Made By Melissa

Nate loves pulled pork and this recipe could not be any easier. I have had this saved in my allrecipes.com recipe box for a quite a while since it has gotten such rave reviews, but I loathe root beer so I was hesitant to try it. The I realized I could just make it with coke! The pork was very tender and shredded easily.

You can use your favorite bottled BBQ sauce with the pulled pork, but I had some extra time the day I made this, so I decided to try the Neely’s BBQ sauce from Food Network. I am not sure how I feel about the show Down Home with the Neely’s, the only episode I have seen was the one where they made barbecue spaghetti with this barbecue sauce recipe. The BBQ sauce was very good, a little bit spicy for me, but I am kind of a wuss. Next time I will probably decrease the amount of pepper slightly.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer (I used coke)
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Neely’s BBQ sauce, recipe below)
• 8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Poke holes in the tenderloin with a fork, season with salt and pepper. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

Neely’s BBQ Sauce

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cooked uncovered, stirring frequently, for 2 hours.

This is another fabulous recipe from Elly’s blog. I used pork chops instead of tenderloin since that is what we had, and made a few other minor changes. The pork was very good-  moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside, and the chunky tomato sauce added great flavor. We had this with Pecorino-Parmesan orzo, also from Elly.

Pork Milanese with Tomato Topping

• 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb. (I used 4 boneless pork chops)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs( I used 3/4 cup Italian seasoned Panko)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

This works best if the tenderloin is very cold. Sticking it in the freezer for 10 minutes will help.

Combine the breadcrumbs and the grated cheese in a shallow bowl.

Slice the pork tenderloin into medallions that are approximately 1/2″ thick. Pound the medallions until they are about half as thick with a mallet or heavy-bottomed pan or object. I did not bother pounding the pork chops. Season with salt and pepper.

Dip the thin slices first into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs/cheese, coating all pieces.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until hot.

Add breaded pork tenderloin to the hot oil and pan-fry until pork is done. This should only take about a minute or two per side since the pork is so thin. Set aside and keep warm. The pork chops took about 4-5 minutes per side.

Tomato Topping

I love the Zuppa Toscana Soup at Olive Garden, it is my favorite soup to get when we go out. Since it is STILL winter and we are STILL getting snow, I made this along with garlic swirl bread for a warm, comforting meal. This is another recipe from allrecipes.com, written as I made it, following some of the tips from reviewers.

Zuppa Toscana

• 1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage (I used a 1lb roll of Jimmy Dean light sausage) 
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water (I used 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 1/2 cups of water)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Place the sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 -inch slices. I just cooked/crumbled the sausage in a frying pan, drained and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until slightly crispy. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Add onions to the pan and cook until almost clear. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, chicken broth and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.

Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes (I let it simmer about minutes to soften the kale) and serve.

I was looking for something low-fat to do with pork-chops, so I wandered over to the Cooking Light website to see what they had to offer. I came across this recipe, and had most of the ingredients already, so this was our dinner. These pork-chops were pretty good, I may have over cooked them a bit as they were somewhat dry. But overall a good meal, we had these with roasted broccoli and whole grain rice.

Oven-Fried Pork Chops

• 4 (5-ounce) lean center-cut loin pork chops (1/2-inch thick)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice (I used the juice from a snack pack of pineapple)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (Omitted- did not have any)
• Cooking spray

Trim fat from chops; set chops aside. Combine next 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl; stir with a wire whisk. Combine breadcrumbs and paprika in a shallow bowl. Dip each chop into egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place chops on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in a shallow roasting pan. Back at 350 degrees for 25 minutes on each side or until done. I baked them for about 15 minutes on 1 side, then 10 on the other and they were still a little over-done.

Not quite as easy as throw-ingredients-in-crock-pot and go, there is a bit of prep work, but these pork-chops are very good. We have made this a couple times now, the first time I over cooked them and the “sauce” burnt to the bottom of my crock-pot, so I now double the sauce ingredients and have not had a problem. This recipe comes from southernfood.about.com, Carrie also has a similar recipe in her blog.

Super Easy Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I increase to 2, but double the ingredients for a total of 4)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make smooth paste

Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add pork chops and sear until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer pork chops to crock-pot. Add garlic to pan droppings and sauté until it begins to brown; stir in soy sauce, broth, sugar, and cayenne pepper.

Stir to blend; bring just to a boil. Pour sauce over the chops. Cover and cook on low until pork chops are tender, about 6 to 7 hours. My crock-pot tends to run hot, so I cook it on “warm” if it is going to be 6-7 hrs, otherwise “low” for only about 4 hours. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until well blended. Cover and cook about 20 minutes longer. I usually just transfer the sauce to a small pot and reduce on the stove for a couple minutes until it thickens.

This recipe popped up in my google reader from Sweet Tea in Texas. It worked out well since I was planning on searching for a gnocchi recipe that day. I bought a large box of gnocchi on my last trip to Sam’s Club and it had just been sitting there since. This recipe was great since I had most of the ingredients on hand already. The only problem was the spinach. My oh-so-picky husband does not like cooked spinach, so I needed to think of something green and leafy I could substitute. Since I was already using sausage in the recipe, my mind went to Zuppa Toscana soup, he eats the kale in the soup without even thinking about it. The end result was very good and something I will make again. So here is my version, with kale and a few other changes, the original recipe can be found at realsimple.com.

Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale

• One 17.5 ounce package shelf stable gnocchi
• 1 roll bulk sausage ( I used Jimmy Dean light)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• medium bunch of kale leaves, rinsed and chopped, stems discarded (or 1 5oz. bag of baby spinach)
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Heat the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, crumbling  it with  a spoon. When sausage is almost completely browned, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, chicken broth, kale and seasonings, cover, stir occasionally. It will look like a lot of kale, but it will wilt down as it cooks. While sausage mixture is simmering, cook the gnocchi according to package directions.

When gnocchi is cooked, drain and add to the sausage mixture, add Parmesan cheese and toss together. Divide among individual bowls and top with additional Parmesan.

I love Giada De Laurentis, and every recipe I have ever made by her has been delicious. This one was no exception. These pork chops are moist, tender and full of flavor.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Lemon wedges, for serving (I did not have any on hand, so did not use)
  

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.