thick cut mustard-thyme coated pork chops

8/1/2013

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Folks, every now and then you come across a recipe that knocks your socks off. ( unless you are barefoot like me, then it just makes you jump a little ;) ) 

I made this dish over the weekend and Ryan ( who isn't crazy about pork) told me more than once how phenominal they were.

.. I hope that he really meant that, because I'm making them again tonight ( and you should too!)
( recipe from dave leiberman)
start by whisking together olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme leaves.  Next take a garlic clove ( not in original recipe, I added this for extra flavor) and run the whole clove on the bone of the chop on both sides
coat chops with mustard mixture, massaging into both side of pork 
next, cover the chops and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
prep onions.  I did my onion recipe on the grill. Start by peeling your onion ( I have red here, but a sweet white onion would work as well) Peel the onion, leaving the bottom in tact. Using a serated knife, cut through the onion about every 1/4 inch going one direction, then rotate half a turn and do the same on the other direction.  ( bloomin' onion style) 
next, place onion on 2 pieces of aluminum foil that are crossing each other. Drizzle 1 Tbsp each honey, balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp Olive oil.  sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap up like a big Hershey's kiss. 
 Remove the pork chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling. 
light the grill to medium high heat. 
Place onion on grill ( note.. I cooked this onion on a different day, thus the burger & pepper action) 

grill pork chops until internal temp is 145. Cook the onions for about 15 minutes, or until they begin to soften. 
remove pork and onion from the grill and let rest.  


the amount of flavor in this little packet is out of control!  I have made these onions for burgers, chicken, pork.. and actually, just to snack on. so yummy! 

the picture is a little fuzzy, but there you have it!  for another great pork recipe form the past try this one...  http://barefootgirl27.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/dinner-surprise/

happy Thursday, friends! 
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as promised...grilled chicken with blackberry- basil sauce

7/16/2013

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a recipe! 

in my last post I mentioned that i have found a new favorite store....  Sprouts.

Now I found it quite by accident.... while driving around aimlessly ( my new favorite pastime in the afternoons ) and I * purposely * took a wrong turn and saw the big green sign and just knew that I had  to stop in 
now if you are from one of the few states that House a Sprouts, then you are probably thinking, " yeah, big deal"  Buuut , I'm a New England girl, transplanted and currently in awe of so much that is around me.

Trust me... I am finding an excuse just about every day to make my way to this store.


it's a cross between a Trader Joes, A Health food store, A farmers market, a high end butcher and well, its a dream come true for this shoe-less girl..

imagine how my heart skipped a beat when I turned the corner to see this

I'll give you a minute... I certainly needed one.   I bought 3 containers and went home to make grilled chicken with blackberry- basil sauce.

I started by marinating the chicken breast in a mixture of crushed garlic, chopped rosemary & thyme, lemon juice olive oil & s&p


I covered it with plastic wrap and marinated for about an hour. ( not too much longer, or the lemon juice will start to ' cook' the chicken, resulting in a less than desirable texture.


when I preheated the grill I started to make the sauce on the stove top.

I added 1 container of blackberries ( blueberries would work here too) 
a handful of basil leaves, shredded.
about a tablespoon of honey  ( taste your berries, if they are overly sweet, then omit or decrease honey)
a few thyme leaves
pinch of sea salt





cook over medium het, stirring often and in a few minutes, magic will happen.


now since I had soo many blackberries ( and I knew I would look for an excuse to go again the next day) I made an arugula salad with goat cheese, almonds and blackberries with a simple vinegarette. 

Grill the chicken to an internal temp of 165, let rest for about 5 minutes, slice into strips and top with sauce.


summer flavors perfected. 

I did go back and get more blackberries.. I mean really, how could I not? 

If you find yourself with a deal on berries this summer and want to freeze them, it is super easy. Just rinse them, dry them, lay flat on a plate or platter and stick in the freezer



once they are frozen, then add them to a large freezer bag ( this keeps them from freezing into a big solid bunch, allowing you to take as many as you need at a time for the rest of the season) 

I froze 3 batches of these babies.

I can hardly wait for the next sale!

xoxoxo~ shel
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