Air-fried Pork Chops

This is a guest post from my friend V:

I had thin sliced pork (7 slices to the pound instead of 4), so it came out a bit dry. Next time, I'll remember to cook it less :) I used Trader Joe's Garlic Aoli Mustard (no Dijion) and it tastes really yummy!

Ingredients
1 pound pork loin chops
24 tsp (1/2 cup) Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Canola oil spray

Directions
Slice pork into four 4-oz. portions.
Thickly coat pork chops with Dijon mustard (you may not need all of the mustard). In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Dredge pork chops in crumbs. Arrange pork chops on a wire rack set on top of a sheet pan. Spritz bread crumb coating with a little bit of oil spray. Place under broiler and cook on both sides until coating is brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

Deep Dish Pizza (Meaty Version)

See also Veggie Deep-Dish Pizza. I often make one of each.
Ingredients
Crust

• 1 C water
• 1/4 C olive or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 C lukewarm water
• 3/4 C cornmeal
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

Sauce

• 2 28-oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper ground
• 4 Tbsp olive oil

Fillings

• 2 C mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage, cooked & sliced
• 1/2 lb pepperoni, sliced or diced
• 4 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions
For crust:
In work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine dry ingredients. With mixer running on medium-slow speed, drizzle oil in a slow stream and mix until combined. Add water in a slow stream, only as fast as flour can absorb, until dough forms and begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Increase speed and knead for several minutes until smooth and elastic. Dough may be quite soft, but if it is too sticky knead in a bit more all-purpose flour. If it is too stiff, and more water, a small splash at a time. Remove the dough hook and gather the dough into a ball. Allow to rest about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425° and prepare 2 12-inch round deep-dish pizza pans. If using stoneware bakers, no preparation is needed. If using metal pans, brush with oil. When dough has rested, divide in half and press evenly over bottoms and up sides of the pans. Prick all over with a fork. Bake in preheated 425° oven for 5 minutes
For sauce:
In large skillet, saute onion, peppers, herbs, and spices in olive oil until peppers and onion are tender. Stir in well-drained tomatoes & mushrooms. Cook lightly, then remove from heat.
To assemble:
For each pizza, arrange half the sliced sausage and half the pepperoni in the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Cover with a layer of half the mozzarella, then spread a layer of half the sauce. Top with half the Parmesan. Use the second half of the ingredients to assemble the second pizza. Bake the pizzas 20-30 minutes in at 425° oven, or until bubbly and golden-brown.

Italian Chicken Thighs(Slow-Cooker)

Great over pasta (such as spinach fettuccine) or garlicky smashed potatoes.

Ingredients
12 skinless bone-in chicken thighs, about 3 lbs
1 14.5-oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 C chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions
Combine all ingredients except chicken and stir well. Place chicken in slow cooker; pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on high 1 hour, reduce to low and cook 4-5 hours more. Remove chicken pieces, and use a fork to pull meat from bones. Return chicken meat to sauce and stir to re-combine. Serve over pasta or garlicky smashed potatoes. 6 servings.

Huli-Huli Chicken

Last May, V & I went to Hawaii. It was a fabulous trip, not least of all because while we were there, V met her sweetie-pie, Sonny. A year and a half of arduous long-distance relationship later, they are still together, and we all think he is pretty certainly The One for her. Yay!
Another lovely thing that we encountered, besides Sonny, was Huli-Huli Chicken. It's sold all over Oahu, at roadside fundraisers and in supermarket delis (on the mainland we have rotisserie chicken in various flavors. In Hawaii, it's Huli-Huli). A kind of barbecue that's kind of sweet, kind of tangy, and other than that, hard to describe, Huli-Huli was also hard to replicate once I returned home. There are lots of recipes out there on the InterWebs, but none of them are quite the same as what we ate almost daily on our Hawaiian picnics.
The one I've found that comes the closest so far is this one, from Rachel Ray's Everyday magazine. I followed all the directions, except I grilled on a barbecue grill instead of broiling it. Even though it wasn't exactly the same as the real thing, all my friends (who haven't been to Hawaii) love it. Thanks, Rach! Here is Rachel Ray's recipe for Huli-Huli Chicken:

Ingredients:
One 4-pound chicken, cut in half
Salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled
One 1½-inch piece ginger, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate

Directions:
Loosen the skin of the chicken breast and season underneath it with salt. Season the exterior of the chicken with more salt. Let the chicken rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Line a broiler pan with foil and preheat the broiler.
Using a food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, rice-wine vinegar and pineapple juice concentrate and process until well combined. Strain the marinade into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the pulp.
Blot the excess salt and moisture from the chicken and place the halves skin side down on the broiler pan. Broil, turning the chicken with tongs every 5 minutes for the first 20 minutes, until the raw surfaces have cooked. Continue to cook, turning and basting with the marinade every 5 minutes, until well browned, 20 minutes longer; cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.

Guinness Stew

This recipe traces its origins to a misadventure. While on our Grand Adventure Road Trip, V & I, fatigued from travel and a long, hot day in New Hampshire, forgot one of the Road Rules that had kept us from disaster thus far. Following hand-made signs indicating "Quilts for Sale," we deviated from the directions on The Clipboard, turned off the highway onto a gravel road that did not appear on the map, and proceeded to make numerous turns down unmarked gravel roads without making any notes on our route.
We did locate the quilt shop, in a very nice lady's front room, but then on our way back to the highway, became hopelessly lost in a vast maze of un-marked, identical, intersecting, looping gravel logging roads through dense forest. Our tummies began to growl. Hunger and fatigue dulled our wits and sharpened our tongues, and we began to snap at one another for only the second time in a month of living in our car. Storm clouds gathered, and a terrifying thunderstorm struck. The gas light came on on the dashboard. We recognized landmarks that told us, not the way out, but that we were going in circles. Stormwater sluiced down the roadside ditches and over the gravel, and the huge trees writhed like living creatures. It grew dark in the stormy woods. We were lost as we had never been lost before. There were few houses, far apart, and none of them looked like anyone was home. This was before the days of GPS, which probably wouldn't have helped us on these unmapped logging roads anyway.
At last, we did locate a house near the road with many vehicles outside and and with lights on. We asked for and were given directions, back to paved roads and the nearest gas station. The storm abated as we found the blacktop, bought fuel, and re-oriented ourselves to the map.
Ravenous, we headed back toward our campsite but wisely realized that we would die of hunger before getting a fire going and preparing a camp-cooked meal. So we turned into the tiny village, only to find no restaurants open (it was a weekday evening in the off-season of an area that only really comes alive for ski season).
Desperate, we headed back out of town, and stopped at a chain hotel with a restaurant in the parking lot. It looked like a cheesy faux-Irish pub, and we did not expect great things, but we were starving. We told the waitress a brief outline of our story and asked her, "what can you bring us right now, without waiting for something to cook?" Soup, she said. There were two soups that day, and one of them was Irish Stew. V ordered the other soup, and I had the stew. As the waitress brought it to our table, the last of the stormclouds outside parted, the setting sun broke through, and a rainbow appeared (I'm not making this up- just ask V!). The Irish stew at that tacky hotel pub was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted in my life.
Long after the Road Trip ended, I was obsessed with replicating that stew. I collected recipes and tried them, one after another, with endless variations. One day 2 or 3 years after the trip, combining at least 3 recipes from different sources, I came up with this one. It is the perfect stew. Rich, meaty, filling, and utterly delicious, it gets rave reviews from everyone who tastes or even smells it.
Guinness Stew is even better as re-heated leftovers than when first prepared. It freezes well, also.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb beef chuck, or other stew beef, cut in chunks
1/2 C flour (to coat beef)
4 to 6 potatoes, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
4 to 6 carrots, washed (not peeled), & cut in chunks
3 Tbsp bacon fat or oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 can or bottle dark Guinness
salt to taste (you will need much more than you think. too little, and the stew will taste flat)

Directions:
Coat beef chunks with flour. Melt bacon fat or heat oil in large, heavy kettle. Brown floured meat on all sides. Add 1 C Guinness & the Worcestershire sauce; simmer 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add 1 C water, herbs & spices, & remaining Guinness. Simmer on medium-high 10-15 minutes. Add potato & carrot chunks. Add enough additional water to barely cover. Simmer on medium at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Or, transfer all to a large slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If needed, thicken broth with a small amount of flour-water slurry. Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning; remove bay leaves before serving.

Garam Masala Lamb Chops

Serve with Samosa-Spiced Mashed Potatoes or Indian Spiced Couscous

Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp prune baby food
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
4 4-oz lamb rib chops (about 1 inch thick), trimmed
1/3 C dry bread crumbs
nonstick cooking spray

Instructions
Preheat broiler. Combine 1st 4 ingredients into a paste. Coat lamb chops w/ prune paste, then dredge in crumbs. Coat crumbed chops w/ cooking spray; spray broiler pan w/ more cooking spray. Place chops on tray and broil 3-4 minutes per side or to preferred done-ness. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 2 servings of 2 lamb chops.

Chicken Enchiladas

A little more work than Chicken Enchilada Casserole, but more richly flavored.

Ingredients
Sauce
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 C chili powder
2 C chicken stock
10 oz tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Enchiladas
3 C cooked chicken, shredded
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mexican spice blend
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sm. can green chiles, drained and minced fine
sm. amount tomato sauce
2 C shredded cheese
16 flour tortillas
1-2 C enchilada sauce

Instructions
For sauce:
Heat oil and add flour, stirring and smoothing w/ wooded spoon. Cook 1 min. Add chili powder and cook 30 seconds. Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
For enchilada filling:
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chiles and saute 2 minutes more. Add chicken and seasonings and stir to combine; heat through. This is the filling.
To build:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Spread a ladleful of suace over the bottom of the pan. Dip each tortilla in the remaining sauce to soften them, then divide the filling among the tortillas- making a thin line down the middle of each tortilla. Divide half the cheese equally among the tortillas atop the filling; reserve the remaining half of the cheese. Roll up the tortillas and arrange in the pan. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas and top with the reserved cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and delicious and the cheese forms a golden crust. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before serving with hot Spanish rice and beans.

Country Captain Chicken(Slow-Cooker)

A delicious slow-cooker recipe from my friend Ben. Be sure to use Madras curry powder, as regular curry powder becomes bitter with long cooking times. Traditional garnishes include any or all of the following:
sliced toasted almonds, shredded coconut, diced Granny Smith apples, and diced bananas. Serve over long-grain rice, or a with a generous helping of Samosa-Spiced Mashed Potatoes.

Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), excess fat trimmed
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped coarse
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (9-ounce) jar chutney, such as Major Greyʼs
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plate, allow to cool slightly, then remove and discard skin. Transfer chicken to slow-cooker.
Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and return pan to medium-high. Add onions, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste and, using wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits from pan bottom. Simmer until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in chutney, garlic, curry powder, paprika, thyme, and cayenne. Pour mixture into slow-cooker to cover chicken pieces.
Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 6 hours. Turn off slow cooker, remove lid, and gently stir sauce to recombine. Replace lid and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and choice of garnishes.
Serves 6 - 8

Faux Chicken Cacciatore (slow-cooker version)

A ridiculously easy faux-cacciatore recipe for when you are really time-crunched, or lazy. The deliciousness is directly correlated with the quality and flavor of the sauce you use.
Bone-in chicken pieces can also be used, but you will have to fish them out of the pot when done, cut/pull the meat off the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Pull off the skin before cooking, or the result will be quite greasy.
This recipe is an excellent use for frozen bell pepper strips, often sold with onions as "pepper stir fry blend"

Ingredients
1-2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins
1/3 C chopped onion
1/3 C bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 C strips)
3 C or 1 large jar of very yummy spaghetti sauce

Ridiculously Easy Directions
Add onions and peppers to bottom of slow cooker, then chicken, then pour sauce over all. Cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Serve over pasta, with salad & garlic bread.

Chicken, Apple, & Cheddar Empañadas

If making fresh pastry dough is too fussy for the time at hand, substitute prepared pie dough, canned crescent roll dough, or simply make quesadillas using the filling below and flour tortillas.

Ingredients
1 sm. Granny Smith apple, diced 1/4"
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp butter
1 sm. red onion, minced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 3/4 tsp dried)
2/3 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste
pastry dough (recipe follows) or 2 cans crescent roll dough

Instructions
Mix apples & lemon juice. In medium skillet on medium heat, melt butter and cook onion and garlic until soft (3 min). Add apple & cook until just softened (2 min). Add chicken and cook through. Dump mixture into a bowl. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shred chicken; mix in cheese and seasonings. Fill small folds of dough (about 3-4 inches) with 2-3 Tbsp of filling, crimp shut with fork, and brush with beaten egg. Do not over--fill, or filling will leak out! Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until golden.


Pastry dough for empañadas:
3 3/4 C flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp shortening
12 Tbsp butter
1/2 C + 2 Tbsp ice water

Cut shortening and butter into flour, salt, & sugar. Add water 1 spoonful at a time, stirring gently until a dough just begins to come together. Press together into a ball and knead the minimum amount needed to form a cohesive dough. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to form 3-4 inch circles, or a pizza cutter to form 3-4 inch squares. Fill with small amount of filling (2 Tbsp is usually enough), and fold in half; crimp closed with fork.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This recipe has several steps, but is still relatively easy (easier than rolling individual enchiladas, anyway!), and the results are delicious. Assembly is very much like making lasagna. You could easily add more/different vegetables such as squash and/or beans to the chicken mixture, or even make a completely vegetarian version.
Enchilada casserole keeps well as leftovers, can be frozen before or after baking, and makes a great take-along dish for pot-lucks.

Ingredients
Sauce:
1 28-oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Filling:
4 C fully cooked chicken, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp mexican spice blend
2 Tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced fine, with some of the sauce
1 tsp salt
2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
12 large tortillas, cut into 3-inch wide strips

Instructions
Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, to combine flavors.
Meanwhile, in large skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until clear. Add spices and minced chipotles, saute 1 minute more. Stir in chicken & heat through, remove from heat, and stir in 1 1/2 C of the cheese. This is the filling.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray the bottom & sides of a 13x9-in pan. Spread a ladle of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Arrange 1/3 the tortilla strips in an even layer, followed by half the filling, then spread 1/3 of the remaining sauce; repeat another 1/3 of the tortillas, the remaining half of the filling, another 1/3 of sauce, the last 1/3 of the tortillas, and finally the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 C of cheese. Bake at 400° until bubbly, golden, & beautiful- about 30 minutes.

15-Minute Beef Stroganoff

An old favorite from my childhood. Found this in my recipe folder on a yellowed piece of scrap paper, in Mom's handwriting, spattered with what I really hope was gravy ;-D

Ingredients
1 pound beef round steak
butter
1 3-oz can (approx 2/3 C) sliced mushrooms with their liquid
2/3 C water
1 envelope beefy-onion dry soup mix
1 C dairy sour cream
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
6 C cooked egg noodles

Instructions
Trim fat from beef; reserve. Slice beef diagonally across the grain into very thin strips. Heat a large skillet and render the fat from the beef trimmings; remove trimmings leaving melted fat in skillet. Add enough butter to the beef fat in the skillet to make 3 Tbsp. Add the sliced beef and brown.

Stir in mushrooms with their liquid, water, and soup mix, bring to boil. Meanwhile, blend together sour cream and flour. Reduce heat under skillet to low simmer, and gently stir in the sour cream mixture. Simmer gently, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened- it will still be runny. Serve hot over cooked egg noodles.

Low-Carb Variation
Omit flour and serve over cooked shredded spaghetti squash. Sauce will be runnier, but it's still yummy!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

This recipe comes from my friend and co-worker Amy. I have not yet tried it myself, but she assures me it is delicious. I'll be sure and post an update when I do get a chance to try it.

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb fresh ground pork
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Instructions
Thoroughly combine all ingredients. Form into patties and cook on a medium-hot griddle or skillet until browned and no pink remains in center; drain on paper towels. Or, layer uncooked patties between waxed paper and freeze in airtight zip-top freezer bag.

Peruvian Pulled Pork

This is my version of a dish I first had at Cheeseburger in Paradise, which is sadly no longer on the menu. I combined several recipes I found around the interwebs to come up with something similar. Caution- the tumeric in the marinade will stain cloth, and even some light-colored countertops! Wear an apron, and handle the marinade over the sink, or you may regret it!

I use this deliciously savory pork for sandwiches: spread split crusty rolls with garlic/onion butter and lightly toast, layer with pulled pork, caramelized onions, and sharp cheddar cheese, then toast again to heat through and melt cheese. It's incredible.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder

1/4 C white vinegar

1/4 C water

1 Tbsp ground turmeric

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 tsp ground black pepper or to taste

Directions

Remove the bone and skin from the pork shoulder and cut the meat into several baseball-sized chunks. Place in slow cooker.

Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over pork in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight, or high 4 hours, or until the meat is falling-apart tender. Remove pork from cooking liquid and allow to cool slightly, then shred with 2 forks (or your fingers). Use in sandwiches or burritos.

Chicken Satay

This recipe makes enough of the sauce/marinade for 2 pounds of chicken. My favorite use of this fabulous chicken is to slice or dice it up, warm it briefly, and wrap it in a flatbread (also warm) with fresh baby spinach and cheese. I suspect it would also make kick-booty chicken salad.

Ingredients:

• boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, or breasts cut into strips.
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 C. peanut butter
• 1/2 C. milk (can substitute soy or coconut milk)
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 C. hoisin sauce (Chinese sauce found in jars on Asian/ethnic aisle)
• juice of 1 lime, or 2 Tbsp
• 3/4 tsp ground dried ginger (or 1 Tbsp fresh grated)
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Whisk together all ingredients except chicken until smooth and combined. Scoop 1/2 C mixture per each pound of chicken into a large zip-top bag (save the rest in the fridge for later). Add the chicken, seal the bag, and skoosh all around to coat the chicken. Refrigerate 3 hours to overnight.

Remove chicken and discard marinade left in bag. Cook the chicken strips by:

• Threading onto skewers and searing on a hot charcoal or gas grill, 2-3 minutes per side
• Searing on a hot griddle, 2-3 minutes per side
• Cooking on a counter-top grill (George Foreman-type), approx. 4 minutes
• Broiling, turning once, 2-5 minutes per side.

Serve immediately with reserved sauce for dipping, or refrigerate for use in other recipes.