Easy Boneless Pork Chops

March 12, 2018 Red Rose & Honey1 Comment

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by my blog again. Today I am sharing a dinner recipe that I have actually been avoiding for quite some time. One of my husband’s favorite dinners is pork chops which happens to be one of my least favorite. Pork chops are one food that always stand out in my mind as bland and dry. My mom is the best cook I know, but growing up I always cringed when she said she was making pork chops!

College was the first time I really started experimenting in the kitchen. I was always interested in trying new recipes and let’s face it, I had plenty of time to do so. I made pork chops for Mike a few times in college. I believe one was in a fancy blackberry reduction. I can’t even say I was really trying to win him over because back then he was a total plain Jane in the food department!

For the last few months Mike has been asking me to make pork chops. I finally caved-in because I was running out of ideas for new recipes to try and found myself staring at the meat/poultry display at the food store. I decided to buy a 3 pack of organic, boneless pork chops from Stop and Shop. When I got home I did a little bit of research on how to cook pork chops. I find most of my recipe inspiration from magazines or Pinterest photos (not usually the recipes themselves). Once I see a picture I like to try to figure out what the ingredients might be or how I can use that photo as my starting point.

For this specific dinner I kept the ingredients simple. I also decided to cook these pork chops the same way I have cooked filet mignon. Sear both sides on the stove top then pop the pan in the oven. It’s super important that to use a good quality, oven safe pan for easy transfer from the stove top to oven. It’s easy to forget that a pan was in a very hot oven and reach for the handle. I have burned my hand really bad by accidentally grabbing the handle. To prevent that from happening again I put a “pot holder” on the pan handle right after it comes out of the oven (similar to this).

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I love sweet potatoes and I have finally perfected what I think is the best seasoning ever. Cut up the potatoes however you like (cubes, discs, slices) then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper, paprika and herb de Provence. THE BEST!

Pan-seared Boneless Pork Chops

Servings: 3
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

3 boneless pork chops, about 1-1 1/2 inch thick
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more to oil pan)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic, pressed

Directions

– Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-In a zip-top bag, marinate pork chops with EVOO, garlic and seasonings for 20/30 minutes.
– Heat no more than 1-2 tablespoons of EVOO in an oven safe pan (pork chops will be well coated in oil to begin with) over medium heat
– Sear pork chops for 4-5 minutes per side (if your pork chops are thicker than 1-1 1/2in you will probably need to increase the time).
– Transfer pan to oven for 10 minutes

Gluten-free BBQ Meatloaf

February 19, 2018September 20, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Today I am sharing one of my favorite winter meals…meatloaf! I know meatloaf is a meal that’s either loved or hated {doesn’t seem like much of an in between} but I think it’s a cozy, comfort food. I have made this recipe with both lean ground beef and turkey. Turkey meat can definitely get a bit dry, so if you opt for turkey you may want to use a blend that is higher in fat. I am hoping spring is on its way, so be sure to give this recipe a try before the warm weather comes and comfort food recipes get stowed away until the fall.

When it comes to cooking meatloaf, I find there is a fine line between overdone and soggy. If your meatloaf comes out too dry, try using a different pan or adding a bit more onion. Opposite goes for a soggy meatloaf that falls apart. I have found that sometimes, too much onion is the culprit.

I have been using a loaf pan {this is the exact pan I have} for meatloaf, but I am thinking of getting a pan like this or this, to help better drain excess fat and prevent sogginess. As I am devoting more time to writing down and blogging my recipes, I have been better with measuring. Unfortunately, I find my best meals comes from days when I didn’t measure at all. I will have to work on that!

For my bridal shower, I received a lot of Pyrex items and have been getting so much use out of the 1-cup liquid measuring cup. I have also been using my stainless steel measuring cups, spoons and bowls a ton {I’ve linked products very similar to the ones I have}. When it comes to measuring cups, look for a large stainless steel set with extra sizes such as 1 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup and/or 3/4 cup. Measuring cups don’t take up very much space in the kitchen and the extra sizes really do come in handy {thanks, mom!}

Gluten-free BBQ Meatloaf

Servings: 4
Time: 1.5 hours
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Ingredients

1/14 lb 92% Grass-Fed Lean Ground Beef
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 baby carrots
1 egg
1/2 cup of plain GF bread crumbs
1/8 cup of pec or parm cheese
1/8 cup of milk (not half and half or heavy cream)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ketchup
Dash of worstichier sauce
5 tbsp bbq sauce for topping
3-4 slices of nitrate-free bacon for topping (full slices of cut into tiny pieces)

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees then chop your carrots, garlic and onion in a food processor. If you have been following my blog, you may notice that I use baby carrots in a lot of my recipes. We tend to only buy baby carrots because they double as a dinner ingredient and an easy snack. Next, combine all ingredients into a large bowl using your hands, but be careful not to over work the meat. To much mixing can make the meat tough and it won’t be as tasty. Once combined, place your mix into a loaf pan or form into a loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with BBQ sauce and bacon then pop it into the oven for 40-45 minutes. Finish it off under the broiler for 10 minutes to really crisp up the bacon.

{If you opt for turkey, remember that turkey must be cooked all the way through}

Healthy Dinner| Zoodles & Chicken Sausage

January 15, 2018 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Working full time sometimes makes cooking dinner tough. When I am researching recipes, it seems as if all of the easy recipes are unhealthy. I am all for comfort meals here and there, but overall I try to cook healthy dinners. In this blog I am sharing an easy and healthy recipe that is perfect for busy nights!

In my house, we love home cooked meals. My husband and I almost always eat dinner together. On the nights that he gets home late I usually don’t cook or go to my parent’s house. Mike is my #1 taste taster and recipe critic. I always joke that his taste buds have come a long way since we started dating in college. These days he will try anything. Today I am sharing one of his hands down favorite and most requested meals.

One of my go-to weeknight dinners is zoodles with chicken sausage and sundried tomatoes. It’s a quick and easy low-carb alternative for pasta. To save time on busy nights, remove the sausage from the casing and slice the tomatoes ahead of time. You can also find pre-made zoodles at the grocery store. I find using the food processor to chop veggies is a great timesaver too. Prep and cook this meal in about 30 minutes, making 2-4 servings.

Ingredients

1 package of organic chicken sausage

5 cups spiraled zucchini (aka zoodles…they shrink, so the more the better!)

1 cup sundried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 medium yellow onion

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Remove chicken sausage from casing then brown over medium heat and break sausage into small pieces. I suggest using a sauté pan that is deeper than a regular frying pan.

While sausage is browning, slice sundried tomatoes into thin strips and chop onion. Once sausage is cooked transfer into a bowl. Using the same pan add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic and onions (5-7 mins) then add the tomatoes (medium/low heat). Sundried tomatoes tend to soak up a lot of oil, so add a bit more to the pan and cook until they soften (5 mins).

Next, add sausage back to the pan to blend flavors together (5-7 mins).

Finally, over medium/low heat add the zoodles to the pan and mix together. I prefer to keep the zoodles on the firm side (they can get very mushy), so I won’t let them cook for more than 10 minutes. If you’re like me and don’t have a very large sauté pan you will probably need to leave the zoodles in a bit longer and may want to add a lid.