Pork Chops with Caramelized Shallots

     During the week I try to find recipe that take 30 minutes or less to prepare and cook because I'm usually tired after teaching all day.  Many times the meals will take up to an hour but these pork chops were prepared, made, and on the table in a half hour.

     These pork chops are made in just one dish.  The sauce is mixed in the baking dish, the pork chops are added, and then the shallots are put on top.  The oven is at a high temperature which caramelizes the shallots without cooking them in a frying pan.  The pork can out really tender and the sauce was bright and flavorful.  The shallots added a nice flavor as well.  This is a great weeknight meal.

Pork Chops with Caramelized Shallots (adapted from David Lebovitz)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. lemon juice

2 t. soy sauce

2 large shallots, minced

1/2 t. chili powder

sea salt and pepper
4 pork chops
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2.  In a baking dish combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, shallots, and chili powder.  Toss the pork chops in the mixture, making sure they are covered in shallots.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Cook the pork chops for 15 minutes then flip, making sure shallots are still on top of the pork, and cook for 10 more minutes or until shallots are caramelized.

4.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

This post linked to: 
Tuesdays at the Table, Made from Scratch Tuesdays, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays,
Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Baked Cheesy Tortellini: Meatless Monday

      I like to make pasta bakes in the oven because it allows me to prepare them earlier in the day and just pop them in the oven whenever I get home from work or the gym.  Lately I've done a lot of lasagna and ziti type pasta bakes so I've been looking for something a little different.  When I saw the tortellini bake I had to make it.  Tortellini is one of my favorite pastas.  Who doesn't like pasta and cheese?

      One thing I really liked about the tortellini bake was that it has a package of spinach in it to add some color and nutrition.  It's basically a combination of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, spinach, marinara, and spices mixed with the tortellini.

       I liked this meal a lot.  The tortellini was soft and picked up the flavors from the sauce and spices.  The spinach added flavor and color.  It also reheated well which was a plus because it makes a large amount of pasta.

Baked Cheesy Tortellini  (adapted from Stick a Fork In It)
1 lb. bag of frozen tortellini (mine was tri-colored)
3 c. marinara sauce
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed
3/4 c. low fat ricotta cheese
3/4 c. part skim mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cook the tortellini according to the package directions.  Drain and keep warm.

3. In a 9 x 13 baking dish combine the marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic cloves, oregano, and basil.  Stir well to combine.

4.  Add the tortellini to the dish and mix well so that it is coated with the marinara mixture.  Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

5.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the Parmesan is starting to brown and the cheese in the dish is melted.

This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Mangia Monday, Mouthwatering Mondays
Making You Crave Monday

A Giveaway for Mother's Day!

All mothers deserve the best. That's why this year, voiceBoks, Planet Weidknecht, Good Steward Savers, Terri's Little Haven, and About a Mom Blog are throwing a BIG Mother’s Day Bash Event! together to help you celebrate the special day with yours truly.

This year’s Event features 3 Prizes!

1) The First Place Prize will feature will be $550 Paypal CASH Prize for you splurge on your mom.
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Bea's Gift Baskets and Gifts
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Happy Easter and Chocolate Covered Peeps!

     Happy Easter to all my wonderful readers!  I hope you all are having a relaxing and enjoyable time with your friends and family.  Frank and I made the drive up to Pittsburgh today to celebrate with my family at my parents house.  

     Originally I wasn't going to share a recipe today but my mother's birthday is next week and we're celebrating today so I'd like to share what I made for her.  She loves Peeps so I made her a chocolate covered Peeps bouquet for her birthday that can also be used as a centerpiece for tonight's dinner.  I also made these for my kids at school last week and they went wild over them.  It's amazing how much better peeps taste when they are wrapped in chocolate.

Chocolate Covered Peeps
1 box Peeps bunnies (12 count)
1 box Peeps chicks (10 count)
Multiple colors of chocolate candy coating (pink, yellow, orange, green, and white)
Sprinkles
Lollipop Sticks

1.  Melt the chocolate candy coating one at a time in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate it totally melted.

2.  When dipping the bunnies place a lollipop stick through the bottom of the bottom and push it up to the top of the head.  Complete submerge the bunny in the chocolate then tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.  Immediately sprinkle with sprinkles and lay on waxed paper to harden.

3.  When dipping the chicks dunk the bottoms only in the chocolate and immediately sprinkle with sprinkles.  Place on waxed paper to harden.  Once the chocolate has harden, gently stick the lollipop stick through the bottom of the chick and into it's head.

4.  Repeat with all colors of chocolate.  Place in floral foam inside of a vase to make a bouquet.

Happy Easter!!!

  

Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

      Sam is a 17 year old girl who reads the minds of others for a living in Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade.  Not only does Sam read minds but she lives on a campus that the kids call Rent-A-Kid where kids under 18 with paranormal powers are rented out to the highest bidder.  Sam is looking forward to her 18th birthday when she will finally be free and on her own at college in New York.

      A few weeks before her birthday Sam begins feeling ill and is rushed to the school's hospital.  While she waits for treatment a boy unknown to her makes a mental connection to her.  Sam has never before known anyone who can speak to her in her mind and is determined to find out who the boy is.  Only when she asks, everyone around her shuts down and refuses to answer.

      While lying in the hospital Sam again connects to the stranger who she now knows as Drake.  Drake is new on the campus and tells Sam that he has been kidnapped against his will.  His paranormal powers include physical strength and mind control but both are being subdued by the people holding him captive.

       When Sam and Drake finally meet, Sam realizes that her seemingly perfect life at rent-A-Kid in not all it was cracked up to be.  With the help of her best friends, twins Lucy and Luke, Sam and Drake must find a way to get out of the hospital and escape the nightmare that waits them before it's too late.

       This was a short but enjoyable book.  I was captivated by Sam from the very beginning. Once she and Drake are  linked mentally I couldn't help hoping that they would find their way out of the hospital.  This book is fast paced with a few good twists to keep it interesting.  As the author says, it's like X-Men meets human trafficking which makes for a very interesting story!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This post linked to:
Saturday Situation, Goodreads 

Guest Posting at Feed Me Seymour

     Today I'm lucky enough to be guest posting over at my friend Kim's blog Feed Me Seymour.  Kim is having beer week on her blog and has had some amazing posts for beer bread, beer soup, and even beer pancakes!  I've written a post about my Beef and Guinness Stew which is sure to warm you up on a cold evening.  Stop by her blog now and check it out!

Mixed Greens and Apple Salad with Warm Honey Dressing

     To be fair, I like my salads with fruit in them, I really do.  However, when I received my recipe for a fruit swap and it was a spinach salad with apples, walnuts, and goat cheese I was seriously concerned.  The problem is that I do not like spinach unless it's cooked, I don't generally eat nuts, and goat cheese is one of my least favorite cheeses.  The dressing did sound amazing though so I decided to revamp the recipe into something I could eat.

     Changing the base of the salad was easy.  I just substituted mixed greens for the spinach.  I left the apples alone because I love the tartness of the apples in my salads.  The walnuts were substituted with pecans which I don't really eat but my husband enjoys.  Finally I swapped out the goat cheese with crumbly feta.  My salad looked surprisingly similar to the original and it tasted great.

      The warm honey dressing really makes this salad.  I thought it might be too sweet but with the shallots, oil, and vinegar it's perfect.  Sweet, sour, and tangy it pairs so well with the greens, sweet apples, and creamy cheese.  I'd love to add a protein to this salad and make it an entree salad.

Mixed Greens and Apple Salad with Warm Honey Dressing (adapted from Sweet Beginnings)
4 c. mixed greens
1/4 c. pecan halves
1 apple (I used Gala)
1 large shallot peeled and cut into thin rings
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar
4 T. honey
1 t. black pepper
1/2 c. feta cheese

1.  Corn the apple and cut it into thin slices.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook for 5 minutes or until the shallot begins to brown.

3.  In a large bowl mix the greens and the pecans.  Set aside.

4.  Once the shallots are soft and brown add the apple slices to the pan.  Sprinkle with black pepper and honey.  Stir together long enough to coat the apples.

5.  Pour the vinegar over the apples and mix well.

6.  Pour the entire mixture from the pan over top of the mixed greens and toss to combine.  Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

This post linked to:
Friday Food Fight,  Shine on Friday, Foodie Friday 
Foodie Friday Linky, 

Easter Egg Surprise Cookies

     I'm so happy it's finally Easter again and I can share these amazing cookies with my readers!  Last year I made several batches of them and kept eating them before I could get a good picture.  I mean, it doesn't get much better then a sugar cookie with mini Cadbury eggs and Reese eggs in the middle of them, topped off with buttercream and jelly beans!  These are by far one of my all time favorite cookies and they are fairly simple to make.  Kids can help too by placing the jelly beans or M&M's on top.

Easter Egg Surprise Cookies  (adapted from In Katrina's Kitchen)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 sticks (1 cup) of butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg white
12 mini Cadbury eggs
12 mini Reese eggs
Jelly Beans
Peanut M&M's
For the buttercream frosting:
2 sticks of butter
3-4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. meringue powder
green food coloring

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add in the egg and egg white stirring until well combined.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

4.  Grab a Cadbury egg and wrap a tablespoon of dough around it so it is covered completely.  Placed the cookie on one side of the muffin tin.  Repeat with remaining Cadbury eggs and then Reese eggs.  Remember which side has Cadbury eggs and which side has Reese eggs before putting the pan in the oven.

5.  Bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan.  Gently use your fingertips and twist the cookies out of the pan.  Place the cookies on a wire rack to completely cool.

6.  Meanwhile, place the butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed.  Slowly add in the powdered sugar a half a cup at a time or until desired consistency is reached.  Add in the vanilla and food coloring and mix for an additional minute.

7.  Pipe the icing onto cooled cookies.  Place jelly beans on top of the Cadbury egg cookies and the M&M's on top of the Reese egg cookies so that you can tell them apart.  Enjoy!

This post linked to:
Frugal Food Thursdays, Full Plate Thursdays,  It's A Keeper Thursdays
Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration

Promise Me Eternity by Ian Fox

    Promise Me Eternity by Ian Fox starts off with Dr. Simon Patterson waiting on a dark road for Carlo, the man he wants to kill.  The story then jumps back several months and we are introduced to Dr. Patterson, the surgeon.  Dr. Patterson is the chief surgeon at a local hospital but his real passion is research.  He built a lab in his basement and has been working on a cure for aging.

    Dr. Patterson's wife Helen despises his research and wishes he would look for a job in a bigger town so that he could make more money.  She's only concerned with money, possessions, and how she looks to the rest of the world.  Simon and Helen fight all the time and their marriage is not a happy one.

     Carlo is a mafia man who gets in an accident and ends up at Simon's hospital.  Simon performs surgery on him and saves his life.  To repay him, Carlo invites Simon and his wife to his home for dinner.  Carlo's wife Christine is also at the dinner and Simon feels something for her he hasn't felt in a long time.

      So begins the decline of Simon.  His aging vaccine seems to be having the opposite affect.  One colleague at work is angry with him for not making him an associate surgeon while another is angry because he denied her advances.  Simon's wife begins coming home late and won't explain where she's been.  Then finally something wonderful happens when Christine, Carlo's wife, enters his office.  The two of them begin a love affair that takes us to the beginning of the book where Simon is waiting on the quiet road for Carlo.

      This book has a huge cast of characters, many of whom do not play an important role to the story.  I had a hard time keeping up with who they were and why they were involved in the story. Many of the characters had large chunks of chapters devoted to them and then the story never came back to them or if it did it had nothing to do with the main storyline.

      While the story was some what entertaining I didn't feel as though there was much of a plot.  I kept waiting for something to happen and when something finally did the author rushed through ten years of the story in he last fifty pages of the book.  In other words, it took a long time for the author to go nowhere.

      I'm giving this book a rating of 2 1/2 stars because while I didn't feel there was much of a plot line and there was a lot of excess included in the book that wasn't needed, it did hold my attention and was somewhat entertaining.

I give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

This post linked to:
Review Party Wednesday
     

  

Stir-Fried Chinese Egg Noodles with Pork

     We love eating Chinese food in our house. We often will get take out because we’ve found it hard to replicate many of the dishes at home. I will try making a new Chinese dish every couple of weeks. I’ve been looking for a noodle dish with vegetables to make with eggrolls. I found one that didn’t have any meat in it and simply added pork to the dish.

     The stir fry noodles are rather tasty. Included in the disk are mushrooms, spinach, and a sweet and spicy brown sauce. Tossed with the pork it was the perfect one dish meal. Other ingredients could be substituted in for the pork such as chicken, tofu, or shrimp. My husband’s vote it to have shrimp in it the next time I make this dish, which will definitely be soon!

Stir-Fried Chinese Egg Noodles with Pork (adapted from Cooking Light)

8 oz. Chinese egg noodles
1 T. canola oil
1 lb. pork, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 c. sliced mushrooms
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions, diagonally sliced
¼ c. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 ½ T. fresh lime juice
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. ketchup
1 T. chile paste
1 egg
2 cups spinach, trimmed

1 t. black pepper

½ t. salt

1. Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside, keeping them warm.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Sauté the pork pieces for 7 minutes or until they are cooked through. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue cooking for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and green onions and sauté for 1 minutes stirring constantly.

3. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, sesame oil, ketchup, chile paste, pepper, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pan with the pork and bring to a boil.

4. Add the noodles to the pan and toss to coat. Stir in the beaten egg and cook for 3 more minutes. Add spinach and heat until it just begins to wilt. Remove from heat and toss.

This post linked to:
What's Cooking Wednesdays, Midweek Fiesta, Cast Party Wednesday

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

     One of my favorite places to eat lunch whenever I go home to my parents is the Olive Garden.  My friend Christie and I love to go and get the soup, salad, and breadsticks.  In the winter time one of my favorite soups in the chicken and gnocchi.  It's thick and creamy and is a total comfort food on a cold day.

    I was thrilled when I found a copycat recipe for this soup.  It's super easy to make and so much healthier then the version at the Olive Garden.  The soup was hot and creamy with the perfect amount of vegetables, chicken, and gnocchi.  We had it for dinner with salad and rolls and while my salad and rolls were not up to the standards of the Olive Garden, I'm pretty sure the soup surpasses their soup.  My husband definitely agreed that this version was better then the original.

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (adapted from Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen)

2 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 c. onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 T. flour
1 quart fat free half and half
1 c. carrots, shredded
1 c. cooked chicken breast, diced
2 c. chicken broth
1 lb. potato gnocchi
1 c. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
½ t. thyme
½ t. parsley
1 t. black pepper
½ t. red pepper
3 T. Parmesan cheese

1. In a large sauté pan heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add in the flour and make a roux. Let the mixture cook for one minute then add the half and half.

2. Cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Add in the carrots and chicken. Stir until well combined then add in the chicken broth. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add in the gnocchi, spinach, thyme, peppers, and parsley and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

This post linked to:

Made From Scratch Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table, Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

Tofu Sriracha Stir Fry: Meatless Mondays

     I have a rather large bottle of sriracha in my refrigerator.  I feel like we use it a lot because I love the heat of it, but it still seems to be almost full.  I wanted to make a tofu dish using sriracha and finally went with a chicken stir fry recipe and just substituted in the tofu.

     I don't know if I've ever had a stir fry with green beans in it but I enjoyed the crunch of them.  It gave a nice texture difference to the rest of the vegetables.  The sauce is similar to other stir fry sauces I've had in the past but the sriracha adds heat to it.  I thought the end result was a beautiful range of colors if nothing else.  It was almost too pretty to eat...almost.  The sauce went well with the tofu and the vegetables and it was perfect over a mound of jasmine rice.


Tofu Sriracha Stir Fry  (adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking)1 brick extra firm Tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
Marinade for tofu:
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. dry white wine
1 T. water
1 t. Sriracha

For the sauce:
1 T. cornstarch
6 T.water
1 T. Sriracha sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 T.  oyster sauce

For the stir fry:
1 c. green beans, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 T. ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. black pepper


1.  Place the cubed tofu in a plastic food storage bag. Add the  marinade ingredients and toss to coat. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2.  In a small bowl combine the cornstarch, water, Sriracha, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.

3.  Drain the tofu from the marinade and press out any remaining liquid.

4.  In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat.  Add in the vegetables and stir fry for at least 5 minutes or until the beans and carrots are tender.  Remove to a plate.

5.  In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add in the tofu and stir fry for 5-10 minutes or until the tofu is browned on all sides.

6.  Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir until thickened.  Return the vegetables to the skillet and heat for 3 additional minutes. Serve over rice.

This post linked to:
Meatless Mondays, Mangia Mondays, Making You Crave Mondays

Bird's Nests

     There's only one week left until Easter!  If you are looking for a quick and easy Easter treat to make with your children, try these delicious bird's nests!  There are only three ingredients and they take only minutes to make.  I made them for the kids at school and they loved them!  I didn't tell them that I used Chinese noodles because I think that would have scared them away, but calling it chocolate crunches did the trick!  These are not only great for Easter but they can be used as centerpieces or favors at any spring time event.

Bird's Nests  (idea from Better Homes and Gardens)
3-4 c. Chinese crunchy noodles
2 c. chocolate candy melts
Speckled jelly beans or speckled M&M's

1.  Place two sheets of waxed paper on your work table.

2.  Heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between each interval until the chocolate is completely melted.

3.  Put the Chinese noodles in a large bowl.  Pour the melted chocolate over top and mix well until all the noodles are covered.

4.  Using your hands grab a handful of chocolate noodles and form it into a nest shape.  Press your finger in the middle to make an indentation.  Place three jelly beans or M&M's in the center of each nest.  Allow the chocolate to set for 20 minutes.

5.  Remove from the waxed paper and store in an air tight container until ready to use.

This post linked to:
Sundae Scoop Sunday, Not Baaad Sundays, Scrumptious Sundays
Sugar Me Up, 

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

      Transcendent by Rita Webb is a collection of eight short paranormal stories.  I enjoyed how diverse this collection was and it was easy to sit and read several stories in one day or just pick up the book while I was waiting for dinner to cook and read one story.

      The book opens with Seduction of a Siren where two teenage boys are stuck on an island after a boating accident and find that the only other person on the island is a disgusting looking siren.  One of the boys can see past the ugliness to the siren's inner beauty but the other cannot.

      In Feather, a Native American girl takes her spiritual journey into the wilderness only to find a secret about herself that she cannot believe.  The Pumpkin Thief will seem familiar but has a surprising twist at the end.  Then in Ryan's Wish Ryan finally makes it back home after being missing for years...or does he?  All the stories in this collection are very different but each one has a great ending that makes you think about it long after you've put down the book.

     A fun collection of paranormal tales that has a little bit of everything sprinkled in from creepy and powerful to sweet and loving.

I give this collection 3 out of 5 stars.

Chocolate Pretzel Ducks and Bunnies for Easter

     This month the reward for my kids at school is an Easter party.  We are lucky enough to have all of next week off for spring break so we had our party a week early which was fine by me.  I can't wait to have 10 days off work to rest up and relax.  I also plan on going to extra aerobics classes at the gym and I'm getting the massage and facial that my husband surprised me with last week :-)

     I always have a lot of fun making themed treats for each of our reward parties.  The kids really get a kick out of seeing the things that both I and my instructional assistant Kristin make for them.  I already had an idea of what I wanted to make but when I came across these adorable ducks and bunnies made out of chocolate and pretzels I knew I had to give them a try!

     Initially I thought that the ducks would be more difficult to make but it turned out it was the bunnies that gave me the most problems.  The original recipe calls for edible markers to draw on the details but I had 9, yes NINE, open bags of colored chocolate in the refrigerator so I just used those which worked well. 

      While these cuties take both time and patience, they aren't very difficult to make.  The pretzels get filled with chocolate then are left to harden.  Individual colors are heated up and the details are piped on.  They make a fun and cute treat that the kids absolutely loved to look at and eat!

Chocolate Pretzel Ducks and Bunnies for Easter (adapted from The Sugar Buzz Pantry)
1 c. yellow chocolate candy melts
1 c. white chocolate candy melts
1/4 c. orange chocolate candy melts
1/4 c. pink chocolate candy melts
1/4 c. black chocolate candy melts (or dark brown if you can't find black)
30 pretzel twists (any size)

1.  Place a large sheet of wax paper on the table you will be working on.  Place 30 pretzel twists on top leaving a little space in between each one.

2.  Melt the yellow chocolate in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals until completely melted.  Spoon into a zip top bag, seal, and cut off a corn.  Pipe the yellow chocolate into 15 of the pretzel twist, filling in the three holes and covering the connecting pretzel pieces.  Repeat with the white chocolate and remaining pretzels.  (See picture)

3.  Allow the chocolate to harden for 15 minutes.  

4.  Melt the orange chocolate in the microwave and place in a small zip top bag.  Cut only the very corner off of the bag to make a thin tip.  Pipe a v shape on the left side of the pretzel to make the beak.

5.  Melt the black or dark brown chocolate and place in a zip top bag.  Snip off the end.  Pipe a dot on each duck for an eye.  On the bunnies pipe two eyes and a nose on each one.

6.  Melt the pink chocolate in the microwave and place in a zip top bag.  Cut off the corner.  Pipe above the eyes of the bunny to make the ears.  Then pipe below the nose to make a mouth.

7.  Allow the chocolate to harden for 15 minutes.  Store in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

**If you have a minute, please stop byVoiceBoks (HERE) and vote for Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks as one of the top 10 foodie blogs!  Thank you!

This post linked to:
Foodie Friday, Sweet Tooth Friday ,
Seasonal Inspiration 

Four Cheese Lasagna

      I hate when TV chefs moan every time they taste one of their own recipes.  I mean, I'm sure they are good but is every single one that good?  I doubt it.  To my dismay, when I tasted this four cheese lasagna a noise escaped from my lips that sounded curiously similar to a moan.  Did I really just make that noise after tasting my lasagna?  I did.  That's just how good this four cheese lasagna tasted.

     The sauce for this dish is made with milk, chicken broth, and a bit of Gruyere cheese.  It is not too thick, but is creamy and delicious.  The layers of the lasagna are topped by a ricotta cheese mixture, shredded fontina, shredded Asiago, and more of the cheese sauce.  This lasagna is not for the faint of heart.  The taste is similar to fettuccine alfredo but four times better because of all the different flavors from the cheeses.  While I can not make this very often because of the fat and calories, this is definitely comfort food for the winter.

Four Cheese Lasagna (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
4 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 1/2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 t. ground black pepper
2 T. unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. flour
2 c. skim milk
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
12 no boil lasagna noodles
6 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
3 oz. Asiago cheese, shredded

1.  Place Gruyere and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese in a large, heatproof bowl.  Combine the ricotta, egg, and black pepper in a second bowl.  Set both bowls aside. 

2.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Add in the garlic and shallot and stir for one minute.  Add in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. 

3.  Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth.  Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Add in salt and cayenne pepper.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.  Remove from heat and slowly add 1/4 cup of the sauce into the ricotta mixture, stirring well.  Pour the remaining sauce over the Gruyere mixture and stir until smooth.  Set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6.   Place the 12 lasagna noodles in a 13 x 9 pan and cover with hot water.  Let sit for 10 minutes, shaking the pan every couple of minutes to prevent sticking.  After 10 minutes remove the noodles and pat dry.  Dump the water from the pan and wipe it dry.  Spray the pan with cooking spray.

7.  Pour 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.  Place three noodles in a single layer on top of the sauce.  Spread 1/2 cup ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/2 cup fontina and 3 tablespoons of Asiago.  Repeat these layers 2 more time and then top with the last three noodles.  Cover completely with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and parsley if desired. 

8.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and broil the lasagna for 2-4 minutes or until the top is a spotty brown.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

This post linked to:
Full Plate Thursday,  It's A Keeper, Frugal Food Thursday

Browned Pork Chops with Bacon and Bourbon Molasses Glaze

     The instant I saw this recipe I was sold.  If there are two things my husband enjoys it is bacon and bourbon.  I thought the bourbon molasses glaze sounded delicious.  I was a little nervous about cooking bone in pork chops.  I've eaten a few dried out chops in my time and I didn't want that to happen to these.

     The pork chops are browned in a skillet and then placed in the oven with the sauce.  The sauce thickens as it cooks and the Dijon mustard whisked in it gives a bite to the sweet molasses.  The bacon adds a saltiness that cuts through the molasses and brings out the bourbon flavor.  Frank and I both enjoyed the pork chops.  They tasted like something we would order out at a restaurant.

Browned Pork Chops with Bacon and Bourbon-Molasses Glaze (adapted from Cooking Light)
1/3 c. molasses
1/4 c. bourbon
1/2 t. salt
2 T. Dijon mustard
3 slices bacon

4 bone-in center cut pork chops

1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a small saucepan whisk the molasses, bourbon, salt, and Dijon mustard over medium high heat until it begins to boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and boil for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce reduces to 1/2 cup.

3.  Cook the bacon in a large skillet until it is crisp.  Drain on paper towels and crumble.  Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.

4.  Pat the pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat the remaining one tablespoon of bacon drippings until hot.  Place the pork chops in the pans and heat for 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from skillet and put on a baking sheet.  Spoon one tablespoon of the molasses mixture over each pork chop.

5.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Drizzle with the remaining sauce and top with bacon.

This post linked to:
Cast Party Wednesday, Midweek Fiesta, What's Cooking Wednesday

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