Shmokey Moist Pork Chops

Pork Chops are easy to mess up, and gross when dry. That's why I hardley ever cook or eat them. So when I found myself craving them the other day, I wanted to make sure to do it right. And did I ever!
I got thick bone-in chops for prime moisture retention, and let these babies marinate for 24 hours to let the flavors infuse the meat.
It worked like a charm. A deliciouse, juicy charm.

Hickory-Mustard Herbed Pork Chops
- 1/4 c hickory syrup (or maple)
- 1/4 c grain mustard
- 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp ground thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- bone-in pork chops
- smoked paprika, salt, pepper

Season meat with paprika, salt and pepper, and let sit for a couple of hours. Mix the marinade ingredients, and then use a fork to poke holes in the meat before pouring overtop. Transfer meat and marinade to a ziplock bag and let sit in fridge for 24 hours.
Take the meat out to let warm to room temperature before cooking. Preheat grill for 10 minutes, and then sear each side on high heat, before reducing heat to medium and cooking for about 10 minutes on each side until cooked in the center.
I served this with Garlic Spinach and roasted potato wedges seasoned with Old Bay.

Berry Crisp

No creative intro for this. Just found myself craving dessert today, and made meself a crisp, berry style.
It's really simple, not too sweet, but hits the spot...especially with ice cream.
The secret here is to add granola to the topping to make it nice and crispy, but you can subsitute any fruit for the filling.

Berry Crisp
(serves 4)
- 2 c Berries
- 1/4 c Cassis or Frambois liquor
- lemon wedge
- 1/2 c rolled oats
- 1/4 c whole wheat flour
- 1/2 c granola
- 1/3 brown sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- dash cinnamon

In a food processor, pulse flour, oats, butter, sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon until crumbly and combined. Transfer to a bowl, and then mix in the granola, using your hands to make crumbly clumps. Let the mixture chill in the fridge for a few minutes. Meanwhile, stir the berries with the liquor and a squeeze of lemon, then transfer to a greased baking dish, top with the topping mixture and then transfer to the fridge again to chill for a few minutes before baking. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until topping is golden brown, and serve warm or at room temperature, so long as it comes with ice cream.

Turk(ish) Fish

So this is kind of Turkish inspired, emphasis on the ish. It's tilapia rubbed with a Turkish grilling spice blend brought to me by my parents upon their return from a trip to the farway land of Istanbul. I broiled it with lemon to try and simulate the kebab/rotisserie style there. The ish part comes from the saute of red bell pepper, Yucatan-inspired pickled onions and flat-leaf Italian parsley that I served it over. So, Turk(ish), Mayan(ish) or Italian(ish), this stuff was no doubt del(ish) and international in flavour.

Turkish Fish
- 1 filet tilapia
- Turkish grill seasoning/seasoning of choice
- 1/4 lemon. siced thin
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- pickled onions, diced
- italian parsley
- white wine

Preheat oven to 350. Rub fish with grilling spice blend of choice, transfer to a baking dish, top with sliced lemon and transfer to oven. Meanwhile, saute peppers, throw in the onions, and then add in the white wine, season with onion powder and diced parsley, stirring constantly until liquid is dissolved. Lastly, give the fish a minute under ther broiler to crisp it up before serving. Serve over peppers and onions.

Banana Fritters w/ Blackberry Maple Syrup

The name says it all. Bananas, Blackberries and Maple Syrup.

That's pretty much all that's in it, so this awesome-saucem breakfast ain't even bad for you.

enFREAKINjoy

Banana Fritters w/ Blackberry Maple Syrup

- 1 ripe banana

- 1 egg white

- 2 tbsp cottage cheese

- 4 tbsp WW flour

- tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 c maple syrup, plus

- 1/3 c blackberries

In a small saucepan bring maple syrup and berries to a boil and then simmer until all the berries have popped and it looks awesome.

Meanwhile, mash the banana with the cottage cheese and then the egg white. Stir in the flour and the cinnamon and add in smore flour if it's not looking thick enough. Melt butter in a pan and fry yourself some fritters.

Top with blackberry syrup and a sprinkling of good-ole salt if your tastes are as unhealthy as mine.

Hot Damn!

Babaganooshed

This was inspired by a meal I had at a Turkish restauraunt of shaved lamb over mashed smoked eggplant, topped with a rich tomato sauce.

So, when I was given a whole tub of homemade babaganoosh by an Egyptian friend of mine, I knew exactly what to do, and damnit was it good.

I mixed some leftover ground chicken that I had with some thyme, salt and pepper, made it into a patty, grilled it up and served it over a pile of the warmed-up babaganoosh and fried pickles. Some sauted zuchini and fennel on the side, and I had myself a meal.

What made it truly epic though, was the sprinkling of summac - an herb commonly used in the Near East - that my parents brought me home from Istanbul.

Chicken Burger ali Babaanoosh

- 1/3 lm ground chicken

- ground thyme, salt, pepper

- babaganoosh

- 1 large mediteranean pickle

- 1/3 zuchini

- 1 stalk fennel

- 1/3 sweet onion

- summac

Mix thyme, salt and pepper into chicken. Form into a patty and grill. Meanwhile saute onions until soft, then throw in the zuchini and fennel with a splash of white wine, and heat up the babaganoosh. Slice the pickle into thin sheets and fry, then spoon the babaganoosh onto a plate, top with fried pickles, then the chicken burger, and sprinkle with summac. Enjoy with the zuchini and fennel on the side, and enjoy and enjoy.

I wish I could eat this every night.

Vegetarian Juicy Lucy (!)

ever heard of a Juicy Luicy

well, it's kinda famous. really it's just a cheeseburger, but with the cheese on the inside, which makes it awesome

and my version is vegetarian, which makes it epic

enjoy

Vegetarian Juicey Lucy

- 1/4 tube GimmeLean Veggie Sausage

- 1 slice american cheese

- salt and pepper

Cut two 1/2 inch slices from the Veggie Sausage. Flatten them down a bit. Fold the slice of cheese into fourths to make one folded rectangle, put it in the middle of one sausage patty, and put the other patty on top. Pinch the seams closed, pat into burger form, and roll in salt and pepper/any spices you godamnwell please.

Grill till crispy on all sides, serve with Garlicky Greens, cut it open, and let the golden river flow.

mission accomplished

Shtuffed French Toast

Sunday morning?
Hung over?
Bread, creamcheese, berries, eggs?
Syrup? MAPLE?

.Check.

SHTUFFED French Toast
- 2 slices wheat bread
- spreadable cheese
- berries
- cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- maple syrup





Spread each slice of bread with cheese, sprinkle with cinnamon, dice the strawberries, throw them in between, and smush it all together. Beat the eggs, dip the sandwich in the eggs till it's all soaked up, and then fry till golden on each side.









Creamcheese and strawberry filling, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

Garlicky Greens

There are probably so many ways to cook collard greens, but I always end up with this one.
It's just that good.
Savory, sweet, packed with garlic flavor. Enough said.
You can use this with anything from collard to beet to mustard greens, kale, spinach or swiss chard.

Garlicky Greens
- 2 c greens, diced
- 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1/4 sherry
- 1/4 broth
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- onion powder, garlic powder




Saute onions until soft, add garlic, stir, and when garlic is beginning to soften, add in sherry. Toss the diced greens into the pan and fold into the onions, then pour on the broth and Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic powders, toss to mix, cover and simmer until greens are at your desired doneness.

Curry Chiken Salad

Chicken Salad is boring.
Curry Chicken Salad is exciting!
Curry, Chicken, juicy Raisins!
OH BOY!The secret is in the Thai yellow curry paste my dad got me for christmas. Stir it into the mayo, mix it all up in the chicken, sprinkle in salt and pepper, perhaps a spoonful of honey. Make it a day or so ahead so that the raisins get all soft and juicy.

Curry Chicken Salad
- Grilled Chicken Breast, diced
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 1/2 tsp yellow curry paste
- tbsp curry powder
- salt and pepper
- tbsp honey
- 1/4 raisins
Grill the chicken, let it cool, and then dice it up into small pieces. Stir the curry paste and powder into the mayo. Stir that stuff into the chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with honey, then toss in the raisins and mix it all up and let it sit and flavor-meld for a day or two.
Try it on a salad, a bagel, straight out of the jar...

Here it is on a sandwich with sprouts and tomato,

And here, with onion chutney and Garlicky Greens in a burrito














Good stuff.

Good Karma Burger

cowboys and indians?
more like burger meets vegetarian, in India...
Veggie sausage burger, topped with cheese and Onion Chutney, with Curry Ketchup on the side.
Wow.

Karma Burger
- 1/5 GimmeLean veggie sausage roll
- 1 english muffin, toasted
- 1 slice cheddar/american cheese
- 1 tbsp Onion Chutney

Good
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1/4 tsp curry paste





Form a patty from the sausage, sprinkle with pepper. Grill burger/fry in frying pan. Meanhile, toast an english muffin, and stir the curry paste into the ketchup. When burger is done, put it all together. Bun, burger, cheese, chutney, lettuce, bun.
Rocket science.
Space taste.

Curry Salmon Patty

I don't even like salmon.
That is until i made this tastey motherfucker the other night.
Canned salmon, yellow curry paste and mayo, diced pepper - defuckinlish
Top it with Russian dressing, serve alongside Garlicky Greens, and apologize for cursing.
so sorry

Curried Salmon Patty
- 1 can pink salmon
- 1tbsp mayo
- 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, minced
- 2 tbsp flour

Drain salmon and mash with fork. Mix the curry paste into the mayo and then stir into the salmon to combine. Stir in the peppers till all mixed and next use your hands to scoop it all out and form a patty. Coat each side lightly with flour and fry in oil till golden brown on each side. Top with russian dressing (ketchup, mayo, relish) and enjoy. Salmon IS good.

Rollin

Though all PB sandwich creations are inherently good, this one was uniquely awesome. White-Chocolate blended peanut butter and raspberries, all rolled up in a honey-wheat wrap. Radical.
Delicious.

PB and Raz
- honey wheat wrap
- 2 tbsp White Chocolate Wonderful PB (PB Co.)
- handful of fresh raspberries
- cinnamon
- roll game

Spread the wrap with the peanut butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Spread out the berries. Roll.
If you're cool, let that shit marinate in the fridge over night for ultimate textural fusion. If you're cooler, dunk it in your morning coffee, because all food tastes better dunked.

Japanese 'Dirty' Rice

I'm calling this 'Dirty' rice because it's really just a mixture of a few odds and ends I had laying around; rice, veggie dogs, pickled daikon radish (korean), chicken and egg shake (japanese) and a packet of sweet and sour sauce. Mix it all together and voila! Goodness in a bowl, my friend. 'Dirty', Asian-themed, Senseless goodness...

Japanese'Dirty' Rice
- 1 c white rice
- 1 veggie dog, chopped
- 1/4 pickled daikon radish, diced
- packet of Japanese rice shake (pictured)
- packed of sweet and sour sauce
- sri racha

Saute the veggie dog chunks and cook the rice. Next, stir the sauteed veggie dog and daikon into the cooked rice, squeeze out the sweet and sour sauce and top with the rice shake. Stir it all up and drizzle with sri racha hot sauce.

(i bought the rice shake in japan, but you can probably find it at a local asian supermarket)