Derek's Lettuce Wraps

 A few weeks ago, while my parents were visiting, Derek surprised us all and made lettuce wraps from scratch. We had some leftover pork tenderloin and he managed to rummage through the fridge and pull together an amazing meal on a whim. We all agreed that it was far better that the lettuce wraps that we always get at P.F. Changs and begged him to write down the recipe. Being the man that he is, he didn't write it down and I feared that it may be lost forever. So, when I pulled some pork tenderloin out of the freezer yesterday and marinated it in pineapple-teriyaki sauce I had secret hopes that I could convince the hubs to work his magic again. He called me on it as soon as he saw what I was making and I warned him that I was going to 'chef-stalk' him while he cooked so I could write up this recipe.

A quick side note, this has wound up being our 'round two recipe' - meaning we're using cooked, left over pork tenderloin. If you don't have left over pork, you could cube it and cook it in the skillet prior to adding the veggies but this is a great way to use up left over  meat.

Ingredients:

1 cooked pork tenderloin, cubed
1 1/2 cups corn
3-5 large asparagus
1/4 cup mushroom caps
1 small bell pepper
1 tbsp. BBQ sauce
1/4 cup Yoshidas sauce
1/4 water
1 head iceberg lettuce

Directions:

In a large, nonstick skillet combine chopped pork, asparagus, mushrooms, and pepper into small chunks; add corn. Add BBQ sauce and Yoshidas and cook over medium heat for 18 minutes; after first five minutes check sauce consistency and flavor; add water as needed. Simmer until sauce is absorbed and vegetables are tender. Serve with iceberg lettuce leaves. Wrap and enjoy.

Super Easy Pork Chops

Being on bed rest is a pain... being nine months pregnant is a pain. So, when I was thinking up dinner and perusing Pinterest for pork chop ideas I was looking for something easy, fast, and that didn't require dirtying a bunch of dishes or digging out a bunch of ingredients. I didn't find what I was looking for. So, I did something that I rarely do, I made my own recipe. I found a chicken recipe that used mayo a while back and it was super moist and tender and over Easter weekend my mother-in-law made my favorite garlic chip dip (which uses mayo and sour cream along with garlic seasoning). My pregnant brain smooshed the two together and tonight's dinner is the result. It was really easy to make and tasted great. AND I even took my very own picture of it, something I am notoriously terrible at. It was a victorious night all around for this little chef...

Ingredients:

2 pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/4 cup mayo
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cornflakes, smashed (Panko would work well too, I just happened to have cornflakes on hand)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the mayo, garlic and cheese.

Place crushed cornflakes in a gallon storage bag.

Dredge pork in mayo mixture to coat. Place pork chop in bag and coat with cornflakes.

Place chops in a greased baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. 

[See, I told you it was simple!]

Grilled Herbed Pork Tenderloin

This is another SUPER easy meal - blend everything together, marinade, and grill. Plus, it tastes awesome!! We sliced up some zucchini from the garden, sprinkled it with TS seasoning salt, and grilled it right along with the pork. It was delish!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (I cheated and just used the stuff in the carton)
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. grated lemon rind
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 (or more) cloves garlic, peeled
2 (heaping) tbsp. dijon mustard
1 pork tenderloin

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a blender or food processor, process until almost smooth. Pour mixture into a large, heavy duty zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better), turning occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove pork from marinade (discard marinade). Place pork on grill rack and cook for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees, turning pork after 15 minutes. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Buttermilk Brined Porkchops

2 cups fat-free buttermilk
2 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
4 center-cut pork chops
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large ziploc bag; shake well to dissolve salt and sugar. Add pork; seal and refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Remove pork from bag and discard brine. Pat pork dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3½ minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Yields: 4 servings

Time to make: 10 min

Brie-Pecan Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. canola oil
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup dry white wine
4-6 oz. brie cheese, cut into ½- inch nuggets
½ cup pecans, cut in small pieces

Toast almonds in oven at 350°F for 10 minutes; remove and allow to cool.

Pound chicken to ¼-inch thickness; dip in flour mixture. Heat butter and oil in 10” skillet; once foaming add chicken. Cook 2 minutes on each side.

Add wine and cream. Cover and simmer 4-5 minutes, until done. Remove chicken.

Add brie into skillet and cook until melted and smooth. Add chicken and pecans to brie mixture. Serve immediately.

Mom's BBQ Spareribs

2 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ cup vinegar
2 tbsp. worchestershire
1 cup tomato juice
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 pkgs. country style ribs

Combine all ingredients in pan with no water; bake at 450°F for 30 minutes. Pour out fat and continue baking at 350 degrees for 1-½ hours with sauce, basting frequently.

–OR-

place on BBQ and cook until done.