Fresh Berry Fun

I'm a big salty and sweet person. Peanut butter and chocolate. Pretzels and frosting. In fact, I just found this site that gives some other unusual combos: 24 Unexpectedly Awesome Sweet and Salty Combos.

Is there some combo you can't live without? Well, in that vein. I have a lot of recipes for sauces paired with meat that involve fruit. It gives you that natural sugar taste with the savory/salt aspect of whatever spices you rub on the meat.

I believe you could use this for more than just pork chops. Perhaps chicken or beef or even a pork roast, especially since it's a sauce you put on top at the end, after your meat is cooked.

 Blackberry Sauced Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1/2 c. blackberry jam/jelly                   1 tbsp. lemon juice                     1 tbsp. soy sauce
dash cinnamon                                   4 pork chops                               2 tsp. steak seasoning
2 tsp. olive oil                                      1 c. fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the jam/jelly, lemon juice, soy sauce and cinnamon.
2. Cook and stir over low heat until jam/jelly is melted.
3. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with steak seasoning.
5. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes.
6. Serve with sauce and blackberries. 

Obviously if you are using this for a roast, which will take longer to cook, I'd wait until your roast is close to coming out of the oven so that your sauce stays warm.

As always, have fun!

Mom's Favorites: Eating Healthy

Here's one more idea for tomorrow's big day. A grill recipe that packs a lot of flavor but is healthy too. Seafood lovers ... get ready for a fresh, sweet seafood recipe.

Seafood is always a great last minute meal as well as it usually is a quick defrost.  It only needs to marinate for about an hour and in the blink of an eye it cooks easily and quickly on the grill.  Pair it with a fresh fruit relish and you'll delight your mom for sure!

Brown Sugar Salmon & Strawberries

Ingredients:
1/3 c. packed brown sugar       1 tbsp. oil       1 tsp. ground mustard      1 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt                               4 salmon filets (5 oz. each)
1 tbsp. fresh mint                      1 tbsp. oil      1 tbsp. lemon juice            2 tsp. lemon peel
1/8 tsp. sugar         1 c. finely chopped strawberries            1 small cucumber, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients.
2. Rub over the flesh side of the salmon.
3. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour.
4. For the relish, in another bowl, mix mint, oil, lemon juice and sugar.
5. Add strawberries & cucumber. 
6. Toss to coat.
7. Place salmon on grill, skin side down.
8. Grill, covered, over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes or until flesh flakes easily with a fork.
9. Serve with the relish.

Now that you've had a week of easy recipes to guide you, go forth and celebrate your mom. And to all you moms, grandmas, aunts and surrogate moms out there - enjoy your day!

As always, have fun!

Leftovers Maybe?

How was your Easter? Is your belly full of chocolate? How about that Easter dinner?

It's the morning after and you're just hoping you have enough leftovers so you don't have to cook tonight. Or, maybe, you ate so many yummy treats that you want something quick, simple and healthy. Or, maybe, it's a little from Column A and a little from Column B. So, I'm keeping this post short and sweet.

Salad. You usually can't go wrong with a salad. You can have it on your own or as a side. Or you could even just cut up some of your leftover meat and throw it in.  Any way you look at it, a salad is a simple option when you just don't feel like cooking.

Evergreen Salad

Ingredients:
lettuce                          1 green apple             1/2 c. toasted pecans          1/2 c. pine nuts       3/4 c. dried cranberries

Dressing:                      1/2 c. cider vinegar     2 tsp. dijon mustard            1/4 c. orange juice
3/4 c. olive oil                1 tbsp. honey

Directions:

1. Use as much lettuce in your salad as you want - I'm not a huge fan, but I tend to use romaine.
2. Chop the apple.
3. Mix the lettuce, apple, pecans, pine nuts and dried cranberries in a bowl.
4. Mix the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad.
5. Serve.

I hope the Easter Bunny was good to all of you. As always, have fun!

Cherry Pork

It's the main event! My alternative to a ham with yet another fruit involved in the meal. This time, cherries.  This sweet pork roast has a little bit of a zing to it with the addition of horseradish.  

Don't be deterred by the cooking sherry. You can pick up a cheap bottle at most grocery stores.  If you really need to substitute something else in for it, google options online. Depending on the recipe, there are numerous options from white wine to vodka to chicken broth or even orange juice.  Since you've already got orange juice in this recipe, I'd lean toward the white wine or chicken broth. 

Roasted Pork with Cherry Sauce

Ingredients:

2 - 3 lb boneless pork loin roast               21 oz. cherry pie filling                1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 c. dry cooking sherry                         1 tbsp. Dijon mustard                   1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. prepared horseradish

Directions:

1. Place roast on rack in a shallow baking pan.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hrs or until meat thermometer reads 155.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Brush cherry sauce over roast twice during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
7. Cover roast with foil and let stand 10-15 minutes before slicing.
8. Reheat cherry sauce - and serve with roast.

And that's it, a full meal. Did you save room for dessert? I hope so, since I've come up with a unique way to end this meal. Stay tuned tomorrow!

As always, have fun!

A Fruity Twist on Rolls and Butter

Being a very picky eater when I was young always made holiday dinners with the family a challenge. Often times, the only thing I knew for certain that I would eat was whatever rolls were being served.  Thanksgiving was turkey, rolls, some cut veggies and a scoop of this or that to be polite. Rolls helped me stomach ham at Easter as I don't hate it but I don't love it either.I could just pretend it was a mini ham sandwich! But, I digress. I picked the following recipe as another opportunity to add some produce to the meal. The apple is a sweet and tasty surprise!

Apple Biscuits

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, cut in small pieces       2 c. self rising flour        1 tbsp. sugar           pinch of salt
1 apple, chopped                              1 egg, beaten                2 tbsp. molasses     5 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
3. Sift flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
4. Rub in the butter with your fingers until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5. Stir chopped apple into mixture until just combined.
6. Mix together beaten egg, molasses and milk. 
7. Add to dry ingredients to form a soft dough.
8. Roll dough to 3/4 inch thick.
9. Cut out 8 biscuits.
10. Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
11. Transfer to cooling rack.

Tomorrow's recipe will give you a break in labor - it's a crock pot recipe that you can set to go early in the day and forget about it.

As always, have fun!

Smoothies

I was just craving a milkshake and thought about the fact I haven't done any drink recipes so far. Sadly, I looked in that section in the trusty recipe box and realized there was a good reason. I only have 2!

My milkshake recipe is better suited for fall, so I've elected to go with my spring, almost summery smoothie recipe instead! It's sweet and a little sour and quite refreshing.

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothies

Ingredients

2 cups lemonade             3/4 c. lemon yogurt        

1/2 tsp. vanilla                  2 c. frozen unsweetened strawberries

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Cover and process 15 seconds or until blended.
3. Serve immediately.

This is one of those recipes that can easily get switched up, depending on your flavor preferences.  Sub in some raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. Do you have a thought on a different flavor of yogurt? If so, be bold and experiment! You may just make something amazing.

As always, have fun!