It's not Heaven, it's Iowa...chops, that is

Iowa's known for their pork products. I've never been a big fan of pork, though, because I like my meat more rare and obviously, you can't cook pork rare. Well, you can, I suppose, but the results aren't pretty.

I saw a basic form of this recipe on a Facebook group and being as I can't ever just stick to the basics, I added some extra bang and came up with the most AMAZING dish I've ever tasted.

Smothered Pork Chops

4 butterflied Iowa chops - boneless with the fat trimmed off

2 boxes Stove Top stuffing, prepared per box instructions

2 large cans Cream of Mushroom soup

2 c. milk

3 onions, sliced

½ c. flour (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder to your taste)

¼ c. vegetable oil

½ c. apple juice

¼ c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325°

Bread the chops in the flour mix and sear in the hot oil in a skillet. While they're cooking,  prepare the stuffing mix according to box directions and set aside. Also, mix the mushroom soup and milk and pour half of it into the bottom of a large baking dish. Once the chops are browned, put them in the baking dish. and cover with the remaining mushroom soup.

With the oil still on a medium-high flame, brown the onions (seasoned as you choose- I used a bit of sage, salt, pepper and garlic powder). Carefully scoop out the onions and place over the chops in the baking pan. Leave the oil drippings in the pan and add a few tablespoons of the flour mix that didn't get used for the breading. Stir together and create a roux. Add the apple juice and brown sugar and stir until a gravy consistency is achieved. Pour the gravy over the onions and cover the baking dish with foil.

Bake at 325° for 45 minutes, covered. Remove foil and spread the stuffing over the top of the chops. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. Also excellent with soups!

Chicken & Rice Enchilada Soup

Using a pressure cooker or instapot, pressure cook:
4 chicken breasts
1 qt chicken stock
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg enchilada seasoning
A pinch of sea salt

When the chicken is done and cooled a little, shred it or cut it into bite sized chunks. Keep the broth!!

1 each: green, red and yellow bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 29oz can  crushed tomatoes
1 12 oz can V-8 juice (low sodium is best)
2 29oz can diced tomatoes
1½ c long-grain white rice
1 qt chicken stock (yes, another one)
½ tsp Chili powder
½ tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp Seasoned salt
1 T vinegar
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh Cilantro, minced
Few dashes of Tabasco or Cholula to taste

In a large soup pot, add all the ingredients listed above, plus the chicken and broth from the pressure cooker.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover, stirring every so often. Simmer for about an hour so the flavors blend.

As it's simmering, cook your rice separately, according to pkg directions. I usually do two cups dry rice to make 4c cooked.

Serve with cooked rice, tortilla chips, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.

Paula Deen's Magical Peanut Butter Cookies

(adapted from Paula's recipe on FoodNetwork.com)

2 c peanut butter
3 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Reserve 1/3 c of sugar and mix the remaining ingredients together. You can add chopped peanuts or use chunky peanut butter if you prefer the texture. I didn't. Using a miniature ice cream scoop I dipped in sugar, I formed 1½" cookie balls and then flattened with a fork, also dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Before they cool, sprinkle the tops with sugar, then let sit on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Perfection.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

I went looking for an old lunch room recipe the other day. These weren't exactly what I had in mind when I went looking for the recipe, but I remember these and they were excellent, too!

½ C. butter 
12oz peanut butter 
3 C. powdered sugar 
2½ C. Rice Krispies 
1 pkg melted chocolate chips

Mix the first four ingredients together and form balls. Place the peanut butter balls on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with the melted chocolate.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

 (Yams ready to go back in the oven to toast marshmallows)

2-4 large yams
butter
2c mini-marshmallows
¼ c brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub yams under running water and cut off any bad spots. Prick skins with a fork.  Rub a light coating of butter on the skins to soften them while baking and wrap in tin foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on size). When tender, bring them out and let set for a few minutes in the foil. Unpeel the foil and carefully slice open potatoes and spread open. Put a few dabs of butter inside each one, sprinkle with brown sugar and top with marshmallows. Put back in the oven for 5-8 mins until marshmallows have melted and are golden in color. You can also stick them under the broiler for a couple minutes until marshmallows are toasted.

Perfection!

Enchilada Sauce

I realized as I got ready to make my Chicken Tortilla Soup tonight that I didn't buy enough enchilada sauce to put in it for a double batch. Not able to get a hold of my husband to see if he could pick me up another can, I had to improvise.

I found a recipe online and tweaked it to suit what I had in the cupboard.

¼ c vegetable oil
1 pkg chili seasoning
1 pkg fajita seasoning
2 T flour

I combined these to create a wet roux, which I stirred constantly over a medium-high flame. I added:

1 14oz can tomato sauce
3 c water (I would use less if you're actually using this for enchiladas)
½ tsp Chili powder
½ tsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp Seasoned salt
1 T vinegar
½ tsp Cumin
½ tsp Coriander
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
Dashes of Tabasco or Cholula to taste

Cook over medium heat and season to taste.

Joy's Lasagna

I haven't made this yet, but I didn't want the recipe to slip through my fingers. It comes from Joy Behar, co-host of the View. Sherri raves about it, as does Whoopi. Guess we'll see!

Joy's Lasagna

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
1 ½ Lbs. Sweet Italian Sausage (Out Of Casings)
1 Large 28oz Can Crushed Italian Tomatoes
1 6oz Can Tomato Paste
¼ cup Chopped Parsley
½ cup Chooped Basil Leaves
2 Tsp Sea Salt
¾ Tsp Pepper

½ Box Lasagna Noodles
1 Lb Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Extra Large Egg
1 Lb Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese For Sprinkling At End

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and position the oven rack in the middle.

2. To make the meat sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for one more minute Then add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat Breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fully cooked and no longer pink Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

3. Soak lasagna noodles in hot tap water.

4. While the sauce is simmering, make the cheese filling In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of Parmesan, the beaten egg, chopped parsley, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper Set aside.

5. Ladle one third of the meat sauce into a 9”x 12”x 2” casserole or baking pan Spread the sauce over the bottom of the dish Then add approximately half the pasta (in one layer, cover the sauce with the noodles), half the sliced mozzarella, half the cheese mixture, and one third of the sauce Add another single layer of noodles, mozzarella, ricotta, and the remaining sauce Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan.

6. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.

Tuna Casserole

I'm a big fan of comfort food (which is why my ass is the size it is). If you're wanting to lose weight, this recipe is NOT for you. It does, however, kick ass on a cold, rainy day, though.

1 pkg Kluski egg noodles
1 can tuna, packed in water (don't drain)
1 can low-sodium cream of chicken soup
1 can low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 c frozen peas (you can also use a peas/carrots mix)
1 c bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese, optional

Boil noodles according to package directions. In separate baking dish, mix together the soups, tuna and vegetables. Mix with cooked noodles and sprinkle bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese on the top. Microwave on high for 10 minutes at 100% power or pop in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

I haven't made them in years (haven't had a garden), but they're SO good!! I need to track down somebody with some tomato plants and make some. I'm craving them now.

I use the same dry mix that I use for catfish breading, I just add milk and eggs to make it a batter instead of a breading.

(As always, these are rough estimates on measurements)

1 c all-purpose flour
¼ c cornmeal
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp garlic powder (the garlic & cayenne are optional, but I like mine a little spicier)
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 green tomatoes, cut into ¼" slices
vegetable oil (although bacon drippings work great and give extra flavor)

Mix the first six ingredients evenly. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the buttermilk, mixing thoroughly before combining it with the dry ingredients. The batter should resemble pancake batter, so add additional buttermilk, if needed.

Heat oil in a skillet (between 375° and 400°, ideally).

Divide tomatoes into batches, doing only a couple of slices at a time. (If you overpack the skillet, your tomatoes will become saturated with grease and end up soggy). Dip the tomato slices into the batter and carefully put them into the oil. I usually do three slices in my standard sized skillet. Flip them halfway through cooking and drain on a wire rack to keep them from getting soggy before serving (can you tell I don't do "soggy?").

You can eat as-is or mix up a country gravy with the drippings to serve with it. I've always eaten them plain, but I know my Southern relatives eat them with gravy.

(As soon as I get some tomatoes, I plan on making them again and will post pictures then.)

Oatmeal Pancakes

Courtesy of Chuck Maldonado

1 c oatmeal
4 egg whites
dash cinnamon
dash vanilla
1-2 tsp agave sweetener (I used Stevia in the Raw b/c I didn't have agave)
Optional: Fresh fruit of your choice (I peeled & cut up an apple)

Put everything in a blender and mix on high speed until everything is blended well and it forms a thick milkshake-type texture. Measure out four scoops evenly onto a griddle (I used ¼ c measuring cup for accuracy). Unlike regular pancake batter, the middle of these will not bubble when they're ready to flip because the batter is too thick. You have to watch around the edges - they'll get tiny bubble holes and that's when you need to flip them.

You can serve with any kind of syrup you choose. I used natural apple syrup with mine and they were delicious.

Thanks again, Chuck for passing along this recipe! They were magnificent (and surprisingly filling)!!

Summer Chocolate Cake (low fat, even!!)

Nothing is worse in the summer heat than having to heat up the kitchen with a 350° oven, right? So don't.You can bake a cake in your microwave. Using a Tupperwave Stack Cooker & Cone, you can have a cake that's even more moist than what you'd bake in the oven.

You can use a recipe from scratch, but I'm too lazy for that. For this cake, I used the following:

1 box Devil's Food Cake cake mix
1 1/3 c room temperature water
½ c applesauce (in place of the oil the box calls for)
3 eggs
1 container milk chocolate frosting

Mix the cake mix as directed on the box. Insert the cone in the center of the largest Tupperwave stack cooker and smear half the frosting along the bottom and sides of the stack cooker. You can add more if you like. Pour the cake mix into the stack cooker and put in the microwave, uncovered. Cook on high for 11 minutes (may need to adjust for microwave size). Let sit for a couple minutes, then invert on a large cake plate (a bit of a lip on the plate is beneficial, as the frosting will drizzle down the sides and pool under and around the cake). Serve!

**You can use applesauce in any baking recipe that calls for oil. Don't ask me how it works. It just works and it's DELICIOUS!!

Ginger Chicken Lo Mein

2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast (or 2 cans chunk chicken)
½ c chicken broth
½ c brown sugar
¼ c honey
¼ c Dijon mustard
1 tsp ginger powder
3 Tbl soy sauce
8 oz lo mein noodles, cooked (I used thin spaghetti here)
1 c sugar snap peas, steamed (I used Green Giant Steamers)
1 Tbl minced garlic

In a small saucepan, mix broth, brown sugar, honey, mustard, ginger and soy sauce. Simmer over a medium heat until it turns to a glaze (about 4-5 minutes).

In a wok or large skillet, combine glaze, chicken, pasta, peas and garlic and cook over medium heat until warmed thoroughly.

Passion Tea Lemonade

I. Love. SUMMER!

Summer brings Passion Tea Lemonade back to Starbucks!! Since I don't live next door to a SB and couldn't afford to buy one of these everyday even if I did, I learned how to make them at home. It's really not that tough.

2 bags Tazo Passion Tea (bought by the canister at Starbucks or online)
2 c pre-made Lemonade (I use Simply Lemonade, but Kool-Aid will do in a pinch)
Sweetener of your choice (you can use simple syrup or sugar. I use Stevia.)

Brew your tea according to pkg directions and add sweetener, if you like. Mix half-and-half with the lemonade and serve over ice. You can add a splash of any fruit juice you choose to change it up a bit, too. I know at one time, Starbucks combined it with an orange syrup for a yummy twist. :) This recipe is enough for two servings.

"Skyline" Chili

I've never tried Skyline Chili, but my friend has made it and tweaked it to suit her family. She said it's exactly like Skyline's.

**ADDENDUM: I have now tried Skyline chili and I'm proud to say mine is better. No, seriously. Theirs has weird texture that isn't identifiable. I'm told there are pieces of cocoa shell in it? I dunno. Anyway. The flavors are similar, but I think mine has a richer taste. Try it for yourself.

Skyline Chili

4lb ground beef (brown)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 onions (chopped, but I put in food processor on pulse)
2 lg cans Hunts tomato sauce (29oz each)
1 sm can tomato sauce (12 oz)
3 lg cans water + 1 sm can water (total about 100 oz but I use less if I need to, to make it fit in my pot)
3 T white vinegar
6 dashes Worchestershire sauce

Combine:
1/4 cup sugar
4T Chili powder
1 1/4 T salt
12 drops Tabasco sauce
1T Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1tsp Cayenne pepper
1tsp Black pepper
1T Cinnamon
1T Allspice
10 Bay leaves
1 tsp red pepper (crushed)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate - (I usually use Ghirardelli Chile Pepper Chocolate, but if that's not available, I use semi-sweet dark)

Brown beef and chop finely (I put in my food processor and pulse on low for a bit to get it really fine without making a paste out of it!). Saute onions and garlic, place in LARGE pot. Add wet ingredients, combine dry ingredients and add. Simmer uncovered 5-6 hours, stirring frequently (I use a spatula to scrape bottom). Serve over spaghetti with onions/oyster crackers/cheese...whatever you like! ENJOY!!!

My coveted meatloaf recipe

I've been asked for years to share my meatloaf recipe.

For years, I've declined to share any part of it.

I'm finally going to share with you the basic recipe. I will tell you that this recipe will NOT taste exactly like mine, because I'm not including the secret twist that makes my meatloaf mine. But, this recipe is still VERY very good.

1½ lbs lean ground beef (leaner the better)
½ c ketchup
1/3 c tomato juice
½ tsp each salt and black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (or a couple dashes of cayenne pepper)
2 eggs, beaten
¾ c fresh bread crumbs (crushed croutons work best here)
¼ c finely diced onions
2 tsp yellow mustard

Topping:
¼ c ketchup
½ tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp brown sugar


1) In large bowl, combine ketchup, tomato juice, salt, peppers, eggs, bread crumbs, onions and mustard. Mix until thoroughly blended.

2) Add ground beef. I mix with my hands so I can make sure all the chunks of meat are broken down and mixed thoroughly.

3) Line a 9x5" loaf pan with foil and press in the meat mixture.

4) In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients, mixing well. Spread topping over meatloaf.

5) Bake at 400° for 35-45 mins or until done.

6) Drain off fat. Rest meatloaf for 5 minutes before serving.

**This recipe can also be made in the microwave and I've found works almost better than in the oven.

1) In large bowl, combine ketchup, tomato juice, salt, peppers, eggs, bread crumbs, onions and mustard. Mix until thoroughly blended.

2) Add ground beef. I mix with my hands so I can make sure all the chunks of meat are broken down and mixed thoroughly.


3) On a microwave safe dish, form meat mixture into a 9" ring. Cover with waxed paper.

4) Microwave at 30% power for 15 minutes. Pour off any juices.

5) Repeat step 3 twice more for a total of 45 minutes cook time.

6) Cover top of meatloaf with sauce and microwave uncovered at 100% power for 5 mins.

7) There shouldn't be much, if any, fat to drain off, but if there is, do that. Rest meatloaf for 5 minutes before serving.