Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops

We tried this recipe last night and loved it! I received it in an email from America's Test Kitchen. The flavor was fantastic. Sorry we didn't get a picture. We gobbled them up too fast!

Glaze
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper

Chops
4 boneless, center-cut pork loin chops , 5 to 7 ounces each, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Combine all glaze ingredients in medium bowl; mix thoroughly and set aside. Pat chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet. (Check internal temperature of thinner chops; see note above.) Return chops to skillet, browned side up, and add glaze mixture; cook over medium heat until center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; transfer chops to clean platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

3. When chops have rested, add any accumulated juices to skillet and set over medium heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 2 to 6 minutes. Return chops to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Transfer chops back to platter, browned side up, and spread remaining glaze over chops. Serve immediately.

Fresh Peach Pie

I adapted this recipe from one on Allrecipes.com. I love it because it doesn't use any artificial glaze and I love the freshness of the peaches.

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tsp butter
1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and mashed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups fresh peaches - pitted, skinned, and sliced

Combine sugar, water, cornstarch, butter or margarine, mashed peaches, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until clear and thick. Stir in vanilla. Fill pie shell with half of the sliced peaches, then half of the glaze, then the rest of the peaches and glaze. Refrigerate until cold, then serve.

Chile Salsa

If you are a fan of spicy salsa, this recipe is for you. This is my favorite salsa recipe to date. It is fairly hot, but not uncomfortably so. I got it off of a few university extention websites and it has been tested safe for canning.

I used a food processor to chop everything finely and it saved a lot of time and tears (from the peppers and onions).

Yield: 7 to 9 pints
10 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup vinegar
6 cups seeded, chopped chiles/peppers*
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner: 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude, 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.
*Use mixture of mild and hot chiles/peppers.

(If desired, you may substitute lemon of lime juice for the vinegar)

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken with Rice and Sauted Vegetables

I came up with this recipe myself last week inspired by the rice bowls from Rumbi Grill. It was so easy!! We will definitely make this one again.

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken
salt
pepper
stir fry your favorite veggies in a little oil (julienne carrots, zucchini, celery, onions, broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc.)
prepared rice

Teriyaki Glaze:

1/4 c soy sauce
1 c water
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS honey
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 c water
hot chili sauce or red pepper flakes, optional

Combine the soy sauce, 1 c water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, and honey in a small sauce pan. Heat to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch and 1/2 c water in a small bowl and add to sauce pan when heated. Stir and cook until it has reached a desired thickness. Add hot chili sauce, if desired. Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce into a bowl to be brushed over the chicken. The rest will be used to add to the final dish.

Grill 2 lbs of chicken strips seasoned with salt and pepper. About a minute before they are fully cooked, brush some of the glaze on one side. Remove chicken and slice as desired.

Pile rice on your plate, or bowl and add lots of veggies and chicken. Drizzle with remaining sauce as desired.

Peaches, Plums and Nectarines

I learned about this trick years ago, and it really works.

Growing up, my mom never liked buying peaches from the store that weren't locally grown because they never were ripe and flavorless. I've found that if you have a little patience you can get great summer fruit from the store and not have to wait for the local produce to come on.

When peaches, nectarines, and plums come on sale this time of the year I love to stock up. Don't be afraid to buy ones that are hard. I do try to get ones that look ripe, not green, though. Take them home and put them all in a brown paper bag. Fold it up and leave it on your counter for 2 to 3 days. Check on them daily to see if they are softening. Once they are starting to give, I put them all in the crisper drawer of my fridge. They will stay fresh for many days. They might not always be as juicy as local produce, but they are still a special treat.

Just yesterday we enjoyed some peaches and nectarines with my stuffed crepe recipe with fruit we ripened this way. They seemed especially good. Hurray for fresh summer fruits!!

Keeping Strawberries Fresh Longer

I recently found the what I think is the best way to keep strawberries you buy at the grocery store fresh for a long time. I've had them stay almost perfectly fresh for up to a week. Simply leave them in the plastic container they came in and place container inside a plastic grocery bag. Wrap the bag around it and keep in the fridge on a shelf. I've been amazed at how long they stay as fresh as the day you brought them home. In the past I've found that simply putting them in the fridge they start to get soft the next day or so. Try it. It really works.

Homestyle Barbecue Chicken Pizza

This is definitely a favorite in our home.

2 TBS olive oil
2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder
1 medium onion, diced
1 red or green pepper, diced
1 c your favorite barbeque sauce (I like KC Masterpiece or Bullseye best, but any will do)
1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Dough for one pizza. I like to use my Homestyle Pizza Dough recipe.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat in a skillet with olive oil. (You can also use grilled chicken and omit this step.)

When chicken is cooked, stir in garlic and chili powders. Add onions and bell pepper and cook for a minute or two so the veggies are a little tender.

Par-bake the rolled out pizza dough for about 6 minutes at 425 degrees before adding the toppings. Arrange the chicken topping evenly over the partially baked crust. Drizzle the barbecue sauce over the chicken (it won't like a lot of sauce, but will spread when baking), then sprinkle with cheese.

Return the pizza to the oven for 14-18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.