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 Apple pork chops with caramelized onions and wild rice. Total time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.
Also known as “Braised Pork Chops With Fruit” from the Joy of Cooking. I use apples instead of pineapple, apricots or prunes. You can really substitute your fruit of choice, easy. I also tend to use onions, more curry powder and more brown sugar. I never add cream.
Trimmed pork chops, 3/4 inch thick or more
1 apple per pork chop
1/8 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
approximately 3/4 c brown sugar
1 can of chicken broth
optional: 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
optional: 3/4 to 1 cup sweet cream or cultured sour cream
Preheat oven to 325.
Season your pork chops with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Sear lightly in a greased hot skillet. Saute the onions at the same time or after you’ve seared all your chops.
Pour chicken broth into a 9×13 pan. Place seared pork chops and onions into chicken broth.
Core and slice your apples. Place slices across pork chops in pan. Fill the center of each apple slice with brown sugar.
Cover the pan closely. Bake about 1 hour. Remove the chops from the pan carefully, so as not to disturb the fruit. Keep warm. Partially degrease the pan and add cream to the pan juices. Serve this sauce with the chops and fruit.
Seen here without creamy sauce, just yummy pan juices. I used some remaining juice to liven up my wild rice.
Total time: Plan on 1 hour per 10 empanadas.
Beef Empanadas
* 2 hard-boiled large eggs
* 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 3/4 pound ground beef chuck
* 2 tablespoons raisins
* 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
* 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons juice, and chopped
* 1 package frozen empanada pastry disks, thawed, or make dough
* About 4 cups vegetable oil
* a deep-fat thermometer
Cut each egg crosswise into 10 thin slices.
Cook onion in olive oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
Add raisins, olives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes with reserved juice, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist, about 5 minutes. Spread on a plate to cool.
Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.
Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap on a dampened work surface (to help keep plastic in place), then roll out an empanada disk on plastic wrap to measure about 6 inches. Place 3 tablespoons meat mixture on disk and top with 2 slices of egg. Moisten edges of disk with water and fold over to form a semicircle, then crimp with a fork. Make more empanadas in same manner.
Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry empanadas, 2 or 3 at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.
Transfer to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven. Return oil to 360°F between batches.
Total time: Full recipe of 30 empanadas will take close to 3 hours. Plan on 1 hour per 10 empanadas.
 A great addition to our "Meximeal"!! This dough made only 9 of my preferred sized empanadas the first time I did it. I’ve had mixed results since.
Filling
1 pound of hamburger (or shredded meat of your choice)
.5 pound of sausage (I like a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage) (optional!)
1 can of black beans (or one cup dry beans, soaked over night and boiled for 10 minutes)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1-3 serranos, finely chopped
1/2 can of corn
1 tomato, pureed
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I like to use 2 tablespoons of the garlic that’s already chopped up in a jar)
1/4 cup or more of cilantro, finely chopped
salt, pepper, and cumin to taste
1-3 cups of corn or vegetable oil
Prepare empanada dough as directed; set aside. Brown meat in medium skillet on medium heat; drain. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well.
Shape dough evenly into 9 balls, using about 3 Tbsp. of the dough for each ball. Flatten each ball into 6-inch round with a rolling pin. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto center of each round. Fold dough rounds in half to enclose filling; press lightly on tops to remove any air pockets. Seal edges with fork or fold over and press down.
Heat oil in large deep skillet to 375°F (you can flick a drop of water into the pan and it’ll sizzle). Add empanadas, in batches of three or four; cook 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil; drain well. Cool slightly before serving.
This filling makes about 30 empanadas!!! I had no idea it was going to make so much! I wouldn’t do that much meat again! I made 9 for JB and Brett and myself, and then I put the rest of the filling in the refrigerator. I made 9 more the next day, and I still had too much filling leftover. So… cut back on the meat and vegetables for a smaller amount of filling.
We served them with cheese, sour cream, homemade grilled salsa and guacamole.
 Beautiful! No yellow here! Total time: Anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours.
I decided that the presentation didn’t do the flavor justice. There’s just something about that bright yellow that really turned me off, plus it just took too long. I wanted to try something else.
2 T olive or peanut oil
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp ginger powder or 1 T fresh ginger root
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic
1 pound of pork loin or chops
Marinate the meat for 4-24 hours.
This is the marinade I use when I don’t have time to let it soak overnight. It tastes equally as good as Pork Satay I, although the flavors are incredibly different. I use the same Peanut Sauce for both satay recipes, and I’ve taken to serving my pork satay and peanut sauce with spinach.
Dip fresh spinach into boiling water for 10 seconds, remove, drain, and serve immediately.
Served here with Thai “risotto”.
 Ahhh.. yes.. turmeric turns everything yellow... Total time: Anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours.
As a half-Thai, I get asked regularly if I know any Thai recipes. Truth of the matter is, until recently, I only had three or four under my belt. I spent hours pouring over my new copy of True Thai, by Victor Sodsook, trying to decide what, when, how.. why.. and then I gave up. I decided instead, to go with Martha Day.
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 T vegetable oil
1 pound of pork loin or pork chops
Mash or blend all of the ingredients into a marinade for the pork. Slice the pork into strips or bite sized pieces and marinate 4-24 hours. Fry in a pan until golden brown.
Serve with Peanut Sauce and boxed pilaf.
 Salmon-Lobster Cake (After) Total time: Approximately 40 minutes.
1 lb crab meat
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning (this is a Maryland seafood seasoning, but can be found at most grocery stores)
2 pieces white bread (break into small pieces)
1 tsp salt (or less)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup mayo
1 med onion minced
1 sm green pepper minced
1 celery stalk chopped
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 egg
Mix it all up shape into patties. (If patties feel too wet add a few more bread crumbs). Pan fry or broil until golden brown on each side (fried in olive oil is best).
 Salmon-Lobster Cake (Before) I finally did this with some changes. Firstly, I’m still on a budget and I used salmon and a lobster tail I had frozen from Mother’s Day. Otherwise, I stuck pretty close to the recipe with brown mustard instead of yellow, Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs, and a hearty slice of JB’s homemade bread instead of the white bread. I also deep-fried them because we were doing deep-fried-finger-food night. I could say they were good, and you’d say “OK”, but what about if I said “My kid ate it and loved it!”, then I know you’d believe me.
Total time: Approximately 30 minutes, plus time to soften cheese
Received from the recipe exchange… I can never afford shrimp, so I still haven’t tried this one.
8 oz Cream Cheese (room temp.)
1 Tbsp. Curry powder (approx.)
1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1/2 Lb. shrimp (drained on paper towel)
1 Bunch green onions, chopped
2 Hard boiled eggs, grated
Mix together first three ingredients, and spread evenly on a plate.
Mix together shrimp, green onions and eggs, and layer on top of cream cheese mix.
Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
What a great use for leftover turkey!!
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
4 cups cubed cooked turkey (we used chicken)
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 large onion, chopped (we used 1 medium)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 3/4 cups milk
TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a nonstick skillet, saute ham for 4-5 minutes or until browned; drain and pat dry.
In a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer the turkey, cheese and ham; set aside.
In a saucepan, saute the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, mustard and nutmeg until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over ham.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
Yield: 6 servings
So, I found this recipe before Thanksgiving, and tried it with chicken ( and FYI, if you use chicken, use a medium onion, otherwise the onion is a little strong). It was Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! So, as a leftover dish, I think everyone will enjoy it. It is a one dish meal, but you can add broccoli in it for veggies and dinner rolls… but we ate it just as is, nothing extra… with no leftovers… mmmmmmmmmm .. -Marion
 Not my mom's chicken and ginger, but it makes me happy. Total time: Approximately 35 minutes.
We eat a lot of spicy foods in my house, and one of my favorite quick meals is Thai chicken and & ginger (I’m half Thai). I tend to omit the fish sauce in favor of just adding more salt when I add the water to the skillet. My mom prefers chicken thighs and dark meat over breasts because it adds more fat to the dish. I’ve found it tastes the same either way… I even did it with leftover turkey this year. An alternative is to use carrots and ginger powder instead of ginger root.
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 chunk of ginger root the size of a child’s fist, peeled
Thai fish sauce (optional!)
1/4 teaspoon of salt (or less)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper (or more)
1 tbsp of vegetable or olive oil
4 cups of cooked rice
I have a rice cooker, so I typically get 2 cups of rice started and then begin cooking. I peel my ginger with a cheap steak knife because the serrated edges are perfect for getting right under the skin.
1. Cut the ginger julienne style. Place in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt evenly across the top. The more salt you put in now, the hotter your ginger will taste. Too much salt will of course make it salty. 🙂
2. In a deep skillet, heat your tablespoon of oil on Medium and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it just turns white, then cover for 2-3 minutes (just enough for the condensation to form and start to roll down the lid).
3. Squeeze the salted ginger with your hand until you can’t feel anymore grains of salt. You should see juice at the bottom of the bowl. Add ginger and juice to the skillet, but keep the bowl.
4. Pour three bowls full of water into the skillet. Add pepper and cover for 5-10 minutes (it should be boiling really well by then). Simmer until rice is done.
 The picture doesn't do it justice. Total time: Approximately 1.5 hours.
Sauce
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 12-14 Roma tomatoes, quartered
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 9 cloves garlic, peeled
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 3 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp ground chipotle powder (1/2 if you don’t like it too hot)
* 1 tsp salt
Enchiladas
* 1 tsp paprika
* 2 tsp chili powder
* 2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, fat trimmed
* 12 medium (about 6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
* 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup diced green chile (Anaheim chile- fresh roasted or canned)
* garnish: sour cream, cilantro and scallions
For sauce (NOTE: I BBQ-roasted/smoked all these items with Mesquite wood to get an extra smokey flavor, but you can also use your oven). Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil so veggies stick less. Place tomatoes, onion and garlic, Anaheim chilies on a baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes or until onion and garlic turn golden brown with a little charring. Remove vegetables from oven. Cool. Place in a blender along with chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, salt, and puree until smooth. Set aside.
For the enchiladas, combine paprika, cumin, and chili powder in a small bowl. Add oil and 2 tsp water and mix to form a paste. Pat all of spice paste on chicken. Grill or broil chicken 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Pull chicken apart into shredded strips. Pour 1/3 sauce in bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking pan. Lay tortillas on a flat surface. Place shredded chicken, 1- 2 tbsp cheese, and 1 – 2 tbsp of the green chiles on each tortilla, roll and place in the pan. Cover with rest of sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese covering the top of the enchiladas. Reduce oven heat to 350°F. Cook enchiladas 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and scallions on each serving!!
I served these with black beans and Spanish rice, guacamole, and chips and salsa at Jan’s aunt & uncle’s last week. They raved about them and said they were “the best they ever had” (and they’re all Mexican food addicts who grew up in CA). Give ‘em a try! Love, Liz
Finally got around to trying these. Wow. Amazing!!!
– We grilled the vegetables the night before and stored them in the refrigerator.
– I put all my raw chicken in a bowl and then just smeared the paste all over them with my hands. Messy, but very effective.
– When I pulled them out of the oven, my initial reaction was “Oh, no! What happened to all the sauce!?”, but when we sat down to eat them, there was more than enough for me.
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