Pork – Page 2 – The Pajama Chef

Main Dishes, Pork, Quinoa, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Pork Chops with Quinoa, Kale, and Blood Orange

April 12, 2013April 12, 2013 Sarah

I’ll be totally honest: before this spring, I had never tasted a blood orange. Of course I’d heard them hyped up online and in food mags, but for some reason had never had them in real life. Crazy, huh? So I picked up some during the same shopping trip where I found some majorly discounted pork chops nearing their expiration date [no problemo, just throw them in the freezer]. I came home and this dinner promptly appeared on our plates. Cool, huh?

Well, it wasn’t QUITE that simple. I had to mix some things up and do a little work, but other than that, this dinner was a cinch to throw together. And quite tasty too. So after we devoured it, I quickly wrote down what I did so I could share it here with you!

I’m not sure what the best part of this dinner was: the sweet, garlicky, vinegary pork chop? The tender sauteed kale? The nutty ‘n citrusy quinoa? I don’t know, but what I do know was that each bite was just so darn good! And it’s pretty fabulous that this dinner comes together in about 30 minutes. You gotta try it! If you don’t get around to til after blood orange season has passed, then try it with regular navel oranges, or grapefruit, or even clementines. The more I think about it, the citrusy freshness was definitely my favorite part. Enjoy! 🙂

Pork Chops with Quinoa, Kale, and Blood Orange [a The Pajama Chef original]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 pork chops
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 blood orange: zest all of it, juice half of it, and slice the other half of it
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 bunch kale, washed, dried, stems removed, and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt
garlic powder

Directions:

Place pork chops in a shallow bowl. Whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, red pepper, and half the blood orange zest. Pour over pork chops and marinate for 10 minutes as you start preparations for the quinoa and walnuts.

Prepare quinoa according to package directions–but instead of just using 1 cup water, use juice of 1/2 the orange and make up the difference with water. Also add the remaining half of the blood orange zest.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a small skillet set over medium heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally. When toasted, chop walnuts.

Now, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and marinade to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. [Don’t forget to watch the walnuts!] Remove pork chops from pan to a plate; cover to keep warm.

Add kale to hot skillet, stir to coat with pan juices. Saute until kale is tender, and season with pepper, salt, and garlic powder as desired.

Serve pork chops on top of kale and quinoa, dressing with pan juices, chopped walnuts, and blood orange slices.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Italian Sausage and Red Rice

February 27, 2013March 20, 2013 Sarah

I love one dish meals. They are just so delicious, comforting, and, well, easy. Yes, that’s the main reason I love ’em. Casseroles, pasta, skillet meals… all of the above are great because then I don’t have to think about sides–I just whip up a quick side salad and am good to go. But the problem with many one dish meals is that they are all kinda the same. Taste the same, look the same, are virtually the same. I for one know that I’ve made about a zillion variations of Mexican chicken, beans, corn, cheese, and pasta/rice/quinoa. [But yet I still make them. It’s probably the cheese. I LOVE cheese!] Those dishes are all good but can certainly become a bit of a bore after awhile, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipe ideas that satisfy my easy one dish requirement. When I recently scored some Italian sausage on sale, I immediately started looking for some interesting recipes and landed on this Skillet Italian Sausage and Red Rice.

It may not look like much, but it is SO amazing. It’s made with only seven ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes, making this an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner. I don’t know what red rice usually is, but in this case it is a flavorful combination of tomato soup, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. I’m pretty picky about using convenience-type foods in recipes [and in general], but I won’t hesitate to admit that every once in awhile I like to indulge in a Kraft singles grilled cheese dipped in Campbell’s Tomato Soup. There’s nothing like it… gourmet, homemade versions are good but just don’t compare. 🙂 So, for that reason and that reason alone I was okay with using readymade soup to flavor up this rice and make it uber rich and creamy. It has just a bit of heat too, and is the perfect base for slices of hearty Italian sausage.

If you need an easy dinner soon, I highly suggest you whip up this dish. There are tons of ways to fancify it if that’s your thing–adding extra veggies or some beans, making the tomato soup base from scratch, even experimenting with different types of sausage. I was frankly quite surprised with how much I enjoyed this dinner [especially since it was cheeseless. Oh my!]. I thought I’d be ruthlessly plotting to have Ben take all the leftovers in his work lunches, but instead I was sneaking them away for me. Cray cray, I know, but this is just… so… good! Enjoy!

Skillet Italian Sausage and Red Rice [method adapted from Premio Foods]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage [links]
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup hot water
1 can condensed tomato soup [10.75 ounces]
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce [or to taste]
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

In a large skillet set over medium head, add sausage and cook until browned on all sides [and cooked through if not precooked]. Remove sausage from pan and set on place to rest. Meanwhile, add onion and cook until golden.

Next, slice sausage into bite size pieces and return to pan. Pour in hot water to deglaze pan. Add soup, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Add rice, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Time: 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings.

Linked with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry

November 14, 2012November 18, 2015 Sarah

So, on Monday, I shared the fabulous recipe I use for Carnitas. It makes more than any couple or family could reasonably eat for one meal, or even for one meal plus leftovers. Seriously, this makes a ton. Thank goodness it’s so tasty!! But you know what I think possibly could be tastier?

If you guessed Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry, then you would just so happen to be RIGHT! [Bet you didn’t see that one coming from a mile away, huh?]

I usually shy away from combining various ethnic-type foods in a single dish. Habit, I suppose. But this meal takes a bit of Mexican food [carnitas] and adds in a bit of Asian food/preparation methods to come up with something really special. To add to the culture confusion, the combo of pork and apples is classic Americana [yes?]. Hold that thought. Just googled it… and apparently pork and apples is a classic dish for many of European descent, including the British and the Danes. Who knew?

Regardless of heritage, blending traditional flavors of many cultures in a stir-fry may seem a bit weird, but give it a chance. The sauce alone–sweet, salty, deep–is worth giving this recipe a shot. The way it coats the tender, tender pork and the substantial veggies… oh man! You will want to drink it with a spoon, I tell ya! And just wait til you get a bite with some fresh ginger. Absolutely amazing! Since the ginger is grated, it’s not too intense of an experience, but it does make an ordinary leftover-remake dinner a pretty awesome meal of its own. Enjoy!

Pork, Apple, and Ginger Stir-Fry

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Print

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 pound cooked shredded pork [leftover Carnitas]
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, diced
4 cups vegetables [I used half carrots and half lima beans]
hot cooked rice, to serve

Directions:

Preheat wok or large skillet set over medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, and applesauce. Set sauce aside.

In another bowl, toss together pork and cornstarch. Set aside.

Add oil to wok, then add ginger, garlic, and onion and saute until soft. Then add vegetables and cook until tender. Add pork and sauce and stir to combine. Cook until hot, then serve over rice.

Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Carnitas

November 12, 2012November 12, 2015 Sarah

Carnitas, literally “little meats,” is a braised or roasted pork dish that is typically something you’d find on the menu at your local Mexican restaurant. But did you know that you can easily make Carnitas at home in the crock pot? Well, you can! [Duh. Otherwise this post would be a lie. HA! :)] They miiiight not be quite authentic, but they are tasty. Ben even prefers them to the carnitas available at our favorite Mexican restaurant in town.

I’ve been making this recipe for about three years now, and it’s pretty much your easiest crockpot recipe: add ingredients to crockpot, cook, shred, and serve. There aren’t many seasonings [just pepper, oregano, and onion], so it might not sound impressive, but the simplicity allows the natural goodness of the meat to shine through. You know that my meat loving husband adores that!

Every single time I have made this, the results have been a perfect juicy and tender pork. It makes a ton, so after eating our fill of several meals of soft Carnitas tacos, we usually freeze some, enjoy some with rice a la burrito-bowl-style, and experiment with different leftover techniques. Later in the week I’ll be sharing the stirfry of our dreams, but first you need to make this awesome pork so that leftovers are possible. 🙂

For your first go-round, I highly suggest making a good guac and investing in some fresh soft tortillas for the ultimate Carnitas experience. Then you can go hog wild with toppings if you want, but I think that sometimes simple is best so try it that way first. Enjoy!

Carnitas

Servings: lots
Time: 8 hours
Print

from Good Cheap Eats
Ingredients:

3-4 pound pork shoulder roast
freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place pork roast in crockpot and season with pepper. Cover with onion and oregano, then pour water on top of everything. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 [though I haven’t tried that].

Meat should be falling apart, so shred with a fork and serve with soft tortillas and guacamole.

Notes: Freezes well.

Main Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Pork, Recipes

OTT: Pork Chops with Balsamic Blackberry Salad + Orzo

May 21, 2012July 28, 2012 Sarah

After a long absence, my husband, Ben, is back with his guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———

Each weekend as my wife is planning meals for the upcoming week, she asks if there’s anything I’d like or if I have any ideas. Generally, my answers range from nothing to worthless until this past weekend. I knew we had unused pork chops, so I grabbed a cookbook and immediately found a recipe that sounded quite enticing. This cookbook was by Rachel Ray, whom a friend of mine from my college town of Athens, Ohio [go Bobcats!!!!!!!] has a massive celebrity crush on [to the point where he’s told his girlfriend that he would absolutely break up with her for the chance to be with the celebrity chef]. But anyways… Sarah agreed, and for possibly the first time ever, I felt good about my assistance in the meal selection process.

So come Tuesday night, my pork chops’ assigned cooking date, my wife decides she has absolutely no desire to cook. Why? Because she just wants to bake cookies. As tempting as the idea of cookies for dinner was, I’ve put on a few more pounds than I would like in the last year so I shrugged it off. This meant it was time for OTT to take command of dinner.

And what a delightful dinner it was. Salty pork, crisp almonds, juicy blackberries on spinach drenched in a sweet vinegary dressing. By the way, the cookies were good too. It was a messy kitchen sort of night.

OTT: Pork Chops with Balsamic Blackberry Salad + Orzo [from Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/2 lb orzo pasta
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 pint blackberries
1 T ground basil
1 c spinach leaves
olive oil
4 pork chops
1/4 c almonds
2 T butter
cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

This recipe basically consists of making three things: the pork chops, the salad to top the chops, and the orzo to serve on the side. Let’s start with the salad. Put the balsamic vinegar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once it begins boiling, maintain heating for about 5 minutes, or until it’s reduced by about half and is a thicker, syrupy consistency. Remove from heat. Combine the blackberries [or strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any other delicious berry], basil, and spinach in a large salad bowl. You should cut the spinach into thin slices. I elected to tear it into small pieces because I’m better at ripping things than cutting them. Sarah was disappointed because it didn’t look as pretty [but she says she still loves me]. Once the vinegar has cooled, you can drizzle it over the salad.

But while it’s cooling, heat a pot of water to boiling for the orzo. When the water’s boiling, add the pasta and cook it however long the box/bag tells you to.

While the pasta’s cooking, you can get to work on the pork chops. Season the chops with some salt and pepper if desired, pour some oil in a large skillet, and once the oil has heated add the chops. Cook the chops for about 4 minutes on each side. I would recommend covering the skillet. Once the chops have cooked, remove them from the pan and roast the almonds for a couple minutes, then remove.

Back to the orzo. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and melt the butter in the pan. Return the orzo to the pan and stir together. Add the almonds and salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste.

Serve the orzo on the side with the salad topping the pork chops. Or I suppose you could serve the salad on the side with the chops over the orzo. Or even the salad over the chops over the orzo. It all tastes good, so do what seems best to you.

Reader Question ~ If you could have any dessert for dinner on a weekly basis, what would it be? I would have cheesecake. Mmmmm cheesecake… strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, the works. MMMMM!