AwesomeBites

Author: Sandy

  • Pork Chops with Cardamon Pear Sauce

    Pork Chops with Cardamon Pear Sauce

    Pan fry pork chops and to brown and finish baking in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

    Mix Cardamon Pear Butter with Pork Gravy and serve with mashed potatoes.

    So, so good.

    If you are out of Cardamom Pear Butter,

    Heat oven to 350 degrees
    3 pears, cut in half, peel and core
    1 T olive oil (you could use walnut oil)
    1 T butter
    1 cup chardonnay
    1 tsp cardamom
    1 tsp salt
    Fry the pears, round side down until nicely browned, turn and add wine, cardamom and salt.
    Cover, put in oven for 20 minutes until fork tender.

    While your pears are poaching, fry your pork chops until brown on 4 minutes on both sides, then place them in the oven to finish cooking.
    Serve pear and chop on a plate. Drizzle the plate with the pear juice. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts.

  • White Beans with Lemongrass Butter

    White large beans – canned 

    Lemongrass paste

    2 T butter

    Warm beans, add lemongrass and butter

    Garnish with chopped chives or green onions

  • Pesto Toast with Brie

    Sour dough or Artesyn Style Bread

    Spread with pesto and top with thinly sliced Brie

    Grill on both sides or for open face under the broiler.

    Perfect served next to Ceasar Salad or Soup

  • Asian Coleslaw

    Recipe can be halved or doubled.

    Salad:
    1 16-oz bag cole slaw
    4-5 scallions, sliced
    1/2 c slivered almonds (or more if you want)
    1/2 c sunflower kernels (or more if you want)
    2 pkg “Oriental” flavor ramen
    chopped parsley and/or cilantro

    Dressing:
    2 little flavoring packets from ramen
    4 T sugar
    2 T cider vinegar
    1 c oil
    salt and pepper

    It’s good to mix the dressing and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the salad. Add the dressing and the crumbled ramen about 15-30 minutes before serving.

  • Butter Crisp Cookies

    8 oz butter

    1 Cup sugar

    3 oz cream cheese

    yolk of 1 egg

    1/2 tsp vanilla

    1 1/2 Cups sifted flour

    1 tsp orange zest

    finely chopped walnuts (optional – but, Jacque always used them!)

    Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Beat yold and add to mixture along with vanilla. Add flour. Drop by tsp on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts if desired. Bake 350 degree oven 12 to 15 minutes.  Allow to cool before moving otherwise you will break them!

  • Pasta Greek Salad

    Pasta Greek Salad

    This salad is such a fresh vegetable salad. If you are looking for more substance, add some pasta; I love it without just as well.

    Bell peppers (red, yellow and green)

    White sweet onions

    seeded cucumber slices

    Kalmata Olives

    Feta Cheese

    Cooked and Chilled Pasta – Curly or Penne  (Optional)

    1/4 cup Fresh chopped mint or basil or parleys

    Salt and Pepper to taste

    Toss with vinegar and oil or Girard’s Greek salad dressing.

  • The Wedge Salad – Bacon, Blue Cheese, Red Onion

    Ice cold Iceberg Lettuce cut into 6 wedges

    Top with blue cheese dressing, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, cherry tomatoes halved.

    Top with crumbled blue cheese.

    Season with Salt and Cracked Pepper.

    Croutons (Optional)

  • Fried Green Tomato “BLT” Sandwich

    Fried Green Tomato “BLT” Sandwich

    Basil Mayonnaise:

    2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

    Puree basil, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in processor until smooth. Transfer to small bowl; mix in remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Depending upon the number of sandwiches you are making, vary the amounts per sandwiches

    Prepare Bacon:  (3-4 slices per sandwich) Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bacon in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Cook until crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F.

    Fried Green Tomatoes:

    2-3 green tomato, 1/4 inch slice per sandwich

    • all-purpose flour for dredging
    • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (if you don’t have cornmeal just use more flour)
    • 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
    • bacon grease to fry

    Sprinkle all green tomato slices with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup flour in shallow bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 cup flour with cornmeal in another shallow bowl to blend. Working with 1 green tomato slice at a time, coat with flour, then egg, then flour-cornmeal mixture.  Using some of your bacon grease in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry green tomatoes until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer to prepared baking sheet with paper towel for draining; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm in oven 200 degrees.

    Other ingredients for sandwiches:  2 slices red tomatoes , 1/4 slice; arugula or butter lettuce, avocado, lightly toasted wheat bread

    Assemble sandwiches and serve immediately with Lemonade, Iced Tea or a Pino Grigio Wine.  Have a nice lunch. If you really love this type of sandwich but are too lazy to make them every day, I suggest to look at this sandwich shop.

  • Spinach Salad

    Baby Spinach

    Finely diced onioins

    Bacon crumbled

    Mandarin orange slices or Strawberry slices

    Lightly toss with Vadalia onion dressing.

    Optional – Top with Broiled duck breast glazed with orange marmalade

  • Roasted Beets with Walnuts Gorganzola Dressing

    • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds beets, trimmed and halved
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 bunch arugula, well washed and torn apart

    For the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing:

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
    • 1/4 cup light or heavy cream

    print a shopping list for this recipe

    Preparation

    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

    To roast the beets: Place the beets, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a roasting pan and cook until the beets are tender, about 40 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and slice the beets.

    Place the beets in a medium-sized mixing bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

    To make the Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the walnuts and cook until they are browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and when the walnuts have cooled to room temperature, add the onion, basil, vinegar and salt.

    Place the Gorgonzola cheese and cream in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the walnuts and mix to combine.

    Divide the arugula between 4 to 6 plates and top with equal amounts of beets. Serve immediately with a large dollop of Walnut Gorgonzola Dressing.