Brined Rosemary Pork Chops w/ Red Wine Vinegar Cream Sauce

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I don’t often make pork chops because generally they’re just…..meh. If I’m making pork it’s usually a slow cooked pork butt, smoked ribs, sausage or a roast. Or bacon… lots of bacon. That’s all about to change now :)

My freezer is currently loaded with I don’t even know how much pork. One day I came home from work and opened the freezer to what looked like an entire pig stuffed inside. My boyfriend’s dad had generously given us a ton of meat from the pig he had bought with a buddy and I think we’re set on pork for the next year – from bacon & sausage to pork butt and chops, I plan to honor Wilbur’s happy, humanely raised life by cooking the tastiest meals.

My colleague shared with me his technique of brining the pork chops in salt/sugar water. This tenderizes the meat and makes it soooo flavorful. Then I made a sauce with garlic & shallots, broth, wine, cream and (secret ingredient) red wine vinegar, and my god these were the best pork chops I think I have ever had. My boyfriend agreed. They were amazing.

The pork chops are lightly dredged in flour (or cornstarch if gluten free) and fresh rosemary and pan fried to crispy, savory perfection. The sauce is creamy but has nice acidity from the wine and red wine vinegar and is bursting with flavor but still doesn’t overpower the pork. Served with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts, it’s a well balanced, delicious meal. Brining the pork does give you a little wiggle room in terms of cooking time as it helps tenderize it, but still be careful not to overcook them. Just a few minutes on each side is all you need! These are moist, tender and so delicious.

I’m always partial to recipes with a pan sauce that uses a bit of wine because it gives me an excuse to open a bottle and have a perfect pairing for dinner. If you’ve been disappointed about your pork chops in the past, this is a great recipe to change your mind! It's even quick enough for a weeknight meal.






Brined Rosemary Pork Chops w/ Red Wine Vinegar Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
4 large pork chops
2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2-3 tbsp flour or cornstarch if GF
1 tbsp butter
1 shallots, sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp + 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

• Mix together water, salt, sugar, pepper and garlic. Brine the pork chops overnight or in the morning for dinner, at least 8 hours. 
• Remove chops from brine and pat dry, brushing off the brine. Season the chops with rosemary and lightly dust/dredge with flour/cornstarch. Heat two tbsp of olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat and brown the chops 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Remove from skillet and set on plate, lightly covered in foil. 
• Reduce heat to medium, add the tbsp of butter to melt then add the shallots. Cook until the shallots have gotten soft and are starting to brown. Scrape any bits from the pork off the pan. 
• Add the broth, wine, cream and vinegar. Boil for about 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced by about half and thickened. 
• Serve sauce over pork chops.

Crispy Tofu Bowl w/ Coconut Rice & Curry Peanut Dressing

Nourishing "bowls" are extremely trendy right now, and for good reason. I often make meals like this for myself but I don’t blog about them because I never measure anything or follow an actual recipe. I take what’s in my fridge and toss it in a bowl with rice or quinoa and whip up a quick dressing – Thai peanut, avocado cream sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, etc, etc – and load on the veggies… usually whatever needs to be consumed before it starts to go bad. I decided to try and further master my craft and create some actual recipes to share and use for when I’m really craving an amazing dish and have time to prepare, or for when I’m serving company and I want to please my people J

This is the most satisfying one I’ve made and I’m so happy I actually paid attention to the amount of ingredients I used…. kinda. How do you blog about a salad? (Yes, I have before but it makes me feel weird, like who actually measures how much veggies they use - how many cups of lettuce? A quarter cup of carrots, idk? Just handful that shit on there, it will be fine)

Anyways. This bowl consists of crispy pan fried tofu, (heavily) addicting coconut rice, sweet mango, fresh veggies and the. most. magnificent. peanut. curry. sauce. I’m not ashamed I ate a couple spoonfuls of the dressing like it was chocolate frosting. My gahhhhd this bowl was so good. Fresh, nutty, spicy, savory, sweet and beautifully colorful.… not to mention you feel GREAT after eating it. It’s like a tropical vacation in your mouth that is nourishing and healthy. Yes, please! 

I reheated the tofu in a skillet three nights this week to have this bowl over and over again for dinner and every time I was so excited to eat it. Heating it in a skillet allows for it to crisp back up, rather than microwaving it where it may get soggy. It’s easy to assemble for weekday dinners – just microwave the leftover rice, heat up the tofu and toss on the veggies and dressing. (I'm literally eating it as I type....)

Also – if you’re uneasy about tofu, don’t be. When it’s cooked right it is soooo good. Crispy, tender little nuggets that absorb flavor beautifully, and it’s super affordable and loaded with calcium, omega-3s, protein, iron and magnesium. An organic, 14oz package (drained weight) is good to feed 4 people in this dish and it costs around two bucks. I love chicken, but I honestly prefer tofu in this bowl.

It’s a very flexible recipe and you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. The curry-peanut dressing would be great in a stir fry, as a dip for chicken skewers or veggies/fries or as a dressing for a slaw.

Crispy Tofu Bowl w/ Coconut Rice & Curry-Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
14 oz can coconut milk
1 ¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup basmati rice
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup peanut butter
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one lime (2-3 tbsp)
½ cup warm water
14 oz block organic, extra firm tofu
½ tsp curry powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
Diced mango
Shredded carrots
Diced bell pepper
Baby spinach
Cilantro, chopped
Crushed peanuts

Directions:

• In medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, water, sugar, salt and rice to a bowl. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer for approx. 20 minutes or until rice is cooked. The bottom may get a little golden brown crisp which is greeeeaaaat.
• Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces and place on a paper towel lined plate. Use another paper towel to press the top and get out as much moisture as possible. Let those sit while you make the dressing.
• To prepare the dressing, heat a tbsp of oil over medium high heat and cook the shallots, garlic and ginger until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add in the curry paste and cook until it begins to darken in color, about 2-3 minutes. Place in a medium bowl and whisk in peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Slowly mix in water until you get desired consistency. Optional to add hot sauce.
• Wipe the skillet clean and place back on heat, add 1-2 tbsp of oil. Toss tofu pieces with curry powder, cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Fry in pan until crisp and golden, 2-3 minutes on each side.
• Assemble bowl with coconut rice, mango, carrots, bell pepper, spinach, tofu, cilantro and crushed peanuts (optional). Serve with curry peanut sauce.

Honey-Sage Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

A common meal in my house growing up was roast pork with root vegetables. My mom would fill a massive roasting dish with a pork tenderloin and scatter the bottom of the pan with sweet & regular potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions tossed with garlic salt and herbs. I'd eat the leftover roasted veggies all week long - they're lightly caramelized, sweet and delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's a definite favorite of mine!

As the season changes from Winter to Spring, the meals I make start to shift from hearty dishes to lighter fare - generally less meat and more veggies, and lots of salads. This salad incorporates the comforting and warm flavors associated with winter but lightens it up on salad greens with a vibrant vinaigrette.... and I added some sweet roasted golden beets because I love beets in salads. (You could use red ones but they'd turn everything pink which just looks kinda funky, but either way does the trick!)

The root veggies are roasted and brushed with honey and sage and served warm on the salad - sweet, savory and super satisfying. The dressing is bright with white wine vinegar and zesty dijon which is great over the slightly bitter arugula - and then the goat cheese gets all melty and soft from the veggies and it's perfect. It's hearty enough as a vegetarian dish (probably because I serve a massive pile of the roasted veggies) but it would easily pair with a protein. I've used apple chicken sausages in the past which were great. Regular chicken breast, steak or pork would work well, too, if you have serious carnivores in the house.

Another awesome thing about this dish is that you can roast a boat load of veggies on Sunday for an easy assembly of the salad during the week - just microwave the veggies! It's super healthy, filling and a good way to start eating a bit healthier (without feeling like you're missing out on satisfaction and flavor) and shed off some of that winter hibernation. Bring on Spring!


This recipe serves about four people as a main dish. If you add protein to the mix it could stretch to five or six.





Honey-Sage Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:
3 beets (gold is preferred, red works fine)
2 sweet potatoes
1 lb parsnips
1 lb carrots
2 large onions
2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped fine
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Salt & pepper
4 cups loosely packed arugula
4 cups loosely packed spinach
2 tbsp goat cheese per plate, crumbled

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and peel the beets, wrap in foil and roast in oven for an hour before adding in the remaining vegetables. You can put them directly on the rack.
• Wash and peel the parsnips and carrots. I like to just scrub the sweet potatoes and leave the skin on. Chop these veggies into bite sized pieces and quarter the onions, leaving the layers intact. 
• Toss vegetables with two tbsp oil and season with garlic salt and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet (or two sheets if necessary) and roast for 30 minutes, while continuing to roast the beets. Warm the honey slightly and brush the veggies on the baking sheet and top with sage. Place back in oven and roast until golden brown and tender, 10-20 minutes more. 
• Meanwhile whisk together or shake in a mason jar the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Assemble salads with arugula and spinach, warm roasted veggies, goat cheese and top with dressing.

Braised Beef Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is something I ate a lot of as a kid. Growing up in a family of six and often having many friends at the house, my mom was always looking for nutritional meals to feed a small army (and not break the bank). Plus, there were picky eaters in the house, including myself back in the day, and catering to different preferences is tough! Shepherd's pie is something we all loved - except my vegan sister, that is.

I love it the way I had it growing up, but after many years of making the same recipe it was time for a change. I needed some spunk in my shepherd's pie and I have developed the perfect recipe to do just that! Toss the ground beef and go for browned stew meat braised in red wine, worcestershire and balsamic vinegar (perfect flavor combo for savory red meat) until it's pull apart tender... you're cutting it with a fork. There's a hefty dose of garlic and fresh thyme, but also that classic and convenient frozen veggie medley that you can't go without - aka it's perfect. Top it with creamy, freshly mashed potatoes and a few pats of butter and bake it until harmonious flavors are singing love songs inside the oven. I'm pretty sure that's what happens.

Did I mention it's all done in one pan? Cast iron, baby!

It's rustic and comforting and reminds me of home. I can picture my dad eating a massive plate of it covered in ketchup. Yes, in the Sedler house we always had our shepherd's pie with ketchup and bread and butter pickles. Don't knock it til you try it; It's the right thing to do! But I guess you don't have to because the red wine gravy the meat is soaking in in this recipe has plenty of saucy-ness and flavor to go around - but let's be real my dad would still put ketchup on it. And I love him for that.... and sometimes I do it, too. Judge me!

I've perfected this recipe after making it many times and I'll never go back to the ground beef version. It's straight up tha bomb. Unreal. So good. My boyfriend said he thinks it's the best shepherd's pie ever on earth... he's totally correct.

If you want to get really freaky with it substitute lamb. I love lamb like nobody's business but I also enjoy having money in my bank account and it seems like lately those are mutually exclusive - Hannaford feel free to call me when it goes on sale. Maybe that's what I'll spend my tax return on.... mmmm lamb. ("shepherd's pie" is actually with lamb and "cottage pie" is with beef but that's for the traditional people in Scotland & England, not us Americans who mix everything up)

This recipe is filling & hearty and overall just amazing comfort food to warm your insides..... perfect for single digit days in March and another nor'easter around the corner. You can even eat it for lunch every single day of the week and not get sick of it. You can trust me, I've done it.

This dish will forever remind me of my crazy family and I'm so thankful for that. Feel free to serve with bread and butter pickles.... and even ketchup.... you won't offend me.









Braised Beef Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
2 1/4-2 1/2 lbs stew meat or a chuck roast cut into 2" cubes
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 onion, diced
6 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cups mixed frozen veggies (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp butter, divided

Directions:

• Heat two tbsp oil in 10" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Mix together cornstarch, salt and pepper in bowl and toss in meat to coat. Shake off excess cornstarch and brown meat in skillet for a couple minutes on each side. Add in the onion and garlic after a few minutes of browning and stir.
• Add wine, broth, worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and thyme to skillet and stir gently. Bring mixture to a low boil and reduce heat to low, cover and lightly simmer for about two hours or until the meat is fork tender. Use the back of a wooden spoon to slightly break down some of the meat for a more "pulled" texture or you can leave the chunks as they are. Mix in the 3 cups of frozen veggies to the meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the mixture seems too liquidy to you, let it simmer a bit with the cover off.
• Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water until fork tender and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mash and mix with the milk, butter and season with salt and pepper. 
• Spread the potatoes evenly over the meat mixture and bake in preheated 425 oven for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes have crisped on the top. 
• Serve with bread and butter pickle chips... and ketchup if you're into that kinda thing :) 

Slow Cooker Short-Rib Tomato Sauce

I grew up eating a lot of spaghetti and meatballs. My mom would throw the meatballs and sauce in a crockpot and I'd come home from lacrosse practice after school, starving half to death, and eat a plate fit for a 200 lb man like a ravenous machine. Needless to say I love a hearty plate of meaty pasta!

This recipe has similar, nostalgic flavors but is slightly more sophisticated with braised short ribs and red wine, served with freshly grated parmesan cheese, of course! Browning and slow cooking the short ribs makes for extremely flavorful and tender meat that is shredded throughout the sauce for a seriously hearty dish. Plus nothing is better to me than the smell of beef slow cooking in wine throughout your home.... the anticipation of eating this will nearly kill you, I swear.

My boyfriend, our two good friends and I ate this meal together on a Saturday night and all absolutely loved it. It is worth the hours it takes to slow cook it and it's a super easy meal for company because all you have to do is boil pasta and roast or sautee some greens and you're good to go!

Look how tender and gorgeous that meat looks.... ugh and it is so delicious! Slow cooking bone-in meats definitely gives a serious flavor boost; Short ribs are tha bombbbb!

This sauce was just fantastic. The recipe below makes plenty to serve four-five people for dinner and you'll have enough leftover to make an insaaaaanely good pizza. My boyfriend and I used this sauce as the base and topped with smoked mozzarella, pepper, red onion and even more meat (local VT sausage to be exact). This sauce is so thick and chunky you could probably even make a sandwich out of the leftovers - sloppy joes on magical steroids. Man, is it good!


It's perfect for a chilly weekend meal that you can look forward to eating all day long! Plus you are obligated to open a bottle of wine for the recipe and therefore you must drink the whole bottle with the pasta... because you obviously can't let the wine go bad..



Slow Cooker Short-Rib Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
3-3 1/2 lbs bone in short ribs
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (remove from jar, oil drained)
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Italian seasoning (herb blend of basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Parmesan cheese & pasta to serve

Directions:

• Pat short ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. In large skillet, brown the ribs on all sides over medium-high heat for about a minute each side. Remove from skillet and place in crock pot. 
• Add all remaining ingredients to crockpot and cook for 5 hours on low or 7 hours on high. 
• When meat is fall apart tender, remove from crockpot. Take out bones (the meat will fall right off) and shred meat with a fork. Add the meat back to the crockpot and stir to combine. Use a fork to crush any chunks of carrots and sundried tomatoes to make a smoother sauce.
• Season the sauce to taste if necessary and keep warm until ready to serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

**If the sauce seems too thick to you, you can add more tomato sauce or a bit of water. If it seems too thin, let it cook for a bit with the top of the crockpot off to thicken slightly, for 10-20 minutes or so.











Recipe was adapted from Half Baked Harvest