Pork with Sugar Snap Peas

TGIF! Tomorrow, bright and early, Brian and I are leaving for Annapolis. We are going down with my aunt and uncle to visit my cousin, Matt, who is an Assistant Coach of the Naval Academy baseball team. I'm dreading the 8 hour drive, especially since the best part of a road trip is blaring the music and singing at the top of your lungs, and I imagine my aunt and uncle won't be up for that! Brian is probably doing a happy dance about this, because we all know if it were just him and me, I'd be singing for 8 hours straight. My compilation would include a little Madonna, Justin, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Latoya Jackson....okay just kidding about Latoya, but you catch my drift. I'd subject him to show tune after show tune, accompanied by jazz hands and dramatic facial expressions to the point where he'd want to get out of the car and start walking to Annapolis. Maybe this is why he's never wanted to go on a road trip with me?

We get back on Tuesday night so stay tuned for pictures from our road trip.

And for those who care about the recipes...here's a quick week night meal that was mighty tasty. I got the base of the recipe from AllRecipes.com but I added some of this and some of that. Next time I'll add carrots, celery and probably red peppers for some color.

Ingredients:
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil

10 ounces fresh sugar snap peas

1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Hot cooked brown rice

In a nonstick skillet, stir-fry pork and garlic in hot oil for 6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Remove from skillet. In same pan, cook onions and peppers for 5 minutes. Add the peas along with the soy sauce, vinegar, molasses, ginger and red pepper flakes for 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Return pork to pan; cook for 3 minutes or until glazed. Serve over rice.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken in our house so I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it. I made this recipe up so I'm not 100% sure of the exact measurements but either way, I assure you this is a tasty dish. I decided to stuff it with goat cheese because Brian doesn't really like goat cheese, I'm lucky enough that I got him hooked on feta. So I can't put goat cheese on a salad, or else he won't eat it, but if I stuff it into chicken, he'll never know....well until he asks and then at that point I say, "it's feta cheese, dear." See the trickery....I'll be fully prepared when we have kids.

Ingredients:
Package of chicken breasts or cutlets
goat cheese
spinach (could probably use frozen)
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon (1 lemon)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbs oil
rosemary
kosher salt
pepper

Wash and pat dry chicken breasts. Mix together goat cheese and spinach - add a pinch of salt. If you are using cutlet, you can add a spoonful of the mixture into the center of the cutlet. Roll the cutlet, starting with the bigger end, and then secure it with a toothpick or two or kitchen twine. If you are using breasts you can slice along the side and stuff the mixture in and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle eat cutlet/breast with salt, pepper and rosemary.



In a hot frying pan, add the oil and the breast. Cook for a couple minutes on each side so they get slightly browned. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes but be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in broth, lemon and wine. Let chicken simmer in sauce for about 15-20 minutes. Take out chicken, remember to remove all of the toothpicks, and boil the sauce for 5 minutes to thicken. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

I served this chicken over orzo but you could use aborio, angel hair, couscous, pilaf, etc.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Since Bri loves potatoes, I'm always looking for a new way to make them. While twice baked potatoes take a little more time and effort, it's definitely worth it. My aunt Pat always makes these and they are delicious. You can add sour cream and chives to the top if you wish, but these potatoes are perfect just as they are.

Ingredients:

5 medium baking potatoes

2 tbl. butter or margarine

1/2 cup each cheddar and colby cheese

1/2 jar of Hormel Bacon Bits or 1/2 crumbled bacon

1 tbl. mayonaise

milk

salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry potatoes. Pierce holes in potatoes and bake in a preheated oven at 450 for an hour. Don't wrap potatoes - put them on rack in oven. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cut a length wise slice from the top of each potatoes. Discard skin from slice. Scoop out the insides and mash. Add butter and mayo. Beat in enough milk to make a stiff consistency. Add cheese, saving a little for the topping, and bacon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon mashed mixture into potato shells. Place in a baking dish. Bake in a 425 oven for 20-25 minutes or till lightly browned. Place cheese on top of potatoes, sprinkle with paprika. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or just until cheese melts.

**Please note in the picture above, I left the potatoes in too long at the end so the cheese browned. I was at cooking club, there was wine and an appetizer. What potatoes?

Pasta Caprese

In honor of the birth of Giada's baby girl, Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson, I decided to make this pasta from my Giada cookbook. Okay that's a lie, my aunt called me and told me I had to try this recipe, it was quick, easy and delicious - three words that are music to my ears.

I love most of Giada's recipes, in fact, I think I've said this before, she's my favorite Food Network chef. Yes her voice drives me insane and her shirts seem to keep getting lower and lower, but hey, she's cute, so I can't blame her. Her recipes are always fresh and light - two more words that are music to my ears.

So when I told Brian I was making pasta and sauce on a Tuesday night, the little rat thought I was whipping up a real sauce with meatballs. Um excuse me, that would take me hours. I think I spoil him. So when I'm chopping up the fresh cherry tomatoes, he got nervous. Actually the exact phrase was "I'm scared, is there any left over chicken from last night?" As you know Brian will remove tomatoes from any dish that touches his plate. If you've ever watched him, it's almost like surgery. With a precise steady hand he removes things such as tomatoes, artichokes, olives, onions, etc. I do get mad he wrecks my masterpiece, but as I've said before, I get all the scraps so I consider myself lucky.

About 20 minutes later we were both sitting down and enjoying the FANTASTIC meal. And guess what, Brian loved it! He did pick out the chunkier tomatoes but he did manage to eat a few and he surprised himself by actually enjoying it. I recommend this recipe for a quick week night meal or even for a large crowd. This will definitely be added to the dinner rotation. Next time I make it, I'll use less oil because I don't think it needed that much. I might add even more tomatoes and perhaps some chicken. Brian will love it even more if it's topped with a pile of meat - he's so meat and potatoes!

Ingredients:

1 pound fusilli pasta (I used rigitoni - just make sure it's a hearty pasta the sauce will stick to)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn 8 ounces

fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

I think I'll make this the next time the Corey's come over for dinner. Shout out to Danielle Corey who is a member of the C6. Don't ask me where she's from because I never remember if it's England, Wyoming, Oklahoma or North Carolina. Now she currently resides in Malden with her husband David and two cats, Ralphie and Rufus that she adores despite the fact that they've already destroyed her new furniture. She's absolutely crazy but that's why we love her....

(D - feel better now?)