Bacon & Egg Crescent Wreath

Recently, I threw a winter-themed bridal shower brunch for my sister. I was looking for cute, but tasty foods to round out the menu and stumbled across this idea on Pinterest. While good for any season, the wreath shape fit my theme perfectly, was simple to make, and was a delicious hit with the guests.

1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls 
8 slices bacon, cooked
5 eggs, scrambled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scramble eggs on the stovetop.

On a cookie sheet or pizza pan, lay out the crescent rolls in a circle, with the thicker ends slightly overlapping (like a sunburst). Place a strip of bacon on each roll. (Tip: Though I am a crispy bacon-lover, when cooking your bacon, don't allow it to get too crisp to maintain flexibility.) Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cheese around the circular ring, on top of the bacon. Add scrambled eggs and top with another 1/3 of cheese. Fold over the ends of the crescents so that they meet in the middle, creating a wreath shape. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 17 minutes or until crescent is golden brown. Serve hot.

*Adapted from Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo

Tuscan White Bean & Sausage Soup

While my family was fortunate not to sustain any major damage from Hurricane Sandy this week, we did lose power for three days. Luckily, we have a gas range, so I was still able to cook on my stove top  This soup was bursting with flavor and was the perfect dish to ride out the storm.

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage 
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt. chicken broth or stock
1 can (15-oz) diced tomatoes (with garlic and oregano)
1 can (15-oz) cannellini beans
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 lb. shell pasta
1 handful fresh baby spinach leaves
Parmesan cheese for topping

In a large saucepan, brown sausage over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onion, and garlic. Sauté for about 7 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Stir in basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, cover, and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until pasta is cooked. Remove from heat and stir in spinach just until wilted. Serve hot and top with shredded Parmesan.

*Adapted from Feast on the Cheap

Grilled Malibu Chicken

Bursting with flavor and gooeyness, this dish is the perfect welcome to summer!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

2 T BBQ seasoning (Try: Dry Rub)

4 T butter, melted

½ cup pineapple juice (drained from the can)

1 T mustard

1 T honey

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

8 slices deli ham

4 slices Swiss cheese

8 slices pineapple

Season each chicken breast with BBQ seasoning, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat grill over medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine butter, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder; whisk until smooth and set aside.

Grill chicken and pineapple rings over direct heat until grill marks form. Brush chicken and pineapple with reserved sauce. Move pineapple away from heat and continue cooking chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Continue basting chicken with sauce. Move chicken to the upper level; top with two slices of ham, one slice of cheese, and 2 grilled pineapple rings. Lower lid and allow cheese to melt, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with remaining sauce.

*Modified from Six Sister’s Stuff

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

For years, I was under the common preconceived notion that food that was good for you could not possibly taste good and was probably too expensive to make on a budget. Websites like Skinnytaste have convinced me that I was wrong. I ran across Gina’s website while blog-stalking one day and have made or been inspired by many of her recipes. They are always full of flavor, reasonably priced, and appealing to my whole family. Thanks to Gina for helping me enjoy eating better.

Pork: 

1 tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground ginger

1 lb pork tenderloin

¼ cup Sweet Red Chili Sauce

1 T honey

1 tsp Sriracha

Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled and diced

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T minced jalapeño

2 T lime juice

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, salt, and ginger. Rub evenly over pork and place tenderloin on a sprayed broiler pan. Mix chili sauce, honey, and Sriracha together in a small bowl. Brush sauce liberally over pork during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Roast pork for 40-45 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove pork from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

While pork cooks, combine salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Top sliced pork with salsa for serving.

*Recipe modified from Skinnytaste

Orzo Pork Stir-Fry

1/4 cup soy sauce 
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar 
2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
1 cup chicken broth 
3 boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
20 baby carrots, sliced 
1 green bell pepper, sliced 
2 green onions, chopped 
Salt & Pepper, to taste 
Orzo, cooked according to package directions


1. In bowl, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, vinegar and broth. Add to large skillet along with pork. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes. 

2. Heat skillet to medium and cook pork until no longer pink. Add carrots, green pepper and green onions and cook until veggies are tender. 

3. Serve pork stir-fry over orzo.

Slow-Baked Baby Back Ribs

Last year for our anniversary, I surprised my husband with the monster of all grills: gas on one side, charcoal on the other, smoker box attachment…if it could fold laundry, it would be perfect. Over the spring and summer he became a very proficient smoker, producing mouthwatering ribs, chicken, and even veggies. But with the onslaught of cold, windy weather, we were looking for ways to get the same yummy flavor without having to brave the elements. My friend, Missi, told me that she’d had a lot of success baking her ribs in the oven, so I decided to give it a shot. These ribs were tender, flavorful, and, tasted great with a mesquite BBQ sauce to add that smoky dimension.

1 rack baby back ribs 

½ bottle BBQ sauce of choice

Dry Rub: 

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup paprika

1 ¼ T pepper

1 ¼ T salt

¾ T chili powder

¾ T garlic powder

¾ T onion powder

½ tsp cayenne

Prepare ribs by using a sharp knife to remove the thin membrane on the back side of the rack. (Hint: It helps to use a paper towel to grip the membrane and pull it off) Sprinkle ribs with dry rub and rub all over the meat, until completely coated on both sides. Wrap in foil and refrigerate 4-8 hours.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place foil-wrapped ribs on a large roasting pan or cookie sheet. Bake 3 ½ hours.

Heat BBQ sauce in a small saucepan. Unwrap ribs and brush sauce on both sides; let rest about 10 minutes. Replace ribs on the pan and bake, uncovered, an additional 30 minutes. Let rest about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

*Dry rub modified from The Smoker King

Cooking method modified from One Perfect Bite

Sausage Balls

In my family, there is a breakfast duo even more famous than bacon and eggs: the Christmas morning pairing of Monkey Bread and Sausage Balls.

12 oz breakfast sausage 

2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. (Tip: Try breaking up the sausage as you add it for easier mixing) Use an electric mixer to thoroughly combine. Roll mixture into 1 ½ -inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.

Pork Stir Fry

This recipe for pork stir fry was super easy and I even made my own sauce!

1-2 lbs pork chops
broccoli
sugar snap peas
carrots
rice

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5 tbsp brown sugar
1-2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water

In a deep skillet, mix soy sauce and one cup of water plus the ginger, garlic, sugar and honey. Heat on medium until the sugar and honey are melted and combined.  Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a separate bowl then add to the skillet.  Mix quickly until thick. Pour sauce into a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook sliced pork until cooked through. About half way through cooking add the carrots and snap peas. Once pork is almost done, add the broccoli. You may need to add water to the skillet as your cook to keep the excess sauce from burning on the pan. When the pork and veggies are cooked add a small amount of the sauce so that it coats the meat and veggies.

Cook the rice as directed.  Serve stir fry over rice and add extra sauce as desired.

Sauce recipe from: The Basic Cook

Honey-Cajun Pork Tenderloin

Move over chicken breast! There’s a new star in town!

4 T butter 

2 T honey

1 ½ lbs. pork tenderloin

½ tsp Cajun seasoning

¾ cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large pan, heat butter and honey over medium heat until melted. Rub pork with Cajun seasnoning until completely coated. Brown pork in pan, about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer pork to roasting dish and bake for 10-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cut; use a meat thermometer to cook until thickest section reads 170 degrees). Meanwhile, add ¾ cup water to hot pan. Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove pork and cover with foil to rest about 5 minutes. Slice pork on the bias and drizzle with sauce to serve.

*Modified from Momma Hen’s Kitchen

Pork in a Maple Mustard Glaze

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came out really good. The pork was tender and had a good taste to it but the sauce was not overwhelming.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

minced onion to taste

several dashes of dried thyme

Season the chops with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet on medium heat for three or four minutes on each side. Remove the pork from the skillet. Add the broth, syrup, mustard, onion and thyme to the pan and whisk together until it boils. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the pork back in the pan. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the pork in done.

Adapted from Bess' Bistro

Ham & Cheese Rolls

Sometimes a dish is more than a meal: it’s a memory. I read once that our taste and smell faculties are two of our most powerful memory triggers. That is this dish for me.  As these rolls were the typical method to use up leftover ham, they remind me of Easter Mondays and post-Christmas feasts, time with family, and the warm smells of home. Try these as a tasty new tradition for your family this year.

1 package King’s Hawaiian rolls 

Ham slices

4-6 slices swiss cheese

Marinade:

1 stick butter, melted

1 tsp garlic powder or 1 T onion flakes

1 T poppy seeds

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp mustard

Cut rolls in half and place bottoms into a shallow dish. Layer with ham and swiss cheese to cover each roll; replace roll tops.

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and all marinade ingredients. Pour over rolls. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours.

Transfer marinated rolls to a baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and rolls are toasted.

*Thanks to my mom for the recipe!

Baked Pork Chops

I wanted to try something new the other night for dinner. We don't eat a ton of  pork so I decided to get some pork chops and hope for the best. I adapted a recipe I found at www.allrecipes.com and I was really pleased. The pork had a lot of taste, was tender and juicy.

4-6 boneless pork chops
4 cups of potatoes sliced thin
carrots (optional)
1 1/4 cup of milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Season the chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a skillet, cook the chops til both sides are brown. Slice the potatoes thinly and layer them in a baking dish. if you want to add carrot too layer those in with the potatoes. I put some olive oil on my potatoes so they don't stick. Layer the browned chops on top of the potatoes. Mix the milk and soup together in the skillet and then pour over the chops and potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered and thirty minutes uncovered.

Basil-Lime Grilled Pork Chops

Though we are now fully ensconced in autumn, you wouldn’t know it from the weather. Around here, it is still, most definitely, grilling season. My pal, Missi, passed along this recipe, and, after a few tweaks, it made some of the best pork chops I’ve ever tasted!

4 pork chops, boneless 

Juice of 2 limes

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ cup finely chopped basil

½ tsp. parika

Salt & pepper to taste

Squeeze lime juice into a shallow bowl. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, then poke with a fork on both sides. Immerse pork chops in lime juice; rub on basil, garlic, and paprika until completely coated. Refrigerate and marinate for 30-60 minutes.

Preheat grill over medium heat. Grill pork chops 5-10 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

*Original recipe from Allrecipes

Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Garlic is one of my all-time favorite flavors – the more the better. This recipe brings out the sweetness of the garlic with a savory compliment of balsamic vinegar, tenderizing and flavoring the pork for a succulent meal.

5 garlic cloves, finely minced 

2 ½ T. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. coarse sea salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 T. olive oil

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 lb. each)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare roasting pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil; rub the mixture all over the tenderloins, completely covering.

In a large pan, sear tenderloins on all sides, over medium-high heat, for about 4 minutes. Transfer seared meat onto prepared roasting pan. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees), turning once. Let pork rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

*Original recipe from Kitchen Confidante