Grilled BBQ Pork Loin with Grilled Asparagus, Cucumber & Pomegranate Salad

Another family favourite

Preheat oven to 375'

Coat cast skillet with virgin olive oil.

 Season pork loin with Montreal steak spice.

 Cook for 10 minutes per side. Coat with favourite bbq sauce. 

Allow to cook another 5-7 minutes. 

The salad:

This is another seat of my pants selection.

Slice cucumbers, red sweet onion, and  scoop seeds of half of a pomegranate.

Set aside.

In a small jar combine 3 tbsps of olive oil, 2 tsp of rice vinegar, 

 Fresh black pepper to taste & 1/8 of a cup of raspberry orange juice. 

Shake well. 

In a skillet set on  medium low, 

 Cook sliced asparagus in 1tbsp of olive oil, until tender crisp, 

Season with Pink Himalayan sea salt.

Combine asparagus, with onions, cucumber, pomegranate.

Lightly coat with dressing, stir gently. 

Top with crumbled feta cheese. 

Served with a side of fries.

Enjoy! 

Pork Loin Roast with Vidalia Onion glaze

Another by the seat of my pants meal!  

 

Preheat oven to 350'

Place a 5 lb boneless, pork loin roast in cast iron roaster

Season with garlic & black pepper

Coat with 1/2 cup of Vidalia onion vinaigrette

( I used Oak Hill Farms)

Add 2 cups of baby carrots 

Bake covered for 2  1/2 hours, no peeking|!!!

Remove roast & carrots from pot.

Bring drippings to a boil on the stove, 

  then add your favorite thickener.

I used approx 2 tbsps of sifted flour,

 mixed with 1/4 cup of cold water,

whisked into drippings.

Simmer until thick .

This makes a sweet gravy, delicious on mashed potatoes and meat. 

Enjoy! 

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Bacon

Stuffed Chicken Breasts, wrapped in Bacon

Baby potatoes

&

 Broccoli Slaw with sesame sticks and mixed nuts

*preheat oven to 375'

Slice 5, boneless skinless chicken breasts, in half.

Lay 2 slices of mozarella cheese on one half of breast , add baby spinach leaves

Season with garlic, black pepper, pink Himalayan salt.

Fold Chicken breast over ~ sandwich filling inside breasts~

Wrap each breast in 3 slices of bacon to cover entire breast end to end.

Place on a cast iron skillet lightly coated with olive oil.

Bake for 12 minutes, turn and allow to cook for another 12 minutes. Continue to turn & cook until both sides are completely brown and slightly crispy.

Serve with baby potatoes and broccoli slaw. 

Enjoy! 

Sriracha Pasta

HOT & Delicious! 

Another " By the seat of my pants" meal.

This is a no meat meal! 

  

You will need:

1 pkg of cracked black pepper, whole grain pasta, prepared according to pkg.

 On medium heat, in a large skillet, saute 3 large, chopped cloves of garlic in 2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter.

Add one large chopped onion & 1 large chopped red pepper. 

Saute until onions are clear.

Add 2 cups sliced Crimini mushrooms, continue to cook until mushrooms are tender.

Add 1/4 cup +, of Sriracha  sauce, coating mushrooms thoroughly. 

Lower heat.

Allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss well. 

Serve topped with sliced grape tomatoes and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. 

 Trust me~ no leftovers!   

Simple Pasta

We've all been there, what am I going to make for dinner? 

It is 5'o clock and all I have decide to cook so far is Cod. 

Pasta to the rescue!

This is one of my daughters favorites! 

What you need: 

1 pkg whole grain pasta

2 tbsp of olive oil

organic cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 cups of spinach chopped

1 small sweet onion

3 cloves of garlic chopped

fresh ground black pepper

fresh ground parmesan cheese

*Bake cod at 325, baste with  melted butter, season with dill and garlic.

Bake until flaky.

Cook and drain pasta

In a heated skillet add olive oil, garlic and onions.

Saute until onions are clear, add  tomatoes and spinach.

stir gently

When spinach starts to wilt, remove from heat.

Pour drained pasta, into large mixing bowl, preferably stainless steel, it will hold the heat.

Top pasta with skillet mixture, toss well, with an additional drizzle of olive oil 

Season with black pepper and parmesan cheese. 

There won't be any leftovers;) 

enjoy!   

Turkey Chili

Making the most of leftovers! 

Leftovers from a turkey dinner made this delicious meal.

What you need:

In a  crock pot set on low,

combine all the following ingredients:

3 cups of roast turkey cut into bite size pieces

3 cups of diced tomatoes

3  cloves of garlic, chopped finely

1 medium white chopped onion

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of corn

1 cup each, chopped red and yellow pepper

2 cups rinsed red kidney beans

2 cups rinsed black turtle beans

3 cups brown beans in tomato sauce

4 tbsps of chili powder

3 tsps of cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup tomato paste

cover and allow to cook for 6-8 hours, stirring regularly.

Serve with guacamole and your favorite taco chips. 

Enjoy! 

Smoked Ham and Vegetable Soup

A Cold Day Cure

This delicious soup was made from a leftover smoked ham, with a generous amount of meat left on the bone.

What I did:

Place ham bone in medium pot with 2 containers of low sodium, vegetable broth. 

Add Chopped: 1 medium onion, 2 stalks of celery, 2 cups of baby carrots, 2 cloves of garlic.

Spice with: 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1  tsp cayenne, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 bay leaf

Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours, until meat is falling off of bone.

Remove bone & bay leaf from pot.

Cut away all remaining meat from bone and return meat to pot.

*If the pieces of meat are very large, slice into smaller bite size pieces 

Add: 1 bag each:  broccoli slaw, and coleslaw

3 small peeled & chopped sweet potato.

1/2 cup of tomato paste

Continue cooking on low heat for 1 or more hours.

Stir frequently.

Serve and Enjoy! 

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Sweet peppers

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Sweet Peppers

Simple, fast & delicious

Grill chicken breast in cast iron skillet with 1 tbsp butter & olive oil add black pepper, and 2 cloves chopped garlic.

Cook thoroughly, until golden brown

Prepare rice as per directions on package.

Slice red & yellow pepper in strips, 

 chop 1 medium white onion, and 4 cloves of garlic.

Saute in 1 tbsp butter and olive oil. 

Add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar, 1/4 cup  orange juice, 

1 tsp cayenne, black pepper  squeeze of lemon juice.

Continue to saute until caramelized. 

Serve & enjoy! 

Grilled Chicken with Garlic and Red Pepper Sauce with Gnocchi

Sharing another by the seat of my pants meals. 

I have to admit, I could not get enough of this one and I really over indulged! 

Here is what I did:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled with extra virgin olive oil &  red pepper and garlic shake.

In a skillet, with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil & 2 tbsps of butter.

 Saute 1 medium white onion & 3 cloves of chopped garlic. 

Add 2 tsps of black pepper, 2 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp of brown sugar. 

Add  1/2 cup of chopped red pepper.

Saute until onions are clear.

 Add 2 cups of half and half cream, simmer for 3-5 minutes.

 Slowly, while whisking  add 1 tbsp of sifted flour, to thicken.

*Prepare gnocchi according to pkg, directions.*

Slice grilled chicken and arrange on top of prepared gnocchi.

 Top with garlic and red pepper sauce.

* Some shredded sharp cheddar cheese goes along perfect with this one*

Enjoy! 

Stuffed Pork Loin Chops with Broccoli & Mushroom Cream Sauce

Hello! 

Sharing another by the seat of my pants meal.

My family said one thing about this meal...

MORE!

Here is what I did:

Preheat oven with skillet inside at 375'

Slice 3, thick cut, boneless, pork chops down the centre to open in half.

Inside, place, by the teaspoon, cream cheese to cover surface.

Top with chopped spinach and black pepper.

Roll and tie with string

 Season with red pepper and garlic shake. 

Pour 2  tbsps of olive oil on a preheated 375' skillet.

Place rolled pork on skillet.

Return to oven and bake for 12 minutes per side. 

In another skillet melt 1 tbsp of butter with 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Add 3 cloves chopped garlic,  black pepper, 8 oz of sliced mushrooms

Saute until mushrooms are brown.

 In a measuring cup combine 1 can of condensed broccoli soup.

and measure of soup can of cream. 

Add to mushrooms and simmer on low heat stirring frequently.

 Sauce will begin to thicken

When pork is cooked, remove from oven. 

Remove string and slice, you will see the melted cheese and spinach. 

Serve with Cream sauce,  Dill potatoes and steamed carrots.

Enjoy! 

Farmers Sausage Hash With Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Hello!

Sharing a meal that is great for a rainy day. 

What you need:

8 medium white potatoes chopped & partially cooked in microwave for 10 minutes.

3 tbsps oil

Red pepper and garlic shake

2 farmers sausage sliced

1/2 each red, orange, yellow pepper chopped

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 tbsps oil

 1 jar of black bean and corn salsa

Continue to fry partially cooked potatoes in a large skillet, 

with olive oil, red pepper and garlic spice, until golden.

In a separate skillet, add 2 tbsps olive oil. 

Cook onions, garlic, peppers  & Sausage,

 until onions are clear & sausage is cooked through. 

Combine meat mixture with potatoes.

Add jar of salsa, mix well.

Cover skillet with lid and bake at 300' for 20 minutes.

Serve with coleslaw, raw fruit and vegetables.

Enjoy! 

A twist on Pad Thai Chicken

Good morning!

 Here is my slightly tweaked version of Pad Thai chicken. 

Typically,  served on rice noodles, I did not have any in my pantry.

 Jasmine Rice was my available option. 

We love the spicy sweet flavor of Pad Thai sauce.

 With  6 chicken breasts cut into thin strips. A large, sweet red pepper & shredded broccoli .

Sauteed in vegetable oil. 

I used extra crunchy organic peanut butter, tons of fresh garlic, ginger & red pepper flakes, soya sauce, white rice vinegar & a spoonful of honey. All measures were to taste and portion size.  

Poured on top of the chicken and vegetables. 

Simmered for about 15 minutes. 

Served on Jasmine rice.  

Topped with fresh, green onions from the garden,  chili lime peanuts 

& an additional squeeze of fresh lime juice. 

Pan ~ empty.... 

Pasta Salad

Hello! 

Sharing a delicious, fast, side dish.

Cold pasta salad

What you need:

4 cups of cooked tri-color pasta

~ I used multi-grain, tomato & spinache~

1/2 english cucumber chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced

1/2 orange pepper chopped

10 baby carrots chopped

1 cup corn

1/2 cup Italian vinegrette dressing

2 tbsps raspberry vinegrette dressing 

What to do: 

Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine pasta and vegetables in a bowl.

Top with dressings 

Stir well. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve

This was a great addition to our grilled pork chops and baked sweet potato.

Enjoy! 

Pork Loin With BBQ Mushroom Sauce

Hello! 

 Time to share one of my family's favorites.

Here is what you need:

1 1/2 pounds pork loin cubed

2 tbsps of olive oil

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom, or cream of broccoli soup

* The broccoli soup will give a slightly sweeter taste.

1 cup of your favorite chicken & rib bbq sauce

3/4 cup of half & half cream

1 tsp ground black pepper

3 cloves of garlic chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms

In a bowl combine the condensed soup, bbq sauce and cream. Mix thoroughly.

Set aside.

In a skillet add Olive oil, pork and spices. 

Cook on medium heat, until meat is lightly browned

Add sliced mushrooms and saute on  med/low heat for about 8 minutes.

Add sauce and simmer on low for 30  minutes, stirring occassionally.

Serve on top of mashed potatoes,with your favorite vegetable sides.

Enjoy!