Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce for Pork Chops

Rhubarb... I just don't know. 

We signed up for our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box again this year. We loved it so much last year and we ate everything, except the rhubarb. This year I was determined to try to use it up so I thought I'd make this sauce to accompany pork.  

The recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  Here's what you need:

Meatball Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is so tasty.  I love the creamy, tangy sauce over rich beef and any excuse to eat egg noodles.  The Food Lab just posted a delicious-looking recipe for Stroganoff using beef tenderloin steak, cooked whole and sliced over the noodles and sauce.  It sounds delicious, but this version is a little less fancy.  It still tastes great though!

Easy Veal Marsala

Veal Marsala sounds super fancy but it couldn't be easier. Thin cutlets of veal cook so quickly in the pan and are topped with a rich wine and mushroom sauce.  See?  Easy!

Even the ingredients are simple.  Pick up a bottle of Marsala and keep it in the pantry for cooking.   Here's what you need for this tasty weeknight meal:

Pork Roast with Cider Gravy

I'm really enjoying pork roasts lately.  They are easy to cook and as long as you serve them with a tasty sauce, they're always moist and delicious.  A 1.5 to 2-pound pork roast serves us dinner plus lunch the next day with enough leftovers for another meal, like pork fried rice.  

I roasted this pork in the oven with mushrooms and onions, then made a pan gravy by adding cider, mustard and honey.  Here's what you need:

1 boneless pork loin centre roast

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

250g cremini mushrooms, quartered
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp ground cardamom and/or nutmeg

Cauliflower with Easy Cheese Sauce

I'm still trying to cook locally and seasonally, even as it becomes slightly more difficult as the weather gets cold.  We still have lots of local cauliflower in the market though.  I love to roast it, but this simple cheese sauce really makes steamed cauliflower special.

Normally, I make a cheese sauce starting with a roux (flour cooked in butter), then heat milk and remove from heat and add the cheese.  But this sauce uses corn starch and evaporated milk.  I used 7 year old cheddar (!) and fat free evaporated milk, but you can use the cheese and milk-fat level of your choice.

Pork with Cranberry Madeira Sauce

Here's another recipe using Summer Fresh Sauces.  Summer Fresh was nice enough to send me some of these sauces to try.  This time I tried the Cranberry Madeira sauce.  

For this recipe for 4 you need:

8 thin, boneless pork chops
1/4 cup flour
10 sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper 
Summer Fresh Cranberry Madeira Sauce

First finely chop the sage.

Spread the flour out on a plate. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Press the chopped sage leaves into the pork chops and then dredge in the flour.

Coat both sides in flour and shake off the excess.  

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the pork.  These little chops are so thin they only need a minute or two per side.  Brown on both sides.

Then remove the pork chops to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Pour the Cranberry Madeira sauce into the pan and bring it to a simmer.

Add the pork chops to the sauce and simmer 2 minutes until heated through.

I served the pork chops with a little sauce on top over an Israeli couscous mix with some steamed broccoli on the side.  They'd also be great with rice, mashed potatoes or bulgur.  

Chicken with Cranberry Agrodolce

Here's another healthy recipe that's still very tasty and even a little fancy.  It is based on this recipe from the Bon Appetit food lovers cleanse. 

The sauce is called agrodolce, which is a traditional Italian sweet and sour sauce, similar to a French gastrique.

Here's what you need:

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium red onion
• Kosher salt
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the Chicken:

• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 fresh sage leaves (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Let's start with the sauce.  It can be made in advance.

Chicken Paprikash

How about some Clean Eating for the New Year?  I plan to make some healthier recipes this month after the excesses of the holidays, and this is a great one!  

Here's what you need:

2 tablespoons flour (whole wheat or white)
4 teaspoons paprika, divided 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion
1 red bell pepper or hot red pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped dill

Place flour, 1 teaspoon paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper on a plate.

And mix it together.

Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture.

Turn to coat and shake off any excess.  

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan.

And add the chicken breasts and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.

Oops, one got a little more brown than the other. No matter. Flip the chicken and cook 2-3 minutes more.

Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.

Thinly slice the onion and red pepper (if using) and add to the pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes until onion is translucent.

Meanwhile, chop the garlic cloves.

And add them to the onions in the pan along with the remaining 3 teaspoons paprika and cayenne pepper, if using.  Cook, stirring for about a minute.  

Then add the chicken stock and stir.  

Return the chicken to the pan and cook, covered for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the pan again, this time to a clean cutting board.

Take your Greek yogurt...

And add a couple of tablespoons of the pan juices to temper it.

Stir them together.

Then add the yogurt mixture to the pan and mix together.  Bring back to a simmer.

Slice the chicken.

And return it to the pan to mix with the sauce.

You can serve this over rice or any grain but I like it with noodles.  These ones are whole wheat.

Top the noodles with the chicken and sauce.

Chop some fresh dill.  You can also use dried if you have to.

And sprinkle the dill over the chicken.  I served this with some steamed broccoli and it was extremely tasty.  It's very quick and easy and pretty healthy.  Give it a try!