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Brining is the secret to moist pork chops, and this copycat recipe is de-li-cious!
Brining Ingredients: 4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2 inch thick 3/4 cup coarse kosher salt 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup boiling water 1 gallon cold water 1 tablespoon black pepper Copycat Shake 'n' Bake Ingredients: 2 cups dry breadcrumbs 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/2 tablespoon paprika 1/2 tablespoon celery salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/8 teaspoon minced onion 1/2 pinch dried basil leaves 1/2 pinch dried parsley 1/2 pinch dried oregano Instructions: A heavy-duty plastic tube, stainless-steel bowl, or re-sealable plastic bag can work as a brining container, as long as the pork is fully submerged. Weight with a plate, if necessary, to keep the meat fully covered by the brine. Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add it to the cold water; add pepper and stir to combine. Chill brine completely in the refrigerator before adding pork. Place your pork in the water and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine all the Shake 'n' Bake ingredients in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Seal bag & shake all ingredients together. Rinse THOROUGHLY your pork chops, then shake each piece in the coating bag. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook 15 minutes or until done (160 degrees). By the way, this goes great with Grown Up Mac and Cheese!
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Cutting back on eating out (and saving money) requires planning and creativity. Duh! Look who just caught up! :) I do love the food at Starbucks, and so I decided to try to develop a recipe at home that is similar to one of my favorites: the chicken sausage wrap. It's not quite the same, as who has time to roast veggies in the morning? But I think it came out great! If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think!  Picture of wrap from Starbucks website  My version
Instructions: Warm 1/2 tsp. olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms and peppers until soft and yummy-smelling. Mix in the pesto and chicken sausage until warmed through. Remove veggie/sausage mixture from skillet and set aside. In same skillet, add second 1/2 tsp. of olive oil. Pour in egg whites, cook 1 minute, turn, cook 1 additional minute or until lightly browned. Warm tortilla, fold egg white omelet in center of tortilla, top with veggie/sausage mixture. Fold in edges. Serve. Smile. Yield: 2 wraps WW Points+: 7 pts per wrap Almost Flourless Blood Orange Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Balsamic Marinated Strawberries4/13/2013 So my fabulous sister Beth is in town this weekend, and we visited a store in the Arboretum called Con' Olio, where I was introduced to the world of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We bought four bottles: Blood Orange Olive Oil, Basil Olive Oil, Cranberry Pear White Balsamic, and Dark Chocolate Dark Balsamic. Besides the delish dressing we made from the cranberry pear white balsamic to go with our spinach salad, we made the tremendous dessert below. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we enjoyed making and eating it! 
Cake Recipe from the Con' Olio website:
Ingredients: 7 ounces 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup (4 oz.) Agrumato Blood Orange extra-virgin olive oil** 1 cup (7 oz.) granulated cane sugar, divided 5 large eggs at room temperature, separated 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt Whipped cream for serving **Note: We didn't know that the small bottle of blood orange olive oil we bought was only a 1/4 cup of oil, so we just added another 1/4 cup of regular olive oil. We think it turned out perfectly balanced -- and that maybe the full 1/2 cup of blood orange olive oil would have been too much. Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack positioned in the middle. Line the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Put the chocolate in a large stainless-steel bowl and melt it over simmering water. Whisk it until it is smooth. Add the olive oil, whisking in a steady stream. Whisk in 2/3 cup of the sugar, the egg yolks, then the flour and salt. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed with the whisk attachment until they start to foam. Add about a third of the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Beat until the whites become opaque, then add another third of the sugar. When the whites begin to increase in volume and become firmer, add the rest of the sugar and turn the mixer speed to high. Beat until the whites form soft peaks when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. They will still look slightly wet. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture in two additions. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until the cake is puffed and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, still in the pan, on a rack. It will deflate as it cools. Run a table knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Peel off the parchment paper. Lightly dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature, with whipped cream and the marinated strawberries. Marinated Strawberries with Chocolate Balsamic -- from our imaginations and a bit of websurfing Ingredients: 16 oz of strawberries, cleaned and halved (or quartered if they are large) 1/4 cup sugar 2 T. chocolate balsamic vinegar Instructions: Combine the sugar and balsamic vinegar, and then add the strawberries. Marinate at room temperature for at least an hour, but no more than 4. Serve with yummy cake.  One of the most popular dishes on P. F. Chang's appetizer menu is the spare ribs that comes slathered with Asian-style barbecue sauce. The Asian flavors you pick up comes from the addition of sweet hoisin sauce to a fairly rudimentary barbecue sauce formula. Chang's menu says these ribs are spare ribs although they appear to be much smaller, more like baby backs. You can certainly use either for this recipe, just be sure to trim the ribs first, since the restaurant version is lean, clean ribs with no extra meat or fat hanging off.
Ingredients: 1 cup ketchup 1 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (I make my own from a recipe found here.) 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 2 tablespoons minced onion 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar) 1 rack pork spare ribs 4 cups vegetable oil 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon diced green onion Instructions: 1. Make the sauce by combining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until thick. Cool. 2. To cook the ribs the P. F. Chang's way, you will need to first boil them in water. Heat up 12 to 16 cups of water in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. As water boils, trim the excess fat and meat off the ribs. Slice between the bones of each rib to separate the ribs. When the water is boiling, toss the ribs in, bring the water back to a boil and boil the ribs for 12 to 14 minutes. No pink will show when they are done. Remove ribs to a plate to cool. 3. When the ribs have cooled you can either store them in an airtight bag in the refrigerator until you are ready for the final cooking step, or you can move on to that step now by heating up 4 cups of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. The oil should be about 375 degrees. You can also use a deep fryer for this step, but your fryer will likely require more oil. 4. When the oil is hot, drop 4 to 6 ribs at a time into the oil. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes or until the meat browns. Drain off the ribs on a rack or paper towels. Fry all the ribs before moving on to the next step. 5. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, toss in all the ribs and coat with the sauce. Simmer the ribs in the sauce for about a minute while stirring and dump the ribs onto a serving plate when they are all well-coated with sauce. 6. Sprinkle the ribs with sesame seeds and about a tablespoon of diced green onion, and serve with a pile of napkins. Makes an appetizer for 2 to 5.  Oh, it's so good to be home and baking again!
As a child, I loved Twix bars, and found this recipe to make my own version. I hope you enjoy! Caution: EXTREMELY rich. Eat carrots all day so you can enjoy guilt-free! Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup white sugar 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips kosher sea salt (optional) Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust). Cool in fridge until it hardens. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich. 
Ingredients:
1 cup flour 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squares 1 (8-ounce) bag grated extra-sharp 2% Cheddar cheese 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon powdered ancho pepper Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in food processor, and pulse until crumbly. Add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Place dough between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, and, using pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into 1 inch squares. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake for 25 minutes. Test for crispiness; crackers may take a few minutes more to finish crisping. Remove from oven when crisp and just starting to brown. Let cool and serve. Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley Instructions: Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, and cheddar cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10-12 biscuits.  This week's Loteria-themed meal is for El Catrin - The Gentleman. And the gentleman in my life loves lemons, so this meal is inspired by and for him. Lemony Chicken with Brown Rice (recipe below) Lemon Shortbread with Raspberries and Cream (link to recipe here)     This is a made-from-scratch recipe! My friend, Melissa, and I were at a shall-not-be-named restaurant in Brenham and she had the Lemony Chicken and Rice lunch special. It was good, not too strong of a lemon taste. We asked for the recipe and they pronounced it a secret. Okay, sure....so here's my version which I think was even better. (Cue sound of evil villian laugh.)
Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 T. olive oil 1 T. flour 1 T. butter 1 c. chicken broth or stock Juice of 1 lemon 1 to 3 tsp. of sugar (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1 bag boil-in-the-bag brown rice, cooked 1/4 c. cooked, minced carrots for garnish 1/8 c. minced chives for garnish Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken pieces until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add the flour and butter to the pan bits and drippings to make a roux. Slowly add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Reduce until nicely thickened, stirring often. Once the sauce is reduced, salt and pepper the sauce to taste, and then decide if the sauce is too lemony (sour) for your taste. At this point, you could add sugar to balance the lemon (I added 2 tsp.) Add the cooked chicken and the rice back to the skillet to incorporate, then serve with carrots and chives as garnish. Making a commitment to cook 80% of meals at home can be difficult when you live in a city that has as many fabulous restaurants as Austin does. One of our favorite restaurants, and goal buster, is Z’Tejas (http://austin6thstreet.ztejas.com/). And although the Arboretum location is closer to our home, we have a special place in our hearts for the East 6th Street location. We’re big fans of the layered, Southwestern flavors. I was lucky enough to find recipes for two of my favorite items, Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Ancho Chile Fudge Pie, online. I served this meal with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Stuffed Pork TenderloinPork Stuffing 1/2 lb. chorizo sausage, cooked, and allowed to cool 1/4 cup Japanese-style bread crumbs 1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1/2 white onion, julienned Pork Tenderloin ¾ lb. pork tenderloin 1/4 roasted poblano chile (pealed, with seeds) Butcher twine Olive oil and/or butter Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce 1/2 quart heavy whipping cream 1/8 lb. chorizo sausage 1/8 cup roasted garlic Instructions: To make the stuffing, add all the stuffing ingredients to the food processor or mixer, and mix well. Butterfly the tenderloin and pound out until flat. Place stuffing down middle of the tenderloin. Place roasted poblano over stuffing. Roll tenderloin and secure with butcher twine. Brown all four sides of tenderloin in a heated skillet with the olive oil. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until internal temperature is 160 degrees. Allow to cool slightly, remove strings, cut into medallions. While the tenderloin is cooking and cooling, make the Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce. Using a sauce pan, reduce cream by almost half on medium heat. Add chorizo and roasted garlic to thicken slightly for approximately 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix until smooth. Drizzle over tenderloin medallions.     Ancho Chile Fudge PieIngredients: 1 9-in. deep dish prepared pie crust 2 eggs 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter (2 sticks) 1/2 cup pecans 1/2 cup walnuts 1 cup chocolate chips 3/4 tsp ancho chile peppers, ground Ancho peppers are available whole. To grind, soften peppers in water for 3 minutes, drain, and grind in blender. Do NOT use chile powder. Instructions: Melt butter and allow to cool. Toast pecans and walnuts in oven on flat sheet until lightly brown. Beat eggs well. Add white flour, white sugar and brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Add cool butter, mix well. Mix in nuts, chile peppers and chocolate chips. Fold into mixture. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes.    I served this pie with cinnamon whipped cream, but it also goes GREAT with banana mock ice cream!
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