Spiced Brandy and Herb Pork Chops

Tonight's meal was courtesy of Grillmates marinade. There are a lot of options as far as flavors go. It can be found in the grocery store aisle with the package seasoning and sauce mixes. My recommendation? Try them all! I've only used them on pork, but I think they would be great on chicken, beef or fish as well. You'll need:

2 lb pork chop (I used a pack of two butterfly pork chops, which I cut in half)

1/4 cup olive oil 

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or regular vinegar works as well)

2 tbsp water

1 package of grillmates Spiced Brandy & Herb seasoning

The morning before you cook your pork chops, mix the seasoning, olive oil, vinegar and water together and pour over the pork. Coat it well on both sides and then refrigerate until you are ready to cook them. Preheat your oven to 400. Something that I've recently figured out is that baking meat on a high temp for a shorter time results in very tender, juicy meat. That's the method I used here and for my Parmesan Pretzel Chicken the other night. Okay, getting back on track now...place your pork chops in a greased baking dish or on a baking sheet. That's the method I used. I covered a baking sheet with foil (for easier cleanup) and sprayed it with olive oil cooking spray. Place your pork chops onto the prepared surface and pop it in the oven. It'll take 20-25 minutes to cook. In the meantime, I sauteed some onions, green peppers and baby bella mushrooms in 2 tbsp of olive oil and a Swanson Recipe Starters Vegetable flavored sauce package. If you haven't had this, I high recommend it. I ate a LOT of this during my weight loss journey last year and 80 lbs later, I swear by it. It's filling and delicious! Once your pork is cooked through (it's okay for it to be slightly pink), you're ready to eat. Serve with sides of your choice and enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls

I realize cabbage isn't for everyone but you should really give this recipe a try. It may just change your view of cabbage. The meat and rice is the most overpowering taste in this dish so just forget you're eating something good for you! You'll need to preheat your oven to 350...

1 medium head of cabbage

1 lb uncooked ground pork sausage

1 can of tomato sauce

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup of long grain rice (I used a mixture of white, brown and wild)

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can diced tomatoes (I used the Hunt's brand that has celery and onion in with it)

1/2 tsp sugar

Cook the cabbage in boiling water until outer leaves can be pulled away easily. In a bowl, combine pork, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, onion, rice, parsley, salt, dill weed and cayenne. Mix it together really well. Cut out the vein from the cabbage leaves. It will make a v-shape. Put a tablespoon or so of meat mixture into the leaf and fold it up. Do this until leaves/meat is gone. Put any leftover cabbage as a layer on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Combine the tomatoes, sugar and remaining tomato sauce and pour it over the rolls. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours or until cabbage rolls are tender and meat/rice is fully cooked.

Delicious! It takes a little effort but it's worth it and it's an entire, filling meal in a pan. Enjoy! 

Cajun Pork Cutlet & Mushrooms

Fried pork cutlet is my husband's favorite meal. Yes, I'm talking about the cheap, ground, $2 a pound pork cutlet. I give in and make it from time to time but tonight I decided to dress it up a little to make it more enjoyable for me. You'll need:

2 Pork cutlets (double recipe if needed)

1 cup Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp olive oil 

Melt butter in a skillet on medium. Coat pork cutlet lightly in flour and place it in the hot skillet. Season one side with Cajun seasoning. Flip after a few minutes and season the other side with more Cajun. Meanwhile in another small skillet sauté the mushrooms and add a tsp of garlic powder for extra flavor. Once your pork cutlets are golden brown and cooked through (about 10 minutes), pour mushrooms over the top and serve. 

This turned out delicious and was a very quick, simple and CHEAP meal. Enjoy!