Pork stuffed with Swiss Chard

Stuffing pork chops isn't a new idea but this is definitely different from what you usually see. Traditional pork chops are usually done with buttery breadcrumbs which I do enjoy but you don't always want something so heavy. During the summer its so easy to just head down to your local farmer's market and find beautiful vibrant vegetables. From the brilliant red chard to the purple cauliflower that I recently posted I can't help but be drawn to these items.

Sometimes I end up with a fridge that is packed with produce and a schedule that just doesn't let up. You can make this stuffing in advance and then store it in the fridge for a few days before using it. It makes your whole dinner easier when you prep in advance! If you want to make this dish even better try brining your pork chops overnight to infuse even more flavor and juiciness into the meat.

Read on for the recipe!

Greek Salmon Lettuce Cups

Lettuce Cups or wraps are a common site in Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants around me. One of the first times I ever saw them was in the Asian Fusion restaurant P.F. Changs. Its been years since I have been to one of these and to be honest my Asian inspiration stops there! This dish uses traditional Greek flavors with a little twist. If you are trying to eat low carb, lettuce wraps can be a great invention since a single leaf of lettuce is almost no calories! I love using fresh local ingredients and when I saw this Boston lettuce at my local farmer's market the other day I decided that I had to create something fresh and healthy. I have done a few other versions of this type of dish using shrimp and crab so don't be afraid to make this your own based on the ingredients that you have handy.

What do Lettuce Cups have to do with phylo dough and grape leaves you ask? Well the connection here is in the spices that I used - garlic, parsley, oregano and lemon were my base ingredients. There are two ingredients that always makes me think Greek that I didn't include - Feta Cheese and Olives. My boyfriend only has one real food hate and that is olives so they usually aren't in the house unless I get them on takeout and while I do often use grated cheese on my pasta with seafood I didn't think that the flavors really worked in this situation. This recipe calls for about 1 lb of wild salmon (I used Coho which is a bit thinner than other types) if you can't find wild salmon or don't want to spend the money consider using another type of wild fish versus using a farmed fish. The health benefits of wild fish are greater than the farmed versions so the difference in price is absolutely worth it!

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Cavatelli with lamb sausage and spinach

I haven't made it to an Easter at my parents in a while. Since the holiday is on a Sunday and you generally don't get the following Monday off, it makes it hard to be at my parents for dinner,  drive 5-7 hours and still make it to work the next morning. I was so excited when my boss gave us the day off for Good Friday and on my first day on the job! We were able to leave NY early and get to see my family an extra day. My mother even arranged Easter to begin as a brunch so that we would see everyone! We decided that we had to leave by two o'clock so that we wouldn't be getting home too late. This meant that we were going to miss the final dinner item - fresh cavatelli in home made sauce with sausages and meatballs. Luckily, I got my mom to pack me up a container of sauce and meat with some of the uncooked pasta before we left.

Once home we were too full and tired to make anything for dinner, but the next night I decided to switch things around. I had some lamb sausage in the freezer and since it is very traditional to eat lamb around Easter (and Passover which we celebrated a bit later in the week) I decided to use that for our dinner instead. This is an easy dish based on some thing I often make with chicken sausage, the lamb was amazing though! Flavorful little morsels between perfectly chewy bites of cavatelli gave the perfect savory bite. And we got to enjoy the sauce with some pasta another day!

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Coconut Shrimp

I love seafood and I am always trying to come up with ways to get "haters" to try it. It seems that many people refuse to eat seafood even though they have never really tasted it (or at least any of MY cooking).  Sometimes they even go as far to fake allergies in order to avoid offending the cook! While I can't guarantee that this recipe will get everyone to love seafood it is a wonderful and easy to make ahead dish that works as a main or appetizers. Most recipes for coconut shrimp include a quick dip in the deep frier but these are made in the oven so you can have a few extra with out all the guilt!

I recently made 4 lbs of shrimp using this recipe to use as appetizers for a party I hosted it actually gets really easy and mindless after the first few batches! I loved being able to bake them ahead of time and then just quickly crisping them up in the over right before serving. We actually had lots of left overs so I saved a bag full (once cooked stick in freezer to individually freeze then stick in a zip top bag till you are ready to reheat) and have been using them as a fun little appetizers when the girls come over for our after work glass of wine...they are better for you than breaking out some cheese and crackers! I used a store bought Mandarin Orange and Ginger Vinaigrette dressing for dipping sauce (and it was delicious - Shop Rite brand if you would like to try and find it)  but if you want to go homemade just look for something asian and citrus flavored.

Fresh Basil "Chimichurri"

When your trusty basil plant keeps producing fragrant green leaves night after night it can sometimes seem hard to keep up. Pesto sauce gets a little boring - try this Latin spin that is based on a Chimichurri.

Blend together basil, 1/2 c olive oil, 3 garlic gloves, 1 tsp crushed red pepper and a squeeze of lemon to make it extra fresh. Serve on top of any grilled meat or vegetable.

Cinco de Mayo Swordfish Taco

This year it seemed that more and more people were complaining that Cinco de Mayo has turn into a holiday much like St.Patrick's Day - a day of drinking that really has less to do with its roots and more with its alcohol brand sponsorship. However, I love "taco stand" style tacos and I can't pass up a fresh taco with some delicious ingredients so why skip over a good excuse to eat and drink. Traditionally you see often pork carnitas tacos and fish tacos in this style with just a bit of cabbage slaw, some salsa, cilantro, lime and usually a radish slice. These tacos are different than the tacos that are found at tex-mex type places which often are filled with sour cream and guacamole. This makes them a bit lighter so you really don't need an excuse to make them.

I decided to skip the radish slice and went with a "meaty" slice of grilled swordfish instead of a fried fish. This meal was fresh and so fast! I mean from fridge to table in about 15 min total...and anyone can make this.

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Crab stuffed Portobella mushroom cap

Every year my uncle makes a wonderful appetizer for family holidays, it is actually a spin off of something that my grandfather started making.... crab stuffed mushrooms. I decided to take this from an appetizer to main course by increasing the size of the mushroom! Portobello caps make the perfect single serving dinner, you can dress them down with sauce and cheese and make it into a "pizza" or class it up with ingredients like crab. The hearty texture makes it a great substitute for meat, no matter if you are a true vegetarian or just celebrating meatless Mondays. I love mushrooms in just about any form. We are lucky enough to have a great mushroom "farmer" (perhaps cultivator is a better word?) that visits the Union Square Farmer's Market regularly, Bulich Mushroom Farms.

This recipe is quite simple and really no different that many of the crab cakes that I have made before. Since the mushroom cab provides some of the structure I felt that I could leave out the breadcrumbs and make this pure crab-tastic indulgence. I did however make a few "true" crab cakes by adding about 1/2 c of breadcrumbs to the leftovers (I unfortunately only had 2 mushroom caps on hand and the pound of crabmeat quickly dominated them!)

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VIDEO POST! Pan Roasted Chicken with Ratatouille Sauce

It has been really fun using my new Flip Camera to record recipes. And so far I have gotten some great feed back...and even had a friend make something new because of my video! They say a picture says a thousand words - so what about a video? I know that personally I often look up videos of new cooking techniques because so many of us are visual learners. This recipe really turned out amazing. As I say in the video its fast, easy and really is perfect for company as it makes a great presentation. Don't be afraid of the hard to spell French name - Ratatouille is a wonderful vegetable dish that is a perfect recipe to have when your summer garden is making you see green (zucchini that is!)

I used two Newman's Own products in this recipe - Family Recipe Italian Dressing as a marinade for the chicken and Cabernet Marinara as part of the ratatouille. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts as I find them much more flavorful than the standard boneless, skinless chicken breast. However, if you wanted to serve this with on the bone chicken breasts I think that would be a great option as well. Also feel free to serve this over brown rice, another type of pasta or even something more exciting like quinoa or couscous!

Click the link for the full recipe and instructions

VIDEO POST! Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri Sauce

Hello Readers......

something about this post is not like the others..... one of these things is not the same! We have stepped into the 21st Century and now have video... thanks so much to Newman's Own and Foodbuzz for sending me this amazing Flip video camera. In the next few days we will be posting some of our videos on the blog. Because I still am learning some of these videos are not exactly perfect (editing is harder than it looks!) but they should help you master some new techniques in a new way. So far the feedback is great, my friends and family love the new style and we hope to bring you a new video post every few weeks after we get the initial 4 videos up. We have already had a request on cooking a whole chicken and making a baked good. I would also like to do a seafood dish but please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments. If there are recipes already on Carla's Tasty Treats that you would like to see in video form we just might be able to help!

Thanks again

Carla

Please click through if you would like to see the complete recipe written out

Mexican Chicken Stew and a give away!

Recently I have learned about an amazing new protein to use for dinner... boneless skinless chicken thighs! I know these aren't new but I have just always used chicken breasts. Since my resolve a few years back to get over my fear of raw chicken, I have come a long way. From only cutting partially frozen or cooked chicken to actually roasting a whole one, even if I did need help getting the giblets out! Now I have found out how tasty and delicious the thigh is especially when seasoned correctly. This dinner was made possible by one of my new favorite discoveries. Seasoning Rubs are such an easy way to add a lot of flavor with out many calories (careful though some rubs have sugar added)

Because the thighs are boneless, you can get this dinner done pretty quickly though I think that you would also be fine adapting this to a crockpot or dutch oven and letting the chicken cook down. Feel free to change the heat level of the dish by adding more or less hot peppers, my CSA just sent home a bag of the little hot ones and I couldn't resist them all cute colorful ...luckily they didn't over power things.

I was lucky enough to get a goodie bag of Goya treats from Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program that helped the make this dinner possible and want to share! Please leave a comment below and I will pick someone at random to win a prize pack with coupons and 2 recipe books containing some great easy dinners using Goya products.

Simply Indulgent: Roasted Vegetables with Seared Steak

Even though I love to cook, I have to admit there are many nights that I come home from work tired, annoyed, aggravated, hungry, over-worked and just not in the mood to cook. But unlike in the movies, a fairy Godmother never shows her face to cook me my dinner while I relax in a nice bubble bath (and while we are talking about that no one cleans the tub so I can take that bubble bath either!). This is where some stand by favorites come into play. This dinner is about the opposite of time consuming or thought provoking but it tastes good, pretty much cooks itself and it fancy enough that you could even serve it to company! What makes it even better is that a little prep in advance, gets this dinner on the table in the time it takes to sear a steak (about 15 min total including rest time).

 

The secret of this dinner is to peel, cut and dice the vegetables ahead of time and then dress with oil and herbs and roast. I try to do a big batch on Sunday or whenever I have a few hours of TV time to enjoy.  My veggie roasting involved 2 pans this time, one for harder root veggies (potatoes in this case) dressed with rosemary & thyme and one for some of the softer end of summer veggies: bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, red onions etc with just some salt, pepper, olive oil and a bit of basil and oregano sprinkled on top. When its time to serve either heat in the oven for a few minutes at 350 F or about 3 minutes in the microwave (or a hot frying pan). Just don't forget the cardinal rule of veggie baking (and stir-frying): even size vegetables have even cooking times!

8/18/10 - Fish Simply Two Ways

The summer is the best time to eat simply. When its cold, I love spending hours in the kitchen coming up with some exotic combination. But when farms all over the state of New Jersey are working hard to provide me exquisitely ripe and juicy produce, I go with it. In my last post, I took a look at one of my favorite parts of the summer months - fresh tomatoes. Growing up my whole life, I was lucky to have grandfathers who kept amazing gardens. Summer was always filled with zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, arugala (long before I knew anything about rocket or fancy mixed baby greens) and tons of basil - everything a good Italian kitchen could need.

The top dish pictured is a fresh salsa served over pan seared swordfish with a cajun rub. I accompanied the dish with a side of wilted swiss chard and red onion.
The dish below was a one skillet meal. While I usually make this dish in the oven, the temperatures outside had me looking for another option. First, I sauteed the vegetables (peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli)  and then removed them from the pan. I added the haddock and once it was ready to flip (3-5 min), I returned the vegetables to the pan. I topped the fish with the tomatoes and covered the pan to allow it to heat through (5 min).

7/22/10 - Lamb Chops

I really love the taste of lamb but the price usually has me looking for alternatives. Earlier this year I splurged on some Frenched baby lamb chops.... and boy were they delicious! This week we were expecting company again and some how I had nothing ready so a quick run to the store was in order. I was pleasantly surprised to see that lamb loin chops were on sale for a very reasonable $5.99/lb while they weren't exactly like the ones from Whole Foods I didn't mind paying 50% of the price! Only Lamb rib chops are "Frenched" (which means cutting away the meat as to expose the bone) so they didn't have the lovely little 'handle' instead they were more like a little miniature T-bone! But either way I found them to be very good.

Again all I did was a simple seasoning with a bit of "steak seasoning" (salt, pepper, garlic, dill, crushed red pepper) that I have in a grinder and seared them on a hot grill pan for about 3-5 min per side. I served them with an ancient grain mix from Trader Joe's which is my fast easy go-to when company unexpectedly arrives. I also made a veggie mix (not pictured) of sauteed zucchini, onion, pepper, mushrooms, new zealand spinach, and some diced tomatoes in some garlic seasoned with salt & pepper.

6/16/10 - Garlic Ginger Seafood Stir-Fry

I know this recipe might seem familiar, but with so many veggies living in my fridge I wanted to get some of them used up before anything went bad. So here is a spin on the Garlic Chili Scallop Noodles that I made a few weeks back. However, I made a few key changes - I upped the veggies and removed the noodles making this perfect for anyone who might be looking for a low-carb options. With all the delicious and ripe vegetables (and fruits) available its easy to eat less carbs during the summer months for me.

There are some carbs that are just too good to give up....for me giving up fruit (which I snack on daily) crosses the line! What do you think? Are you a carb lover? What does it for you? Steamy hot mashed potatoes, Fresh crusty French loaf or just bowl of Grandma's pasta? Drool

Keep reading for the recipe!

6/4/10 - Secrets of fast heathy cooking...make your own spice rub!

While its fun to make creative, exciting recipes some nights getting dinner on the table and not picking up that phone to call for pizza is really all I can manage. This dinner doesn't look particularly exciting but it was easy and tasty. I wanted to add this becuase it is another example of a less time than takeout dinner that anyone can do. The basic meal is easy - marinade a protein while at work (or use a dry rub), steam a veggie and then grill (or saute) the protein.

Tonight dinner was marinaded pork chops that I cut off the bone into chunks before cooking since I was tired and hungry and wanted to eat fast! I was trying to get things done so fast that I forgot to marinade or run the pork with anything so I just sprinkd a bit on each side as it was cooking (for best results try to coat and let sit for 30 + min).  The best thing about this rub is that unlike store bought seasoning mix you get to decide what you like and what you don't. I try to have a bit of a few different blends (you can store them in spice jars or any air tight container)

Pork/Chicken/Beef Spice Blend (makes about 1 1/2- 2 c of seasoning)

3/4 c salt

6 tbsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp chipotle pepper

1 tbsp rushed red pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp hot paprika

1 tsp all- spice

optional - 2-4 tbsp brown sugar (will help add a sweet caramelized flavor)

6/2/10 - Black Sea Bass over Grilled Asparagus

With the weather heating up its getting harder and harder to cook dinner inside each night! Especially with my kitchen on the 3rd floor...yikes! We have been using the air conditioner for quite some time now - our Living/Dining/ Kitchen area just gets too hot. And forget the oven - its just not an option (I had to wait for a rainy day last week to make the 2 racks of baby back ribs I bought a month ago!) This dinner was fast and easy to cook up however there is one tool that needs to become part of my utensil draw (which is already out of control! but sometimes you just need one more!). Today's Daily Special on Foodbuzz is a Slotted Fish Spatula.....nice and flexible and long! Perfect for flipping a beautiful fillet like this Black Sea Bass which was simply seasoned with salt & pepper and placed on top of a bed of grilled asparagus. As you can see from my picture....my fillet wasn't so delicately turned and is a bit broken looking. Luckily looks doesn't matter as much when you food is mouth-watering and delicious.