Juicy Skillet Pork Chops

   

For enthusiasts of tender, juicy pork chops, an exciting culinary experience awaits. I recently prepared these inch-thick boneless pork chops — ideal for those who may not always have bone-in cuts on hand, like me — and the results were favorable. The seasoning rub delivers a robust flavor, while the sauce (I opted for the brown sugar, instead of honey), offers a delightful twist. I will mention that the original sauce quantity, while sufficient for two chops, wouldn’t be nearly enough for four as the recipe suggests.  I’d advise doubling the sauce if you make more than two chops.

 This dish is conveniently ready in under 30 minutes.

Juicy Skillet Pork Chops

Adapted from inspiredtaste.net

 2-4 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick

Kosher salt (just under ¼ t. per chop)

1 T. flour

1 t. each: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder

½ t. smoked paprika

½ t. black pepper

1 T. avocado or vegetable oil

 Pan Sauce:

 1 c. low-sodium chicken stock (double for 4 chops)

1 T. apple cider vinegar

2 t. brown sugar (or honey)

1 T. butter

2 T. freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Remove pork chops from the fridge, season both sides with salt, and let rest for 30 minutes.

 Mix flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl.

 Pat chops dry, coat with rub. Heat oil in a lidded skillet over medium-high. Sear chops 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Hold fatty edge with tongs to brown (30 seconds).

 Lower heat, cover, and cook 6-12 minutes until internal temp hits 145°F (check at 5 minutes, then every 2). No thermometer? Cut to see clear juices.

 Transfer chops to a plate, cover with foil, and rest 5 minutes.

 In the same skillet, add stock, vinegar, and brown sugar. Simmer on medium-high until reduced by half, scraping up bits. Off heat, stir in butter.

 Return chops to skillet, spoon sauce over, sprinkle parsley, and enjoy!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Simple Salmon Rockefeller

Fennel bulb is one of those ingredients I don’t reach for nearly enough, and every time I do, I’m reminded of just how much I adore its subtle, anise-like flavor and crisp texture. It’s a vegetable that somehow feels both underrated and luxurious, capable of elevating a dish with minimal effort. After letting it languish in my kitchen for too long, I recently rediscovered its magic in this simple yet stunning salmon recipe. Using both the bulb and the feathery fronds, this dish transforms everyday salmon into something truly special—bursting with fresh, herbaceous notes and a creamy, rich topping that’s downright irresistible. What I love most is how uncomplicated it is to prepare, despite tasting like it belongs on a fancy restaurant menu. Whether you’re cooking for yourself on a weeknight or hosting friends for dinner, this salmon with creamy fennel topping delivers big flavor without the fuss. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll wonder why fennel hasn’t been a regular in your rotation all along!Simple Salmon Rockefeller

Adapted from thekitchn.com

2 6-oz. salmon fillets
2 T. olive oil
½ t. kosher salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ small Melissa’s fennel bulb, diced (about ½ c.)
2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
1 T. chopped fennel fronds
1 T. water
1 T. white wine
Lemon wedges for serving

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 

Pat salmon dry, place on the sheet, and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast skin-side down* for 12-15 minutes, until it flakes easily. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced fennel and white scallion parts; cook until soft, about 4 minutes. 

Off heat, stir in cream cheese, water and wine until smooth. Add green scallion parts and fennel fronds. Adjust seasoning if needed. 

Spread the mixture over the roasted salmon (about 2 tablespoons per fillet). Broil for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with lemon wedges. 

* I removed the skin. It’s easy if you use the hot water method.

Enjoy this effortless, tasty dish that’s sure to impress!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Mustard and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

 

I’ve been cooking with bourbon lately, using it recently to plump raisins for oatmeal raisin cookies, then to plump raisins to include in pumpkin muffins, so I decided to give it a try on salmon. This week’s fish dish is a wonderful fillet of Coho salmon glazed with this mustard bourbon sauce and baked. It is flavorful and delicious, company worthy, and nothing could be easier.Mustard and Bourbon Glazed Salmon

 2 T. Maille Old Style mustard*

1 T. dark brown sugar

1 T. bourbon

1/8 t. grated Melissa’s fresh ginger

Salt and pepper

2 Coho salmon fillets

 Preheat oven to 400°F. Put a piece of heavy-duty foil on top of a baking sheet and spray with PAM; set aside.

In a small bowl mix together mustard, brown sugar, bourbon, and ginger. Salt and pepper salmon fillets. Place skin side down on prepared baking sheet, and slather the tops with the mustard/brown sugar/bourbon glaze. Slide onto the top rack of your oven, and roast for 12 to 15 until the fish flakes nicely. Serve immediately.

 Serves 2.

*This is the brand that I use. You can use the brand of your choice, just as long as you select mustard that is heavily laden with mustard seeds.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Brown Butter and Herb Baked Halibut

 

As I’ve mentioned any number of times on this blog, the late Mr. O-P was the fish cooker in the family. The first time I had salmon was when Jim made it for me, and I absolutely loved it. After that I branched out a bit to discover that I like quite a few kinds of fish.  I never had much fish growing up because my mother just never made it, and I think our pallets are shaped by our parents’ tastes, and doubtless theirs by their own parents, but I digress. I decided to treat myself to a subscription to Wild Alaskan Company. I am in no way affiliated with them, I am just very pleased with their products. Thus far I have tried the salmon, and now the halibut (my first time ever eating halibut). Not only is it quick and easy to prepare, but the result is restaurant quality. I couldn’t believe how good it was. The fact that I had made it myself was just a bonus.

I failed to write down my instructions for the salmon because I was just experimenting, but I did when I made the halibut, and am sharing it here with you; I know that you're going to love it. My guess is that this would work with any white fish.
Brown Butter and Herb Baked Halibut

1 stick (½ c.) butter
2/3 c. crushed saltines
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
½ t. dried basil
½ t. dried oregano
½ t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
1 lb. halibut fillets, thawed, drained, and patted dry

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

 Place butter into a 9” x 13” casserole dish and melt in the oven as it preheats (approximately 6 to 7 minutes). Meanwhile, in a 9” pie pan, place all ingredients except the fish, stirring to combine thoroughly.

Remove casserole dish with the now melted butter from the oven, dip fish fillets in the butter, and then dredge them in the crumb mixture. Place fillets back into the baking pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 - 35 minutes or until fish is tender, and flakes with a fork.

Serve immediately, drizzling the brown butter that has accumulated on the bottom of the pan over each fillet of fish.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Guinness Brownies from Llywelyn's Pub

 

If you ever find yourself in the St. Louis metro area, you owe it to yourself to visit neighboring city, Saint Charles, the historical district in particular, and dine at a delightful Celtic pub called Llywelyn's. There are two locations in the area, but the most unique is the one located at 100 North Main Street in St. Charles, MO. Once a bank, though now quite obviously an eatery, vaults and other banking aspects remain, adding to the already abundance of charm and atmosphere.

 

A former bank vault, the door is open and ready for guests.This vault was occupied by a table of enthusiastic diners who were “locked in” behind the barred door. 

I chose the pub curry for my lunch and was not disappointed. A pub tradition, it is yellow curry with a choice of chicken or shrimp, sautéed with onions, carrots, cabbage, and sweet peas served on a bed of basmati rice or fries.  I chose the shrimp...and the rice.

When it came to dessert there were two choices, the Guinness Brownies and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.  Both are known to be deliciously decadent, but I went for the brownie. Heaven!

 As luck would have it the recipe for the brownies is available thanks to Llywelyn's and the St. Louis-Post Dispatch's SPECIAL REQUESTS Cookbook. Here it is so that you can enjoy them too.

Guinness Brownies from Llywelyn's Pub

 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut into chunks

¾ c. (1-1/2 sticks) butter

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 c. Guinness stout

¾ c. flour

Llywelyn's Guinness Fudge Sauce (recipe below)

Ice cream or whipped cream

 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9” x 13” baking pan with Baker’s Joy.

 Gradually melt chocolate and butter together in the top of a double-boiler, stir to blend, remove from heat; stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and Guinness. Stir in flour. Batter will be thin.

 Pour into baking pan; bake until almost set, about 35 minutes. Do not overbake.

Let cool, then slice into 16 bars. Serve with Guinness Fudge Sauce and ice cream or whipped cream.

 Llywelyn's Guinness Fudge Sauce

1 (12-oz.) jar hot fudge sauce

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1½ c.)

1/3 c. Guinness stout

Heat hot fudge sauce in a double-boiler until pourable. In a pot over very low heat, heat chocolate chips and Guinness together until chocolate has melted, then stir into hot fudge sauce. Mix well. Pour into a serving dish.

 Refrigerate leftovers; reheat before servings.

Yield: About 2¼ cups

 Treat yourself to this dark deliciousness on this Friday the 13th.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snickerdoodle Cobbler

 

No matter how hot it is, once August hits, I move into “fall mode.” I guess it’s because, where I live anyway, spring pretty much starts in April. By August, my garden plants are dried out and dying, and I am sick of the very sight of them. I’ve found that the gobs and gobs of cucumber and melon vines that I lovingly nurtured and encouraged all summer produced nothing but male blossoms, resulting in no fruit from either, and I’m ready to just chuck it all and move on. That’s why not an August goes by that I don’t make pumpkin spice something or begin to embrace apple dishes. 

I found this recipe online, and the ease of it intrigued me. The recipe was poorly written, the directions largely wrong, so here’s my version. Warm from the oven, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this would be a wonderful fall dessert, and certainly company worthy. It also makes a pretty tasty breakfast, or at least that’s what I tell myself. J

Snickerdoodle Cobbler

 

 1 17.5oz. pkg. Snickerdoodle cookie mix

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

1 21-oz. can apple pie filling

3 T. caramel topping

2 t. cinnamon sugar (from enclosed packet)

 

 Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with PAM; set aside.

 Open the packet of cookie dough mix, remove the cinnamon sugar packet; set aside. In a small bowl beat together cookie mix, butter, and egg until well blended.

Dollop half of the dough by spoonfuls across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar from the packet. Spread apple pie filling over this bottom layer, and dollop remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the top.

Sprinkle with another teaspoon of cinnamon sugar from the enclosed packet, and top with a drizzle of caramel topping.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown, and it is bubbly around the edges.

 Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before scooping heaping spoonfuls into bowls and topping with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Boursin Pork Chops

  

I don’t make pork chops all that often and I’m not entirely sure why, because every time I do, I’m always struck by how simple they are to make, how they take so little time, and are always delicious. This is another one of those recipes that is so easy anyone can do it, it’s on the table in 30 minutes or less, and one could argue that it is good enough for company.Boursin Pork Chops

 4 boneless pork chops, 1” thick

½ t. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

2 large Melissa’s shallots, chopped

¾ c. chicken broth

1 5.2-oz. pkg. Boursin Fine Herbs & Garlic cheese, softened

1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley

 If you have the time, remove pork chops from the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes prior to beginning the recipe.

 Pat chops dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and get it good and hot without burning. Cook the pork chops for 5 minutes per side or until golden; remove to a warm plate. 

To the skillet, add the shallots and sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Add more oil to the pan, if needed.

Add the chicken broth and the Boursin to the skillet. Stir until smooth and creamy. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, and then stir in the chopped parsley.

 Add the pork chops (and any plate juices) back in and simmer for another 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened a bit more and the pork chops are cooked through (145°F. minimum). Adjust seasoning if necessary.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Asparagus Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

 

There is more to asparagus than you probably think. It can be used in almost any dish that you serve to your family from a frittata or omelette at breakfast, nestled into your grilled cheese sandwich at lunch, as a gin-soaked garnish in a martini, this delicious pasta dish that I told you about a couple of weeks ago, as well as making a wonderful cold salad all on its own.

Asparagus is one of those superfoods that you probably don’t hear all that much about. It is low in calories (I’m told that one spear is a mere 3 calories), and is packed with vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, E, K, B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, calcium, protein, and fiber. That is seriously healthy, ergo we should probably be eating a lot more of it. 

 This simple salad can be made ahead and served as a main dish for lunch, or as a side dish for dinner. I used both purple and green asparagus, not realizing that, as is the case with purple string beans, the color goes away in blanching. You can make all of these gradients ahead of time and assemble just before serving. It’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s healthy, and it is seriously good.Asparagus Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

 1 l hard boiled egg, peeled and quartered

1 bunch Melissa’s asparagus

2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; blanch asparagus for three minutes. Remove to a bowl of ice water; set aside.

 After asparagus has cooled turn out into a strainer to drain while you make the vinaigrette.

Arrange the asparagus and egg quarters on a plate, top with bacon and drizzle with vinaigrette.

 Dijon Vinaigrette

2 T. sherry vinegar

½ T. minced Melissa’s shallot

1 clove garlic

½ T. Dijon mustard

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 Place ingredients into the work bowl of a mini blender and blend until emulsified.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

French Toast BLT

 

After the rousing success I had with the Beef Burgers with Bourbon Mushrooms, I thought I would try my hand at another recipe from that same 2016 issue of Sauce Magazine, namely, the BLT French Toast. I’m not going to lie to you, this did not sound good. I think I was more intrigued with the process, the fact that there was bourbon in the egg mixture, and that this was a savory dish involving French toast. As it turned out, I thought it was excellent, and something likely to be served at a high-end restaurant. I did not expect to taste the bourbon in the bread slices, but I did, and that really enhanced this knife and fork sandwich. It’s not difficult to make, but it takes some time due to the waiting in making the savory French toast. The garlic vinaigrette was a wonderful surprise, and I found myself really enjoying this restaurant quality sandwich that, I’m warning you, is big enough for two.

 Here is the recipe as printed. I cut it back by three.

French Toast BLT

5 eggs

2 c. heavy cream

¼ c. bourbon

6 1-inch slices challah

12 strips thick-cut bacon

2½ c. grated Gruyere

12 tomato slices* (about 3 small tomatoes)

Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

3 c. spring mix

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

 In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream and bourbon until well combined. Pour in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the challah and soak 10 minutes. Flip the slices and soak an additional 10 minutes.

 Meanwhile, place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until just crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off most of the bacon fat from the skillet.

 Add 3 challah slices and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining slices.

 Bake the bread slices until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Top with the grated cheese and bake until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

 To assemble, place 2 strips of bacon and 2 tomato slices each on 3 challah slices and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Toss the spring mix with enough of the vinaigrette to coat. Divide the greens evenly over the 3 prepared challah slices and top with the remaining 3 slices. Serve warm.

 Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

2 heads of garlic

¾ c. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 T. sherry vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

 Slice off the tops of the garlic so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic heads in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast until the garlic is golden brown, fragrant and softened, 20 to 25 minutes.

 Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves into a blender, discarding the skins. Add the vinegar and mustard, and blend until smooth. With the machine running, add ¾ cup olive oil in a steady stream until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I used one large slice from a red Melissa's Produce Heirloom Tomato.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.