March 9-13, 2009

Monday: Steak Teriyaki (Really Yummy)
Cooks Country 2008 Feb/Mar insert card; 30 min meal)

Tuesday: Left overs

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: Penne with Sausage and Broccoli (Really yummy)

Friday & Saturday in Seattle

Steak Teriyaki
Cooks Country 2008 Feb/Mar insert card; 30 min meal
Serves 4
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve with rice, if desired.

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. Cider vinegar
2 t. cornstarch
3 strip steaks (8-10 oz .ea), about 1 in. thick
2 t. vegetable oil
2 scallions, sliced thin

1. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, vinegar, and cornstarch in bowl.

2. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add steaks and cook until well browned, 3-5 min per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

3. Wipe out skillet and add soy sauce mixture. Simmer over med. heat until sauce is thickened, about 2 min. Slice steak thinly against grain and transfer to platter. Pour sauce over steak and sprinkle with scallions. Serve.

Penne with Sausage and Broccoli
Serves 4-6
(One large head of broccoli should yield about 8 oz. of florets. Alternatively, bags of cut broccoli florets are available in the produce section of most supermarkets).

1 lb. hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
8 oz. penne (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 c. white wine
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. broccoli florets, cut into 1 in pieces
1/2 c. grated parm cheese
1 T. finely chopped fresh basil
2t. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain sausage on paper towel-lined plate.

2. Cook onion and bell pepper in sausage fat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add penne and cook, stirring often, until pasta is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, broth, and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover an simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften, about 8 min.

3. Arrange broccoli on top of pasta and continue to cook, covered, until broccoli is bright green and tender and pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan, Sausage, basil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

February 22nd - Feb 28

Sunday: Baked Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, & rolls

Monday: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Cooks Country Oct/Nov pg. 8

Tuesday: Left overs (Hannah's school program)

Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole, Salad, & Rolls

Thursday: Chicken Caesar Salads

Friday: Chicken Broccoli & Cheese Ziti & Garlic Bread
The Cooks Country Cookbook pg. 259

Saturday: Left overs

Baked Ham
15 lb ham serves 30

15 lb bone in or 7-8 lb shank, smoked ham
1 ½ c. (1 jar) orange marmalade
1 c. Dijon mustard
1 1/2c. brown sugar
1 T. Whole Cloves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Set rack on lower middle level. Cut off excess fat and tough outer skin. Put in large roasting pan. Score ½ inch deep and 1inch apart. Roast 2 hrs. plain or 1 ½ hours for 7-8lb. ham.

Remove ham, increase oven temp to 350 degrees. Put cloves at intersections of scores and brush with glaze generously. Cook 1 ½ hrs. (15 lb) less for 7-8 lb ham, brushing with glaze at least 3 times.

Total cooking time 3 ½ hrs. (15 lb ham) or until proper temp.
Rest 30 min. before carving.

Cheesy Potatoes

1 24 oz package frozen hash browns (square style)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small carton of Sour Cream
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese
1 small onion (we only used ½ of one-easier of stomachs-family member’s don’t digest them very well)
1 stick of margarine/butter
Salt & pepper
Cornflakes

Thaw hash browns. Cube cheese, and mix all other ingredients together. Put hash browns in 9 x 13 baking dish. Put cubed cheese on top of hash browns. Put the mixed ingredients on top of the cheese and potatoes. Cover with cornflakes crumbs. Bake for 45 min to 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Cheesy Chicken Cordon Bleu Rice Casserole

2 T. oil olive
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 lb. diced ham
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
4 T. butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
14 oz chicken broth
3 cups cooked rice of choice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella or swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in large 5 quart rimmed skilled over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ham, and chicken. Cook for additional 5 minutes. Melt butter, stir in flour, add salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice.

Transfer to a 9X13 baking pan. Top with cheddar and mozarella (I used swiss) cheese. I also mixed the cheese into the dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

February 9 - Feb 15th

Sunday: Afternoon Treat! Hershey's Best Brownies
My mom & I used to make these when I was younger and they are SO yummy!

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Pork chops & Rice

Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Salad & French Bread

Thursday: French Dips, Pasta Salad & Chips

Friday: Left overs

Saturday: Valentine's Dinner! Lasagna, Corn, & Garlic Bread

Sunday: Left overs

Pork Chops & Rice
Mom's recipe (serves 4-6 )

Boneless Pork chops
Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce
2 Cans Beef Consume w/ Gelatin
2 Cans Minute Rice
1/4 of small onion, chopped
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Pepper

Brown pork chops in Yoshida's until done. Drain soup into 9 x 13 pan. Use soup cans to fill with Minute Rice and pour 2 cans of rice into the soup. Add chopped onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste. (I just shake a bit in and go for it) Mix all together and lay browned pork chops on top. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degree for 25 minutes.

Onion Beef Au Jus
Serves 4-5

1 boneless beef rump roast
1 T. Vegetable oil
2 lg. white onions, cut ¼ in. slices
6 T. butter/margarine, softened, divided
5 c. water
½ c. Soy Sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Loaf French bread
1 c. (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese (sliced works fine too)

In a Dutch oven over med-high heat brown roast on all sides in oil; drain. In a lg. skillet, sauté onions in 2 T. butter until tender. Add the water, soy sauce, soup mix & garlic. Pour over roast. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 ½ hours or until tender.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Return meat to pan juices. Slice bread in half lengthwise; cut into 3 in. sections. Spread remaining butter over bread. Place on a baking sheet, broil until golden brown. Top with beef & onions, sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Serve with pan juices.

Jan 11th - Jan 17th

Sunday: Tortolini & Garlic Bread

Monday: Left overs

Tuesday: Lemon Chicken Risotto & Orange Brownies (Kim & Ellie here)

Wednesday: Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken & Broccoli (Kim & Ellie here)

Thursday: Left overs

Friday:

Saturday: Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

Risotto with Chicken, Lemon, and Basil
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 4 (fast)
If the finished risotto is too thick, stir in hot water, a few T. at a time, to adjust the consistency.

1 C. Arborio rice
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
6 T. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bit sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
2 t. grated zest and 2 T. juice from 1 lemon
1 C. grated parm. cheese, plus extra for serving
salt and pepper

1. Combine rice, 3 c. broth, and 2 T. butter in lg. bowl. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until rice is softened and most of liquid is absorbed, 10-16 min.

2. Meanwhile, melt additional 2 T. butter in med. saucepan over med. heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 3 min. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Stir in hot rice mixture and remaining broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until rice is tender, 5-7 min. Stir in chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 min.

3. Off heat, stir in basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional Parmesan at table.

Orange Brownies
Paula Deen
24 Squares

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp pure orange extract
1 tsp grated orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 13 by 9 inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepard pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders
Newman’s Own light honey mustard dressing
Rold Gold Honey Mustard Pretzels
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Dip or marinate the chicken in the dressing. Grind up the pretzels in a food processor or use a plastic bag and rolling pin. Cover chicken with pretzels by dipping chicken in mixture or by shaking chicken in a bag of pretzel mixture. You can combine ½ cup parmesan cheese with the pretzels if you would like. You would want to combine the pretzels and cheese before covering the chicken. Bake on the silpat at 400 degrees for 15 min (tenders) or 25 minutes for the chicken breasts.

Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Cook's Country April/May 2008
Serves 4 (recommends Divina jarred roasted red peppers)

4 bone in rib or center-cut pork chops (1 in thick)
salt and pepper
1 T. Vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 t. light brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

1. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add cops and cook until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees. about 5 min. per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.

2. Add onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cream, roasted peppers, and sugar and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 min. Off heat, add any accumulated pork juices back to pan and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chops. Serve

Dec 15th - Dec 22nd

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Chicken Peanut Sauce

Wednesday: RDS gone - Spaghetti

Thursday: RDS gone - left overs

Friday: RDS gone - Pork Chops & Rice

Saturday: Mexican Chicken Casserole

Sunday: Left overs or Hot Artichoke Dip & Bread

Monday: Barbecue Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Rolls

Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Shape Magazine
(serves 4 )

2 Chicken Breasts
4 TB Peanut Butter
5 TB Soy Sauce
2 TB Lemon Juice
4TB Brown Sugar
1 Bell Pepper
Water chestnuts
Green Onions
2 pkgs. Yokisoba Noodles

Brown Chicken. While Chicken is cooking chop vegetables, I add some water chestnuts. Start boiling water for noodles and making the peanut sauce. Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice in small sauce pan until mixed in and thickening. Cook noodles according to package (about 3 min.) Chop or slice chicken. Drain noodles and mix it all together in a bowl. Serve with warm French Bread.

Pork Chops & Rice
Mom's recipe (serves 4-6 )

Boneless Pork chops
Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce
2 Cans Beef Consume w/ Gelatin
2 Cans Minute Rice
1/4 of small onion, chopped
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Pepper

Brown pork chops in Yoshida's until done. Drain soup into 9 x 13 pan. Use soup cans to fill with Minute Rice and pour 2 cans of rice into the soup. Add chopped onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste. (I just shake a bit in and go for it) Mix all together and lay browned pork chops on top. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degree for 25 minutes.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
Cooking Light
(serves 8 )

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chile's, divided
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Combine broth and 1 can of chile's in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chile's and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Barbecue Meat Loaf
Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics pg. 269
(serves 6 )

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 onion, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
3 TB vinegar
3 TB brown sugar
2 TB prepared mustard
2 TB Worcestershire sauce

Mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, water,vinegar, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour this sauce over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the pan juices.

Serve with mashed potatoes and rolls.

Nov 30 - Dec 5

Sunday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, & Corn

Monday: Left overs

Tuesday: Supper Nachos w/ Chicken

Wednesday: Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper cream served over egg noodles (SO YUMMY)

Thursday: Shepherd's Pie & Rolls

Friday: Chicken Penne Pasta & Bread

Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Cook's Country April/May 2008
serves 4 (recommends Divina jarred roasted red peppers)

4 bone in rib or center-cut pork chops (1 in thick)
salt and pepper
1 T. Vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 t. light brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

1. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add cops and cook until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees. about 5 min. per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.

2. Add onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cream, roasted peppers, and sugar and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 min. Off heat, add any accumulated pork juices back to pan and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chops. Serve

Shepherd’s Pie
Serves 6 to 8

3 lbs of ground beef
2 TB Vegetable Oil
2 medium onions, minced
Salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 TB tomato paste
1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
¾ cups dry red wine
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried
1 1lb bag frozen pea and carrot medley (about 3 cups; do not thaw)
Ground black pepper
3 lbs. russet potatoes (about 6 med potatoes) peeled and sliced ¾ inch thick
1 ½ cup heavy cream, warmed
4 TB (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Brown the hamburger in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
Drain the hamburger through a fine-mesh strainer. Add 2 TB of vegetable oil to the pot and heat over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the drained hamburger, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and rosemary and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in peas and carrots and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish; set aside.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot set over low heat, and mash to a smooth consistency. Stir in the cream, followed by the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.With a large spoon, dollop the mashed potatoes over the hamburger filling. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the potatoes out into an even layer and push to the edges of the baking dish.Adjust an over rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap the dish and place the casserole on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned, about 20-25 min.

Chicken Vegetable Pasta

3 or 4 Chicken breasts cut in pieces
2 Zucchini
2 Yellow Squash
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 pint Heavy Cream
¾ C Cheddar Jack Cheese

Cut all veggies thin, so they cook quickly. (Squash & Zucchini cut in half and then slice, bell pepper cut into thin slices and then chop into squares/bite sizes).
Brown 2 cloves of garlic in vegetable oil. Add Chicken and season with salt & pepper.
Drain off oil and juices.
Add small amount of vegetable oil and all veggies. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Cook until veggies are soft. Taste to check seasoning.
Start water for pasta ( mini penne is what I use)
Drain off oil/juices, as much as you can.
Add 1 pint Heavy Cream. Season again with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Allow sauce to thicken while pasta is cooking. Taste sauce to check seasoning, add if necessary.
Drain and add desired amount of pasta.
Add about ½ cup of shredded cheddar jack cheese and stir in.

Use remaining cheese to top your pasta in the bowl. I serve with warm French bread.

Nov 9 - 16

Sunday: Risotto with Lemon, Chicken, & Basil. Served with rolls (VERY GOOD)

Monday: Pumpkin Waffles, Maple Syrup, and Almond whipped cream

Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas
(Located in Recipe Binder)

Wednesday: Daddy's Birthday: Cider-Braised Pork Chops, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Rolls, & Birthday Cake

Thursday: Chicken Divan & Rolls
(Located in Recipe Binder)

Friday-Sunday: Pacific City, Oregon

Risotto with Chicken, lemon, and Basil
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 4 (fast)

If the finished risotto is too thick, stir in hot water, a few T. at a time, to adjust the consistency.

1 C. Arborio rice
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
6 T. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bit sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
2 t. grated zest and 2 T. juice from 1 lemon
1 C. grated parm. cheese, plus extra for serving
salt and pepper

1. Combine rice, 3 c. broth, and 2 T. butter in lg. bowl. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until rice is softened and most of liquid is absorbed, 10-16 min.
2. Meanwhile, melt additional 2 T. butter in med. saucepan over med. heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 3 min. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 sec. Stir in hot rice mixture and remaining broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until rice is tender, 5-7 min. Stir in chicken and cook until heated through, about 1 min.
3. Off heat, stir in basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional Parmesan at table.

Pumpkin Waffles
2 c. flour (half whole wheat if desired)
2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 3/4 cup milk (maybe a little more or less)
1/2 c pumpkin
1 egg
2 TBSP. vegetable oil

Mix and drop into hot waffle iron. SO YUMMY!!!!

Cider-Braised Pork Chops
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 6

Do not use chops thinner than 1 inch. In step, 3 separator makes quick work of defatting the sauces.

6 bone-in blade-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick. (I used boneless)
Salt & pepper
2 TB Vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped (I only used ½ - kids and tummies)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB all-purpose flour
¼ Cup apple butter
1 Cup apple cider
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 TB finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towel and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops in two batches, about 4 min per side; transfer to plate.
2. Pour off all but 1 TB fat from pot and cook onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, flour, and 2 TB of apple butter and cook until onions are coated and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cider and thyme, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, and bring to boil. Add browned chops and any accumulated juices to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until chops are completely tender, about 1 ½ hours.
3. Transfer chops to serving platter. Strain sauce, then use a shallow spoon to skim off fat. Whisk in vinegar, parsley, and remaining apple butter. Season with salt & pepper. Serve, passing sauce at table.

Note: Make ahead – Chops and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. To serve, heat sauce and chops together over medium heat until chops are warmed through

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(Cook's Country Oct/Nov 2008)
Serves 8 to 10

Cutting the potatoes into ½ inch pieces ensures that maximum surface area is exposed to soak up garlicky flavor.

4 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into ½ inch pieces
12 TB butter (1 ½ sticks)
12 garlic cloves, minced (1 used 10)
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ cups half & half
½ cup water
Salt & pepper

1. Place cut potatoes in colander. Rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
2. Melt 4 TB butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and sugar, stirring often, until sticky and straw colored, 3 to 4 min. Add rinsed potatoes, 1 ¼ cups half & half, water, and 1 tsp salt to pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 35 min.
3. Off heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining half & half until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are creamy. Season with salt & pepper. Serve.