fall-inspired pork.

One thing I pride myself in is being able to change my husband's mind about food. Pork chops is one of those things that he never really liked. Me, on the other hand, grew up on pork of many kinds. BBQ'd, fried, braised, sauteed . . . you name it, I probably had it. I made it my mission to have the hubby like at least ONE pork dish.

Why not pork chops?

This recipe is fall-inspired. It has apples, cherries, and sage. I've also added some savory spicy sausage to cut the sweetness of the fruit. I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and collard greens. This time around, I made green beans and leek smashed potatoes. The hubby found this filling and, thankfully, really tasty. Yay for pork!

---- o o o o ----

Apple-Cherry Stuffed Pork Chops
(makes 4 servings)

4 (thin-cut or 1-in) pork chops, boneless
olive oil
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
rubbed sage
salt and pepper

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 oz. spicy Italian sausage
1 small apple, peeled and grated
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 stalks green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

 
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Cut a pocket in the pork chops with a very sharp knife, carefully bringing the pocket as close to the edge of the chop as possible without cutting through. Drizzle with olive oil then season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rubbed sage, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Add butter and oil to the pan. When frothy, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add sausage, sage, and fennel seeds and cook for a few minutes, crumbling the meat. Saute in apple, celery, onion, and cherries until tender and vegetables have given off most of their liquid. Remove from heat then stir in bread crumbs and parsley until mixture comes together. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Heat a oven-safe pan over high heat with a little bit of olive oil. Working carefully, stuff each chop firmly with a quarter of the stuffing mixture. Once the pan is hot, add the chops and sear on both sides. Once they have been seared, transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 450F degrees and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until pork is cooked to desired doneness.

patty, cake, or burger?

I've been slightly pescatarian lately. I don't know if it's because of laziness or if it's because I'm trying to eat healthier. All I know is that I've been eating a lot of fish as of late and I don't know when it's going to stop.

Take these tuna burgers, for example. I could very well have baked or pan-fried some chicken to put on my salad, but canned tuna seemed way easier and more interesting to make. I liked that I could put veggies in my protein and that it was going to take me 10 minutes to make. See what I mean? Lazy or healthy?

When I made these patties (or is it cakes? or is it burgers??), I was originally going to make an actual burger like the title suggested, but I didn't really have any bread in the house. So instead, these "burgers" turned into patties that topped some spinach and arugula. I added some tomatoes for sweetness and slivers of red onion for bite. To finish this off, I made a thin, spicy ramoulade that doubled as a topping for the patties and a dressing for the salad.

Would I make these patties again? Maybe. When I made them, I knew that they were going to be slightly dry (which they were). I think if I added more breadcrumbs so that it had a slightly more cakey consistency, they wouldn't be so bad. Despite that, the flavors were actually quite tasty so I might play around with the recipe and see if I can improve the texture. Until then . . .

---- o o o o ----

Tuna Burgers
(slightly adapted from Spright)

2 (5.oz) cans chunk light tuna, drained
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 large carrot, grated
1/2 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 pinch cayenne powder
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain bread crumbs

 
Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl; mix with a fork or your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Using your hands, take small handfuls of the mixture and form them into patties.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized pan and bring it to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan.

Cook each side of the patties for 4-5 minutes, turning them over carefully with a spatula or tongs. Place on a paper towel for a few minutes on each side to drain excess oil then serve.

crabby imitation.

When I was younger, I discovered the wonders of seafood louis salad and, in turn, imitation crab. At the time, I was going to college and the louis salad they had at the campus grocery always had imitation crab. I got sooo hooked on that salad! I loved the flavor and texture of the imitation crab and find myself buying packages to experiment with at home.

Fast forward to now, and I still love the stuff. I particularly love Kanimi's Crab Smart brand as it's made with natural ingredients and doesn't have any added preservatives. Plus, it tastes great too! That's a winner in my book!

Anyway, back to the dish. The hubby recently bought some blue crab dip from Costco for New Years. It made for great snacking sandwiches with a little bit of onion and celery added in. For mine, I stirred in a little bit of lemon juice to cut some of the brininess that I sometimes get when I eat crab. So, since New Years was a few days ago and we had some dip left over, I thought I would experiment and make something with it.

At first, I wanted to make some crab cakes since it's very rare that we have actual real crab products in the house. However, I was concerned that it was going to be too mushy and wouldn't have enough texture to it. Then I thought, maybe crab-stuffed fish instead? Oh, wait . . . I didn't have all the ingredients. . . :/

In the end, I decided to mash the two recipes together. Invention is the mother of necessity, so I substituted with whatever I had in the fridge. And for my "Aha!" moment, I decided to add imitation crab to the actual crab in order to give some "meat" in the stuffing. Spinach was added in an "oh-my-god-I'm-out-of-parsley!" moment to make up the bulk of the green sauce. Oi . . .

In the end, though, this on-a-whim experiment turned out surprisingly really well! The lemony-herby "chimichurri" sauce was nice and "refreshing", as the hubby put it, and really made the dish bright. The stuffing turned out exactly as I wanted it with a great crabby taste and pieces of the imitation crab acting as nice fillers. With some salad, this made for a lovely light dinner!

---- o o o o ---- 

Crab Stuffed Flounder with Spinach Chimichurri Sauce
(adapted from Winter Monroe and QVC's In the Kitchen with David)

For the Sauce:
1 large handful baby spinach
1 large handful flat leaf parsley
1 scallion, cut into pieces
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

For the Crab Stuffing:
1/4 cup Inland Market's Blue Crab Spread dip
1/4 cup Kanimi's Crab Smart imitation crab flakes, lightly flaked
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup onions,, finely chopped
1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 rib celery, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tsp lemon juice
pinch ground coriander
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper

2 flounder filets
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
ground coriander
salt and pepper
olive oil

 
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare a greased, foil-lined baking pan.

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients for sauce and blend until greens are finely chopped but not pureed. Season as needed (this should be lemony and herby with a hint of garlic) then set aside.

Drizzle olive oil on flounder fillets then season with spices, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In bowl, combine all ingredients for crab stuffing. Place the flounder filets flesh-side down on a work surface. Take half of the stuffing mixture and place onto the center of each filet. Roll each fish filet around the stuffing and place them, seam-side down, onto the baking pan.

Sprinkle each filet with salt, pepper, and paprika, then bake for 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, drizzle fish with chimichurri with additional sauce served on the side.

Makes 2 servings.

you're doin' this, caprese?

Surprisingly, when I made marinara the other day, I was sort of at a loss to what I wanted to do with it. Sure, I could do the pasta route or have it with some ravioli, but that didn't seem grand enough for what I had envisioned when I made this sauce.

What to do?

I flipped through a bunch of my cookbooks and decided that I wanted chicken as my main protein. I love chicken. It's easy, versatile, and an ingredient that I was comfortable experimenting with. Then, since I was working with a sauce that was Italian-themed, it made sense to base the ingredients off of classic Italian flavors.

So, I thought i'd do a play on caprese salad. But, instead of serving it as a starter, I thought I'd stuff it in the chicken. Mozzarella, basil, and tomato . . . perfect! I decided to also top the chicken with some oregano-spiced panko to add some interest. Paired with the marinara sauce, this was a killer dish!

As a side, I made ratatouille on the fly, garlic butter pasta for the hubby, and soft polenta for me. I am such a glutton for punishment! It was like having a chicken with it's head chopped off . . . a mad rush from one spot to the other. On hindsight, this turned out to be heavier than I expected, so I'd probably cut out the ratatouille next time. All in all, not too bad. :)

---- o o o o ---- 

Stuffed Chicken Caprese with Marinara Sauce
(Makes 2 servings)

2 skinless boneless chicken thighs
2 slices fresh mozzarella
3 leaves basil, julienned
2 pcs sun-dried tomato, chopped
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup marinara sauce
chopped parsley, for garnish

 
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Combine panko breadcrumbs and dried oregano then set aside.

Drizzle chicken with some olive oil then season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, to taste. Transfer chicken to a lightly sprayed, foil-lined baking pan, top-side down. Place a slice of mozzarella on a chicken then top with half the basil and sun-dried tomato. Fold the meat over, tucking securely under to make sure stuffing is mostly covered and repeat for the remaining thigh. Top with panko mixture until evenly distributed.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on a bed of marinara sauce and garnish with parsley.

it's complicated...

I'm a glutton for punishment, I think, when it comes to cooking. Instead of following the recipe, I tend to make things more complicated than they sometimes need to be. Take my stuffed chicken. I had a crazy idea that I'd make it fancier and wow the hubby.

See? Glutton for punishment.

What really sparked the idea was this video of someone deboning a chicken in less than ten minutes. Well, Hell! I can do that! As you might've expected...it took slightly longer than what I thought it would take...

Nevertheless, I plowed on despite almost butchering the hen and was pleased with the outcome. As for the recipe, I altered it just a little, working with things I had on had and/or needed to get rid of... That meant a handful of feta and some onion. I also seasoned the hen with more spices to give it a little more interest.

To save some time, I actually made the stuffing, rolled it, then stored it in the fridge until I was ready to cook it. By dinner time, bringing it to room temperature, searing it, then popping it in the oven was all I had to do besides making the sides to go along with it. Made for an easy dinner, lol.

Presentation-wise, this thing is a beaut! Not only does it slice nicely, but drizzling the pan juices just before serving really makes it wonderfully flavorful. I decided to serve this with some garlicky Brussels sprouts and some buttery mashed potatoes for some classic Americana. Dinner is served!

---- o o o o ---- 

Cornish Hen with Mushroom-Leek Stuffing
(adapted from Whole Foods)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium leek, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 (4oz) can mushrooms, sliced (we use Giorgio chunky portabella)
1/2 cup plain or Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 large sprigs fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp paprika, plus 1/2 tsp divided
1 (24oz) Cornish game hen, deboned
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, leeks, and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheeses, herbs, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Add the leek mixture and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper then mix to combine. Set aside.

Arrange hen skin-side down on a clean surface so that it lies open and flat. Drizzle a little oil, enough to lightly coat the hen. Season all over with remaining 1/2 tsp paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, then salt and pepper to taste.

Take stuffing and tightly pack towards the middle of the hen. Fold hen over the stuffing and snugly secure with either wooden skewers or kitchen twine, tucking the stuffing and the ends of the roll.

Add oil to a pan large enough to hold the stuffed hen. Sear the hen on high, turning slowly to evenly color to a golden brown. Transfer to a foil-lined sheet and transfer to preheated oven. Roast for 30 minutes or until internal temp reaches 155°F-160°F.

Transfer hen to a carving board, tent with foil and set aside for 10 minutes (hen will continue to cook as it rests). After the hen as rested, confirm internal temperature is safely at 165°F. Remove and discard skewers or twine, slice, and serve.