Tag Archives: cook at home

Pork Chops With Granny Smith Apples

B stirring chops

Ingredients

4 large Granny Smith apples

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

1 cup white wine

1 cup brandy or sherry

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper

4-6 pork chops

5 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bunch fresh parsley bunch

pork chops

Now lets’s get to cookin’!

Peel, core and halve the Granny apples.  Using a cutting board, place the apples flat side down.  Slice each half as a shingle in 5 or 6 slices.  Be careful not to cut completely through the apple.  Butter a shallow baking dish and dust with ½ tablespoon of the sugar.

In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup white wine and ½ cup brandy/sherry.  Pour this mixture over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.

Place the chicken in a preheated broiler 6-8 inches from the flame.  Cook, basting often, for approximately 25 minutes or until apples are golden brown and tender.  Keep the apples warm in the oven.

apples with cinnamon

Salt and pepper the pork chops.  In a deep skillet melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and brown the chops on both sides over med-high heat, 3-5 minutes per side.  Add ½ cup wine, ½ cup brandy and beef bouillon cube.  You can use a few tablespoons (2-3) of beef bouillon powder if you don’t have a cube.   Bring the mixture to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer the chops covered for 20 minutes or until tender.  Remove the chops and set aside.

In the cooking skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring to loosen any particles on the bottom of pan.  Add the flour and stir until thick.  Add more wine or brandy if needed.  I used a little more of the brandy and butter.  I like this dish saucey!  Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.  Place pork chops back into skillet, cook for about 5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.

When serving, place an apple half on each chop and drizzle the sauce over the top.  Garnish with parsley.  Serve a wild pilaf rice and a fresh garden salad as side dishes.  Happy cooking friends!

pork chops final 2

 From our kitchen to yours,

Isabella and Gina

Traditional Stuffing…Mixing it up with Apples, Pecans and Golden Raisins

b and Mrs. Cubb 2-001

Ingredients

1 bag or bunch of celery, chopped

2 yellow onions, chopped

4 Granny Smith apples, chopped

1 package fresh Sage leaves

2 eggs

½ cup pecan pieces

1 cup golden raisins

3 bags Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Dressing, Seasoned flavor – purchase 2 boxes

1-1 1/2 cups turkey stock

4-6 tablespoons ground sage

3 sticks salted butter

Salt and pepper

stuffing ingredients-001

Without further ado…Let’s get to stuffin’!

In a food processor (Cuisinart is my favorite) chop the celery, onions, sage leaves and apples.  In a large bowl mix these ingredients together.

In a large saucepan melt 2 sticks of butter on medium heat.  Make sure the bottom of the pan is evenly coated with the melted butter.  Add 3/4 of the chopped veggies to the saucepan to sauté.  Sautéing the vegetables until they start to caramelize, this adds a nice subtle flavor to the stuffing.

Once nicely sautéed, mix in together with the raw vegetables.  Add the Mrs. Cubbison’s stuffing mix and 1 stick melted butter; mix well.  Slowly add the turkey stock and 2 eggs; mix well.

stir the stuffing-001

Add the pecan pieces and golden raisins.  These ingredients are optional however, I believe this is what makes this recipe so incredibly special.  Slowly add the ground sage, salt and pepper.  Taste the stuffing often and add more seasonings if needed.  Mix all ingredients well.  I know, I know a lot of mixing in this recipe but look at it this way…it’s a great arm work out!  Reserve 2-4 cups of stuffing for the bird.  Some will say that this is not safe but our family is well and alive!

Transfer the stuffing to a casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  A nice golden brown top will indicate readiness.

stuffing in casserole 2-001

Since I was a small child the turkey stuffing is absolutely my most favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast!  A very special thank you to my mother Holly Ann for sharing this family recipe.  She has been making this dish for years and always makes just a tad bit more Just for Me!  Cooking side-by-side with her all these years has given me my passion for cooking, forever grateful!

TeamBandG get silly while trying to make a stuffing video!  Check out our YouTube clip:

Happy Cooking!

Yours Truly with Love and Peace in my Heart,

G-

Sharing is Caring…Please leave me a comment as I would love to answer any questions you might have.  I have a passion for learning so if you have a kitchen tip please share.  Thank you!

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Candied Chicken…A Definite Crowd Pleaser!

cooked candied chicken-001

Ingredients

Chicken options, with skin and bone-in:

1 cut-up chicken

6 chicken breasts

1 package thighs and legs

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

Paprika

Candied Sauce:

½ cup honey

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup ketchup

4 tablespoons brown sugar

3-5 garlic cloves, crushed

candied sauce ingredients-001          candied sauce-001

It’s as easy as One, Two, Three!  Let’s get to cookin’!

If I have the time, I will usually refrigerate the chicken for a few hours before cooking.  This allows the flavors to soak into the chicken pieces.

Place the rinsed chicken parts in a glass Pyrex dish.  Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.  Sprinkle garden herbs, my favorite to use here is French thyme, on the chicken; set aside.

candied sauce poured-001             glazed chicken-001

In a large bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and crushed garlic.  Mix these ingredients well.  Pour half of the candied mixture on top of the seasoned chicken.  Reserve some sauce for basting.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remember to baste the chicken often.  I will usually set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes, a nice reminder to baste.  Oven temperatures and cooking time varies, so use a meat thermometer to check for readiness.

If time allows, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes.  The slow cook method will make the chicken fall nicely right off the bone, delicious!

This is a great recipe when serving a large crowd.  For my single mamas’ crew, this is a great dish that can be served in a few different ways once cooked.  Cut the chicken pieces into bite size and make: chicken and cheese quesadillas, chicken salad, chicken sandwiches or chicken/veggie rice mix.  This recipe will make a few meals for the munchkins and gives mama less fuss and clean-up on those “What a day” kinda days!

A very special thank you to my dear friend Jackie Rosenthal, who taught me this wonderful family recipe.  She is a mother like figure in my life, Isabella’s Grammy, and is always teaching us recipes and beautiful table décor to share with you all. Family recipes is truly what I enjoy blogging and sharing the most!  Love you Grammy!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

Yours Truly with Love and Peace in my Heart,

G-

Sharing is Caring…Please leave me a comment as I would love to answer any questions you might have.  I have a passion for learning so if you have a kitchen tip please share.  Thank you!

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Carroll Shelby’s Chili…Make it Hot or Not!

 IMG_8499 chili bowl

This is one of my favorite chili recipes and is perfect for a cozy Sunday night!

Ingredients

1 package Carroll Shelby’s Chili Mix

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

6-8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can organic tomato sauce

2 cups filtered water

2 cans white kidney beans

1 can organic pinto beans

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

2-3 sprigs of garden herbs on-hand, rosemary, French thyme or winter savory

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It’s chili makin’ time folks so let’s get to cookin’!

In a large stockpot, on medium heat, brown the crushed garlic cloves.  Slowly add the ground beef (or turkey) and garden herbs.  Break up the meat with a wooden spoon.  Brown the meat until evenly cooked.  Drain some of the fat juices from the meat mixture.  I like to leave just a tad as this is where most of the flavor comes from.

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In a food processor chop the green peppers and onions; set aside.  You can chop these ingredients by hand but it is much faster using a chopping device.  The Cuisinart mini-prep is a great tool to use here.

Slowly add the tomato sauce and water to the meat, stirring until ingredients are combined.  Add the chopped peppers, onions and kernel corn.  Add the kidney and pinto beans and stir well.

Once all the ingredients are fully combined, add the Carroll Shelby’s spices including the masa.  The masa will make the chili become thicker in consistency.  You can always add a little water to the pot if you feel that it is too thick.  If you’re looking to make a mild chili batch, my advice is to only add half of the cayenne pepper packet.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

IMG_8485 chili pot

Setting up a toppings bar is a super fun way for children to try different veggies.  Toppings I like to offer are:  sliced avocado, chives, sour cream, shredded mild cheese, chopped onion and chopped tomato.

Most of these items can be purchased at one of my favorite shopping spots, Trader Joe’s.  You can find the Carroll Shelby’s chili mix at any major grocery store.  For the single mamas, freeze any leftovers you may have.  Like I often say, you’ll be glad you did on those “What a day” kinda days!  A batch of chili is great to make the day before you plan to serve.  This will allow time for the flavors to meld together.  Warm buttered tortillas or a nice fresh green salad work well for side dishes.

Watch our YouTube videos on our channel: GinaMisty – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RNf4FN5rMw

Happy Cooking Friends!

Yours Truly with Love and Peace in my Heart,

G-