Pork Chops with Black Bean Salsa

Pork Chops with Black Bean Salsa

Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients
4 pork loin chops, cut 1 ¼ inches thick
1 teaspoon Jamaican jerk or Cajun seasoning
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup corn relish (see recipe below)
½ of a 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon cumin
sliced avocados for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat broiler (or grill).  Trim fat from meat.  Rub seasoning and black pepper onto both sides of chops.  Place pork chops on the unheated rack of broiler pan.  Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 10-15 minutes or until done (160 degrees), turning the meat over after half the cook time.

Meanwhile, for salsa, combine corn relish, beans, lime juice, and cumin.  Serve chops with salsa and if desired, sour cream or avocados.

Corn Relish II

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/corn-relish-ii/

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped seeded cucumber
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until thickened. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Notes - To make the corn relish I have omitted the cucumber because I didn't have it or substituted a red pepper for green.  I freeze the corn relish I am not using and then just thaw out a portion for the next time I make this dish.

You can also grill the pork chops outside.  Be careful not to overcook under the broiler or grill, because once the chops dry out, they get chewy.

Shared by Alisha

Fajitas

Small flour tortillas
lime(s)
cilantro
sour cream
avocado
red or orange or yellow pepper
onion
chicken
pkg. fajita mix (you can also make your own)

I marinate the chicken in a fajita mix for a couple of hours (or 10 min).  Slice in strips and grill on BBQ.
Slice peppers and onions long and skinny strips.  Grill on BBQ.

Spread a bit of sour cream on the tortilla, add chicken, onion, peppers, cilantro, avocado.  Squeeze lime juice all over!
Delish!

Shared by MacKenzie

Zucchini Recipes!

Tis the season for zucchini!  Before you doorbell ditch your extras to your neighbors try these recipes:

Baby Zucchini Pies
4 cups shredded zucchini
(2-3 small to med zucchinis)
2tbs butter/margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
(Or fresh minced garlic)
1 cup shredded onion
2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté' all the above for about 10 minutes (until most the juice cooks out).  Add 1lb cooked hamburger or sausage (I like hamburger- my husband prefers sausage- sometimes I do half and half).  Mix in 8oz shredded mozzarella.  Open 2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls. Flatten them out into their triangles.  Brush them very lightly with yellow mustard (if you hate mustard you can skip this step).  Spoon a tablespoon or two of the filling onto each triangle and then pick up each corner and pinch closed into little pockets.  Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 13-15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
You can also use this same amount to make one large pie in a pie tin using only one package of crescent rolls as a bottom crust.


This is a summer tradition I grew up loving.  My mom always made the big pies but my kids love the little pockets better.  These are actually really tasty as leftovers for some reason- the way they set up in the fridge or something.  Also I avoid using large zucchinis- too juicy!

Summer Delight
(I am sorry this isn't an exact recipe- you just sort of throw in what you have- but it is fast and really tasty!)
Fill you pan with cubed yellow squash, zucchini, onions, etc.  Sprinkle with parsley, basil, and oregano (garlic, salt and pepper optional).  Sauté' for about 10 minutes.  Add cooked sausage and cubed tomatoes and cook just until hot.  Serve.  I use the precooked sausage links for this recipe and then just slice them up into circle chunks to add (I warm them up separate first).


An Easy Summer Dessert
1 large vanilla yogurt
1 large cool whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 bag frozen raspberries

Mix the yogurt, cool whip, and pudding powder.  Stir in the frozen raspberries and serve in cups.  Would also be tasty in a graham cracker pie crust. 

Shared by Brenda

Dutch Oven Potatoes

1/2 package of spicy Jimmy Dean's sausage or other kind of spicy sausage

1 onion sliced thin

12 red potatoes sliced thin (I use a Cuisinart to slice the onion and red potatoes)

salt and pepper to taste

1 can of Mt. Dew

shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: 

Preheat oven at 375 degrees

Brown sausage in Dutch oven on the stove top.  Add the onions and red potatoes, Salt and Pepper potatoes.  Pour the can of Mt Dew on top.  Cook Potatoes for about 45 min or until done.  Add shredded cheese liberally to top and cook for about 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Shared by Marti- This recipe works well for camping with the cast iron Dutch ovens but I also make it in the oven all the time.

Spring Salad, Summer Chickpea Salad, and Tandoori Chicken

Spring Salad

This is what Spring tastes like.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pecans

2 T sugar

8 cups baby greens or spring mix lettuces

4 large or 8 medium strawberries, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 mandarin or clementine oranges, peeled, cut in half horizontally, and sectioned (you should have half-sections when you're done)

A small handful of Craisins

2 T herbed chevre (goat cheese), crumbled

Poppy seed dressing

Leftover grilled or Rotisserie Chicken (optional)

Lay out a sheet of parchment or wax paper.  In a small nonstick skillet melt the sugar over medium-low heat.  For a few minutes it will look like it's not doing anything, then all the sudden it will turn liquid, and then will start to brown.  Just as it's become liquid but before it's brown, toss the pecans into the melted sugar.  Using a spatula, stir until the pecans are coated in the brown carmelly sugar.  Pour out onto the wax or parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes (you can put it in the fridge to speed it up).

Meanwhile, toss the greens in a serving bowl.  Add the strawberries, oranges, chicken (if using), craisins, and chevre.  Break up the cooled caramelized pecans and sprinkle on top.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Serves 4 as a dinner salad, 6-8 as a side salad.

Summer Chickpea Salad

Recipe by Jamie Oliver

I love this salad.  It's so different from an average salad (read: no lettuce!), and is light and flavorful and perfect for a summer day.  Or a day where you're wishing it felt like summer!  The addition of fresh herbs is not completely mandatory, but it really does make a difference in the flavor, and appearance, of the salad, so I highly recommend using the real (fresh) thing.

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

1 jalapeno or other chili pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced

1 large tomato, roughly chopped

1 lemon, juiced

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 14-oz jar of chickpeas, drained

1 T fresh mint, chopped

2 T fresh basil, finely ripped or cut

7 oz feta or goat cheese (chevre)

In a large bowl combine red onion, jalapeno, and tomatoes.  Measure the lemon juice, then add it to the bowl. Add three times as much olive oil as you had lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add in most of the chickpeas, reserving about 10 percent.  Mash up the 10 percent, then add them to the bowl as well.  Stir everything together, and you can let it sit in the bowl at room temperature for awhile if you'd like.

Just before serving, add in the mint and basil, then top with the cheese.  Serve at room temperature.

Makes 6 side dish servings.

Tandoori Chicken

This is my mother-in-law's recipes.  She serves this often when we have big summertime gatherings with the whole family.  It's easy to multiply if you're serving a big crowd, and can be prepared the night before to save time.  You can also adjust the amount of hot pepper if you prefer it less spicy (I generally use 1/4 tsp instead of the given 1/2 tsp).  We like to serve this with rice, Cucumber and Vinegar Salad and MangoChutney.  Delicious!

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips

1/2 tsp hot chili powder, such as Cayenne or Chipotle (you can use less to make it not so spicy)

1 tsp salt

2 T fresh lemon juice

4 T melted butter

3 T plain yogurt

1 T chopped raisins

2 inches ginger root, peeled and grated (or finely chopped)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp red food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and shake well.  Let marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.  Thread meat onto skewers if desired, and grill over medium-high heat for 9-12 minutes, turning every three minutes, or until cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.

Shared by Holly.