Apple & Mustard Pork Skewers

Anyone else tired of the same ol' Summer fare? I found that we were grilling the same things over and over this Summer. By now I'm pretty much done with my usual burgers and grilled chicken, but I'm NOT done with my grill. This recipe caught my eye, mostly because I had a few pork tenderloins in the freezer.



I was worried about all of the Dijon mustard though - I'm not a fan. I had also never tasted whole grain mustard and was concerned that if I didn't like Dijon, then I really wouldn't like the whole grain stuff. The verdict? I LOVE whole grain mustard! In fact, now that I have a jar of it in my fridge, I'm looking for more recipes that include it. (Do you know of a good one? Send me a link!)

Here's what I love about this recipe: It's quick! The marinade is simple to mix up. Throw everything in a bag and let the pork marinate for a bit.




I also love that the mustard lets the pork shine, instead of overpowering it. The apples are soft and delicious after being grilled, and the bite-sized pieces of pork are tender (hence the name of the cut: "pork TENDERloin".)


















Apple & Mustard Pork Skewers

1 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin (or however much your family can eat)
2 large apples
skewers

Marinade:
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp apple juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt & pepper

Creamy Mustard Sauce:
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 Tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Slice pork tenderloin into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place in ziplock bag and add marinade ingredients. Marinate for 1-3 hours in the refrigerator.

If you are using wood skewers, be sure to soak these in water for a bit to keep them from burning.

Heat grill to medium-high. Core and slice two apples. Thread pork chunks and apple slices onto skewers, alternating between the two. (The amount of skewers you end up with depends on the length of your skewers, so I can't really give you that information.)

Brush lightly with oil and place on grill. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer skewers to a serving dish. I served these with the Creamy Mustard Sauce on the side, but you could also drizzle it over the skewers once they're on the serving plate. (note: I've made this recipe twice now. The first time I made the Creamy Mustard Sauce but only Mr. Dinner's on Me ate it, so the second time I didn't bother.)

Ginger Pork Pot Stickers

Lately we have been on the hunt for a great (local) Chinese restaurant. A few years ago we found one in San Diego (Mira Mesa to be precise) and we haven't found it's match yet. Meanwhile, I saw an episode of Guy's Big Bite on the Food Network where he made some Ginger Pork Pot Stickers and man did they look good, and not all that difficult.




When I told my husband that pot stickers were on our menu for the week, he was excited. Here's how the conversation went:

Hubby: "I love pot stickers. My mom is great at making pot stickers."
Me: "Oh fabulous. That's not the best thing you could have said. Remember the now famous quiche incident of 2000?"
Hubby: "Oh yeah. Well, I bet your pot stickers will be good too."
Me: "Thanks. Can't wait."

What's the quiche incident of 2000 you ask? Well, I had discovered that my newly acquired husband's most favorite dish was quiche. Being the thoughtful wife I am, I made him a quiche for his birthday. It turns out that it wasn't quite as good as his mom's. That's fine. So I ask her for her recipe, and try again. Still no. I research more quiche recipes. Still no. This goes on for 3 years. I don't make quiche anymore.

Anyway, back to the pot stickers. I've never attempted pot stickers before, but this recipe was easy to follow and very yummy. In fact, the whole family got involved:


My son loved grating the carrots, and was more eager to try out this new meal since he had a hand in it's creation. (The carrots are for the fried rice.) Here are the pot stickers, ready to be wrapped, boiled and fried.




We paired the pot stickers with some fried rice (I'll have to type that recipe up later). The only thing that was lacking were the chopsticks. Oh, I did mix together a few things for a dipping sauce. Sorry I don't have the exact measurements - I just kind of eyeballed it.

Link to Ginger Pork Pot Stickers here



Dipping Sauce for Pot Stickers

In a small bowl mix:
soy sauce (about 1/4 cup)
about 1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp honey



In the end, I was happy with the meal, and we'll be having pot stickers again (probably soon). The only comment from Mr. Dinner's on Me was, "these are awesome!" with no reference to his mom's pot stickers. Either he has wizened up or I won this round. My guess is he's just more careful with what he says. I know I don't hold a candle to Bonnie's cooking!

Week 25 Recipes

Corn Bread Baked in a Skillet
from The Way We Cook

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (cast iron, or other). Beat eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl with a whisk until thoroughly blended. Add the buttermilk and whisk to combine.

Stir in the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt with a wooden spoon. Pour into skillet. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set the skillet on a rack to cool. Cut bread into wedges and serve.

**note: This is one of the best corn breads I've had in a long time. We couldn't eat the whole thing the first night, so I left it in the pan and covered it with foil. While I cooked dinner the next night, I heated up the leftover cornbread in a 200 degree oven (still in the skillet covered with foil). Still delicious!




Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
from The Way We Cook

4 thick center-cut pork loin chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, peeled, halved & thinly sliced
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet with an ovenproof handle, heat the oil. When it is hot, add the butter. Brown the pork chops over high heat on both sides - about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan.

Add the onion and apple slices to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often for 10 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Pour the stock into the pan. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Add the salt, pepper, and half of the thyme.

Return the pork chops to the pan and spoon some of the onion mixture over them. Place the skillet in the oven and roast the pork for 10 minutes or until the chops are cooked through.

Taste the sauce for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if you like. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp thyme before serving.

Week 6 Recipes

Hawaiian Haystacks
(4-6 servings)
from 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker

10-12 chicken tenders, cut in chunks
1 C. chicken broth
2 cans (10.75-oz ea.) cream of chicken soup
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk
6 cups cooked rice

Place chicken in greased crock pot. Combine all remaining ingredients except rice and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours, or low heat 6-8 hours.

Serve over hot rice with a variety of cold toppings: grated cheese, peas, pineapple tidbits, shredded coconut, Chinese noodles, diced tomatoes, diced green peppers, sliced green onions, or other!


Pleasant Pork Chops
from allrecipes.com

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth**
1 bay leaf
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons paprika

Saute onion and garlic in hot butter. Remove from skillet. Trim excess fat from chops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown chops in skillet; pour off fat.

Lower heat, add bay leaf and chicken broth. Cook covered over low heat for 1 hour (might be less if using thin cut chops). Transfer chops to a serving plate, but keep them hot.

Heat juices in skillet and reduce to half. Add the sour cream, onion-garlic mixture and paprika, blending thoroughly. Add chops and heat through, but don't boil. Serve over rice or noodles.

** You can substitute beef broth
(here are my changes: I used an electric skillet and it was great. I did use the beef broth instead of chicken and I only used about 1/2 cup of the sour cream, and only 1/2 tsp of paprika. During the cooking of the chops in broth, I did need to add the rest of the broth from the can to make sure there was enough for sauce. )


Johnson Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches

1 large rump roast or chuck roast (pretty much anything will work)
liquid smoke (found on same aisle as BBQ sauces)
garlic salt (optional)
celery salt (optional)
pepper
bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
hamburger buns

The night before, generously rub the roast on both sides with liquid smoke. I put a baggie over my hand so I don't smell like liquid smoke for a week. Also rub with pepper, garlic & celery salt (I LOVE McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning because it has all of those things in it, plus a tasty combination of others!)

Place roast in crock pot, add a little water (1/4 cup or less). Cook on low overnight. In the morning remove fat and shred meat with fork. Add your favorite BBQ sauce and cook on low all day. Serve over your favorite bun.

For a "speed" method, you can just start the meat first thing in the morning, shred it at about 3 or 4 pm and let it simmer in sauce until dinner. This works fine for the smaller size roast.