Hoisin Pork Stir-fry over Chuka Soba Noodles.

Anytime you're going to cook a stir-fry it is essential that you have everything prepared before you begin.  The process of stir-frying goes fast, and you won't have time to continue the preparation of slicing vegetables once your protein of choice starts to cook! I chose boneless pork chops, but you could easily substitute chicken or beef.

For the pork:

1 lb. boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat and sliced against the grain 1/4" thick

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. dried red pepper flakes

Whisk together hoisin sauce and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add pork and toss to completely cover with the marinade. Let marinate while you prepare the vegetables.

For the stir fry:

2 T. sesame oil

2 t. minced garlic

8 oz. white mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, cored and thinly sliced

1 small can of diced water chestnuts, drained

1 small can of bean sprouts, drained

For the sauce:

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 T. rice wine vinegar

Chuka Soba Noodles prepared according to package directions.

Garnishes:

thinly sliced green onion

black or white sesame seeds

dried red pepper flakes

In a wok or large skillet, heat sesame oil or high heat. Add pork and marinade and cook, stirring constantly, until pork begins to brown, add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Add mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers. Continue to cook over high heat until vegetables begin to soften. Add water chestnuts and bean sprouts and cook for another minute.

Add sauce and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Let cook another minute. Remove from heat and serve over prepared noodles or rice.

Garnish with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Six Pepper Chicken

A new product caught my eye in the grocery store last week:  Tone's Six Pepper Seasoning Blend. A word of warning (or maybe encouragement to those who like heat!), this one will light up your taste buds! As you can see, I used a liberal amount, and it was spicy, zesty, and delicious. I'm already planning dishes for tacos and burgers.  

And always, sheet pans meals are convenient because everything cooks on the same pan at the same time.  Less clean up is always a plus.

If you're bored with the same old baked chicken breasts, liven up your dinner with this recipe. Choose whatever vegetable you care for as your side dish on the roasting pan. I love roasted asparagus, but broccoli, cauliflower, or cubed potatoes would all be excellent alternatives.

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 T. olive oil

Tone's Six Pepper Seasoning Blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place chicken on pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning blend. Place in oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F.  

I let this chicken cook for 30 minutes and then placed the trimmed asparagus on the baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil, lightly salted and peppered and returned to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Garlicky Buttery Mussels

Some nights you merely want easy. This is one of the most delicious meals I prepare.  And by far, it's probably the easiest.  I had a dilemma deciding whether to name this recipe Garlicky Buttery Mussels or Buttery Garlicky Mussels.  Either way, if you like garlic, you'll enjoy this meal.

Toasted bread slices are essential for soaking up the buttery goodness on your plate. The mussels steam in the time it takes for the butter to become infused with the garlic.  Serve with LOTS of napkins!

3 lbs. mussels (fresh or frozen)

1 cup water (or white wine)

1 stick salted butter

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic

1 t. dried parsley

a few grinds of black pepper

dash of hot sauce

Wash the mussels to remove any grit or sand.  Bring the water (or whatever liquid you choose to use) to a boil in a 4 - 5-quart stockpot or Dutch oven.

Add the mussels, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Let mussels boil/steam for 5 -6 minutes, occasionally stirring, until they open. 

While the mussels are cooking, over low heat in a small saucepan, melt butter. Add garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir occasionally. 

Drain mussels, discard any that didn't open and place remaining mussels on serving platter.  Slowly pour the garlic and butter mixture over the mussels.  Add some lemon wedges to the serving dish along with the toasted bread slices, and you're ready to dig in and have a delicious dinner!

Taco Tuesdays: Southwestern Cornmeal Crusted Catfish Tacos

Catfish fillets were on sale at Publix this week. I literally mentally developed this recipe while in the grocery store aisles. I knew I needed a Taco Tuesday Taco. I made a split second decision to fry the catfish, use shredded coleslaw mix in lieu of lettuce, and fancy up a can of pintos. These were excellent tacos. You can use either soft tortillas or crunchy taco shells. These are a new lime version courtesy of Old El Paso.  Yum

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 T. taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 lbs. catfish fillets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups peanut oil

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 t. minced garlic

few drops of your favorite hot sauce

tortillas or taco shells

shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

taco sauce

In a shallow pie pie, mix together cornmeal and taco seasoning.  Working in batches, coat the pieces of catfish, covering completely with the cornmeal mixture.

Preheat peanut oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees F. add just enough catfish so as to not crowd the skillet. If you add too much at one time, the oil will cool off quickly and the fish won't brown properly. Allow catfish to cook 4 - 5 minutes until the fish will flake easily with a fork. Lower heat slightly if fish begin to brown too quickly before fish is completely cooked.

Continue frying in batches, draining cooked fish on a paper towel lined plate.

Lightly sprinkle each batch as it comes from the hot oil.

While catfish is frying, drain pintos and place in a small saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and hot sauce and warm through.

When you're finished frying the fish, prepare the taco shells or tortillas according to package directions.

I placed a layer of shredded cabbage on bottom, then the garlicky pintos, then the catfish, and to finish, a nice drizzle of taco sauce.  Dig in!

Wing Wednesdays: Roasted Garlic and Herb Baked Chicken Wings

For this week's Wing Wednesday, I searched in the pantry for a new flavor for us to try. And again, Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations solved the dilemma.  I had a package of Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Blend and instead of making a dipping oil for bread, I breaded the chicken wings instead.

The majority of the time, I bake my chicken wings instead of frying.  Not only is healthier, but it certainly is less messy!

2 lbs. chicken wings, separated and tips removed and discarded (or saved in the freezer for stock)

1 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

1 package Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Blend

1/3 cup self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Place wings in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.

In a small bowl, mix together the Roasted Garlic and Herb Olive Oil Mix and flour.  Sprinkle half over wings and toss to coat.  Sprinkle remaining seasoned flour mixture and toss again.

Place wings in a single layer on baking sheet and place in oven. Cook for 45 - 60 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. F.  

Place under broiler for a few minutes to get a nice brown, crispy crust on the wings.  Watch carefully!  Don't let them burn.

Southwestern Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

My friend of Elizabeth's Gourmet Creation has provided me with another excellent seasoning packet to experiment with and see what I can do!

This week I'm experimenting with the Southwestern Jalapeno Savory Dip Mix. For those of you looking for some serious heat, this would be the perfect choice for you.

I decided to mix shrimp with the seasoning packet and make tacos. You can dress these up or down. I went simple with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, and a little salsa. Of course, you can add as many toppings as you'd like.

1 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 package Southwestern Jalapeno Savory Dip Mix

2 T. peanut oil

2 T. lime juice

Flour or corn tortillas

Your favorite taco toppings

In a medium bowl, add shrimp and pour the seasoning mix over the shrimp. Toss to coat the shrimp entirely with the mix.

Heat peanut oil in a large castiron skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add shrimp. 

Cooking, constantly stirring, for 4 - 5 minutes until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Remove from heat and pour in lime juice. Stir to combine.

Serve immediately with your choice of flour or corn tortillas and all your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast with Garlic

While I haven't jumped on the Instapot bandwagon yet, I'll steadfastly remain in love with my slow cooker.  Last Friday was one of those days I knew well in advance would be hectic and stressful. I also knew I would want to be able to come home and have a meal almost ready for us to sit down and enjoy.

Literally five minutes of prep before walking out the door, and six hours later, this fantastic roast was cooked to perfection.

Here's the process!

1 (5-6 lb.) Boston Butt

2 T. garlic salt

1 T. black pepper

2 heads garlic, peeled

2 cups water

Season the pork with garlic salt and black pepper. Place in slow cooker. Add peeled garlic cloves to the slow cooker and slowly pour in water. Cover and set to high for 6 hours. If you have a programmable slow cooker, you can use that feature to reduce the heat at that point to low or to keep warm setting.

The garlic will cook down to a soft spreadable consistency. Serve the pork over rice or mashed potatoes. Make sure you enjoy all those delicious garlic cloves.  

Sesame Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna with spicy hoisin sauce

Sometimes I surprise myself.  Tonight was one of those nights. I had always wanted to sear ahi tuna.  But, there was a nagging thought of "can I do this?"  I can.  If I can, YOU can.  This was a delicious meal and a healthy one as well.

Remove the tuna about 15 minutes before cooking. Taking the refrigerator chill off will help to get the quick sear that you want for the tuna. When you slice into this beautiful fish, you want to see that deep rosy color. If you see an opaque white slice, just go ahead and make tuna salad.  Seriously.

4 (5 oz.) ahi tuna filets
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. black sesame seeds
1 T. white sesame seeds
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper

Rinse tuna filets and pat dry with paper towels.  Drizzle with sesame oil on all sides.  Set aside.

In a shallow plate, mix together remaining ingredients. Press tuna filets one at a time into the sesame seed mixture being careful to thoroughly coat each side of the tuna.

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Using tongs, sear each side of the tuna for a total of 1 1/2  minutes or so until well seared on all sides (including the edges). Remove from skillet and continue to sear each piece individually.

For the spicy sauce:

6 t. hoisin sauce
4 t. soy sauce
2 t. chili paste
1 t. sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Plate the seared tuna over a crunchy salad such as I used from Dole.  Dole Sesame Asian Salad Kit.  Prepare the salad as directed.  Drizzle the spicy sauce over the tuna.

Serve immediately.

Zesty Homemade Sloppy Joes

Sweet Harold requested Sloppy Joes for supper this week and tonight was the night.  Instead of buying the canned sauce, I raided the pantry and fridge and made my own zesty version. 

Yes, they lived up to their name.  They were VERY sloppy!

1 T. olive oil

1 lb. ground chuck

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup water

2 T. dark brown sugar

2 t. chili powder

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. dry mustard

2 - 3 T. tomato paste

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 T. Heinz 57 Sauce
1 t. yellow mustard

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Hamburger Buns or your favorite deli roll

Butter to brown the buns

Add olive oil and ground beef to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until beef is browned.  Drain fat.

Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 3 - 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in ketchup, water, dark brown sugar, chili powder, ground coriander, and dry mustard. Let everything cook, frequently stirring for 5 minutes or so and then add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, Heinz 57 Sauce, and yellow mustard.

Lower heat and let the mixture simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

Lightly butter the buns or roll and brown in another skillet over medium heat. Taking this step adds an amazing layer of flavor to these sandwiches.

When they're nicely browned, spoon meat over the buns. You can sprinkle with shredded Pepper Jack cheese for a little more heat!

Loaded Baked Potato topped with Mexican Fiesta Chicken

Here's a "re-run" dinner that in no shape, form, or fashion resembles a leftover meal. However, remember those delicious Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken Tacos we had a few days ago? How better to use the leftovers than to top a baked potato?

Follow the link above to prepare the Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken.

To bake the potatoes:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Pierce several times with a fork. Lightly rub a thin layer of vegetable oil over potatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until potatoes are cooked all the way through.

Slice potatoes lengthwise, top with butter and Mexican Fiesta Chicken.  I added shredded cheddar, sour cream, and chopped parsley.

Wing Wednesdays: Alabama Honey Fire

This is another recipe creation that evolved from a sample given to me by my friend Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations !  The main ingredient for seasoning these delicious wings is Alabama Honey Fire Dipping Oil Mix which is described on the package as "Everything we love about our home state - a little sassy, a little spicy, a little sweet, and a whole lot of character."

It certainly flavored these wings in that exact manner! A last minute glaze with local honey took them over the top as far as sweet heat stickiness!  

2 lbs. chicken wings (separated and tips removed)

1 T. vegetable oil

1 package Alabama Honey Fire Dipping Oil Mix

1/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non stick spray.

Pat wings dry with a paper towel, place in a large bowl, and drizzle with vegetable oil.

Sprinkle on the seasoning packet and toss to thoroughly coat the wings.  Place wings in a single layer on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, turn the wings over, and return to oven for another 20 minutes or so.

Remove from oven and brush on a thin layer of honey, turn the wings over, and brush honey on other side of wings.  Return to oven for another 5 - 7 minutes.  Internal temperature of wings should be 165 degrees F.

Serve with LOTS of napkins!

Slow Cooker Mexican Fiesta Chicken Tacos

A friend of mine, who develops dip and seasoning mixes, recently gave me some of her samples to try.  But, because y'all know I like to try things outside the box, instead of making a dip, I decided to use the mix in the main dish recipe.

The blend I used was Mexican Fiesta from Elizabeth's Gourmet Creations.  As soon as I opened the package, I knew this was much more than your typical taco seasoning packet. The filling would be delicious as a filling for soft tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or (here's the outside the box talking again!) as a unique base for a chicken chili!

1 - 2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 package Mexican Fiesta seasoning blend

2 t. minced garlic

1 t. ground cumin

1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 small can Old El Paso red enchilada sauce

Spray slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Place chicken into the bottom of slow cooker and add ingredients in the order listed.  Cover and let cook on high 4 hours.  If you have a programmable cooker, set it to cook on low for  2 - 3 additional hours.  You want the chicken to be fall apart tender so that you can shred it with two forks.

When the chicken has reached that point, carefully shred chicken and mix thoroughly with the sauce.  

Serve over rice or as a delicious and flavorful taco filling! I simply topped with a small amount of shredded cheese, but feel free to add your usual taco toppings!

Weeknight Baked Chicken Parmesan

I had planned on preparing boneless/skinless chicken breasts in an entirely different way last night for supper.  But Sweet Harold was in the mood for Italian-esque food, so I shifted gears.  This is an easy weeknight meal that was ready in less than an hour start to finish.  Using jarred or canned pasta sauce cuts down on the time spent when you're in a rush on a Monday, but if you have time to make your own sauce, please do!

Another time saver is to halve the chicken breasts lengthwise instead of taking the time to pound them out into thin cutlets.  Baking in the oven makes clean up a breeze.

1 1/2 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts halved lengthwise

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup self-rising flour

1 egg lightly beaten with 1 T. water

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 T. dried Italian seasoning

1 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 t. dried red pepper flakes (optional)

additional Parmesan for garnish

chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a rimmed baking sheet with non stick spray.

Pat prepared chicken breasts dry with paper towels and lightly salt and pepper. 

You'll need three shallow plates or aluminum pie tins.  Place flour in one and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Place egg wash in the second plate, and the breadcrumbs mixed with Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if you're using those.

Lightly coat one piece of chicken in the flour, then dip in egg wash, then completely cover with bread crumbs.  Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 

Serve over your favorite sauced pasta with an additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

The leftover chicken is also delicious served on toasted bread as a sandwich with lots of sauce and mozzarella slices!

Grilled Teriyaki Pineapple Boneless Pork Chops

Grilled Pineapple is one of Sweet Harold's favorite things. Grilled pork (in any form) is one of my favorite things. When both are on the grill, we're both happy!  The sweetness of the pineapple is delicious with the grilled pork.

I'm always on the lookout for new products to try and the Lawry's Teriyaki and Pineapple Marinade seemed like the perfect start for this meal.  Adding a few tablespoons of the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple boosts the pineapple flavor for those who love that fruit!

2 lb. boneless pork chops

1/3 cup Lawry's Teriyaki 30 minute marinade with pineapple juice

1 can pineapple slices in syrup (reserve a few tablespoons of syrup)

Pour marinade into a glass bowl or heavy duty Ziploc bag. Place pork chops into the marinade and turn to completely coat.

Let rest in marinade for 30 - 40 minutes. 

Prepare charcoal or gas grill.  When coals (or grill) are ready, place pork onto the grill and let cook for 5 - 6 minutes. Rotate pork chops a quarter turn.  Let cook for another 4 - 5 minutes and then turn over to repeat the process on the other side. Discard marinade.

While pork is grilling, drain pineapple slices and pat dry. Place on grill and cook until both sides have nice grill marks and have begun to slightly char. 

Mix 1/4 cup of the marinade with 1 - 2 T. of the reserved pineapple juice.  Brush over pork chops and pineapple slices during the last few minutes of grilling.

Cook pork until the chops have reached an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.

Serve the grilled pineapple slices alongside the pork chops with rice and/or a nice green salad.