These two recipes came from Pinterest, of course. They were delicious easy to make and paired well together. I went with the easy way out and added a bag of Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Green Beans

Honey Garlic Pork chops

Ingredients:

• 1/4  cup honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 pork loin chops, boneless

Directions:

1. Mix together ingredients for sauce; honey, soy sauce, and garlic.
2. Let pork chops marinate in sauce. (I used thicker chops and only let them marinate for about 45 minutes. Next time I will let them sit longer because of their thickness. I didn't feel like they had quite enough flavor.)
3. Cook the pork chops to temperature on a grill. (I used the George Foreman, cooked for about 8 minutes, and got great results!)

Roasted Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 12 to 15 Baby Red Potatoes
• Garlic Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.
2. Add the potatoes and let them boil for around 30 minutes or until they are soft enough to pierce all the way through with a fork.
3. Preheat oven to 450.
   
4. Remove each potato and let them rest for about 5 minutes on a towel.
5. Use another towel to gently press the potatoes to about 1/4 inch thickness.
6. Drizzle olive oil over a shallow baking dish.
7. Transfer the potato rounds to the dish.
8. Drizzle with olive oil and garlic salt.
9. Flip the potatoes and drizzle with oil and salt.
10. Bake the potatoes for about 30 min or until nice and crispy.

Baked Egg Cups

My latest interest has been Pinterest! As most people also are, I am addicted. I will admit it. I find myself spending countless amounts of time pining and adding pictures to this pin board style website. All of this time is spent with motivation to recreate each pin at some point. Well I figure the best way to make use of this addiction and to also get back on the blog is to start making some of the delicious dishes I see. Let me tell you, they are delicious!

This super easy and quick recipe is almost identical to a breakfast dish that I use to make for Meatless Monday, Shirred Eggs. Pinterest gave me a great idea though for a delicious way to change it up, use lunch meat as a cup for added tastiness and to boost up your protein count.

Baked Egg Cups

 (Picture courtesy of Pinterest)

Ingredients:
Sliced Lunch Meat of Choice, I prefer turkey
Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Toppings of Choice


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400
Spray muffin pan with non stick spray
Line muffin cup with one slice of lunch meat
Crack one egg into each lined cup
Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper
Top with your choice of cheese, vegetables, sauce, etc.
Bake for around 10-12 minutes, until the yolk is cooked to your liking
  (I prefer my yolk a little on the runny side, the lighter side of 10 minutes.)



The first go round I lined two cups each with a slice of turkey lunch meat. I cracked an egg in each respective cup, added a little salt and pepper, and topped it all off with shredded parmesean cheese. Delish!

Second go round I tried two different variations. On one cup I used turkey meat and topped the egg with salt, pepper, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. For the second egg I used turkey meat and topped it with salt, pepper, and pesto. All three of these variations were awesome in their own way.

I think I love these baked eggs because they are so simple to make and you are in and out of the kitchen in less than 20 minutes with minimal clean up! I also am loving the fact that they are so versatile and you can top them with whatever you fancy or whatever you have in the kitchen. That's always a big plus for me.

Unhealthy tip: Next time I think I'm going to go a little bit further and try a BACON cup. MMMMM....Bacon!!!

Healthy tip: Try your baked egg cups with just egg whites. There are two super easy ways to do this.
1. Seperate the egg whites from the yolk and just cook the cups with the whites.
2. Cook the egg cups a little longer and when you cut into the cooked cups you will be able to easily remove the fully cooked yolk from the middle.

Simple Southern Favorites

The next two recipes use turkey sausage, green pepper, onion, and chicken broth in addition to a few other ingredients. I think they are both quick and easy to make. The additional ingredients only vary slightly so when I make one I usually make the second in the next day or two. Since I don't use a whole pepper, onion, or sausage for either recipe I need to use what's left while it's still fresh. The two meals are also prepared almost identically. The first recipe, Gumbo, is prepared as a soup. The second recipe, Shrimp and Grits, is prepared as a mixture to top a bed of grits.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

           1 8 oz Chicken Breast                   1 link or 7 oz Turkey Sausage 

 1/4 Medium Onion                      1/2 Green Pepper

 1 Can of Tomatoes and Okra            Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Cajun Seasoning                                  Oil 

Brown Rice

• Begin cooking your brown rice. Typically brown rice will take 30-45 minutes. Once the rice starts cooking this should be enough time to prepare and simmer your gumbo having both finish at the same time. 
• Chop your green pepper and onion. 
• Cut your sausage into thin slices.
• Saute your green pepper, onion, and sausage in a pot together with a small amount of heated oil. Season to taste with cajun seasoning.
• While you're sauteing the first three ingredients slice your chicken breasts into thin, small strips. 
• Once the vegetables soften and the sausage shows the first signs of browning add the chicken. 
• Cook together until the chicken is almost cooked throughout. 
• If the mix seems too greasy you can drain it. Since I'm using turkey sausage I usually don't drain to keep the flavor. 
• Add your can of tomatoes and okra along with chicken broth until the pot is about 1/2 way full. 
• Let simmer on medium-low heat for at least 15 minutes if not more.
• Serve over brown rice with cornbread.

Serves 4

Shrimp and Cheese Grits

       Around 30 Medium Size Shrimp             1/2 Link or 7 oz Turkey Sausage

1/4 Medium Onion                         1/2 Green Pepper

                       Low Sodium Chicken Broth                            Oil

   Grits                                          Cheese

Heavy Cream (Optional)

• Chop your onion.
• Cut your green pepper and sausage into thin slices.
• Saute in a frying pan with a small amount of heated oil. 
• Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
• While you're sauteing the first three ingredients peel and devein your shrimp.
• Once the vegetables soften and the sausage shows the first signs of browning add the shrimp. 
• Cook together until the shrimp just begin to pink. This can happen quickly depending on the size of your shrimp. 
• Add enough chicken broth to allow the mixture to float. Not too much. 
• I prefer a light broth so I only use chicken broth. If you prefer more of a creamy or gravy sauce add cream to the mixture. 
• Let simmer and thicken for a few minutes, enough time to allow the shrimp to cook throughout
• Depending on the type of grits you are using allow enough time to prepare so that the grits will finish the same time as your shrimp mixture. I often will just use instant grits that only take 5 minutes to prepare. Add cubes of cheese to taste to give your grits that extra boost of flavor. A few suggestions are cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or gouda. 
• Serve the shrimp mixture over a bed of grits.

Serves 4

Pinterest Dinner

Last night’s dinner was fueled by my Pinterest addiction. I took a look around my Mmmm, Mmmm, Good board and found three recipes that worked with stuff I had in the kitchen. 

Menu

Cucumber Cup Salads, Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Garlicky Fries.

(Following the below links will take you to my Pinterest. You can then click on each items respective link for original postings.)

Cucumber Cups

These very cute cups were very easy to make. They do only hold a minimal amount of salad. I assume you can perfect your skill in constructing the cups over time. 

• Slice thin strips of cucumber with a vegetable slicer. 

Leave the peel on. It will help your cups stand up. I also sliced my strips with a knife. They weren't quite thin enough so I used a bar glass to shape them, then placed glasses in the freezer to help set the cups. 

• Toss a small salad. 

• Once the cups are set stuff them with your salad. 

• Garnish with two half slices of bacon sticking up the back side of the cup. 

 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Very tasty, very easy, but cooked a little too long

I always buy the value pack of boneless chicken breasts. I then take each breast, trim it, cut it into a 4 oz portion, package two pieces in a freezer bag, and freeze. This really helps down the line with portion control, defrosting, and meal planning. 

• Take a 4 oz piece of chicken and slice it into 3 nice size chunks. 

• Season or baste it with sauce of your choice. 

I used an all purpose dry rub. Other recipes I have seen recommended the basting the uncooked chicken with  honey mustard. I'm not a honey mustard fan so I chose to skip the sauce. However, my chicken did turn out a tad on the dry side. Perhaps using a sauce would have helped prevent this. 

• Wrap each chunk in a half strip of bacon. 

• Place in a baking dish. 

• Bake on 425.

Cooking times will depend on your size of chicken pieces. Baking for 45 minutes alongside the potatoes below was a little too long for mine.

Garlicky Baked Fries

5 New Potatoes

5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

Dry Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 1/2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

• Warm 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic for about 1 minute in the microwave.

• Slice 8 New Potatoes into Wedges.

• Toss the wedges in the warmed garlic and oil.

• Microwave potatoes in oil for about 5 minutes. Stirring once half way through.

• Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

• Sprinkle mixed dry ingredients over warmed potatoes and toss.

• Bake on 450 for about 30 minutes

• Flip wedges once halfway through cooking

I'm baaack..Asparagus Fritters

After a super long hiatus I’m back. Caught up in the whirl wind of life I somehow allowed blogging to fall off the To Do List. What this now means is that I have a surplus of recipes, pictures and even a food festival to throw in. So enjoy!

I found this recipe while browsing through another blog, Closet Cooking. I always enjoy trying new things, new concepts, even putting a new twist on an old favorite. I thought this was a great recipe to try because I love asparagus and who doesn’t care for a little bit of fried goodness?

Here is Kevin from Closet Cooking's Recipe……..

Asparagus and Feta Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 handful dill, chopped
• 1 handful parsley, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup flour (I like to use whole wheat)
• 2 tablespoons oil

Directions

1. Grate or process the asparagus in a food processor. (I actually just chopped-Ruby)

2. Mix the asparagus, herbs, green onions, feta, flour, egg, salt and pepper and enough flour that the mixture will hold together.
 

3. Heat the oil in a pan.
 4. Spoon the asparagus mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. 

Avgolemono Sauce

Ingredients

·         1 egg (lightly beaten)

·         1/2 lemon (juice)

·         1 tablespoon dill chopped

·         1 tablespoon capers

Directions

1. Whisk the egg in bowl until frothy.
2. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice followed by the water.
3. Heat in a small sauce pan while whisking until the sauce thickens, mix in the dill and capers and remove from heat. (Do not bring it to a boil.)

I tried the fritters two different ways. Of course as I was making the first batch I tried a few as a snack. They are delicious on their own. I imagine they would make a great accompaniment to a salad or also served as an edible garnish aside a meat dish. For dinner I served the fritters topped with a poached egg and avgolemono sauce just as Closet Cooking suggests. The egg and light zestiness of the sauce definitely complimented the fritters in their search to become a full meal. I served them alongside roasted potatoes and green beans with parmesan olive oil sauce from SteamFresh. Overall, a very delicious meatless dish. 

Vidalia Onion Pie

Being born and raised in the south how have I never had, much less even heard of, Vidalia Onion Pie? I'm not sure, but once a coworker mentioned this in the office I knew I had to try it! Who wouldn't love a savory pie made of sweet vidalia onions, filled with a light egg mixture, and baked to perfect fluffiness? I know I would!

My coworker passed on the recipe she uses, Paula Deen's. I took a quick look and knew this would be a piece of cake...or should I say a piece of pie! ;-) After discussing this delicious treat with my boss we thought maybe adding some cheese would make this the pie even better. In comes the parmesean!

So with a lot of inspiration from Paula Deen and my coworkers I present you.........

Vidalia Onion Pie 

 One area of the pie was left without bacon for another coworker.

Ingredients:

1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced                                       6 slices of bacon

2 tablespoons of butter                                                       2 eggs

small 8 oz container of sour cream                                      1/2 cup of milk 

salt                                                                                     1 pie shell

Parmesan cheese                                                     3 big spoonfuls of flour, 

                                             (appox. 3 tablespoons, I can never find a measuring spoon!)

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Cook 6 pieces of bacon to well done. You want them crispy because you'll be crumbling them later.
3.  As soon as the bacon is finished remove it from the grease and immediately add your onions to the pan. I also added 2 tablespoons of butter.
4.  Saute the onions in the bacon grease until they are really soft and not quite browned.
5.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 3 big spoonfuls of flour.
6.  Add 1/2 cup of milk, 1 small container of sour cream (8 oz.), and a few sprinkles of salt. Mix all these ingredients together until the mixture is really smooth.
7.  Layer your sauted onions in the bottom of the pie crust. Then top the onions with your egg mixture. I had a little extra egg mixture. If you're using a deep dish crust, it should fill it right up.

8.  Top the uncooked pie with a generous handful of shredded parmesean cheese. Then top with crumbled bacon.
9.  Bake for 40 minutes or until the pie is firm in the middle.
10.  Remove your pie from the oven and let it cool.
11.  Slice and serve

***If your pie crust starts to brown too soon, cover the crust with a thin piece of aluminum foil. 

Inspired Vidalia Onion Pie

Big Day

Today is officially the big day!

Thanks to our friends over at Foodista Dinner for Two, Please is being featured as the Blog of the Day!

Yay!

Please check out all their great tips on incorporating different ingredients and using new techniques and tools, as well as the awesome recipes and blogs that have been submitted to this foodie community!