Spicy Jambalaya with Andouille, Shrimp and Bacon

 Spicy Jambalaya

I did a little research on this dish, and found my version, is a hybrid between, Creole and Cajun Jambalaya. The use of a roux, and shrimp, is a Cajun influence... The use of tomatoes, is strictly Creole.
The name of the dish, comes from the French word jambalaia, a word used for pilaf of rice, which is, in turn, derived from, Spanish paella.
To make my husband (The chili-head) happy, I use jalapeno, in place of green bell pepper, and add a little hot sauce to the mix, further corrupting this dish. But the end result, is a dish, my family is absolutely crazy about.

Ingredients:
3 strips of bacon-chopped
2Tbl. flour
2Tbl. dry white wine - I use Pinot Grigio
2 ribs of celery- chopped
4 jalapenos- chopped
1 onion-diced
2tsp. minced garlic
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
2cups chicken broth
1Tbl. tomato paste
1Tbl. sriracha  or any hot sauce
1/2tsp. oregano
1/2tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1lb. Andouille sausage-sliced
1lb. raw peeled shrimp-whole or chopped
3-4cups cooked rice

Fry the bacon, in a 4-quart pot, until crisp.
Stir the flour into the bacon drippings, and cook until the roux, becomes golden brown.
De-glaze the pan with a little white wine. Cook about 1-minute, scraping the pan.
Add the celery, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, to the roux, and cook a few minutes, until the onion softens, a bit.
Add all other ingredients, except the rice, to the pot, and cook on high heat, until it reduces to a semi-thick sauce. About 30-minutes. I don't usually cook shrimp, this long, but it lends a great flavor, to the broth.
Turn the burner off, and add the rice. Serve. I think this is even better, the next day.

Cook the roux, to a deep golden brown, then saute the vegetables in it.

Add everything, except the rice, and cook until it becomes a semi-thick sauce. Add the rice and serve.

Apple-stuffed Pork-chops with Mascato/Cranberry glaze

Apple-stuffed Pork-chops with Mascato/Cranberry Glaze

 I usually make homemade dressing, and lay 1/4-inch chops over it, and bake. But I cheated this time, and turned out great.

Ingredients:
A boneless pork-loin roast-sliced into 1-inch chops, then butterflied
1cup mascato wine
1 package Stove-top stuffing (I used turkey)
1apple-peeled and diced small
1/4cup dried cranberries- chopped

For the glaze:
1/4cup dried cranberries
1/4cup boiling water
1/4cup Mascato wine

Marinade the chops in 1 cup mascato wine, at least a few hours, or overnight.
Make the stuffing mix according to directions, adding the diced apple and cranberries.
Stuff the chops with the dressing, and bake at 375*F. for about 1-1/2 hours, or until cooked through.
Serve drizzled with the glaze.

For the glaze, Soak the cranberries in boiling water for 5-minutes. Dump them into a blender, along with the mascato, process until pureed.  Pour the puree, into a saucepan, and cook on low a few minutes, until thickened. Use hot or cold.

Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

Shanghai Braised Pork with Bok Choi and Rice

I found this incredible recipe at BBC-good food I made a few adjustments, since it called for 5lbs. of pork.
I wasn't in the mood for an oily dish, so I used a pork loin. It's considerably less fatty, than pork belly or shoulder roast, typically used for this dish. Although it didn't absorb as much of the broth as the other cuts, would have.
 I love sauces, that are so perfectly blended, that you can't detect what's in it. This is one of those. I'm going to have to devise a way, to make this into a stir-fry.

Ingredients:
2lbs. pork loin roast
8-10 bok choi-cut in half
cooked rice

For the bag of spice:
8 pieces orange peel-using a veg. peeler
2 whole star anise or 1/8tsp. ground
2 cinnamon sticks-broken
1Tbl. whole cumin seeds
3 dried bird chilies
Add spices to a cheesecloth, and tie to secure.

For the braising broth:
1-1/2cups rice wine
3cups chicken broth
3/4cup dark soy sauce
2Tbl. regular soy sauce
1/2cup sugar
1tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
6 whole green onions
1Tbl. salt
1tsp. black pepper

Blanch the pork, by simmering in boiling water, over a low/medium flame, for 30-minutes. Transfer the roast to a colander, and allow to drain.
Make the spice bag, and combine the braising broth ingredients in 4-quart pot.
Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, add the spice bag and blanched pork.
Cover the pot, and simmer about 3 hours, or until very tender.
Remove the pork from the pot. Break it up into small pieces and toss it in a little of the braising broth. Set aside.
Add the bok choi, to the braising broth. Cook a few minutes, until they are tender.
Strain the bok choi, and arrange it on a serving platter of rice, arrange the pork, over bok choi. Drizzle with a little braising sauce. Serve.

I didn't have cheesecloth , so I used 2 coffee filters and a twist tie.

Add the spice packet and blanched pork, to the braising broth. Simmer on low, until tender.

Big Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit (like Hardees)... Manna of the Gods!

Oh Ya, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit... Manna of the Gods!

I really should stop cooking food like this...she said with biscuit crumbs flying. What is it, with me and grease lately? God these are so good, when you add the bacon egg and cheese...exactly like Hardees.
I prefer not to roll my biscuits, they are much more tender, if shaped with wet hands. 

Ingredients:
2-1/2cups flour
2Tbl. sugar
1/2tsp. salt
1-1/2Tbl. baking powder (4-1/2tsp.)
1/2cup vegetable shortening
1cup buttermilk
1/4cup water

You'll also need:
2Tbl. melted butter, with 1/4tsp. salt stirred in.

Preheat the oven to 450*F.
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Cut in the shortening, until crumbly.
Combine the buttermilk and water, and stir it into the flour mixture.
Knead the dough a minute or so, then shape into 6 large biscuits, with wet hands, and place them on an un-greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise 10 minutes.I set it on top of the stove, as the oven is warming.
Bake until golden brown, and brush with the salted butter.

Bacon, egg and cheese biscuit tips:
Bake the bacon
Add 1Tbl. milk to an egg and beat until well combined. Heat a little oil in a nonstick frying pan, and salt it.
Pour the beaten egg into the skillet. (It will be a thin layer) and allow it to cook undisturbed until set.
Set a slice of cheese in the center of the egg, and fold the egg over it.
Split the biscuit, add 2 slices of bacon, and the egg. My favorite breakfast food!

Corn Dogs

Corn Dogs, everyone's favorite.

 This batter sticks really well, so there is no need to coat your hotdogs, with flour or cornstarch.
The batter is enough for 12-14 hotdogs.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
1cup cornmeal
1/2tsp. salt
2Tbl. baking powder
1tsp. chicken bullion or base
1/4cup sugar
1cup milk
1 egg
12-14 hotdogs- with skewers
oil for frying

Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Whisk the milk and egg, until well combined.
Add the milk mixture, to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Dip  the hotdogs in the batter, Putting the batter in a drinking glass makes it easier to coat them. Twirl until well coated, allow some excess batter to drip away, but letting it drip too long, will only give you a thin coating.
Fry over a low/medium flame, until golden. I prefer to make these ahead, then reheat them in the oven, they taste better, and some of the oil cooks out of them.

Leprechaun Stew

Leprechaun Stew
This is a no-name dish, that my mom made occasionally. I'm guessing it's most likely German in origin, since most of the food I grew up with, was predominantly so.
To get my kids to eat cabbage, I would tell them " It's leprechauns favorite food."  and dubbed this dish 'Leprechaun Stew'...worked like a charm.
( I recently made Zombie soup, for my grandkids.)
This is similar, to a New England boiled dinner, but you use a pork roast, instead of corned beef. Besides the cabbage, you can use any vegetables you like. (turnips and carrots, work well in this)

1 pork loin roast - sliced or cubed
1tsp. garlic powder
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1 diced onion
1 head of cabbage-chopped
4 or 5 potatoes cubed

Put the pork, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper, in a 4-quart pot.
Fill half full of water, and boil until the pork is tender, about 1 hour for cubed pork.
Add the potatoes and enough water to cover, if necessary. Then add the cabbage. (The water will not cover the cabbage, but it will wilt, as it cooks.) Cook until the potatoes and cabbage, are tender, adding water if necessary.
Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Crescent Wrapped- Cheddar Smokies

I love this crescent roll recipe, and the kids love lil' smokies, made this way. The dough can be doubled, without any problems.
. 
Ingredients:
1 packet of yeast
1/2cup warm water
1/2tsp. salt
1/4cup sugar
1/4cup shortening
1egg
2cups plus 2Tbl. flour
1 package of cheddar lil' smokies

Preparation:
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Add the salt, sugar, shortening, egg and 1cup of the flour. Beat into a batter, with an electric mixer.
Stir / knead in, as much of the remaining flour, as you can, to form a soft dough, that isn't sticky.
Toss it in a bowl, that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until double. (about 2 hours)
Preheat the oven to 375*
Punch down, and roll into an 1/8-inch rectangle, on a very lightly floured surface.
With a pizza cutter, cut into about 1-inch squares. (maybe a little smaller)
Roll each smokie, like the photo below. Pinch the two points, together. Or they won't stick.
Place on a greased cookie sheet, let stand 15 minutes.
Bake, 10-15minutes, or until lightly browned.

Roll the dough, into an 1/8-inch rectangle. Cut into about 1-inch squared. roll the smokies, then pinch the points, together.

Giant Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

              

Giant Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich -There is a  hamburger bun, hiding under this monster.

This is a very popular sandwich, here in the Midwest. You will see it on the menu, of most restaurants, in my hometown. I love these, they are served the same way, as you would, a breaded chicken sandwich.
You can do this, with thin sliced pork loin too, and a lot of restaurants get away with it. (shame on them)
Although it's very good too, but it's not quite the same flavor, and not as tender. Traditionally, they are served with the whole piece of tenderloin, but we cut them in half, and put them on two buns.
1lb. will make about 5 giant, or 10 regular sandwiches.

Ingredients:
oil for frying-I like corn oil for these
1lb. pork tenderloin-sliced into 2 inch pieces
1cup buttermilk
a gallon storage bag
Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns
Any combination of -lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion, sliced pickles, and mayo. Some people like mustard and ketchup too.

For the breading:
1/4cup cornmeal
1/4cup flour
1cup breadcrumbs
1tsp. salt
1tsp. paprika
1/2tsp. onion powder
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1/4tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Place one of the sliced pieces of tenderloin, cut side up, in the storage bag. Pound it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer, until very, very thin. Continue the same way with the other pieces.
Toss the flattened pieces, in the buttermilk,and let stand 5 minutes.
Heat 1/2 inch of  oil, on a medium flame.
Take one piece of tenderloin, out of the buttermilk, allowing any excess to drip.
Dredge it through the breadcrumbs. and fry, turning often, until cooked through and browned, on both sides. 3-5minutes. frying only one piece at a time. continue the same way for the other pieces. Serve Hot.

Cut the tenderloin into about 2-inch pieces. I'm making 2lbs. so I double the breading.

Put one piece, in the storage bag, cut side up. Pound with the flat side of a mallet, until very thin.(this piece was laid on it's side, and produced a long narrow piece. if you lay it cut side up it makes nice round, piece)

Pounding them so thin, gives you the advantage, of becoming cooked through, in just a few minutes.

Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

My rating: like it.

                                   Ham and Vegetable Cheese Soup

1 ham steak-diced-about 2 cups
4cups water
3cups potatoes-diced
2-16oz. bags of frozen California blend (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot)
1 can of evaporated milk
2cups diced processed cheese (Like Velveeta, But I prefer generic)
salt and pepper-to taste
1/2cup dry, instant potato flakes

In a 4quart pan, add the ham, water, potatoes, and frozen vegetables.
Cook until the potatoes, are just starting to soften.
Add the milk, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Continue cooking, stirring, until the cheese melts, and the potatoes are soft.
Stir in the potato flakes, turn the heat off, and allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.
This is a very hearty soup, that is really good with a salad, and fresh baked bread.

Sue's Potato Soup

My Rating: really liked it.

                                              Sue's Potato Soup
A co-worker brought a pot of this soup, for everyone's lunch, several years ago. It is the best potato soup I have ever had!

Ingredients:
1lb. bacon-chopped
1cup diced celery
1cup grated carrots
1cup diced onion
6cups water
8cupd diced potatoes- peeled, or un-peeled
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1Tbl. parsley
1 can evaporated milk
1cup cubed processed cheddar-like Velveeta, but I prefer generic

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, fry the bacon until, almost crispy.
Add the onion, celery and carrot, and cook, stirring until the onion has softened a little.
Add the water, potatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are almost soft.
Add the milk and cheese, continue to cook, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Turn the burner off, and allow it to cool a bit, before serving. It's great with crackers.

Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

                              Pork, Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls

The thing these people put me through. This recipe will make close to 40 egg rolls, and I'll be lucky if I find one, for a midnight snack
When I first started making my own egg rolls, about a million years ago, I served them as a side, for Asian dishes, like normal people. But my kids, loved them so much, they talked me into making them, as the main course, or more aptly, the only course. I still serve them that way, to this day. These aren't like the ones you get at the restaurant, there's not a lot of cabbage, but a really good combination of meats and vegetables.
I have to make so many of these, that I need help rolling them. So I have an assembly line, They roll, I fry. If you're cooking alone, Its best if you roll about a dozen or so, fry them, then roll more etc... otherwise the wrappers will get soggy, before you get a chance to fry them. You could also, roll them in wonton wrappers, for miniature egg rolls, they make perfect little appetizers, for a get-together, served with Chunky sweet and sour sauce  That has been pureed.
Here's the recipe Aaron.

Ingredients
1Tbl.-plus-1Tbl. oil
1lb. ground pork
1/4tsp. black pepper
1lb. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
1Tbl. minced garlic
3 ribs of celery -finely chopped
1 red bell pepper-finely chopped
1small onion-finely diced
8oz. fresh mushrooms-chopped
2/3 of a large head of Napa cabbage (also known as celery cabbage or Chinese cabbage) -finely shredded
1Tbl. cornstarch
2 packages egg roll wrappers
2 eggs beaten
oil for frying -peanut oil tastes best, corn oil is my second choice.

Preparation:
Heat 1Tbl. oil in a wok or large pan. Add the garlic, black pepper, and pork, fry and chop very fine, until cooked through.
Add the shrimp and stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink.
Put a colander over a bowl, dump the meat into the colander, set aside. Reserve broth.
Heat another Tbl. of oil in the wok, add the celery, onion, and bell pepper.
Stir fry until the celery is crisp tender. Add the Mushrooms and fry 1 minute more.
Remove 1/4cup of the reserved broth, add 1Tbl. cornstarch, mix to dissolve. set aside.
Add the cabbage, and the rest of the meat broth from the bowl.(Don't worry, it looks like a lot of cabbage, but it cooks down, very quickly.)
Cook, tossing until the cabbage has wilted. About 3-4 minutes.
Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture. Cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.
Dump everything into a colander over a bowl, and cool completely before rolling.
Here's a cute tutorial-How to roll an egg roll.
Add about 3Tbl, of the filling to an egg roll skin. Moisten the edges with the beaten egg, so it will stick together. Roll,  then fry until golden brown. I fry mine in a 1quart pan, two at a time.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce. They reheat nicely in the microwave, but lose their crispness.

I shred about 2/3 of the cabbage, I stop, once I see more stem, than leaf. I save the bottom 1/3 to chop up in a stir-fry for another meal. The stem is really tender, and adds a nice flavor.

Fry the pork, garlic, black pepper, and shrimp. dump it in a colander, over a bowl, and set aside.

Fry the celery, bell pepper, and onion, until the celery is crisp tender. Add the mushrooms and cook 1 minute more.

Add the cabbage and remaining reserved broth. It looks like a lot, but it wilts, down to almost nothing.

                             Cook, tossing until the cabbage wilts.

Add the pork mixture and the cornstarch mixture, to the pan and cook until heated through, and the cornstarch thickens a bit.

Dump everything into a colander, over a bowl. Cool completely before rolling. Once it has cooled, I press it, to release a bit more moisture, so the wrapper doesn't get soggy.

Brush egg-wash on the edges of the wrapper, add about 3Tbl. of filling, and roll. Actually I put the filling in the middle, it should be a bit closer to the bottom.

                                         Fry until golden brown.

Baked Breaded Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce

                Baked Breaded Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Mom once went to visit her sister, for a week, in Colorado, when we were kids. That's when I discovered, Dad could cook.
I knew he could make chili, grilled cheese, hamburgers, and the like. But, when he called us to dinner, one night, I was shocked. He had fried, pork chops, put them on a cookie sheet, spread cream of mushroom soup over them, then baked them until the soup became a glaze. Wow, it was fantastic. It instantly became a family favorite.
This is the way I make it now, a no-oil, fresher tasting, variation of Dad's dish.
(I bake the pork chops in a roaster with a rack, but you could also place a cooling rack, or similar in a baking pan)

Ingredients:
1 pork loin roast-sliced into 1/2-inch chops
1-1/4cups plain bread crumbs
1tsp. salt
1cup buttermilk -or- (2tsp. vinegar added to a cup of milk, allow to stand 15 minutes=buttermilk)

For the mushroom cream sauce:
2Tbl. butter
4oz. fresh mushrooms-sliced
1Tbl. minced onion
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/2tsp. tarragon
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
1Tbl. flour
1cup half and half

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375*
Whisk together the breadcrumbs and salt in a bowl.
Dip the chops into the buttermilk, allowing any excess to drip. Dredge them through the breadcrumbs.
Place them on the rack of a roasting pan.
Bake about 1-1/2 hours, or until the they are cooked through and beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper.
Saute until the mushrooms are tender.
Stir in the flour, until combined, then add the half and half.
Stirring constantly, bring almost to a boil, then turn off the burner.
Allow it to cool, then refrigerate until needed. (It will thicken, further as it cools)
Once the chops are cooked through, place them on a cookie sheet and spread the sauce over them.
Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the sauce becomes a glaze.

         While the chops are baking, make the sauce, cool then refrigerate.

Bake the chops, until they are cooked through and beginning to brown.
      (They will brown further while you are glazing the sauce.)

Ever wonder how restaurants get their bacon so perfect? They bake it.

Just line them up on a baking sheet, they have to be touching or slightly overlapping, so they don't curl up. Then bake at 375* until crispy, up to 30 minutes. they're easier to crumble into bacon bits too,

Porkloin with Moroccan Stuffing

                                Porkloin with Moroccan Stuffing
I adapted this from two Moroccan stews that I really like. It's my favorite stuffed porkloin recipe.
Sorry about the photo, the battery died on my camera, just as I was about to take it.

Ingredients:
1 porkloin
1Tbl. butter
1tsp lemon zest
1-1/2tsp. mined garlic
1tsp. pureed ginger
1 large or 2 small onions- minced
1tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. coriander
1/2tsp. ground cumin
1/2tsp. chili powder
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp turmeric
1cup died apricots-chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/2cup water
2tsp. honey
1cup canned chickpeas-drained
1Tbl. dried parsley

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a skillet.
Add the zest, garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, chili, salt, pepper and turmeric.
Saute until the onions soften a bit.
Add the apricots, lemon juice, water and honey.
Cook stirring until the water has been absorbed.
Crush the chickpeas, just to flatten a bit, then stir them into the apricot mixture, along with the dried parsley.
Set aside to cool.
Here is a video to show how to cut a porkloin for stuffing. prep meat for stuffed porkloin
Preheat the oven to 375*
Spread the stuffing over the loin, then re-roll it.
Place it in a baking pan, cut side down, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until cooked through. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Pernil- Puerto Rican Roast Pork

                                    Pernil- Puerto Rican Roast Pork
An incredibly flavorful, slow roasted pork shoulder. You can use a boneless or bone in roast. The layer of skin (chicharrón) on top of the roast, is cooked until very crispy, and considered a delicacy.
This is even better if you bake it in a 250* oven overnight, so about 8 hours. It becomes extremely tender. But, it's too warm outside this week.

Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder roast- (also called a picnic roast)
2Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl oil
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. oregano
Dry Adobo Rub


Preparation:
Make several deep slits in the roast.
Grind the garlic, oil, pepper and oregano into a course paste.
Fill the slits with the garlic paste. Coat the roast with the dry adobo.
Wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 350*
Bake until cooked through, and the skin becomes crispy.
I used a 4lb. bone in roast. It took 3-1/2 hours. A larger roast will, of coarse take longer.

 Fill the slits with the paste, Rub it with the dry adobo, how much is a matter of taste. I used, maybe 1-1/2 Tbl. of the adobo, rubbing it in both sides of the roast.

                             Bake until the skin becomes very crispy.

Sweet and Sour Ham Bake with Yams and Zucchini

                    Sweet and Sour Ham Bake with Yams and Zucchini


Like most Americans, when I think of yams, I think if that brown sugared, marshmallowed holiday dish, that never seemed to find it's way to my plate, as a kid. But when I became a mother, It became a top priority to make sure my kids ate nutritious foods. I learned that Yams are one of the most nutritious you can find.( beans are at the top of the super-food list) It has a long list of nutrients: nutritional value -1 cup yams
I watched a documentary once, where a group set out to rescue the indigenous population of a remote island, from starvation.
They had no real food sources, no game, And they were dying off at a high rate. The group taught them how to grow yams, claiming that they have nearly everything a human needs to survive. Although, I'm not 100% sold on that concept, I do see the value of these tubers.
I love sweet and sour. I have used many different combinations, but this is my favorite. The problem with this recipe is that it makes a lot.(it serves at least 8) I can't figure out a way to downsize it. I freeze half of it, and have it again the following week. The pineapple-peach combination is awesome. OK, I'll shut up now and get on with the recipe.

Ingredients:
2cups diced ham
2cups diced zucchini
2 yams- peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper- diced
1onion-diced
1can pineapple tidbits- and the juice
1-29oz. can peaches-and the juice-diced
1cup brown sugar
1Tbl. cornstarch
1/4cup white vinegar
1Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. ketchup
1Tbl. kikkoman soy sauce
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
cooked rice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375*
Mix together the Ham, zucchini, yams, bell pepper, and onion and spread them out on 2 shallow pans. (I use pizza pans.)
In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and corstarch.
Add the pineapple and peaches(including their juices)
Stir in all other ingredients and pour over the vegetables in the pans. (trying to divide the liquid evenly in both pans)
Bake for about 1hour 45minutes (stirring every 30 minutes) or until the yams are tender and the liquid thickens into a semi-thick sauce. Serve over Rice.

Spread everything out in 2 shallow pans. I guess you could parboil the yams first, to cut down on cooking time, but you would lose nutrients that way.

Bake about 1hour 45 minutes- or until the yams are tender and the sauce thickens. Serve with Rice.

Peach-Glazed Porkchops

The first of the peaches are ripening, My favorite fruit. I wait all year for the two weeks when I can eat 'til my heart's content.
One of the fondest memories of my grandparents house, was sitting in grandpa's "homemade" peach tree, juice dripping from my chin and elbows, in complete euphoria. He called it homemade because, he claims he raised it from a seed, that he brought back from Oregon, but grandpa liked to tell stories, so I'm not sure if it's true.
In about a week, my family will be so sick of peach dishes. I'm going to sound like Bubba  from Forest Gump. "Peach cobbler, peach bbq, peach pie..."

                                     Baked-Peach-Glazed Porkchops
                  I really can't decide, if I prefer these baked or grilled.

Porkchops
Peach BBQ Glaze
garlic powder

Preparation:
Sprinkle the chops with garlic powder, and grill or bake until cooked through.
Baste a thick layer of the peach sauce onto them, and cook until it forms a glaze.
Serve.

Mojo Grilled Pork Chops

 Mojo Grilled Pork Chops with Black beans and rice and an icy cold Mojito
Possibly the best Cuban dish ever. Definitely my favorite way to cook pork.

Ingredients:
1 boneless porkloin or loin roast - sliced into chops

For the marinade:
juice from 1 orange
juice from 1 lime
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or 1 ripe hot pepper chopped
1Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. honey
1Tbl. oil
1Tbl. minced onion
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. oregano
a pinch of ground cumin
a gallon storage bag

Preparation:
Place the marinade ingredients in a blender and process about 1 minute.
Add the chops and marinade to the storage bag, remove the air and refrigerate overnight.
Grill until cooked through.

You can find chipotles in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of your grocer.

Blend Marinade ingredients for about 1 minute. This can also be heated and thickened with cornstarch to use as a serving sauce for other dishes. Marinate overnight.

                                          Grill until cooked through.

Breakfast Horseshoe For Dinner

                                  Breakfast Horseshoe.One ugly mess.

Aaron made me do it. He whined and cried until I made breakfast horseshoes for dinner.
Yep, it's all here Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Cheese, potatoes, gravy-plus- a biscuit to lighten it up a bit.
Move over Paula Deen....way over, dear.... there's a new fat lady in town.
I think I'll have a couple of biscuits and call it quits on this one. Too rich for me.
All kidding aside. I've taken pride in the fact that my family has extremely low cholesterol, normal blood pressure, blood sugar. Even though I post these kinds of recipes, we only have this kind of meal occasionally. Lots of veggies, that's the key to good health, but you don't need me to tell you that.

Ingredients:
biscuits or toast
1 recipe Sausage Gravy
1 recipe Bacon Egg And Cheese Scramble
1 recipe Breakfast Baked Potatoes

                                       How to build a Breakfast Horseshoe

                          First split a biscuit. If you're wise you'll stop there.

Add Bacon Egg And Cheese Scramble. I can feel your anticipation mounting.

                                    Next Breakfast baked potatoes.

Top every thing with sausage gravy and get comfortable...You'll need a nap after this one.