Granny Smith apples add sweetness to this savory beer-braised pork chop dinner.  You can also substitute pears which would be just as delicious.  This is an old recipe that’s marked “Yugoslavian Pork Chops”. 

6 center cup pork chops, bone-in (3/4 to 1-inch thick)

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups lager beer

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Trim chops of any excess fat.  I cut off the tail of the chop and dice into small pieces.  Brown fat and pork pieces until golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.

In the pan drippings, brown chops and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

 Add garlic, onions and apples and saute until golden brown.

Add apple onion mixture to your baking pan.

Top with pork chops.

Melt butter in same skillet and add flour.  Cook for about 1 minute.

Add beer and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits.  Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened.

Pour gravy over pork chops and apple and onions, cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

Serve with mashed potatoes and Harvard Baby Beets.

Harvard Baby Beets

(sweet & sour)

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2-1/2 cups cooked baby beets

1 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Mix sugar and cornstarch.  Add water and vinegar and bring to a boil until thickened

Add beets and cook slowly stirring occasionally until beets are heated through.

Add butter and season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is a leftover  spaghetti make-over!  This frittata can be served hot, but tastes better at room temperature.  Great to have for lunch or even to take on a picnic.  No leftovers?  It’s worth boiling some fresh.

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 2 cups cooked spaghetti
• 1 cup cubed mozzarella or other cheese
• 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Defrost and thaw spinach and squeeze out excess water.  In a frying pan heat 1 tsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter and saute onions and garlic until softened.  Add cooked spaghetti and toss to coat.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the Parmigiano, salt and pepper and basil or parsley.  Add cubed mozzarella.  Add spinach to spaghetti mixture in the pan and saute for a few minutes.  Add egg mixture and smooth the top with a spatula.  Cook over medium-low heat until the frittata is browned on the bottom and set.  Invert a plate larger than the frying pan over the pan and turn out the frittata.  Heat the remining butter and olive oil in the pan, and return the frittata to the pan to brown the other side.  Carefully turn out the frittata and serve at room temperature with fresh sliced plum tomatoes or your favorite marinara sauce. Printer-Friendly Version
~Adapted from Ciao Italia

It was 18 degrees this morning – perfect excuse to put the oven on, make the kitchen toasty warm, and whip up the easiest, tastiest “sticky biscuits” you’ll ever enjoy.

Syrup

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked until medium-brown

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Biscuits

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup cold, unsalted butter

1 cup cold milk or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8″ square pan.

Chop the cooked bacon into 1/2″ pieces.  Combine the bacon with the remaining syrup ingredients, stirring until well combined.  Spread in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Whisk the dry ingredients for the biscuits together in a bowl.  Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the milk or buttermilk, stirring to make a sticky dough.

Drop the dough in heaping tablespoonfuls on top of the syrup in the pan.  Bake the biscuits for 10 minutes.  Turn the oven off, and leave them in the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until golden.

Remove the biscuits from the oven, and immediately turn the pan over onto a serving plate.  Lift off the pan, and scrape any syrup left in the pan onto the biscuits.  Pull biscuits apart to serve.

~Adapted from King Arthur Flour Cooks Note:  These do harden up a bit when cool.  Just pop in the microwave to 20-25 seconds to warm them.  You could also use 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat instead of the butter in the syrup…………just saying……:o) Sharing with: Melt in your Mouth Monday 
Winter Breakfasts

Sometimes I get carried away with my cooking ethic:  Never throw any food away, and sometimes watching Food Network’s “Chopped” can come in handy and spark your imagination!  This next recipe came about with what I had left in the fridge.  Worthy of a holiday appetizer I’d say.

• 1 pkg. Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
• 2 Tbsp. dry red wine (just take it out of your glass)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 hot Italian sausages, cooked and diced
• 1 cup (1/2 shredded and 1/2 diced) Manchego cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• Coarse salt
• Sesame seeds

In a large frying pan, heat 3 Tbsp. of the oil.  Add the garlic and saute until soft.  Add the broccoli and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the wine and oregano and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Let cool. Unwrap refrigerated pizza and dough and stretch to fit your pan.  Lightly oil your baking sheet.  Brush the dough with the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Spread the broccoli mixture over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Scatter the diced sausage and cheeses over the dough and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  Starting with the long side, roll the dough up tightly like a jelly roll.  Pinch the seam to seal and position the roll so the seam is on the bottom; tuck the 2 ends under the roll.

Brush the top with a little olive and sprinkle with coarse salt and sesame seeds.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool slightly and cut into thick slices.

Of course you can substitue any ingredients in this recipes.

Pepperoni would be great, and of course, mozzarella or provolone.

The Manchego cheese adds a nice, sharp bite to this roll.

Have I been chopped?

Suggested Wine Pairing with Manchego – Merlot  ~Adapted from Ciao Italia
Sharing with Melt in your Mouth Mondays

If you think cookware would not make a great Christmas gift – think again?  Regular viewers of the Food Network and avid cooks know that you need good cookware to properly prepare meals.  Even newbies could use a good start.  Visit http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/ to find great deals on Calphalon Skillet Sets –
http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/s-89-Cookware.aspx. This cookware is the best you can buy and lasts a lifetime when properly cared for.  They can go from stovetop to oven and clean-up is a breeze.  I am intending to get this set for my son who just moved into a new apartment and needs to build up his cooking skills! (which he got from me by the way).

Everyone loves broccoli and cheese.  With some corn muffin mix and a few spices, this makes a great side dish.  The cayenne pepper gives this sweet and savory cornbread a little “kick”.

4 eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

1 8.5 oz. box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. each garlic powder, oregano, basil and parsely

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Bake in a lightly greased 8 x 8 baking dish at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 mins.

Recipe Round Up at Gooseberry Patch

Hosting your first Thanksgiving feast?  A menu of familiar dishes for which everyone will have expectations, plus the pressure of making a complicated meal in a timely manner, can make even the most experienced cook say “you take over”.

• Build Your Skills Gradually

How do you think Grandma got so good at cooking Thanksgiving? Practice! If you’re just starting out, there’s absolutely no reason that every item on your menu has to be made by you, from scratch. Your first year, focus on just the turkey, stuffing, and gravy—have guests bring the other dishes. Once you feel that you’ve mastered these three essentials, the next year do some other dishes. Before you know it, you’ll have experience with the entire menu.

Hello everyone!  Happy Friday! I wanted to share with you a new addition to my blog – Beauty From your Kitchen!  Everyone can enjoy a natural spa experience right in your own home with these homemade recipes.  The ingredients are truly natural, taken from fresh products that have “scrubbing” qualities.  Simple as ever, inexpensive, and you probably have the ingredients somewhere in your kitchen or garden. I’ve just started this addition.  The link is on this page (no, it’s not an advertisement) or you can go directly to http://www.comfycuisinebeauty.blogspot.com/

I will be posting weekly, facials, scrubs, masks and soaps.  I hope you’ll join me!