Tender Boneless Pork Chops with Bacon, Apples, and Saurkraut

I just made this by combining two different recipes and it came out amazing! It was pretty easy, too! (And cheap. I love cheap!)

Here’s what you need:

• 4 boneless pork chops 1″ thick
• 6 slices of bacon cut into 1″ chunks and sauteed until crisp
• 2 apples (i used macintosh) peeled and cut into bite size chunks
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 1 can of saurkraut (drained and rinsed with water)
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 2 tbs brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Sautee the bacon slices until almost crisp and set aside
3. Brown the pork chops in the bacon drippings until browned and set aside
4. put the bacon back into the pan and add the apples. saute for 4 minutes
5. add the chopped onion and cook for 1 minute
6. add the saurkraut, applesauce, apple juice, and brown sugar – stir until heated through
7. Put everything in a baking dish and smoosh the pork chops into the mixture
8. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for one hour.
9. Let it sit out covered for 15 minutes at room temp and then PIG OUT!

Enjoy! I know I sure did!!

Slow Cooker Sweet And Spicy Beef Short Ribs

I made beef short ribs for the first time yesterday and they came out FANFREAKINGTASTIC. They were nothing short of amazing – and since I made them in my slow cooker, they were super easy to make! I found boneless beef short ribs at A&P – It was a family pack (about 1.5 Lbs) for $7. That was just enough for my husband and I, so if you are planning to feed the whole family I suggest doubling the recipe. It was absolutely amazing. I served them over piles of mashed potatoes and a side salad. Total comfort food!

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

• 1.5 Lbs Boneless Beef Short Ribs
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 cups red wine
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tbs thai chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce

Dredge the short ribs in flour and brown them in a skillet. Set aside. Then, Mix all of the other ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the short ribs to the mixture and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Meat will fall apart easily and the sauce will be slightly sticky. Spoon over mashed potatoes and pig out! YUM!!

Easy Sweet Noodle Kugel

sweet noodle kugel

When fall hits, I love to make sweet noodle dishes. I made an amazing pumpkin lasagna last night, and swedish meatballs with egg noodles for the husband. I had so many leftover egg noodles that I decided to whip up some sweet noodle kugel for breakfast.

It’s really easy to make and super inexpensive.

3/4 bag cooked egg noodles at room temp
1 cup cream cheese (at room temp)
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tsp cinnamon

combine everything but the noodles in a mixing bowl. Then toss with the noodles and put in a baking dish. sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, covered
and then 10 more minutes uncovered

Delish warm and at room temperature.

Easy Swedish Meatballs

I make this once a week. My whole family loves it, and its a cheap one skillet meal.

1 lb meatloaf mix (beef, pork, veal)
1/2 cup minced onion
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tbs kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 egg yolks

Combine all ingredients and form into small meatballs.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of celery soup, 2 cans water, 2 tablespoons of brown gravy powder mix, and a dash of nutmeg.

Brown the meatballs in a large skillet. Pour the sauce on top and once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Yum.

Simple grilled sirloin steaks

Here’s an insanely easy and delicious sirloin recipe for your summer bbqs. Get the thickest sirloin you can find ( at least one inch). Brush it with olive oil, sprinkle generously with kosher salt/garlic powder/ freshly ground pepper. Grill over high heat for 4 mins per side. Tada!

Perfect Crispy Potato Latkes (that don’t fall apart!)

And now for my very special latkes! The reason these come out so much better than others is because I do not use matzos meal or flour to disguise the muddly slush that develops while the latkes are being made. Instead, I SQUEEZE IT OUT. One handful at a time, before they go into the pan. If you do this, you will have perfectly cooked and perfectly crispy latkes that hold together and taste heavenly. I promise! Here’s what you need:

• 6 russet potatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• vegetable oil for frying

1. Preheat your oven to 300
2. Fill a big bowl half way with ice cold water
3. Peel and grate the potatoes and put them in the bowl of cold water as you go along
4. Heat 1-2 inches of vegetable oil in a big frying / saute pan
5. Strain the potatoes and place them in the center of a big kitchen towel. Roll it up jelly roll style and squeeze out all of the moisture you possibly can.
6. Return the potatoes to the large bowl, add the onion, salt, and eggs. Combine thouroughly.
7. Now, use your hands to make a ball with a handful of the mixture and squeeze it so that any extra moisture runs out. Put into the frying pan, press down on with a fork to flatten,  and repeat – repeat – repeat. This is the part that makes the latkes great, so don’t skip it. When you are done you will have a bowl full of gross brownish looking water and you will be thankful that crap is not a part of your latkes!
8. Fry for a few minutes per side (until golden and crispy).  Drain on a towel to get rid of any extra oil and the put the finished latkes directly on the rack of your warmed oven while you finish the batches.

Remove from the oven when you’re ready to serve with some applesauce and sour cream. Enjoy!

The “Gourmet” Double Down

First, let me admit that I made this as a joke. I was poking fun at my husband over his obsession with KFC’s double down. It is just SO gross and greasy. I don’t understand why he likes them so much.

That being said, after taking a bite of my version, i snapped a quick photo with my phone because IT WAS DELICIOUS! Definitely a once in a while treat, but certainly MUCH more healthy and tasty than KFC’s version. I served these with a simple caprese salad and it was an amazing meal.

• 1 LB thinly sliced (scallopine) chicken breast
• 1 cup italian bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 4 slices provolone
• 2 tbs olive oil + 1 tbs butter

1. Preheat your oven to 300.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium/high heat.
3. Rinse the chicken breasts with cold water and press them firmly into the breadcrumb/garlic salt mixture.
4. When the oil is hot, saute the chicken breasts over med/high heat until golden and crispy, flipping once.
5. place a slice of provolone between two cooked chicken pieces and place directly on the rack in your oven. they can stay there until all of your batches are complete. just make sure to leave them in there long enough for the cheese on your last “double down” to melt.

The end. They really were tasty!

Slow Cooker Corned beef Brisket and Red Potato Salad

I made this last night and it came out wonderfully. I had to do some Chanukah shopping, so I needed something that I could prepare during Cami’s nap (11:00) and be ready to wrap up for our 6:00 dinner. It was perfect and the leftovers were even better, so this could easily be made a day in advance.

(The brisket will take 6 hours in the slow cooker on the low setting and will serve at least 4)

• 1 Corned Beef Brisket with seasoning packet
• 5 red potatoes, scrubbed, left whole / skin on
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp paprika

1. Place the corned beef, potatoes, and seasing mix in the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the roast, cover, and set the temp to low.
2. Dice the celery. (You could also add diced onions and carrots too if you like.) Cover and refridgerate.
3. Let cook on low for 5 hours. at the 5 hour mark, remove the potatoes and leave the corned beef to continue cooking. the potatoes will be fork tender.
4. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, dice them up and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the celery.
5. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, and onion salt. Toss the potatoes and celery until coated. Sprinkle with paprika and set aside. They’re all done!
6. At the 6 hour mark, remove the corned beef brisket from the slow cooker. let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. Serve with the potato salad.

I also served this with rye bread, good deli mustard, and pickles. It was so yummy!

Simple Cucumber Salad

This cucumber salad is light, tasty, and easy for me to grab a bite of while I am chasing one of my children through the kitchen or in between cleaning up toys and doing dishes. I usually make a big bowl and just leave it on the kitchen table. I munch on this through most of the afternoon as well. So while it’s my favorite lunch, it also keeps from eating unhealthy snacks before dinner. This recipe can obviously be doubled, tripled, etc.

• 1 English Cucumber, peeled, cut lengthwise, and sliced into thin moons
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• freshly ground black pepper
• fat free italian dressing (i love kraft free zesty italian)
• crumbled feta

Combine the cucumber and onion, sprinkle with pepper, toss with italian dressing, and top with feta. easy easy easy.

Roasted Red Potatoes

This is the absolute easiest side dish on the planet. It goes perfectly with any type of meat and take only 30 minutes to make.

All you need are some red potatoes, olive oil, kosher salt, chopped garlic, and dried rosemary to taste.

Chop them up, toss with olive oil, garlic, and seasonings to coat. Then, bake at 400 for 30 minutes. (about 15 minutes in give them a toss so they don’t stick)

I make these ALL the time.