Honeyed Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette Pork Chops

Serves 4 (this made enough marinade for four pork chops, a salad for two, and extra dressing to use for a salad the next day. It makes a lot!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (I used about 1 tablespoon dried)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup boiling water (I have no idea why it needs to be boiling??)
1/4 cup extravirgin olive oil
4 pork loin chops

1. Combine first 12 ingredients in a blender; process until mixture is smooth. Add water and olive oil; process until well combined.

2. Marinade pork chops in vinaigrette before grilling.

Served with couscous and salad (using the above marinade)

Results: This was actually a recipe for just the dressing, but I thought I would try it on pork. It made a delicious tasting pork chop, but as a dressing for a plain salad, it wasn't that good. (I did use the rest of the marinade as a dressing for a salad with leftover salmon, and it was much better!) I did not use a blender, but I did finely chop everything.

I think most of the ingredients are things you would more than likely have in your pantry, so it may be a good last-minute way to spice up grilled meat.

Pasta Primavera in Blue Cheese Sauce

Serves 4

1/2 lb Linguine, cooked
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup zucchini, diced
1/2 cup yellow squash, diced
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 oz crumbled blue cheese

1. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Heat in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Served with Caprese Salad

Results: No, the instructions are not a misprint. That is ALL there is to making this dish. I couldn't believe how simple this meal was to prepare, and the taste was out of this world! It was so delicious, I can't wait to make it again. The Caprese salad was *perfect* with this dish, but then again, when is a Caprese salad NOT perfect?

If my husband took the leftovers to work for lunch today, he might want to sleep with one eye open.

Grilled Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Basil

Serves 4

Sauce:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper; add fish to grill, skin side up. Tent loosely with tin foil. Grill four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Results: This sauce was super easy to make, and would also taste great on chicken. I didn't think this made enough sauce for four people, but it worked for Chris and I, because the kids didn't want any of the sauce. So tangy and fresh tasting...a keeper!

Grilled Fusion Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons each tequila and fresh lime juice
1&1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chile
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow dish, whisk oil, tequila, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, ginger, chile, and salt. Reserve 1/3 cup of this marinade, then put the chicken in dish, turning to coat, and marinate 30 minutes.

2. Grill chicken on a charcoal or gas grill over medium heat, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

3. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved marinade until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream, then remove from heat. Serve chicken drizzled with sauce and garnished with cilantro, if you like. Serve extra sauce on the side.

Served with rice and a tropical salad (recipe below)

Results: My mother-in-law sent me this recipe and I wish I had tried it sooner. This was delicious and could not have been easier to make. The sauce was so tasty and this was a perfect summer meal. I'm pretty sure I would have licked my plate, had I not been trying to set an example for the boys. I did not have the dried chipotles, and it still tasted great, so if you don't have them, I wouldn't rush out to buy them.

Henry had no problems eating this, Steven would not even try it. How about in the future, I just let you know when Steven actually tries something, OK?

Tropical Salad: Whisk 1/2 cup strawberry yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar* in a bowl until blended. Add 5 cups spring mix salad, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup thinly slice strawberries and 1/2 cup mandarin orange slices. Toss to coat. (*note: I used regular balsamic vinegar, and it was just fine. It discolors the yogurt a bit, but once the salad is mixed, you can't even tell. I refuse to buy an $8.00 bottle of vinegar for less than two teaspoons.)

Sesame-Chili Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa

Serves 4

For Chicken:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce with garlic**
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

For Salsa:
2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)**
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Remaining ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

**note: you can find the chili sauce and mirin in the Asian section of the grocery store.

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

2. Prepare grill.

3. To prepare salsa, combine watermelon and next 8 ingredients (through jalapeño); cover and chill until ready to serve.

4. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices; serve with salsa. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Served with basmati rice.

Results: Don't let the crazy name of this recipe fool you. This was easy to make, and De-freaking-licious! I did not take a picture of this one, put wish I had, because it was a beautiful dish. Perfect for summer and for dinner guests, which we had.

For the kids, I didn't marinade their chicken, because I wasn't sure how spicy the chili sauce was. For ours, the chicken had just the right amount of kick to it. (I used 2 tablespoons chili sauce.) The salsa was incredible, and can be made ahead of time. For the kids, I just served theirs with watermelon slices. You know who only ate his rice, but only because our dinner guest told him he couldn't have the cookies she brought unless he ate his rice.

I'll definitely make this one again and again.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Peas

Serves 4

8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti)
1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

Served with garlic bread

Results: I love this pasta. It's easy to make and has a great, fresh flavor. Despite picking the asparagus out of the boys' pasta, Steven wouldn't even try it. Henry ate some of the pasta, but not much.

Dad's Corny-dogs

Dad made dinner for the boys the other night. Grapes for a smile, corn dogs for eyes, string cheese for hair and a ketchup nose. Not a bite was left on plates.

Last Minute Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Cook potatoes, stirring frequently until tender-crisp. Stir in chicken, and cook until no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in condensed soup, milk, onion, and garlic powder. Arrange vegetables on top, and sprinkle with parsley, marjoram and basil. Cover, and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan.

Results: I found this recipe on All Recipes, and based on the reviews, I was really expecting something spectacular. BLECH! This was gross. The boys wouldn't touch it, and neither would I, to be honest. My husband, on the other hand, really liked it. This was way more than four servings. As I was preparing it, I realized that and put half of the cut up veggies and chicken in the freezer. I'll find a different way to prepare the extras, in a way not related to this recipe at all.

Also, I have no idea why this was called "Last Minute Chicken", because it took well over an hour to make.

Cola Barbecue Ribs (aka Cowboy Ribs)

3 cans cola
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup smashed and peeled cloves (about 4)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 rack baby back ribs (about 2 lbs)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper

Serves 4 cowboys and cowgirls

1. In a large pot, add two cans cola, one-third of the onions, the chopped garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add the ribs and, if necessary, enough water to just cover; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, turning the ribs occasionally, until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, combine remaining can of cola, smashed garlic cloves, butter, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and remaining onions; bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Using a blender, puree the sauce. (My blender is currently packed away in a storage unit, so I skipped this step. I don't think it was necessary.)

3. Preheat the grill or broiler to medium-high. Remove the ribs from the pot, pat dry, season with salt and pepper and brush with the sauce. Grill, turning often, until browned, about 8 minutes. Loosely tent the ribs with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into individual ribs.

Served with scalloped potatoes and broccoli.

Results: You all (all two of you who read this) owe me a big thank you. The original recipe served 20, so I actually had to do math (MATH, I TELL YOU!) to get the ingredients down to a serving of four. These ribs were deeeee-licious! Everyone except for HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED devoured the ribs. We had zero leftovers, and I think Henry ate more than Chris & me combined.

We called these Cowboy Ribs because Cowboy Henry did most of the work. Cowgirl Kegger did most of the watching. (And was treated with extra sauce poured over her dog food.)

Pork Chops & Pears

Serves 4

1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4 boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 firm ripe pear, cut into thick slices
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine the flour with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow plate. Add pork chops, tossing to coat.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook, turning once, about 8 minutes total or until cooked through. Remove to a plate; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

3. In the same skillet, add wine, scallions, cream, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper, stirring to scrape up any browned bits and until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

4. Gently stir in the pear slices; cook until lightly heated (about three minutes). Pour over chops; sprinkle with parsley.

Served with salad and roasted potatoes

Results: This is an easy meal to prepare and is very delicious. The cream sauce is fantastic. The original recipe calls for only cooking the pears for about 30 seconds, but I didn't like how raw they were, so I cooked them longer. Henry devoured his pork chops, which have a nice crunchy bite to them with the flour coating. While I was enjoying my pork chops & pears, Steven sat next to me announcing how yucky dinner was.

Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Serves 8

1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Frozen meatballs (amount is up to you)
3 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and black pepper until smooth. Spread this mixture over each bread cube with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella cheese.

3. In a large bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and garlic. Gently stir in meatballs. Pour over the bread and cheese mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Served with salad

Results: This is one of my favorite casseroles, which is saying a lot, since I'm not much of a casserole fan. Whenever I make it, I will usually put half the ingredients in another dish, because it freezes really well. (Allow to thaw before following the cooking instructions above.) You can use homemade meatballs if you like, but I think it takes too much effort, so I always buy a big bag of frozen meatballs and divide them among the different dishes.

Eating this dish has never been a problem for Chris, Henry and me. Steven has never wanted to touch it, but I'd like to proudly state that he not only ate a full serving, but asked for seconds! (No meatballs for him, though.) Success!

Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

Serves 6

1 cup cubed seeded peeled cucumber
1½ cups sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 (3-pound) salmon fillet
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. Prepare grill.

3. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place fish, skin side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes. Rotate fish one quarter-turn for diamond-shaped crosshatches. Grill 3 minutes. Turn fish over; grill 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with cucumber sauce and garnish with dill sprigs (optional).

Served with rice cooked with grated lemon peel (yum!) We really needed a veggie with this dish though. I don't know what I was thinking by not making one!

Results: Yum...the cucumber sauce was so delicious and easy to make. It just screamed SUMMER, which was nice on this cold, rainy day in Denver! Henry is a big salmon fan, and had no problem eating his. Steven (no surprise here!) wouldn't try it. Everyone liked the rice, which had just a hint of lemon flavor. A definite keeper!

I think this sauce would make a great spread for a sandwich too.

Note: I halved the sauce recipe above, and we still had a ton of it leftover.