Grilled Pork Cabobs with Cucumber Tzatziki

Whenever we are able to get back to my hometown, one of my 'must have' meals is from the best little gyros shop I have been able to ever find!  (It doesn't hurt that my husband is a huge fan as well-- he doesn't hesitate when I suggest a quick lunch!)  One of the best elements of these sandwiches is the tzatziki sauce and I was really excited to find this recipe featuring the homemade version.  I've never tried to make my own before, but this recipe was so simple and easy to throw together.  It had a great flavor and was the perfect sauce for these tender pork cabobs.  I followed the recipe as listed, except for the substitution of red onions.  I prefer their flavor in grilled dishes.

Another benefit, other than the tzatziki sauce, the dish is a dairy-free option for my son!  He loved the pork and gobbled up his entire portion.

Grilled Pork Kabobs with Cucumber Tzatziki
4 burrito-size flour tortillas, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 pound pork loin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 onions, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each (I used red onion instead)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup plain greek-style yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 English cucumber, grated

Preheat a grill to medium-high.  Brush the tortillas with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Tost on the grill until browned, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, toss the pork and onions with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and season with the oregano, salt and pepper, thread onto bamboo skewers.  Meanwhile, mash garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a paste.  Transfer to a small bowl and add the yogurt, mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Press the cucumber in a sieve to remove excess liquid.  Stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture.  Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.  Serve with the tzatziki and tortillas.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray, May 2010

Tuscan Pork Roast

My sister recently posted this recipe and I knew immediately that it would be one my entire family would love.  Believe it or not, as picky as my little boy is... he is all about eating pork!  Don't tell my classroom of first graders-- they all know how much I love pigs! :)  This was an easy meal to throw together and the house smelled incredible as it roasted!  I honestly couldn't wait until it was done enough to eat!  I do recommend extending the marinating time as my sister suggested.  I left mine in the fridge for a little over an hour and the flavors really were allowed to work into the pork nicely.  My sister's other suggestion was to up the amount of garlic used.  As much as I would have loved it that way, I "took one for the team" and made it as the recipe suggested.  I'm not sure my picky eaters would have tolerated as much garlic as I would have liked to have used.  Even as written, it definitely has a strong garlic flavor and might be my new favorite pork loin 'go to' recipe.

**As a side note, a huge 'thank you' to Donna for the sweet award!  I promise to pass it along very soon! :)

Tuscan Pork Roast

5 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)

In a food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, olive oil and salt; cover and process until mixture becomes a paste. Rub over the roast; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. (At Rachel's suggestion, I let mine stand for over an hour.)  Place roast, fat side up, on a greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1-1/4 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Source: Rachel vs. The Kitchen   

Sour Cream Pork Chops

This is another meal that worked well for our new 'meal sharing' plan!  It was actually the main course that I prepared to go with the rice casserole that I recently posted.  I was able to brown these chops the night before and get everything ready to go so that I could pop them in the slow cooker before leaving for work and could come home to a hot, home-cooked dinner.  They cook all day on low, but like any other meat in a slow cooker, they can easily dry out... so make sure that you don't skimp on the liquid.  This is definitely a dish I will make again.  They were tender and had a nice, rich flavor.  Best of all, they passed the 'kid test'!

Sour Cream Pork Chops
6 pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream  

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.  Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to high for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Pesto Barbeque Pork Medallions

This is a nice simple meal that is perfect for summer grilling. A friend of mine from school used to make a version of this and it quickly became a favorite. It's a recipe that comes together very quickly and has a very unique flavor. I'm almost embarrased to post this as a recipe, as it is so incredibly simple-- but the flavors cannot be beat. You can use any pork chop to make these-- I have used a thin cut, thick cut, bone-in, boneless, and now these medallions. All work well and it's nice to know you can use whatever is on sale! I haven't tried it on a tenderloin yet. . . that might have to be next! My outdoor grill is still broken, so I used a grill pan to make mine. I do think I prefer the outdoor grill for these, but they certainly work inside if you options are limited.

Pesto Barbeque Pork Medallions
Pork medallions
Pesto sauce (either homemade or jarred)
Barbeque sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
Garlic salt
Pepper

Rinse pork medallions and dry well. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the pork with pesto sauce. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Place on a hot grill and cook through. For the last few minutes, brush with barbeque sauce on both sides.

Spicy Shredded Pork and Awards!

I've gotten to the point where I know I can try anything that the Pioneer Woman posts on her blog without the slightest worry about whether or not it will be loved! This shredded pork recipe is no exception, and it had my husband and little boy coming back for more! It was actually quite humorous to see my 2 year old holding a pork taco that was bigger than his own head! :) He loved it though!

The original recipe calls for the pork to be roasted for about 6-7 hours in the oven. Since my littlest one has been sick, I wasn't sure that I would have the flexibility to move it around every hour or so, to keep it moist and evenly cooked. With this in mind, I went ahead and prepared it the same way, but then put it in my crock pot instead. I can't vouch for how this compares to the roasting method and I do hope to try it that way one day. I can say that in the crock pot, the flavor was amazing and it literally fell apart. So delicious and my house smelled wonderful! I'm including my crock pot instructions here, but feel free to follow the source back to the Pioneer Woman for her original directions.

Spicy Shredded Pork

4-7 pound pork shoulder

1 onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

3-4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1-2 tablespoons salt

pepper

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder. Place the pork shoulder in the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot and add about a cup of water in the bottom. Combine oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and quartered onion in the food processor. Process until well blended. Pour over the pork and rub well into entire surface. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat easily shreds using 2 forks. Serve in warm tortilla shells with fresh salsa and sour cream.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Now... onto the awards! I was so excited to hear from Heidi, from Tried and True Cooking with Heidi , that she was passing on several awards to my blog! These are my first official awards, so my sincere thanks to Heidi! I'm so touched and honored!

The 'Friends' award comes with the following message: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."It also says : "Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

In the spirit of these awards, I am passing all three along to some of the blogs that I find myself checking on a regular basis.

Christy's Kitchen Creations
Rachel vs. The Kitchen
The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
My Tasty Treasures
The Sisters Cafe
Brown Eyed Baker
Annie's Eats
Picky Palate

Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops with Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

If you are ever in need of a 30 minute meal that tastes like day-long, traditional home cooking, this is certainly a great choice! I first found this recipe for Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette in the newest issue of Everyday Food magazine and knew it was one that would be great on a crisp salad. As I continued to browse, I found the pork chops marinated in the vinaigrette and the perfect pairing of rosemary potatoes. I was a bit weary of the potato recipe as it is cooked in the microwave, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the finished product. The entire meal was easy to prep and cooked within 20 minutes. It is definitely one I will hold onto as a quick, weekday meal.



Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops

4 bone-in pork rib chops (I used a simple thick cut chop)
course salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Place pork in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over pork, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to a day). Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Remove pork from marinate (letting excess drip off); place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes. (If chops are browning too quickly, turn them.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.



**I had to turn mine to keep the browning even and too cook evenly.



Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette


1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil



Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender, blending until smooth. With machine running, add olive oil in a thin stream, blend until creamy. (To store, refrigerate up to 2 weeks.) Makes 3/4 cup.





Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1.5 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper

Combine oil, garlic, and rosemary in a 2 quart microwave safe baking dish with a lid. Cover, and microwave on high until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in potatoes. Cover and microwave on high until potatoes are tender, 13-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Everyday Food Magazine (March 2009)