Sauteed Pork Chops with Caramalized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar

Thank you for the comments and prayers for our tornado ravaged area this week. Clean up in Joplin is going to take such a long time but we are amazed at all of the volunteers that have come from all over to help out. There's been so many tragic stories that we heard, but also some with happy endings. I will share some of them soon. One thing is for sure, people have really pulled together to get things done.

And now, something delicious to eat! Pork chops are a wonderful meat to have on a weeknight, and if you add caramelized onions that have been drenched in Balsamic vinegar, you've got a delicious entree fit for any occasion. I made these tasty chops last week and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. My husband however decided that he's not overly fond of balsamic vinegar, but he ate them anyway. I will make these again and just keep the onions for myself! The chops were tender and moist since I used bone-in chops and the addition of the onions and balsamic was was different and delicious. I hope you'll give these a try!

Sauteed Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar
adapted from Fine Cooking

2 bone-in pork chops about 1 inch thick
1/2 of a very large onion- I used a Vidalia onion
2-3 tablespoons oil
about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Dry pork chops with paper towels and score the fat in about 3 different places (see note). Then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Thinly slice the onion and add to the heated skillet. If the onions brown too fast or begin to burn, turn down the heat. It should take about 15-20 minutes for them to caramelize. Remove the onions to a bowl.
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the same skillet and add the pork chops. Cook until brown and flip over. I used a paring knife and cut close to the bone to check doneness. If tit looks red, the meat is not done. These took about 4 minutes per side. Remove chops to a plat and tent with foil. Add the onions back to the skillet and pour the balsamic vinegar over them. Stir until incorporated with the onions and vinegar is slightly reduced.
Plate the pork chops and top with the balsamic onions. These are wonderful served with mashed potatoes, rice, or some Oven Roasted Potatoes with Herbs. Enjoy!

NOTE: When bone-in chops cook, the fat around the edge will draw up and the chops will not lay flat during cooking. To remedy this, I always cut through the fat in about 3 places with a paring knife. Just cut though barely, and the chops will lay perfectly flat whether you are pan searing or grilling and the meat will brown evenly.

Tornado!

If you have watched the news in the last 24 hours here in the states, you may have seen the tornado headlines about the area in which I live. Sunday evening a F4 tornado slammed into Joplin, Missouri and leveled a 6 mile long path of destruction in this town of 50,00 people. Fortunately, my family lives about 15 miles away in a small town, so we were not in the path. But we did spend some time in the basement when the sirens went off.



This video shows only one part of Joplin and if you look you can see a 7 story hospital which looks like it has been bombed. This was shortly after the tornado went through. There have been scores of volunteers come to help since this video was taken. So far there are 116 declared dead across this city. We have had storms all day that have been hampering rescue efforts and are expecting severe storms tomorrow.
I'm asking for your prayers for this city. All of our family is safe and accounted for, but a family in our church was in Joplin when the tornado hit. They were at Home Depot and the twister caught them in their vehicle and threw them around. Their 14 year old grandson was sucked out of the vehicle and thrown on the pavement. His skull was cracked and he's in critical condition. Their granddaughter, who is about 8 or 9, is in surgery tonight, with Doctors trying to attach her ribs back to her backbone. She also had a metal rod go through her shoulder. They need a miracle.
About 2,000 buildings have been destroyed, both homes and many businesses also.
So my friends, it will be a day or so before I post a recipe as my mind just is not on cooking. And last week I was babysitting my granddaughter while her mother was on a business trip, so not too much exciting cooking took place then either, but I'll post soon with something yummy.
Just please remember this area in your thoughts and prayers. At least 1/4 of the city is gone and much more is damaged, so many people are homeless and looking for loved ones. Thank you.

Lemon Pound Cake

 When I was a little girl, I loved sucking on lemon halves. While I don't do that anymore, when I cut one open it makes my mouth begin to water. So it's no surprise that I enjoy a great piece of lemon cake. This Lemon Pound Cake from Cook's Illustrated does not disappoint on any level. A traditional pound cake, it's heavy and dense with a fine crumb and full of butter and eggs. The lemon flavor is not overpowering, but you get a jolt of lemon from the syrup that is brushed on after baking, and the lemony glaze. We devoured it quickly. I think this would be a wonderful sweet to include to help celebrate Mother's Day, for a luncheon or an afternoon tea. I did not change the recipe, other than I didn't have the required amount of lemon zest the recipe asked for, so I added a bit more juice. At first glance I thought there were alot of details, but I discovered it was because you also make a syrup, and a glaze. Both were super easy and I advise that you don't skip those steps. Brushing this syrup over the warm cake not only imparts extra flavor, but helps to add moisture too. Hope you enjoy!

LEMON POUND CAKE
from Cook's Country-very slightly adapted

CAKE:
2 sticks of unsalted butter (16 tablespoons)- softened, but still somewhat cool
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice- recipe called for 1 1/2 T.
1 tablespoon lemon zest- recipe called for 1 1/2  T.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature- beaten

SYRUP:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. To make cake: Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.

2. Toss lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of bowl. Add in the eggs, in 3 additions, and beat well. Mixture will look curdled. With motor on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by the sour cream and lemon juice. Add another 1/3 of flour and mix well. Finish with the rest of the flour and mix, scraping the sides well. Mix until batter is smooth.

3. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake 55 to 70 minutes. Mine baked about 70.

4. For the Syrup: While the cake bakes, stir the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice together in a saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

5. Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out on the rack. Brush the top and sides of the warm cake with the syrup and cool cake completely before glazing, about 2 hours. Use all the syrup.

6. For the glaze: Whisk the sifted confectioners sugar and the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together until smooth. Spread glaze over cake and let set 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES: Like most cakes, this cake is more moist on the second day. According to CI, this cake will keep for 5 days, if wrapped tightly. It also freezes well. To freeze, apply the syrup, let cool, and wrap unglazed in two layers of plastic wrap. and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 1 month. I have not tried that. When ready to serve, defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature. Remove wrap and spread with the glaze.

TO MAKE 2 CAKES: double all the ingredients EXCEPT the eggs; use 9 eggs instead of 10.

Farfalle with Turkey Italian Sausage and Provolone

 Well, I'm back from our short, but very enjoyable anniversary trip. We enjoyed a few delightful, but very rainy days in Branson, Missouri. Branson is only about 1 1/2 hours from here so we've had many of the same storms. We've had so much rain and it's rather cool outside, but that's another story.
One of the best things about going on a trip is eating out. I loved not cooking and not having to clean up a messy kitchen. Don't get me wrong, I do love to cook, but a break every so often is something I look forward to. And now that we are back home, I'm having trouble getting back in the groove of making meals. Sigh. I didn't even have to cook for Easter. Eric, son number 1, and his wife Steff, had us over for a delicious ham dinner, so no kitchen duty that day either!
Last night I wanted something easy to make, so I used mostly what was on hand. I had gone grocery shopping and picked up some Turkey Italian Sausage and the other ingredients were items I had in my pantry.  Nothing fancy, but it was delicious and full of flavor. I browned the links of sausage in a skillet and then sliced it when cool, but you could break up the meat if you like. I used a jar of marinara, and some pasta that needed to be used, and a few spoon fulls of ricotta cheese that needed to be used. Yup, this is a pantry meal, but it turned out very tasty! Here's what I did.

FARFALLE with TURKEY ITALIAN SAUSAGE and PROVOLONE
from Lynda's Recipe Box

8 ounces farfalle, or other pasta
save about 1/2 cup water from the cooked pasta
1- 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce, or about 2 1/2 cups of homemade sauce
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
pinch of red pepper flakes
12 ounces of Italian Turkey Sausage links - or other Italian sausage or ground beef
Provolone cheese slices- or mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Save back about 1/2 cup of the water. In skillet over medium  heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and brown the sausage, covered for about 10 minutes, or until done. Reduce heat if necessary. Remove sausages to a plate to cool. Slice sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix the ricotta cheese and the marinara sauce together in a bowl. Stir in the pasta, red pepper flakes and the sliced sausage. The ricotta cheese will make the sauce thicker, so use some of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if needed. Pour into a casserole dish and top with slices of provolone or mozzarella cheese. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serves 4-6 people. Enjoy!

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins

If you like strawberries and you like muffins with a healthy twist, you should like these Strawberry Yogurt Muffins.  I am re-posting these delicious muffins because they would be a great addition to your Easter or Mother's Day brunch, or breakfast any other day. Just because they are lower in fat doesn't mean there is any less flavor. I use more strawberries than called for in the original recipe which makes them extra yummy.
I hope you'll give these a try.
I will be gone for a few days as my husband and I are taking a short trip. We are celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary! Actually it was a couple of weeks ago and we are just now getting around to it. So, I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and I'll be back in a few days catching up with all your fantastic recipes. Now here's my recipe!

STRAWBERRY YOGURT MUFFINS
adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour- original recipe uses 1 cup
1/2 cup whole wheat flour- original recipe uses 1 cup
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cups chopped strawberries- I use about 1 1/2 c.
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix the flours, sugar and baking soda. Add in the chopped strawberries and stir just to coat. In another bowl, mix the eggs and yogurt, then add the melted butter and vanilla and mix. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir in. Don't over mix; batter will be thick. Distribute batter among 12  greased muffin cups. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Hope you enjoy these delicious treats!

NOTE: If you are using cup cake liners, you may want to lightly spray them with cooking spray (PAM), as the muffins will stick to the papers at first. Or, just spray the muffin tin and don't use liners.

Watergate Salad

I'm sure just about everybody has this recipe for Watergate Salad somewhere in their possession. It's been around since about 1975 when Kraft developed it and named it Pistachio Pineapple Delight. My Mother made this often for Easter dinner and also around the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays. It is still a popular salad where I live. It shows up in about every church pot luck and many salad bars here. It is sweet; more of a dessert salad really, but it is easy to throw together and lasts several days in the refrigerator. I love the different textures in this salad; the creaminess with the crunch of the pecans and the tang of pineapple. This is another oldie but goodie recipe! Hope you enjoy..

WATERGATE SALAD

9 ounce carton whipped topping- Cool Whip
3 3/4 oz. package instant pistachio pudding
15 ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juices
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Fold dry pudding mix into whipped topping. Add canned pineapple and juice, marshmallows and chopped nuts. Mix gently and refrigerate. Serves 6-10

Fastest Cinnamon Buns ( No Yeast)

When I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to try it. Not because it promised tasty Cinnamon Buns quickly, but because the recipe uses cottage cheese! I was intrigued. This dough is similar to a buttermilk biscuit recipe; in fact the cheese is the only difference. Several reviewers had substituted ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese, so I chose to use that since I had it in my fridge. These rolls are somewhat lighter than a biscuit dough, but don't be deceived-they won't replace a traditional yeast roll. What they do is give you a delicious quick roll when the craving hits. These were mixed and baked in about 45 minutes, making them perfect to serve at brunch time, maybe for Easter or Mother's Day. If you want a delicious yeast roll, try these wonderful AmishCinnamon Rolls with Caramel Frosting . They are my favorite. But if you want something quick, these buns will do nicely. Here's the recipe.

FASTEST CINNAMON BUNS
adapted from Fine Cooking

For the Dough:
3/4 cup cottage cheese (4 percent milk fat- I used full fat ricotta)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups (9 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour; more for rolling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Recipe also used 1/4 t. cloves-1/2 t. allspice and 1 cup chopped pecans, which I did not use.

Glaze:
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 T. milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce cream cheese, softened - my addition

1. To make the dough, combine the cottage cheese, or ricotta,, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl (The recipe uses a food processor, but I don't have a large one. A hand mixer worked just fine). Mix until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until the dough comes together. It will be crumbly at first, but then come together as a soft and moist dough.
2. Scrape the dough out onto a floured surface and knead just until smooth, 5 or 6 times. Roll out dough into a 12x15 inch rectangle. ( Dough is easy to work with).

3. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, other spices and nuts if using. Brush the 2 tablespoons melted butter over the rolled out dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the dough and pat gently into the surface.
4. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal.
5. Cut into 12 even sized rolls with a sharp knife. Set the rolls, cut side up into a greased 9 inch round cake pan or spring form pan.
6. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 28 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set on wire rack to cool.

7. To make glaze, mix the confectioners sugar, milk, vanilla and cream cheese in a bowl with mixer. If it's not as thin as you like, thin it down with more milk.. Drizzle glaze over the rolls. Let stand a few minutes and then serve. Best eaten the day they are prepared. Enjoy!