Pork Chops and Cranberries

I am making this tonight...I've had this recipe since I was in college. The same recipe is in the Tallowood Cookbook. It is very good!!!


6 pork Chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
Flour for dredging
Margarine
2 cups gresh cranberries
1 cup sugar (can use less)
1 cup water

Dredge pork chops in flour and brown in a skillet with a little margarine (can use olive oil for healthier brown). Place pork chops in baking dish. Mix cranberries with sugar and water. Pour the cranberry mixture over the pork chops and bake at 350degrees for 30 minutes, covered. Then cook 30 minutes more uncovered. Serves 6.

Note: You can use 1/2 to 3/4 cups of sugar instead...play around with it to see what you prefer. You can also complete the process the night before up to the baking and then refigerate it to bake it the next night saving some time. I usually stock up on a couple of bags of fresh cranberries in the fall (in the produce section), freeze them and use them all year long for this dish. Enjoy!!!

Spiced Pecan Pear Salad with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

Makes 6 servings

8 cups mesclun salad greens
2 firm, ripe pears, cut into 1/4 inch slices
8 ounces seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced (optional for me)
Spiced Pecans
Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
4 ounces blue cheese, chilled and crumbled
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add Maple - Mustard Vnaigrette, and toss to combine. Divide salad evenly among 6 plates. Sprinkle each with cheese and black pepper.

Spiced Pecans

1 T. light brown sugar
1/2 t. ground red pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
2 t. olive oil
1 cup pecan halves (4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; add oil, and stir until well mixed. Add pecans, and toss until thoroughly coated. Place pecans on baking sheet and bake, stirring once halfway through, 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on baking sheet.

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T. maple syrup
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.

Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms

Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

1.5 pounds fresh green beans
1-8 ounce package fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 T. olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine green beans and mushrooms on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat. Bake for 15 minutes, or until desired degree of tenderness. Serve immediately.

Basil Pistachio Butter

For use on top of grilled salmon. Probably good on chicken too.



3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup shelled pistachios

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1.2 tsp. minced garlic

1.4 cup softened butter, can use olive oil



Place basil, pistachios, lime juice and garlic in food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop. Place mixture in a bowl and add buter, stirring until well blended. Set aside.



Grill salmon skin side up first. After flipping add the pistachio butter on top to cover. Finish grilling to completely cook the fish. This should not take long. Serve immediately. It is splendid!

Chicken Pot Pie

A box of pie crust mix (just add water) or two frozen pie crusts
2 cans of mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
some chicken (I get a rotisserie chicken and use some of that. You can use chicken breasts or canned chicken chunks, whatever really)

Put the pie crust in
Fill with other ingredients
Put pie crust on top
Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until top crust is brown.

*Jess: Post your recipe like this and we can see if it is the same. Yours was for more people and I want to know what you do. :)