BBQ Pork Chops

Almost every Saturday morning, sometime between 10am and 2pm, I find myself perusing around the Douglass Loop Farmer's Market.  And more often than not, I find myself ogling the meats at the Stone Cross Farm's booth.  I've been having a hankering for some bone-in chops lately, but always arrive too late to the booth to get some.  But trust me, settling for the boneless chops isn't that bad.  In fact, it's not bad at all.

You see the chop in the above picture?  That was only HALF of the whole chop I got.  Yeah, the whole chop was practically bigger than my entire plate.  Now, that's what I call a chop.

And the size isn't what gets me reeled in, either... the flavor of the meat is just superb!

And while I was perusing for recipes last weekend, I came across this little gem at Kohler Created.  By far, one of the. best. pork chop. recipes. ever. EVER.

Don't forget to vote in this week's treat poll:





Ingredients:

Adapted from Kohler Created's recipe


2 boneless pork chops (or in my case, one huge one cut in half)
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce, and garlic until sugar is dissolved.

Place pork chops in a large Ziploc bag and pour marinade into bag.  Place in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Heat a charcoal grill under medium high heat and grill chops for about 5-7 minutes per side.  Let chops rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

We served this with some leftover homemade macaroni and cheese and some mixed vegetables.  This was the perfect Friday night meal.  So what are you waiting for?  It's Friday night!  And if you're in the Louisville area tomorrow morning, between 10am and 2pm, don't forget to check out the Douglass Loop Farmer's Market for some goodies!  Especially for some Stone Cross Farm's pork chops!

Have a great weekend guys!  We'll be headed up to Indianapolis for a graduation party (and to possibly hit up the outlet malls in Edinburgh on the way up) so don't forget to vote in the poll above to suggest something I should bring with me!

Sausage & Radish Patties

Happy Monday guys!  How was everyone's weekend?  Ours was pretty laid back - we went to Andy's company picnic, which was interesting, but enjoyable.  My youngest sister also had a birthday, so we had to pay her a visit, as well.  Other than that, it was a lazy weekend just doing the bare minimum!

Do you ever get in one of those moods where you want more than one thing?  Say like, 3 or 4?  But can only pick one?  You know, like say... you want a burger.  Or some shrimp.  Or maybe some breakfast?  Yeah, I was in one of those moods this morning.  So after a good long staring session with some radishes in need of some love... I decided to go off the deep end and throw a bunch of stuff together.  The result?  Well, let's just say these may stay on my breakfast/brunch rotation for quite some time!

Ingredients:

1 lb. radishes, grated
about 5 medium shrimp, cooked and chopped finely
1/2 cup ground sausage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
Hot Sauce, Ranch, & Dijon Mustard (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine radishes, shrimp, sausage, and cayenne pepper.  Mix in flour and season mixture with salt and pepper.  Add egg to combine everything together - it's okay if the mixture is a little wet.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Drop about 3 evenly sized patties (about the size of the palm of your hand) into the skillet and cook until sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve with desired sauce - I did a three-way of hot sauce (personal fave), ranch, and Dijon mustard.  All 3 were excellent!

And breakfast was served in less than 30 minutes!  I was a little worried of whether all of this would come together nicely, but it did.  They really just taste like some deluxe sausage patties, and would be perfect in between some slider buns too - another genius idea, maybe?  But really, they're pretty tasty and full of layers of flavor!


Have you guys ever just thrown complete random ingredients together to make something amazing? 

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts

Happy Wednesday guys!  How's everyone's week going so far?  So far so good with us!

Picked up our CSA box this afternoon and it was LOADED with goodies!  Can't wait to share all of our goods with you tomorrow!

And on to today's recipe...

When I think of pretzels, I don't usually immediately think to use them as a coating/breading - although it's quite common these days!  But the salty snack is a great breading for chicken and fish!  This recipe proves it!


Ingredients:

Adapted from Savour Fare's recipe

1 & 1/2 cups pretzel sticks
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 & 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Tabasco, optional

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place a rack over a baking sheet.

Place pretzels into a plastic bag and seal.  Run a rolling pin over the pretzels until they reach a desired consistency.  I liked them somewhat pulverized, but still with small chunks of pretzel still visible. 

Transfer crush pretzels to a shallow dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine spicy brown mustard, Dijon mustard, water, and vinegar.  Whisk to combine.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until fully incorporated and homogenous.  Add in cayenne pepper and season with salt, if needed.

Dip chicken breasts in mustard mixture and coat well.  Then dip in dish with pretzels and coat well.  Place chicken breasts on top of rack on baking sheet. 

Bake chicken until cooked through, about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts (ours were quite large).  Slice and serve with some buttered pasta and Tabasco sauce (couldn't resist the added heat!).

This was such a quick and easy weeknight meal, I'm really thinking about keeping it in my rotation for a while!  I loved the added crunch of the pretzels and the mustardy/Tabasco kick!  Loved it - and I hope if you try this, that you will too!

Have a great Wednesday guys and hope you're back tomorrow to see our CSA goodies!  And Friday, I'll be posting the Derby Pie fudge recipe, so you know you can't miss that!  I'm off to play some volleyball (we've just got to do better than last week's 0-3 showing!)

Wheat Germ-Crusted Salmon

My body hates me right now.  I've put it through some extreme circumstances lately.  You know, actually going to the gym on Sunday (Andy renewed his membership, so it's easier to go together!), running (well... run/walking) over 4 miles in the park yesterday, and worst of all... making it endure a 1 hour interval spinning class this morning.  Should I mention that this was my first. ever. spin class?  Yeah.  PURE TORTURE. 

I know my body doesn't really hate me, and that my whining is just every day life for the majority of you (bravo you! and yes, I am a wuss), but you know what?  I think I actually really liked the spinning class.  I jokingly said to my friend (who is now cursing me for making her go to her first ever spin class this morning also) that we should make this a weekly thing, but I don't think I'm joking.  I think I actually want to put myself through that again, and again.  But maybe it's my endorphins just playing tricks on my brain.  We'll see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow, maybe I'll be back to sanity and realize that was a ludicrous idea.

Now exercising may not be my forte, but food - now we're talking.  I ventured into the world of wheat germ a couple weekends ago and I must say that I'm a fan.  The smell alone had me hooked.  So what the heck is wheat germ?  Well, I'm obviously no expert, but from what I gather, it's a great source of fiber (as well as Vitamin E, folic acid, phosphorous, thiamin, etc. etc.) and you can practically add it to anything from protein shakes to casseroles.  So pretty versatile little bugger, eh?  So when I saw this recipe in March's Food & Wine, I knew I had to try it out (especially since it was easy, and we still had a bunch of salmon, from our bulk buying binge, still in the freezer).

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

3 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 tablespoon, plus 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
2 6 oz. skinless salmon fillets
2 & 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a small saute pan, gently toast wheat germ for a few minutes, until fragrant.  Watch it carefully because it can burn quickly.

In a shallow dish, combine the toasted wheat germ, 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard and remaining 1 & 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder.  Spread mixture onto both sides of the salmon fillets, then dip each salmon fillet in the wheat germ mixture, and coat both sides.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Heat until oil is shimmering and add both salmon fillets to pan.  Cook until browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Carefully flip fillets over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes longer.  Transfer the salmon to plates and serve with a side salad (top it with an egg, you won't be disappointed!).

Now, usually when a recipe called for skinless salmon, I ignore that (because for real, the skin is the best part, right?!), but for this one, I decided to be a good recipe follower and skin my fillets.  I'm glad I did because I don't think the wheat germ crust would have formed as well, let alone still stick, with the skin still on. 

So seriously, give this sucker a try... it's fast, easy, and delicious.

Have you guys ever tried wheat germ?  What do you put it on or add it to?

And check back tomorrow for a new little feature - "things that don't make the blog, but still take a good picture" - still working on the name, suggestions welcome!
And if you don't make it back tomorrow, definitely come back Friday (yes, I'm late on this once again) for the poll winner - sweet potato donuts!

Spinach & Bacon Salad

Andy and I have been on a little health-kick lately.  We've been over-indulging a little too much, and our bodies are retaliating.  So in order to pay homage to our bodies, we're eating better.  Everything in moderation right?

What I love about this salad is that it's absolutely beautiful.  It's simple.  It's colorful.  It's downright mesmerizing.  And that's before you even have a bite.

The tangy vinaigrette offers a bright awakening of the senses and goes perfectly with the fresh, colorful vegetables.  Needless to say, our bodies loved us for this.

* This post has been entered as part of Denny's & Foodbuzz's BACONALIA challenge for a chance to win.
 
Ingredients:

2-4 cups baby spinach, washed
1 cup red cabbage, shredded/sliced thinly
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices of bacon

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, cabbage, and carrots until mixed.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat large skillet under medium high heat and fry up the bacon until crisp, about 5-8 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and roughly chop into small pieces.

Divide vegetables among two plates and top with bacon pieces.  Drizzle vinaigrette over top and dig in!

You definitely won't regret this.  Andy said he loved this salad, and even said that we need to start eating more of this type of salad.  I've got no complaints there!  I mean, this is practically ready in about 15 minutes or less!  And it was super tasty!

I'm off to a bookclub meeting with my girls - this month's book was The Other Boleyn Girl.  Definitely a good one!  Have you read it?  What are you guys currently reading?