Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

I should call this recipe "Happy Stir Fry," because, well, it made me very happy!

I got home from the grocery store just a few minutes short of 8:00 p.m. I was already kind of in a rush to get dinner ready because I don't like to eat too late . . . so I enlisted help from Ken. He rinsed and cut the green beans; while he was helping he said "Isn't it Grey's Anatomy on?" This doubled - no, make that quadrupled - my hurry! In 30 minutes, I prepped, cooked, served, and photographed this dish. Everyday Food had the prep time listed as 45 minutes. Apparently their test kitchen staff wasn't missing the first half of Grey's Anatomy!

As soon as the picture was taken, I ran downstairs, plate in hand, to watch the second half of Grey's. Ken, who was on the phone, stayed upstairs. As soon as I took a bite of this "happy" pork and green bean stir fry, I knew the recipe was a keeper. It had great flavor and just a touch of heat. Plus it has lots of vegetables and lean meat, and it was FAST! However, I worried that Ken might not feel the same way. He's not a very experimental eater. I thought he might balk at the vegetables, the sesame, the ginger, and/or the heat from the red pepper flakes. During a commercial break, I checked on him - still on the phone, but getting a second serving from the skillet! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to find a healthy, fast new recipe we both love.Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

1 lb. pork chops or tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch slices
coarse salt
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. oil (olive or vegetable)
1 tbsp. toasted sesame ginger seasoning (I used Victoria Taylor's)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb. green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
cooked brown rice, for serving

1. Season strips of pork with salt. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame ginger seasoning; set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add red pepper flakes and pork. Cook, stirring, until pork is no longer pink and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans 2 1/2 minutes in a Zip n' Steam bag in the microwave.
   
4. Add remaining oil to the skillet, then add green beans, red pepper strips, and 2 tbsp. water. Cook until peppers are tender, 2-4 minutes.
   
5. Add pork, peanuts, and sauce mixture to the skillet; cook until pork is coated with sauce, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately over brown or white rice.
   

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

After the election . . .

What does this recipe have in common with some politicians? Post-election transformation. Just like some politicians - they say they stand for one thing, but then they vote for another.

Unfortunately, the Crispy Apricot Pork Chops you voted for [in last week's poll] did the same thing - changed after the election. For all those in favor of apricot jam, sorry to disappoint . . . I used Paula Deen's Peach Pecan dressing instead. It wasn't intentional . . . I thought I had apricot jam; I didn't. Peach pecan dressing was the next best option. I feel bad. I'll try not to break my next campaign promise.
Crispy Apricot Pork Chops - or - Crispy Peach Pecan Pork Chops

1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
2 slices multigrain sandwich bread
4 pork loin chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, patted dry
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 tsp. apricot jam - or - Paula Deen's Peach Pecan dressing

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees; lightly brush rimmed baking sheet with oil.
2. Tear bread into pieces. Place pieces in food processor (my mini-processor was the perfect size for this task), pulse until large crumbs form. Drizzle 1 tbsp. oil in processor; pulse twice, until crumbs are moistened.
3. Place pork chops on prepared baking sheet. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Spread one side of each pork chop with 1 tsp. jam. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over chops; pat them on gently.
4. Bake at 425 degrees 14-16 minutes, or until crumbs are golden and pork is opaque (about 150 degrees internally). Serve immediately.

Recipe from the Everyday Food "Great Food Fast" cookbook.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Baguette

Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Well, don't worry - it isn't! In fact, it's not even fancy enough for me to try to make a precise recipe for you to follow. I'll give you a guideline to go from, in case some of these same ingredients are lingering in your refrigerator. That is how I came up with this idea - I had some shaved ham, cheese, pizza dough, and a chicken breast that I needed to use. I didn't want to make an actual pizza . . . and I was thinking ham and cheese rolls (inspired by On The Rise bakery at the Lake of the Ozarks) sounded good . . . but I also had a chicken breast . . . and this is the result:
(sorry about the parchment paper)

If you want to make a (clean-out-the-fridge) Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Baguette of your own, here are the guidelines:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Start with 1 portion of fresh pizza, bread, or roll dough (either homemade or purchased); roll/stretch dough into a rectangle shape on a cookie sheet.

Next, smear dough with 1-2 tbsp. butter (this is optional and probably not necessary if you use full-fat cheese and/or a lot of cheese).

Add cheese - I used 3 deli slices of swiss and about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella (but feel free to use your choice - both in variety and quantity).

Arrange shaved ham in a single layer on top of cheese.

Finally, add shredded pieces of cooked chicken breast* on top of ham.

If you're feeling adventurous, add garlic, herbs or some kind of seasoning.

Roll dough (think rolling cinnamon rolls), starting from the longest side of the rectangle of dough. Press dough together at seams and ends. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand a few moments before slicing.Yum . . . I should clean the fridge more often!

Pork Chops with Apple-Sage Sauce + Biscuits

If a prize for "ugliest sauce to accompany pork chops" existed, I think the apple sage cream sauce featured in this post might win. It smelled and tasted great, but left a lot to be desired in terms of presentation. I tried to hide it with a sage leaf and also tried to distract you with the colorful salad greens. Sloppy appearance aside, the pork chops with apple sage cream sauce made a great Saturday lunch.

Pork Chops with Apple and Sage Cream Sauce

4 boneless pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper (preferably freshly ground)

Sauce:
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)*
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup apple cider
3 tbsp. applejack or brandy
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves
3 tbsp. light cream cheese
2 tsp. cider vinegar

1. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels, then season each side with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10 or 12-inch skillet (use one with a lid) over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lay the chops in the skillet and cook until light brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the chops over, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the center reaches 130 degrees (with an instant read meat thermometer), 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Transfer chops to plate, cover with foil and allow them to rest until the center reaches an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add apple, onion, and 1/4 tsp. salt to the oil/drippings left in the skillet, return to medium-low heat, and cook, covered, until the onion has softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in cider and brandy, scraping up the browned bits in the skillet. Stir in the broth and sage; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
4. Pour any pork juices accumulated on the plate into the skillet. Whisk in cream cheese and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork to serve. Four servings.

Per serving:
Pork chops only: 330 calories; 15 g fat; 110 mg cholesterol; 0 g carbs; 44 g protein; 0 g fiber; 8 points. Sauce only: 90 calories; 2 g fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbs; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 2 points.
* I substituted shallots for onions
Source: The Best Light Recipe, from the editors of Cook's Illustrated

I also made "Secret Trick 1860 Baking Powder Biscuits," from Marcy Goldman's A Passion for Baking. This was my first attempt at making homemade biscuits just for the sake of making homemade biscuits. I've made shortcake biscuits several times, which are conceptually similar, but never plain biscuits. I have a long list of things I want to make from A Passion for Baking, and decided to start with this recipe. The results? They were easy to make but were more bitter than I prefer. A shot of honey on top helped, but in my opinion, a good biscuit should be able to stand alone. I suspect the baking powder is to blame, but I am afraid the biscuits would not rise enough if I reduced it. I plan to continue my quest for a great biscuit recipe, but in the meantime, here is the recipe:

Secret Trick 1860 Baking Powder Biscuits
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. shortening
3-4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. In a measuring cup, stir whipping cream and lemon juice together; let stand a few minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper (I think you could use just one if you have Airbake double-walled baking sheets). Arrange oven rack to upper third position.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter and shortening to make a coarse, grainy mixture. Drizzle soured cream over mixture and stir lightly with a fork to blend. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8-10 times until mixture is just rollable.
4. Pat or roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch disks. Place on prepared baking sheet; brush tops with milk, cream, or melted butter. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes.

Source: A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa

I have to admit that when I posted my "which recipe should I feature next" poll last week, I secretly hoped the Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa would win. They sounded good; not wintry at all, which is what I need right now. I'm done with winter. Unfortunately mother nature is not.

I invited Amy and Amanda over a couple of nights ago for a little break from the monotony of mid-January. Amanda brought salsa and pepper jelly she made this summer. We opened a bag of chili-lime pistachios from Christmas, a bottle of wine, and started cooking. I really wasn't sure how the salsa would turn out; I couldn't find a few of the ingredients I needed, so I did without. But with good friends and a little wine, there were no worries. Good thing, too, because no worry was necessary. The fajitas turned out great - the salsa was fresh, crisp tasting, and summery. Just what we needed.

Pork Fajitas with Apple-Avocado Salsa
2 tbsp. water (1 cup water if using dried chiles, see below)
1 tsp. chili powder (original recipe called for 4 dried cascabel chiles)
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin
8 flour tortillas (7-inch)
2 cups Apple - Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Combine water and chili powder (or boil water and chiles; remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 min.; drain, reserving 2 tbsp. liquid).
2. Combine chili water (or chiles and reserved liquid), lime juice, salt, and garlic in food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet. Process until smooth.
3. Trim fat from pork loin; place loin in a shallow dish. Pour chili/chile mixture over loin; cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
5. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray; remove pork from dish and place on broiler pan. Brush excess marinade over pork. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in thickest part of loin. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. (Make salsa while pork loin cooks)
6. Warm tortillas according to directions on package. Cut pork loin diagonally across the grain. Arrange 1/8 of pork slices and 2 tbsp. Apple-Avocado(A-A) Salsa. Fold tortilla over fillings. Top with 2 tbsp. A-A salsa (or you could just put all 4 tbsp. of salsa in the fajita, which is what we did).

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 fajitas
Adapted from Cooking Light

Apple-Avocado Salsa
1 cup diced Granny Smith apple
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1/4 c. diced red onion
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp. minced garlic from jar)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
optional: 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
optional: 1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno
1/2 c. diced peeled avocado

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl. Gently stir in avocado.
(Make this salsa the same day you serve it; mine didn't keep all that well)

Per serving of 2 fajitas, each with 4 tbsp. A-A salsa:
Calories 462; fat 13.4 g; protein 32.2 g; carbs 52.5 g; cholesterol 79 mg; iron 4.4 mg; Points - 10*
* it would be easy to reduce points by reducing the amount of A-A salsa used per fajita, by leaving the avocado out of the salsa, or by eating only 1 fajita (with sides or appetizers, 1 is quite filling). If you're not counting points, add more avocado . . . yum!

We also made the angel cups from my previous post . . . they were good!

An Exciting (Food) Day

Today was an exciting day, food-wise, at Kenzie's Kitchen. Last night, I bought Canyon Ranch Cooks, which I'll introduce you to in a separate post. I looked through it at lunch today, making notes about which recipes I plan to try first. After lunch, the FedEx guy rang the doorbell with our shipment from US Wellness Meats - pork chops, ham slices, bacon (without nitrates), chicken-apple sausage, beef tri-tip steaks, My House Salt, and raw honey. Although we (Ken, more than me) have known the founder of US Wellness Meats for a long time, this is the first time we've ordered from their website. We ordered more pork than anything else since we have our own beef in the freezer . . . but I did want to sample the tri-tips, a cut we don't have . . . and grass-fed beef has some unique health benefits (compared to grain-fed beef).


Finally, Piper and I are having a "girls night" tonight. I made her homemade dog treats (which I found at Kayte's Kitchen) and we're getting ready to watch Grey's Anatomy. (And yes. . . one of them is shaped like a crown . . . because she is a princess . . . but don't tell Ken!)