Spice Rubbed Pork with Quinoa

Since this is my first time posting in awhile I'll just say that junior year has started and that means a lot has been going on. We're finally on Midwinter Break which means that I finally get a chance to cook my favorite recipes.

So this is a recipe that I found in the April 2011 issue of Food Network magazine. It turned out really well and the quinoa went really well with the pork. I would also recommend serving it with salsa verde as it really went well with the spices in the pork.

Here's the link to the recipe:
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spice-rubbed-pork-with-quinoa-recipe/index.html

Recipes from Super Bowl Party

Sorry it has taken me so long to do this, but I have been pretty busy with schoolwork. That said, here are the other recipes from the Super Bowl Party.

Chicken Wings
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe/index.html

Twice Baked Potatoes
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cheddar-Twice-Baked-Potatoes

Note: I made a slight modification. Instead of mixing the cheese in with the filling, I topped the potatoes with cheese for my family and simply left it off of my potato.

And for an added bonus, I have a video of all the photos from the party.

Macaroni Salad with Tomato Sauce

I was trying to think of something to make for dinner, and I found some leftover chicken sausage and half of a red bell pepper. I also found some elbow macaroni, and I managed to come up with this.

Ingredients:
1 package gluten free macaroni
vegetable oil
2 chicken sausages, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
2 tbsps spaghetti sauce seasoning

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile heat vegetable oil in a pan saute chicken sausage and pepper until sausage is heated and pepper is soft. Deglaze with vinegar and cook until slightly reduced. Stir in tomatoes and set aside. Meanwhile heat tomato sauce in a saucepan. Add spaghetti sauce seasoning, and simmer. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with warm water. Add sauce and sausage mixture and serve.

Cutting the sausage

sauteing away

sausage and peppers..yum

tomato sauce

adding the seasoning

macaroni salad with tomato sauce

Foods Assignment

Hey guys,

I know it's been awhile since I last updated this. I've been pretty busy with schoolwork and other stuff, but now I finally have some free time.

We started new classes back in November, and I'm now in a more advanced foods class. A few weeks ago, I was absent because of extracurricular activities, so I had to do a make-up lab at home. I made a chicken stir fry with vegetables. The sauce was simply 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Here are the pictures

cut chicken

cutting the veggies

stir frying

veggies

cooked veggies

chicken vegetable stir fry

Last week I did another make up lab where I made pasta with meat sauce. I don't have any pictures, but the meat sauce is as follows.

1 lb ground beef
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato paste
1 tbsp spaghetti sauce seasoning

I browned the meat, then added the tomato products and seasoning. Then I let it simmer and served it over pasta.

I hope to have more recipes soon.

Vegetarian Curry

Ingredients:
2 15 oz garbanzo beans
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 potato, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 diced celery
1 16 can diced tomoatoes and juices
2 cups vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1  tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne papper
1 15 oz can peas, drained
1 tbsp corn starch
1 cup water

Directions:
Put garbanzo beans in stoneware. Add vegetables and can of tomatoes. Pour in broth, and stir in garlic and spices. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Mix water and corn starch and stir in along with peas. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Orange Apricot Pork Chops

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1 cup apricot jam
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 15 oz can mandarin oranges and juices

Directions:
Put pork chops into stoneware. Combine jam, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Spoon over pork chops. Pour in madarin oranges and juices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Pasta E Fagioli

1 lb lean ground beef, browned, and drained of excess fat
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 16.5 oz jar pasta suace
4 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 dry gluten free pasta

Directions:
Put meat into stoneware. Add carrots, onion, and celery. Add beans, tomatoes, and pasta sauce. Pour in beef broth. Stir in salt, pepper, oregano, and Tabasco sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Maple Dijion Chicken

Yes, this is another week of crock pot recipes.

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless chicken breasts
2 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup Dijion mustard
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
4 bay leaves

Directions:
Put chicken into stoneware and toss with onion, garlic, thyme, maple syrup, and Dijion mustard. Place sweet potatoes on top of chicken. Pour in chicken broth and add bay leaves. Cook on high for 5 to 7 hours.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Sweet and Sour Pork

2 lbs pork chops, diced
1 10 oz jar apricot jam
3 tbsp soy sauce or substitute (see substitutions page)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp red chili paste
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1 whole jalapeno
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 limes

Directions:
Put pork in slow cooker. Add jam, soy sauce substitute, sesame oil, and chili paste. Add garlic, onion, salt, black pepper, and ginger. Toss in jalapeno pepper and cucumbers. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over rice and add a sprinke of lime juice.

I loved this recipe, but it was a little spicy even though I only used one jalapeno pepper. You should try this.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Indian Curry

Ingredients:
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 inch piece fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 eggplant, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

Directions:
Combine spices, ginger, garlic, cocunut milk, and Tabasco sauce in bottom of slow cooker.  Add chicken, and flip to coat with sauce. Add garbanzo beans. Chop vegetables and add. Don't stir vegetables! Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Serve over rice.

From Stephanie O'Dea's Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Lemon Herb Chicken

Again this was a recipe I meant to post last week. And if you haven't already figured this out, all the recipes I made last week were crock pot recipes. This particular recipe is very easy.

Ingredients:

1 4 lb whole chicken
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 head garlic, cloves intact and peeled
2 lemons, sliced
3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions:
skin chicken and discard neck and giblets (the internal organs).Put whole cloves of garlic in cavity. Place in cork pot breast side down and lay rosemary on top. Place chicken in crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from crock. (the meat will fall off the bones) Serve with rice or vegetables. (I had it with a baked potato)

And yes I know I keep forgetting to take pictures of these recipes. I'll have to get better at doing it.

From Make it Fast, Cook it Slow