Christina's Marinated Pork Chops

from my mom

3/4 - 1 inch pork chops

1 C soy sauce

1 C water

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 clove minced garlic

2 green onions, sliced

Mix all marinade ingredients in 9x13 pan. Place pork chops in pan and marinate at least 6 hours. Grill 5-8 minutes per side and serve!

Christina's Tomato, Kale and Quinoa Salad

adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Serves 8

Quinoa:
2 cups quinoa
3 ½ cups water
pinch sea salt

Salad:
2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced (about 3 to 4 cups)

1 cup finely diced walla walla onion (or other variety of sweet onion or substitute green onion)

1/2 bunch kale, finely chopped

1 cup chopped basil leaves

feta cheese to taste 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Soaking quinoa overnight in a bowl of water, then drain the next day. To cook the quinoa, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water. Drain well. Place quinoa into a 2-quart pot, add water and salt; cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cool completely before using. 

To assemble the salad, place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss together. Serve.

Christina's Stuffed Cabbage

from Smitten Kitchen


1 head Savoy cabbage

1 pound ground beef
1 small to medium onion, chopped small
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, shredded
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced (I used half a bulb of kohlrabi)
1 parsnip, shredded (I used one large turnip)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce plus water to cover

Wash cabbage and remove leaves for use. Place leaves in a large bowl. Boil a small pot of water and pour the water over the cabbage and let it sit for ten minutes.

Heat the oil in a saute pan. (I like to use the large one I will cook the final dish in — a deep 12-inch saute pan — to save dishes.) Cook the onions until they are soft, add the carrot, celery and parsnip and saute them for a couple extra minutes — until they are also soft. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool a bit. Mix in the meat, rice and tomato paste and season again with salt and pepper.

Drain the cabbage. Pat the leaves dry with towels. Roll about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in each leaf (depending on the size of your leaf) and arrange in a large, wide pot. Pour in enough juice or sauce to cover the rolls. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, letting them simmer covered on the stove on low for about 45 minutes. Serve immediately. If sauce has thinned a bit, you can heat up any additional sauce you didn’t use and pour it over as you serve the rolls. [These also freeze very well.]

Christina's Chicken Salad

original recipe

1 lb chicken thighs, cooked and chopped
1/2 small apple, diced
1 stalk bekana, diced (I'm sure celery would work great.)
1 bunch scallions, diced
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 dash red wine vinegar
mayonnaise
kosher salt

Combine all ingredients. Add mayo and salt to taste. Chill before serving.

Christina's Fennel and Fruit Salad, Two Ways

from Make and Takes

1 large fennel bulb, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup green onions, white and tender green parts only, sliced
juice 1 large navel orange (reserve zest for another use)
1-2 tsp. poppy seeds
dried cherries or cranberries
goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
a handful of raw walnuts or pecans

Toss the fennel, celery, apple, green onions, cranberries, cheese and walnuts together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, poppy seeds (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and fruit. Put a few big spoonfuls of the basic salad on a bed of greens and mix in.

Chicken Salad Recipe:

To the basic salad add:

A big spoonful of sour cream and/or mayo or yogurt (1/4 cup or so)
Chopped fronds of the fennel, to taste, but about 2 Tbsp. is great
A bit of grated orange zest
Cooked chicken (1-2 cups, canned or leftover is fine)

Serve on little rolls or croissants, or on its own, or on a bed of greens.

Christina's Poppyseed Dressing

adapted from Our Best Bites

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the "hairy" end and where the green part starts to get floppy)--I left this out and it was fine.
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens.

P.S. I liked this dressing, but didn't think it was amazing. I thought it was a lot better after I added about 1/3 cup Dijon mustard.

Christina's Breaded and Baked Chicken Drumsticks

from Simply Recipes by Elise

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp finely chopped chives or green onion greens
Salt
6 large chicken drumsticks, about 1 1/3 lbs
Olive oil

Place rack on upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom of a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Mix together the breadcrumbs and minced chives in a separate medium bowl.

Sprinkle each drumstick with salt. One by one, dip each drumstick in the mayonnaise mixture, turning to coat. Then dip the drumstick in the breadcrumbs mixture, turning to coat. Place the drumsticks on the prepared roasting pan.

Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked through, and juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife.

Christina's Cellophane Noodle Salad with Roast Pork

from Smitten Kitchen

For pork

1 (1-lb) solid piece boneless pork butt (shoulder), halved along the grain

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sake

1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

For dressing

3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 large fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

For salad

8 oz very thin bean-thread noodles (also known as cellophane, glass, or mung bean noodles)

3/4 lb Chinese long beans (1 bunch) or green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; about 1 lb), halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick

1 bunch scallions, cut into matchsticks

1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced

2 thin carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh small basil leaves

Make pork: Cut pork along the grain into long 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Remove and discard any sinew but do not trim fat. Transfer pork to a large sealable plastic bag. Stir together remaining pork ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Add to pork and turn to coat, then squeeze bag to eliminate as much air as possible and seal. Marinate pork, chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 24.

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Put 1/2 inch water in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and place a metal rack across top of pan (rack should not touch water).

Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange pork strips 1 inch apart on rack. Roast in oven 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then boil 1 minute (marinade may look curdled). Remove from heat.

Brush both sides of pork with some marinade and roast 10 minutes more. Generously brush both sides of pork with marinade again and roast, basting 2 or 3 times, 10 minutes more.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F and roast pork until strips are mahogany-colored and caramelized on edges, 10 to 15 minutes more (pork should roast for a total of about 50 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.

Make dressing while pork roasts: Blend together all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Stir before using.

Cook noodles and beans for salad while pork finishes roasting: Soak noodles in cold water to cover until pliable, about 15 minutes, then drain in a colander. Cut noodles in half with kitchen shears.

Cook beans in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer or slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, reserving cooking liquid in pot. Drain beans and pat dry.

Return bean-cooking liquid to a boil, then cook noodles, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain noodles in colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain noodles again, then spread out on paper towels and pat dry.

Assemble salad: Cut as much pork as desired for salad across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss noodles with 1/4 cup dressing in a bowl. Toss long beans with 2 tablespoons dressing in another bowl. Arrange pork, noodles, beans, and remaining salad ingredients on a large platter. Drizzle with some of dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side.

Christina's Coconut Rice

from Our Best Bites

2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2-3 tsp. white sugar
1 bunches chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions and additional salt if necessary.

Lorri's Pork Dumplings

1 lb ground pork
a few finely chopped spring onion
1 small finely chopped shallot
1-2 cloves of garlic (she used it from about 1 1/2 tsp from a jar)
2 inches ginger root, finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
salt and pepper
1 package wonton/potsticker wrappers, square or round

Mix it all together and put in potsticker wrappers. Fold the wrappers and seal the edges tightly (you can use water but be careful b/c they are going into hot oil.) Deep fry. Serve as an appetizer or with rice. Delicious with soy sauce or Mae Plow's Sweet Chili Sauce.

*Okay really, I usually put a layer of oil in the pan and flip them. Sometimes I employ the two pan method: I let the potstickers fry in one pan and then I move them to a second hot pan where some of the oil can drain off. When she taught me, she just let the pork cook during the frying process. This can be tricky if your oil is too hot. Ocassionally I cook the pork mixture before I fill the potsticker wrappers.

Christina's Asian Noodle Salad

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 head sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 head sliced cabbage
1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small bag bean sprouts
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers
1 cup peanuts, lightly toasted in skillet

DRESSING:

Juice of 2 limes
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped
one bunch chopped cilantro

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter. Dressing keeps up to three days before serving without cilantro.

Lorri's Mediterranean Couscous

2 tsp butter

3 medium green onions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups water (or chicken broth)

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon (not super necessary if you use broth)

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped basil (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium chopped yellow summer squash (about 1 cup)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

Melt butter in 2 quart saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender. Stir in water and bouillon. Heat to boiling. Add squash and remove from heat after it comes back up to boiling.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes - everything cooks trust me! Fluff lightly with a fork. 

4 servings.

Christina's Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

from Buffy Vandagriff Bailey

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups andouille sausage (about 7 1/2 ounces), cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
3 cups finely chopped yellow onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 3/4 cups less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook until sizzling quiets (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, onion, celery, and bay leaves; cook until vegetables are golden brown, sizzle loudly, and begin to squeak (about 14 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add chicken and next 8 ingredients (through garlic); cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato puree; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Stir in green onions.

Christina's Tangy Broiled Halibut

from my Grandma San

4 6-ounce fresh or frozen halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick
olive oil
2 TBSPS Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 TBSP dill, parsely or green onion
lime or lemon wedges

Thaw fish, if frozen. Preheat broiler.

Place filets on greased baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil and then mustard. Sprinkle with pepper.

Broil 3-4 inches from heat 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with seasonings and serve with wedges.

To bake in oven: preheat to 350 and bake approximately 15 minutes or until done.

To grill by indirect heat: Arrange preheated coals around a drip pan in a covered grill. Test for medium heat above pan. Place fish on the greased grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 8 to 12 minutes or just until fish begins to flake easily when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing occasionally with mustard mixture.

Christina's Rice and Sage Stuffed Porkchops

1 C cooked rice
1/3 C shredded carrot
1/4 C green onion, sliced
1/2 dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 pork loin rib chops, 1 1/4 inch thick
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1 TBSP butter
2 tsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C milk
1/4 C sour cream
1 tsp dried parsley

In a small mixing bowl, stir together rice, carrot, green onion, salt and pepper.

Cut a pocket in each chop by cutting from fat side almost to bone.

Spoon stuffing into chops and secure with toothpicks. Place on rack in shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake 35-45 minutes at 375.

In small saucepan, cook mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt and dash pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then 1 minute more. Stir in sour cream and parsely. Heath through.

To serve, remove toothpicks from ships and cover with sauce.