Maple Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops

2-4 chops – about 1/2 lb. each, bone-in chops are preferred

These are so amazing I’m not sure I’ll ever want to eat pork chops any other way. First, you want to brine the chops so they’ll be even more juicy and delicious.

Brine Basics:
This is your base brine solution for any meat – adjust quantities as needed.

2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt (if using regular salt, just reduce by half)
1.5 cups light brown sugar

Add Ins:
1 clove, whole
4 allspice berries, whole
1 T mustard seeds
3-4 bay leaves
5-7 sage leaves, fresh and torn
a few grinds of pepper

Bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat and add salt and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add herbs and spices and cool down.

Once cool, add meat to the solution and put it in the fridge. I put mine in a gallon size plastic baggie and be sure to flip over about half-way through so all meat gets evenly soaked. Brining times for pork chops are listed anywhere from 12 hours to 1-2 days. Ain’t nobody got time for that, so mine sat for about 7 hours, and were just fine and tasty thank you very much.

Give your meat a good rinse off before cooking and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Maple Bourbon Glaze:

You’ll want to start this cooking before you throw your chops in the pan to cook, as it will take longer than they need to cook to reduce.

1 cup orange juice (I used simply juice since it has no added sugar, etc. but you can also squeeze fresh)
1/2 cup bourbon
1 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff!!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 sage leave, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 squeeze (about 1 tsp) of Dijon mustard

Bring OJ and bourbon to a boil, and cook about 5 minutes. Then add maple syrup, sugar, sage, garlic, and mustard. Bring to a boil again and then reduce to low heat. Be sure to stir frequently as the glaze thickens.

Heat up your cast iron skillet for a few minutes to med-high heat. Sear the pork chops on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes each side.

Turn off heat and pour 2/3 of the glaze over your chops. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they reach 160. Meanwhile, you can further reduce the remaining glaze if it needs thickening. Pour this over chops when they are ready to eat.

Pumpkin Chickpea Curry

1-2 T Coconut Oil
1 Onion – diced

3 Cloves Garlic – minced

1-2 T Fresh Ginger – minced

1 Box of Fresh Baby Spinach

1 Bunch of Cilantro – top chopped off, minced

2 – 15oz Boxes of Pumpkin

1 -13oz Can of Coconut Milk
2-3 T Curry Paste

1 Can of Chickpeas

Salt to taste

Heat coconut oil in a large pan until melted. Saute onions, garlic and ginger. Add spinach and cilantro until cooked down. Add pumpkin, coconut milk and curry paste. Stir together and heat for a few minutes. Add Chickpeas and simmer a few minutes until fully hot.

Serve over jasmine rice.

New Year’s Red Beans and Rice

This is a great recipe to use up leftover holiday ham. We usually get a spiral sliced ham (bone in) for the holidays and there are only so many ham sandwiches you can eat! This recipe has been adapted from Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for Ham Hock, Red Beans and Rice.

Ingredients:1 chopped onion
3 stalks chopped celery
2 tablespoons crushed (or pressed) garlic
6 ounces andouille sausage, cut into small bite sized pieces
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 ham bone with some meat left on
3 15-oz cans red beans (if using dried this is equal to about 3/4 lb. dried beans)
8 to 10 cups chicken stock

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

Cubed ham pieces (whatever is left, use it all or freeze some for later)
Cooked white rice, I prefer Jasmine

Directions:

In a stock pot, saute the onions, celery, and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sausage, bay leaf, black pepper, thyme, cayenne, and salt, saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the ham bone and beans. Cover the mixture with the stock. Bring up to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add ham cubes. Cook for 20-30 minutes while you make your rice, or if using dried beans cook for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Mash 1/4 of the mixture against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken mixture if desired.  Serve over rice.

Princess Funfetti Cake

Princess Funfetti Cake (photo by Andi Zeisler)

Princess Funfetti Cake (recipe adapted from Baking Outside the Box)

3 1/2 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Cups granulated sugar
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 tsp princess emulsion
7 egg whites
1 Cup jimmie sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour (or use Baker’s Joy w/ flour spray) two 9-inch cake pans.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl and stir well. In a separate bowl, cream butter, sour cream and sugar. When mixed thoroughly, mix into larger bowl with dry ingredients and add milk, Princess emulsion and mix together with mixer. Add in egg whites and mix again (don’t over-mix). Stir in sprinkles until evenly distributed.

Evenly distribute into two cake pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Magnolia Bakery’s Traditional Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (adapted for maximum princess flavor)

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
8 Cups confectioner’s sugar
½ Cup of milk
2 tsp princess emulsion (original calls for vanilla extract)
food coloring of your choice

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar, then milk, and princess emulsion (or vanilla extract). Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you might not need all of the sugar). Add food coloring and mix thoroughly. Frost at room temperature.

 

Gluten Free Banana Flax Muffins

Gluten Free Banana Flax Muffins (Adapted from The Minimalist Baker)

Ingredients
• 2 eggs (for vegan flax eggs version see The Minimalist Baker’s recipe)
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 Tbsp agave nectar, maple syrup or honey if not vegan
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners, or grease pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs.
3. Next add bananas and mash. Add agave, baking powder, vanilla, almond milk and stir.
4. Add almond meal and ground flax seed and stir once more.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tooth pick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean and they become somewhat firm to the touch with a little give.
6. Remove and let rest in pan for 5 minutes. Then cool all the way on a cooling rack.
7. Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

These muffins didn’t rise much (or maybe not at all) when baking, so next time I think I’ll add a little more baking powder. I also realized that I completely forgot the almond milk, whoops! But they were super tasty!

Veggie Lasagna (Gluten Free)

I used to think that I hated eggplant.  My primary experiences with it have been in the form of eggplant parmesan and the two times I have eaten this I have really wanted to like it, but the flavor and texture just didn’t do it for me.  I assumed that I just didn’t like eggplant.  Until I had one of the best lasagnas ever and afterwords found out it had eggplant in it.

Last week our CSA box came with an eggplant, zucchini and a good helping of tomatoes.  I decided I would try to recreate that lovely veggie lasagna, except my version would be pasta free.  I’d seen an Alton Brown recipe for eggplant pasta and basically just followed that recipe but left the slices in tact to act as my lasagna “noodles” (I also left all the skin around the edges in tact.)  This part is pretty easy – just thinly slice (about 1/4 inch) your eggplant, lengthwise.  Lay the slices on a cooling rack that’s covered with one layer of paper towels and evenly salt the slices.  Let them sit there for 30 minutes, then rinse off and pat dry with paper towels.  Voila! You have “lasagna noddles.”

I wanted to make a totally homemade lasagna, so I started by making sauce from my Aunt Sharon’s recipe for Killer Sauce.

Where it says “Italian tomatoes,” that’s 60s Midwestern speak for roma tomatoes.  Aunt Sharon says that mostly she used to use canned, but fresh will work too.  Since I was using fresh, I added the extra step of roasting and skinning the tomatoes beforehand and I think that gives it a really nice flavor.  I also used fresh basil since it’s peak basil season.

Next, I had a DIY cheese kit from Urban Cheese Craft that has been taunting me for a while now.  I picked up a gallon of milk and made me some ricotta cheese!  Seriously, there is nothing like fresh, warm ricotta cheese…mmmm.

I’ll admit though, I haven’t worked up the courage to go all the way and make mozzarella yet (this is where I caved on the totally homemade thing).

Next it was just a matter of layering.  I brushed a thin coat of olive oil onto a 9×13 pan, then began with the first layer of eggplant, then I thinly sliced zucchini lengthwise and layered them in.  Then slices of mushrooms.  I sauteed half a large onion plus a clove of garlic and mixed that in with 2 cups of my ricotta along with two eggs.  Stirred all that together and put about half of it down on top of the veggies, sprinkled mozzarella on top and then repeated the cycle: eggplant, zucchini, mushroom, cheese.

Next time I’ll remember to take pictures of the lasagna before it all gets gobbled up!

 

Christmas in July Sale!

Have I mentioned that I’ve been building up my Etsy shop?  What’s that you say?  I’ve been completely remiss in promoting my own Etsy shop on my very own blog?  That’s crazy talk!

My new and improved Etsy shop currently has my fine art photography prints for sale.  These are available in a variety of sizes and for a limited time in July I’m offering 20% off orders!  Between now and July 22, just enter the coupon code CIJPDX to get the discount.

You can also check out my fellow PDX Etsy team member’s sales here. Happy Shopping!

Co-Opting the Rainbow

Oreo love gay people? Sorry, I’m not buying it.

Yay Oreo, you’ve won gay marketing ploy of the week award!

Seriously, those who think they’ll be boycotting Oreos are stupid bigots.  1. Oreos are so addictive you’ll be begging for one by next week.  Even 1 Million Moms stopped just short of an official boycott.  Why? Not because they’re not bigots (they are asking followers to write stern letters to Kraft), but because they know their little brats will be screaming at the grocery store for them.  Seriously, those cookies are addictive!  2. Love the list here on Upworthy of all some of the Kraft foods you’d have to boycott if you want to truly make a stance.

At first glance, I think it’s great that large corporations have turned around and are “supporting” the LGBTQ community, but then I realize it feels a lot more like co-opting the Pride message.  These companies are unfazed by boycotters not because they’ve truly decided to finally stand on some moral high ground, but because they’ve realized that we’ve reached a tipping point in America in support of LGBTQ equal rights, and/or more likely perhaps someone at their agency showed them statistics on the disposable income of LGBTQ persons.  Am I cynical, yes.  If companies wanted to show their true support of the LGBTQ community, they would run their Pride campaigns and commit to giving a portion of their proceeds back to the community instead of simply exploiting it.  (See Bitch’s Douchebag Decree: American Apparel and Target from earlier this month.)

Speaking of boycotting Kraft products, I can think of some other reasons why you actually should boycott.  Oh how about GMOs, poor labor practices, unfair trade (including the use of child slave harvested cocoa in US Cadbury products). So progressive folks, let’s not let the proverbial rainbow colored wool be pulled over our eyes here. Instead, why not tell Kraft that you appreciate them reaching a hand out to the LGBTQ community (even if it is reaching for your wallet), but even so, you still don’t feel comfortable buying their products until they address these other important issues. The company’s website gives list of Kraft’s largest brands.

MeggieKate’s Amazing Pulled Pork

I’ve had a delectable little boneless pork shoulder roast sitting in my freezer for the past couple months.  It was taunting me.  See, I’d never cooked this particular cut of meat before, and so was needlessly afraid of ruining my precious little roast.  I read through dozens of recipes online, watched tutorial videos and consulted my cookbooks.

What I arrived at was inspired by three recipes I found:

Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Shredded Pork
Queenbee’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Diana Rattray’s Slow Cooker Pork Barbecue

Here’s my take on pulled pork.  Important note: I highly recommend meat that is raised humanely (ie gets to live outside, not in a cage) and organic.  Yes, it’s more expensive but I balance that with eating vegetarian more often, that way I’m eating less meat and the meat I do eat isn’t full of things I shouldn’t be putting into my body.  As an added bonus, the meat is way tastier!

The only shot I could get before I wanted to shovel it all in my mouth.

MeggieKate’s Amazing Pulled Pork

Ingredients

Boneless pork shoulder roast (mine was somewhere between 1-2 lbs)

Rub/Seasoning:

Juice + zest of one lime

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil (EV)

Ground pepper (about 5-8 twists of the grinder)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon agave

Roasting Ingredients:

2-3 bay leaves

3-4 smashed whole garlic cloves

1/4 of a red onion, in 1 inch slices

1/4 of a lime, sliced into 3 pieces

1/2 cup Black Butte Porter

I started the night before by mixing up the rub and slathering the roast in it.  I wrapped in saran wrap and let that baby soak up all those yummy juices.  The next morning I fired up the cast iron skillet and browned the roast on all sides.  With a boneless roast, you definitely want to keep the strings or netting on the roast.  Browning took no more than 10 minutes to get a nice browning that had spots of dark brown in it.

In the bottom of the crock pot, I set down the bay leaves, garlic and most of the onion (saving a few slices for the top of the roast).  I laid the roast down on top of this and poured the beer in.  I laid the slices of onion and lime on top of the roast and cooked on low for about 10 hours.  During that time, I turned the roast over 3 or 4 times to make sure it was all evenly juicy.

Once it was done, I cut the strings and used two forks to pull the meat apart.  Then to make sure it stayed nice and juicy, I ladled the juices over the plate of shredded meat.

From there, I dished it up onto a bun and topped it with Podnah’s Pit Barbecue Sauce – OMG, amazing!

I also think in the future I’ll want to make my Grandma Drury’s Chow to put on top. (I just need to try making a version of this with a sugar substitute.)

Grandma Drury’s Chow

A complement to burgers, barbecue, etc.

Ingredients:

1 large head cabbage

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cup vinegar

3 medium onions

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 stick margarine

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

Chop cabbage and onion until very fine (food processor works well). Mix remaining ingredients in saucepan, just until mixture boils.  Pour over chopped cabbage and onion.  Stir until well mixed.  Store in canning jars, etc. and refrigerate.

Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal seems to be all the rage these days.  Just one taste of this delicious stuff and it’s easy to see why.  For people like myself who have issues with eating things like wheat and yeast, breakfast can sometimes leave us feeling left out of all the fun.  After playing around with a couple different recipes, here’s what I’ve arrived at.  The brilliant thing about this recipe is that it’s so versatile.  Don’t have blueberries?  Add a chopped pear instead (or whatever fruit you like).  Don’t like walnuts?  Try using raw cashews or pecans as a substitute.  Can’t find agave at your local supermarket?  Use maple syrup, but make sure it is real, not some corn syrupy wanna be.  Don’t like chocolate?  Huh??  What’s wrong with you?  Okay, I guess you can take those out if you must.

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1 ripe banana, peeled, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and butter one 9×13 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg salt, walnuts, blueberries, and chocolate. Transfer to baking dish, making sure to get an even distribution of berries, nuts and chocolate.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter, vanilla extract, and agave.
4. Arrange the banana slices on the top, then pour the milk mixture over everything. Make sure the liquid ingredients cover the oat mix evenly by slightly tilting the pan until everything is covered.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. Let it sit for a few minutes before dishing out the warm deliciousness.  Enjoy!