Perfect Fried Pork Chops

This recipe is so easy it almost shouldn't count as a recipe. I don't do well frying things. I tend to have the pan too hot and burn the outside before the inside is cooked. I kept it lower tonight. 

Overall, this is just an average recipe. It really isn't too difficult. It's flavorful and filling so I guess that's the important thing. 

Photo from SixSistersStuff

Perfect Fried Pork Chops
Recipe from Sixsistersstuff.com

Serves 4

• 8 bone-in pork chops
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp steak seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 1 T butter

Pat dry with paper towels, making sure to remove all excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, steak seasoning, and salt to taste.

Dip each side of the pork chops into the seasoning mixture, then set aside on a plate.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and once it is hot (between 325-375 degrees F), add butter to the skillet.

When the butter is melted, cook pork chops 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side.

Remove fried pork chop to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.

Top 10 Favorites of 2020

I embarked in 2020 with a goal to cook 100 new recipes. I wasn't confident in January that I'd make this goal. In fact, I thought it was a bit outlandish. Still, I figured a stretch goal was good. 

Then enter COVID and working from home. Because I was home and didn't have to commute it made it easy to cook something almost every night. The possibly of hitting this goal was suddenly in sight. 

I've been asked by a few to pick my top 10 favorites. I didn't think this would be as easy as it was, but it turns out, I've had some just ok recipes, some icky ones, and some worthy of the top 10. 

Here's the list! The list does not indicate a favorite. They are all equally as delicious to me. 

• Carne Guisada
• Crock Pot Picadillo
• Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry
• Stout-Marinated Steak Tips
• Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake
• Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Southwestern Beef Hand Pies
• Starbucks Copycat Banana Nut Bread
• Steak Fried Rice
• Spicy Garlic Chicken

There you have it. It's hard for me to put into words why each one ranked as a "favorite" other than they just hit that spot in my taste buds that made me want more, and made me want to make the recipe over and over again. 

There were a few I'd like to add as honorable mentions: 

• Antipasti Cheese Ball
• Garlic Mushroom Chicken Bites
• Greek 7 Layer Dip

This next year my goal is 100 new recipes with a stretch goal of 125 new recipes. If we continue to WFH I should have no problem hitting this goal. 

Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry

I was preparing my top 10 favorites from this year earlier today. I didn't expect I would need to move one out to put this one in. The house smelled so amazing today while it cooked. 

Make this recipe! You will not be disappointed. I served it over rice and cannot wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.

Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry
Recipe from 12 tomatoes

Serves 4

• 1.5 pounds stew beef

• 

  Photo from 12Tomatoes

  2 c mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1-2 c beef stock
• ¼ c coconut milk
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp curry
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 T olive oil

Mix cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and stir frequently, 1 minute.

Add beef to the skillet, along with the spice mixture and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup beef stock and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up bits of flavor.

Add mushrooms and bring sauce to a boil. Add coconut milk and stir until blended.

Transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over rice.

Bailey's Peanut Butter Cuppa Coffee

As 2020 winds down I decided to double, triple check that all the recipes I've tried this year are on the
blog.  I have a much bigger project to make sure all the recipes are on this blog, but that's another story for another day. 

I found that this recipe hadn't been added. I likely forgot it because it was Thanksgiving and I was focused on food. We made this for the Apple Cup that never was. Thanks to COVID the Apple Cup was cancelled. We still got together and we still ate and we still drank. 

This takes a little prep and is SUPER Sweet. I did not add the amount of alcohol it asked for, seemed like not enough, so I doubled it. 

Bailey's Peanut Butter Cuppa Coffee
Recipe from Bailey's

You can find the recipe here.

Serves 2

• 1 3/4 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 cup hot milk
• 8 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped and melted
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Shaved chocolate, for garnish
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, for garnish

Combine Baileys Original Irish Cream, hot coffee, hot milk, 8 melted peanut butter cups and peanut butter in a blender.

Blend until combined.

Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and whole peanut butter cups.

This recipe will serve 2 and contains no more than 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol per serving. If you choose to make your own drinks, Pour Vous! can supply the main ingredients. However, if you prefer to have your drink made to order, stop into Safari’s Brick Oven and Grill and ask for a Baileys Peanut Butter Cuppa’ Coffee.

Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms

I decided at the last minute last night for Christmas dinner that we needed green beans. I was going to
just sauté them and remembered I had a couple of recipe for casserole type green beans. I'm not a fan of the traditional green bean casserole so I wanted to make sure it wasn't something like that. 

I had all the ingredients I needed except the crunchy onions. Which, it turned out, my sister in law had and brought with her. And I'm glad I didn't avoid those because they really added to the overall flavor. 

This was an easy and delicious side dish. It will show up in my rotation for Sunday dinner - if and when we get to have parties again.

Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms
Recipe from Myrecipes.com

Serves 8

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 t olive oil
• 3 c chopped sweet onion
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced button mushrooms
• 1/3 c Madeira wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 t all-purpose flour
• 1 c fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 c  canned fried onions (such as French's)
• 1/2 c grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans in a large bowl; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. 

Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add mushroom mixture to green beans; toss well. 

Place green bean mixture in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine fried onions and grated cheese in a small bowl. Top green bean mixture evenly with fried onion mixture. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Mom's Marbled Brownies

Merry Christmas! It's always a bittersweet holiday for me. I miss my parents a lot this time of year. Who wouldn't? So, to keep them in my heart I try to make some recipe that reminds me of them. Enter Marbled Brownies. 

I have some very fond memories of these brownies. Mom didn't make them often, but when she did, I swear we'd eat the entire pan in one sitting. 

Janet and Cammie are coming to dinner and I thought it'd be fun to do a cookie exchange among us. I thought Marbled Brownies would be perfect. 

I over "marbled" them though. There should be large sections of the cream cheese filling. Mine has more like ribbons through it. Still delicious. Still gonna eat them. 

Mom's Marbled Brownies
Recipe from JoEllen Wraspir (Mom)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

5 T butter, softened

2 T flour

1/3 c sugar

2 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla (I used a full tsp and it really didn't make much difference. So go ahead. Use more)

1 box brownie mix and it's necessary ingredients. Make "cake like" brownies if there's a recipe for that.

Preheat oven according to package brownie mixture

Cream together the cream cheese mixture and set aside. 

Make the brownie batter based on the box instructions.

in a 9X13 greased pan, spread 1/2 of the brownie mix on the bottom. Pour all of the cream cheese mix over. Drop spoonfuls of remaining brownie mix over the cream cheese mixture. 

Using a knife or skewer, "swirl" the mixture. Don't over swirl.

Bake according to box brownie instructions. 

Let cool, cut and eat. 

Trifecta Chicken (aka Crispy Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers)

This is recipe #2 from the recipe swap I did with my buddy Paul. I was supposed to make it last night, but - well last night just didn't happen the way it planned. 

Tonight I made this chicken with the Lemon Spaghetti from last night. According to Paul, the two must be eaten together.

This recipe takes some time to marinate the chicken. So be sure to plan. Otherwise, this was delicious. Making your own bread crumbs is really key here. Paul had told me to not use Panko and to take the time to make my own bread crumbs. He was not wrong. Homemade bread crumbs are easy and they are so much more crunchy. 

I cooked mine in the air fryer at 450 for about 20 minutes.  It was a bit over done, but I like my chicken well done, so I was fine with it. 

Trifecta Chicken (aka Crispy Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers)
Recipe from Paul
Serves 4

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 7 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat
  
• 3/4 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 5 T capers (preferably nonpareils), rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3-1/2 c Toasted Breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

With a meat pounder or a heavy skillet, lightly pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap to even out the thickness of the breasts.

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. of the capers, 1 Tbs. of the thyme, and the oil, mustard, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Squeeze one or two of the lemon wedges to get 1 Tbs. juice and add to the mixture, along with 2 Tbs. water. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. You can proceed directly to coating the chicken breasts with crumbs, or let them marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. capers, and 1 Tbs. thyme. Working with one piece at a time, transfer the chicken to the dish of crumbs, scoop some crumbs on top, and press well a couple of times so the crumbs adhere to both sides. Transfer to the rack on the baking sheet.

These crumbs are coarser than your average breadcrumbs, so it takes a little extra force to get them to adhere. My method is to pat a healthy amount of breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and then use the heel of my hand and a firm rotating motion to press the crumbs onto the chicken. Don’t shake off the excess when transferring the breasts to the baking sheet; you want to keep as many crumbs on the chicken as possible.

Bake the chicken until it’s firm to the touch and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken.

Make Ahead Tips

Make the crumbs ahead. They’ll keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Or if you want to whip up a few batches of crumbs, you can store them in a zip-top bag in your freezer for a couple of months.

Marinate ahead. You can pound the chicken and immerse it in the sticky flavor bath the day before you plan to cook it. The results will be excellent because the flavors will really sink into the meat.

Lemon Spaghetti

My good buddy Paul is a cook as well. We were chatting the other night and  I came up with the brilliant idea of sharing recipes. We've started with sharing our favorites. He shared what he calls Chicken Trifecta and Lemon Spaghetti. 

The idea is we'd make it and then sit on facetime and watch each other react to the recipe. Sounds fun right? 

Tonight was a disaster for me. I had to run to Redmond for a blood draw and the weather made it so hard to get back in time to make the full meal. So, I only made the lemon Spaghetti. 

Lord was it delicious. It may become a standard at my house. The key is adding the pesto - which was a Paul add. It really made the pasta delicious. The lemon makes it bright and flavorful. 

Recipe from Food Network

Lemon Spaghetti
Recipe from Paul Schronen

• 1 pound spaghetti
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Reggiano
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 T pesto - give or take

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Goulash Soup

This is one of those recipes where the photo looked so appetizing. And I'm sure this recipe would have been delicous had I not goofed.

First it calls for petite diced tomatoes. For some reason I bought tomato puree. With tomato sauce already, and then a thick tomato puree it was VERY tomato - y. And super thick. 

The second thing is I forgot to dump in the corn. I was hungry by the time it was ready and I just scooped it up and ate it. It wasn't until I was putting the food away that I found the corn sitting there. 

Goulash Soup
Recipe from Southernbite.com

Serves 12

• 

  Photo from Southernbite

  2 pounds ground chuck
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 c beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 (29-ounce) can Red Gold Tomato Sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can Red Gold Tomato Paste
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

In a large stock pot, cook the ground beef with the onions over medium heat until it is brown and cooked through. Drain the excess grease away and return the ground beef and onions to the pot over the heat.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the beef broth and stir to combine. Add the undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained corn, and mix well. Add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring a boil. Add the macaroni and stir well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the macaroni is tender to your liking. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Tangerine Beef with Scallions

So... this recipe was interesting. First, tangerines aren't in season, so I had to substitute with clementines. Second, scallions are supposed to be part of the recipe and I didn't buy them. I swear I did, but I sure don't have them. 

It still tasted great! I only marinated it for an hour or so. I didn't read the recipe in time to see that it required 24 hours marinating. 

Tangerine Beef with Scallions
Recipe from Foodnetwork.com

Serves 4

• 

  Photo from The Food Network

  1 1/2 pounds beef tri-tip steak, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 tangerine
• 4 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 T toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 T chopped peeled ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 T orange preserves

Pierce the steak with a fork several times on each side. Remove a 2-inch strip of zest from the tangerine, halve the fruit and squeeze the juice into a resealable plastic bag. Add the zest, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water to the bag and mix well. Add the meat, seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the broiler with a broiler pan in place. Remove the steak from the bag and reserve the marinade. Pat the meat dry and place on the preheated broiler pan. Cook, without turning, until the meat is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130 for medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing; reserve the drippings.

Meanwhile, boil the marinade in a small pot over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. Stir in the orange preserves and the drippings from the meat. Slice the meat against the grain and top with scallions. Serve with the sauce.

Super Easy Keto Chocolate Milkshake

I'm not a dessert fan. Too sweet of things just isn't my jam. Savory is my game. 

But every now and then I want something after dinner. This was the perfect treat. 

I used Monk fruit as my sweetener and not liquid. I put in about 1.5 T of it. Next time I make this I'll add more cocoa powder - 1 T wasn't chocolate enough. 

Super Easy Keto Chocolate Milkshake
Recipe from Hungryforinspiration.com

Makes 1

• 5 fl oz unsweetened almond milk 
• 3.40 fl oz heavy cream 
• 1 T baking cacao powder/ dutch processed cacao powder
• liquid sweetener to taste
• 5 ice cubes
• Optional:
• ½ tsp sugar-free vanilla extract

Add all of the ingredients into a high-performance blender.

Blend for approx. 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the ice cubes have been shredded by the blender.

Fill into a jar and serve right away.

Keto Adobo Air Fried Chicken Thighs

This recipe couldn't be easier or more tasty. I had two different types of Adobo seasoning in my pantry. I knew they were both Goya Adobo Seasoning, but I didn't know what the difference was. They were different colors too. So I tasted them. One had pepper and one was lemon based. 

So....for this recipe I used the one with pepper on the chicken and the lemon flavored one on the side of zucchini I was making. 

Air fryer chicken is the second best to me (Grilling being the best). I haven't used the air fryer in a couple of weeks so it was good to get it out again to use.  The only other difference is I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. 

Keto Adobo Air Fried Chicken Thighs

Recipe from Sweetcsdesigns.com

Serves 4

• 

  Photo from SweetCDesigns

  4 large chicken thighs
• 2 T adobo seasoning (Use Light or Low Sodium Adobo seasoning if you like chicken less salty, original can be pretty salty for some in this recipe.)
• 1 T olive oil

Add olive oil to bag or plate and coat chicken in it.

Toss chicken thighs in adobo seasoning to coat.

Place chicken thighs in air fryer basket, making sure they don't touch or crowd each other.

Set air fryer to 350 degrees and set the timer to 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, flip chicken to other side and cook another 10 minutes.

Chicken will be golden brown and 165 degrees internal temperature at the end of cooking.

Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce

Spain is one of my favorite countries. I love their food and flavors. When I saw this recipe I was immediately drawn to the word "Spanish" and so I knew I had to try it. 

I'm not really sure what to think about this recipe. The cutlets were delicious! The sauce to drizzle on top was not. Thankfully, I didn't drizzle it, but instead used it as a dipping sauce. I tasted the sauce before the cutlets were done and realized it just wasn't good to me. So I didn't really use the sauce. 

Dredging the chicken in the yogurt mixture then panko made the chicken so flavorful. I didn't fry them I put them in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 350F. Turned out fine. 

Photo from BigOven.com

Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce
Recipe from Cook's Country

• 1 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
• 4 6 oz chicken cutlets, 1/2 inch thick
• 6 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T minced fresh parsley

Combine yogurt, paprika, salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. 

Reserve 1/2 c yogurt mixture. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pat cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat cutlets in remaining yogurt mixture and dredge in panko, pressing to adhere. 

Heat 2 T oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook cutlets until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to warm wrack in oven. 

Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining 2 T oil until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk cooled garlic oil and parsley in reserve yogurt mixture until combined. 

Serve chicken with yogurt sauce.

Don't dredge chicken to keep it low carb.

Rosie’s Famous Mexican Rice

As often happens when waiting for a meeting to start, you chat with your coworkers about simple things like food. One of my coworkers mentioned she had "the best" Mexican rice recipe. Well, "the best" just screams that I need to try it. 

Like me, she doesn't measure, so this recipe is more of a guess than actual. Though having made this tonight, these measurements are pretty close. 

Rosie’s Famous Mexican Rice
Recipe from Rosanne from Work

Serves 4 I think

Note from Rosie: I don’t measure seasoning, so I’m just guessing

• 1 cup white rice (I like medium grain)
• 1 small can spicy V8 juice, or one small can tomato sauce [JWnote: I used 2 small cans of Spicy V8]
• Water – I’ll explain this later 😊
• ¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion [JW: I used one small yellow onion, finely chopped]
• Any color bell pepper – ¼ cup chopped [ JW: you know I didn't add this]
• 2 T garlic powder (don’t use ginger) [JW; I'm pretty sure she doesn't me 2 tablespoons. That seems like a lot. I used 1 tsp and it was just fine]
• 1 T ground cumin [JW: I didn't add cumin. I missed it. 1 tablespoon seems like too much, she might have meant tsp. A little goes a long way.]
• 1-2 T salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 T vegetable oil

Heat oil over medium/high heat in skillet until hot.

Sauté rice, onion and bell pepper over medium high heat, stirring often, just until the rice starts to toast.

Pour tomato sauce or V8 into a measuring cup, then fill with water until you have 2 ½ cups combined liquid [ JW: This is where I used two small cans of V8 and filled the rest with water]. Pour this into the rice and add the seasonings. Stir briefly and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, lower heat to low and simmer, covered for 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Pork Chops

Sunday's are always a good day for slow cooker meals. This one was easy to throw together and pretty flavorful. It needed a bit more soy flavor to me. So when it was done I tossed in about another 2 T. 

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Pork Chops
Recipe from Thesouthernladycooks.com

Serves 4

• 

  Recipe from
  TheSouthernLadyCooks

  4 to 6 pork chops (I used bone-in center cut but you could use any chops)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 T Montreal Steak Seasoning, Optional
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 T cooking oil
• 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced in rings
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c honey or 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 c soy sauce

Combine flour, steak seasoning and pepper in a brown bag or shallow pan. 

Cover chops with flour. Brown in oil on top of the stove. 

Place pork chops in crock pot with sliced green pepper and onion rings on top. 

Combine tomatoes, water, honey and soy sauce and pour over the top. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Enjoy!

Coconut Key Lime Bread

It feels weird that I'm baking something with lime in it in December. It feels even odder that I'd be baking at all. But the recipe randomizer doesn't care what season we're in. Sure I could have skipped it, but why not make it. Try something new. 

It looks like there are a lot of ingredients here, but I promise you it's an easy recipe.

Key #1 - get all your ingredients measured and ready. This really is a key for anyone baking or cooking. Makes the actual act of it easier. 

Also, turns out that you can substitute xanthum gum with a bunch of things. I swear I had xanthum gum (and I'll probably find it now that I don't need it) but I couldn't find it. So I substituted with cornstarch. Which, yes, technically makes this now as low carb as it could be, but a tsp isn't going to do much. It's just for binding. You can also use psyllium husk (and water) and chia seeds (and water).

Coconut Key Lime Bread
Recipe from LowCarbYum

Serves 12

• ½ c unsweetened shredded coconut plus additional for top
• ⅔ c almond flour
• ⅓ c coconut flour
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c low carb sugar substitute
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp dried lemon peel or lime peel
• ½ c butter melted
• 3 T coconut oil liquified
• 7 eggs
• 6 ounces sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 3 T Key lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Lime zest optional – add for stronger lime flavor

Powdered sugar substitute with lime juice to make glaze.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease or line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, mix together dried coconut, almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt, sweetener, baking powder, and dried lemon or lime peel. Set aside.

With electric mixer in medium bowl, combine butter, coconut oil, eggs, sour cream, lime juice, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add dry ingredients and mix until uniform batter is formed.

Pour batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Spread out with rubber spatula as needed.

Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of extra coconut on top if desired. Return to oven and bake an additional 55 to 60 minutes or until top is browned and toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Hunan Beef

 Not a fan!

I don't think I've ever started a blog with "Not a fan!" I followed this recipe 100%. It was spicy, for sure, but not blow you head off spicy. 

Overally, I just didn't like the flavor. 

Hunan Beef
Recipe from Savorytooth.com

Serves 2

• 12 ounces flank steak or other beef steak

  

  Photo from SavoryTooth.com

• 3 T canola oil or peanut oil
• 2 scallions thinly sliced

Marinade:

• 2 T rice cooking wine
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T corn starch
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 1 T Asian red chili sauce (like sriracha)
• 1 tsp ground cumin

In a large bowl, stir together marinade ingredients until the corn starch is dissolved. Slice the beef against the grain into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick) and add to the bowl with the marinade. Stir the beef with the marinade until it’s all soaked up. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, stirring together until mixed. Set aside.

In a wok, add canola oil and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes until hot. Add beef and fry in the oil for a few minutes until browned, constantly stirring and flipping the beef slices. Use a slotted spoon to transfer only the beef to a plate, leaving the oil in the wok.

Reduce to medium heat. Add prepared sauce and cook for less than a minute until fragrant, stirring frequently. Return the beef back to the wok and stir together with the sauce for a few minutes until well-mixed.

Remove the wok from heat. Stir in sliced scallions and serve.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

 Beef! It's what's for dinner. I've had in restaurants steak bites with garlic and butter and each time I figure I can recreate it for myself at home. 

I marinated the steak for 4 hours. I used tritip because that's what was available.

And if you know me, or have been reading here, you know I will grill meat whenever possible. I didn't like the idea of frying this in a pan and making a mess. So I cut them up in kabob sizes, skewered them and grilled them. 

Once they were done on the grill, I dropped them into a bowl with melted butter and swished it around. Feels like it was just as good. 

Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Recipe from Peaceloveandlowcarb.com

Serves 8

• 

  Photo from Peace, Love 
  and Low carb

  3 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 c coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce [JW: I used low sodium soy sauce]
• 2 T dried minced onion
• 1 T chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley, extra for garnish (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tsp sea salt (this is the only brand I use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 T olive oil 
• 1 stick salted butter 

Add all ingredients (except olive oil and butter) to a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat. Make sure that all pieces of the meat are evenly coated in the coconut aminos and spices. If time allows, refrigerate for 2 hours, up to 24 hours. This allows the flavors to really come together and soak into the meat.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the steak bites to the pan and sear on all sides. If you do not have a large enough pan, you may need to do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan (see tips in post).

Once the steak bites are nice and seared, and have formed a slight crust, add the butter to the pan. Toss the steak bites in the butter as it melts.

Garnish with reserved parsley before serving.

Garlic Butter Salmon and Asparagus

I enjoy salmon, but I'm very picky about how its cooked. For example, I'm not a huge fan of smoked salmon. I prefer it to be grilled or baked. And I like my salmon well done. 

This recipe has all the elements I like with my salmon...lemon, garlic and butter. Super easy recipe, and super delicious. 

I had a problem baking it because the old tenants didn't clean the oven and it has some gunk on the bottom. At such a high temp that gunk burns. I had smoke everywhere. Took it out of the oven and finished it in hot skillet. 

I would also recommend not putting thin asparagus in at the same time as the salmon. It'll be overcooked. If you have finger size asparagus it will cook fine.

Garlic Butter Salmon and Asparagus
Recipe from Thatlowcarblife.com

• 1.5 pounds salmon, cut into 4 fillets
  
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• ½ c butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T minced parsley
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cracked pepper
• 4 slices lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Lay the salmon fillets down the center of the baking sheet, leaving space between each fillet.

Arrange the asparagus around the top and bottom of the baking sheet.

Whisk together the melted butter, garlic, parsley, and onion powder. Drizzle over the salmon and asparagus.

Sprinkle the salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.

Lay 1 slice of lemon over each salmon fillet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout.

Serve immediately.

Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops

This is the second Honey Garlic pork chop I've made this year. This was good, but the first one I made was way better. 

I grilled my chops instead of bake or broil them. If I have an option, it's grilling every time. I added some lemon pepper to the chops because I had it out for the asparagus. Overall, this was good. 

Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Recipe from CafeDelites

Serves 4

Photo by ME! Also, it's a small
plate, not a regular dinner plate.

• 4 pork chops bone in or out
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c water (or chicken broth)
• 2 T rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar)

Preheat oven broiler (or grill) on medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder just before cooking.

Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Sear chops on both sides until golden and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water and vinegar. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes), while stirring occasionally.

Add pork back into the pan, baste generously with the sauce and broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred.

Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad.

Hamburger Soup

I can't believe its been almost 2 full weeks since I actually cooked something new. Thanksgiving week is kinda a wash. More quick meals than new recipes. And Turkey Day itself is always the same.

Last week I planned, but didn't cook. Just didn't feel like it. 

This week however, I've got a full menu, starting with soup tonight. 

I'm love soups this time of year. They're easy, and make good leftovers. This one is a twist on vegetable beef soup. Instead of using stew meat it uses burger. Which, in my opinion, is way easier.

Swapped corn for cauliflower rice. Great substitution for lowering the carb count.

Also added a tablespoon of chili powder and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

Hamburger Soup
Recipe from AllRecipes.com

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 c chopped carrots
• 1 c chopped celery
• 1 c chopped onion
• 6 cubes beef bouillon
• 5 c water
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 3 T ketchup

In a medium skillet, brown hamburger over medium heat. Drain off fat.

Combine beef, carrots, celery, onions, bouillon, water, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt, corn, basil, and ketchup in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.