Pork Chops
Ingredients
3–4 pork chops (1 lb) 3/4 inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup homemade BBQ sauce (see recipe below) or your favorite brand
Directions
Prepare an outdoor grill for high direct heat and indirect heat. Oil the grates.
Trim off excess fat and pepper both sides of the pork chops.
Place the pork chops on the grill over direct high heat with the lid closed. Cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the pork chops over and continue grilling, lid closed, for another 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low on a gas grill or move the chops to a cooler portion of a charcoal grill.
Brush a liberal amount of barbecue sauce on the chops and then turn them over. Brush more barbecue sauce on the top side.
Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chops are 145° F.
Remove the pork chops from the grill to a serving platter and let rest for about 5 minutes.
BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
26 oz container strained or crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground yellow mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Cook, uncovered, until thick about 1 ½ hours. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Mash the potatoes, adding the buttermilk until moist and the consistency that you like. Season with additional salt if needed. Add the chives and serve..
Garlicky Sautéed Greens
4 Servings
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (packed) stemmed and roughly chopped swiss chard or other greens
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Heat garlic and oil in large skillet over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and reserve.
Add the Swiss chard, red pepper flakes, and salt to empty skillet. Using tongs, turn greens until wilted enough to fit in the pan.
Raise the heat to medium, cover, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing a few times during the cooking process. Transfer the greens to a colander to drain.
Return to them to the pan, turn the heat to low and toss with the reserved garlic and oil mixture.when hot, transfer to a serving bowl.
Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 lb chuck beef roast
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beef broth
1 large sweet onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
In a small bowl combine the sea salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, and onion powder. Mix together. Rub seasoning mixture all over the roast.
Heat a large Dutch Oven over high and add the oil. Sear the roast on both sides until browned.
Pour the beef broth over the roast. Sprinkle minced garlic over the top and add the onions. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat to low.
Cook for 60 minutes, turn the roast over and add the carrots and mushrooms. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours more or until the meat is falling apart tender.
Remove the carrots and roast from the pot and place on a serving platter. Cover with foil and let rest while you thicken the gravy.
In a small bowl combine: arrowroot powder and cold water. Stir until mixed.
Bring the sauce in the pot to a boil and pour in the arrowroot powder mixture. Boil and stir until the sauce thickens. Turn down the heat to very low.
Slice the roast and serve with the carrots and hot gravy.
Swiss Chard and Mashed Rutabaga
You may use two Yukon gold or one large baking potato instead of the rutabaga in this recipe.
For the Swiss Chard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
2 large bunches of Swiss chard, washed in several changes of water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
For the rutabaga
1 medium rutabaga
Salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions for the Swiss Chard
Drain the washed chard very well. With a knife, remove the chard stems that run up the middle of each leaf. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and black pepper.
Heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender.
Add the chard leaves and cook, covered, for 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and brightly colored. Add a tablespoon of water to the pan if it seems like the leaves are getting too dry.
Add salt to taste and set aside.
Directions for the Rutabaga
Peel the rutabaga. Cut into ½ inch diced pieces. Place the rutabaga in a medium saucepan with a cover.
Add the chicken broth, garlic, and a little salt to taste. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook until very soft, about 45 minutes.
Drain the rutabaga over a bowl and reserve the broth for soup. Return the cooked rutabaga to pan and mash with a potato masher. Add the olive oil.
To finish the dish
Stir the mashed rutabaga or potato into the Swiss chard. Heat the mixture over low heat, cover the pan and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes until the chard is very tender. Serve with the pot roast.
Manicotti in many regions of Italy are actually called Crespelles. They are a perfect light start as a “primo” (first) course for a special Italian meal.
In America, manicotti are often made with pasta tubes. But for true manicotti made the Italian way, the shells should be light crepes, not made from boiled pasta. Cheese or meat stuffings enclosed in pasta are called Cannelloni in Italy.
The best recipe for Italian crepes comes from Marcella Hazan. In her book, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, she includes a variety of recipes for stuffing crepes. I use her crepe recipe for Manicotti, but the Marinara Sauce and Ricotta Filling are my long time standard recipes.
To make this dish, you will need:
Marinara Sauce
8 Crepes for a main dish or 4 Crepes for a first course
Swiss Chard or Spinach Ricotta Filling
Crespelle Batter
Makes at least 8 crepes
Ingredients
1 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour also works)
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Butter for crepe pan
To make the crepes:
Add the flour gradually to the milk with a whisk in a medium bowl with a cover. Strain the mixture through a sieve to avoid any lumps. Return the mixture to the bowl..
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the salt.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the crepe pan and butter the pan.
Pour a scant ¼ cup of batter into the hot pan. Tilt the pan around with a circular motion so that the batter thins out and forms a round crêpe about the size of the pan. Cook until the edges of the crêpe become whitish and the inner portion yellow and partially solid.
Using a spatula, turn the crepe over and cook briefly (about 30 seconds).
Remove to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, buttering the pan for each crepe. Place a sheet of wax paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28-ounce) cartons Pomi finely chopped tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
4 fresh basil leaves, minced
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a cover. Add the garlic and onion. Sauce for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer the sauce with the cover ajar for 1 1/2 hours or until thickened.
Swiss Chard and Ricotta Filling
Ingredients
2 cups cooked (with garlic and olive oil) Swiss Chard or spinach, squeezed dry
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for baking
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for baking
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine the filling ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the manicotti.
To assemble the Manicotti:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly brush 4 individual baking dishes with olive oil.
Spread about 4 tablespoons of the filling down the center of a crepe. Roll it up and place it, seam-side-down, in one of the baking dishes. Repeat with the remaining crepes and filling, placing one or two filled crepes in each baking dish. Top lightly with marinara sauce spreading it evenly over the manicotti, sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake the manicotti for 30 minutes.
Springtime On The Gulf Coast
I am a home cook that hates to waste food. I also don’t like heated up leftovers. So…I try to think of ways to reinvent my leftovers. In the past week, I had cooked asparagus, green beans, Swiss chard, Italian sausage and mini bell peppers to use up. The new recipes turned out just fine.
Ham and Asparagus Quiche
This is a good dish to use up some of your leftover cooked vegetable sides. We like this dish for a lighter dinner and I serve it with a salad.
6 servings
Ingredients
Press in the Pan Crust
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb or Gluten-Free Baking Mix
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz (1 stick ) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3-4 tablespoons cold water
Quiche Filling
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup baked ham cubes
1 cup chopped cooked asparagus
½ cup chopped cooked green beans
¼ cup cooked sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
To make the pastry
Place the flour, salt, and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the butter is cut into little pieces. Slowly drizzle in the cold water by tablespoons until the dough comes together.
Remove the dough from the processor and press onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until the edges begin to brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling
In a medium mixing bowl combine all the filling ingredients. Pour the mixture into the partially baked pie crust. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes until set. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Sautéed Swiss Chard
This was the original recipe, I made for a side dish.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
2 large bunches of Swiss chard, washed in several changes of water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
Drain the washed chard very well. With a knife, remove the chard stems that run up the middle of each leaf.Save them for soup.
Cut the leaves into smaller pieces.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and black pepper.
Heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender.
Add the chard leaves and cook, covered, for 3-5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and brightly colored. Add a tablespoon of water to the pan if it seems like the leaves are getting too dry.
Add salt to taste and serve as a side dish. Reserve leftovers to make the patties for another meal.
Swiss Chard Patties
Ingredients
2 cups leftover cooked Swiss chard
2 tablespoons flour
1 scallions, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Heat a stovetop griddle or a large frying pan. Oil the griddle. With a muffin-scoop drop batter onto the hot griddle.
Cook until lightly brown on the underside, Turn the patties over and cook until lightly brown. These patties make a delicious side dish.
If you have patties leftover, they make a great breakfast. Heat the patties in a skillet. Top each with a fried egg.
Sausage and Peppers with Spaghetti Squash
3 servings
Ingredients
4 cooked Italian sausage links
6 mini bell peppers, assorted colors
1 small yellow onion
1 ½ cups homemade or store-bought Marinara Sauce
One 2 lb spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F and halve squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds from the middle of each half.
Arrange the squash halves in a baking dish, cut sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and drain the water from the baking dish. Set the squash aside to cool.
Cut the onion and peppers into thin slices. Cut the sausage into ¼ inch circles.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and peppers and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Marinara sauce and sliced sausage. Heat the mixture until hot.
With a fork rack back and forth across the cooled squash to remove its flesh in strands…like spaghetti!
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add salt and black pepper to the skillet and then add the squash strands. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the squash is hot. Don’t overcook. Add the parsley, mix and serve with the sausage and peppers.
I was lucky enough to receive a beautiful bunch of Swiss chard from my friend, who is a gardener and grows wonderful vegetables and beautiful flowers. The freshly picked Swiss chard made a wonderful tasting tart.
You may use a store-bought refrigerated pie crust dough in this recipe. However, the whole wheat pastry is easy to make and the whole wheat flavor compliments the Swiss chard filling.
Ingredients
Single pie crust dough
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ice water
Tart Filling
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 bunch large Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Sea salt and black pepper
Crispy Prosciutto Crisps, optional, see recipe below
Directions
Whole Wheat Pastry Dough
Combine the ice water and vinegar in a small bowl.
Pulse flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Drizzle with the vinegar and ice water, pulsing just a few times until the dough comes together. Place the dough on a bread board and pat into a disk.
Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. Dough can be made 2 days ahead.
Tart Filling
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the ricotta cheese with kosher salt and pepper and, then, add the Parmesan cheese; set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic and shallots, stirring, until softened, about 60 seconds.
Add half of the chard and cook, tossing, until slightly wilted. Add the remaining chard and season with sea salt and pepper.
Cook, tossing occasionally, until completely wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chopped chives, parsley and lemon zest; set aside.
To prepare the pastry:
Roll out the dough on a floured sheet of parchment into a 12” round about ⅛” thick. Add flour on top and bottom as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the paper or rolling-pin.
Transfer the rolled out dough while on the parchment to a baking sheet. Spread half of the ricotta over the dough, leaving a 1” border.
Top with the sautéed chard and spread the remaining ricotta over the chard.
Crimp the edges of the dough up around the filling as you might do with a pie; brush the dough and ricotta topping with the egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is firm in the center.
Slide the tart (still on the parchment) onto a wire rack and sprinkle with the prosciutto crisps, if using; cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
Serve warm or at room temperature. (Leftovers are good cold or reheated on a baking sheet at 375°F for about 10 minutes.)
Prosciutto Crisps
While the tart is baking: Place 4 slices of very thin prosciutto flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake about 12-15 minutes, or until fairly crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and let the prosciutto cool slightly.
The prosciutto will get even more crispy – like bacon – as it cools.
Break the prosciutto up into pieces and set aside.
This dinner makes use of the Swiss chard and the Acorn squash that are now in season. The lemons are from my Meyer Lemon tree.
Sautéed Swiss Chard
3-4 servings
Ingredients
1 large bunch Swiss Chard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cut out the central rib and stem from each leaf. Cut the leaves into smaller pieces.
Rinse the leaves in a sink of cool water, lifting them into a colander to drain a bit (leaving some water on the leaves).
Place the damp leaves in a deep skillet. Cover the pan and cook the leaves for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Heat the oil in the same skillet and add the garlic and shallot. Cook for two minutes. Add the chard leaves and salt and pepper, stir and reduce the heat to low.
Cook the greens until tender, about 10 minutes.
Pistachio Salmon With Meyer Lemon Sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 coho salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
Sauce
1/2 shallot, chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F
Place the salmon in a small oiled baking pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread with mayonnaise and sprinkle with pistachios.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through its center.
In a small saucepan, cook and stir the shallot in oil over medium-high heat until tender. Add the cream, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and cayenne and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve the salmon over the Swiss chard and spoon the lemon sauce over all. Serve immediately.
Parmesan-Roasted Acorn Squash
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 acorn squash, ends removed, seeded and cut into 4 one-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat the oven to 375° F.
In a baking dish, toss the squash slices with the oil, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Roast the squash until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes.
Cod Pomodoro
2 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Half of a small fennel bulb, thinly sliced, plus a few fennel fronds
Half of a small onion, sliced thin
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup homemade or store-bought marinara sauce
Two 4-ounce skinless cod fillets
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat.
Add minced garlic, sliced fennel, onion and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add spices and cook, stirring, until spices are absorbed, about 1 minute.
Add marinara sauce to the skillet; bring to a simmer and cook to meld the flavors, about 5 minutes.
Season fish with salt and pepper and place the fillets in the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish.
Place the pan in the oven. Bake 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the fish is firm when touched with a fork.
Remove the pan from the oven and top the fish with the mozzarella cheese. Return the pan to the oven until the cheese melts.
Serve the fish with the sauce.
Baked Eggplant Slices
Place the eggplant into the oven about ten minutes before you place the fish in the oven.
2 or more servings
1 small eggplant, peeled
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, for the baking pan
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Thoroughly coat a baking pan with oil. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoons water. In another shallow dish mix the Parmesan cheese with the breadcrumbs.
Cut the eggplant into thin slices. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off.
Dredge the slices in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down gently to coat well. Transfer the breaded slices to the baking pan.
Bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
Turn the slices over and continue to bake until lightly browned on other side, about 10 minutes more.
Remove from the oven, serve plain or drizzle with a little marinara sauce, if desired.
Swiss Chard Sautéed with Garlic and Lemon
4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large bunches Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2” pieces (about 12 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Wash Swiss chard well and place in a colander.
With some water clinging to the leaves, immediately transfer the washed chard to a large, deep skillet.
Cook the chard over low heat until almost wilted, 3-4 minutes. Drain the chard in a colander.
In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the Swiss chard, season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing often, until completely softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Add lemon juice and cook, tossing, about 1 minute; adjust seasoning if needed. Serve.
