I can't remember where I found this recipe, but I made this last week and it was a such a big hit that I have to share it. I can't even find the recipe, so its from memory! Sorry! It will turn up eventually.
Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa
4 pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper 1 lg can of pineapple chunks, mostly drained 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced 1/2 to 1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, diced (depending on how much heat you want) 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1. Grill or saute pork chops until cooked through. Set aside. (I made mine the day before after I grilled our dinner, so they were all ready)
2. Heat pineapple, onion and (if using) pepper in a large saute pan, 2-3 minutes, add cilantro. Let stand for a few minutes to let flavors blend.
I don't think I've ever tried bison, but my husband has been a huge fan ever since his business trip to Montana. (Which is apparently where the buffalo roam, because I think he ate it every meal while he was there, including breakfast.) Now our local farmers market sells (non-organic) bison, but I confess that I've never gotten the gumption to try it out.
So when High Plains Bison offered to send me some bison meat to try, I jumped at the chance. Not for me, but because I knew my husband would be thrilled. A Styrofoam container
arrived at our door a few days later, filled with gourmet bison steaks, sausage and
hot dogs.
I was so surprised at how healthy bison is. According to the website, bison is "naturally lean and lower in saturated fat than beef, chicken, pork, or
even salmon. The dense proportion
of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to caloric value make bison
one of the more nutrient-dense meats available today." We grilled up the lot the other night and we were not disappointed: Everything was delicious. The kids gobbled up the bison hot dogs, then started begging for some of our steak. Which we grudgingly gave them teeny-tiny pieces of, because it was amazing. I only seasoned the steak with salt - nothing else - and they were fabulous. My husband knows steak - having visited some of the country's best steak houses on business trips - and he said he could not believe how excellent these steaks were!
Now note that because bison is so much leaner than beef, it require slightly different
cooking techniques. High Plains Bison has many
recipes on their site, and the packages came with
instructions as well. So don't just throw it on the grill like a regular steak - bison only takes about 1/3 the time to cook and you'll end up with a burnt mess!
High Plains Bison is offering Girlymama readers 20% off their orders with the code EATGOOD22. Although you will add the code on the cart page, the discount does not
show up until the billing page, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see it
right away.
We made the other night and they were a huge hit!! Super easy to!
Corn Fritters
3 ears corn, husks and silk removed 1/3 cup milk 1 large egg 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/4 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Remove kernels: Cut off tip of each
cob; stand in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward
to remove kernels. To bowl, add milk, egg, sugar, baking powder, 1/2
teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix. Fold in cornmeal and flour.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. In a large nonstick
skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Working in two batches,
drop batter into pan by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden brown,
about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle
with salt; place in oven. Repeat. Keep warm in oven up to 30 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, if desired.
At one of the parties for the wedding, my aunt made this fabulous sangria. DRINK WITH CAUTION because it is super yummy and packs a punch!
Sangria
1/2 pint flavored brandy (blackberry or apricot - I use blackberry) 1/2 pint peach schnapps 1/2 pint spiced run 1 to 1 1/2 cups orange juice 1 to 1 1/2 cups Sprite Bottle of red wine
We made this over the weekend and I forgot how much we love it! It makes a TON, so I've cut the original recipe in half for our family.
Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
Vegetable oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus 1 1/2 teaspoons 3/4 pound linguine 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves) 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, zest grated (I do not use this.) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds (For presentation purposes, don’t bother for family.) 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Cook linguine with 1 tablespoon of salt according to package directions. Meanwhile,
in a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over
medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for just 1 minute. Then add the
shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper. Saute until the shrimp
have just turned pink, about 5 minutes. Stir often.
Remove from the heat. Add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice,
lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. (I don’t bother
with the lemon slices unless it’s for company. And I eliminate the
lemon zest. I feel it’s plenty lemony without the zest.)
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it
back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce. Toss well and
serve.
When summer rolls back around, this is one of our families very, very favorite meals. Serve with grilled tomatoes & onions, cous cous and naan.
Lamb Kebobs
2 pounds top round lamb 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 5 cloves) 1 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup mild olive oil 1/4 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Kosher salt 2 small red onions 2 pints cherry tomatoes Wooden skewers
Cut the lamb in 1 1/2-inch cubes. Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, red wine, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Add the lamb cubes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. Toss occasionally.
Heat a charcoal grill with coals. Spread the coals in 1 tight layer on the grill.
Cut the red onions in quarters and separate each quarter into 3 or 4 sections. Loosely thread 3 or 4 pieces of lamb alternately with sections of onion on skewers. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Next place 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes on skewers, threading them through the stem of the tomato. Rub the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. First, place the lamb skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until the lamb is medium rare. Approximately 5 minutes before the lamb is done, place the tomato skewers on the grill, turning once, until seared on the outside but still firm inside.
I made a TON of these for the bake sale at Ellie's school and they were one of the first things to sell out. These are huge and will remind you of the ones sold at Starbucks! Seriously YUMMY!
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add 8 cups of miniature marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add Rice Krispie cereal and stir until well coated. Add additional miniature marshmellows and stir in.
3. Using a spatula sprayed with Pam or wax paper, press mixture into a 9x13x2 pan sprayed with Pam. (Pan will be FULL!) Let cool. Then cut into large squares.
In honor of spring, we broke out the grill the other day and made these babies. Oh, YUM!!!!
Amazing Burgers good burgers (we love the 'pub burgers' sold at Acme, but this is a great recipe to make your own) cheese (provolone or blue cheese) lettuce tomato pickles (these are the best!) carmelized onions mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and a splash of wine avacados thick cut bacon (thick cut is worth it. oh, yes.) good hamburger buns, toasted whatever else floats your boat
You can really use any fruit to make this cobbler - blueberries or blackberries are my favorite or apples are always yummy! I made this up by combining two recipes, so sorry for how imprecise it is!
Fruit Cobbler
topping:
2 cups flour 1/3 cup sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
fruit: 2 cups blueberries, blackberries, other fruit 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour
Make the topping: Whisk together dry ingredients, then add heavy cream and mix until moist. Make the fruit: In an 8x8 baking pan (or equivalent - I use a 12-inch oval baking dish), toss fruit with sugar and flour. (Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon if using apples. And adjust sugar based on tartness of the fruit you are using.) Use your fingers to crumble topping on top of fruit. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned and juices have thickened slightly.
This is one of my kids favorite meals - Colin eats a ton. Its really easy to make, inexpensive, makes great leftovers and you probably have most of the ingredients laying around the house. (I actually don't have a recipe for this - these are all guesstimates! If you brown the ground beef the night before, you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes!
Hearty Beef and Macaroni
1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 cup elbow macaroni 1 cup very hot water 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Brown onion in a saucepan with the beef. Drain. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add pasta, water, diced tomatoes and ketchup and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until pasta is tender. Serve with shredded cheese, crusty bread and salad.
