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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pork Chops With White Beans

partysugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:50:05 -0800

With so much energy going toward Thanksgiving, it's easy to overlook the meals leading up to the big day.

Tonight fix up a simple and delicious dinner that's a cinch to put together. Canned white beans simmered with onions and red peppers serves as a bed for succulent and juicy bone-in pork chops.

It's a hearty, comforting, uncomplicated, and adaptable recipe, so learn how to prepare it and read more.

Pork Chops With White Beans
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 well-trimmed bone-in pork rib chops (about 2 pounds; each 1 inch thick)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and rosemary; season generously with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together broth and tomato paste. Pour mixture into skillet; stir in beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are coated evenly and sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, generously season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork (in 2 batches, if necessary) until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve on top of bean mixture.

Serves 4.

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Sunday Dinner: Black-Eyed Peas With Pork and Greens

YumSugar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:30:06 -0800

Pork chops may be filling and healthful, but because they're a leaner cut, they aren't always full of flavor.

To keep your taste buds dancing, incorporate the other white meat into a classic Southern staple that's got major sass: the Hoppin' John.

A medley of black-eyed peas, brown rice, kale, and pork come together with the help of tomato, broth, vinegar, and paprika. Enjoy a dish that's got a little bit of everything when you keep reading.

Sunday Dinner: Whole-Wheat Flatbreads With Lamb & Yogurt

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:30:25 -0800

Ever since I made pasta with lamb and tomato ragu, I haven't been able to stop singing the praises of ground lamb. If you love ordering lamb at restaurants but have never made it at home, ground lamb is the perfect starting point, since it requires no special handling.

Prepare the quick, from-scratch recipe for wheat pitas below or, in a pinch, use store bought pitas or tortillas. The textural contrast of the grainy bread with Greek yogurt and ground meat is incredibly satisfying. For the fun, hands-on recipe, read on.

Monday's Leftovers: Thai Beef With Coconut Rice

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:15:44 -0800

Last night I made an Eastern European-inspired ground sirloin stew with egg noodles, and tonight I'm going to use the leftover beef to make something on the opposite end of the spectrum! I'm craving takeout, but - inspired by my recent successes - I'm going to continue my pattern of preparing Asian foods at home.

Spice up the sirloin with the help of minced garlic, lime, and Asian fish sauce, and wake up your senses with freshly-torn basil and julienned chiles. Complement the fiery protein with a soothing side of milky coconut rice. The result, which is healthier and cheaper than takeout, after the break.

Happy Hour: Slime Rickey

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:11 -0700

After tossing back a few of PartySugar's Candy Corn Cordials last weekend, I was ready to get into the spirit of the holiday with a chilling concoction of my own. A slime rickey isn't just a wordy play on the classic lime rickey of gin, lime juice, and club soda - it's also softened with the sweetness of simple syrup and eerily bobbing frozen grapes. The beverage is so easy to drink that the pitcher I made was gone in under an hour! Looking for a playful and festive Halloween refreshment? Then read more

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blondies. Enough Said.

partysugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:51 -0700

When I saw this recipe on the last page of October's Everyday Food magazine, I knew, instantly, that I had to make it. Reese's Pieces are my favorite Halloween candy and the thought of their crunchy shell and peanut butter filling in combination with brown-sugar blondies was too good to be true.

Unfortunately, the day I planned on making them, I couldn't find Reese's Pieces anywhere and didn't have time to run to another grocery store. Thus, I grabbed the next best thing: Reese's peanut butter cups. The resulting blondies weren't as festive as the original, but they sure were scrumptious! To check out the super easy recipe that can be topped with your preferred Halloween chocolate, read more.

Halloween Blondies
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for pan
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 cup each orange, yellow, and brown candy-coated chocolates (from a 12.6-ounce bag) or 8 Reese's peanut butter cups, removed from their wrappers and corasely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Arrange candies or chopped peanut butter cups in 12 rows (2 rows per color, repeating once) on top of dough.
Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

Makes 16.

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Sunday BBQ: Vegetable Quesadillas With Corn Relish

YumSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:25 -0700

In an attempt to reduce my carbon footprint, I've decided to prepare a grilled meal sans meat for my friends this weekend.

At the farmers market, I couldn't resist picking up abundant corn and yellow squash; the two will star in a monterey jack quesadilla that'll brown beautifully over the flame. But unlike any vegetable-filled tortilla I've had in the past, I'm going to keep the vegetables fresh by leaving them uncooked - a time-saver that'll also lend the meal a satisfying crunch. The finishing touch? A tangy corn and scallion salsa. Get the recipe now.

Monday's Leftovers: General Tso's Chicken

YumSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:50:09 -0700

I haven't had Chinese for a while, and lately I've been craving the spicy-sweet flavor profile of that good old standby, General Tso's chicken.

Normally I order takeout at least once a week, but this month I'm on a tighter budget, so I'll take a different route and try to make a home-cooked rendition of this choice restaurant dish.

Not only am I saving money by using up the rest of yesterday's chicken, but I'm also going to lighten it up by eliminating the need for a deep-fryer - and I'll have dinner on the table in well under an hour. Make the recipe tonight.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken With Cucumbers and Couscous

partysugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:50:00 -0700

Say good-bye to boring chicken with this creative and healthy recipe. It's a balanced meal complete with a refreshing cucumber and parsley salad and garbanzo bean couscous.

The chicken is seasoned with ground ginger and coriander, and thanks to quick-cooking boneless skinless tenders, it's ready in just five short minutes. Don't be intimidated by the multiple steps in the recipe, it really is simple. To check it out, read more.

Chicken With Cucumber and Couscous
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 (1 pound) seedless cucumber
1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup couscous

Directions

Make salad: Quarter cucumber lengthwise; slice quarters 3/4 inch thick diagonally. In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, parsley, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Set aside.
Make couscous: In a small saucepan, combine chickpeas, raisins, 1 teaspoon oil, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, and cover pot; remove from heat. Set aside (at least 5 minutes) while cooking chicken. Fluff couscous gently with a fork before serving.
Make chicken: In a medium bowl, combine ginger, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat.
Cook chicken in two batches: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high; add half the chicken, and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet, and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve with cucumber salad and couscous.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: My Birthday Party - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:30:38 -0700

I'm pretty traditional when it comes to birthdays and I can't remember celebrating one without a special cake. It may come as a shock, but every year, I make my own birthday cake. Researching cake recipes and going through the process of baking one has become a ritual that I look forward to and enjoy - as much as the senselessly extravagant birthday party. For 28, I've decided on a chocolate truffle cake with ganache topping and rum syrup. Instead of serving regular vanilla ice cream, I'm upping the ante and pairing the cake with a tropical sorbet terrine. It has three (coconut, raspberry, and mango) layers of sorbet that I think will perfectly complement the richness of the cake. To look at these scrumptious dessert recipes, read more.

Tropical Sorbet Terrine
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 pint coconut sorbet, softened
1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened
1 pint mango sorbet, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 6-cup (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches) loaf pan with a long strip of plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides; set aside.
Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool completely.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted coconut in prepared pan. Dollop coconut sorbet on top, and spread evenly; sprinkle with cup toasted coconut. Repeat with raspberry sorbet and remaining cup toasted coconut, then mango sorbet. Fold plastic overhang over sorbet, and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 2 weeks.
To serve, unfold plastic, and invert pan onto a plate; remove plastic. Slice terrine crosswise with a serrated knife.

Serves 12.

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Chocolate Truffle Cake
From Saveur

Ingredients

For the cake: 
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 
1 1⁄2 cups flour 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,  chopped 
1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
 7 eggs, separated 
1⁄2 tsp. salt 
1 cup sugar 
1⁄2 cup dark rum
For the ganache
 24 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,  roughly chopped
 3 cups heavy cream 
Chocolate shavings 
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Grease pan with 1 tbsp. butter. Add 1⁄4 cup flour; shake to evenly coat inside. Invert and tap out excess flour; set pan aside.
Set a medium bowl over a 1-qt.saucepan of simmering water. Add chocolate; melt. Set aside to let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the melted chocolate, butter, and confectioners' sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour and salt and mix until just combined; set batter aside.
In a bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Sprinkle in 1⁄4 cup sugar and beat to form stiff, glossy peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the cake batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack; let cool. Invert and unmold cake. Cut cake horizontally into 3 even layers; set cake layers aside.
Dissolve remaining sugar and 1⁄4 cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until syrup has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum; let cool.
Make the ganache: Place chocolate in bowl of a standing mixer. Bring cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan; pour over chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, combine chocolate and cream. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches room temperature. Chill until ganache has the consistency of peanut butter, 2 hours. Transfer bowl to standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip on medium speed, 15–20 seconds.
Place bottom cake layer on a cardboard cake circle. Using a pastry brush, brush cake with one-third of rum syrup. Using a butter knife, spread 1 cup ganache evenly across cake top. Top with second cake layer and one-third of rum syrup; repeat process with remaining cake, rum syrup, and ganache. Spread remaining ganache over cake. Press chocolate shavings onto sides. Shake cocoa powder over cake with a mesh sieve.

Serves 16.

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