Summer Corn Salad

Too hot to turn on the oven?  Don't want to heat up the house? This perfectly quick and easy to make salad is perfect for those days/nights.  It's cool and refreshing and the perfect blend of fresh vegetables and zesty Italian dressing.  

2 ears corn on the cob, boiled and cut from the cob
2 medium diced fresh tomatoes
2 small garden cucumbers, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, diced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours.  

Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.  This is delicious and the perfect side for a barbecue.  

Shrimp with Asian Barbecue Sauce

Hoisin sauce on its own makes for a tasty basting sauce, but this recipe enhances the flavor with the addition of five-spice powder.  It's a seasoning used extensively in Chinese cooking -- a blend of equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns.  It's available in most supermarkets.

8 - 10" wooden or metal skewers
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 1/4 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Romaine lettuce leaves

If using wood skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir hoisin sauce, ketchup, ginger, five-spice powder, and 1 Tbsp vinegar to make Asian Barbecue Sauce.  Remove 1/4 cup barbecue sauce to a small bowl; stir in water and remaining 1 Tbsp vinegar and reserve to use as dipping sauce.

Thread shrimp tightly on skewers.  Brush shrimp with some barbecue sauce from the bowl.  

Lightly grease a grill pan.  Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place the shrimp on the hot grill pan and cook 2 minutes.  Brush with some barbecue sauce; turn and brush with remaining sauce and grill until shrimp turn opaque throughout, 1 - 2 minutes longer.

Arrange romaine on platter.  Serve shrimp on skewers over romaine with reserved dipping sauce.  

So good!

 

Fried Chicken and Honey Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce

This is another Home Chef favorite.  The fried chicken is paired with cordon bleu potatoes and green beans.  It's hearty and delicious and comes together quickly.  

13 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp crumbled bacon

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup gold BBQ sauce

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup of your favorite shredded cheese

6 oz green beans, trimmed

2 russet potatoes

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  

Prepare a baking sheet with foil and generously coat with cooking spray.

Make the Cordon Bleu Potatoes

Halve potatoes.  Cut halves into 1/2" moons

Place potato slices on prepared baking sheet and toss with 2 tsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt.  Massage oil and salt into potatoes.

Spread into a single layer and roast in hot oven until browned and tender, 25 - 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Carefully push potatoes together and top with cheese and bacon.  Baking sheet will be hot.  

Roast again until cheese melts and bacon is crispy, 3 - 5 minutes.

While potatoes roast, make BBQ sauce.

Make the BBQ Sauce

Combine BBQ sauce, half the honey, and a pinch of pepper in a mixing bowl.  Taste and add remaining honey, if desired.  Set aside.

Prepare the Chicken

Pat chicken breasts dry.

Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and use a heavy object to pound to an even 1/2" thickness.

Combine 2 Tbsp water and flour in another mixing bowl until no lumps remain.  Place panko on a plate.  

Add pounded chicken to water-flour mixture and coat completely.  Transfer to plate with panko and flip until coated, pressing gently to adhere.

Place coated chicken on a plate.  Repeat with second piece.

Fry the Chicken

Line a plate with a paper towel. 

Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil.  Let heat for 5 minutes.  

Lay chicken breasts away from you in hot oil and flip every 4 - 5 minutes until golden brown and chicken is done, about 12 - 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to towel-lined plate.  

While chicken cooks, cook green beans.

Cook Green Beans and Finish Dish

Place another large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp olive oil.  Add green beans to hot pan and stir occasionally until lightly browned, 4 - 5 minutes.  

Stir in 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.  Cover and cook until green beans are tender, 4 - 5 minutes.

Remove from burner.

Plate dish as pictured, topping chicken with sauce.  

Enjoy!

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Snow Peas

I've said multiple times that I'm trying to learn Asian style cooking.  This is one of the first recipes I tried.  It's simple and surprisingly, really good.  It's also perfect if you need dinner in a hurry.

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp Asian sesame oil

1 Tbsp chili sauce

1 tsp salt

8 oz soba noodles

10 oz shredded or matchstick carrots

1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined

4 oz snow peas, strings removed

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

In a small bowl, put peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and chili sauce.  Stir and set aside.  

Heat covered 5 - 6-quart saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat.  Add noodles and cook 4 minutes.  Add carrots and cook 1 minute.  Add shrimp and snow peas and cook 2 minutes more.  Reserve 1/2 cup noodle cooking water.  Drain noodles, shrimp, and vegetables in large colander.  Transfer noodle mixture to a large bowl.  

With a wire whisk, beat peanut butter mixture until well blended.  Add peanut sauce and chopped cilantro to noodle mixture in bowl and toss until evenly coated.  

To serve, spoon into 4 large bowls; garnish each serving with a cilantro sprig.

 

Grilled Pork Chop with Whole Grain Dijon Sauce

This is a Home Chef recipe that I 100% loved!

3 Thyme sprigs

12 oz red potatoes

8 oz green beans

1/2 fl oz apple cider vinegar 

1 Tbsp grained Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp brown sugar

12 oz boneless pork chops

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry all produce

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray

Quarter the potatoes

Reserve thyme sprigs whole.  Stem the remaining.

Pat pork chops dry, and season both sides with 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp olive oil, whole thyme sprigs, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper.  

Spread into a single layer and roast in hot oven until potatoes are fork tender, 18 - 22 minutes.  

Discard the thyme sprigs from cooked potatoes.

While potatoes roast, make sauce.

Combine vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, thyme leaves, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper in a mixing bowl. 

Slowly stir or whisk in 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Set aside.

Heat a grill pan to medium heat.  

Add pork chops to hot grill.  Cook until pork chops are done, about 5 - 6 minutes per side.

Remove pork chops from grill pan and spoon 1 Tbsp of the sauce over each pork chop.  Reserve the remaining sauce for garnish.  Tent the chops with foil and let rest for five minutes.

While the chops rest, grill the green beans.  

Combine the green beans, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper in another mixing bowl.  

Place green beans on hit grill pan and flip occasionally until lightly charred, 4 - 5 minutes.  

Remove from the heat.

Plate as shown above and drizzle with remaining sauce.

Enjoy!

 

Fully Loaded Pork Taquitos

I grew up eating good ole farm country recipes.  There were no Mexican, Chinese, or other ethnic dinners served in my childhood home.  I've tried hard to expand my food horizons to include other ethnic culinary options.  This has become one of my favorite go-to recipes.

2 white onions
20 oz ground pork
2 Tbsp Southwest spice blend
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
12 flour tortillas
1 cup Mexican cheese blend
1 lime

2 Roma tomatoes
8 Tbsp sour cream
8 Tbsp Guacamole

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  

Wash and dry all produce.  

Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion.  Mince a few slices until you have 2 Tbsp.

Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add sliced onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add pork; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until pork is browned and cooked through and onion is softened, 4 - 6 minutes. 

Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, brown sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup water.  Simmer until thickened, 2 - 3 minutes.  Turn off heat.

Meanwhil drizzle tortillas with 2 Tbsp olive oil.  brush or rub to completely coat.

Place tortillas on a clean work surface.  Once pork filling is done, add a heaping 1/4 cup filling to one side of each tortilla, then sprinkle each with 1 Tbsp Mexican cheese.  Roll up tortillas, starting with the filled sides, to create taquitos.  Place seam sides down on prepared sheet pan.  Make sure the taquitos are snug on the sheet pan - this will prevent them from unrolling.

Bake on middle rack until golden brown and crispy, 8 - 12 minutes.  

While taquitos bake, finely dice tomato.  Zest and quarter the lime.

In a small bowl, combine tomato, minced onion, half the lime zest, and a squeeze of lime juice.  Season with salt. 

In a separate small bowl, combine guacamole, sour cream, remaining lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide taquitos between plates.  Top with pico de gallo and creamy guacamole.  Serve with hot sauce, if desired. 

Shrimp and Tomato Summer Salad

The weather is heating up and it's around this time that I start eating lots more salad.  This one features lots of my favorite ingredients. 

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1 cup baby spinach
1 lb cooked shelled and deveined large shrimp
2 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into 1" pieces
4 small cucumbers, cut lengthwise into quarters and then crosswise into 1" pieces
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices
2 avocados, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 oz of your favorite cheese

In a serving bowl, with wire whisk, mix oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until blended; stir in parsley and spinach.  Add shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and avocado to dressing in bowl; stir to combine.  Sprinkle salad with cheese and serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate to serve later.  

Pork Chops with Plum Glaze

This is a dinner idea that I don't think I would ever have imagined.  Cooking with plums is just not something I usually do.  Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised.  This is really good.  

4 boneless pork chops
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup plum jam or preserves
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon or Chinese five-spice powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large plums, each cut in half and pitted 

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides.  

In a small bowl, mix jam, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and garlic.  Brush one side of each pork chop and cut side of each plum half with plum glaze.  

Preheat a ridged grill pan over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil until very hot.  lace the pork chops and plums, glaze side down.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.  Brush chops and plums with remaining glaze; turn chops and plums and grill until chops are browned on both sides and just lose their pink color throughout and plums are tender, about 3 minutes longer. 

Serve with buttered herbed rice and your favorite green vegetable.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing

This recipe makes an elegant alternative to ordinary bread stuffing.  It's rich flavored with two kinds of mushrooms and vegetables.  

1 cup wild rice, rinsed
3 3/4 cups water
1 cup dried cranberries 
4 Tbsp butter
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut int 1/4" pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

8 oz shitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced

10 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

2 cups long-grain brown rice

14 oz chicken broth

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat wild rice and 2 cups water to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until wild rice is tender, 35 - 40 minutes.  Stir in cranberries; heat 1 minute.  Drain, if necessary.  

Meanwhile, in a nonstick Dutch oven, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery and onion.  Cook until tender and golden, 12 - 15 minutes.  Stir in salt, thyme, and pepper and cook 1 minute; transfer to a medium bowl.  

In the same Dutch oven, melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat.  Add shitake and white mushrooms, and cook until tender and golden and liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables.  

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

In the same Dutch oven, heat brown rice, broth, and remaining 1 3/4 cups water to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tender 18 - 20 minutes.  Stir wild-rice and vegetable mixtures into rice.  

Spoon stuffing into a 13" x 9" glass baking dish or shallow casserole dish.  Cover with foil and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.  

Dad's Famous Ribs

 

Who doesn't love ribs?  I know I do.  These delicious ribs are just what you're needing for dinner this week.  The raspberry jam-infused sauce is what make them so sweet, tangy and delectable.  

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 - 3 1/2 lbs baby back pork ribs

1 cup raspberry jam

1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

In a large sealable bag, prepare the marinade.  Add soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.  Then add the ribs, seal the bag, and toss to coat.  Allow the ribs to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the ribs from the marinade and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.  

Bake for 60 minutes or until tender. 

While the ribs are cooking, prepare the sauce.  Combine the raspberry jam and chili sauce in a medium bowl.  When the ribs are cooked, brush the sauce on both sides and allow them to cook for an additional 10 minutes.  

Serve these with remaining sauce on the side.