Are you looking for a way to make pork chops that’ll knock your husband’s socks off?  Check out the spices in this dish.  If this doesn’t create a little heat in the kitchen, nothing will!  And a little something for the ladies… how about some cocoa thrown in, too.  Fantastic!

1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
4 boneless pork chops
1 T canola oil
1 1/4 C mild salsa
1 t baking cocoa
1/8 t cinnamon
2 T cilantro, minced
1 green onion, chopped

Place the cumin and chili powder together in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Rub the pork chops with the mixture on both sides. Place the canola oil into a large heavy skillet over medium heat and allow it to heat up. Place the pork chops into the hot oil and brown 4 minutes. Turn and continue browning 3 minutes. Place the salsa, cocoa and cinnamon into another small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the chops in the skillet and bring the mixture to a brisk boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until the meat is fork tender. Be sure to turn the chops once and stir the mixture a couple of times during cooking. Remove the chops to a serving plate and sprinkle the cilantro and green onion over the tops. 

Cheesecake isn’t necessarily one of the easiest desserts to make, but it sure is one of the best.  I don’t usually fuss with cheesecake too often, so when I do, it’s got to be fabulous.  My family loves the cheesecake and peppermint flavor combination, so this is a winner every time!  When you have time to make a great dessert, give some thought to this cheesecake.  It’s worth the effort, for sure.

1 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 package unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 16-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 milk
1/4 cup finely chopped peppermint candy
1 cup whipping cream, heavily whipped

1/3 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/4 cup milk chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and butter together and press onto the bottom and sides of a nine-inch spring form pan (add more crumbs and butter, if necessary). Bake crust for 10 minutes. Cool. Mix gelatin and water in  a small saucepan; stir constantly over low heat until gelatin is well dissolved. Mix cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend fully. Add gelatin mix, milk and crushed peppermint until blended. Place in refrigerator until thick, but not fully formed. Add in whipped cream and blend well. Pour into crust. Place in refrigerator until well set. Carefully remove side of spring form pan. Decorate by drizzling melted chocolate and extra peppermint candies on top.

About this time in the year, I’m yearning, once again, for some holiday inspired dishes.  We make another turkey with stuffing, and reminisce about family and friends that we shared our time with.  A fitting tribute is this sweet potato dish that is sort of a cross between a pie and a casserole.  It’s creamy, sweet, and covered in a buttery nut topping.  How can you miss?

Filling:
2 cups canned sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup real butter
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts, pecans work well

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients for casserole together until well blended and place in a lightly sprayed baking dish. Combine topping ingredients and cover top of casserole. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is brown and casserole is bubbling.

Sometimes, less is more.  When you want a really pretty, delicious, and easy salad, this one is just what you need.  With only five ingredients, the flavor this salad packs is incredible.  The surprising sweetness and crunch of the pecans really add a very five-star restaurant quality to this salad.  Enjoy!

2 hearts of Romaine lettuce
1 T pecans, toasted
1 small red bell pepper
1/4 C Italian spiced cheese, shredded
1 C Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Separate the leaves of each heart and place them on 2 salad plates. Sprinkle the top of the lettuce with 1/2 T of the pecans per plate. Slice the red pepper open and remove the seeds and core.  Then chop the red bell pepper into small bitesize pieces.  Place the red pepper on top of both salads. Top each salad with half of the cheese. Top each salad with the Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. 

No more take-out for me!  When I can create a simple, delicious egg roll that’s so simple, there’s no reason to leave the house.  Our whole family has always chosen egg rolls over everything else at our favorite take -out restaurant.  The great thing about this recipe is you can tweak it a little to suit your own personal taste.  Plus, you control the ingredients, so it always comes out just the way you like it. 

2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C chicken, cooked and chopped
1/4 C mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C celery, chopped fine
1 t soy sauce
1/2 t curry powder
8 egg roll wrappers

Place the vegetable oil into a deep fryer and allow it to heat to 365 degrees. Place the chopped chicken into a mixing bowl. Add the mushrooms and celery and toss to combine. Add the soy sauce and mix until all the ingredients are coated. Sprinkle in the curry powder and blend together well. Lay the egg roll wrappers out flat. Spread 2 t of the chicken mixture into the middle of each wrapper. Fold the corners in and then fold the ends up over the corners. Roll until completely closed. Moisten the underneath side of the wrapper with a little water to seal. Fry the egg rolls 2 at time for 3 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Lay the egg rolls in a single layer on paper towels to drain.

If your kids turns their noses up at root vegetables, or any vegetable that’s not a French Fry, this may just help them appreciate the other veggies out there.  The only way I can get parsnips, turnips, and brussel sprouts on their plate is by making them sweet.  Truth be told, these particular vegetables can be rather bitter, so a little sugar doesn’t hurt… and it actually enhances their flavor.  Who knew?

4 pearl onions, peeled and trimmed
4 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Layer the onions, Brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots and parsnip in a single layer in a large deep skillet or saucepan.  Cover the vegetables halfway with warm water. Add the butter.  Sprinkle in the sugar, salt and pepper. Do not stir. Place the saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a rapid boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and let the vegetables cook 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender and a glaze has formed.  If the water evaporates during cooking add more as needed.  Serve the vegetables warm as the glaze will harden upon sitting. 

Many people consider this recipe a Cajun twist on a classic dessert.  This recipe works best when made in a tube pan, but don’t be worried if you don’t have one.  Any old cake pan will do. It’s pretty easy to make and the combination of pineapple, carrot, and nuts is really yummy! 

1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 cups of carrots (grated)
1 cup of crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup of nuts, your choice, chopped
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Cream the oil, sugar and eggs together until nice and smooth. Add the pineapple and grated carrots to the mixture, fold in.  Then add the dry ingredients, mixing together thoroughly. Bake the batter for one hour at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Can drizzle a sugar and cream cheese frosting over the top, but it’s good as is, too.

I think corn fritters are a great way to eat something fried without all the guilt.  Well, they do qualify as a vegetable, after all!  The ingredients are all under your control.  By using a “good” oil, like canola oil, you can reduce the total fat in these homemade corn fritters and enjoy your little treat.

3 large eggs, heavily beaten
2 cups corn kernels, cooked and crushed
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 tablespoon melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup flour (more or less)
High heat cooking oil, like canola oil, or peanut oil

Fill a deep skillet with oil and heat until water dropped in the skillet sizzles. Mix together all ingredients, except flour, then add just enough of the 1 1/2 cups of flour to make fritters stay together. More or less than 1 1/2 cups may be needed. Drop fritters one at a time by the spoonful into hot oil. Turn to brown all sides. Drain and serve.

If you have an opportunity to try cooking veal, this is a very simple and classic recipe that will please the whole family.  The ingredients are very basic, which is actually the way you want to go with veal, letting the meat sort of speak for itself.  This is also a pretty fast meal to throw together, so you can enjoy it even on a busy night.  And our busy nights seem to be the nights we enjoy a hearty meal best!

4 veal steaks, fresh
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs, beaten with a fork
Italian style bread crumbs
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Oregano

Whip eggs. Dip steaks into eggs and then bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and fry veal on both sides until brown. Pour tomato sauce over meat; add spices and Parmesan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella and oregano over meat and cook until cheese melts.

I’ve tried many baked potato wedges in my day, sometimes without very good results.  But, these potatoes always come out for me.  Not only do they come out good, but the flavor is out of this world!  I love the spicy paprika and cheese combination. We sometimes make a batch of these and have them for movie night. Popcorn just won’t do sometimes, you know?

3 large baking potatoes
1/4 C canola oil
2 t paprika
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T Parmesan cheese, grated

Place the oven temperature on 425 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the potatoes. Line a baking pan with foil then spray the foil with a non stick cooking spray. Scrub the potatoes under cold water then pat dry. Cut each potato into 8 even size wedges. Place the oil, paprika, salt and pepper into a sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake to mix the ingredients together. Add the potatoes and reseal. Shake until all the potatoes are covered well. Remove the potatoes and place skin side down in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over all the potatoes. Bake 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.