NCAA Lip-licking Pork Chops

I don't really follow college basketball during the regular season, except for Michigan, which I just read about as most of their games on not on TV here in California. But there is something....something infectious.....something extremely addicting....about March Madness. It's crazy. I don't understand it. But I would rather miss an episode of my beloved Real Housewives or Top Chef, than miss getting my bracket in on time. Those brackets, man, I don't know what it is?! It's one of my favorite times of year (also because it's usually over St. Patty's Day), where we get all excited the first Thursday, play hookie from work, take your folded up bracket in your back pocket to the local watering hole, and get pissed while watching basketball all day. Not because you care about the teams, but because you care about any chance you have to win your pool!

Ahhh, sweet sweet March Madness. How do I love thee. Having said all of that.....my bracket is officially dust. I can't help but go with my heart on some games and I had the Big Ten doing great things. Unfortunately now, Ohio State is my only chance of redemption. And we all know how much a Michigan fan likes to cheer for a Suck-eye.

Anyway, nothing I wrote about there has anything to do with the food I made last night. So there.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): if by cheese, you mean all meat? then 10. otherwise, if you meant real, actual cheese, then no, there is no cheese.
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 3
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 6

Pork Chops
4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, or combination)
3 Tbl kosher salt
3 Tbl brown sugar
3 branches rosemary (or 1 tsp of your favorite dried herb)
2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 cup hot water
2 cups cold water

In a mixing bowl, add the salt, sugar, and 1 cup of hot water, and whisk to dissolve sugar and salt. Once dissolved, add 2 cups cold water, and the remaining ingredients (except pork chops), and whisk to mix. Pour all of liquid and pork chops into a plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Take bag out of refrigerator, remove pork chops, and set them on a platter (discard liquid and bag). Let pork chops sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes and pre-heat your grill to medium heat. Grill pork chops on direct medium heat for 8-10 minutes (or until center is at 145 deg if using a meat thermometer).


These pork chops are nothing short of fantastic. I'm not even a huge pork chops fan, but we were invited for dinner at the Gardners's house, they made this recipe, and I was immediately hooked. I then made them for the Hudsons last night! Seriously, they look very bland when you take them out of the bag and put them on a platter to rest. You can lightly season them if you wish, but it's not needed. And for me to say that is huge because I am a chronic over-seasoner. These chops are so flavorful and lip-licking.You can thank me later. Or thank the Gardners, really, as I stole this from them.

Rookie Ball and the Cheese For Me Please Cookbook!

Last night, I had the ultimate rookie mistake happen with dinner. James is starting to get hungry. We have a pretty bare refrigerator, but I see enough to experiment with, so I get cooking, I made some past, started experimenting with a sauce, some veggies, some chicken, and was just about to throw it all together when I pull out a piece of chicken to see if it was cooked all the way threw when BAM! It hit me like a punch in the face! The chicken was bad. Gross, bad, would harm us bad. And of course, I have already put the chicken, veggies, and sauce all together, so now I'm paranoid that it's a ruined and have to throw it all away. What a waste. Chicken is just one of those things you don't mess with. I don't think I have ever not smelled chicken or looked at date before cooking it, but apparently I was in la la land last night. Oh well. Lesson learned.

In more exciting news: the Cheese For Me Please Cookbook (Vol. 1) is available for purchase should anyone want a copy. It has all the recipes, none of the stories, however, just to keep it simple. Tips and ideas, and recipes, but no rants from me, you're welcome. I don't really expect anyone to buy this, however, I made it for my dad for his bday present, decided I wanted to order one for myself as well, and it just so happens on this website, you can make it public just in case someone else wants a copy.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2032930

This week I am going to try beer-can chicken and pork chops!

You Know Who Makes the Best Ribs???

One of my biggest fears in cooking is when someone is eating something I made, and while they are eating it, they say, "you know who makes the best (insert food they are eating here)?? Billy. He makes the best (whatever)! You should get his recipe!". UGH! I cringe at the thought. If I have made my own pasta sauce, they say, "You know who makes AMAZING pasta sauce is Carol! You should really try hers!" Chomp chomp as she chews on my now mediocre sauce. Not only are they not concentrating on MY food, they are insulting it at the same time! And like as if I really made something bad that I would just go ahead and call up Billy or Carol or whoever and tell him I failed and ask him for his recipe so I don't have to fix mine. Right.

For whatever reason, I feel like this feared saying is always used when talking about ribs. Baby-back ribs. I don't know why, but everyone has a a family member, or a buddy, or someone they know, who makes "the best ribs". Who are these people?! And do they all have the same secret recipe for ribs? How do I get it?

There are a million recipes and ways to cook ribs. Literally. I checked. I am not easily intimidated by food and rise to every cooking challenge I have been given (worst so far was the whole chicken, for sure). So I have been avoiding ribs to this day. I've been able to get away with it too, so far, until I met James. My husband LOVES ribs. And everything BBQ for that matter. So, I am already impressed I have been able to make it 3 years without having to make ribs, but the comments were getting worse and worse....

"When are you going to make ribs?"
"Pete makes really good ribs, just get his recipe."
"Why are you so scared? I LOVE ribs."
"You should do them on the grill because I like a little char."
"When are you going to make ribs."
"Ben can help you make ribs."

OMG!!! Enough already! I can't take these comments anymore! I'll make you your damn ribs, now shut the h-ll up!

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 9
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4 (shocking, I know)

Abby's BBQ Baby-Back Ribs
1/4 cup celery salt
3 Tbl paprika
3 Tbl dried garlic flakes
1.5 Tbl fresh ground black pepper
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1 rack of baby back pork ribs


Combine the celery salt, paprika, garlic flakes, and pepper in a bowl and mix together. Take ribs out, pat dry, and rub on the mixture to all sides of the ribs. Cover and refrigerate over-night. Take ribs out the next day, and cut the rack into 3-4 sections. Take a piece of tinfoil, large enough to wrap a section of ribs in, and spray with non-stick spray. Place one section of ribs on it, and brush heavily with BBQ sauce (all sides). Wrap the ribs tightly in tinfoil. Repeat with each section of ribs. Place tinfoil packets into fridge and keep there all day (ideal time 6-8 hours). 


Preheat oven to 300 deg. Take packets out of refrigerator, place into oven, and cook for 3 to 3.5 hours (depending on how thick they are). Take out of tin foil, serve.


* Optional: if want slight char on ribs, take ribs out of oven, and then out of tinfoil, and place on baking sheet, brush with additional sauce, and place under broiler or on grill for 3-5 minutes (be careful not to let sauce burn), or until start to bubble slightly. Take out and serve.




You know who makes the best ribs? I do, b-tches! That's right. I conquered the ribs, and they were wonderful! I don't know why I was so scared. Actually, I just felt a whole lot of pressure because everyone who likes ribs, will be comparing them to their favorite, which are always "the best ribs ever". But these really were the best ribs I have ever had, except perhaps the ones that Outback Steakhouse. Those things must have crack in them or something. 


Abby 1, Billy/Carol: 0


Ha!
 

Spinach Linguini with Lemon-Cream Sauce

James and I go to the movies like once every other week. And often, we make it a full date-night by going to dinner before at the Cheesecake Factory right by the movie theater. Cheesecake Factory is great if you don't know what you want to eat. And it sucks if you don't know what you want to eat because their menu is ginormous.

I have my select go-to dishes there, but my overall favorite is their version of Chicken Piccata. It's soooo amazing, and I've wasted many a meal trying to recreate it and I just flat out can't. But, I will say, I have come across some great sauces, albeit different, along the way.

I learned this trick recently from my good friend, Francoise, and I'm so happy about it. Instead of trying to make my own creamy sauces, you buy a jar of Alfredo sauce, and add your own crap to it! It's genius and I love how easy it is!

So, sadly, there is no real recipe here. Buy some spinach linguini, cook as directed. In a sauce pan, heat Alfredo sauce while adding lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper to taste. Just add a little bit at a time, stir, taste, repeat.

If you want to get super fancy with it, saute some mushrooms and throw those in there. Add capers to it. Whatever. It's yummy.

Note: the sauce will taste more "lemony/sour" in the pan than it actually will on the pasta, so don't be afraid. Once you think you have the sauce where you want it, take pasta and add it to the sauce, tossing to coat, then take pasta out to serve on plate. It really makes a difference, as opposed to just pouring sauce over the top of your pasta.

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

No intros on this post. Just food.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 2
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon
4 salmon fillets
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp white wine
2 tsp honey
3 Tbl + 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 tsp dijon mustard
salt/pepper to taste
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Spray non-stick spray on baking sheet. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add a little bit of olive oil and the garlic and cook garlic until soft. Mix in wine, honey, vinegar, mustard, salt/pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until thickens slightly (3-5 minutes). Put salmon fillets on baking sheet and brush with the glaze. Cook for 11-14 minutes, or until desired doneness. Brush fillets with remaining glaze and serve.

I found it took a little bit longer than 5 minutes to get my glaze to thicken a little, so don't be surprised if you do too.

Greek Culinary Adventures: Part 2

I have been SUCKING in the cooking department recently. I think all I have been doing is working. I often joke (not joking) that I don't talk to anyone during the week about anything except carpet, other than my husband. Sad.

I don't have too much to report outside of work. Went on a fun family and friends vaca to Colorado skiing. James has been working away, and Guinness is growing like a weed! Looking forward to some summer travels and weddings and that's about it!

I've been thinking about lamb recently. I don't think I had eaten lamb in like 1-2 years, since I made a Guinness stew, and then all of the sudden, I've had lamb like 3-4 times in the last 2 months. Lamb chops at Sandy's Beach Grill, lamb chops at AnQi, lamb chops at Roppongi...craziness. Actually....now that I think about it....I eat lamb all the time, what am I talking about. I get gyro meat often. Oh, well. I'm losing my mind. But I think I will be attempting the Guinness stew again soon in honor of St. Patty's Day next week. Stay tuned for that!

This recipe is a long time coming, considering I cooked it months ago when I made the Shrimp Saganaki. I don't know how I forgot to post it, but better late than never I suppose.


Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 3

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers
1/3 lb ground turkey or ground beef
3-4 oz spinach, finely chopped
2/3 cup grated zucchini
1/3 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl bulghur
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise, remove seeds/cores/veins
2/3 can (14-15oz can) of stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
Crumbled Feta Cheese


Preheat oven to 350 deg. In a mixing bowl, combine turkey, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghur, 1/3 of the egg, oregano, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix thoroughly. Arrange peppers cut-side up in a baking dish, and stuff with half of the meat mixture. Pour tomatoes over top, then sprinkle with feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for additional 25 minutes or until meat cooked all the way through and peppers tender.




So the only thing about this recipe that was "interesting" was bulghur. What the h-ll is bulghur, you ask? That's exactly what I asked. It's kind a grain of sorts, kind of like wheat. I found it at Whole Foods, but it is not at my normal grocery store. Other than that, this dish is awesome. I made the mistake of thinking it was a side dish, but it's pretty much an entree. We ended up with two entrees that night, and no sides. Oops.
 

Open-faced Breakfast Sammies

I wasn't planning on even cooking a good breakfast this morning, let alone blogging about it. But I just had what will surely become my new favorite breakfast on the run. It took maybe 10 minutes to cook, and you can eat it with one hand. This recipe is for one person by the way.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 2
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2

Open-faced Breakfast Sammies
1 whole English muffin, sliced, and toasted
2 egg whites
1 small brown or white mushroom, finely chopped
2 jalapeno slices, finely chopped
Cream Cheese
Shredded cheese (minimal)
Butter


Take small omelette pan, and rub butter onto surface to create a light non-stick layer. Then add the mushrooms and jalapenos and lightly saute over medium-low heat. Once mushrooms and jalapenos are almost soft, add egg whites to make omelette. When almost ready to flip eggs over, gently fold one half of the omelette over the other, so you create a half circle. Let cook for one minute on that side, then flip over and cook for additional minute on other side. Remove from heat, cut in half, and sprinkle some shredded cheese to each piece. On each slice of English muffin, spread layer of cream cheese, then top with omelette piece. Season with salt/pepper (optional). Eat open faced.


This doesn't sound all that crazy, I realize, but it was shockingly good. I was just trying to make something quick this morning and all of the sudden, it was delicious! I will be having this again, and probably mixing up the veggies and cheese types.
 

Turkey Burgers Two Ways and Red-Skin Potato Wedges

I have a strange obsession with Bethenny Frankel. I watched Real Housewives of New York (as I do with all Real Housewives seasons, of course), and I don't remember being fully in love with her then, but then when I watched her own show, Bethenny Getting Married, it was all downhill from there. And now I look forward to Mondays more than I ever have so that I can watch Bethenny Ever After. It's sad, really.

I can't, for the life of me, figure out how someone could manage a career like that, being a newlywed, and a new mom. My friend Jessica put it perfectly to me recently when she explained how hard being a new mom is and that never again should anyone judge someone for needing a little extra help (aka a nanny, a maid, a cook, whatever helps!).

It got me thinking: what do you think Bethenny, a celebrity chef also, makes for dinner? I wonder if she even cooks anymore? Ha! Yes, it's sad this is what I am thinking about right now, but curiosity doesn't always kill the cat.

So, I am going to try and blog some more "complete meal" ideas here and there, for you working moms out there, as opposed to just single dishes all the time, in hopes that the less time you have to come up with sides or main dishes to complete your dinners, the more time you have with your lovies.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 3
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 3

Turkey Burgers Two Ways
1/2 lb ground turkey meat
1-2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbl minced shallots
1-2 brown or white mushrooms, minced 
salt/pepper
2 wheat English muffins
2 slices cheese (American or provolone)
4-6 brown or white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Tbl butter
BBQ sauce
A-1 sauce

In small bowl, mix turkey, Worcestershire, shallots, and minced mushrooms. Season with heavy salt and pepper, and mix, then form into 2-3 patties. In small fry pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft. Heat large fry pan over medium heat. Cook turkey burgers in pan, flipping 1-2 times, until cooked through and juices clear. Add slice of cheese (one with American cheese, one with provolone) to each patty, turn off heat, remove pan with patties in it from heat, and cover pan to melt cheese. Slice English muffins in half, and lightly toast in toaster. Arrange turkey burgers as follows on English muffins: one with American cheese, BBQ sauce, and sauteed mushrooms, the other with provolone cheese, A-1 sauce, and sauteed mushrooms.


The only note I have here is that you don't have to make 2 different turkey burgers, I just wanted to show you two different combos, both equally delicious. And if you have avocado on hand, as most of us Californians do, add some sliced avocado to the American cheese and BBQ burger.


Red-Skin Potato Wedges
2-3 large red-skin potatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tbl olive oil
Seasoned Salt
Pepper
Parsley (dried)
Garlic Salt

Heat oven to 425 deg. In mixing bowl, add potatoes and olive oil, season with seasoned salt, garlic salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss to coat. Arrange potatoes on baking sheet, and roast in oven for 30-35 min ( or until slightly browned and crispy on outside, but soft center). 


Obviously, you should make the potatoes before you make the burgers. The potatoes take about 40 min all together, and the burgers 10 min, so plan accordingly. Both recipes make enough for 2 hungry people.