Pozole ~ Mexican Pork & Hominy Soup

I was cleaning out the fridge and freezer the other day and cooked up a hearty and soul-satisfying soup with what I had lurking about, one that my Mexican-food-loving-self just adores ~ Pozole.  I don't have a standard recipe for this classic pork and hominy soup, (but here is one that sounds good) I always wing it, I start out with the basics and then add-on as inspired.  This time I added in a can of black beans, used some homegrown  green chilies that I roasted and froze at the end of last summer, some Trader Joe's roasted corn , a huge can of diced tomatoes and a few other goodies.  I topped it some crushed tortilla chips (the last remnants at the bottom of the chip bag) and enjoyed eating it for a few days.  We've been having really cool weather lately.  I know it's almost summer, but some days it feels more like late winter here.  Maybe I should just hop on a plane and head south of the border for some warmer summer weather.  Get me some surf, sand, sun and cervezas ~ sounds like a plan to me!   Olé  :)

  

Grilled Pork with Sauteed Kale, Squash & Almonds ~ making the most of leftovers

I always try to get creative with leftovers.  I look to see how much I have of whatever is leftover, then I see what I have that is fresh to use and then I go hunting for what might be on it's last legs and see what I can come up with.  For this meal, I had some leftover grilled pork ~ so I sauteed some fresh kale, garlic, some seen-better-days squash and then added the last of the slivered almonds.  Tossed in the sliced pork, gave it a splash of  EVOO, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of zesty spice blend, let it all heat through...and lunch was served.  Quicker, cheaper and healthier than take-out.  I like that and so does my wallet.  :)

Grilled Pork Loin Chop Salad

I'm trying to eat more salads and eat a bit more low carb.  One way I like to do that is to grill a piece of meat on my George Foreman Grill and then serve the sliced meat on top of a big bed of fresh lettuce and chopped up veggies.

For this salad, I cooked a lean pork loin chop and seasoned it with a Cajun spice blend.  Then I just sliced it up and drizzled the salad with a light vinaigrette.  (in case you were wondering, that big bowl of salad was just for me :)   It was on the table in no time, I like that.  Simple cooking at its best.

Easy Ham & Potato Soup

Easy Ham & Potato Soup ~ This was such a comforting and tasty meal.  We'll be making it all winter!

Yesterday afternoon, my son & I were watching cooking shows on PBS.  (I know, my 8 year old will watch cooking shows with me ~ how cool is that? :)   There was a recipe for a potato and leek soup that caught his eye and he decided that's what he wanted for dinner.  I didn't have leeks, but I did have onion and some leftover Christmas ham in the freezer, so that's where the inspiration for this soup came from.

I threw in some-of-this and a bit-of-that.  We all thought the soup was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.  Roy definitely wants me to make it again, so I thought I might as well share it on the blog.  Hope you like it as much as we did.  It certainly was easy enough to make and using the condensed soup/leftover ham made it super simple and quick.   Enjoy!

Easy Ham & Potato Soup
serves 3~4 

Ingredients

• 1 can of condensed ~ Cream of Chicken ~ soup
• 2 1/2 cups water (maybe a little bit more)
• 2 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery thin sliced
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chicken 'Better Than Bouillon' (or a bouillon cube) 
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Saute the diced onion and sliced celery in the olive oil for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.  Add the potatoes and the 2 1/2 cups of water and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the can of condensed soup, chopped ham, basil, onion powder, garlic powder and chicken bouillon.  Stir until combined and maybe add a little bit more water if desired. (depends on how much water evaporated while the soup was simmering and how thick/thin you like your soup)  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve with your favorite bread.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

It's been pretty gray around here the last few days and that always makes me want to cook soup ~ this time I was craving split pea and ham soup.  Luckily for me, I had a bag of green split peas in the pantry.  I just followed the recipe on the back of the bag, no need to get fancy.  The only things different I did was to add some chopped up celery and I added a cut-up smoked pork chop. 

I found a set of old, 1960's dishes a couple of months ago over at Goodwill & I just LOVE them!  I'm really getting into the whole 50/60's atomic/retro kitchenware vibe.  Now that I have a blog, I've got a great excuse to pick up cool plates and such when I find them.  You can't beat the price, most are about 50 cents-$1 each. I mean, I'm taking a lot of pictures and who wants to see the same ol'dishes every time. Right?  That's my story & I'm stickin' to it! teehee

On to the stove it went and in about an hour we had a great, big pot of ~ Split Pea & Ham Soup.  While the soup was merrily bubbling away, I baked up a box of Jiffy Corn Bread in my trusty cast iron skillet.  Quick and easy home cooking that hits the spot ~ that's one way to make the blah's go away.   : )

I like to use Hurst Beans, they're really good and they have a great selection.  For us, they're a local company and I really like that.  Here is another recipe using their green split peas that sounds good, especially for Spring, when asparagus is in season...

Marinated Pork Tenderloin ~ perfect for easy & elegant dinners

Whole Oven Roasted Thai Marinated Pork Tenderloin ~ Getting pre-marinated pork tenderloin at the market takes all the hassle out of making this tender & low fat cut of meat.  There are many different marinated flavors to choose from ~ the hardest part is trying to decide what flavor you'd like to try.  :)

For an easy dinner that's simple to prepare, yet nice enough for company, I often turn to marinated pork tenderloins.  I purchase the pre-marinated ones at the store, but you could easily marinate it at home.  I like the convenience of having it already done for me, just one less thing to have to worry about on a busy night.  Sometimes I roast the entire tenderloin in the oven.  If I'm roasting it, I just follow the simple directions on the package for getting the tenderloin into the oven & in about the time it takes me to get all the side dishes ready, maybe help out with homework & maybe have a cup of tea ~ dinner is about ready to get on the table.  It's all pretty low-key, but it tastes like you went to a lot of trouble ~ I like it when something easy makes me look so good!  heehee

BBQ Mesquite Marinated Pork Tenderloin Medallions ~ I slice the raw tenderloin into 'medallions' for even quicker cooking.  Since they're sliced thin, it takes just a few minutes to cook.  If you have any leftover rice, combine it with some frozen mixed veg & you've got a simple side dish, add another veg & dinner is served.

 

Sometimes I slice the raw tenderloin into 'medallions' when I want dinner on the table even quicker.  I'll either cook them on the George Foreman Grill, or saute them in a skillet.  Dress it up for an elegant dinner or keep it simple for a weeknight meal, it's all good!  Any leftovers are perfect served the next day, either in ~ sandwiches at lunchtime or as a stir fry for dinner.  Not only is this a really easy cut of meat to cook (you can even grill it on the BBQ), it's tasty & really low in fat ~ no wonder I like this cut of meat so much!   :)

Leftover Pork Stir Fry ~ Grab some leftover marinated pork tenderloin, cut it into cubes & stir fry it with your favorite stir fry sauce, veggies and maybe even some chunks of tropical fruit.  Then serve it over rice & sprinkle with some nuts.  A quick & simple dinner for any night of the week. 

Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches & Cabbage ~ Loving my George Foreman Grill!

Grilled Pork Chops, Peaches & Cabbage, using my George Foreman Grill ~ I love cooking this way ~ no added fat, quick cooking time, the grill marks.  It's such an easy way to cook during this extra HOT summer!  :)

I just had to share how much I love my George Foreman Grill!  I've been using it a lot more now that it's been so hot & every time I cook with it, I wonder why I don't use it more.  I've finally figured out how to clean it quickly & now that I've conquered that obstacle, the sky's the limit! 
 

Ready to serve dinner up ~ Family Style.  How impressive it that platter to bring to the table?  Smiles were all around!

My favorite thing to cook on it is a ~ thin cut, lean pork loin chop ~ it cooks in about 5 minutes & tastes wonderful!  It's now one of our favorite meals & since it's a lean cut and since you don't add any extra fat to cook on a Foreman Grill, it's a good choice when I'm watching my calories.  I always use Penzeys Spices Pork Chop Seasoning ~ I think it has the perfect blend of spices to achieve that 'pork chop flavor' that we love so much. I preheat the grill, sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the meat, close the lid, cook for 4 minutes, give the chops a flip, cook 1 more minute & it's ready!

Grilled Pork Chops with sliced Grilled Portabella Mushrooms ~ all done at the same time on my George Foreman Grill!  It's such an easy way to cook, give it all a quick spray of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray & we're good to go ~ I just love it!

I think the best part about cooking with it, is that it doesn't heat up the kitchen ~ YES!  Here's to using my George Foreman Grill even more often during this really HOT summer of 2012!