Pork Quesadilla's

Pork Quesadilla's

1 large garlic clove, unpeeled
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for grates
1 pork tenderloin (3/4 to 1lb)
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
4 tbsp spicy brown mustard, plus more for serving
4 flour tortilla's ( I used low carb)
6 oz thinly slice deli ham
3-4 dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise or use the sandwich stacker pickles
8 oz provolone or swiss, coarsely shredded ( I used a mozzarella provolone shredded cheese)

Place the unpeeled garlic clove on a cutting board and smash with the flat side of a knife blade. Peel off the papery skin and discard, trim away the root end. Holding the tip of the blade steady on the cutting board with your free hand and rocking the base of the blade back and forth, chop the garlic into coarse even pieces. Gather the chopped garlic in a pile, sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Place the flat side of the knife blade on top; press firmly, pulling the knife toward you. Repeat until a paste forms. In a small bowl, combine with a 1/4 tsp pepper and the oil. Rub all over pork. ( if you do not want to use fresh garlic, you can substitute 1/8 tsp of garlic powder) The originial recipe has this done on a grill, well i don't have a grill, so I improvised. Heat a large pan, add 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil or olive oil. Make sure not to burn the oil. Brown both sides of the pork, transfer to a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 350 degrees until a thermometer reads a 160 degrees when inserted in the center. Meanwhile cook the onions until soft and caramelized, set aside. When the pork is done, cut the pork along the grain into thin slices. Take each tortilla and spread 1 tbsp of the Spicy Brown Mustard, layer the ingredients on one side of the tortilla, pork, ham, pickle, onion, and cheese. Fold the tortilla over and press firmly and place into a heated non stick skillet, on med-low heat, if not a non stick make sure to spray the pan with pam and then the top of the tortilla so when you flip it its already greased.

Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

3 oranges
2 garlic cloves,minced.
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs trimmed boneless sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1/2 in thick strips
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp canola oil
6 scallions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch lengths
white rice for serving

Into a small bowl, finely grate some of the orange into zest making sure not to get any of the white part, you should have a 1 tbsp and squeeze the juice from 1 orange. Add the garlic and soy sauce.
With a sharp paring knife, peel the remaining 2 oranges. Slice the oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve the slices; push out and discard any seeds. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss meat with the cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed) brown the beef on all sides, 3-5 minutes; transfer to plate.
Pour the juice mixture into the skillet and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return the beef to the skillet; add the orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve ho, with white rice ( or brown if you prefer)

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

3/4 c. plain bread crumbs
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
8 chicken cutlets or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves, halved horizontally
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 c. jarred tomato sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
6 oz fresh mozzerella cheese cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Heat the broiler. Combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the beaten egg then dredge in the bread crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides. Spread the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 10x15 inch baking dish. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 4 chicken cutlets in the skillet; cook until golden, 1-3 min ea side. Using a spatula, transfer the browned chicken cutlets to the baking dish, placing them on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken cutlets. Top each cutlet with a slice of mozzarella. Broil about 4 inches from the heat source until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, 5-8 minutes. Serve immediately.

The other way is to heat the oven to 350 and bake until temp reads 160 then put it under the broiler to brown up the cheese.

Note- you can thin the boneless skinless chicken breast halves out between two pieces of plastic wrap using a mallet.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Oven Baked Polenta

Braised Chicken w/mushrooms and oven baked polenta

4 boneless, skinless chicken brreast halves about 6 oz ea
coarse salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 dry white cooking wine
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp salt each side and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil ( don't be afraid to add more if needed) in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken; cook until lightly browned, 2-3 min per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices, 2-3 minutes. Remove lid. Cook over high heat, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced, 8-10 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover; simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve the cutlets and polenta topped with mushrooms and a drizzle of the cooking liquid. Garnish with additional parsley.

Oven Baked Polenta

3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
coarse salt and pepper.
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground marjoram

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a lidded baking dish or dutch oven, whisk together 3 c. water, the cornmeal, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from the oven and add the milk, butter, and marjoram, and whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves 4. recipe is from Everyday food fast.

Holly's Beef Roast

Beef Roast

4-5lbs beef chuck roast
2 tbsp + 2 tsp Red Cooking Wine
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Mix the Red wine, onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup mix in crock pot. Season the roast with salt and pepper. In a medium pan sear both sides of the roast. Place in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours. Best served with mashed potato's or brown rice. This is super Yummy!! 

Black-eyed Pea Salad

Black- Eyed Pea Salad

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

2tbsp Cider Vinegar

2tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 can (15oz) Black-Eyed Peas, rinsed and drained.

1 pkg Frozen Corn Kernels, thawed

1 Red Bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a medium container whisk the first 3 ingredients together. Add vegetables,

season with salt and pepper, toss to combine.

This can be refrigerated up to 3 days.

Radish Slaw

Radish Slaw
2 Cucumbers
4-6 Radish's
2 tbsp minced red onion
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar

Peel the cucumbers. Halve length wise; scrape out any seeds with a teaspoon. Slice the cucumbers very thin on a diagonal. * I used a mandolin and sliced length wise.

Thinly slice enough radishes to equal 1 c. In a large colander, toss the vegetables w/ 1/2 tsp of salt. Top the mixture with a plate that fits inside the colander. Weight with a heavy object. Drain in the sink for 20 min, squeeze the vegetables in paper towels to dry.

Transfer to a bowl, toss with minced onion, vinegar, olive oil, and sugar, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.