apples

#AppleWeek: Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

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I really wasn’t sure if I would be able to support #AppleWeek and I decided at close to the last minute that, I could make it happen! And while I unfortunately missed my opportunity to sign up for some (not all!) great sponsor items, that didn’t mean I couldn’t share some fabulous apple recipes with 2 dozen of my blogging friends. A huge thank you goes out to Carlee of Cooking with Carlee for organizing this great week.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

I had just purchased a curriculum for homeschooling my preschooler which opened up a lot of time I didn’t think I was going to have and the first unit is apples! While I’m actually saving that unit to coincide with some family apple picking, it had me thinking! And I’d just made this savory pork dinner from Bobby Flay’s Grill It.

Clearly the blogging gods pulling me to partake in #AppleWeek!

Pork chops and apple sauce is a classic combination and has often been elevated and modernized. In fact, one of my favorite dinners is Pork Chops with Spiced Apples from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen.

It would seem natural that apple butter could pair nicely with pork chops, too. And, I’m sure it does! But the apple butter you’re thinking of (and that I thought originally when reading the recipe title) is not the apple butter served over these chops. Instead of a “butter” made from apples, it’s real butter infused with apples, onions, and spices. Delicious!

Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter

Ingredients for pork:

  • 1/4 C molasses
  • 1/4 C Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 4 1″ thick bone-in pork chops
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Ingredients for butter:

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

Steps:

  1. Make butter: In a large non-stick skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the apples and browns sugar. Cook until apples are soft yet not falling apart. Stir in the cinnamon and salt, cook another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a food processor with the butter until smooth. Cover and refrigerate a least an hour. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  2. Make the glaze: Whisk together the molasses and mustards. Season to taste with S+P.
  3. Grill the pork chops: Brush the pork with the canola oil, season with S+P, and grill 3-4 minutes. Brush with the glaze and flip the pork. Grill another 4 – 5 minutes. Brush with more glaze and cook another minute. Remove from heat and allow pork to rest under foil for 5 minutes.
  4. Serve with a dollop of the apple butter.

*This recipe is adapted from Bobby Flay’s Grill It *

Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter for #AppleWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to enter the giveaway and check out these great apple recipes:

Appelflappen from Palatable Pastime
Apple Butter Cream Cheese Spread from Tip Garden
Apple Cinnamon Roll Pie from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
Apple Cranberry Galettes with Caramel Drizzle from Family Around the Table
Apple Maple Jam from Feeding Big
Apple Oat Quick Bread with Caramel Sauce from The Chef Next Door
Apple Yeast Coffee Cake from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Easiest Ever Applesauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Grilled Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin from Books n’ Cooks
Grilled Veggie Tacos with Apple Pico de Gallo from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Honeycrisp and Gouda Grilled Cheese from The Redhead Baker
Italian Apple and Fig Polenta Torta from All That’s Jas
Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Apple Butter from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apples from House of Nash Eats
Roasted Pork with Apple Puree from Simple and Savory
Savory Apple Bacon Pizza from Cooking With Carlee
Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Roast From Amy’s Cooking Adventures

 

#AppleWeek: The Giveaway 2017

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #AppleWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #AppleWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

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From September 25th through September 30th, over two dozen bloggers are celebrating the beginning of Fall with well over 80 recipes celebrating the glorious apple. #AppleWeek is hosted by Carlee of Cooking with Carlee. While I’m not sharing a recipe with you today, (I do have 3 for this event, though!) a lot of the #AppleWeek bloggers are kicking off giveaway Monday with a great dish; be sure to check them out at the end of this blog post!

In addition to delicious recipes spanning the spectrum of sweet and savory, there are incredible prize packages available from the wonderful sponsors of #AppleWeek. Check them out here and then follow the link for the giveaway below.

Prize Pack #1 from Rodelle:

A baker’s dream come true! This delicious prize pack includes premium vanilla products, gourmet dutch-processed cocoa and specialty extracts.

Items include:

Pure Vanilla Extract, Gourmet Dutch-Processed Baking Cocoa, Gourmet Vanilla Extract, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Chocolate Extract, Almond Extract, Vanilla Paste, and some fun baking supplies to whip up your next batch of goodies with!

Prize Pack #2 from Dreamfarm and Casabella:

Items include:a 2 ‘n 1 veggie brush
a clip n strip shears
a set up levups
a set of levoons

Prize Pack #3 from Flahavan’s Irish Oatmeal:

A goodie basket of Flahavan’s items

Prize Pack #4 from Pyrex and Chicago Cutlery:

A Prime™ by Chicago Cutlery® 7 Slot Digital Tablet Holder Block

Prize Pack #5 from Rainier Fruit:

A prize pack from Rainier Fruit including a box of freshly harvested Rainier Fruit apples, a stainless steel apple slicer, apple corer, “Baked with Love” ceramic pie pan, copper apple loaf pan and a $25 Williams Sonoma gift card!

Prize Pack #6 from Veggie Wash:

A prize pack from Veggie Wash
The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now for the delicious apple recipes:

Apple Bacon Turkey Burgers from Jonesin’ for Taste
Apple Brickle Mini Tarts with Oatmeal Crust from The Freshman Cook
Apple-Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Apple Cobbler French Toast Casserole from Tip Garden
Apple Fritter Yeast Bread from House of Nash Eats
Apple Oatmeal Coffee Mug Cake from Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
Apple Oatmeal Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal from Cooking With Carlee
Caramel Apple Nut Bars from Family Around the Table
Cinnamon Apple Cider Sangria from The Redhead Baker
Creamy Maple Gouda Apple Soup with Pecan-Oat Granola from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Healthy Apple Muffins from Caroline’s Cooking
Mulled Apple Cider from Books n’ Cooks
Oatmeal Crusted Apple Stuffed French Toast from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Salted Caramel Apple Cake from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Savory Apple Sausage Tart from The Crumby Kitchen
Vanilla Brined Pork Chops with Applesauce  from Bear & Bug Eats
Swedish Apple Oatmeal Pie with Vanilla Sauce from All That’s Jas
Torta di Mele Sicilian Apple Cake from Girl Abroad

 

 Disclaimer: Thank you to #AppleWeek Sponsors: Rodelle, Dreamfarm, Casabella, Flahavan’s Irish Oatmeal, Pryex, Chicago Cutlery, Rainier Fruit, and Veggie Wash for providing prizes for #AppleWeek free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #AppleWeek. All opinions are my own.

#BrunchWeek: German Apple Pancake

~ lk529 ~ 11 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

I love discovering new apple varieties. Especially when apple picking with my family. But it’s not apple picking season near me yet.

After receiving the beautiful Lady Alice apples from Rainier Fruit, I really couldn’t wait to get picking! These apples, even though shipped to me from Washington, tasted like they’d just been plucked from the tree. They might just be the perfect apple, ever!

Unfortunately, I won’t find Lady Alice apples ripe for the picking here in Southern California. Lady Alice apples were created naturally from two different types of apples in the orchard (the parent species still hasn’t been defined)! Nature truly is incredible.

If I could present an apple on a plate as a #BrunchWeek recipe, I would!

Instead, I decided (well, my husband had the idea) to try my hand at German apple pancakes. So, Mom and I took to it! And then we ate it! All.

pancake bite

German Apple Pancake

Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. Place flour, milk, salt, baking powder, and eggs in a blender. Blend. Let rest 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 2 8″ or 9″ round cake pans.
  3. Place 2 tbsp butter in each pan. Put in the oven a few minutes, just until the butter has melted. Remove from the oven.
  4. Divide apples between the two pans.
  5. Give the pancake batter a quick pulse and divide evenly over the apples.
  6. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the pancakes. Bake 25 minutes, until puffed and set.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/kittencals-german-apple-puff-pancake-105212*

German Apple Pancake for #BrunchWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out these other great brunch recipes:

BW 2017 logo FINAL

BrunchWeek Beverages:

Almond Joy Iced Coffee from Hardly A Goddess
Rose Water & St. Germain Champagne Cocktail from The Barbee Housewife

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:

Asparagus Topped Eggs with Hats from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Huevos Gratinados from Palatable Pastime

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:

Apple Banana Streusel Bread from Family Around the Table
Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Waffles from My Catholic Kitchen
Crispy Apple Cheesecake Danish from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Gooey Lemon Blueberry Pull-Apart Bread from Girl Abroad
German Apple Pancake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Overnight Raspberry French Toast from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Peach Custard Tart from The Redhead Baker
Pecan Gingerbread Buns from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Pineapple Sweet Rolls from Cooking with Carlee
Raspberry and Chocolate Grilled Cheese from Brunch-n-Bites
Southwestern Style Farro Breakfast Bowl from Cooking in Stilettos

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:

Apple, Grape, and Walnut Chicken Salad from Love and Confections

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:

Apple & Grape Breakfast Salad from The Chef Next Door
Cheddar Broccoli Soup from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Fully Loaded Stuffed Potatoes from A Day in the Life on the Farm

BrunchWeek Desserts:

Champagne Pound Cake with Rose Water Frosting from Sweet Beginnings
Lemon Cheesecake Parfaits from Cookaholic Wife
Lemon No Bake Cheesecake from Feeding Big

Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Nielsen-Massey, Rainier Fruit, and Michigan Asparagus for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social channel mentioned in the #Brunchweek posts or entry.

#FoodieExtravaganza: Caramel

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300April is here and with it another Foodie Extravaganza! This month Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas decided we should celebrate National Caramel Day, which is on April 5th – today!

I still had some caramels left over from those Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies I made in December, so why not use some more in a delicious caramel apple dip!?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

This dip was the perfect “redemption” snack to bring to my Bible study group yesterday morning. (“Redemption” because two fevers and three infected ears kept me from sharing the King’s Bundt Cake with the group in March.) Yesterday was our last meeting studying the book Hope for the Weary Mom: Let God Meet You in the Mess. We’ll take a three week break before digging into some more study material, so it was time for a potluck party!

I served this dip with two apple varieties and cinnamon graham crackers.

Caramel Apple Dip for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients:

  • 16 soft caramels, unwrapped
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the caramels in the water until smooth. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until combined.
  3. Mix in the melted caramel.
  4. Serve with apples, graham crackers, or pretzels.

*This recipe is adapted from Nikki at http://www.chef-in-training.com/2013/08/caramel-apple-dip/*

Caramel Apple Dip for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other caramel recipes:

Affogato – Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds from Sneha’s Recipes

Banana Chia Pudding with Date Caramel from Caroline’s Cooking

Caramel Apple Granola from Hardly a Goddess

Easter Coconut Bird’s Egg Nests from Palatable Pastime

Fa’ausi (Samoan Coconut Caramel Bread) – Tara’s Multicultural Table

Gooey Caramel Cake from Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Ooey Gooey Salted Caramel Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Countdown to 2017: Dessert

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

unnamedToday’s countdown though is all about dessert. Desserts are definitely the highest grossing posts on Sew You Think You Can Cook.

I actually make a fair number of sweets, too. Thanks to #BundtBakers.

This blogging countdown party is hosted by Sarah at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes.

My sweet tooth returned with a vengeance after Treat’s birth near the end of 2015 and I’m becoming a chocolate lover. The desserts I’m sharing as my favorites are those that I ate way more of than I care to admit.

Apple & Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

Apple Oat Crisp

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Pie

Egg Free Mint Gelato

Honey and Walnut Pear Bundt Cake

Best Dessert of 2016 | Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see a bunch of other dessert round-ups click here: An InLinkz Link-up

Apple Oat Crisp

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

When we were on our family vacation earlier this month, my husband decided he wanted to go apple picking. We crossed the WI-IL border and picked some apples in Harvard, IL at The Royal Oak Farm Orchard.

We had a great time picking a peck and a half of the three varieties that were available at the time of our visit: Jonamac, Macintosh, and Gala.

When my mom and I went apple picking last year, Firecracker was about 15 months old. He had just as much fun this year, but with a little (okay, a lot) of extra confidence on his feet for running around.

Firecracker has always struggled with eating raw apples, yet he loves the flavor of them. Unless an apple slice is covered in Nutella, he’ll simply gnaw away at the fruit and never swallow it. There’s always a pile of apple bits on the coffee table.

Treat, on the other hand, has never struggled with apples and they’re one of his absolute favorite foods. He happily ate close to an entire apple while we were picking. And with only two bottom teeth! I was surprised, though I guess I should’ve have been, that he managed to hold on to the apple the entire time!

apple-picking-2016

With our fall bounty in tow we headed to the kitchen. I put some apple in my Choco-flower Bundt Cake and into some meatballs we enjoyed on game day (recipe to come later this week). Our big apple feature dish, though, was a crisp.

My mom and I combined a few different recipes and methodologies to develop the resulting addicting dessert (/breakfast).

There aren’t a lot of pie recipes here on Sew You Think You Can Cook because I really don’t care for warm fruits. As I’m in the minority there I had no problem lending some apples to the cause of a crisp.

Um. Yeah. This crisp is one of my new all time favorites! I could have eaten the entire dish on my own. But, I had to share. A dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle of cinnamon, and drizzle of honey made this dessert a home run. Naturally, we bought some honey from the orchard and it’s beautiful apple-y floral quality was a perfect complement to the crisp.

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Of course, you could serve it with ice cream. I’m contemplating making a honey ice cream to serve alongside this Apple Oat Crisp for Thanksgiving this year.

Apple Oat Crisp

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
  • 2 tbsp apple cider
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 C + 1 tbsp flour, divided use
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided use
  • 1 C oats
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 stick butter, melted

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Toss apples with cider, sugar, 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Place in a small casserole dish.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together 1 C flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, the oats, brown sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the melted butter until combined and crumbly. Top the apples.
  4. Bake 30 – 35 minutes until golden, bubbly, and the apples are tender.

Apple Oat Crisp | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

#FreshTastyValentines: Apple Salsa

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

LogoIt’s the final day of #FreshTastyValentines, a blogging event headed up by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, and it’s also Mexican Monday!

I enjoy making salsas with fruit and have done so using strawberries and pineapple, so when Envy Apples signed up to be a #FreshTastyValentines sponsor I knew exactly how I’d want to highlight their produce; with a little heat and a little sweet.

We love trying new apples. Whenever there’s a variety at the grocery store we’ve not heard of we always pick up a couple to try. In my opinion, the perfect apple is all about texture as sweet vs tart simply depends on my mood. An apple must be both firm and crisp, and the Envy apples are just that; a perfect texture with the bonus of having a flesh resistant to browning, which would make these apples an excellent choice for kids’ lunchboxes or a party cheese plate.

12512546_10103496705705601_8103054962216754607_nWhen I opened up my beautiful box of Envy apples I was pleasantly surprised to be hit with an incredible aroma of fresh apple scent. The intoxicating smell let me know that these apple would have a strong, sweet flavor. I was not disappointed! (P.S. – I had chili on the stove bubbling away making my kitchen smell amazing in itself when I caught a whiff of the sweet apple aroma.) One apple was immediately “sacrificed” when my toddler grabbed it and took a bite, one apple was turned into salsa, and the last happily enjoyed alongside a bacon grilled cheese for lunch.

I pulled together the salsa in about ten minutes, but I probably spent twenty trying to get decent photographs. And then it was time to rush to Pure Barre, but not before first trying a bite of the salsa on a homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chip. When I returned home from class there was only a bite and a half of the salsa left! My husband had completely devoured it. This recipe is one that I will make again, and I’ll be on constant alert for Envy apples.

Apple Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 Envy apple, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Steps:

  1. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and jalapenos and saute until tender. Add the cinnamon and cook another 30 seconds. Stir in the honey and lime juice and cook until honey is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
  2. Serve with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips (brush whole wheat tortillas with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake at 375degF for 10min).

*This recipe is adapted from https://www.kelloggsfamilyrewards.com/en_US/recipes/sweet-and-spicy-apple-salsa-recipe.html*

apple salsa for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

It’s the last day to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more Valentine’s recipes today:

Thank you to #FreshTastyValentines sponsors for providing bloggers with samples and products to use for #FreshTastyValentines recipe development without additional compensation. All opinions stated are those of the bloggers.

 

Apple Pie Waffles

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It seems there’s been an influx of apple recipes on the blog lately. But what can I say, that happens when you go apple picking! Do you know how many apples fit in a half bushel!? (And I only kept half of them!)

On the first day of Fall my mom and I took the little man to a local orchard to do some apple picking. We picked some Fuji, Winesap, and Johnathan apples and had a great time doing so. My little guy who only likes apple in sauce form even took some bites of a freshly plucked apple. I guess it’s true what they say, “Allowing kids to be involved in the food encourages them to eat it.” (The same rang true for raspberries we picked at the end of summer.)

Two of those apples, 1 Winesap and 1 Fuji, were shredded and added to waffle batter for some Apple Pie Waffles. With my son being in an “I only eat bread” phase, waffles have become a great way to sneak in some extra nutrition. (Half of a baked sweet potato that he wouldn’t even touch was turned into sweet potato waffles.) These apple pie waffles are packed with apple and Greek yogurt for that extra bit of protein and dairy.

Apple Pie Waffles (1) for #MadewithChobani from Sew You Think You Can Cook

There’s a good chance this is my new favorite waffle recipe! It probably doesn’t hurt that I ate them with vanilla ice cream… only the two I photographed, I promise. Actually, the rest of them were enjoyed solo – no butter, no syrup needed. I tried a little bit with honey and cinnamon sugar and that was quite delightful, but not necessary. My husband still ate them with maple syrup.

Apple Pie Waffles (3) for #MadewithChobani from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Apple Pie Waffles

Ingredients:

  • 2 C flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C milk
  • 1/4 C vegetable oil
  • 1/2 C vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
  • 1 C shredded peeled apple (1 large or 2 small)

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  2. In another bowl beat eggs with milk, oil, and yogurt.
  3. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in the shredded apple.
  4. Into a hot greased waffle iron, drop 1/3 C of batter and cook until golden.

*This recipe is adapted from David at http://spicedblog.com/apple-pie-waffles.html*

Apple Pie Waffles (2) for #MadewithChobani from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: I was reached out to by Chobani to create a post for their #MadewithChobani series. Check out Chobani’s recipe page and search the hashtag (#MadewithChobani) on social media for other great fall recipes made healthier with Greek yogurt. 

#FoodieExtravaganza: Pork

~ lk529 ~ 23 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300

It’s the first Wednesday of the month (OCTOBER – what?!?!) and that means it’s time to celebrate some foodie fun! Specifically, National Pork Month. (Ironically, it’s also Vegetarian Awareness Month…) Thank you Lauren, host of From Gate to Plate, for hosting our piggy party today!

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share. If you are a blogger and you’re interested in joining in the fun, visit us at our Facebook Foodie Extravaganza page. You can also visit our past party submissions on our Pinterest Foodie Extravaganza board.

I am sharing a recipe that actually fits two of national food month themes – pork and apples! Quite a classic combination, it only makes sense they share a month, too.

A few years ago – four maybe? – my brother gave me Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen for my birthday. I’ve already shared his Poppy Seed Muffin recipe from this cookbook. This recipe is the very first recipe I made from Tyler’s cookbook, I actually used chicken breasts instead of pork and pumpkin pie spice instead of the mixture of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove because I didn’t have two of those ingredients at the time. According to my notes (it’s surprising I took notes years before this blog was even an inkling) I also had to roast the chicken at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. But, today, I’m sharing the version I made more recently – with pork.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples

Ingredients for pork chops:

  • 1 gal water
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 1 C sea salt
  • 1 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 4 1″ thick, bone-in pork chops

Ingredients for Apples:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 C dried cherries (or raisins, cranberries, or currants)
  • 3/4 C frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • pinch of cardamom
  • pinch of ground mustard

Steps:

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the pork chops, except the pork, in a large pot. Stir until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add the chops, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Note: Do not brine longer than that.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Remove pork from the brine and pat dry. Season with S+P. Sear pork chops 4 minutes on each side in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Do this in batches if needed.) Place pork in a casserole dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached.
  4. Melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apples and thyme. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries, apple juice concentrate, sugar, and spices. Season with S+P. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pan.
  5. Serve apples over the pork chops.

*This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen*

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out the rest of these pork recipes:

BBQ Pulled Pork with Mac and Cheese Flatbread by From Gate to Plate
Chili Verde Pork Posole by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Freezer-friendly Spicy Pork Burrito by Brunch with Joy
Healthy Sausage and Rice by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Italian Sausage No Crust Quiche by Cookin’ and Craftin’
Jamie Olivier’s Pork Roast with Crackling by G’Gina’s Kitchenette
Mojo Shredded Pork with Black Beans and Rice by Our Good Life
Parmesan Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin by Cooking with Carlee
Pork and Apple Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pork Meatball Mini Subs by The Freshman Cook
Pork Schnitzel by Making Miracles
Spicy Sticky Pork Ribs by Food Lust People Love
Sweet and Sour Pork by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Thai Basil Meatballs with Peanut-Basil Sauce Two Ways by Caroline’s Cooking

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Blogger CLUE: Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

blogger CLUE

Before you get all wrapped up in the pumpkin craze, let’s not forget about the other great fall fruits, like apples and pears! Yes, pumpkin is technically a fruit, and I have no doubt that some of the CLUE players will be sharing pumpkin recipe. Be sure to stop by their pages, too!

This month I was assigned the blog That Skinny Chick Can Bake written by Liz. Liz helps keep our group organized and is a member of a few other blogging groups I’m also a part of. I’m not sure how she keeps up with everything! Her blog is a beautiful array of sweets (with some great savory options, too).

I was tempted by a couple of her fall salads (Spinach Salad with Pears and Cranberries or Apple Cherry Walnut Salad) but hey, “That Skinny Chick Can Bake” so I settled on a baked item. I altered her Sour Cream Pear Bread to utilize what I had in my fridge – Greek Yogurt and Apples.

Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 3/4 C cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 C peeled and diced apples
  • cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract and yogurt (or sour cream).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Add to the stand mixer in 2-3 installments.
  4. Fold in diced apples (or pears). Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
  5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow loaf to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan onto a cooling rack.
  6. This loaf is best served warm/toasted with a little butter.

Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf for #BloggerCLUE from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month: