Pork Chops Dijon - Monthly Recipe Theme

This recipe was originally included in my Backyard PatchCookbook, which I put together back in 2000. It is a collection of recipes using herb ingredients, like this one using herb vinegar. Since it is the perfect season to make herb vinegar, I thought it was a perfect inclusion for this month’s theme.

This recipe has a nice tang to wake up the taste buds and is great served with a side of wild rice or couscous and green beans.  You can always use a plain wine or rice vinegar if you do not have herbal vinegar, but I recommend making an herbal vinegar to enjoy in the winter.  You can use fresh herbs from your garden, the grocery or the farmers market.  Full instructions for this easy technique are available in this previous post.

Pork Chops Dijon

• 2 Tbls butter
• 4 ¾-inch thick pork chops (trimmed of fat)
• 2 Tbls Chive or Garlic chive -based vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp chopped chives (dry or fresh)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat, turning occasionally, for about 30 to 35 minutes, until brown and tender. Remove from the pan and keep in warm place. Now turn up the heat just a little and deglaze the pan by adding the vinegar and stirring well, scraping up any brown bits.  Next stir in the mustard, then the cream.  Simmer, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, then serve over the chops sprinkled with fresh chives. Serves 4.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  

To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, Recipe2019, or Recipe2020.

 
You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD for each month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2021 so you can find them all.

The themes are:
Jan 2021 – Baked Items
Feb 2021 – Breakfast Dishes
March 2021 – Italian Dishes
April 2021 - Chicken Recipes
May 2021 - Appetizers
July 2021 – Pork Recipes
August 2021 - Seafood
September 2021 - Pizzas
October 2021 – Mexican Dishes
November 2021 - Cookies
December 2021 – Gift Recipes

DIY Refrigerator Pickle Kits - New Product Launch

We are very pleased to announce after a summer of experimentation we have perfected our DIY Refrigerator Pickle Kits. Now you can make easy pickles at home. No canning needed.  They are ready in about 24 hours.  Use them on burgers, in sandwiches and for snacking.

You get instructions, seasonings, and even the jar so you can make pickled vegetables in your refrigerator. All you add is vinegar and water and your favorite vegetables, be they cucumbers, zucchini or other veggies!

You can make perfect pickles in three easy steps:

1. Prep the jars and clean and slice the vegetables
2. Make a flavorful brine with the enclosed ingredients and the addition of vinegar and water
3. Pour the warm brine over the vegetables, seal and refrigerate.

We developed 5 different recipes that make tasty quick pickles that require only about 10 minutes of prep work to give you snacks or sandwich condiments!

       Dill Spears

  

                    Hot and Dill Pickles 

                                    

Secret Recipe Pickles

  

Sweet Pickles

                                            

    Mustard Pickled Vegetables

Ways to use these -

• Use them on sandwiches
• Blend them into tuna fish
• Use in Bloody Marys
• Mix into your salad
• Make part of a Charcuterie Board
• Or use the pickle juice in vinaigrette

You can pick out your favorite pickle recipes on Etsy or our website.

We love these kits because they make is so easy to make your own pickles with out the hassle of canning.  You get detailed step-by-step instructions, a specially crafted seasoning packet and a jar just the right size to make a batch of pickles you can enjoy in 24 hours.

Get yours today from our website.

Chicken Rosemary Cream Sauce - Backyard Patch Recipe

This is a tasty recipe that is flavored with S&G tea rather than a seasoning mix.  It is so easy to make and only takes 30 minutes.  I was surprised how fast it all came together.

Chicken in Rosemary Tea Cream Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon Backyard Patch S&G Tea (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon butter until a thermometer reads 165°, 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.

Add wine to pan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir S&G Tea into 3 remaining Tablespoons of softened butter, then add to sauce and stir until blended. Serve sauce with chicken.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018, or Recipe2019 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2020 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Feb 2020 - Footbal Tailgate Favorites (AppFeb)

March 2020 - Kabobs (KabobMar)

April 2020 - Brunch (BrunchApr) more in 2021 also

May 2020 - Non-Traditional Pizza (PizzaMay)

June 2020 - StirFry Dishes (StirJun)

July 2020 - Salads with no lettuce (SaladJul)

August 2020 - Pickled things (PickleAug)

September 2020 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2020 - Squash Soups (SquashOct)

November 2020 - Pumpkin (again) (PumpNov)

December 2020 - Turkey Recipes (TurkDec)

New Year - New Recipes - New Plans - New Herb Fun with Chicken and Dumplings

For the new year everyone tries to do Resolutions.  I resolve to do this or that and it becomes a set of impossible goals like lose 50 pounds or restrictions like I will never eat carbs again, things like this are too large, too difficult and are abandoned statistically by Feb. 1.

I long ago abandoned the idea of resolutions.  What I do instead is create a list of things I want to try for or do in the coming year.  Some can be a year long vocation others can be a one-off that I do when the timing, season or boredom create an opportunity. This year I created a list of 26 items.  Some are just silly like get a push scooter and ride it around town.  Others are a little adventuresome, like grow a plant you never have before, or largely adventuresome like take a hike in a famous place on your bucket list.  I decided I would share these with you during the year and get you to try them with me.  I will include photos of me on my scooter!

Additionally this year, I will be continuing the recipe theme that I started in 2018.  For this I will assign each month a theme and share a number of recipes from my massive archive to focus on that theme.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018.

The monthly themes this year will be:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes

March 2019 - Edible Flowers

April 2019 - Cajun And Creole

May 2019 - Seafood Recipes

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the ()s to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

Since it is cold and raining and I am hibernating with a cup of tea I will share a great recipe for Chicken and Dumplings to get the year started.

Simple One-pot Chicken and Dumplings

Nothing beats homemade, slow-cooked chicken and dumplings for a stick-to-your-ribs meal perfect for cold winter weather. This one-pot classic comes from in the cookbook  Comfort Food Cookbook, published by Grit Magazine.

Dumpling Dough

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 Tbls lard or butter
1/2 cup ice water

Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (about 4 pounds)
1 Tbls BYP Lemon Thyme Gourmet Salt or BYP Savory Salt Substitute
3-1/2 quarts water
1/2 small onion, chopped very fine
1 stalk celery, chopped very fine
1 carrot, chopped very fine
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp BYP poultry seasoning

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ice water until mixture forms a ball. Wrap the dough ball tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Remove skin from chicken breasts, thighs and back; leave skin on legs and wings. Season chicken pieces with seasoned salt/salt substitute and place in a large stockpot. Add water, onion, celery, carrot and butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 1-1/2 hours, or until meat falls off the bone. Remove chicken and strip the meat from the bones. Return chicken meat to the pot.

Remove dough ball from refrigerator. Pull off pieces of dough and roll into rough balls about 1 inch in diameter. Drop into the simmering broth for about 15 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through. Add more water if necessary. Season broth with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning while dumplings are cooking. 

Pumpkin Pie Squares start the new monthly recipe theme

I am starting this month’s recipe theme, which is PUMPKIN recipes, with a more traditional item Pumpkin Pie.  With a monthly theme we will share recipes all month on the theme including as much variety as possible. To find all the recipes of the month this month search PumpNov and to find all the recipes from each month check out the bottom of this post or search "recipe2018." 

These little squares are easy to make and the perfect size to slip into your lunch or afternoon snack to get you ready for Thanksgiving.  Store them in the refrigerator for a week or more of tasty treats.

To craft this wonderful recipe, I recommend my very popular Cinnful Dessert Blend.  If you do not have this or your own pumpkin or apple, use 1 tsp gr cinnamon, 1/2  tsp gr ginger and 1/4  tsp gr cloves.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 12-ounce can low-fat evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp BYP Cinnful Dessert Blend

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter softened

Topping

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cu packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbls butter

Whipped cream topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F grease a 13x9 inch glass baking dish

To prepare crust, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, stir until crumbly.  Press into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes or until partially set.

To prepare filling, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, spices. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes.

To prepare toppings, combine pecans, brown sugar and butter.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over filling.  Bake another 15 to 20 min. until filling is set.  Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  Serve with whipped cream if desires.  Makes 30 squares.

 

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails