Tuscan Pork Roast

When I'm stressed, worried or upset, I find myself either on a cooking or cleaning tangent! (Hence the abundance of posts lately!) I actually have several recipes I still need to post. Pork is something that I haven't bought much of over the years--I actually only had pork tenderloin for the first time, not that long ago. I really enjoyed it, but it always seemed to be rather pricey. All of a sudden, it seems as if beef has been outrageous and pork has drastically come down in price. I've been able to find pork tenderloin for $1.34-$1.69/lb and I love the fact that it's generally solid "meat"--I can't stand feeling as if I'm paying by the pound and the majority of the weight is the bone! My husband and I happen to really love garlic, so this was an exceptionally good recipe in our book! I even added a little extra garlic for good measure :) I would think this is something you could easily prep ahead of time and then just throw in the oven around dinnertime. I did find that it took longer to bake than the recipe stated...my pork roast was about 4 pounds and it definitely took closer to 2 hrs. Well worth it, though, and I would highly recommend! (Just as an FYI for those of you who have a Kroger nearby...pork tenderloin is on sale this week for $1.37/lb, I believe!)

(Prior to cutting it...)

Tuscan Pork Roast

5 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled (I may have used a bit more...we love garlic!)
1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)

Directions:

In a food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, olive oil and salt; cover and process until mixture becomes a paste. Rub over the roast; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. (I let the rub sit on the roast for closer to an hour).

Place roast, fat side up, on a greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. (I made a 4 pound roast and it took closer to 2 hrs...make sure you use a meat thermometer to watch it closely!) Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Source: The Taste of Home Cookbook

Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken

I always love using my crockpot year-round, but am especially fond of using it this time of year! There's something so comforting about coming in from the cool weather and knowing that you have a nice home-cooked meal waiting for you. I doubled the "sauce" ingredients (as reflected by the amounts I listed in the recipe) and was glad I did--it was nice having plenty of sauce to spoon over the cooked chicken. The only change I would make would be to cut back a bit on the cooking time--I think 3 hrs would be plenty of time, since you are already browning the chicken prior to placing it in the crockpot. (I made a notation of this below, as well!) I served the chicken with buttered rice and sprinkled it with a bit of parsley for garnish, but only served the sauce on the chicken. Enjoy :)

Slow-Cooked Lemon Chicken

6 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds), skin removed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Hot cooked rice

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine the oregano, seasoned salt and pepper; rub over the chicken. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken in butter; transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker.

Add the water, lemon juice, garlic and bouillon to the skillet; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. (I cooked mine closer to 4 hours, but think it may be better to aim for 3 to avoid overcooking the chicken...the flavor was good, but it was a tad bit dry for my liking!)

Baste the chicken. Add parsley. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear. If desired, thicken cooking juices and serve over chicken and rice.

Source: Taste of Home, The New Slow Cooker

Stuffed Green Peppers

My sister, Sarah, made these stuffed peppers several years back and I immediately fell in love with them! We were all up north visiting my parents together and she so kindly offered to prepare dinner...I knew it would be delicious, as she is a wonderful cook! My kids absolutely love the meat and rice mixture and will often make a meal out of that alone :) My VERY picky husband even loves them! My sister served them with mashed potatoes and corn, which is what I've done ever since--definitely great comfort food!

Stuffed Green Peppers

2 cups water
1 cup uncooked white rice
3 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 1/2 - 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

While rice is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and begin to brown meat in a large saucepan, over medium heat. While meat is browning, place green peppers in a large pot, with enough water to cover. Boil peppers for approximately 15 minutes. Once meat is browned and drained (and while peppers are boiling), add onion, cooked rice, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the large saucepan with the meat; simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Remove peppers from the water and set aside in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture onto each half of the green peppers. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until mixture begins to turn golden brown.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of each stuffed pepper. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Adapted from Allrecipes

Hasselback Potatoes

This past week has been really difficult--my grandfather passed away last Saturday, somewhat unexpectedly. He will be truly missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him...he was such a warm and gentle soul and would have done absolutely anything for anyone. I miss you, Popie, and this post is in your honor :)

(This picture was taken at our house a couple of years ago at our son's b-day party. Popie was always such a kid at heart...note the party hat!)

I actually made these potatoes about a week and a half ago--the same night my sister, Sarah made them...total coincidence. I know she really enjoyed them, as did my husband and I. I found that they did take a little longer than an hour to get tender and I think my sister had the same problem, but they were certainly worth the wait! They were absolutely delicious with butter and sour cream!

Hasselback Potatoes

3 russet potatoes
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Dried basil, to taste
Garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. After washing the potatoes well, thinly slice each potato, being careful not to cut all the way through. (Place the potato on a large serving spoon so you won't cut all the way through).

Season each potato with basil, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Place a thin slice of garlic between each layer. Place the potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 1 hour or until the potato is tender. Serve with butter and sour cream if desired.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Simply Great Chicken

I have been attempting to try this recipe for a few days now, but it seemed as if something always got in the way! My intention was to use a package of split chicken breasts that I purchased at Meijer, however, for about the 6th time this year, I went to open the package, TWO days before the sell by date and it smelled awful! Has anyone else had a problem with Meijer meat/chicken??? I am honestly convinced that they are switching dates, as it appears awfully coincidental that it only occurs with their meat and chicken! This occurred on Sunday night and my husband planned to take it back Monday (after he got home from work), but we ended up taking our son to the emergency room--both of our kids have been really sick. He was finally able to run it back to Meijer on Tuesday, which was the actual "sell by date" and they said they couldn't do anything about it since we didn't have a receipt. Ummmm, hello!!!!!!!! I don't generally keep grocery receipts, as I don't expect my food to be spoiled when I go to use it...especially two days before the sell by date! We weren't wanting/asking for anything for free--all we wanted was an even exchange...another package of chicken, the exact same weight! They refused to do an even exchange--all they would do is give us the amount of money back that the package was marked (in the form of store credit) and we would have to buy another package of chicken. Naturally, the sale had just switched, so of course the chicken was now double the price. My husband ended up with a store credit and I ended up going out the next day and buying my chicken elsewhere! Anyway, enough of my rant!

I found this recipe on Katy's blog (Food for a Hungry Soul) and as I expected, it was wonderful! She has yet to disappoint me :) I used chicken leg quarters, but would be anxious to try it next time with the boneless skinless chicken breasts. The sauce was delicious, but the chicken didn't seem to absorb as much of it as I had hoped for. I also didn't seem to get as much "sauce" as Katy did--her picture looks much better! This was a great, easy meal to throw together and one I will definitely try again. Thanks, Katy :)

Simply Great Chicken

3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
1 ( .7 ounce) packet of dried Italian dressing mix (such as Good Seasonings)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 inch x 9 inch pan and set aside, and/or it may be preferable to line your dish with aluminum foil as the sugar tends to caramelize while baking.

Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the dried Italian seasoning mix and the brown sugar, mixing together well.

Dip and press the chicken pieces into the mixture, coating front and back and place into your prepared pan, topside of the chicken facing up. Any extra coating that remains can just be sprinkled over the chicken.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until chicken is done. Per Katy's suggestion, I turned the chicken over a couple of times and spooned the sauce over it while it was baking. My "final turn" left the chicken with the top side facing up.

Cheesy Microwave Cauliflower

Okay, so not a very "original" name for this quick side dish, but it's one of those sides that everyone always seems to enjoy, so I thought I'd post it :) It is so easy to throw together and cooks in the microwave...BONUS! To be completely honest, I never exactly measure the ingredients, so I'm just going to give you the approximate measurements and you can play around with it to your liking.
(It tastes better than it probably looks!)

Cheesy Microwave Cauliflower

One large head of cauliflower
3/4-1 cup mayo (or Miracle Whip...I tend to prefer the sweetness of Miracle Whip)
3 Tablespoons of mustard (you can adjust the amount if you aren't much of a mustard fan or increase it if you are especially fond of mustard!)
5-6 slices American Cheese

Wash cauliflower, remove leaves and some of the bottom core, if it's especially bulky at the bottom. Place cauliflower in a microwave-safe dish (preferably with a lid, but you can always use wax paper, too!) and add approximately 1/2 cup of water. Combine mustard and mayo in a small bowl and spread generously over the cauliflower. Microwave, covered, for approximately 15 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved. When cauliflower is done cooking, leave in microwave, remove cover, place American cheese slices all over to cover entire head of cauliflower and allow to sit in microwave for a few minutes until cheese melts.

Baked Garlic Lemon Tilapia

Ummmmm, yeah...I'm still VERY behind on my blogging! I feel absolutely terrible, because I truly miss each and every one of your blogs and hope you know that I plan to do some major "catching up" in the next couple of weeks!!! I have caught a recipe here and there, but am fairly certain I have missed quite a few. It's just been such a busy month or so...I actually made this tilapia on September 24th and am just now getting around to posting it! As for the recipe, I'm not sure it was my "favorite" tilapia recipe, but it was definitely good...especially if you're trying to watch what you eat. (It came from a blog dedicated to Weight Watcher recipes). Speaking of which, I have met my goal, so I am SO over this whole dieting thing. I'm a very strong-willed and determined individual, but have a difficult time cutting out my favorite foods!!! :) I hope you all are well and I can't wait to check out your latest posts!!!

Baked Garlic Lemon Tilapia

(6) 6oz tilapia fillets (I used frozen)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tsp fresh parsley (I didn't have any fresh, so I substituted dried)
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter on a low flame in a small sauce pan. Add garlic and saute on low for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and shut off flame.
Spray the bottom of a baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

Place the fish on top and season with salt and pepper. Pour the lemon butter mixture on the fish and top with fresh parsley. Bake at 400° until cooked, about 15 minutes.

NOTE: Weight Watcher's Points--5 pts per 6 oz serving

Source: Gina's WW Recipes