Pork Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Recipes At My Table

Slow Cooker Green Lentil and Pork Chops

Time to make something healthy and my Slow Cooker Green Lentil and Pork Chops is it. Bring it to the table with ease and savour its warmth. Lentils are an all-time favourite at our house. My nonna always cooked with dry bean and that’s my secret to the creaminess of this dish.

This year I would like to focus on dishes for couples, since we have an empty nest. You can always double and triple most of these recipes. My other focus is to look at healthy dishes. Most Italian dishes are part of the mediterranean diet, but there is always a way to improve on healthy.

Another one of my favourite recipes on the blog: https://recipesatmytable.com/lentil-beef-barley-soup/

Ingredients

1 small onion ( diced)
1 1/2 cups dried green lentils (rinsed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bullion cube( vegetable or chicken)
3- 4 cups hot water
2 tbsp minced parsley
2 celery stalks (diced)
1 large carrot (diced)
3 thick centre cut pork chops ( bone-in)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil

Process

Rinse the dried lentils and place in the bottom of the crock pot.
Add the salt, pepper, bullion cube, carrots and hot water to the pot.
Stir and sprinkle in the parsley.
Put the lid on and set on low temperature for 6 hours.
In a plate mix the four, oregano and paprika.
Using a knife, score the chops so that the ends don’t curl up in the frying pan.
Dip each pork chop in the flour and shake.
Fry each pork chop a few minute on each side until browned.
Place pork chops on top of the lentils.
Place the chopped celery on top of the pork chops.
Put the lid back on the pot and let it cook.

The green lentils go into the bottom of the pot and I stir everything together.

Meanwhile I fry the pork chops to brown.

I place the browned pork chops on top of the lentils.

Then I place the chopped celery over the pork.

I remove the lid after 4 hours and voila!!

January 16, 2020

Pork With a Bite

Growing up in a Calabrese home there were wars about hot peppers. Nonno Salvatore grew the little red peppers in the garden and in the house during the winter. It was a tradition to bring some to a wedding and pass them around. Everyone sliced them over everything. Pork With a Bite gets a kick from salsa and red hot chilli peppers from Calabria. If you don’t want it that spicy, leave out the hot chilli peppers.

My husband John is Polish, but loves Calabrese style cooking. The heat in this dish is for his Calabrese taste-buds. It has a nice bite to it, but you can control the heat. I dress it with yogurt at the end, which cools down the heat in the dish. If you grow the little red hot peppers, slice some overtop.

In the recipe you will see the choice over parsley and cilantro. Do you love or hate cilantro? To me it tastes soapy, but there is an explanation for this. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-you-love-or-hate-cilantro-the-reason-may-surprise-you/

I buy chunks of pork sirloin and slice it myself. I like to leave a little bit of fat on them.

You can see the hot red pepper chilli flakes. These are intense.

Mixing the salsa with the preserves and the cornstarch. The swirls are luscious.

Everything is in the pot now and time to simmer and cook this down.

I cook some Basmati rice today in some chicken stock and add frozen vegetables.

I chop up the parsley. You can also use cilantro; I don’t have the right taste buds for cilantro.

Plated and ready for the table.

Pork With a Bite

Pork cooked in salsa and red pepper chilli flakes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Pork With a Bite

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

1 lb boneless pork sirloin
2 tbs olive oil divided
1 tsp red pepper chilli flakes optional
1 Italian chilli pepper (optional)
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white wine omit and use all broth
1/2 cup chicken broth vegetable may be used
1 cup salsa
1/3 cup preserves peach or apricot
2 tbsp cornstarch thickener
1 avocado plating
2 tbsp diced cilantro or parsley plating
sour cream or yogurt plating
cooked rice with vegetables

Instructions

Cut the pork into cubes.
Brown the pork in the olive oil.
Do not overcrowd the pan. I do it in batches.
Add another tbsp of olive oil to the pan.
Return the pork to the pan and add the garlic and red pepper chilli flakes.
If you choose to use the Italian chilli pepper, dice now and add.
Cook for one minute. Heating up the pepper flakes.
Add the wine and broth and stir.
Cover and let simmer on medium/low heat for 25 minutes.
Place the salsa, preserves and cornstarch in a bowl to combine.
Stir into the cooked pork and stir over medium heat.
When the mixture thickens and bubbles it is ready.
You can serve it over plain rice, but I like rice with vegetables.
Score and dice the avocado.
Place the avocado over the platter.
Serve sour cream on the side or over the avocado.
Sprinkle the finished dish with parsley or cilantro.

Recipe Notes

One of the best hot chilli products: https://www.amazon.ca/Product-Name-Calabria-Calabrian-Peppers/dp/B0040EAYZS/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=calabrian+hot+peppers&qid=1558009326&s=gateway&sr=8-2

May 16, 2019

2 Comments

Apple Butter Pork

Pork is a favourite meat for Italian cooking. It is flavourful and juicy. In Italy many families raised their own pigs and slaughtered them. In the 1940’s during the depression, it was the main source of food. They treasured the pig meat and used every part of the pig. Growing up I remember pickled pig’s feet and headcheese. Most of my friends laughed at this, but they were actually nutritious and good. Apple Butter Pork is a new dish I created.

Looking at eating healthier I lay this pork on a bed of carrot noodles, apples and onions. I experiment with new fats, and this recipe has coconut oil. When cooking, I use a refined coconut oil because it has no scent. I always buy organic. The apple butter comes from one of our local farms made right here in Leamington. Feeling blessed to have an abundance of natural products in the area. I buy my apples at the local orchards open all year.

I peel the carrots and use the peeler to make long strips.

Working on my knife skills. The apples cut in julienne strips.

The apples, onions and carrots in the pan with salt and pepper.

The sauce comes together and the colour of the apple butter is deep and dark.

The chops browned and glazed with the sauce.

Such a healthy bed for the pork chops.

The raspberries make the dish pop!!

Apple Butter Pork

A new recipe on a bed of carrot noodles, apples and onions.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Apple Butter Pork

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops pork loin sliced is also good
salt and pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp apple butter
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp garam marsala I used my homemade
2 large firm apples sliced
3 medium carrots
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
rasperries, blueberries, oranges, peaches garnish
parsley garnish

Instructions

Trim pork chops.
Place the coconut oil in the pan.
Sear the pork chops using salt and pepper.
Remove the pork chops .
In the same pan saute the apples, onions and carrot strips. Put on a large platter.
Cook for 5 minutes and remove from pan.
In a small bowl combine the apple butter, mustard, garam marsala,salt and pepper.
Put the chops back into the pan.
Pour the sauce over the chops, reduce heat to medium/low and cook covered for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and raise heat to high.
Hit the hot pan with the apple cider vinegar.
Remove and place pork chops over the carrots, apples and onion.
Garnish with the sauce and parsley.
I like to garnish with some fresh fruit. Today I used raspberries.

April 30, 2019