Crispy Herb-Coated Pork Chops

I usually have a hard time finding pork chop recipes that my family will eat. Most of the time the flavor was lacking. Russell tried this and really liked the crispy coating and the flavor. This makes it a keeper in my book! morgainegeiser from Ypsi, Michigan was my teammate for this recipe. This was part of the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap.

Crispy Herb-Coated Pork Chops
1/3 cup butter or margarine, cubed
2/3 cup instant mashed potatoes with butter and herbs
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp garlic powder
4 pork loin chops (boneless would probably work best)
2 TBSP vegetable oil

In a shallow bowl, melt butter. In a large ziploc bag combine potato flakes, cheese and garlic powder. Dip chops one at a time in butter, then place in bag. Seal and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until chops are no longer pink.

Chicken Chow Mein

I am always on the prowl for a good chinese recipe. I really like chow mein and this one is full of yummy veggies! We also doubled the amount of shrimp because we are shrimp fans! This recipe also called for homemade fried noodles which I opted to leave out. They seemed like more work than what I had time for. We ended up eating this over brown rice and with egg rolls. Super easy to put together and everyone liked it! This is part of the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My teammate is mersaydees from Southern Maine.

Chicken Chow Mein
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 oz boneless lean pork, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tsp cornstarch, divided
2 1/2 TBSP apple juice, divided
2 TBSP soy sauce, divided
1/2 cup water
2 tsp instant chicken bouillon
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp powdered ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb shrimp, deveined and shelled
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 green onions, chopped - with tops
4 oz cabbage, shredded (I bought a small napa cabbage and used 1/2 of that)

In a large bowl combine 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp apple juice and 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce. Add chicken and pork. Coat well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Combine remaining 2 tsp cornstarch, 2 TBSP apple juice, 1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce, water and bouillon in small bowl, set aside.
Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Toss in powdered ginger and garlic. Stir fry 1 minute. Add chicken and pork. Stir fry until cooked through and no longer pink. Add shrimp. Stir fry until shrimp turns pink. Toss veggies into wok. Stir fry until crisp tender. Add sauce mixture. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens.
Serve chow mein over fried noodles (either homemade or store-bought) or white or brown rice.

Easy Marinated Pork Chops

Our family aren't huge fans of pork chops - but these were very moist and we liked the flavor. These are part of the recipes I chose for the August 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap. My team member is Taste Tester from Orlando, Florida. Did I mention these were easy to put together?

Easy Marinated Pork Chops

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup lime juice

4 tsp balsamic vinegar - **I didn't have this so used cider vinegar instead

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

6 boneless pork loin chops (mine did have bones - I only go with what's on sale.)

In a large ziploc bag - combine first 8 ingredients. Add chops. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium heat 4-5 minutes per side - or until they are no longer pink.

Cashew & Pork Stir Fry

Cashew and Pork Stir-Fry
I had some pork in the freezer that needed to be used. I was searching on recipezaar for something to fit the bill. I came across this wonderful gem and will be making it often. I did add some changes like the chicken breast, celery, carrots and mushrooms. This recipe comes from Galley Wench in Mexico currently - on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez.

2 lb pork tenderloin (I used 3/4 lb pork chops and 3/4 lb chicken breast)
8 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup cashew nuts (unsalted is preferred)
4 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use sparingly)
5 green onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
8 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz can chicken broth (I used 1 pint chicken stock)
1 TBSP dry parsley
hot cooked rice

Slice pork and chicken into 3/4 inch slices. Place in a ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and cornstarch. Knead the bag so the meat gets well coated with the soy sauce and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat skillet or wok until hot. Add cashews and dry-fry until toasted - it won't take long at all. Transfer to a bowl and save.
Add 2 TBSP oil to wok. Add meat with marinade sauce. Stir fry until meat is cooked. Add remaining ingredients except chicken stock,parsley and rice. Stir fry until veggies are done to your satisfaction. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens. Stir in toasted cashews and parsley. Serve over rice.

* Freshly cooked oriental noodles are called for in this recipe - but I didn't have any on hand.