Bountiful Baskets Dinner

Last night I used a bunch of my produce from my bountiful basket. I've been doing bountiful baskets for quite awhile now and love it. Here's what I made:


I used Jacque's technique for the pork chops. First you bread the pork chops however you want. I rinsed and dried my chops. Then I dredged them in flour and dipped in egg. For my breading, I used panko bread crumbs mixed with garlic salt and crushed rosemary. I love the taste of rosemary but Brad hates the leaves so I buy crushed. Brown the pork chops in a little hot oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add liquid (I used a little apple juice and the rest water), cover, and steam until the pork chops are done. I tend to buy the thick chops so it takes about 45 minutes. I had to add quite a bit of liquid. The apple juice carmelized and added a lot of flavor. For the last ten minutes (about) I added some thick slices of apples (peeled and cored). I add the apples right on top of the chops so they add moisture but don't burn. Brad LOVES these pork chops. They are yummy.

I used our red potatoes to make a mash. I love red mashed potatoes. One of my favorite foods. When I make red mashed potatoes, I like to leave some bite sized pieces. I add the typical butter and milk (warmed-so important!). Then I like to add garlic salt and a little sour cream. Not super healthy but super tasty!

The green beans were our favorite! I simply boiled them until they were tendercrisp. I then added a touch of olive oil and a pinch of garlic salt (we like garlic, can you tell?!).

Overall it was a fresh, nice meal! I probably will save it for a Sunday next time, though. My kids get crazy at dinner-making time!

Sweet Potato Fries

We love sweet potato fries. We really like oven fries, but these are much healthier so we do these, too. They are really easy. The most important thing to have is a sharp knife. Sweet potatoes are pretty hard.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (let's be honest-they are actually yams)
olive oil
spices of choice : we like garlic salt, pepper, and creole-which we were out of so settled for our Red Robin seasoning :)


Directions:
Peel and wash the sweet potatoes.


Cut the potatoes into 3 chunks.


Cut each of those chunks into small fries. You want to do smaller fries. Larger steak fries tend to get mushy.


Put all the fries into a large Ziploc


Drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Just eyeball it. The fries should be coated but not dripping. Lay the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet. Make sure it is a single layer! For easier clean up, line the pan with foil. Don't forget to spray! The olive oil can be deceiving-it does NOT prevent the fries from sticking. Then season. You want to err on the side of too much spice-even when it looks like tons of spice it can turn out a little bland. If you look closely you can see all the extra garlic salt on the pan.


Cook at 400 degrees until golden brown on the bottom (about 15 minutes-mine took about 17-20). Flip the fries. Season the other side if desired. Cook for about 15-20 minutes more until the other side is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Grilled Red Potatoes

This recipe is awesome. It's really easy, too. This side works great with grilled chicken, steak-really anything grilled.

Ingredients:
1 lb red potatoes (the really small ones are the best)
1/4 cup olive oil
9 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt (I think it needs a little more)

Wash the red potatoes. Cut in half-if the potatoes are large, cut them in more pieces. We had really big red potatoes so I cut them in eighths. Place the potatoes onto wooden skewers all facing the same way. Place on a plate in a single layer. Poke the potatoes with a fork. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, salt, and rosemary. Cook for about 3 minutes. Basically you are infusing the oil with the flavors. Strain the mixture. Reserve 1 TBSP solids and oil in a separate bowl (it works best to just put it right into the serving bowl). Discard the remaining solids.



Brush the potatoes with the infused oil. Cook in the microwave for 8 minutes. They should be almost done.

Grill over a medium-high heat until potatoes are completely cooked, about 10 minutes.




Take the potatoes off the skewers and toss with the reserved oil and solids.


And enjoy!

Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash

I am sad to say that I don't have a picture of this recipe. It was de-licious. Even Andrew enjoyed it and he's not a big fan of squash.

The biggest pain was getting rid of the skin and cutting up the whole squash. But, it was well worth it.

1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. parsley
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/4 lbs. butternut squash peeled in 1 in. cubes
3 Tbl + 1 3/4 tsp. parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the squash and toss. Place in an ungreased baking dish. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes (or until tender but not mushy) stirring occasionally.

You can either add some of the cheese in with the 'squash toss' and some later or add it all on top at the end. I did half and half.

*Note: The original recipe I had said to bake for 50-55 minutes. It does NOT take that long. Mine may have only taken about 30 or so. Just keep stabbing it until it is to the doneness you like.