Weeknight Pork Fried Rice

Now that my boys are back in school, I'm back in the kitchen — a little bit more. So I'm searching for tasty but quick-to-prepare meals that everyone will at least try.

I grilled some pork chops a couple of nights ago, but since my gas tank ran out of juice, I ended up having to finish them up in the oven. During the dinner delay my kids made themselves some microwaveable snacks because they "were starving!"

By the time my perfectly cooked chops were ready, the kids were full, so we had leftovers.

Fast forward two days and I had most of the ingredients for a stir fry on hand, so I looked around at some recipes. My husband and boys always get pork when we order Chinese take out, so fried rice sounded like a fun dish to me.

It cooked up fast and everyone liked it!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Weeknight Pork Fried Rice
Adapted from this Cooking Light recipe

3 cups cooked Basmati rice
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 thick boneless pork chops, (fresh or leftover) diced
3/4 cup matchstick carrots
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 large eggs
4-6 tablespoons Mr. Wong's Oriental Wok Perfect Fried Rice Seasoning sauce OR
3 tablespoons mirin and 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 can bean sprouts, drained
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
1/4 cup sliced green onions for garnish

Cook rice according to package directions. Let cool 5 minutes, fluff with fork and transfer to bowl. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. If pre-cooked, saute until browned, about 1 minute. If raw, cook until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove pork to plate.

Add carrot and celery to pan. Sauté until carrots begin to brown. Transfer vegetables to bowl with pork.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add garlic, ginger and green onions. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cold rice and stir well to coat rice in oil. Let cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Then stir and cook again without mixing for 2 more minutes.

Make a well in center of rice and crack two eggs into space. Stir until scrambled. Return pork, carrots and celery to pan. Add stir fry sauce or mirin and soy sauce. Mix until sauce is distributed and absorbed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add bean sprouts. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork

When I wrote my last post at the end of March, I apologized for falling off the face of the earth because of our business move. Well I fell back off. As soon as we got settled in our new office, life got a little crazier. I was feeling relatively terrible because apparently morning sickness and exhaustion are twice as bad when you're pregnant with twins.

Yep, you heard that right. The husband and I are having identical twin boys! They'll arrive sometime in October, and we couldn't be happier. Especially now that I'm in my second trimester and eating more than crackers and cheese.

While the nausea reigned supreme, my family was subsisting on mac and cheese from a box while I laid on the couch like a cranky beached whale. But I'm back in the kitchen! And I was craving pork like you wouldn't believe.

I found this recipe on my Pinterest board, and immediately headed to the grocery store. When we sat down to dinner, I wasn't disappointed. The entire family demolished this meal; it is absolutely delicious. And you can prep everything ahead of time! The Pineapple Coleslaw might seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it's worth it. I ate my weight in slaw. The kids even helped me stir together the dressing.

If you're looking for an easy, delicious, filling, make-ahead meal, give Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork a whirl. You're whole family will love it. Guaranteed.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Pork 
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
3 pounds pork shoulder roast
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Coconut Rice (recipe below), for serving
Pineapple Slaw (recipe below), for serving

Mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha, and ginger. Set sauce aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add pork to slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until pork falls apart when you poke it with a fork. (My slow cooker tends to run hot, and my pork was finished cooking in 6 hours.) Remove pork to a plate and shred into bite-sized pieces.

Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high and take off the lid. Allow the sauce to simmer until it's thickened, about 15-30 minutes. Stir shredded pork back into liquid and allow it to warm through again. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Coconut Rice and Pineapple Slaw.


Pineapple Slaw
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together mayo, pineapple juice, yogurt, vinegar, brown sugar, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cabbage, pineapple, and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Coconut Rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
Pinch salt
1 cup rice

Bring water, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until rice is firm but tender. (If you have one, you can certainly use a rice cooker in place of cooking rice on the stove.)

Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage and Kale

My friend Kristi is a fellow busy, hard-working mama who strives to always get a hot dinner on the table. And — like me — when there's no time or energy to cook, take-out, short-cuts and leftovers work, too. But we always try and we love to share recipes and compare cooking notes. Kristi recently texted me a recipe for a butternut squash soup from a blog called The Lemon Bowl.

I made Kristi's new fave soup with a few tweaks. She suggested a dash of sage and I decided to use a little more squash. I also couldn't find Italian turkey sausage, so I used regular. Anyhow, it tasted souper (see what I did there?!) good, especially on a cold winter day.

XOXO,
Amy

Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage and Kale
3 links of uncooked Italian sausage — spicy or sweet, turkey or regular — removed from casings
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into half-inch cubes
4 cups kale, roughly chopped
14 ounce can of cannelini beans, drained and rised
Dash of ground or fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to garnish — optional

Spray inside of large pot with non-stick spray and heat pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pot. Brown sausage for 7-8 minutes, using spoon to break meat into bite-sized pieces. Don't be afraid of the sausage getting brown, because the more it carmelizes the tastier your soup.

Add garlic, onion and red pepper to pot and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until onions and peppers are tender, about 5-6 minutes.

When sausage is nicely browned and veggies are tender, add broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Add in the squash and cook until softened, about 20 minutes.

Five minutes before serving, add kale and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan if you like, which I did.

Pork Loin Roast with Apple Gravy

Pork and apples are a perfect pair. I mean, if there's a Brady Bunch episode about something, it must be good. But there are a couple aspects of today's recipe that take "pork chops and applesauce" to the next level.

First we brown the seasoned pork loin roast to create a tasty crust. Then we nestle the pork into sauteed vegetables and apples so all the flavors meld while they cook in a hot oven. Now—here's the key to juicy, tender pork—use your instant thermometer to check the temperature and pull that roast out of the oven when it reaches 135-140 degrees. It will continue to cook while the meat rests. Finally, we create a rich-but-simple apple pan sauce. You'll be going back for seconds. Probably thirds.

Pork Loin Roast with Apple Gravy is the kind of hot dinner that would make Peter Brady proud.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Pork Loin Roast with Apple Gravy
Adapted from The Food Network

2 pounds pork loin roast
Salt and pepper
3/4 teaspoon Fines Herbes*, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 carrots, cut into 1" chunks
3 ribs of celery, sliced 1/2" thick
1 onion, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut 1/2" thick
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple juice or cider
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or grainy mustard
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season pork generously on all sides with salt and pepper and half of the Fines Herbes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pork and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate and set aside.

Add carrots, celery, and onion to now-empty skillet. Season with salt and pepper and remaining Fines Herbes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in apples.

Move veggies and apples to the side and nestle pork in the center. Place skillet in the oven and cook until pork reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees, about 45-50 minutes. Transfer pork, vegetables, and apples to a plate and tent with foil. Allow pork to rest until it reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees.

Meanwhile, return skillet with cooking juices to high heat. (TIP: Put an oven mitt over the handle of the skillet so you don't accidentally grab the hot handle. I learned this the hard way, and it hurts.) Whisk in vinegar, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits, and allow to cook until it's reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in apple juice and allow to cook until reduced by half again, another 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in mustard and butter.

Serve sliced pork with apples, vegetables, and apple gravy.

*Don't have Fines Herbes? I'm a big fan, and this might be a perfect excuse to try something new! But if you don't feel like it or if you've gotta get dinner on the table stat, just skip it or try substituting tarragon or thyme. Honestly, I often sniff around (literally) in my spice cupboard and see what smells good. Make it your own!

Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni

I recently made a Slow Cooker Low Country Boil and had leftover andouille sausage. Here's what I did with it — make Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni.

Disclosure: I Googled "andouille sausage recipes" and this one — One Pot Andouille Sausage Skillet Pasta — is the first that came up. (Congrats, Damn Delicious, your SEO worked!)You will see this recipe calls for 12.8 ounces of sausage. I had just 8 ounces of leftover sausage, but I had a little more ground beef than needed to make Easy Crockpot Mexican Lasagna, so I improvised and used some of that.

Verdict: The hubs liked it a lot. Penny and I liked it and Penny even took it in her Thermos for two day camp lunches. Lucy didn't like it; there's always one.

XOXO,
Amy

Andouille Sausage Skillet Macaroni

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 (12.8-ounce) package of smoked andouille sausage — or if you are short on sausage, supplement with some ground beef
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces elbow pasta, uncooked
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese — or cheddar/pepper jack, or whatever cheese you choose

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, meat(s) and cook, stirring frequently until sausage is lightly brown and ground beef is cooked through — about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk and pasta; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through — about 14 minutes.

Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover until cheese has melted — about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Amy's Yummy Year

This time last year, my friend Erin invited my friend Andrea and I join her on this delicious blog she created. Andrea and I bellied right up. Thank you, Erin for the creative culinary outlet. It's been a sweet year blogging with two awesome foodie friends who share the goal of putting food on the table and keeping the tradition of family dinner alive.

Here are some of my happiest Hot Dinner Happy Home moments from the past year as well as some of my favorite dishes by Andrea and Erin.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
Amy

Happiest Moments

• Cooking with my kids, including "baking"  sugar cookies with them on live TV. Check out these posts:
• Good Day Charlotte Features George Girls and Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Madeleines
• Ginger Cookies
• Smokehouse Spaghetti

• Creating Spring on Toast with Erin while my Lucy and Penny "babysat" her Danny-boy. (Love that Erin shared this memory in her Friday post.)

• Conquering the pressure cooker. See these posts:
• Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
• Pressure Cooker Potato Soup
• Shrimp Curry Under Pressure

Favorite dishes by Andrea

• Having an Italian BFF means access to recipes for classic, authentic dishes. It also means I get to know how each member of her family tweaks their own interpretations of the classics. Check  out:
• Traditional Italian Meatballs
• Sunday Gravy (Tortora family tomato sauce)
• Family Lasagna
• My favorite of Andrea's non-Italian dishes and a fantastic lighter dinner paired with a green salad: Buttermilk Spoonbread.

Favorite dishes by Erin

• Erin's Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork is the first HDHH dish I ever made and I chatted it up A LOT on my Facebook page. I couldn't even tell you how many friends have made that dish. Suffice to say it's a hit from coast to coast and all points in between.
• Parmesan and Yogurt Crusted Chicken is a George family go-to dinner. My younger daughter Penny requested it for her birthday dinner last month.
• I see Spiced Pecans becoming my go-to holiday party nosh. I didn't make them last year like I intended. But in 2014 my friends walked off with the few remaining nuts after the Thanksgiving feast Chez George. I don't blame them, because, after all, we call these crack nuts.

Smokehouse Spaghetti

I'll keep this entry short. You will make this dish. You will make this dish for one reason: bacon.

Smokehouse Spaghetti is one of my favorite dishes my mom made when I was growing up. I've tweaked Mom's version ever so slightly -- mainly leaving out the can of mushrooms with juice called for in her version. Mom also uses garlic salt if she doesn't have fresh garlic around, but I always have fresh garlic on hand. Now, this baked pasta is a favorite with my kids and hubby, too.

Penny and I recently made a double batch of Smokehouse Spaghetti. I asked Penny why she likes it and her response: "Because it's like spaghetti and lasagna together."

You will make this dish. I hope you will tell me about it, too.

XOXO,
Amy

Smokehouse Spaghetti
12 ounces spaghetti
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 pound bacon, cut up
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pepper
15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded provolone, mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

Start water for pasta to boil. Add spaghetti when water is boiling and cook until done.

In your biggest skillet, fry beef, bacon, onion and garlic together, seasoning with pepper as desired. Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, oregano and basil into the beef  and bacon. Add a little water -- just enough to basically clean out the inside of the can of tomato sauce. (If you are making my mom's version, here is where you would add the mushrooms and juice.) Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add spaghetti, which you have drained by now, to the meat and sauce mixture. Stir to incorporate fully.

Spray with Pam the bottom and sides of a 9X13 dish. Place half of spaghetti and meat sauce mixture into dish. Top with half of each kind of cheese. Repeat layer. Bake in 375-degree oven for 25 minutes.

Smokehouse spaghetti can be frozen, so I always make two at one time. Keep in mind that once thawed you will have to up the cooking time on the previously frozen smokehouse spaghetti,  because it is not going straight from stove to oven.

Amy's Mom's Egg Strata

Growing up, instead of a traditional Christmas dinner we had a standard breakfast -- my mom's egg strata, which she assembled overnight and put in the oven while we unwrapped our gifts. Now I make strata for my family on Christmas and on other special occasions when we have company.

I tweak my mom's version ever so slightly by cooking the onions with the sausage, because my family doesn't like raw onion and Mom layers uncooked onion into her strata. Also, I think Mom uses butter spread, whereas I use softened butter.

Whether the strata is made by Mom or me, it's a crowd pleaser.

XOXO,
Amy

Amy's  Mom's Egg Strata

1 (16 ounce) tube of breakfast sausage
1 medium onion, diced finely
10-12 slices white bread, lightly buttered on each side
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (or Colby Jack or Mexican blend)
5 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cups milk

Fry sausage -- with diced onion if you don't want to add in raw onion. Cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain sausage and set aside.

Mix together milk and beaten eggs and set aside.

Make a layer of bread in the bottom of a 9"x 13" baking pan. If your pan is curved, you will likely have to cut the last two slices a bit so they fit in the pan.

Sprinkle sausage, onions and cheese over the bread slices. Top with another layer of bread slices. Pour egg and milk mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, bake the strata uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Place foil on top when the bread starts to get brown.

Serve immediately. Leftovers, should you have any, are tasty, too.

Pork Chops with Apple Shallot Pan Sauce

We are mere days away from the winter solstice, and it is dark around here. Seriously, people. Seattle is really far north, and it looks like midnight at 3:30 p.m. Add in the cloud coverage and pouring rain...gross.

To combat this crummy weather, I need cozy food. Simple, belly-filling meals like Pork Chops with Apple Shallot Pan Sauce. It comes together quickly (leaving you plenty of time to wrap a few Christmas presents), but it still feels special. You could totally serve this to company and look like a rock star.

Why don't we show this dreary darkness who's boss and make some hot dinner.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Pork Chops with Apple Shallot Pan Sauce
Inspired by Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots
Serves: 2

1/2 tablespoon oil
2 boneless pork chops, 1 1/2" thick
Salt and pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme on both sides. Add pork to pan and cook until pork chops are browned and release easily when you try to move them, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove pork chops to a plate and tent with foil.

Reduce heat to medium and add butter, apple, and shallot to the pan. Cook until the apples begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return pork chops and any accumulated juice to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the pork is fully cooked. This will just take a few minutes. (Pork should reach an internal temperature of about 145 degrees.) Tent with foil and allow pork to rest for 5 minutes before serving with the apple shallot sauce.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

You know what goes nicely with Andrea's Buttermilk Spoonbread? You know what would make a tasty appetizer?

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears.

Cooking really can be that simple, my friends.

I made this combo for dinner the other night and it reminded me of a grown-up version of breakfast for dinner. Truthfully, my husband hates breakfast for dinner (a.k.a. brinner), so this was a genius move on my part.

XOXO,
Amy

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus Spears

Equal number of asparagus spears and prosciutto slices
Melted butter or olive oil, couple tablespoons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim asparagus. My mom has a friend who taught her how to trim the right amount and I think of Mom's friend every time I make asparagus. So with your sharp knife start at the very bottom of the asparagus and tap your way toward the top until you feel a slight give. When you feel the give, that's where you cut.

Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each stalk.

Brush each stalk with melted butter or olive oil.

Place in oven until asparagus is roasted and prosciutto is crispy, about five minutes.

Sausage and Mint Stuffed Tomatoes

I brought this recipe back from France 20 years ago. Gosh, that makes me feel very grown-up. Not old, just grown-up.

Anyhow, back in Fall 1995 I was living in Paris and interning at the Associated Press. The woman I boarded with made these sausage and mint stuffed tomatoes. She'd also pick up lamb or a whole fish from the outdoor market and do nothing in the way of prep, literally just throwing them in the oven. But when dinner was ready, it was incroyable. Until I met Francoise, I'd never seen anyone cook so simply and so wonderfully at the same time.

I still haven't made a whole fish, though it is on my culinary bucket list. But I have made these tomatoes beaucoup. Merci, Francoise.

XOXO,
Amy

Sausage and Mint Stuffed Tomatoes

4 red tomatoes, beefsteak are ideal
3/4 pound to 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
1/3 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Handful of mint, roughly chopped
Salt, pepper to taste

First, remember that all quantities are approximate. All depends on how large your tomatoes are, how much you like mint, how bready or meaty you like your sausage stuffing and how many people you are feeding. While big beefsteak tomatoes are best, heirlooms won't work due to their odd shapes, which make it hard to form a big hole inside the tomato to fill with the sausage stuffing.

The last time I made this dish, which was for this blog, I had smallish vine ripened tomatoes (see photo), which weren't ideal, but I made do. I used 3/4 pound of sausage and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs. While the meat and bread crumb ratios will change depending on the size of your tomatoes, you can pretty much always get away with using just one egg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Hollow out your tomatoes so there is a hole for the sausage stuffing. Place tomatoes in baking dish.

Combine sausage, bread crumbs, egg and mint. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Stuff tomatoes. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the sausage should be brown and crispy and the inside should be barely pinkish.

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin

I don't know about you, but I'm reveling in all things autumn. The crisp air, colorful leaves, piles of pumpkins adorning every porch. But the best part? The food.

Autumn food is cozy food. Every meal feels like a warm hug. And Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin is no exception. Sweet apples and ruby red cranberries are the perfect complement to roast pork loin.

This would be a fabulous meal for guests. Not only does it look impressive, but you can saute the apples and stuff the pork loin ahead of time and bake it just before dinner. That way you can focus on cocktails with your company instead of slaving over the stove. "Another Spiked Cider? Yes, that sounds lovely, thanks."

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves: 6-8

1 tablespoon butter
3 apples, peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces
1 onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence*
Salt and pepper
2-2.5 pound pork loin, butterflied**

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.

Heat butter a large skillet over medium-high. Add apples, onion, and honey, and saute until apples and onion are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, dried cranberries, and herbes de Provence, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate browned bits into the sauce. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season the inside of the pork loin with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing on top of the pork loin (there will be lots!) and roll to close. (It will look like a savory Ho Ho. And I love Ho Hos.) Use kitchen twine to tie the roast in several places to make sure it stays closed. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper and place in prepared baking dish.

Roast pork loin for about 1 hour, until the internal temperature reaches 140-145 degrees. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Remove twine and slice before serving.

*Don't have herbes de Provence? Try substituting thyme.

**Ask your friendly butcher to do this for you. It will make your life—and dinner—much easier.

Herbed Pork with Fig Glaze

You guys, I am crazy for fig jam. I eat a Mozzarella & Fig Jam Panini for lunch almost every day. One of my other favorites? Herbes de Provence. I sprinkle that business on roasted vegetables, chicken...just about anything.

When I read a recipe from the Pioneer Woman that combined the two, I had to give it a whirl. Good gracious, this Herbed Pork with Fig Glaze knocked my socks off. I kept going back for more. And more. And more. Then I cleaned up after dinner, and tried a few more bites. The next day, I snuck cold slices straight from the fridge.

Seriously, you have to give this one a try. In addition to being ridiculously delicious, it's hands-off. After you season the pork and top it with fig jam, just pop that baby in the oven, and you're off to the races. Or the dinner table, as the case may be.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Herbed Pork with Fig Glaze
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves: 6

2 pork tenderloins, about 2 pounds total
2 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup fig jam

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

Sprinkle pork on all sides with Herbes de Provence and salt and pepper, pressing to help the herbs adhere. Place pork on prepared baking sheet. Schmear fig jam over the top of the pork so it's evenly covered.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes, until pork is rosy pink in the center and reaches and internal temperature of 140 degrees. Tent with foil and allow pork to rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute, and the meat will continue to come up in temperature to around 145-150 degrees. Slice and serve.

Grilled ABC (Avocado Bacon Cheese) Sandwich

My husband and I do our best to instill important values in our children.

There's the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would like to be treated."

And then there's Lucy's and Penny's Golden Rule: "Bacon makes everything better."

The grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich is not an every day sandwich; it's a special treat, for sure. I make it whenever we have the good fortune of having ripe avocados and a little bit of bacon that needs to be used up.

XOXO,
Amy

Grilled Avocado Bacon Cheese Sandwich

Bacon
Butter spread or softened butter
Sliced bread
Avocado, sliced
Cheese slices

Cook bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees. It will take about 15 minutes. No need to flip the bacon halfway. You will know when the bacon is done when it is sizzling all over. (BTW, I recently learned there is no other way to cook bacon. The mess is contained and the bacon stays flat versus curling up like it does in a frying pan.)

While bacon is in the oven, butter the outside of your slices of bread. Place buttered side down in a skilled sprayed with Pam. Turn heat under the skillet to medium to medium high. Place a piece of cheese on top of the bread and then layer with avocado. Next, layer with the cooked bacon, which you blotted with paper towels after removing from the oven. Layer another piece of cheese on top of the bacon. Add the top piece of bread. Cook as you would a grilled cheese. Be carefully flipping the sandwich so the insides don't spill out all over.

Eat up and enjoy just like this little girl!

Here's Penny giving thumbs up to her first grilled avocado bacon cheese sandwich. It was February 2, 2014, a date that called for a fun, festive, yummy dinner to honor Penny's fifth birthday and Super Bowl Sunday. The only thing that would have made the occasion better would have been if Penny's beloved Carolina Panthers had been playing in the big game.

Slow Cooker Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos

My love of tacos just got stronger, thanks to Herdez Tomatillo-Verde sauce.

This jarred Mexican cooking sauce is the latest addition to our stash of secret sauces that help us busy moms get an easy and tasty meal on the table fast.

Toss some Herdez in the slow cooker with your favorite cut of pork. After a few hours all you need to do is shred the meat and dinner is served! Add Amy's guacamole and your meal is complete.

Another plus: This dish holds up well on the warm setting, so don't worry if it needs to sit while you are still at work or swimming at the pool with your kids.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Pork Tomatillo-Verde Tacos

1 tablespoon olive oil
3.5 to 4 pounds pork butt, shoulder, tenderloin or roast
1 and 1/2 jars Herdez Tomatillo-Verde cooking sauce
Soft corn tortillas
Taco toppings (shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, guacamole)

Warm oil in a 12-inch skillet. Brown pork on all sides. Note: If you are pressed for time, don't bother to brown the meat.

Place pork in a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker. Pour 1 and 1/2 jars of tomatillo-verde sauce on top.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 5 to 7 hours. Remember, the pork can sit at the warm setting for awhile too, so don't worry about that.

Remove pork from slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks. Return meat to slow cooker and stir into sauce to heat through.

Serve with soft corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

Sriracha Pork Noodles

Move over Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork. Amy has a new favorite HDHH pork dish: Sriracha Pork Noodles.

I'm joking. Erin's Thai Peanut Pork became the first recipe on this blog to win over my belly. I've made it many times and passed it along to many friends, all of whom gave it rave reviews. I'd say they gave it two thumbs up but they were too busy shoveling the food in. So, if you love that dish, you are going to love Sriracha Pork Noodles.


XOXO,
Amy

Sriracha Pork Noodles
Adapted from Good Housekeeping

1 pound linguine or lo mein noodles
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sriracha (or other hot sauce)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground pork
Red pepper
Ground black pepper
11 ounces fresh spinach

Start water to boil to cook noodles according to package directions.

Mix together soy sauce, sriracha and balsamic vinegar and set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook through, breaking up big pieces. Add a pinch of red pepper and and pinch or two of ground black pepper. When pork is cooked, add in the sauce and spinach and stir through until spinach is wilted.

Drain noodles and combine with meat, spinach and sauce.

Yum!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ooooh, baby. Today's recipe is easy.

Speaking of...I've noticed something about myself. Whenever I really like a recipe, my first qualifier is simplicity. After that comes deliciousness. It all speaks to my laziness and love of TV. Less time on dinner = more time with the Real Housewives. I may not be great at math, but that's the kind of equation I can get behind.

Anyway, as I was saying, today's recipe is easy. And delicious. I'm usually dubious about dump-and-stir crockpot recipes, so my first bite of Slow Cooker Pulled Pork was tentative. But my concerns disappeared as easily as this tender, fall-apart pork disappeared into my belly.

Next time you're feeling—how can I put this—less than ambitious, pop some pork into your slow cooker and tell your family you were sweating over the stove all day. They'll believe you. And then they'll offer to clean the dishes as they lick barbecue sauce off their sticky fingers.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

18 ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
1 onion, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper
Hamburger buns, for serving (optional)
Simple Coleslaw, for serving (optional, recipe below)

In your slow cooker, stir together barbecue sauce and chili powder. Add the pork roast and roll it around so it's coated in sauce. Nestle the onions in with the pork. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the pork is tender and literally falls apart when you poke it with a fork. (Mine only took 7 hours, but my slow cooker tends to be on the speedy side.)

Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker. Use forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces. Use a spoon to skim fat from the remaining sauce in the slow cooker. Stir as much sauce* as you like into the pulled pork and season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, serve on hamburger buns topped with Simple Coleslaw (recipe below).

*A note about the sauce: If you're planning ahead for leftovers, consider leaving some of the pulled pork plain. I used the leftovers without sauce to make Cuban sandwiches and quesadillas.

Simple Coleslaw

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
16 ounce bag coleslaw mix (or feel free to shred your own cabbage)
Salt and pepper

Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, and sugar. Stir in coleslaw mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (At this point it will look a little bit dry.) Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve. (As it sits the cabbage releases moisture and the coleslaw gets creamier. I've found that it gets soggy if you add too much mayo at the beginning, and I like my slaw crunchy. Feel free to stir in more mayo or Greek yogurt at this point if it's too dry for your taste.)

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

I don't know about you, but I'm still recovering from Thanksgiving. I ate so much stuffing. And so much cranberry sauce. And SO MUCH pecan pie. Good gracious, the pie.

But since I'm in the holiday mode, I'll keep on with the holiday food. Sound good?

Today we're making ham. Every time I smell ham roasting in the oven, I'm immediately transported to Christmas Eve at my parents' house in Buffalo. Ham, cheesy potatoes, five or six feet of snow. Those were good times. 

I've made ham on several occasions, and Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is both the simplest and tastiest in my humble opinion. Sweet, salty, and just a tiny bit tangy thanks to a dollop of grainy mustard, it's the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table. 

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

5 pound semi-boneless ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, mustard, preserves, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside. Line a baking dish large enough to fit the ham with foil. Place ham cut-side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour glaze over the ham. Bake until ham is heated through, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting with pan juices several times. Thinly slice and serve. 

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots

I tend to go through cooking phases. For instance, there was my stir fry phase. I'd make stir fry at least once a week. Pork, chicken, beef... No protein was safe from my skillet. I'd saute slivers of meat with whatever veggies I had on hand and pile it over rice. Et voila. Dinner was served. My stir fry kick went on for too long. One day at dinner I noticed the husband pushing beef & broccoli around his plate. "What's wrong, hon? Don't you like the stir fry?" Always one to be frank, the husband laid it out for me. "It's good, but..." Here he paused, searching for the right words. "I think we've been having a bit too much stir fry."

Apparently weekly stir fry isn't for everyone.

Same situation with pork tenderloin. Since it's delicious, lean, and quick-cooking, I went through a serious pork tenderloin phase. After another honest talk with the husband, I realized I overdid it. So I cut back. And when I made Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots, my judiciousness paid off.

"This is so good!" the husband exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Pork tenderloin is delicious. I really like this."

Is this a sign that I can commence Pork Tenderloin Phase II? I can only hope.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Shallots
Adapted from The Chew
Serves: 4

1 (1.25 pound) pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 shallot peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear pork until it's browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove pork to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add apples, shallot, garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence. Cook, stirring, until apples and shallot begin to soften and caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add apple juice and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Place reserved pork on top of apples. Roast in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow pork to rest for 10 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Slice pork into medallions and serve with apples and shallots.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

I'm not a big risk taker. Roller coasters scare the bejeebers out of me. I don't run with scissors. The idea of skydiving gives me a conniption.

For some reason, whenever I use my slow cooker, I feel like I'm taking a risk. Maybe it's because I biffed a few meals in my slow cooker shortly after the husband and I got hitched. One rock-hard pot roast in particular haunts my dinner dreams.

So as my fork hovered over a plate piled with pork chops, I had a twinge of nerves. The autumnal aroma of sweet potatoes and apples hinted at deliciousness, but would the chops be tasty? Or would they be dry and bland? Bravely, I dove in.

And I devoured every bite.

The brine infused flavor and ensured the pork stayed moist. Layered with the sweetness of apples and onions, plus the savory creaminess of sweet potatoes...Good gravy.

If its deliciousness isn't enough, something else to consider about Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes is the leftover potential. I've mentioned before that I like to disguise leftovers. Here are a couple ways to re-purpose this meal:

1. BBQ Pork Sandwiches: Cut leftover chops into bite-sized pieces. Warm it up in the microwave with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid and some barbecue sauce. Serve the pork on rolls with a pile of coleslaw on top.
2. Sweet Potato Soup: Puree leftover sweet potatoes, apples, and onions with a little bit of chicken or vegetable broth. Serve hot with a big salad and a hunk of crusty bread. 

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Cheap Healthy Good
Serves: 6

3 tablespoons Kosher salt
6 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed
Water
6 boneless pork loin chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 apples*, cored and sliced into thick wedges
2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
Salt and pepper
1 large sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced

First we're going to brine the pork chops. In a large bowl combine salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, peppercorns, and a few cups of water. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add pork chops then add more water until the chops are covered. Refrigerate for 1-1.5 hours.

Remove the pork chops from the brine. Discard brine. Rinse the pork chops and pat dry.

Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium high. Add the chops and cook until they're browned and release easily from the pan, about 5-6 minutes. Repeat on the second side. Remove chops from the skillet and set aside. (Brown the chops in two batches if you don't have a big enough skillet to fit all 6 chops without crowding the pan.)

Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet and boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile toss apple slices with the remaining 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker and season generously with salt and pepper. Top with half the onion and half the apples. Add the pork chops and top with the remaining onion and apples. Pour the liquid that you used to deglaze the pan on top of everything. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve the pork chops and sweet potatoes topped with onions and apples.

*I think you can use whatever apples you have on hand, but each variety of apple will cook a little differently. I used McIntosh apples, and they broke down quite a bit. That was fine by me, but if you want your apples to stay more firm, consider a sturdier variety. Also, if you leave the peel on your apples, they will hold their shape more.