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.

Golden Squash Soup

5 medium leeks (white portion only), Sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (about 4 cups)
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cups shredded chedder cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

In a large saucepan, saute leeks in butter until tender. Stir in the squash, broth, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 min until squash is tender. Cool slightly. In blender, cover and process squash mixture in small batches until smooth; return to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Add the cheese; stir until soup is heated through and cheese is melted. Garnish with the sour cream and onion. Serves 6. Prep/Total time 30 min.

What to serve with it: warm rolls.
Submitted by Lyndsey

Tomato-Basil Tart

1-2 pounds tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 T lemon juice
3 T sour cream (I’ve also used plain yogurt)
¼ c butter
1 ½ c flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil or 1 T dried basil
1 T chopped fresh oregano or ½ tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese* (you can use mozzarella if you can’t find fontina)

Slice tomatoes into ¼”-thick slices. Arrange in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Let stand 20 minutes; blot dry with paper towels.
Preheat over to 400F.
Place corn, juice, and sour cream in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl; stir with whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add corn mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead gently 3-4 times.
Place dough onto overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and cover with more plastic wrap. Roll into a 14-inch circle, then place in freezer for 10 minutes. Lightly grease baking sheet then sprinkle with 1 T cornmeal. Remove dough from plastic wrap and place on baking sheet.
Combine ¼ cup basil, cheese, and oregano. Arrange half of the cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 1 1/2” border. Arrange half of tomato slices in a circle, covering the cheese mixture. Repeat process to finish using cheese and tomatoes. Fold edges of dough toward center to partially cover tomatoes. Press to seal.
Bake at 400F for 35 minutes or until crust is brown. Sprinkle remaining basil on top. Serves 6.

**The fontina cheese is really, really yummy, so if you can find it, it’s worth the extra cost.

What to serve with it: Green salad

Submitted by Holly: This recipe is originally from Cooking Light magazine. I’ve been making it for years as a way to eat up my yummy home grown tomatoes. This version is the one I make, which is a bit different from the original recipe. It does take some time to make, but is delicious!