Dijon Mushroom Pan Seared Pork

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had a busy one with not one, but two separate cheering competitions. If you've never been or even heard of one, it means that there are HUNDREDS of screaming, perky children running around/cheering/tumbling while EXTREMELY loud music plays by the DJ. All the while sitting extremely close to even more people in a closed gym space for sometimes up to 7 hours at a time. Gab cheers for the town recreation program and Rachael is one of her coaches. It's Gab's first year competing and if she didn't have the "cheering bug" before, she definitely does now that they took 1st place and Best Overall, which means they had the highest score of all competing teams. Needless to say, both girls were ecstatic and to round out the weekend,  Rachael's team took 2nd in their competition. I wasn't a cheerleader myself when I was in school, but I had several friends who were and can't believe how much the sport has changed over the years. 

And now for today's recipe...

If you're looking for a meal that is easy to prepare, yet looks like you've been slaving in the kitchen for hours, then this is it! By pan searing the pork first, you are caramelizing the outer layer of the meat and sealing in the natural juices. Finish it with a few ingredients you already have in your pantry and dinner is served. 

Dijon Mushroom Pan Seared Pork
4-4oz. Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops
1-10oz. Package Mushrooms (I used white button), sliced
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour

Directions:
1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan or Dutch oven. 
2. Trim any fat from your meat, then add to the hot pan. 
3. Allow the meat to brown on each side until it has cooked through. (Depending on the thickness of the cut, it could be anywhere from 5-10 minutes per side). 
4. Remove the pork from the pan, cover and set aside. 
5. Add your mushrooms to the pan and allow to soften, then add in the flour and mix well. 
6. Next, add in the mustard and chicken broth; mix well and bring to a boil. 
7. Add meat back into pan, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serves 4. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 221, Carbs 2.9g, Fat 10.6g, Protein 27.3g, Fiber .7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Mustard & Sage Potato Encrusted Pork Cutlets

During my youngest daughters recent Back to School Night, the other parents and myself nestled into our seats waiting for the Principal to give her speech and found goodie bags on each chair. In these bags were several items including a bag of Idaho Spuds Instant Mashed Potatoes. Now, since I don't normally eat prepackaged potatoes, I was challenged by several of my friends to create something with them..And of course, I could not refuse! :)

I had done this once before with my recipe for Potato Encrusted Fried Shrimp so I figured it would work just as well with pork cutlets and my assumptions were correct. Since I didn't have a lot of these potatoes, I added some Panko breadcrumbs so that I had enough breading, but for a Gluten Free option, you can use all instant potatoes. These were crunchy and mouthwateringly good! They even tasted great reheated as leftovers and you know how much I despise leftovers. :)

Mustard & Sage Potato Encrusted Pork Cutlets
4 Boneless Pork Chops
1-2.5oz. Pkg. Idaho Spuds Instant Mashed Potatoes
1 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. Dry Mustard
1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
Egg Wash (3 Eggs + 2 tbsp. Milk+1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard)
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Trim the fat from the meat and slice horizontally into 3 cutlets per chop; then pound evenly with a meat mallet
2. In one bowl, combine the instant potatoes, breadcrumbs, dry mustard and sage; mix well. 
3. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and dijon mustard; mix well. 
4. In the third bowl, add the flour. 
5. Bread the cutlets by dipping them first into the flour, then egg wash then breading mixture. 
6. Heat approximately 1/2" of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the cutlets until cooked through; approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Serves 4. 

Enjoy! 



Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals 10/21/12
Shared at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 10/22/12

Dijon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

When we were in Rome this past summer, we ate at this restaurant that served small, cubed roasted potatoes with our meal. I usually make mine a little larger but figured I'd try something new. These were so easy and my youngest one loved them because they were already bite sized. 

Dijon Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
6 Russet Potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper


In a bowl, whisk together the oil, rosemary, mustard, salt and pepper. Add in the chopped potatoes and coat well. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes until well browned, turning halfway through cooking time. Serves 4


Points+=8


Enjoy!

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Maple Roasted Pork

I was home all day on Tuesday getting caught up on some housework so I had the opportunity to make a roast, which is normally left for our Sunday meals. I have to say it was quite nice to smell the maple as it was roasting in the house and it didn't take as long as I originally thought it would. I happened to use a pork loin end roast with the bone in and it was just enough for the four of us after carving. The maple syrup mixed with the horseradish, mustard and fresh rosemary was a wonderful combination for this pork roast and would even make a great marinade for pork chops as well if you're low on time. 

Maple Roasted Pork
4# Pork Loin End Roast, bone in (approx. weight), rinsed and trim any visible fat
1/4c. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Horseradish
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

In a bowl, mix together the maple syrup, horseradish, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper until well blended. Add the meat to an oven safe dish and baste the pork with the syrup mixture. Add the chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 2 1/2 hours (figure on 25-30 minutes per pound), basting every 30 minutes. After the meat has reached the desired internal temperature, remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. (You may have to add more broth towards the end if you want to make a gravy, we just ate it 'au jus'). Serves 4. 


Enjoy!


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Shared on Baking Bad 1/27/12

Pretzel Coated Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

The other night my kids wanted chicken nuggets, and I agreed since I haven't made them in a while. However, I stopped buying the frozen kind months ago after my youngest finally saw the "foodie light" and started eating what I was cooking. So I decided to just cut up some chicken and then "bread" it with chopped up pretzels. It gave it a unique, tasty twist and wasn't salty like I thought it would be. These would also make a great appetizer for people of all ages. 

Pretzel Coated Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 1/2# Boneless Chicken Breasts (approx. 3)
1 c. All-Purpose Flour
Egg Wash (2 eggs+1/4 c. 2% Milk)
2c. Snyders Sourdough Hard Pretzels, chopped (approx. 5-6 pretzels)

Rinse the chicken under cold water, trim any fat and cut into 1" cubes. Finely chop the pretzels in a food processor. Prepare three bowls: one for the flour, one for the egg wash, and one for the pretzels. Dip the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg wash then in the pretzels. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. Makes approx. 25 pieces.

Points+=7 pts. per 5 chicken nuggets

Now, you can't have chicken nuggets without honey mustard! Well, at least not in this house. And this so SIMPLE, you'll never use that salad dressing again! 

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/4c. Grey Poupon Mustard

1/4 c. Honey

Whisk together until well blended.

Here's a tool from eRecipe.com that I'm thinking of adding to some of my recipes. What do you think? Will this be helpful?

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Enjoy!

Dijon Balsamic Roasted Chicken

You would think that I wouldn't want to make a roasted chicken being that Thanksgiving wasn't that long ago, but the truth is, if I ate one slice of turkey that day, that was it. We didn't have much leftover either as I sent most of it packing for my in-laws so that they could eat while in the hospital. So on Sunday, we did some online holiday shopping and I made this roasted chicken for dinner. I love the smell of any roast cooking and this one had such great flavors wafting through my house I couldn't wait to eat it and we weren't disappointed! 

Dijon Balsamic Roasted Chicken
1-6-7lb Roaster Chicken, rinsed and innards removed
1 tbsp. Rienzi® Balsamic Vinegar with Pear Pulp 
1/4 c. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 c. White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to a roasting pan, baste with the marinade then add the wine and chicken broth to the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 2 hours or until proper internal temperature is reached. Baste the chicken every 30 minutes during this process. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Serves 6-8. 

To make gravy

1 ½ tbsp. Cornstarch

¼ c. Cold Water

Pan Drippings

In a glass, mix the cornstarch and water together. Pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan and add the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until gravy thickens. Strain gravy and remove any excess oil. 


Enjoy!

Dijon Cognac Pork Stew

Since I have a few friends waiting patiently for this recipe, I figured I'd better get a move on and post it already! I originally found a recipe in the November 2011 issue of Cooking Light for Dijon Cognac Beef Stew but I had to give it my own little twist. I had never made a pork stew before, that is until I did my copycat version of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen's Pork Stew (which was amazing!) so I figured I'd use the pork loin I had in my freezer for this one as well. The flavors of the cognac and mustard were delicious but the key is to cook it a low temperature for a longtime (low and slow!) which allows the meat to be extremely tender.  

Dijon Cognac Pork Stew
(Adapted from Cooking Light)
3lb. Boneless Pork Loin
1 Small Vidalia Onion, chopped
4 Scallions, chopped
1 Clove Garlic
1 tbsp. Canola Oil
1-10oz. Package Button Mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
2 tbsp. Butter
1/4 c. Flour
1/2 c. Cognac
2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 c. Dijon Mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
1/4 c. Whole Grain Mustard (I use Inglehoffer Stone Ground)
1-10oz. Package Baby Carrots, sliced in thirds
1 Sprig Thyme


In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil and add onions, scallions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until onions become translucent, then remove from the pan and set aside. Trim any visible fat from the pork, cut into 1" cubes and coat with flour. Heat butter in the Dutch oven and add the meat, browning on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside. Add the cognac to deglaze the pan, scraping the bits from the bottom. Add the chicken broth, both mustards, thyme, pork and the mushroom mixture and mix well. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 1 1/2 hour. Add in the carrots and simmer for 1 more hour. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 8. 


Points+=9 (without rice or noodles)


Enjoy! 

Garlic and Cheese Crudité Dip

Crudités are traditional French appetizers. Basically it's raw vegetables served with a dipping sauce. This dip recipe came about many years ago when I was on a Caesar Salad kick. I love the salad with grilled chicken on it but I didn't particularly care for the dressing. Mainly because Caesar Salad Dressing contains anchovies and I could always taste the fish when I was eating my salad (Yuk...I hate the smell and taste of fish!). So I tried to recreate something similar to use on my own salads at home. This dressing makes a great Caesar Salad Dressing substitute as well as a great dip for raw vegetables. You can use whatever vegetables you and your family like. I opted for the basics but mushrooms, broccoli, and radishes make great alternatives. Just go for the color and have fun!

Garlic and Cheese Crudité  Dip 

1 Cup Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. Grey Poupon® Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

¼ tsp. Kosher Salt

2 Tbsp. Water

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to serve with fresh vegetables.

Enjoy!

"Leftover" Wasabi Chicken Pot Pie

Well if you haven't already noticed, I made a slight adjustment to this blog. I finally sat down to figure out how to add categories so that if you're looking for a particular menu item, such as Sides or Vegetables, you can just click on the title and it will bring up all of the blog posts containing what you're looking for. I told you I was new at this blogging thing and I'll figure it all out eventually. I hope this helps!

And now for dinner...

Remember when I made the Tarragon and Lemon Roasted Chicken earlier this week? I had some leftover chicken from that meal. I purposely bought a roaster large enough so that I would have extra especially for this recipe. When shopping I found a new item I had never seen before called Golds Wasabi Sauce. It has the consistency of a horseradish sauce and it wasn't pure wasabi (that would have made this dish extremely hot!) but I figured I'd try it out and if nothing else, it might taste good with a turkey sandwich. I normally use Dijon mustard in this recipe and if you can't find this sauce, by all means use that instead. It wasn't spicy, as you might think, but gave it a little something extra. This dish is so quick to put together because everything is already cooked. In the past, I've even bought the frozen mixed vegetables to make it even easier. You can add or substitute any of these vegetables for ones that you may have or prefer. I even buy the pre-packaged refrigerated pie crust dough, but as you'll see below, I recommend par-baking the bottom shell before adding the filling so that the dough isn't raw from soaking up the juices. 

Wasabi Chicken Pot Pie

2-9” Ready to Bake Refrigerated Pie Crusts

2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast, chopped

1 Cup Cooked Carrots, sliced

1 Cup Cooked Corn

2 Scallions, chopped

½ Cup Peas

2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

3 Tbsp. Golds® Wasabi Sauce or 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

2 Tbsp. Cold Water

Line pie dish with one of the pie crusts, place entire dish on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. (You'll want to do this in case the filling bubbles over, so it won't cause a total mess in the bottom of your oven!) Remove from oven.

This is how the filling
should look prior to
adding the top crust.

In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat oil and add chicken, carrots, corn, scallions, and peas. Sauté for 5 minutes until all ingredients are heated through. Add chicken broth and wasabi sauce. In a small cup, mix together the cornstarch and cold water and add to the chicken and vegetable mixture. Stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add entire mixture to the par-baked pie crust and top with remaining uncooked pie crust. Bake for another 35 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. 

Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serves 6.

St. Patty's Day in June? Dijon Encrusted Corned Beef, Crown Royal Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread

I know what you're thinking. Who eats Corned Beef when it's not St. Patrick's Day? Well,  this year when purchasing my Corned Beef for our annual dinner on March 17th, I had forgotten that I had already bought one a week prior and wound up with two. So I froze one to use at a later date. I'm not a huge fan of the "boiled meal" and don't like cabbage, so a few years ago, I came up with this variation of the old standard and because it is one of my picky eaters favorite meals, we do tend to have it several times a year. 

Dijon Encrusted Corned Beef

5-6 lb. Corned Beef Brisket

¼ Cup Grey Poupon® Dijon Mustard

Rinse corned beef off and place fat side up in a large pot of water; making sure to completely cover the meat. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 hours; adding water as needed to cover the top of the brisket. Remove meat from the water, trim any visible fat and place fat side up in a baking dish. Add Dijon mustard to the top of the meat and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the mustard is browned. Let cool 5-10 minutes, and then slice diagonally across the grain. 

I get tired of eating regular, plain old mashed potatoes. And..since I only had one potato in the house and several sweet potatoes, I figured I'd make mashed sweet potatoes instead. I have only made mashed sweet potatoes a few times but the recipe I use is more of a casserole style with heavy cream and pecans that I make for Thanksgiving and I wanted something a little less fattening. So I went searching for a new recipe online and came across one for Bourbon Sweet Potatoes; which coincidentally also had a ton of fattening ingredients in it. Then I decided that if Bourbon goes well with them, why not Crown Royal (and we always have Crown Royal!). So I tweaked the recipe I found, reducing the amount of butter, using 2% milk (which is a staple in this house over whole milk), and threw in some brown sugar and cinnamon for good measure. I love when my little kitchen experiments come together and they taste good. 

Crown Royal Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 ½ lbs. Fresh Sweet Potatoes

3 Tbsp. Crown Royal Whiskey

2 Tbsp. Butter                                 

¼ Cup 2% Milk

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

Put cut potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender with a fork. Drain water. Add Crown Royal, butter, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Blend together with an electric mixer until mixture is creamy. Serves 4.

Well, I didn't actually make the Irish Soda Bread on this day, but I have made it often enough that I DO have the correct measurements for everything. I just thought it might make a great addition to share with this meal in case anyone wanted to try it out for themselves. Growing up, I never used to like this bread. It always seemed dry whenever I had it out.  But about 20 years ago, when I was still working in the food business, our pastry chef made this Irish Soda Bread that was out of this world! It is so moist and I probably put on about 5 pounds the week of St. Patrick's Day every year because of it. I make these loaves of bread, slice them thick but yet thin enough to fit in my toaster, toast them until they're golden brown and add salted butter. (Not the healthiest breakfast but I do only make this once a year!). I did make some slight changes to the original recipe since I don't particularly like a lot of raisins or caraway seeds, but if you like them simply add another 1/2 Cup Raisins and 1 1/2 tsp. Caraway Seeds to this recipe. 

Irish Soda Bread

7 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Raisins

1 Stick Salted Butter, softened

2 1/2 Cups Low Fat Buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients using only 6 cups of the flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the raisins and buttermilk. Mix with your hands until well incorporated and turn onto a lightly floured board; gradually using the remaining 1 cup of flour. Kneed 10-12 times. (The dough shouldn't be too sticky. If it is, gradually add a little more flour as needed). Split into 2 round loaves and cut a deep X into the top. Lightly spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and place the loaves. Bake at 350°F for approximately 50 minutes or until when you stick a knife in the center, it comes out clean. 

Enjoy!