version of clams and linguini. I dressed it up adding fresh herbs, tomatoes, and wine. The flavors really do bring out the clam flavor while adding a savory and fresh zip to the dish. You can always substitute the clams for mussels, shrimp, cod, or calamari. Enjoy!


Ingredients
1 pound linguini
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup small cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
8-10oz clam juice
10 oz whole baby clams (canned)
1 dozen Manilla clams, scrubbed
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
Bring water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta just shy of al dente.

While water comes to a boil, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onions and garlic to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until the tomatoes and onions are soft, 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce for 2 minutes then add the clam broth. Let it cook for 3 minutes and add the basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir and then add the canned clams and the whole Manilla clams. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the clams are opened. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Remove any unopened clams and add pasta to the pan. Toss linguini with sauce for about 2 to 3 minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavors. Add any additional salt, pepper, or extra virgin olive oil for your flavor preference. Enjoy!

Grilled Pizza w/ Rosemary, Goat Cheese, and Vegetables

Dear Readers,

Have you ever tried grilling pizza? It's fast and the crust comes out crunchy with beautiful grill marks. Below is my recipe for grilled pizza w/ rosemary, goat cheese, and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Pre-made pizza dough
¼ Cup olive oil
3 Sprigs fresh rosemary
1 Tsp salt
3 Cloves of fresh garlic
1 Leek
1 Container of fresh goat cheese
1 Red Onion
1 Package of grape tomatoes
1 Tsp pepper


PREPARATION:
Place your dough on a lightly floured surface and knead out until
the width is ¼ in. thick. On one side drizzle½ teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of salt, then set aside.

Cut your rosemary into small pieces and set aside. Also cut the garlic into small slices. Cut your leek, red onion, and grape tomatoes into ½ in x ½ in pieces and set your vegetables aside. Cut your goat cheese into small crumbles.

DIRECTIONS:
Heat your grill to medium and brush the grates with olive oil. On
one side of your grill place aluminum foil and place your garlic, cut vegetables,
rosemary on it. Sprinkle with alittle olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook until the
vegetables are soft but still alittle firm. And then set aside. On the other side of
the grill place the oiled side of the dough on the grill . Once the dough looks set,
in about 2 minutes, turn the crust over. Place your cooked vegetables evenly on
the crust. Spread over your goat cheese and additional rosemary pieces over the
pizza. Close the grill cover and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling and
the crust is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pizza from the
grill and cut into pieces. Serve.