Pork Chop with Dry Rub

 

















The other day I found myself standing in front of the butcher counter at my local grocery store, completely lost.  As someone who only recently started eating red (and by recently I mean about 4 years!) I was in a total quandary.  I didn’t want to spend $27/lb for steak but I also didn’t want to end up with a mouthful of tough chewy meat.  Then my meat angel came and swooped in – he was very clearly a seasoned butcher who took one look and me and decided exactly what I would be having for dinner.  Pork chops.  On the bone.  At $7/lb I couldn’t go wrong and when Ethan got a look at them even he had to admire what I had picked up.  Now I know now all pork chops are equal and I believe these were particularly good quality for the price but they were really tasty and without the cost.

We decided to do something new, a dry rub.  Generally our marinades include olive oil, balsamic or soy sauce.  I happened across a recipe from Simplyrecipes.com (which is just about one of the best places to find any type of recipe you are looking for!) for a dry rub marinade and decided to give a try.  The flavors were insane - without being overwhelming it really gave a boost to the meat.  The chops went straight to the grill and then served immediately.

Ingredients:
Serves 2-4

2 pork chops, bone in

Dry Rub Marinade

1/4 cup cumin seeds
3 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp coriander
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Mix together the dry rub and cover the pork chop on both sides.  Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until done depending on the strength of your grill. Serve hot!

Greek Quinoa Salad

Nowadays most people are pretty familiar with quinoa.  But what you might not know is what it is, where it came from and why it is considered a “super grain”  To give a very brief background quinoa comes from the high plains regions in Andes and has been used by indigenous cultures for literally thousands of years.  It is full of protein and nutrients which makes it very distinctive compared to other less nutritious grains like rice and wheat.  This is also why it remains such an important part of the local culture’s diet even today.

Quinoa is so versatile and incredibly easy to prepare.  We decided to dress ours up with a Greek spin using a light olive oil, garlic and lemon marinade.  Toss in cherry tomatoes, Greek olives, red onions, cucumber and feta.  The great thing about quinoa is not only is it easy and fast to make – it also makes great leftovers.  It can be served as a main or as a side salad depending on your preferences.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

1 box of quinoa

cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cucumber, finely diced

greek olives, diced

crumbled feta

1/4 red onion finely diced

1 Tbsp cilantro, finely diced

Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves

Method:

Follow directions on package to cook quinoa.  Don't forget to wash and drain quinoa first - VERY important!  Once cooked put quinoa in a large bowl and let cool.  Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cilantro in bowl.  Meanwhile combine garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a food processor or blender.  Slowly add olive oil until well mixed.   Toss vegetables, feta in with quinoa and mix with sauce.  Serve cold or at room temp. 

Turkey Burgers

With summer right around the corner, the time has come to start putting a little extra work into getting in shape and with that of course is an improved diet.  Now I would say that I am always trying to find ways to eat healthy without sacrificing too much on flavor.  One of my all time favorite compromises is the turkey burger.  I always opt for the extra lean ground turkey but if you are looking to make the jump from beef start out with the lean option which is 93/7 fat content– it’s still much lower in fat than beef but not full health freak status.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  Another thing I absolutely recommend is using Challah dinner rolls.  They are egg bread and when fresh are soft and fluffy and the idea vehicle for maximum meat and veggies - with of course the main goal being able to fit the burger in your mouth!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1lb extra lean ground turkey

2 Tbsp planko crumbs

1 egg 

2 Tbsp bbq sauce

challah buns

1 avocado, thinly sliced

extra sharp cheddar 

pickles

condiments

Method:

Combine the turkey, egg, planko crumbs and bbq sauce into burger patties and throw on the grill until done, about 10 minutes depending on your grill.  Add cheese if using.  You can also cook on the stove top (if it's not grilling season)!  Add condiments, toast bun and assemble and you are ready to eat!  Such an easy and healthy meal!

Tuna Kebabs with Caesar Salad and Pesto Pasta Salad

Although the weather has been hit or miss this spring it is unquestionably grilling season.  Ethan is the man behind the grill but we make a great team pulling together a complete meal.  Yesterday he came home from the Union Square Farmers market with 2lbs of fresh tuna and it was quickly decided to make tuna kebabs.  On the side we agreed on a pesto pasta salad and Caesar salad with fresh croutons - a slightly random combination but it seemed appropriate on one of the first summer days of the year.  With a crew of hungry yet very appreciative guys, I wanted to keep it healthy but also make sure no one walked away unsatisfied.  

Tuna Kebabs
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2lbs fresh tuna, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 carton button mushrooms, washed and de-stemmed
2 green peppers, chopped in larger pieces
olive oil

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
salt & pepper

Method:

Combine ingredients for marinade and add tuna in bowl; let stand for 30 minutes.  Soak wooden skewers if using.  Add vegetables large bowl and cover in olive oil.   Build kebabs by alternating tuna, onion, mushrooms and green peppers.  Grill for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked. Serve hot.

Pesto Pasta Salad
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta, I used bow ties
3-4 Tbsp fresh pesto sauce
Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pine nuts (optional)

Method:

Because I wanted to give the pasta time to cool, I cooked the pasta about an 1 hour before dinner.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and put in bowl with a little olive oil (so the noodles don't stick to each other) and place in the refrigerator to cool.  Immediately before serving mix in pesto sauce, grated parmesan, pine nuts (is using) and cherry tomatoes.  Make sure pesto evenly coats the pasta. 

Caesar Salad with Fresh Croutons
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 heads of Romaine lettuce
Caesar salad dressing, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 loaf of bread, diced
salt & pepper
1 tsp italian herb seasoning
olive oil

Method:

Wash and dry lettuce and cut into bite side pieces, set aside.  Meanwhile dice bread into bite size pieces.  Toss with olive oil, herb seasoning and salt & pepper.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Make sure to shake the pan a couple times to ensure all an even browning.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Add to lettuce with parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss with salad dressing and add fresh cracked pepper if desired.

Gnocchi with Vodka Sauce

After an epic 14 mile walk, I decided I could take the night off from cooking healthy.  And let me just say, I'm so glad I did.  I've never made a vodka sauce before, truthfully I wasn't even sure if the recipe would actually called for vodka; for the record it does.  It's also incredibly easy to make, I used fresh gnocchi but you any pasta you have would be totally fine.  This is a great meal because it looks fancy but it's actually wildly simple.   I adapted this recipe from two recipes I found on the Food Network, Giada Laurentiis' Penne with Vodka Sauce and All Recipes, Easy Vodka Sauce.  I basically took ingredients from each and created my own recipe, which in my opinion, is the best way to cook because you can get exactly what you enjoy the most!

Ingredients:
Serves 4

1lb of fresh gnocchi (or any pasta)
1 28oz can of whole tomatoes
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 cup of vodka
1/4 cup grated Parmesan plus extra for serving

Method:

Put diced onions in heated skillet with olive oil, saute until onions are lightly browned.   Add vodka and reduce for about 10 minutes or until most of the vodka has burned off.  Add tomatoes, simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add cream and let simmer for about 20 more minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Once sauce has reduced to a thicker consistency stir in grated Parmesan cheese.  Meanwhile, if you're using fresh gnocchi boil hot water and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until gnocchi floats, drain and serve with vodka sauce.