Italian Pork Chops

For my birthday last year, my mother gave me a copy of this wonderful cookbook Family Comfort Favorites by Kim Warren.  This recipe book is FULL of Kim's family's favorite recipes.  I don't know about you, but I love when one of my friends shares with me one of their families secret recipes!  Recipes that are passed down from generation to generation are always keepers in my book!  And I feel that this book is just that!  I have tried many of her recipes and so far I have yet to be let down.  

I have made these Italian Pork Chops a few times since I got this book, and can I just say that they are soooooo good!  My whole family has loved them too!  Plus you throw them in your crock pot and let the slow cooker do all the work for you :)

Recipe:

4-6 Bone-in pork chops

1 (14oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 clove garlic (minced)

1-1/2 tsp fresh Oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

1 yellow or orange bell pepper (chopped)

8-12 large button or crimini mushrooms

4-6 large slices Fresh Mozzarella cheese (1 for each pork chop)

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper 

Generously season pork chops with the garlic & onion powder, and salt & pepper.  In a large saute pan, brown both sides. (about 1-2 minutes per side)  Place the chops into the slow cooker.  

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and a pinch of pepper.  Pour over the top of the chops, cover and let cook for 7-8 hours on low.

Seed the peppers, and cut into 6-8 slices.  Clean and stem the mushrooms.  With 1-2 hours of cooking time remaining, add peppers and mushrooms to slow cooker.  Lastly, with 5-10 minutes of cooking time left, place 1 slice of fresh mozzarella on top of each pork chop and replace the cover allowing the cheese to melt.  

To serve, top each pork chop with some peppers and mushrooms and some of the tomato sauce form the pot and serve with rice.  Enjoy!

(Recipe Source: Family Comfort Favorites Cookbook)

Oven Baked Ribs and a Festive Dessert Perfect for the 4th of July.

Who ever knew that Baby Back Ribs could be so easy and SO Delicious!  These were so easy to make that I think I just might whip some more of these up for the holiday this weekend.  Since we live in an apartment right now, and do not currently have a grill right outside our back door, these brought the flavor of the grill that I was looking for and INSIDE the comfort of my home.  I served our ribs with twice baked potatoes that were equally just as delicious! They paired perfectly together.

Now if you are looking for a great dessert for the 4th of July, well, look no further because this strawberry shortcake is so tasty and Oh so Festive!

Recipe for the Ribs:

1 rack of Baby Back Ribs

1 Tbsp. of Weber Smokey Mesquite Seasoning

1 (18oz) bottle of Sweet Baby Rays hickory Brown Sugar Bbq Sauce 

Place the rack of ribs in a 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle the ribs with the Weber Seasoning.  Pour half of the bottle of bbq sauce over the ribs and cover the dish tightly with tin foil and place in the oven @ *400 and bake for 90 minutes.  When the 90 minutes is up remove the foil, pour the remaining bbq sauce over the top of the ribs, and place back into the oven and bake for 15 more minutes.  Serve with twice baked potatoes or a green salad.

For the Red White & Blue Strawberry Shortcake:
For the Shortcakes/Biscuits: (*Note if you just want biscuits only use 1 Tbsp. sugar)
2 cups Flour
4 tsp. Baking Powder
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

For the Cream:
1 pint of heavy Cream
2-3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 container of blue food coloring

Combine all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter till the mixture becomes crumbly.  Beat together the egg and the milk and stir into the dry ingredients and stir till barely blended.  Drop 3-4 Tbsp. of the dough onto a lightly greased or lined baking sheet.  Bake @*400 for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.  Let cool completely before arranging the shortcakes.

Beat together the heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and blue food coloring till stiff peaks form.

Take the cooled shortcakes and slice them in half.  Layer the cream, then strawberries, then the other half of the biscuit, and then top off with another dollop of cream.  Enjoy!

I hope you all have a Wonderful 4th of July weekend!!! 

Spicy Pork Chops

(please excuse the horrible lighting! We ate late this night)

These pork chops were so so yummy! They had so many delicious flavors going on all at the same time! They were spicy but then there were hints of honey, then you would bite down into a big piece of bacon and well, the rest is just history. They were absolutely delicious and were great for changing up the menu a bit.

Recipe:

4 bone in pork chops

4 slices of Bacon (chopped into bite sized pieces)

1/2 of a whole onion (diced)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. Honey

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. curry powder

Slice the bacon into bite sized pieces then cook it over medium heat till crisp.  Place the cooked bacon onto a paper towel to drain any excess fat.  KEEP the bacon grease in the pan! Next, take your pork chops and place them into the large skillet with the bacon grease. You are going to brown them on both sides for about 5 minutes pser side.  

Combine the soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, garlic, chili powder, and curry powder all together in one bowl.  Pour over the pork chops. Place the diced onion and bacon over the pork chops then cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer the chops for 30-35 minutes.  Serve with rice.

Slow Cooker Ribs

The hubs absolutely loves these boneless ribs, and I love them not only because they taste so good but because they are so easy to make.  Seriously, is it just me or do you all love a meal that cooks itself?! I love when i can just throw everything into one pot in the morning, clean the house (well attempt to clean), run some errands, then come home dish it up and the family thinks you've slaved for hours! Gotta love the crock pot! 

Recipe:

1 1/2 pounds Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs

Salt and Pepper 

Pinch of Garlic Salt

Homemade BBQ Sauce:

1 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup Ketchup

1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard (I prefer Grey Poupon)

1/2 tsp. Worchestshire Sauce 

1/4 tsp Hot Sauce (Tabasco or whatever you have on hand works great)

1.Season the ribs well with the salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle the garlic salt lightly also on both sides. Lightly brown the ribs in a saute pan over low-med heat before placing in the crock pot. 

2.Next, mix together all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce. Place the ribs into the crock pot and pour the sauce over the top of them. Turn the crock pot to low and cook for 6-8 hours. 

3. Serve with mashed potatoes and country gravy and either a green salad or choice of veggie. 

(Recipe Source: My Own)

Pork Chops in a Creamy Gravy

I had bought some Pork Chops the other day to mix things up a bit. Seriously, I feel like all I ever cook with is chicken! Do any of you feel that way? Like you cook the same thing over and over again. Well move over chicken cause these Pork Chops are so good!

Recipe:
4 either bone in or no bone Pork Chops (I used no bone)
1 (10.5oz) can cream of chicken soup (low-sodium is preferred)
1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
1 (1 oz) packet of onion soup mix
1 (1 oz) pork gravy packet (I actually only had a turkey gravy packet and I thought it was delish!)

Place pork chops in the slow cooker. In a separate bowl mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the chops.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with potatos, veggie, or a green salad.  Use the gravy from the slow cooker over your potatoes and pork chops! So yummy you will not be disappointed!

(Recipe source from The Country Cook on tasty kitchen)