Archives for posts with tag: pork

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas

July 17, 2015 //

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

You only have a few, short weeks to enjoy cherries. As much as I love to just snack on them, it is also fun to cook them. This New York Times recipe calls for letting the pork chops sit with a rosemary, garlic rub over night, but I forgot and just did it while I was preparing the rest of the meal. It was great despite that slip up.

Pitting cherries may seem like a pain in the butt, but just grab a Starbucks straw and push it carefully through the cherry – the pit will pop right out.

4 pork loin chops, preferably bone-in and at least 1 inch thick
1 TB. minced fresh rosemary
1 ts. salt, plus more for the sauce
1 ts. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the sauce
1 ts. finely minced garlic
3 TB. butter
1 TB. minced shallot
1 cup cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved
½ cup fruity red wine

Pat the chops dry, and rub them all over with a mixture of the rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Cover, and marinate for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the chops back to room temperature before grilling.

If you are using a grill, heat one side of a charcoal or gas grill, and put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Cook the chops over the hottest part of the fire until well seared on both sides, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Move them to the cool part of the grill, cover and cook until done, anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire and the thickness of the chops.

If you are using a grill pan, heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork about 4-5 minutes per side.

The pork is done when it’s just firm to the touch, its juices run just slightly pink and the meat is rosy in the center, or when an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees in the thickest part of the chop (the temperature will continue to rise as the chops rest). Transfer them to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let them rest while you make the sauce.

Put 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallots, and cook until soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the cherries, wine and whatever juices have accumulated around the pork chops; cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces into a thin syrup, 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a little at a time, until it’s incorporated into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chops, and serve.

Sugar Snap Peas

1 lb. sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1 pat of butter
salt and pepper

Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add sugar snap peas and butter to boiling water and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are bright green but still crisp. Drain and season with salt and pepper.

Tags cherries, pork, pork chops, red wine, rosemary, sugar snap peas

Categories Meals

Endless Bounty

July 17, 2015 //

Last time I was 8 months pregnant the average temperature outside was 32 degrees. I felt pretty good, and my biggest complaint was that I didn’t always get a seat on the subway because I had to wear a big, winter coat which made it hard to tell that I was pregnant. Now, it’s a different story. It is hot and humid and I feel HUGE. I pretty much always get a seat on the subway, but I am exhausted!

Meanwhile, the markets are packed with produce and I am dying to cook. This week alone, I’ve picked up blueberries, cherries, nectarines, cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes and even the first corn. It is awesome, but some nights after work I am just too tired to make anything. Fortunately, fruits and vegetables this time of the year are so delicious and fresh that you don’t have to do too much to enjoy them. Hopefully easy summer recipes will get me through the next few weeks!

The kitchen counter will look like this for the next few months.

Meal #1: Soy Lemon Skirt Steak with Arugula + Salted Potatoes
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus
Meal #4: Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

broccoli – 1 large head
shallot – 2
garlic – 1 head
lemons – 5
sugar snap peas – 1 lb.
cherries – 1 cup
arugula – 1 bunch
asparagus – 1 large bunch
potatoes – 1 1/2 pounds
rosemary – 1 bunch
eggs – 1 dozen
white wine
red wine
low-salt chicken broth – 1 cup
butter (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
garlic powder (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
butter (if you don’t already have it)
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person), skin removed
skirt steak – 1 1/2 pounds
skinless, boneless, thin chicken breasts – 1 1/2 pounds
pork chops, bone-in – 1 per person, approx. 6-8 oz each

Tags arugula, asparagus, beef, broccoli, capers, cherries, chicken, fish, lemon, noodles, Parmesan, pork, pork chops, potatoes, red wine, rosemary, seafood, shallots, skirt steak, soy sauce, sugar snap peas, swordfish, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Cravings

June 12, 2015 //

I’m not a big dessert person. I don’t turn it down per se, but I would rather eat something salty and fatty than sweet. HOWEVER, pregnancy brings out my inner sweet tooth. I feel like I deserve dessert when I’m pregnant because I can’t have certain foods anymore, I can’t drink and I am physically uncomfortable. I also sort of crave sweets a bit more than usual, especially after lunch or dinner. Ice cream has been an almost daily treat for the last few months. Until Monday…. The latest sonogram showed that I have a bit more fluid than normal and one reason may be too much sugar. Everything is fine otherwise, and most likely everything is normal, but to make sure I have to avoid refined sugar and white flour for at least the next two weeks – fun…

Fortunately, summer is almost upon us which means nature’s dessert – fruit – is staring to make it’s way to my local farmers market. Strawberries have already arrived and cherries, peaches, etc. are on their way. They might not totally make up for ice cream, but they will help.

This week’s meal plan introduces two brand new seasonal recipes and two repeats from last year. Enjoy!

Meal #1: Asparagus alla Fontina + Green Salad
Meal #2: Chicken with Gorgonzola + Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes
Meal #3: Panko-Crusted Salmon + Fennel and Parmesan Salad
Meal #4: Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce + Roasted Asparagus

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or yukon gold potatoes – 6 medium
green beans -1 lb.
dried cherries – 1/2 cup
white/yellow onion – 1
rhubarb – 10 ounces
asparagus – 3 large bunches
lemon – 1
fennel – 2
fresh parsley – 1 bunch
rosemary – 1 bunch
panko (Japanese dried bread flakes) – 2/3 cup
eggs – 3
gruyère or fontina – 4 ounces
gorgonzola cheese – 4 ounces
parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
Dijon mustard (if you don’t already have it)
honey (if you don’t already have it)
sherry vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
prosciutto – 4 ounces
skin-on, boneless chicken breasts – 4 (8 ounces each)
pork loin chops – 4 (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
salmon fillets, skin on – 4 (6- to 8-ounce each)

Tags asparagus, cheese, chicken, dried cherries, eggs, fennel, fish, gorgonzola cheese, green beans, honey, lemon, mustard, panko, Parmesan, pork, potatoes, poultry, prosciutto, rhubarb, rosemary, salmon

Categories Meal Plans

Happy 1st Anniversary!

January 9, 2015 //

One year and 30 meal plans later (including this one) Everyday Banquet is celebrating its first anniversary! I had no idea when I started this blog whether there would be any readers, let alone whether the idea of presenting recipes in the form of a weekly meal plan would strike a chord. It has been fun to read your comments and follow your interest on Facebook. By far the most gratifying comments have come from those of you who don’t cook a lot or didn’t think you liked to cook but have been trying new meals and liking them. That was always the goal – to get more people into the kitchen, cooking relatively simple and quick meals seasonally. So, on what I hope is the first of many anniversaries, I thank you, my readers for sticking with me and supporting me through the year!

Bon Appetit!

Meal #1:Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage
Meal #2: Penne in a Cream Sauce with Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers and Peas
Meal #3: Sausages with Lentils and Green Salad
Meal #4: Roasted Wild Striped Bass with Lemon, Olives, and Rosemary + Roasted Fennel with Artichoke Hearts

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

fennel – 1
rosemary bunch – 1
bay leaves – 2
lemon – 2
red cabbage – 1 medium
red peppers – 2
apple – 1
onion – 1
carrot – 1
greens for a salad
artichoke hearts – 1 can in water
frozen peas
heavy cream – 1 small container
Kalamata olives – 1/2 cup
penne – 1 box
red lentils – 1 bag
dried thyme (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan (if you don’t already have it)
ground chili pepper (if you don’t already have it)
reduced-sodium soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
pancetta – 4-6 ounces
sausage – 1 lb.
pork tenderloin – 2 (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds total)
wild stripped bass – 1 6-8 ounce filet per person
lager – 1/4 cup

Tags apple, artichokes, beer, carrots, cream, fennel, fish, lemon, lentils, olives, onion, pancetta, Pasta, peas, pork, pork tenderloin, red cabbage, red peppers, rosemary, Sausage, seafood, soy sauce, wild striped bass

Categories Meal Plans

It’s the Holiday Season!

December 8, 2014 //

This time of the year it is hard not to get Christmas songs stuck in your head. As I type I can hear Andy Williams singing “It’s the holiday season, and Santa Claus is coming around…” It goes on and on…. I don’t know whether it is because Patrick and I snuck away to Charleston last weekend, but the Christmas season feels short again this year and I feel like I’m far behind. I have to catch up, because for the first year ever Eliza fully understands that it is Christmas. It is adorable to watch – she loves the tree, the caroles and Frosty, but it also means that we better step it up and plan some fun activities and get her (or ahem, ask Santa) for some good presents!

Despite the busy season full of shopping, decorating, baking and general merriment I am still trying to slip a home-cooked meal in when I can. It isn’t as often as I’d like (there’s a pizza on its way while I type this), but I am hoping to get a few dinners made without the help of a microwave. Here are a couple of repeats, and two new meals that are delicious and perfect for the season. Enjoy!

The first snowman of the season (I know, he is a little scary)

Meal #1: Pork Chops with Apples and Onions + Braised Red Cabbage
Meal #2: Chicken Saltimbocca with Cheese + Sautéed Spinach
Meal #3: Brussels Sprouts and Pork (or Beef) Stir Fry + Rice
Meal #4: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

fresh sage – 1 bunch (or 1 tsp. dried sage)
white onion – 2
scallions – 1 bunch (approx. 4)
red cabbage – 1 head (2 1/4 pounds)
lemons – 3
spinach – 2 bags or bundles
apples – 5
brussels sprouts – 1 lb.
carrots – 2
jalapeno – 1
ginger – 1 small piece
fontina (provolone or gruyere work too) cheese – 6 slices (approx. 4 ounces)
pine nuts (optional)
apple cider – 1 cup
linguine – 1 box
dry red wine – 1/2 cup
rice (if you don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
reduced-sodium soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
unseasoned rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
dark-brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in pork chops – 4 (3/4-1-inch thick)
flank or skirt steak – 1/2 lb.
bacon – 4 ounces (approx. 4 slices)
proscuitto – 6 thin slices
chicken cutlets – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.

Tags apples, beef, brussels sprouts, carrots, cheese, chicken, cider, ginger, lemon, onions, Pasta, pork, red cabbage, rice, sage, salad, seafood, shrimp, spinach

Categories Meal Plans

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions + Braised Red Cabbage

December 8, 2014 //

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Found this recipe while I was going through the latest Penzys catalogue. It is perfect for autumn/winter and pretty quick to prepare. I didn’t use the Bavarian seasoning in the original recipe and it was fine.

4 bone-in pork chops, 3/4-1-inch thick
1 TB. fresh sage (or 1 tsp. rubbed sage)
salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 TB. olive oil
2 TB. unsalted butter
1 large white onion, sliced
3-4 apples, cored and sliced
1 cup fresh apple cider

Rub sage, salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Sear the pork chops on both sides until good and brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the chops.

Add the butter, onions and apples to the skillet and sauté until the onions are caramelized and the mixture has thickened, 15 minutes or so. Stir in the fresh cider and return the pork chops to the skillet. Cook for about 10-15 more minutes, turning the chops halfway through. Serve pork chops with a big scoop of apples and onions.

Braised Red Cabbage

I love red cabbage and have posted a similar recipe before with pork tenderloin, but this recipe from Martha Stewart is just for red cabbage and it is delicious!

4 ounces bacon (about 4 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage (2 1/4 pounds), halved, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cabbage, vinegar, wine, water, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; stir to combine. Raise heat to medium-high, cover, and cook 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir apple into cabbage, and cook, covered, until cabbage and apples are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Season with pepper.

Tags apples, cider, onions, pork, red cabbage

Categories Meals

Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots

November 7, 2014 //

Maple Pork Tenderloin

This is another great fall recipe that doesn’t take too much time or effort. We had some leftover polenta which went really nicely with the pork, especially the maple glaze, which is delish!

Roasted Roots

When I was at the Farm School this was one of our favorite side dishes. So hearty and healthy. It is perfect in the fall when beets, carrots and potatoes are in their prime. You could substitute in parsnips, celery root or turnip. The bunches of carrots and beets caught my eye at the market, and I had a few extra fingerling potatoes in my pantry so that’s what I made, but try whatever you like!

4 beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. potatoes, halved or quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss vegetables with olive oil, enough to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45-60 minutes – toss about halfway through.

Tags beets, carrots, maple, pork, potatoes

Categories Meals

Market Discoveries

November 7, 2014 //

One of the best things about the local food movement is that it has brought to light so many underused vegetables and fruits. If it weren’t for farmers markets I wouldn’t know about or have gotten a chance to eat fennel, celeriac, or romanesco. Before the proliferation of farmers markets I bet many of you had never seen or eaten a heirloom tomato. Whether you get them now from a farmers market or your local grocery store, the demand for these special, and dare I say better tomatoes, stems from the growth and ubiquity of farmers markets.

It isn’t just brand new foods that markets introduce us to; markets provide a retail space for farmers to try out different versions of some tried and true favorites without the worry that a grocery store will reject them because they aren’t the right shape or color. That’s how I encountered these beautiful carrots seen below. While shopping at my local Greenmarket I stumbled upon a big bunch of carrots in shades of orange, yellow and purple. They were majestic and I had to have them! So, get a little adventurous and try a new vegetable or fruit this week. We are so lucky to live in an age when hard, pink tomatoes are no longer acceptable.

Meal #1: Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots
Meal #2: Penne alla Vodka + Green Salad
Meal #3: Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw
Meal #4: Lemon and Olive Chicken + Red Roasted Carrots

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:
Honeycrisp apple – 1
Brussels sprouts – 7 large
lemon – 2
onion – 1
beets – 4 medium to large
carrots – 1 large bunch (8 or so)
potatoes -1/2 lb.
crumbled dried sage leaves – 2 ts.
sage – 1 bundle
green olives – 1/2 cup
chicken stock – 1 cup
large (28 oz) and small (14 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes – 1 each
penne – 1 box
heavy cream – 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese – (if don’t already have it)
dried thyme – (if don’t already have it)
crushed red pepper – (if don’t already have it)
maple syrup – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider vinegar – (if don’t already have it)
apple cider – (if don’t already have it)
Dijon mustard – (if don’t already have it)
cinnamon – (if don’t already have it)
paprika – (if don’t already have it)
chili powder – (if don’t already have it)
garlic powder – (if don’t already have it)
pork tenderloins – 2, 12- to 14-ounce
bone-in chicken breast halves – 4
scallops – 16 large
vodka – 1/4 cup

Tags apple, apple cider, brussels sprouts, butter, carrots, chicken, cream, eets, lemon, maple, olives, Parmesan, Pasta, pork, potatoes, poultry, sage, salad, scallops, tomatoes, vodka

Categories Meal Plans

Friday Dinners

October 17, 2014 //

This recent post by Sarah Grey on Serious Eats about Friday night meatball dinners has been making its way around the Internet. And for good reason. For many of us having more time to relax with friends and family is a high priority, but one that usually gets pushed aside. For those of us lucky enough to live near good friends a night together feels like a luxury. Although I live within minutes of two of my best friends, we can go weeks without seeing each other. So, when I saw this post I immediately emailed it to them and suggested we give it a go. One of my wise friends suggested we aim for the first Friday of the month, rather than every Friday, and move the dinner around so that each of us host on a monthly basis.

And so, a couple of Fridays ago we began what I hope is a long-standing tradition. I hosted the first of our dinners and as Sarah Grey suggests, the dinner was open to outside guests. Along with friends, and a boyfriend we were joined by my friend’s parents who were visiting from out of town. Seven of us, plus Eliza on my husband’s lap, squeezed around our tiny dining room table in a our small Brooklyn apartment and had a blast. Showing our age and station in life, the night started by 6pm and we were cleaning up by 9pm. The time together was the perfect way to end the week and I can’t wait for next month!

For the kick-off I prepared a real Brooklyn meal – Sunday Gravy, or in this case, Friday Gravy.

Sunday Gravy – Serves 8

olive oil
8 sweet or hot Italian sausage
8 meatballs
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
handful of basil
2 TB. tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 – 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes + 1 -14.5 ounce can
2 boxes linguine

In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Brown sausages on all sides – about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pot and put aside for later. Repeat with the meatballs.

In the same pot, saute garlic and basil for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and water and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Lower to a simmer and cover pot, leaving a portion of the pot uncovered, and cook for approximately 2 hours.

About an hour before you are going to eat add sausage and meatballs to the sauce and continue to simmer.

Cook linguine (or spaghetti – whatever you like) according to the directions on the box.

Remove sausage and meatballs and put them on a platter. Toss pasta with sauce and serve.

Mangia!

Tags Pasta, pork, Sausage, tomatoes

Categories Uncategorized

In Good Company

September 26, 2014 //

Every Wednesday morning I eagerly await my subway ride so I can read The New York Times’ Dining Section. First I check the restaurant review, hoping for either a 4-star or 0-star review – the two ends of the spectrum yield the most entertaining writing – and then the latest recipes from Melissa Clark and David Tanis. Rarely am I disappointed and this week was no exception. In fact, I was thrilled to see that the entire section was devoted to homecooking. They pulled out all of the stops, with all of their writers devoting an article and recipe to either a simple cooking technique or style – from vinaigrette to scallops to tarts.

The goal of this blog, since its inception, has always been to provide my readers with unintimidating recipes, organized into meal plans with grocery lists so everyone could see that they can squeeze 30 minutes into their evenings to cook. It’s nice to see that my blog is in the good company of some of my favorite writers and cooks!

Fall’s here!

Meal #1: Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Polenta
Meal #2: Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad
Meal #3:Pork Tenderloin with Plums and Red Onion + Corn on the Cob
Meal #4: Salmon with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

lettuce – 1 large head
lemons – 2
orange – 1
plums – 4
red onion – 1
white onion – 1
corn – 1 per person
white potatoes – 3/4 lb.
parsley – 1 bunch
linguine – 1 box
polenta – 1 tube
reduced-sodium chicken broth – 1 1/4 cup
diced tomatoes – 2 cans (28 ounces each)
tomato paste – 1 small can
Kalamata olives – 1 cup
red wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, chicken thighs – 8
pork tenderloin – 1 1/2 lb.
shrimp – 1 1/2 lb.
salmon – 4 (6 ounces each)

Tags chicken, corn, fish, kalamata olives, lemon, olives, orange, Pasta, plums, polenta, pork, potatoes, poultry, red onion, salad, salmon, seafood, shrimp, tomatoes

Categories Meal Plans

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas