Saucy Apple Pork Chops

It may sound weird, but throw a little garlic, ginger, and soy sauce into some applesauce, and you have the makings for a flavorful and tender pork chop dish.  This is a recipe to serve not only to family, but also to company.  If you have the pork chops on hand, you probably already have all the other ingredients, and you're good to go.

 

SAUCY APPLE PORK CHOPS

2 C applesauce

1/3 C sugar

2 TB soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tp ground ginger

6 boneless pork loin chops (1/2" thick)

2 TB butter or marg

In a bowl, combine the applesauce, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger; mix well.  Pour into greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  In a skillet, brown pork chops in butter; place over applesauce mixture.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.  Yield:  6 servings.

Quick Stromboli and Mini Sausage Pizzas--It's What's For Lunch

I used to say, "I married you for rich or for poor, for better or worse, BUT NOT FOR LUNCH."  I don't mind fixing breakfast or preparing dinner, but lunch is not my favorite meal to serve.  I get tired of sandwiches--both the fixing and the eating.  For many years, I had 8 people taking sack lunches to school, including my husband.  But times have changed.  I make a lot more soups nowadays (not the canned variety), and I am always on the lookout for sandwich ideas.  I have found a couple of sandwiches that I really like.  One is an easy-to-put-together stromboli and the other is an open-faced sandwich which is good for breakfast or lunch.  (Terry)

QUICK STROMBOLI

Unroll 1 tube (11 oz) refrigerated Crusty French Loaf.  Sprinkle with two kinds of cheese.  ¾-1 C of each:  mozzarella, cheddar, monteray jack, Swiss, etc.  (4 oz = 1 C.  ¾ C really is sufficient.)  Top with two kinds of meat, 4 oz each:  ham, salami, etc.  Roll up.  Bake at 350 on an ungreased sheet for about 30 minutes.  If the crust is nice and golden, but the dough is not done, cover with a sheet of foil and continue cooking.

 

MINI SAUSAGE PIZZAS

1 pound bulk pork sausage

2 jars (5 oz each) sharp American cheese spread <glass jars for stuffing celery>

¼ C softened butter or marg.

1/8 to ¼ tp cayenne pepper

12 English muffins, split

Cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink.  Drain well.  In a small mixing bowl, beat the cheese, butter and cayenne.  Stir in the sausage.  Spread onto cut sides of muffins.

Wrap individually and freeze for up to 2 months.  Or place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.





 

Oriental Chicken Salad

4 lg chicken breasts, cooked and cut up  (I only use one)                                      
1 lg head green cabbage                                          
1/2 head purple cabbage                                                  
1 bunch green onions, chopped  
3 pkg Ramen noodles (oriental flavor)                                            
4 Tbsp sesame seeds
4 Tbsp slivered almonds            
Bake noodles (broken up), sesame seeds, and almonds at 350 degrees until brown. Mix all ingredients.

Mix with the following dressing:

4 Tbsp sugar                          1 c salad oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce                   1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp white vinegar              Flavor packets from noodles

To prevent salad from being soggy....wait 5-10 minutes before serving to add dressing.

Strawberry Orange Juice

While water is my favorite thing to drink, I am open to other options--of the non-alcoholic variety.  Finding new beverage choices, that taste good and are not your ususal run-of-the mill variety, is not always easy to do.  A few years ago I came across a recipe that really piqued my interest.  I tried it out at home.  (That's equals a taste test of 2.)  And then I took it to a family reunion.  (That's equals a taste test of millions.  Well, sometimes it seems like millions.)  Anyway, it went over well, and it is only 3 ingredients.  Bottom's up!  (Terry)

 

STRAWBERRY ORANGE JUICE



 

Combine the following:

6 C crushed ice (or small ice cubes)

6 C orange juice

1/2 to 3/4 C strawberry syrup

NOTE:  Can reuse the same ice when making additional batches.

 



Graham Cracker Cookies

This is my story, and I'm sticking to it----this recipe has dairy in it, and protein and fruit and nuts and grains.  Sounds healthy, huh?  But it's also guaranteed to help you put on 5 pounds--and worth every ounce!  This is one of Grandma Bateman's recipes.  The hardest part is letting it sit several hours (overnight is best) before having a piece.

I'm going to give more detailed directions than normal so that the filling will turn out properly for you.  The original recipe assumes the cook is comfortable with a white sauce-type mixture.  Hopefully this will help avoid lumps in the cooked filling.  (Terry)

 

GRAHAM CRACKER COOKIES

Place 1 C sugar and 1 Tb flour in a saucepan and stir together. 
Stir in 1/3 C evaporated milk.
Add 1 beaten egg and whisk well.
Add 1 cube butter, cut into pieces.

Mix these ingredients together and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.:

Remove from heat and add:

1 C chopped nuts, 1 C coconut, 1 C crushed graham cracker crumbs, 2 tp vanilla.

Line a 9x13 pan with graham crackers.  Spread filling over crackers.  Cover with another layer of graham crackers.  Press down firmly with hand.

Icing:  Mix together and spread on top of crackers:  1 egg, 2 C powdered sugar, 2 tp vanilla, 2 TB butter.

Cover.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Cut into squares to serve.

Meatball Stroganoff

If a recipe got any simpler, it would make itself.  This is a quick, easy, no-planning-needed recipe.  My favorite kind. 
Awhile back I was asked to provide a taster's table of powdered milk products for a food storage fair our church sponsored.  Amongst other things, I made my own sour cream from powdered milk and used it in this meatball stroganoff recipe. Out of all the things I made, I think this was one of the favorites.  I had several young men who kept coming back to my table.  I guess they liked it.  Later I served this same recipe (with the homemade sour cream) at a husband/wife dinner.  Again, those meatballs went fast.  When I make it for my husband and myself or for visiting grandkids, I just use store-bought sour cream.  (Terry)

 

MEATBALL STROGANOFF

1 jar (12 oz) home-style beef gravy

½ C sour cream

1 pkg (12 oz) frozen fully cook meatballs, thawed (only if you remember)

Hot egg noodles

In a saucepan, combine the gravy and sour cream.  Bring to boil; stir in meatballs.  Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Serve over noodles.  Yield:  4 servings.

 

Chik-Fil-A Nuggets

So, we are in the process of moving. My husband is already in the city we are moving to. With him not here I find myself trying many new recipe's. So, here is my newest one ( that was good anyways). Having kids we all know they love chicken nuggets and living where there is no Chik-Fil-A I saw this recipe and had to try it!! Now I don't go to Chik-Fil-A but, once or twice a year so, I can't say this was exact. My kids loved them and I thought they were pretty good too!!

Homemade Chik-fil-A Nuggets

(Recipe from A Zesty Bite)

Ingredients:
1 lg egg
1 cup milk

1/4 cup Pickle Juice (I used dill)------- I know sounds weird but you couldn't even taste it!!!
1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1-1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
canola oil for frying

Preparation:
In a large bowl whisk milk and egg, pickle Juice together
Place chicken on counter and cut into cubed bite size pieces; trim any fat that you may see
Put the chicken in the milk mixture and mix so that all is coated and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
In another large bowl combine the dry ingredients listed above and stir
In cast iron pot or sauce pan pour in oil so that its at least an inch deep on med/high heat
Remove the chicken from refrigerator and place about 8 pieces in milk mixture and then into the flour mixture
Make sure all the chicken is coated with the flour and then place into the hot oil
Cook each side for at least 2-3 minutes or until golden brown (You want to make sure that chicken is no longer pink so you can cut one piece to test it out)
Place the chicken on some paper towels to soak up any oil
Repeat the same steps with the rest of the chicken and serve

Potato Cheese Soup

Okay, so I stole this picture online somewhere. So, I would like to thank that random person for a beautiful picture of Potato Cheese Soup. This is one of our families favorites on a nice cold day in Vegas. Okay, our cold isn't as cold as most of everyone else but, you get the point. It is pretty easy to make and if we have any leftover I just freeze it and pull it out on another random cold night :)

What you need:
3 quarts of water                                       1quart Half and Half
12 Chicken Bouillon Cubes                        2 Cubes melted Butter
1 Tbl Parsley flake                                     1/2 cup Flour
1 Tbl Minced Onion                                   1-2 cups Cheese
1-2 Carrots (Shredded)
  

Add bouillon cubes in 3 quarts of water. Let the cubes dissolve and bring water to a boil. Then add the potatoes to the water (I like a lot of potatoes usually I put 8) also add the mined onion.Cook until potatoes are tender with fork. Then add the Parsley Flakes, Shredded Carrots, and Half and Half. Again, bring to boil. While that is coming to a boil melt 2 cubes of butter (1cup) and add 1/2 off cup flour to the butter. Add the mixture to the soup and stir it in. The soup will then begin to thicken (about 10 mins or so) Then remove soup from heat and add the cheese. (I usually add the 2 cups) It will melt all on its own. Couple more quick stirs and it's ready. We sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, my husband might add a little bacon to his, or we even put it in a bread bowl once and awhile!! (Jaci)