BBQ Pork Chops with Red Beans and Rice

Dinner last night was really good.  I knew that I wanted to make pork chops, but I wanted them to be a little different.  So, I went through my pantry and pulled out a variety of seasonings.  These were some of the best pork chops I have ever made.  Today, for lunch we had pork chop sandwiches.  The chops were still juicy and tasted just as good as they did last night.  It's a simple recipe and takes about an hour to cook.  I served mine with some red beans and rice.  I must admit, I did cheat on the rice.  I went to the grocery store and bought the Zatarans red beans and rice mix.  It came out good.  It doesn't hurt to cheat in the kitchen every now and then.  I like to think of the red beans and rice as semi-homemade :).  Happy cooking and eating everyone!

Recipe: BBQ Pork Chops

Ingredients:
*I don't typically measure when I season my food.  I can usually spot how much of what to use. Season with the following ingredients to your taste preference.
Season All
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
Paprika
Onion Powder

1/4 tsp of sugar

Hickory BBQ sauce (rub on meat before seasoning)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Wash your meat thoroughly.  Gently pat dry.  Rub BBQ sauce on both sides of your pork chops (not too heavy).  Then season your meat with the ingredients above.

2. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  Then place pork chops in the pan.  Cook covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for the other 30 minutes (When I uncovered the pork chops, I added a little water to the pan- about 1/4 of a cup.  I also turned them over every 10-12 minutes).  

ENJOY!!!

Parmesan and Pepper Sticks

I was looking for a good snack that my husband, my kids, and I would like.  My daughter eats almost anything, so I knew I didn't have to think to hard for her.  My husband and my son are picky eaters, so I wanted to make something that would satisfy them.  My husband and children all really love to eat bread (garlic bread, sliced bread, bagels, etc,), so I found this really easy recipe in a food magazine.  Takes little time to prep and about 7 minutes to bake.  It would be great for an appetizer, a snack, or party food.  If you decide you don't want something savory, I have provided a sweet alternative.  Happy baking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Parmesan and Pepper Sticks (Courtesy of Martha Stewart Food Magazine

Pictures courtesy of google images

Ingredients:

Flour

Frozen Puff Pastry (thawed)

2 tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter (divided)

6 tablespoons of grated Parmesan

Ground Black Pepper

Parchment Paper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin.  Roll out one sheet of frozen puff pastry (make sure it is thawed) to a 10x18 inch rectangle.  Brush with 1 tablespoon of melted and unsalted butter.  Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and season with ground pepper.  Gently roll over dough to adhere.  Flip dough and repeat with more butter, cheese, and pepper.

2. Cut dough in half lengthwise, then cut each piece into 1/2 inch wide strips.  Arrange in a single layer on two parchment lined baking sheets and bake until pastry is golden and puffed, about 7 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Let cool completely.  Make sure to store sticks in an airtight container (sticks are good for two days).  This recipe makes 72 sticks.  

*There are 212 calories per serving (9 sticks is one serving).

**If you want something sweet instead of savory, instead of using Parmesan cheese and ground pepper, sprinkle puff pastry with cinnamon and sugar.  

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Are you looking for a great snack for you or your kids?  Here is a nice spin on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  It takes about 20 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to bake.  It's a really affordable snack too (about $.39 per bar).  A few people have told me that they have used this recipe as a dessert too.  If you like peanut butter and jelly, I am sure you will enjoy this tasty treat.  Happy baking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Ingredients:
8 tbsp (1 stick) of unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup of sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of creamy fat free peanut butter
1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1-1/2 cups of strawberry preserves
2/3 cup of salted peanuts
2/3 cups of peanut butter chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.  Butter and lightly flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Lower speed; add egg, vanilla extract, and peanut butter.  Beat until combined well.
3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.  On low speed, slowly add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture.  Mix until combined.  Set aside 1/2 cup of dough.
4. Using your fingertips, press remaining dough into an even layer in pan.  Spread preserves over dough.  Crumble reserved 1/2 cup of dough over preserves.  Sprinkle with peanuts and peanut butter chips.
5. Bake until golden and bubbly (about 45 minutes).  Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars.
6. Serve!

All pictures of this recipe are courtesy of google images

*Nutrition information per serving (1 bar): 274 calories, 15 grams of fat, 2grams of fiber

Fiesta Friday!!!

Hola everyone!  As much as I love cooking, sometimes, I like to keep it simple- not too many ingredients and not too much prep time.  Here is a really great recipe my mom gave me.  I made it last Friday and it was super quick, easy, and tasty.  It's great for a Friday night dinner.  ¡Cocina feliz y Comer Feliz (Happy cooking and happy eating)!

Cowboy Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb (8oz) Velveeta cut in 1/2 inch cubes

• 1 can (10oz) of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
• 4 cups of Shredded cooked chicken (I saved time and money by purchasing a Rotisserie chicken from Publix)

• 4 green onions thinly sliced

• 6 flour tortillas (10inc)

Directions:

1. Combine Velveeta and Rotel in 1-1/2 qt microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended (I put mine in a pot on medium-low heat).  Stir after 2 minutes.  Then stir in chicken and onions.

2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with Pam or a cooking spray (I used my Pampered Chef non-stick skillet).  Heat the skillet on medium high heat.  Spoon about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture onto half of 1 tortilla.  Fold in half.  Add to skillet.  Cook 1 minute on each side or until golden brown on both sides.  Remove from skillet.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

3. Cut into wedges and enjoy.  This would be great served with some salsa!

Chicken 'N Peppers Pasta Skillet

If you are looking for something filling, healthy, and delicious, well this is a great recipe for you and your family.  It only takes 35 minutes to prep and cook this meal.  I hope you enjoy it.  Happy cooking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Chicken and Peppers Pasta Skillet (Courtesy of Kraft Foods Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 cups multi-grain penne pasta uncooked

1lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 large green pepper cut into short thin strips

1 large red pepper, cut into short thin strips

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups of spaghetti sauce

1 cup of Kraft 2% milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp of Kraft Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 min. Add vegetables; cook 6 to 8 min. or until chicken is done and vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture along with the sauce; cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

3. Top with mozzarella; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 1 to 2 min. or until cheese is melted; top with Parmesan.

Nutritional information:

1 serving size is 300 calories and there are 8grams of fat in each serving!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This is a great snack or dessert you can make for the weekend.  It is really simple and it tastes really good.  We finished ours in one day.  I hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoyed ours.  Happy baking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Courtesy of Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:
Bread-
1/4 cup of sugar
2tsp of cinnamon
1 egg white
1tbsp of water
2pkg refrigerated French Bread dough or 2 pkg of refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans chopped and divided (optional)


Maple Spread
1/4 cup of maple syrup or pancake syrup
1pkg of cream cheese softened 


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.  For bread; lightly spray Mini Loaf Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Lightly beat egg white and water.
2. Unroll one package of dough to cover Cutting Board. Brush dough with a portion of egg white mixture. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon mixture and 3 tbsp chopped walnuts/pecans, if using.
3. Starting at narrow edge, roll dough up tightly; pinch edge to seal. Slice loaf in half forming two mini loaves; place loaves seam side down into Pan. Repeat with remaining dough and bread ingredients. Make a deep cut down length of each loaf without cutting through ends. Brush loaves with egg white mixture. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; cool in Pan 5 minutes. Remove loaves from Pans, cool completely.
5. For spread, gradually add maple syrup to cream cheese. Whisk until well blended. Serve with slices of bread.

Yield: 4 loaves

Nutrients per serving: (excluding optional ingredients) Calories 190, Total Fat 8 g