Garam Masala Pork Chops

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY!

Yatzi & Gail

Today is a birthday celebration for my brother, Gail.  

Yesterday on the 11th, he turned "sixty something".  Oh, well, it is 63 to be exact.  

Doug fixed a special dish for the occasion with a spice we have been wanting to try, garam masala.

He found the recipe on MyRecipes.com.

Garam Masala Pork Chops

Ingredients: 

4 center-cut loin pork chops (each about 1 in. thick, 2 1/3 lb. total) $
4 teaspoons salad oil
2 tablespoons garam masala (or 1 tablespoon each ground coriander and ground cumin)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3/4 cup cranberry-raspberry juice blend
1/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
Preparation

1. Trim and discard fat from chops. Rinse chops, pat dry, and rub with 1 teaspoon oil.
2. Mix garam masala and garlic powder. Rub spice mixture all over chops.
3. Place a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat pan. Set chops in pan and brown well on each side, pressing meat flat with a spatula if needed to get even color, 2 to 3 minutes a side.
4. Stir cranberry-raspberry juice blend and broth into pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until chops are no longer pink in center (cut to test), 15 to 18 minutes total. With a slotted spatula, transfer chops to a platter; keep warm.
5. Mix 2 tablespoons water with cornstarch; stir into pan, then stir over high heat until boiling, 2 minutes. Pour over chops. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Printable version: Garam Masala Pork Chops

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” 
― Julia Child, My Life in France

Garam Masala

What is Garam Masala?
Garam masala (from Hindi: गरम मसाला, garam ("hot") and masala (a mixture of spices) is a blend of ground spices common in North Indian and other South Asian cuisines. It is used alone or with other seasonings. The word garam refers to intensity of the spices rather than capsaicin content.

The composition of garam masala differs regionally, with many recipes across India according to regional and personal taste, and none is considered more authentic than others. The components of the mix are toasted, then ground together.

A typical Indian version of garam masala contains:

black and white peppercorns
cloves
cinnamon
black and white cumin seeds
black, brown, and green cardamom pods
Some recipes call for spices to be blended with herbs, while others for the spices to be ground with water, vinegar, coconut milk, or other liquids, to make a paste. In some recipes nuts, onion, or garlic may be added. The flavors may be carefully blended to achieve a balanced effect, or a single flavor may be emphasized. A masala may be toasted before use to release its flavors and aromas.
(from Ask.com)

Gather the ingredients.

Follow recipe above for 4 pork chops.  (We doubled the recipe.)

 Mix garam masala and garlic powder.

Thoroughly mix together.

 Mix cranberry-raspberry juice and chicken broth together.

 Trim fat from pork chops.  

Rinse chops, pat dry, and rub with 1 tsp. oil.

 Rub spice mixture over chops.

 Add 1 tbsp. oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium high heat.

Set chops in pan and brown well on each side.

 Add cranberry-raspberry and broth mixture into pan.

 Bring to a boil over high heat.

 Cover and simmer over low heat.

 Turn chops once, cook until they are no longer pink in the center,

15 to 18 minutes total.

 Mix 2 tbsp. water with cornstarch.

 Transfer chops to a dish or platter.

 Stir cornstarch mixture into pan, then stir over high heat until boiling, 2 minutes.

 Add pork chops back into pan.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

 Ethyl, Keith,Doug, Gail, Yatzi

 Keith, Doug, Denise, Gail, Yatzi

Gail & Yatzi

Birthday Blessings!

More Soup--- Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Buffalo Chicken Chili 

featured in the beautiful mug Liz made Doug for Christmas!

Perfect!

It is January, and the temperatures are very cold.  We are cooking soups to keep warm.  This is a new recipe, but is very simple to put together, and let it cook all day.  The aroma will make you want to stay inside 

and snuggle up in a warm blanket and read a good book.

Our grandsons came over for a visit and a 3-D movie.  

They were hungry when the day came to a close.

Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped, 1 cup
• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced, 1 cup
• 2 medium carrots, chopped, 1 cup
• 1- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1- 15 oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 - 15 oz. can chicken broth
• 2 tsps. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce

Mix all ingredients except buffalo wing sauce in slow cooker.

Cover, cook on Low heat setting for 8-10 hours.

Stir in buffalo wing sauce.

Recipe from Betty Crocker web sight.

Printable version: Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

Ingredients.

Chop 1 large onion.

Slice carrots and celery.

Drain black beans.

Rinse before adding.

Add diced tomatoes to slow cooker.

Add chicken broth.

Season with 2 tsps. chili powder.

Add uncooked cut up chicken.

Add the other prepared ingredients: onion, celery, carrots, and black beans.

I also added a 15-oz. can of pinto beans.

Season with salt.

Brothers: Aiden, Duncan, and Camden waiting for the soup to be ready.

Mix all the ingredients except buffalo wing sauce.

Cover, and cook on Low heat 8 to 10 hours.

Stir in buffalo wing sauce.

This soup can be served in a tortilla bowl.

Sprinkle with tortilla strips or crumbled blue cheese.

Enjoy!

Grandma's helpers...

Duncan

Aiden

Happy New Year's Soup- Black-Eyed Pea Soup

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR !

We rang in the New Year 2014 with my son and his family.  Doug is becoming notorious for his delicious soups, so he made a new recipe just for the day.  Of course, black-eyed peas are traditionally eaten in some regions on New Year's Day to bring good luck.  

Black-Eyed Peas

A Southern Tradition for Luck and Prosperity in the New Year

http://gosoutheast.about.com/od/restaurantslocalcuisine/a/blackeyedpeas.htm

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, either just after midnight or on New Year's Day. From grand gala gourmet dinners to small casual gatherings with friends and family, these flavorful legumes are traditionally, according to Southern folklore, the first food to be eaten on New Year's Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead.

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity.

Hoppin' John - Although served throughout the year as well, Hoppin' John is one of the most traditional New Year's Eve and New Year's Day dishes in the South. Black-eyed peas are cooked with rice, pork (such as chopped pork or ham, hog jowls or hambones, fatback or bacon) and seasonings.  Sometimes chopped onions and hot sauce are added.

New Year's Day Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dry black-eyed peas 3 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.

In a large saucepan with enough water to cover, soak the black-eyed peas 8 hours,  or overnight.

2.

Drain and rinse the soaked black-eyed peas, and return to the saucepan.  Mix in the beef broth, dry onion soup mix, sausage, rice, and green chilies.  Season with pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Add water as necessary to keep the ingredients covered with liquid. Printable version: New Year's Soup Soak black-eyed peas overnight.  Gather the ingredients.  Slice the smoked sausage.  Doug also used Andouille Sausage.  Brown sausage.  Drain the black-eyed peas. Rinse them.  Add all the ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours  until beans are tender.  As the soup cooks, add more beef broth or water as necessary to keep the beans covered with liquid. Welcome in the New Year with this delicious soup.  Enjoy! Happy New Year!