Pork chops with cider sauce

In the fall, one drink reigns supreme in my home: apple cider. Growing up in Michigan, the highlight of October is going to the orchard and picking apples and having a cup of fresh (as in, you can see them pressing it through glass windows) cider and a cake donut. Don't ask what the donuts have to do with cider. I've never figured it out, but it is the best treat in the world.

Last night, I need to make dinner and I had some pork chops in the fridge. I decided to make pork chops with apple cider sauce, which is a recipe I have seen many times but hadn't tried. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans because that is what I had at home, but I think it would be good with cous-cous or sweet potatoes, as well.

This is the recipe I used. Easy and delicious.

Ingredients
4 center-cut,bone-in ork chops,about 3/4" thick
salt and pepper
2 TB olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 TB finely chopped fresh sage
1-1/2 c apple cider

How to make it
1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.In nonstick akillet over med-high heat,warm olive oil. 2. Add onions and cook,stirring,until softened and golden,about 5 mins. Push onions to edge of skillet,add chops. Cook,turning once,until browned,about 6 mins.
3. Sprinkle sage over chops and pour cider into pan. Bring to boil,cover,reduce heat to med-low and simmer till chops are cooked through,8-10 mins.
4. Remove chops from pan,raise heat to high and boil sauce until reduced an thickened,2 to 3 mins. Pour sauce and onions over chops,serve.
Note: You can also use chicken for this dish.

For dessert, I made some pumpkin cranberry scones from a mix by Sticky Fingers bakery. They were good, but I need to work on finding some recipes of my own. They were almost too easy (just add water and mix) to make baking them a cathartic experience.

Fall munchies

So, I had a birthday party for my roommate/Halloween party last weekend.

On the menu, we had:
Chili
Pigs in blankets, which are just little smokies wrapped in crescent rolls but they are super delicious!
Buffalo chicken dip - spicy, but good. I'll put the recipe down below.
Nacho dip - super easy. Combine: 1 block cream cheese, 1 can chili with no beans and 1 cup of shredded colby jack cheese in the crockpot on low until it's melty and delicious.

Buffalo chicken dip

I tried to find this recipe online, but I think I jumbled up a couple of recipes to make mine, so I will just have to tell you.

I did it in a crock-pot on low until everything melted.

Combine
1 cup cook chicken breast (I might have put a little more)
1 cup ranch dressing (next time 1 will use 1/2 ranch, 1/2 blue cheese)
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Louisiana Hot Sauce and it had a lot of heat)
1 cup colby jack cheese

Heat on low until melted. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips.

Upcoming projects

I am going to make a lemon cake with lemon buttercream for my roommate's birthday.

I am also trying my hand at beef vegetable soup (and yes, I realize it's lame that I have never made that).

I am also exploring an idea that has the potential to be a really delicious quickie clam chowder.

But I have no idea what's for dinner tomorrow night.

Italian night!

So, last night was Italian night at my house. A friend had made me some stuffed shells recently from a Campbell's cookbook (they own Prego spaghetti sauce, no soup involved!), so I decided to make those because I had some frozen broccoli in my fridge. I also made garlic bread (out of the freezer section), caesar salad (out of a bag) and low-fat tiramisu (recipe to follow).

I used this recipe, but I will make notes on where I changed stuff. Off the top of my head, I doctored up the sauce and used twice as much ricotta cheese and broccoli. I think the shells would've been pretty skimpy if you followed their instructions. Edited to add: I cooked extra shells, at least 24, maybe 30. This recipe calls for 18. That'd be three each, which is about what everyone ate at my house...So, only use the red notes if you are doubling!


Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Rated:
Submitted By: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Large pasta shells stuffed with creamy cheese and chopped broccoli are laced with seasoned tomato sauce and baked until piping hot."
Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese - use the big tub of ricotta
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained - I used the big bag of frozen broccoli too
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
18 jumbo shell-shaped pasta, cooked and drained - Oh, that explains it all. I made at least 24 shells, maybe 30. Oops.
1 (25.75 ounce) jar Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce - see below for how I did the sauce
Directions:
1.
Stir the ricotta cheese, broccoli, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, (use whole cup if you double the recipe like I did) Parmesan cheese and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each shell.
2.
Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a 13x9x2-inch shallow baking dish. Place the filled shells on the sauce. Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
3.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes or until hot.

Laura's sauce recipe:

1 lb ground sirloin (8% fat)
1 can mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large jar tomato and basil prepared pasta sauce (the small jar isn't enough once you add the other stuff to it - I think mine was the 28 ounce size)
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used pinot noir)
sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning, parsley and basil

Brown the beef with the mushrooms and garlic. Drain any excess fat you might have off the meat. Add sauce, wine and herbs and allow to heat through.

You can make the shells up the night before and then just add the sauce and bake them the next day. I also threw a couple more handfulls of mozarella on the top while they were baking.