Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

Thyme Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce

If you grew up in the 1970s, The Brady Bunch was required television viewing.  It is the story of a lovely lady bringing up 3 very lovely girls who meets a man named Brady who was bringing up 3 boys of his own.  They knew that this group would some how form a family and that is how they became the Brady Bunch.  I have seen every episode at least 3 or 4 times and have a few favorites:  the multi part episode when the Brady's vacation in the Grand Canyon and Bobby and Cindy smuggle beans and franks in empty flashlights for the Indian boy Jimmy, the suspenseful episode when Marcia breaks her nose and has dates with 2 different boys on the same night, and the musical episode when the Brady kids compete as "The Silver Platters"  in a television talent show.  Oh the memories........

One classic Brady Bunch episode that particularly stands out for me is the "Pork Chops and Applesauce" episode.  Peter is testing out new personalities and does his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation while discussing dinner with Alice the housekeeper and his mom Carol.

Putting an updated twist on the classic Brady Bunch pork chops and applesauce recipe, I developed Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce.  Apples are one fruit which we always seem to have on hand at our house. Both crisp, tart Granny Smith and sweet and slightly soft Macintosh apples are two favorites that are readily available in the refrigerator fruit drawer.  Pan sauteed pork chops are topped with a chunky apple and shallot sauce that gets a kick from Dijon mustard and Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend readily available at your local grocery store).  A simple dish to prepare that packs a complex flavor wallop.

Sit down to a family dinner of Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce and then watch an episode or two of the The Brady Bunch.  You will fall in love with the vintage show all over again.

Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

serves 4

4 (6 - ounce) pork chops, center cut and about 1-inch thick each
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large apple, such as Braeburn or Rome, peeled, and chopped in large dice
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Sprinkle pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper.  Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add oil.  Add pork and saute on each side for about 4 - 5 minutes or until just cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan, add the apple, shallot, and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 - 5 minutes or until the apples begin to just soften and the shallots are translucent.  Stir in chicken stock, wine, honey, mustard, and Garam Masala.  Continue cooking for an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, top pork chops with apple-shallot sauce.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups



Curried Beef Lettuce Wraps

Has it been a crazy busy day?  Then Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is just the recipe you need to add some peace and calm to your dinner time.  Incorporating Asian and Indian cuisines, Curried Beef Lettuce Cups pack a flavor punch from browned ground beef seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger root, serrano chilies, and slighty sweet and spicy curry powder.  The bright flavors of chopped fresh mint and basil and a squeeze of lemon juice further heighten the flavor of the dish.  Sweet, nutty, and mild Boston Bibb lettuce cups cradle the curried meat making the buttery and crispy lettuce an ideal accompaniment to the spicy meat.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is a flavorful entree that can be prepared in about 20 minutes.  Or better yet, make it a do-it-ahead meal and prepare it in the morning or even the day before.  A quick reheat in the microwave or on the stove top is all that is needed before you sit down at the dinner table to enjoy your home cooked meal.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups

adapted from this recipe

serves 4

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (1 - inch) piece ginger root, chopped

2 serrano chilies, remove half the seeds and chop chilies

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 heads Boston bibb lettuce

1/2 red pepper, diced

In a large saute pan, heat oils over medium high heat and add onion, garlic, ginger root, and serrano chilies.  Saute for about 5 - 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the ground beef and continue cooking until browned, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Stir frequently and break up and any large pieces of meat.  When browned, pour off any grease.  Add soy sauce and curry powder and stir to combine.  Cook for 3 - 4 minutes so the seasonings cook into the beef.

Meanwhile, separate the leaves of the lettuce to form cups.  Wash and dry thoroughly.

Stir the mint, basil and lemon juice into the cooked meat.  Spoon seasoned meat mixture into lettuce cups and top with the chopped red pepper.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

The combination of sweet, salty, and spicy has always been a favorite of mine.  Add in grilled meat with a caramelized rub and tender crisp vegetables, and it is a perfect meal for me.  Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin is a quick fix meal which has all the bells and whistles for an unforgettable dinner.

If you are a fan of Asian inspired dinners and want something healthier than take out from your local Chinese restaurant, this is the meal for you.  The dinner takes at most 20 minutes to prepare, and the cast of characters features pork tenderloin, snow pea pods and fresh bean sprouts.  A host of seasonings give the dish a truly authentic Asian taste and include rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha which is a Thai hot sauce.

Print out the recipe and pick up the ingredients at the grocery store today.  You will be ecstatic when you make Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin for dinner tonight.


Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Tenderloin

serves 4

for dressing --
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, sliced lengthwise and then into 2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups snow pea pods
1 1/2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat.  In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, Sriracha, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.  Rub on pork tenderloin pieces.  Grill pork for about 4 - 6 minutes per side or until pork is just cooked through.  Watch closely so it does not burn.  Remove from grill and place on a platter.  Drizzle with the dressing.

In a saute pan, heat the sesame oil and add the red pepper and onion.  Stir and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until tender crisp.  Add the snow peas and bean sprouts and cook an additional 2 - 3 minutes.  You want the vegetables to remain crisp but slightly tender.  Add the soy sauce and toss to coat.

To serve, place some of the vegetables on each plate and top with the caramelized pork.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders



Chicken Parmesan Slider

We are getting back to the family dinner table at our house.

After a busy few weeks surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, we fell out of the habit of eating dinner together as a family.   Sure we were all together for feasting on Christmas Eve and Day (I missed our family Thanksgiving dinner with an unfortunate case of the flu), but our typical weeknight meal was replaced with work, a track meet, or grabbing a quick bite at the local diner with friends.  I would love to say that each night at 6 p.m. we gather around the table for a well rounded meal with all family members present, but that is not typically the way dinner time flows in our kitchen.  We, like any other family, have made choices to participate in these activities and sometimes our family dinner time suffers.

When we returned home from visiting family in the Midwest, I made dinner for our family on Sunday night.  My Oldest had an invitation to go out with friends but declined.  She informed her friend,

"My Mom is making dinner tonight.  I am staying home."

So at 7:30 p.m. on a unseasonably warm winter evening in northern New Jersey, we all sat around our kitchen island and enjoyed conversation and Chicken Parmesan Sliders.  Smal, thin chicken cutlets were panko and Parmesan cheese coated and pan fried to a crunchy crispiness.  Topped with a homemade marinara sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and served on mini buns, we chatted about our day's events and the upcoming week when most of the family would be going back to work and school.

For a half hour, we shut out the technology-filled world and just ate dinner.  We may make eating dinner together more than a weekly habit.

Chicken Parmesan Sliders

makes 16 sliders

for marinara sauce --
marinara sauce (either make your own with my recipe or use your favorite store brand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand or a potato masher
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt

for chicken --
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 cups panko
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
about 1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
16 mini buns

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

To make marinara sauce --

In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add oil, onions and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Stir to combine and continue cooking over low heat for 15 minutes.  Season to taste.  Keep warm.

To make chicken --

Place chicken on a cutting board and slice lengthwise into 2 thin cutlets.  Slice each cutlet into 2 smaller pieces.

Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.

In three separate shallow dishes place (1) panko, (2) eggs, and (3) flour, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and a 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil.  Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture then the eggs and finally the panko.  Pan fry the chicken for about 2 - 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Remove to cooling rack and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Continue frying chicken in batches until all have been cooked.

To assemble the sliders, leave chicken on the baking rack on top of the baking sheet and top each piece with about 2 tablespoons each of the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Bake in oven until cheese is melted; about 3 - 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and place in buns.  Serve.

**Note - to make Chicken Parmesan Sliders ahead of time --  Prepare the chicken and marinara sauce, cool and package for the refrigerator until dinner time.  Reheat the chicken topped with the marinara sauce and cheese in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes before serving on buns.

Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast

New Year's Day breakfast and a house full of kids = Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast.

It will take all of 10 minutes for you to prep this divine breakfast for your next overnight guests.  While my kids and their friends are still sleeping after a late night of New Year's fun with fireworks, ping pong, and Dance Dance revolution, I popped this overnight casserole in the oven for 30 minutes and breakfast is ready.  This French Toast is TO DIE FOR!  Thick slices of crusty bread soaked overnight in a creme brulee sauce and baked with brown sugar and butter.  It is a decadent dream come true!

Good thing it reheats well because I am not sure when they will wake up to enjoy it.

Happy New Year!!


Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast

serves 6

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 loaf (unsliced) crusty white bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon triple sec

In a small heavy saucepan melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1 1/2-inch thick slices from the center portion of the bread, (reserving the ends for croutons). Arrange the bread slices in one layer in a baking dish or casserole, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and triple sec until well combined and pour evenly over the bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. and bring the bread to room temperature.

Bake the french toast, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until puffed and edges are golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with berries.

*recipe adapted from one by personal chef Jim Gray