italian style stuffed pork chops

 
These are really yummy. The filling reminds me of a really good spinach dip and I just happen to adore a good spinach dip.

italian style stuffed pork chops (adapted from blog: Andrea The Kitchen Witch)
makes 4 chops
4 thick cut boneless pork loin chops
4 ounces cream cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1/4 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
kosher salt and pepper
drizzle of oil

Preheat oven to 300F.
In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, Asiago, tomatoes, spinach, garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Divide this cheese mixture into thirds.
Create a pocket in the pork chops and stuff one portion of the cheese mixture in it. Sprinkle stuffed chops with salt and pepper.
Heat an oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, once pan is hot add the chops. Sear chops on 1 side, once they're nicely browned flip and put pan in the oven, cook about 5-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F. Remove from oven and hot pan, allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

mexican marinated carrots

 
I love these! They're a little bit sweet, spicy, tangy and salty. They're an excellent addition to any meal.

mexican marinated carrots (adapted from cooks.com)
1 package baby carrots
3 cups water
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
12 jalapeno rings from a jar
1/4 cup juice from jalapeno peppers jar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook carrots in the water for 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender. Do not overcook. Rinse with cold water. Drain. Add other ingredients to the carrots. Marinate.

zucchini with lemon and thyme

The first time we tried this recipe I remember my husband said, "This is good for zucchini." Tonight as his plate sat with plastic wrap over the top I could hear him saying that over and over again in my mind. It was good and it was zucchini. Give it a try. We all need to eat more veggies.

zucchini with lemon and thyme (Everyday Food Magazine)
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (3 medium)
2 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Cut zucchini into large pieces. In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and toss to coat in oil. Season with sea salt and ground pepper and cook until golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

authentic swedish tosca cake

Anytime I see a recipe that contains the word authentic I want to try it. I'm so glad I tried this recipe! I love the almond flavor and I enjoyed watching my daughter sink her teeth into a slice right after she came home and threw her backpack on the floor. I witnessed her big blue eyes close as she hummed,"Mmmmmm".

authentic swedish tosca cake (blog: Cucina di Harwood)
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup milk
1 2/3 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract

Cream eggs and sugar for 5 minutes at medium speed in a mixer or with a hand held mixer. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder. Add butter, milk, and flour mixture to egg mixture. Add each one individually and quickly mix them together. (If you mix the melted butter and the milk at the same time, it will make your butter harden.) Once all added, blend for 2 minutes. Pour into a 9x9 or 11x7 greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

glaze
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 ounces chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Melt butter in saucepan; add milk, sugar, flour and almonds. Boil for 2 minutes- begin timing about as soon as you see bubbles. If you let it boil too long, it may make it stiff and could burn. Spread over cake; put under the broiler in the oven until it has a light brown color.

garlic chicken

 
This is so simple and so tasty. Everyone in the family really enjoyed this dish. I, of course, had to add some spice so added lots of garlic chili sauce to my portion. I offered Soba noodles and steamed rice with this stir-fry and the noodles were the big hit.

garlic chicken (blog: You're Gonna Bake It After All)
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
broccoli flowerettes
carrots, cut into match-sticks
mushrooms, optional
green onions with some tops, sliced
1 can water chestnuts, sliced (I used celery instead)
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
2 teaspoons chopped or grated garlic
Note: any vegetables can be added to this such as snow pea pods or bamboo shoots. Amounts of chicken and each vegetable are up to your discretion.

marinade
1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce

sauce
3 heaping teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix together cornstarch and soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl. Add chicken, stir, and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut vegetables and dissolve chicken bouillon into 1 cup hot water.
Saute chicken in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir-fry until chicken is white. Add the chicken bouillon water, the carrots, and 2 teaspoons chopped garlic. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Uncover and add the rest of the vegetables and a sauce made of 3 heaping teaspoons honey and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir-fry until done. Serve over cooked rice.

chocolate-chocolate pancakes

If you like pancakes, you'll fall in love with these. When you press on the pancakes while cooking, chocolate oozes out of the top. Amazing. Daughter #2 has been asking for these every Sunday for a while now so I decided this morning I'd surprise her with a big stack.

chocolate-chocolate pancakes (American Lifestyle Magazine)
1 2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups milk

Put the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and vanilla together. Add melted butter, then milk and continue to blend. Pour the liquid mix over the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly. It should be about the consistency of a really good chocolate milkshake (and it smells divine!). Place a griddle or a large skillet over moderate heat and brush the surface with a little melted butter. Using a ladle, drop batter onto the griddle to make pancakes about 2-3 inches across. Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles appear on the surface. Flip gently, and cook for another minute on the other side.
You can serve these with whatever you desire, although they really don't need anything on them. The recipe called for a raspberry compote but you could use blueberry. I pulled out some leftover cinnamon syrup and some slices of banana. If you want to keep it simple, you could simply dust some powdered sugar over the top or add a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

brazillian shrimp soup (seafood soup)

This is a mild, super delicious soup.

12/11/24 update:  I recently turned this shrimp soup into a seafood soup by adding fresh cubed salmon and clams.  I also add spinach.  Love this soup!

brazillian shrimp soup (blog:adapted from Delightful Bitefuls)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped (or use 3 tablespoons dried minced onion)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown basmati rice or your favorite rice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups water
1 can light unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro or basil, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper flakes, salt, crushed tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Stir in the coconut milk. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice and basil. Serve immediately.

What I hasve to say- Next time I will double the red pepper flakes.