Honey Pecan Pork Chops

I fixed these yesterday and they got rave reviews.  Hubby said they were delicious!!  I thought they were a little sweet, but the rest of the clan LOVED them.  Not to mention.,  they are super easy and quick.

Here's what you need:
     1 1/4 pound boneless pork loin, thin cut
     1/2 c flour
     salt and pepper to taste
     2 tbsp butter
     1/4 c honey
     1/4 c chopped pecans

Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the pork cutlets in the mixture.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium to high heat.  Add the chops and brown on both sides (be careful to not over cook them which is usually my problem).

 Transfer the cooked pork chops to a warm plate.  Mix the honey and pecans into the pan drippings.  Heat through, stirring constantly (again be careful not to burn/overcook the sauce).  Pour the sauce over the cutlets and serve.  I served them up with caramelized butternut squash, green beans, and crescent rolls.

Mmmmm Mmmmmm good.  Don't those look yummy?  According to hubby,  they were the best pork chops I've made, he thinks!! 

Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

While I am not a big sea food eater by any means,  this recipe was delicious.  It was most definitely different from my normal meals.  I can honestly say the household was divided on it's reviews,  but I'm going to say we loved it, because the three that didn't were my girls and they don't like anything new.

Besides being delicious,  it was fairly simple.  Here's all the ingredients for the mahi mahi:
     2 tbsp olive oil
     1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
     2 teaspoons lemon juice
     1 clove garlic, crushed (I substituted the garlic powder)
     1 teaspoons red pepper flakes  (the original recipe called for 2, so if you like really hot?)
     1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
     1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
     salt to taste
     4 mahi mahi fillets

Whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, ginger, and salt in a bowl.  Add the mahi mahi and toss to evenly coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack in the middle of the oven.  Remove the mahi mahi from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Place fish in a large baking dish in a singer layer. Broil in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 10-15 minutes.  If the fish browns too quickly, cover the baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.

The Mango salsa isn't your typical tangy salsa,  it's actually sweet,  but it compliments the spicy of the mahi mahi perfectly.

Ingredients:
     1 1/2 tsp butter
     1 1/2 tbsp sugar
      1 1/2 cups fresh mango, cubed

Melt  the butter in a skillet and mix in the sugar.  Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir in the mango cubes.  Cook and stir until mango is tender, about 5 minutes.

Serve the mahi mahi fillets over rice and top with the mango salsa.  Delicous!!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

It's taco night and I don't have a kit,  OH NO!!!!  No problem!  My sister-in-law makes her own taco seasoning, so I go searching.  Unfortunately,  I couldn't find hers,  but I did find one I had all the spices for, so doesn't hurt to try right?  The kids declared it a success and hubby said it was better than the mix in the kit (just like the taco sauce).  No more taco kits in this house.

Simply mix together:
     1 tbsp. chili powder
     2 tsp. onion powder
     1 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar
     1/2 tsp. salt

Once you've browned and drained your hamburger, add your homemade taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water.  Mix it up and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Then serve with your favorite taco fixings.

Brown Sugar Chicken

 In my search for easy prep meals that I can throw in the crock pot, I ran across this brown sugar chicken recipe on Crock Pot Girls facebook page.  The kids think I'm addicted to crock pot cooking at the moment, but I tend to do things in cycles.  Right now it's the crock pot, before that grilling everything and deep fried, etc., etc..  So, here's what you need:


4 boneless chicken breasts ( cut into pieces)  go ahead and throw them in the crock pot.




Combine:  1 cup brown sugar                 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
                 1/2 cup 7-up
                 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (the
                          original recipe called for 3 tbs)
                 2 tablespoons soy sauce
                 1 small onion chop (I used onion
                         powder instead)


Then, pour over the chicken pieces.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Mine cooked a little long and I dried out the chicken on top, so I would go with  no longer than 6 hours.  It was still delicious.

         
              Serve over rice or pasta.  I chose rice and steamed some broccoli and corn to serve with.

 Make sure you pour the sauce over the rice or pasta.  I think that's the best part.

From Fridge to Table in About 30 Minutes

If you're like me, you're one busy mom!! Some days, you just don't have all day or even an hour to get supper on the table. Here's a simple, easy and tasty meal that just does not take a lot of prep or time (esp. if you get your kids helping). First thing I did was get my boys peeling potatoes, doesn't take long with both of them on it. Get your green beans (seasoned to your tastes - I use a little butter, bacon grease, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper), corn (again season to your tastes) and water boiling for the mac n cheese (we prefer homemade, but again TIME). Once you have all that on the stove, smother your pork chops in some bar-b-cue sauce (we prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Bake those pork chops on 350 for 20-25 minutes. When that's done, your beans and corn will be ready, your mac-n-cheese should be done and your potatoes ready to mash. We try to avoid a lot a bread at the dinner table (esp when we're loaded with carbs anyway), but if you want, throw in some crescent rolls and enjoy!!

This is one of our favorite meals!!! Hubby and the kids love it and I love the simplicity of it.

My father would be mortified at the knowledge that there isn't any gravy on this table with mashed potatoes. However, most of my family either eat them plain or put their corn on the potatoes.

There are only three pork chops cause my girls don't eat them, and I was recovering from the stomach virus this day. The boys gobbled them up though. Absolutely no leftovers from this meal.

Enjoy a simple and tasty meal that's easy to prepare!!!