November 21, 2024

PorkChops with Mushroom-Tarragon Sauce

April 28, 2015 by

Recently we were on vacation in Florida and spent a few days with my sister and brother-in-law.  We had been having meals out for a week or so…and I was really missing a home-cooked meal.  They graciously prepared supper our first night visiting them…and it was my brother-in-law’s version of this dish.  Simply delicious!  (Thank you, Tony and Brenda!)

A few days after we returned home to New York, I thought about this dish.  It is simple and quick (aren’t some of your best meals just like that?).  But full of flavor from the caramelized onions and mushrooms, the abudance of garlic, and the subtle flavor that herbs—in this case, tarragon—add.   The prep and cooking time amount to just about 30 minutes or so. This fits well into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV since the pork chops are low in fat and protein-rich.  The entire dish  includes just a small amount of olive oil…and just a little bit of carbs.  You can make this your own by increasing the quantity of mushrooms or perhaps using a variety of mushrooms!  This goes along well with quite a variety of side dishes.  We enjoyed it with our family served with black rice and broccoli; I prepared it at home with one of our current favorites, this Sweet Potato-Spinach Mash.  Enjoy!

Mushroom-Tarragon Pork Chops

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ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops (5 or 6 ounces each)
1+ teaspoon lemon-pepper blend, freshly ground
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 pound Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium sweet onion, halved and sliced into half-moons
2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use jarred)
1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons brown rice (or all-purpose) flour
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

directions:

  • coat both sides of pork chops with lemon-pepper blend
  • in a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil, and then add pork chops
  • quickly brown (about 2 minutes each side), and then remove, cover and keep warm
  • in the same pan, saute mushrooms and onion in additional teaspoon of oil ’til lightly caramelized
  • lower heat and add garlic; stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute longer
  • stir in wine; raise heat to medium and bring to a boil; cook ‘til all liquids are almost evaporated
  • lower heat again and sprinkle the flour over the onion-mushroom mixture; stir well and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes to reduce the flour-y taste
  • stir the broth into the onion-mushroom mixture ‘til smooth
    bring to a boil; cook and stir continually for about 2 minutes ‘til thickened and a gravy has formed. (if necessary, add additional broth ‘til the gravy reaches the consistency you prefer.)
  • return the pork chops to pan along with the tarragon; cover and cook on low heat (just barely simmering) for 6-8 minutes or ‘til a thermometer reads 145
  • turn off heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes or so ‘til plating

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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The Five B’s: Butternut, Brussels Sprouts, Baby Bellas, Bacon, and Balsamic

November 11, 2013 by

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Raise your hand, please, if you—like me—are planning out and testing recipes to serve at your Thanksgiving Day meal!  Over the next few weeks, both here on the blog and also over in our FaceBook GCH-Fellowship page, we will be chatting about recipes for the big feast.  Last Friday, Dana shared that “…it is always good to have a couple of side dish recipes in mind.”  She gave us her recipe for a delicious-looking side dish salad here on the At Home with GCH blog.

So today I am giving you a recipe entitled The Five B’s: bacon (yum!), butternut (oh, yum!), brussels sprouts (yumm-o!), baby bellas (yum-yum!) and balsamic (yummy!)….silly, I know.  But seriously, consider trying this as a side dish for your Thanksgiving feast!  Easy to prepare (the veggies can be prepped the day before).  And the prepared dish can be popped into the oven the moment you take the bird out!  It will be done and piping hot when your bird has finished resting and been carved.  This dish definitely fits into our healthy but oh-so-yummy point of view!  Enjoy!

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Five B’s: Butternut, Brussels Sprouts, Baby Bellas, Bacon and Balsamic

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2# thickly sliced bacon, chopped
1+1/2# Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 medium-large butternut squash, cleaned and cubed
8 ounce container Baby Bellas, cleaned and quartered
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (the REAL stuff, please!)
1+1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • In a medium-sized saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook 8-10 minutes ‘til crispy. Lay out on a paper towel to drain; set aside.
  • Lightly oil a large sheet pan (or two!) with olive oil.
  • In a very large bowl, or stockpot, pour in the prepared veggies…Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, Baby Bella mushrooms…along with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil; stir well to evenly disperse the oil and season well with salt & pepper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, additional 1 tablespoon olive oil, and maple syrup. Drizzle this mixture over the vegetables and toss so that they are evenly coated.
  • Spread out vegetables in a single layer (very important!) in the pan(s); sprinkle with salt, pepper, allspice and nutmeg.
  • Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes; carefully remove pan(s) stir and flip over the veggies so that the other side can caramelize. Place back in over and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or ‘til the veggies are slightly brown and caramelized.
  • Remove from oven and, just before serving, top with crumbled bacon

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Ratatouille

August 12, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes.  Today our series of summer recipes featuring in-season produce continues. Our featured ingredient this week is zucchini!  Here is a link showing the nutritional value of this summer squash as well as it’s health benefits.

As prolific as zucchini is both in our own gardens as well as the farmstands from which we purchase some of our produce, I suppose we could continue for the rest of the summer with recipes utilizing zucchini.  Earlier this year, I posted a recipe for Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins; check it out!

Today’s recipe is for Ratatouille—a yummy melange (mixture) of zucchini and other seasonal veggies!  Ratatouille can be served hot, room temp (my favorite), or even cold.  It can be a delicious side dish served with something yummy off the grill.  It is a tasty alternative as a pizza topping, too.  Our favorite way to enjoy Ratatouille is as a vegetarian entree with the addition of fresh mozzarella pieces; oh yum!   And bread…don’t forget some bread!  A nice crusty baguette or loaf of Italian bread is great!  This is also a dish which can be served—and enjoyed by all—when you have any combo of vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters.

And, of course, I would be remiss to fail to mention my favorite (yours, too?) Ratatouille… Actually, a little rat who yearned to be a French chef.  Remember him?

Ratatouille2013-07-31 18.56.35

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and ground lemon pepper*
1 medium-sized eggplant, cut into cubes
2 medium-sized zucchini, halved and cut into halfmoons
1 red pepper, cubed
1 yellow pepper, cubed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 stem fresh rosemary, pulled into sprigs
3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
optional: 8 ounce container of fresh mozzarella balls

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan.  Cook the vegetables, individually, (separately) for 5 or 6 minutes each, seasoning lightly with kosher salt and a few grinds of lemon pepper.  Remove each and place into one large bowl to hold ‘til remainder of veggies (eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion, mushrooms) are finished. Add additional olive oil as needed.  Combine all of the cooked vegetables back together in the pan, and then stir in the chopped tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and rosemary.  Allow to gently simmer for 20 minutes.  Finally, add the balsamic vinegar, and taste for additional salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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If you would like to send a personal message to Coleen concerning this blogpost, you may email her at: Coleen@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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