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Christmas dinner 2012

December 29, 2012 by Mary Frances 15 Comments

I wish I could have shared this with you before Christmas, just like they do in the magazines. I hope now this may guide you and be helpful for New Year’s Eve or a New Year’s Day dinner party.

A big holiday like this requires a big presentation. Last year, I made a whole beef tenderloin. This year I did a crown roast of pork. Too big really for our party of eight, but I do have some big eaters, and one of my sons and one guest had four chops each! And then the leftovers were divine. I think I’ve already mentioned that I really enjoy and truly taste the nuances of a huge meal like this the next day, as leftovers. The busyness of working to get it all right, the timing and making sure each guest is happy, preoccupies me during the main meal. However, even I could tell, this was darn good!! Impressive and beautiful to boot!

But truly, the best part about a big celebration like this is that my whole family pitches in and we work together to pull it off. They helped to set up the bar area, chop herbs and clean vegetables and yes, even helped with the clean up in a major way. Our last guests left a little after midnight. Then all four of us worked to clean up and then we stayed up talking until 3 am! For my husband and me, spending time like this with our boys is the most precious of all.

One of our guests at our Passover celebration evened remarked about how well we all worked together as a family, to get the dinner on the table and make our guests feel comfortable. I feel proud that our boys have learned to entertain and that they enjoy sharing their love of good food. Serving and sharing love and food makes everyone happy – what could be better?

Here’s my whole menu:

– Straight up martinis with great olives for many of us at cocktail hour
– Homemade cheddar cheese straws – finally I found a stellar recipe for these from The New York Times – make ahead and they will keep for a while – recipe to come
– Texas smoked salmon tartare on blue corn chips
– Warm artichoke dip with red pepper, celery, fennel strips and crostini crackers
– Bowls of mixed olives, toasted corn nuts and lightly salted cashews

THE DINNER:
– Roasted butternut squash soup with bourbon, served with homemade Polish bread
– Crown roast of pork with fennel, sage, garlic and lemon
– Italian beans – the best – recipe to come!
– Sautéed apples in a little butter with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of lemon
– Roasted asparagus with olive oil and lemon zest

– Homemade Christmas cookies – all recipes are here on the blog plus special bakery cookies
– Fantastic coffee from our older son

I’m noticing here that it might seem as though I had a lot of lemon going on, but the meal did not taste that way at all. Everything worked together beautifully and was delicious!!
CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH FENNEL, LEMON AND GARLIC – adapted from Melissa Clark and The New York Times
– serves 12 – 16

2 heaping tsp. fennel seeds
Rosemary leaves from 4 – 5 bushy sprigs
7 – 8 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves and tender sprigs
Lemon peel strips from 1 lemon – thinly peel the lemon with a vegetable peeler
2 tsp. fennel pollen (optional)
1 heaping tbs. plus 1 pinch coarse kosher salt
1 heaping tsp. cracked black pepper
7 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 crown roast of pork (18 ribs)
4 large onions, peeled and sliced into ¼” slices

In small skillet, toast fennel seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Place toasted fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic, sage, lemon peel, fennel pollen (if using) and all of the salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse processor to chop everything up, then add olive oil slowly, and blend until the mixture becomes a paste, scraping down sides occasionally with a rubber spatula.

Wipe pork very dry with paper towels, then smear the herb paste all over the meat, making sure to coat the middle and the crevices on the sides of the chops.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Bring the meat to room temperature for at least 1.5 hours before roasting.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Put a thin film of olive oil in the bottom of your roasting pan and spread it around with your fingers. Place onion slices down to form a rack for your roast. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of the onions and salt and pepper them. Place your roast on top and roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn heat down to 350 and continue roasting until meat registers 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.
Starting at eight o’clock we enjoyed Cognac sugarplums, pecan crisps, Hello Dolly squares, cut-out sugar cookies, date bars and special bakery cookies that a guest brought. With a great cup of joe, this is a very nice way to end a big meal.

Some of My Favorite Recipes for the Holiday Week

December 27, 2021 by Mary Leave a Comment

The Rockefeller Center Tree and Skating Rink

Sending you warm wishes for great aromas coming from your kitchen and family times that can’t be beat. Here are some of my favorite recipes for this holiday week!

Make foods that flood you with warm glowing pleasure and your body will hum with contentment, not to mention having super happy guests around the table.

For the main course:

Crown Roast of Pork

Beef Stroganoff

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin

For starters:

Southern Cheese Straws

Spicy Maple Glazed Nuts

For dessert: 5 holiday cookies

Pecan Crisps

Cognac or Bourbon Sugarplums

Date Bars

Hello Dolly Squares

Sugar Cookies – Rolled Cut-Outs

If you have overnight guests, here are some breakfast suggestions:

Buttermilk Challah French Toast

Shakshuka

Skillet Buttermilk Biscuits – the BEST Biscuit Recipe

Truth be told, all of the recipes here on my blog are my favorites, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. I only include the ones I love – they must be worthy of sharing with you!

Happy Holidays to all and have wonderful days and nights this holiday week, filled with family togetherness, (take your timely Covid tests), joy, mirth and full happy bellies.

And remember, most importantly, to make all of your food with LOVE.

Date stuffed pork loin roast

April 15, 2013 by Mary Frances 11 Comments

When our oldest son did an about face and invited us to his apartment for dinner for his birthday celebration, we were expecting a nice dinner … but we weren’t expecting a spectacular dinner. This was the one where I was to bring the dessert – vanilla pots.

Here’s what you get when kids see you entertain and cook and serve great food with LOVE. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back here, but I guess in a way, I do! After all, we are the teachers for our children. But this child is far surpassing me in cooking and entertaining. Lucky us, we get to be the fortunate recipients!

We arrived to a beautifully laid out cheese board with dates and grapes and a lovely variety of crackers. Great start.

He was lamenting that one of his flatmates had not returned with the shrimp while he busied himself with putting the finishing touches on his pork roast. The roommate appeared with the shrimp and before we knew it, we were each handed a small plate of rice pilaf with delicious sautéed spicy shrimp. It seemed magical in that it just appeared! I never saw him cook it. Either that or I was on my third glass of wine and didn’t know it. (just kidding).

Dinner was this amazing pork loin roast, stuffed with dates, covered with an herb garlic crust. He spread broccoli florets around the pork towards the end of the roasting time, so that as they cooked, they became flavored with the wonderful pork loin juices. Additional vegetables, along with some potatoes, were oven roasted separately and served, completing a beautiful plate that was really scrumptious. The pork was divine, moist and rich, with the dates sweetening the meat and the crisp herb crust – just terrific!

DATE-STUFFED, GARLIC HERB CRUSTED PORK LOIN ROAST
– serves 8 – 10

One 4 – 5 lb. pork loin roast
10 – 12 pitted Medjool dates
1 tbs. chopped thyme leaves
5 – 6 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and pat dry your roast. Stand it on its end and cut an X down through the middle of the roast, coming at it from both ends with a long knife. Then, take a knife sharpening stick or a long handled wooden spoon (something long and round) and shove it through the middle of your X from both ends to create a cavity. Now shove the dates in from both ends to fill the cavity.

Set the roast in a roasting pan, fat side up and score the fat. Salt and pepper the roast all over. Create a paste out of the thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil and spread all over the top and sides of the roast, shoving it in the scored crevices. Roast for about an hour, until an instant read thermometer registers 145 degrees. Let the roast rest for 10 – 15 minutes before slicing into thick 1/2” slices. Serve and enjoy!

I am not convinced my dessert of vanilla pots stood up to his meal. Aren’t we the luckiest?

Last of the lettuce and a beautiful pork roast

July 24, 2013 by Mary Frances 15 Comments

So you saw my beautiful bounty of lettuce last week. This past Sunday I went out to cut the lettuce again for the week and some animal ate it all!! Except for one plant leaning over the mint on the left, my crop was decimated! Gone!! Overnight! So frustrating. I had put down dried blood as a fertilizer and animal deterrent in the middle of May. I guess it had all worn off by now. Bummer!

But let me tell you about the gorgeous pork roast I made on Sunday night. First, I started marinating it on Saturday afternoon. I love marinades. Because you do the work the day before, the day you roast it becomes a breeze. This is very good for us because we like to stay late in the country on Sundays, till 5, so we give ourselves a full day there. That puts us back in the city at around 7 pm. But if your roast is ready to go in the oven, you can still have dinner on the table by 8:30, even with unpacking a weeks worth of groceries on top of everything.

I combined fresh herbs from my garden with garlic and olive oil, blanketing the roast overnight. Then I wrapped it with some locally raised and cured bacon with no nitrates (pork and pork, yum!) and set it on a bed of sliced onions, and we went to town! It was so delicious. And the leftovers warm nicely in the microwave, making a great lunch. This is super easy. Give it a go!

BACON-WRAPPED GARLIC AND HERB ROASTED PORK LOIN – serves 4

¼ cup of olive oil
9 large cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup chopped sage, rosemary and mint leaves, combined
2 tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 lbs. center cut pork loin roast
4 – 5 thick slices of bacon, grass fed, organic, nitrate-free
2 medium onions, sliced ¼” thick

Combine the olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rinse and pat dry your meat with paper towels. Spread herb mixture evenly all over the roast with a spatula and carefully slide the roast into a Ziplock bag. Seal, removing air and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Let the roast stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Arrange the onion slices in a rectangle in a roasting pan or large ovenproof skillet. Place the roast on top, fat side down, and then lay the bacon slices on top, probably wrapping them around would be better than my horizontal job. Either way, they’ll flavor the meat with amazing goodness and with the fat side down on the roast, this is actually healthier and more flavorful as long as your bacon is fairly lean.

Roast for 55 – 60 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 145 degrees. Lift the roast and onions to a platter or carving board (leaving the grease behind) and let rest for 10 – 15 minutes before serving. Slice in 1/4″ slices and enjoy!!

We started this meal with a kale salad and as you can see, I served the roast with some fresh tomatoes and couscous. Really yummy!

Any season pork roast

May 5, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I have been wanting to tell you about the first meal I served to our French graduate student who is going to be living with us for four months. Charlotte arrived on the Sunday before last. I wanted to make something super delicious, of course, but something that would keep in case she had issues in customs, and something with some French flavors. I figured a lot of thyme in a wonderful roast and we’d start with an adapted Jacques Pepin frisee salad with a little baby arugula added to it. I have this recipe noted in an earlier post.

Charlotte arrived about 2 hours late, but all was safe with the meal, EXCEPT that she tells me that she doesn’t eat salad!! And I’m telling you, this was a terrific salad. The rest of us scarfed down her portion. Fortunately I also had some carrots with the roast so she got some vegetables in her. (always the Mom – I can’t help it!)

This roast, however, I will make again and again. It was wonderful! Rich, savory and slightly sweet (from the apples) all at the same time, with the meat tender like butter (buttah)! Both my husband and son claimed it was better than my version of Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon. It was more complex and interesting and let me tell you, a whole lot easier! You just need the time to leave it in the oven for 4 hours.

I was so excited to have a Sunday to make this, I took pictures at every point while preparing it, but I forgot to take a shot of the finished dish! Actually, the process pics are prettier and the result was delicious and delectable. Give this a go before the weather gets really warm to envelope yourself in wonderful flavors and sink into pure goodness, with love.

I served this with polenta squares, browned in a little olive oil and butter. Really, really yummy. Make the polenta recipe noted in an earlier post, pour into a buttered 9” x 9” pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares and sauté in butter and olive oil (1 tbs. of each) until nicely browned and hot throughout.

Browned carrots and onions with red wine.

Browned vegetables with red wine

Red wine braised pork roast with apples and thyme in a white dish.

Right before going into the oven

RED WINE BRAISED PORK ROAST WITH APPLES AND THYME
Adapted from a recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Serves 8

One 4-pound boneless pork butt
2 tbs. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grapeseed oil, divided
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
3 medium onions, halved lengthwise (root end left intact) and peeled
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
1 cup medium-bodied red wine (such as Pinot Noir or a light Cabernet Sauvignon)
4 cups chicken broth  (preferably homemade)
30 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), cored and quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 lemon, peeled using a vegetable peeler

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the pork roast on a cutting board so the long end faces you and slice through the middle horizontally and nearly to the other side of roast. Open the roast like a book (it should still be attached at one side) and season with about half of the salt and pepper. Close the roast and season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper, then use butcher’s twine to tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork roast, browning it on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side (if it starts to get dark too fast, reduce the heat). Use tongs to transfer the pork to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and set aside. Pour the fat from the skillet into a medium bowl (cool and discard). Use tongs and paper towels to wipe out the skillet.

Pour the remaining oil into the wiped skillet. Heat the oil over high heat until it smokes, 1½ to 2 minutes. Add the carrots and place the onions and garlic halves cut-side down in the pan. After about 30 seconds, check the garlic and, if nicely browned, remove from the pan and place on a plate (or cook a little longer if needed). Continue to cook the onions and carrots until the onions are very dark (and almost threatening to burn), about 1 minute longer.

Turn off the heat and cool the pan for 1 minute. Turn the heat to medium, pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the broth and vegetables over the pork in the Dutch oven. Add the thyme, apple, rosemary, peppercorns and lemon-zest strips.

Cover the pot, place it in the oven and cook until a long-pronged fork can be inserted into the center and twisted without resistance, about 4 hours.

Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a large platter. Let the meat cool for 15 to 20 minutes before using a fork to break the roast into chunks. Meanwhile, boil the braising liquid and skim off the fat. Pour the jus over the pork and serve.

Pork Chops, Peaches and Pet Peeves

June 8, 2015 by Mary 34 Comments

I don’t know about you, but some things I cannot understand. (now I sound like my mother – hmmm, not necessarily a totally bad thing) Like, why aren’t people at home at dinnertime and sitting down and eating a proper meal? I see kids on the bus eating 6 mini powdered sugar covered doughnuts at dinnertime. Kids running on the street with 2 packs of Milk Duds grasped in their hands. I, for one, happen to hate cocktail parties or small plates the whole night long. At some point, I want to sit down, eat some real food, a real dinner, on a plate. My five brothers and me, we’re all the same. It drives some of my sister-in-laws crazy. I have friends who LOVE cocktail parties/small plates as the whole dinner. I was taught to not spoil your appetite and have a real dinner, so I hardly eat anything at those events, and then if there’s nothing more, I’m in trouble!

Once, when we were kids, we took a family vacation down south. One of my Dad’s close business friends had a daughter getting married. Now at that time in the South, (maybe it’s still true today) they believed that a fancy wedding consisted of an endless champagne fountain (probably of very good champagne), cucumber sandwiches and cake! Well, here we were, 6 kids, and starving for dinner. I remember that EVERYONE got really drunk, except my mother, who didn’t think it was very funny. She was so angry and in her opinion, I remember her saying to my Dad, “John, these children are starving for dinner. Can’t these rich people feed anyone?” and begging him to leave to go anywhere to get some food for all of us. I must have been about 5 or 6 years old but it made such an impression on me.

And here I am, quite the same today. Tomorrow, we will go to a cocktail party benefit at The Apollo Theater, starting at 6:30 and I will want to leave soon after to come home to eat a dinner that I will make – Buttermilk Roast Chicken that has been marinating since Saturday. Easy, if you plan it!

Last night I threw together this combo – pork chops with peaches, sweet onions, and shallots with some roasted zucchini. It was delicious. And we were sitting down.

PORK CHOPS WITH PEACHES, SWEET ONIONS AND SHALLOTS – serves 3
3 pork chops with tenderloin section, 3/4” thick
11/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
Mary’s cocoa spice rub on one side of chops, S + P on the other side
1/2 large Vidalia onion, cut in 1/4 “ thick slices
2 small shallots, peeled and cut into 1/4” slices
3 smallish white peaches, washed, cored and cut into 8 slices
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Vouvrey)
Parsley, chopped for garnish

This spice rub is just terrific to have around for use on pork, duck, or chicken. Use a mini spice grinder and keep it in a tightly closed glass jar or plastic container.

MARY’s COCOA SPICE RUB
1 tbs. raw cocoa nibs/cacao
1.5 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
8 juniper berries
4 whole cloves
Combine everything in a mini spice grinder and pulse until finely ground.

Wash pork chops and dry with a paper towel. Season one side of the chops with a heavy sprinkling of the spice rub.

Melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet on low heat. Add sliced onions and shallots, cover for about 10 minutes. Raise heat to medium high. Add chops, seasoned side down and let cook for 4 – 5 minutes, uncovered. Salt and pepper the top side, turn the chops and add the peaches all over. Cook for another 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for another 2 -4 minutes, uncovered, until just done, 140 degrees. Remove the chops to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Keep the sauce and peaches warm on low heat and slightly covered.

After meat has finished resting, pour peaches, onions and juices overall, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with LOVE.

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin using Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt

October 15, 2015 by Mary 7 Comments

I discovered Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt a few months ago and it literally can be used on anything and everything from a myriad of vegetables, to beef, chicken, or fish – you name it!

Truth be told, I am not usually a fan of flavored salts. Yes, that’s true! Typically you get some old herbs and big hunks of salt and the thing that sounds like a good idea never quite functions properly. You either get too many dried herbs and not enough salt or vice versa. Not so with this!

Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt is a medium grain Mediterranean sea salt blended with a classic mix of dried Italian herbs, tomato flecks, lemon peel, and rosemary oil. Stir this baby up first and then take out a teaspoonful and sprinkle away – on anything – and it will taste better. Promise.

Nigel Dyche and his wife, Sarah Chase of Coastal Goods, own and operate this small, family-run company. They travel the world to capture the flavors of the country. And they find the freshest, most aromatic herbs to blend with fine sea salt to make their utterly delicious combinations.

Try this pork tenderloin using Coastal Goods Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt. It’s a perfect fall dish, truly delicious, quick and easy, and you can use any fruits, dried or fresh, you have on hand, as well as any nuts. Just be sure to stir your salt first, so you get a good mixture of all the wonderful herbs and spices along with the fine grain Mediterranean sea salt.

TUSCAN PORK TENDERLOIN with FIGS, APRICOTS AND WALNUTS – serves 4

1 pork tenderloin – preferably out of the refrigerator for 1 hour
Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt – stir first, then spoon it out and sprinkle on from the spoon
Fresh ground pepper
1 Tbs. grapeseed oil
1 large handful of dried apricots, roughly chopped
3 – 4 fresh figs, cut in half or quartered, depending on their size
1 handful of walnut halves, roughly chopped
½ cup dry Vermouth
½ Tbs. butter
1 handful of chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat grapeseed oil in an ovenproof skillet on high heat until almost smoking.

Season both sides of the pork tenderloin with Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt and pat down the herbs on the meat.

Brown the pork in the skillet on all sides, for a total of about 5 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and scatter the figs, apricots and nuts on the meat and in the skillet.

Put the skillet in the oven to roast for 15 – 20 minutes, depending on your poundage and how long it’s been out of the refrigerator. Let the pork reach a temperature of 135 degrees with an instant read thermometer. It will gain more heat as it rests and you don’t want to overcook it or it will be dry. It is fine to be pink inside. My pork tenderloin was perfect at 17 minutes.

Remove the pork from the skillet and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Keep the fruit and nuts warm in the skillet on your stovetop. Add the butter to melt in the pan drippings to make a nice little sauce. Pour fruit, nuts and sauce over your meat.

Garnish with parsley and serve with LOVE.

Again, because all the herbs and spices are included in the salt, this helps you make super simple and easy recipes that taste like so much more work. Here I used Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt on oven-roasted broccoli.

SARAH’S SEA SALT – TUSCAN SALT ON ROASTED BROCCOLI – serves 4

1 head of broccoli, washed, stems peeled and cut into smallish spears
3 – 4 Tbs. olive oil
1¼ tsp. Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the broccoli with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle on Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt and grind your pepper overall. Toss again to distribute all the wonderful herbs evenly.

Roast the broccoli for 25 – 30 minutes until tender and browned in spots. Toss the broccoli on the pan at about the 20 minute mark.

Serve with LOVE immediately.

This Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt is also great on oven-roasted zucchini halves or on sautéed yellow squash with onions and red peppers or on a rib steak with garlic powder and pepper, or in turkey burgers. I could go on and on. You will LOVE this product. Versatile, makes your cooking easy peasy and it’s delicious!!

Sarah’s Sea Salt – Tuscan Salt was one of the products in our MARY’s secret ingredients fall box. You can get your winter box here!

Chili Chocolate Pork Chops with Apple Aplenty

December 12, 2014 by Mary 5 Comments

The first item I want to introduce to you from our MARY’s secret ingredients winter box is Apple Aplenty from Peeled Snacks. It is a totally delicious, organic, all natural trail mix with dried fruits, nuts, peanuts and chocolate pieces. Of course it’s terrific right out of the bag. However, these Chili Chocolate Pork Chops with Apple Aplenty really take this mix to another level. I reached back to Mexican cooking for inspiration. Think mole sauce, then, think about how delicious apples and raisins are with pork. Can’t go wrong with some red wine thrown in and garnishing it with cilantro kept it in the Mexican theme.

This dish was so very scrumptious and satisfying. I woke up the next morning still remembering every bite and feeling all nice and yummy inside. I think it was the chocolate in the sauce. It was all deliciousness!

Noha Waibsnaider started this Peeled Snacks company in 2004, when she noticed that the snack aisle was only filled with processed food. She set out to develop healthy, tasty and nourishing snacks using gently dried fruits combined with nuts and sometimes chocolate for a nutritious snack you could feel good about eating. She believes we all should be mindful of what we eat. That is certainly my philosophy here at LOVE.

Try this recipe – it is just so good!!!

CHILI CHOCOLATE PORK CHOPS WITH APPLE APLENTY – serves 2

1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
2 one-inch thick pork loin chops
Salt
Pepper, fresh ground
1/4 tsp. sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 cup dry red wine – preferably a Syrah
1 scant cup of Apple Aplenty
1/8 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
1 heaping Tbs. of chopped cilantro

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and dry your chops. Salt and pepper one side and sprinkle the smoked paprika evenly over both chops on the same side. Rub the seasonings in a bit.

Warm olive oil in a small skillet. Add butter and turn up heat to medium-high. When butter stops sizzling, add the chops, seasoned side down. Brown the chops on that side for about 3 minutes. While the chops are browning, season the top side with salt and pepper.

Turn chops over. After 2 minutes, drain grease, add the wine and sprinkle the Apple Aplenty on top along with the red chili flakes, distributing evenly. Put the skillet in the preheated oven for 10 – 16 minutes. Test with an instant meat thermometer – it should be at 145 – 150 degrees. Remove the chops to a platter, scraping all the goodness on top. Let sit for 5 -10 minutes and the temperature will gain to the perfect degree of doneness.

Garnish with the cilantro and serve with LOVE!

Chili Chocolate Pork Chops with Apple Aplenty on two plates on table

I served these Chili Chocolate Pork Chops with Apple Aplenty alongside roasted zucchini topped with a green salsa. Delish!

Lemon Zest Pork Sausage Patties for Mother’s Day

May 7, 2016 by Mary 8 Comments

When I was young, my brothers and I would serve my Mom breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day, with a single red rose in a bud vase on the corner of her tray. We had this little rectangular bench that had legs just the right height to fit over her legs in bed, and we put her tray on top. I think one of her brothers made the bench but it was really sturdy, not like a tray with collapsible legs that can buckle under and spill everything. She also used that little bench for us when we were sick in bed.

My husband talks about doing the same thing for his mom – serving her breakfast in bed. We usually went the bacon and egg route with our mom. He did pancakes. Only he got clever. One year he decided, who needs syrup on top of your pancakes, why not put it in your pancakes and save that step! Clever, eh? Well he made some nice flat plates with those babies – a new kind of Frisbee!

My kids served me breakfast in bed once when they were young and we lived in NJ. But we didn’t have that little bench I grew up with and having a tray on my thighs all wobbly and eating in my bed just kinda grossed me out. I am not OCD but crumbs in my bed just don’t work for me so we stopped that nonsense.

We moved on to them making me multi-course special dinners and I’m so excited for tomorrow as we’re going over to our oldest son’s house. He and his fiancée – oh did I tell you that both boys are engaged? Yes!!! We’re so excited and love love love both of their girls. The oldest one will marry this September in NYC and the younger one in July of next year in Poland. All great!!!

So we are going to oldest one’s house tomorrow (yes they bought a house together in Brooklyn, with a back yard!) and he is grilling up something – ribs and a surprise – so I am psyched!

But back to breakfast and sausage patties. I know I posted 2 other sausage patty recipes but lately, I’ve been obsessed with acid. No, not the drug kind. Lemons, limes and various vinegars have been on my experimentation list. Acid in dishes really perks things up. Acid in unusual places adds a brightness that wakes up your taste buds. So I thought, why not grated lemon zest in sausage patties.

And I didn’t just add a little, I wanted you to taste it. I remembered a delicious pork roast I had made once with lots of strips of lemon peel plastered on it so I went for it in these sausage patties and they were delicious!! With the added unusualness of garam masala and the touch of red chili flakes, these patties will produce the mmmm’s you’re looking for.

Try these tomorrow. So good!! Even if there’s only 2 of you, these rewarm so nicely in the microwave to have during the week. And it’s nice to have a proper breakfast on weekday/workday!

LEMON ZEST PORK SAUSAGE PATTIES FOR MOTHER’S DAY – makes 12 -14 patties

1 lb. ground pork
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup minced fresh herbs – parsley, thyme and oregano
1 tsp. garam masala
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
½ tsp Kosher salt
12 grinds of fresh ground pepper
1 small egg
1/3 cup panko
2 lemons – finely grated zest from each – use a microplane

Combine everything together well, but try not to handle too, too much. Form into small patties. Coat a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil and sauté until done on medium high heat, about 5 – 7 minutes per side. Pork should be at 155 – 160 degrees. There should be no pink left in the meat. (The egg and panko make the patties light.)

Enjoy!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mothers out there!! Straighten your tiara and milk it for all it’s worth!

Easy, so delicious pork chops

October 4, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I made the most amazing, simple dinner the other night. I had thick cut pork chops – two meals for me, one for my husband and about 30 small portobello mushrooms, fresh oregano and fresh sage – and we were hungry and needed to eat quick. I also had some spinach that was begging to be of service.

I used Garam Masala for a quick and delicious flavoring. It is an Indian spice that I love, a mixture of coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. To me, it’s a terrific, already made up spice rub! I like to use it on pork, although it’s probably good on chicken and maybe even roasted cauliflower. I’ll have to try that and let you know.

Here’s what I did.

GARAM MASALA PORK CHOPS WITH MUSHROOMS AND FRESH HERBS
– serves 2-3

1.5 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. unsalted butter
2 thick, center cut pork chops with the tenderloin section
Salt
Pepper
Garam Masala
About 30 small Portobello mushrooms, washed quickly and cut in half.
¼ cup leftover dry white wine or dry vermouth
¼ – 1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano
¼ – 1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves

Wash your chops thoroughly and pat dry. Wash the mushrooms in a cold bath of water quickly, lift them out of the water and drain and dry on paper towels. Mushrooms are delicate and very porous do you don’t want them lingering in the water and soaking it up. When the mushrooms are dry, trim a little bit off of the stems if necessary and cut in half to make them all the same approximate size.

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and then cover with Garam Masala and rub in with your fingers. Do this on both sides. See photo.

Heat the oil on medium high heat. Add the butter and when sizzling subsides, add the chops to brown. After about 4 minutes, add the mushrooms on both sides of the chops and sprinkle on 2/3’s of the chopped herbs which have been mixed together. Do not disturb for 3 minutes. The mushrooms will absorb the oils and then emit their own juices while browning underneath. Then turn your chops, and when you see the mushrooms getting juicy, you can toss those around to brown on the other side. After about 2 more minutes, add the white wine and continue cooking the chops until done. You will most likely want to remove the mushrooms beforehand, if your chops are as thick as mine were. Put the mushrooms in the center of your platter and place the chops on top of them when done to rest and warm the mushrooms up again. Drizzle all pan juices on top. I like to remove my chops at about 140 degrees as they will continue cooking when resting on top of the mushrooms. Let the chops rest for 5 – 10 minutes and sprinkle with remaining herbs before serving.

I served this with some spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic. A perfect, quick, early autumn dinner!

March newsletter coming out!

March 28, 2013 by Mary Frances 8 Comments

Just in time for Easter! Sign up for the March newsletter in the upper right hand corner of this blog for a fantastic, never before seen (here) recipe for roasted duck and some other suggestions for your holiday meal.

And just to brighten up this post, I’d like to share with you my lunch salad from yesterday. It’s some frisee with red leaf lettuce topped with tomatoes, tomatillos, radishes and a half of a leftover pork chop with some toasted pepito seeds on top. Red wine vinaigrette finishes it off and voila! This is a healthy, satisfying lunch that carries you through to dinner!