Crunchy Sweet and Sour Pork Chop ~ CIC

Potato Chips and Soy Sauce is this month's crazy ingredient challenge and I came up with an awesome recipe!

Spicy Porkchops with Pear Salsa

Made spicy porkchops with pear salsa with this month's crazy ingredient challenge - pears and red pepper flakes.

Citrus Salmon

Instead of paying lots of money, make an awesome salmon that is marinated in citrus juice that is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside at home.

Mini BBQ Lentil Loaf ~ Crazy Ingredient Challenge

An awesome, flavourful meatless dish using lentils and molasses, that even the biggest meat lover will enjoy.

BBQ Honey Garlic Chicken {slow cooker recipe}

Last weekend my hubby came home from downstate.  He told me that he wasn't going to come until Friday instead of after work on Thursday and would need food when he got home.  Well, I knew that this wasn't absolutely true but decided to make something in the slow cooker for the next day.

National Pizza Month ~ #pizzaroundup

October is National Pizza Month and I am a big fan of pizza.  I think I could eat it for every meal and there was days when I was single I did... those days are over as I don't get it that often anymore... But when I do watch out.. I eat and eat and eat.  I also love pizza cold, I was the one that the pizza places remembered as I would ask them not to deliver my pizza in their warmers.

Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice is dish eaten in West Africa.  It can be eaten with or without meat.  It can be made as a main meal or a side dish.  I did a guest post over at Hungry Little Girl and shared my recipe over there.  So you will have to head over to Jutta's blog for the recipe.

Jollof Rice

For recipe go HERE

Related articles

• Guest's cooking : Jollof rice from Adaeze
• Super Spicy Jollof Rice And Fried Chicken

Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

If you have been following me on facebook you know that my hubby has gone downstate to work for the summer.  Last weekend he was able to come home for the first time since he left in May.   About 2 weeks ago he sent me a link to a recipe from Food.com for Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes.  

He has given me recipes before that he thought would taste good but this one was a little bit unusual.  For one thing he doesn't like roasted chicken and another thing he doesn't eat a lot of potatoes.  But I thought I would make it this past weekend.

So the hottest day in the U.P. I turned my oven on and sweltered to make this recipe.  Aren't I the best wife?

Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

adapted from Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

 Ingredients:
3 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced fresh Basil and Italian Parsley ( I used about 1/8 cup basil and the rest parsley)
1 tbsp oregano
sea salt
fresh black ground pepper
4- 5 lbs chicken. ( I used the chicken/thigh)
sliced onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Wash and cut up potatoes ( I didn't peel mine but you can peel if you would prefer).
Mix the potatoes with 1/2 of the olive oil, basil, parsley, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread over the bottom of a large roasting pan.
 In same bowl, mix rest of the ingredients and generous amount of salt and pepper.  Layer chicken over potatoes, skin side down.
Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
Remove chicken and stir potatoes.  Replace chicken with skin side up.
Bake for 30 more minutes or until chicken is crisp and brown and potatoes are golden.  (Mine took about 45 minutes).
10 minutes before meal is done, slice onions about 1/2 of a small onion over top and return for the remainder of the time.
Enjoy.

This meal was very good but I am glad that I added the oregano and basil.  The next time I make it I am going to add more oregano.  Hubby thought this meal was very good, although he did add more salt and I thought I had already used lots.  As I used 5 pieces of leg/thigh parts there was some leftover and he was able to take a few doggie bags back with him.   The next day I cut up my leftover chicken and placed it on a Berry Salad - recipe to come.

A teaser of what is to come 

  

 

Related articles

• Roast Chicken With Italian Herbs
• The Great Roast Dinner #3: The Key to a Good Roast Chicken

Rosemary and Thyme Lime Chicken

As you know I have been trying very hard to stay on the Whole 30 Program.  I wrote how things were going on this program over at the Daily Dish Magazine, so I won't go through that again.  But I did want to share the chicken recipe with all of you.  I found this recipe over at Mom's Recipe Collection .
Mom's Recipe Collection is a facebook group and was started by Susan Harder.  It is a group of bloggers and home cooks from every walk of life and experience.  There are many recipes posted, along with tips and techniques.  It is a great place to ask questions if you have them as you get responses quickly.  You do have to ask to join the group and  has over 7,000 members and growing every day.  If you want to join, head over to Mom's Recipe Collection  and ask to join.

Rosemary and Thyme Lime Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbsp lime peel

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp pepper

1 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tbsp thyme 

Salsa either homemade or store bought - approximately 1 tbsp per breast - I used Salsa Me Krazy medium

In mixing bowl, add lime juice, lime peel, balsamic vinegar, pepper, rosemary and thyme.  Place chicken in ziplock bag and pour mixture over them.  Place them in the fridge to marinate for approximately 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place either aluminum foil or parchment paper in baking dish, place chicken in baking dish and pour marinate over each piece of chicken.  Bake for 30 -40 minutes until chicken is completely cooked.  Serve with Salsa.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)
`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links: Sweet and Savory Sunday, Swap N Share, Party Thyme, Everyday entrees around $5.00 , Food Holiday Link Party

Related articles,

• Rosemary and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
• Rosemary Garlic Chicken

April #SurpriseRecipeSwap - Seared Lemon Pepper Salmon

Looking outside and seeing all the snow and the blizzard that we are having, I can't believe that  April is here and just about over.  With that it is time for our Surprise Recipe Swap.  This is my second month doing this and it is so much fun.  Surprise Recipe Swap was started by Jutta from Hungry Little Girl.  At the beginning of the month we are give a blog to go and research and find a recipe that we would like to make.  Then on the 20th we reveal the recipe.
This month the blog that I received was Jessica's over at Simple, Clean and Homemade.  I was familiar with her blog as she has linked up some of her recipes to our Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party.  After reading her blog I found out that we started blogging around the same time.  She has so many wonderful recipes that I want to try.  One in particular is her Spice Lamb Flatbread and I would have used this one in the Recipe Swap but right now I am off eating grains and the flatbread is party of the recipe that I don't want to change. So I have filed that away for another time.
The recipe that I did pick was her Seared Lemon Pepper Salmon.  I picked this one as we eat a lot of fish and also salmon, although the salmon that we eat is usually smoked.  I have tried to bake and bbq salmon but it always seems to come out dry.  This recipe looked so good and I have to tell you it was.

Seared Lemon Pepper Salmon

slightly adapted from Simple Clean and Homemade

1 lb salmon, cut into four pieces

lemon pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 tbsp fresh thyme

juice of one lemon

Liberally add lemon pepper to the top of each salmon piece.  Heat your skillet on a medium-high heat.  Drizzle a small amount of oil on the pan.  Place the salmon flesh down onto the skillet and cook without moving for a few minutes until a crust forms.  Flip and add remaining ingredients.  I mixed the oil, butter, garlic, thyme and lemon and poured over salmon.  Turn heat down and cook until you reach desired temperature.  Spoon sauce over salmon while cooking.

We ate ours with roasted vegetables and grilled pineapple wedges.  This salmon was the best salmon I have ever tasted.  It was moist and the flavour was wonderful... buttery and lemon.  I used thyme instead of cilantro as I am not a very big cilantro fan and also because I had some fresh thyme that needed to be used up. 

I did make a pound of salmon so that we would have some left overs but it was so good that every little morsel was gone when we left the dinner table.  We had this for our Anniversary Dinner and it was lip smacking good.

Thanks Jessica ~ Simple, Clean and Homemade for a wonderful recipe.

I am no longer nervous to make salmon anymore.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)
`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links: 4 You with Love, Blogger Showcase April 2013

Related articles

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Ribs with sauce - Host Favorite Meal

This week I made my host favorite meal... It was so delicious and my husband even ate it two days in a row.  He very seldom does that but he asked for it on the second day.  I did change some of the ingredients because I either couldn't find them or I didn't have them at home.  This recipe originally came from Michelle over at Ms. enPlace and it is called Stick to Ya Ribs.  When I made these, I made the same amount of sauce but only used half the meat.  Thanks Michelle for a wonderful recipe.

  

Ribs with Sauce (slow-cooker version)

adapted from Stick to Ya Ribs

2 pounds pork spare ribs (I used boneless ribs)

pepper

garlic

onion powder

 2 tbsp creole seasoning (I used this recipe to make mine)

1 tsp paprika

1 6 oz tomato paste

2/3 cups mushrooms diced

1 cup onion diced

2/3 cup sweet peppers diced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 stalks celery diced

1 link smoked sausage diced ( I used Johnsonville Andouile)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes (I used Red Gold)

1 maggi cube (chicken flavor)

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle creole seasoning, pepper, garlic and onion powder, paprika onto ribs, rubbing them into the meat.  Spread 3 tbsp tomato paste over ribs on all sides.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until the tomato paste is sticky and brown in places.

While these are cooking, place oil in pan, brown sausage.  Add mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic and celery.  Saute for 8 minutes. Add rest of the tomato paste and saute a few more minutes.  Add tomatoes, maggi cube and paprika.  Cover and simmer until ribs are done.

Once ribs are done, place half of the tomato sauce into crock pot, add ribs and cover with rest of sauce.  Add approximately 2 cups of water, just to cover. 

 Cook for 4 -5 hours on low.  I cooked mine on high for 1 hour and then turned it down to low for 3 more hours.  The meat was very tender but I would probably next time cook on low for at least 5 hours.  

Serve with pasta or rice.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)
`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links:

Scrumptious Sunday Link Party!

Related articles

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Three Bean Chili

Every time that I make chili, I think that I make it different.  This week I had received an article from  my healthcare insurance company and in it was a recipe for chili that sounded very good..  I decided to make.  The recipe called for no meat but as I love meat in my chili I thought I would make it with ground beef this time.  I usually use ground turkey as I feel that turkey is healthier then beef, but I wanted ground beef... After making it and eating it, I think it would be better without the meat.  Next time I make it, I will do it as the recipe suggests.. Maybe :)

Three Bean Chili

2 tbsp oil - I used EVOO

1 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

3/4 cup diced mushrooms

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cans diced tomatoes - 1 used only one as that is all I bought, but would be better with 2

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 lb ground beef (cooked) I used ground sirloin - optional, don't add if you would like this to be vegetarian.

Cook ground beef and set aside.  In large saucepan heat oil on medium until hot, add onions, celery and mushrooms, saute until translucence. Add beans, tomatoes, spices and ground beef if using.  Bring mixture to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

Garnish with cheese, sour cream.

Enjoy

I enjoyed this recipe.  My husband thought my other chili was better.  The only big difference with this recipe and with what I normally do is that I add a small can of tomato sauce and garlic.  I think garlic would be great in this recipe too.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)

`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links: Simple Tuesday Supper , Super Bowl and Chili Party

Chicken Yassa -Yassa au Poulet

Last year before my birthday I sent a list of things that my husband could buy me from Amazon.  One of the things I asked for was a recipe book "Cooking the West  African Way" by Montgomery and Nabwire.  I read the book but haven't really made anything from it.  A few weeks ago my husband was telling me about this chicken that we should make.  I had thought he was getting the recipe from his mom but he had found it is in the cookbook.
As we were making it, I really wondered how it would taste, but it was good.  The flavor was wonderful.

Chicken Yassa

This is a recipe from Senegal that is served at special occasions.

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 large onions sliced - I used one large red onion 

5 tbsp peanut oil

1 habanero pepper ~ I used a hot pepper that received at the African market

1 2 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb precut chicken - I used 4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup water

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a deep bowl, mix the lemon juice, onions, salt, pepper and 4 tbsp peanut oil.  Using a fork pierce  the pepper and add to marinade  Let the marinade  sit for 15 minutes and then check for spiciness.  If hot enough remove pepper, if not let stand for a bit longer.

Once marinade spicy enough and you have removed the pepper (I left my pepper in the marinade for the whole time), add chicken and stir to coat.   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator over night ( I only marinated the meat 6 hours). 

To cook, preheat broiler.  Remove the chicken pieces from marinade and place on tinfoil on the broiler rack.  Broil briefly until the chicken is lightly brown.  Place on plate and set aside.

Strain the onions from the marinade.  In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp peanut oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until soft and tender.

Add the rest of the marinade and cook until the mixture is heated through evenly.

Add brown chicken pieces and water.  Stir to coat.

Lower heat, bring mixture to simmer and cover.  Cook at least 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

Serve the yassa hot over rice.

Enjoy.  I ate mine with quinoa

 Even thought we didn't use as much chicken as the recipe called for the marinade seemed to be enough and not too much.  If you use more chicken I would probably make more marinade.  I would also next time use more onions as most of the flavor of the marinade was in the onions.

Marlys

Links: Foodie Friends Friday

Eggplant Lasagna - YEAH or NAY

If you have been following me here on my blog or on facebook... you have heard that we planted eggplants this year and they GREW!  We only planted 2 plants but they were plentiful and eggplants is something that you can't giveaway to everyone.

  I like eggplants but my husband isn't that keen... although he will eat some of what I make.  I have been trying to come up with new recipes to use them up...
I might have to do some more working on this recipe... It had lots of flavour, but I am not sure about the eggplant... I am thinking I should have cooked it just a little bit before I put it into the lasagna as it still was a little bit tough.  If anyone has any suggestions, please, please leave me a comment.

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

3 small eggplants - sliced in thin slices

salt

1/3 cup onions diced

1 lb ground turkey - you could also use ground beef you like

1 garlic clove diced

1 jar pasta sauce or marinara sauce - 15 oz

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1 15 oz ricotta cheese

1 tbsp parsley

1 egg 

2 cups mozzarella cheese - shredded

parmesan cheese  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice eggplants and sprinkle salt on them and let sit while turkey mixture is cooking.  Prior to using, rinse off salt and dry eggplant slices.

In saucepan, cook ground turkey until no longer pink, add onions and garlic and cook until both are translucence.  Add pasta or marinara sauce and italian seasoning.  Continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes.  In separate bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg and parsley.  

Start layering lasagna, first with turkey mixture,  eggplant slices, ricotta cheese mixture and then mozzarella cheese.  Continue to layer for 2 -3 layers, depending on your sauce.  I like to end with meat mixture and mozzarella.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.  Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven.

* my layers are meat mixture, eggplant, ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, meat mixture, eggplant, ricotta cheese, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese.

* the first time I ate it, my lasagna was more like a soup as there was a lot of liquid, after serving it I tried to get rid of some of the liquid and put it in the refrigerator.. The second time we ate it, the lasagna looked like lasagna and had no extra liquid in it.  I am not sure if cooking the eggplants in the oven for 20 minutes would help this or not.  I think the next time I make it I will try that.    

Ingredients.  I received the Mia's Kitchen Bistro Marinara from my
September Foodie PenPal

Getting ready for my layering 

ready to go in the oven

Doesn't look much like lasagna but tastes very good.

Looks more like a lasagna the second time we ate it.

For me the eggplant lasagna was a YEAH! I really enjoyed it even though the first time I ate it looked more like a soup or sauce and the eggplants had to be cut by a knife.  My husband thoughts were not quite a NAY but not sure if he will eat it again.. he did have it the second time but I ate it totally 3 times :).  So for you is it YEAH or NAY!