Braised Pork Chops with Turnips and Apples

First off, I am posting this as pork chops because that's the meat listed in the recipe. I didn't have pork chops, so I decide that chicken thighs (with skin and bones) would have to work.

I will take this moment to talk about how much I love a good boned meat (ooh la la...). I am effing tired of boneless skinless meat. I know I know, it's healthier, cooks faster, and generally easy to use in recipes. However, my aging taste buds are craving something with a deeper flavor. Bones provide wonderful flavor, and if you save them you can make homemade broth. There is also something great about tearing meat off a bone.

What I also love about this recipe, is that it embraces a winter root vegetable. Since my family never ate a lot of greens, I never saw the root. Last year at some point I just received the roots and I actually had to use the Internet to identify them. The little purple and white bulbs smell kind of bitter when you peel and cut them, so you might be hesitant to try them. Don't be! I am always shocked at how much I enjoy turnip roots.

This recipe is another from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes for Two. All you do is sear the meat, saute the onions, and them dump everything into the slow cooker. Then you can go to work or clean up your apartment, or just sit on the couch all day like I did.

As for changes to the recipe, I used chicken thighs instead of pork. I used half of a white onion in place of the shallots, and I used low fat sour cream instead of cream fraiche.

The flavors come together nicely. The chicken was great and I could imagine how good a pork chop could be as well. The apples kind of lost their shape, but the turnips held together nicely. I served it alongside some multi-grain pilaf and dug in. Yummy!

Are you tired of boneless skinless meat? What are some of your favorite winter vegetables? How do you use them in the kitchen? Please share with us in the comments section!







Braised Pork Chops with Turnips and Apples
(Serves Two)

Cooker: 1 1/2 to 2 quart
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 6 to 7 hours

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Two 1-inch thick boneless center-cut pork chops or shoulder chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 shallots, sliced
1 tart cooking apple, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup apples juice or apple cider
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons creme fraiche

1. In a heavy skillet over high heat, melt the olive oil and butter together and quickly sear and brown the pork chops on both sides. Place in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Quickly saute the shallot in the pan and place in the slow cooker, along with the apple and turnip. Blend the apple juice with the mustard and pour into the crock. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until the meat is tender.

3. Transfer the chops, apples, and turnips to a platter. Turn the cooker to HIGH and whisk in the cream fraiche. Add salt to taste and pour the sauce over the pork. Serve immediately.

Risotto with Pancetta and Potatoes

Winter means potatoes! And right now... I have more sweet potatoes than I know what to do with. I am probably going to make a double batch of Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos and freeze them on a pan before I put them in a zip top bag. Doing this keeps them from sticking together and then the room mate and I can just eat them on nights when I start bitchin' about cookin'. (Don't worry, that happens maybe once a week!) Freezing stuff like that allows me to save money, reduce food waste, and have perfectly portioned meals for one or two!

But... today's recipe actually uses some white potatoes. This nifty little recipe came from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes For Two. I used it earlier this summer to make Corn Risotto. That was so good I decided to give another one of their risotto recipes a try, potato and pancetta risotto.

This is super easy to make. You melt butter, cook onions and bacon, stir in the potatoes, and then the rice. Once the rice gets glossy, you dump it in your slow cooker, pour broth on top, turn on the cooker, and walk away!

However, I had the same problem with my last risotto. I think it was over cooked. The recipe says 2 to 2 1/2 hours. But I think for my slow cooker, it really only takes 1 1/2 hours. But... every slow cooker is a little different. I used bacon instead of pancetta and use dried parsley instead of fresh. My room mate liked it a lot, and I liked it more once I put a little balsamic vinegar on it (don't ask me why I did that - it just sounded right!).

This meal is perfect for anyone who gets off work between 3-5 or a great weekend dinner. For 9-to-5ers, you'd be pushing it to make this a weeknight meal. Unless you eat dinner around 7:30 (which is about the time I ate this). It takes a little planning. This is perfect for anyone who keeps a nicely stocked fridge and pantry. I didn't have to make a special trip for anything. It makes enough for two large servings, or 3-4 regular servings (depending on how carb conscious you are). That's my second complaint with this book, it says it's recipes for two... but still calls for quite a bit of food. A lot of the recipes still call for 1 pound of meat?! Hello, that's like 4 servings of meat!

But that's not the point! This is super tasty and comforting, which is perfect for these first few days of winter we've been having!

Do you have a favorite winter risotto recipes? Did you make them at home or out? Please share in the comments section!








Risotto with Pancetta and Potatoes
(Serves Two)

Cooker: 1 1/2 quart
Setting and Cook Time: High for 2 to 2 1/2 hours

2 medium-size russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 slices pancetta, diced
1 cup Arborio, Valone nano, or Carnaroli rice
3 cups chicken broth, canned or homemade
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus plenty more for sprinkling

1. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water; let drain. In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, warm the butter. Cook the onion and pancetta until soft and translucent; do not brown. Lower the heat to medium and add the potatoes; cook for 10 minutes, stirring to coat all sides of the potatoes and prevent sticking. Add the rice and cook for another minute, stirring, to coat the grains. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker with a heatproof rubber spatula. Add the broth and salt.

2. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until all the liquid is absorbed but the rice is still moist and that potatoes have softened to a mashing consistency. Stir in the parsley and the cheese. Serve immediately, spooned into bowls with more cheese sprinkled on top.

African Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans

So here are some facts for you....

1. I have been receiving and cooking with local produce for 14 months.
2. I have been cooking with recipes for 13 months.
3. Dennis and I have been dating for 12 months.

So when I tell Dennis he started dating me at the right time, I am not kidding. I had just decided to get serious about cooking and started to really explore. Before, I just roasted vegetables and served it over couscous. Yummy single food, but let's be honest girls... that's no way to win a man's confidence.

What does this mean? It means Dennis has put up with being fed homemade meals regularly (I know, so hard!). Also, I finally get to enjoy some recipes I cooked last year and build on my collection with new additions.

The first seasonal repeater is a recipe from Cooking Light: Slow Cooker. No it's not specifically for two (which sadly has become a theme lately). But Dennis has requested more leftovers so that he can eat them for lunch. This saves him money and is generally healthier than anything he can get around his office. This stew would also freeze very well. In fact, I might have to freeze 2 portions for a rainy day.

Because I still had tomatoes around, I used about 3 cups of chopped tomato instead of a can of diced tomatoes. I didn't take very many pictures because.... slow cooking is kind of boring. You dump all the ingredients in and 8 hours later it's ready to go! The recipe says you only need one lime wedge and like 1/2 tablespoon of peanuts. But really, I could skip the peanuts and double the lime juice. The tang from the lime really adds a fun kick . Dennis and I really enjoy this recipe. It's a very filling vegetarian (vegan) stew. The only thing I might add is some cornbread.

This is the only photo I have. So deal.

African Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans
(Serves 6)

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove
4 c. peeled, cubed sweet potato
1 1/2 c. cooked small red beans
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1/2 c. water
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
4.5 oz chopped green chilies
3 tbs creamy peanut butter
3 tbs dry roasted peanuts
6 lime wedges

1. Heat oil in a non-stick skilled over medium-heat. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook 5 minutes (or till tender).

2. Place onion mix in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add sweet potato and next 10 ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

3. Spoon 1 c. cooking liquid into a small bowl. Add peanut butter; stir well with a whisk. Stir peanut butter mix into stew. Serve with peanuts and lime on each serving.

Meatless Monday | Fresh Corn Risotto

Y'all, I have never made a risotto in my life. I only use my slow cooker to make the occasional batch of bean burrito filling or homemade yogurt. Both are pretty awesome, but aren't what I would classify as cooking. The only thing I associate with slow cooking is pot roast with the usual potatoes, carrots, and onions. I ate that more times than I care to remember as a child. So my slow cooker lives on the bottom shelf under my counter where it waits oh so patiently to be used.

I came across a cool little cookbook called Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: Recipes for Two and as always it took some patiencs to find something that utilized fresh produce, but I found a few. Fresh Corn Risotto was actually at the bottom of my list to try. But I found myself with a lot of corn from my box, and I had already made two batches of Corn and Bacon Chowder. So I went and shelled out $8 for Arborio Rice and made it. It turns out, that cover of the book is actually this recipe. That should have been my tip off.

DELICIOUS! Mine was even a little overcooked and it was still tasty. All you have to do it saute the rice with onion, dump it in your slow cooker, pour broth over it and let it cook. Then you add the other ingredients at varying times. I did have some complications with the cooking times. I added the corn after an hour and a 1/2 like it said. For my slow cooker, I should have added it in after an hour and let it finish cooking for 30 minutes. I might even experiment with putting it on low for the last hour too. My rice was mushy... but it didn't stop either of us from chowing down.

I wasn't really sure if the book intended it to be a meal or a side. I assumed side and served it with some grilled chicken (obviously not served on Monday - oh the magic of blogging). We had some left over, which Dennis ate for lunch later (sans meat). In the future, it may just be an entree in its self. I might just add some shrimp on top next time. But even as an entree this serves up hefty portions. It would be perfect as a side for 3-4 people as well.

Fresh Corn Risotto
Serves Two (as an entree)

Cooker: 1 ½ quart
Setting and Cook Time: High for 2 to 2 ½ hours; corn added after 1 ½ hours.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups chicken or light vegetable broth
2 ears yellow or white corn, shucked and kernels cut off
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged Asiago cheese, plus more for serving.
1 plum tomato (optional), seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil


1. In a small saute pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the shallot and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until the rice turns chalky and is coasted with the butter. Scrape into the slow cooker with a heatproof rubber spatula. Add the broth.

2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 ½ hours. Stir in the corn and re-cover quickly. Cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. The risotto should be only a bit liquidy, and the rice should be al dente, tender with just a touch of tooth resistance. Add the butter and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and wait a minute for the butter soften. Stir in the cheese, the tomato, if using, and the basil. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese for sprinkling.