Honey Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup Catalina dressing, divided
1 large pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon honey

Brush 2 tablespoons of the dressing over pork.  Mix dry ingredients; rub onto pork.  Let stand 10 minutes or refrigerate up to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat grill to medium heat.  Place pork on grill; cover.  Grill 20 minutes turning occasionally.

Mix remaining 2 tablespoons dressing and honey.  Brush some of the honey mixture over the pork.  Continue grilling 5-10 minutes; turning and brushing with honey mixture until pork is cooked through (160*F).  Let stand; covered with foil for a few minutes before serving.

How did I change it:

I used boneless pork chops.  I let them sit for about 30 minutes in the marinade rub.  I did put them on the grill and I did add the sauces at the end.  I did not wrap them in foil and let htem sit before serving.  They were quite yummy!

Katie's Made from Scratch Pasta Salad

This one I created all on my own, and when I create I don't use measurements...you have been warned :)

1 small bag of curly garden noodles
sliced baby carrots
3 small heads of broccoli, chopped/sliced
1 can sliced black olives
2 handfuls shredded cheese
3/4 bottle of Brianna's Rich Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

I cooked the noodles according to the package for AL-dente, then I cooled them with water.  I mixed everything together and viola!

Chinese Takeout-on-a-Stick

This one was good.  I was worried about barbequing broccoli, but it turned out well.  I would recommend cutting the red pepper in half though...it was a little spicy, but I loved it :)

RECIPE:

Combine 3 tablespoons each reduced-sodium soy sauce and sesame oil.  Stir in 4 teaspoons each brown sugar and minced fresh ginger root, 2 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.  Set aside 3 tablespoons for basting.  Add 1 pound cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts to remaining mixture; toss to coat.  Thread chicken and 3 cups fresh broccoli florets onto four metal skewers.  Grill covered over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally; baste with reserved soy sauce mix during last 4 minutes of cooking.  Makes 4 servings.

I did not have sesame oil, so I used veggie oil, and I do not have fresh ginger root so the powered stuff will have to do :)  I was also concerned about barbequing fresh, uncooked broccoli, so I bought a fresh head and lightly steamed it before skewering it and grilling.  I did not have enough sauce on reserve and I reserved about 1/4 cup, so I would recommend more sauce.

Lemon Sage Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil

Sauce:
2 tbsp chopped shallots  (I used onion and it was WAY too strong)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine (can substitute chicken broth)
4 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp cold butter

1. Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness.  In a shallow bowl, combine the eggs, cheese and seasonings.  Place flour in another shallow bowl.  Coat chicken with flour, then dip in egg mixture.
2. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil in batches.  Transfer to a greased 15x10 inch baking pan.  Bake,  uncovered at 375* for 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reader 170*.
3.  In the drippings, saute shallot until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Add the wine, lemon juice, herbs, and lemon peel; cook over medium heat until liquid is reduced by half.  Add cream and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Stir in butter until melted.  Serve sauce over chicken.

How did I change it up?

I added onion instead of shallot..don't do that.  It tastes weird!  I also did not bake the chicken.  I cooked it all in the pan.  It was fine that way, and less to clean up :)  I served this chicken over white rice, and it was pretty good.  I think I will try it with shallots next time :)

Parm-Breaded Pork Chops

 I found this gem in a Taste of Home Magazine!

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tbsp 2% milk
1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers (I used Ritz)
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 boneless pork loin chops


1. Place flour in a shallow bowl.  In a separate shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk.  In a third shallow bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, salt and pepper.  Dip pork chops in flour, in egg mixture, then in cracker mixture.
2. Place butter in a 13x9 inch baking dish; add pork chops.  Bake uncovered at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reader 145*.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

(Sides - steamed yellow corn, and Lipton cheesy rice and broccoli).

This is another one my little guy gobbled up :)

Classic Cashew Beef

Thumbs up from the little guy!

4 tsp corn starch
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cold water
1 lb beef top sirloin steak, cut unto 1/2-in. pieces
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
8 green onions, cut into 1-in lengths
2/3 cup lightly salted cashews
2 garlic cloves, minced
Hot cooked rice

1. In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients and whisk until smooth; set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in 1 tbsp oil until no longer pink..  Remove and keep warm.  Stir-fry onions, cashews and garlic in remaining oil for 1 minute.
3. Stir in cornstarch mixture and add to the pan.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add beef; heat through.  Serve with rice.

How did I change it up:

I mixed the first 7 ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.  I didn't have sesame oil, so I used veggie oil instead.  I did not remove the beef, but just added the cashews and sauce.  I cooked it all together until thickened. I think I used 2 lbs of beef instead of one, but I thought the sauce was a little too light.  Tim and I both agreed that this would be good with broccoli stir-fried in :)

Enjoy!

Orange Ginger Chicken

This one was yummy! We ate it before I was able to get a picture, and I didn't think a picture of the leftovers would be that yummy :) Haha Give it a shot...even my little guy ate it all!

1/2 cup flour
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1/2 to 1 tsp ground ginger (or more if you want)
Optional garnishes: thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds

1. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to bag, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil in batches over medium heat until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
2. In the same skillet, combine the juice, marmalade, soy sauce, honey and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; cook and stir until thickened. Return chicken to pan; heat through. Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.  

How did I change it up?
I did not coat the chicken in flour. I cooked it in some oil until it was no longer pink. Because I did not have the flour in the bottom, I added some cornstarch to thicken up the sauce. It worked, but I think it diluted the taste a little. I also added a bag of broccoli. It was very nice with the broccoli and made it even healthier! I am going to add some sliced carrots next time. Enjoy!

How to get a 5 year old to eat scrambled eggs.

Maybe you don't have this problem, but I do. R will not eat scrambled eggs. He eats the bacon or sausage, then he is miraculously full. Well, today is a bacon and eggs kind of day, and I had an idea...MAGIC EGGS!!! Yep, that's right! I made my son magic eggs. I think the magic part was he ate them all and asked for seconds! He also said they were the best eggs he ever had. He posed for this picture, so I had to use it, even though it isn't my favorite!

Recipe: Eggs Food coloring First crack 2 eggs into a small bowl. Add food coloring. This time I chose red, and added too much...it actually looked like blood. Scramble the eggs for a few minutes, then add more, non food colored eggs. Mix it all together, and cook until the scrambled eggs are done to your liking. Ta-dah! Magic eggs! Or flamingo eggs as my hubby called them. Either way, my son at them all and asked for more!