Author: teacher-chef

Mom’s Meatloaf

Mom’s Meatloaf

BEST MEATLOAF EVER. Warning: this is not low-calorie and there is nothing you can do to make it low-calorie, so run a few extra laps, go take a hike, hop on a bike – whatever you have to do to make and enjoy this meatloaf!!

Arugula & Tomato Pasta

Arugula & Tomato Pasta

Pasta: go to & quick and easy. There are so many ways to do pasta, but so often we find ourselves going to the same recipes. No no no – not this time! I pulled out my Pasta and Sauces cookbook from the  Prevention Magazine’s Quick 

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Think “Blondie Brownie” with all sorts of goodies added in!

Coconut + Chips = Chocolate Coconut BarI guess these are called “Congo Bars” – but I had never heard them called that (I do not think I have ever had them before either). These bar cookies are a perfect way to use up some of those 1/2 bags of sweets you have left over from other sweets. I did not have plain chocolate chips, so used a mix of plain/peanut butter. My mom hates coconut, so for her I would replace that with something else. You could make this with dried fruits to pretend to be healthier.

photographed by NJ Wedding Photographer: Rich Alborn

We recently brought these to a pot-luck (that we showed up late to) and even though most people had already eaten & had dessert – these still ended up disappearing!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars

Congo Bars

(as adapted from The Curvy Carrot, check out the “Congo Bars“)

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted/cooled
  • 1 and 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • CHIPS: 1 cup total, mix it up with chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, & peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, plus an additional 1/2 cup for topping the bars
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, plus an additional 1/2 cup for topping the bars
  • 1 and 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted, plus more for garnish
  • [1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely] – skip for the “no-nut” crowd

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Fold and fit two large pieces of foil perpendicular to one another in the baking pan, making sure to leave about 3 inches of overhang on each side.  ***This will help you remove the bars from the baking pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. On medium-low speed, add the eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Stop the mixer and manually fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, mixing until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut to the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.

Bake for at least 22-25 minutes (until the top is slightly cracked and the bars feel firm to the touch).  *I ended up baking mine for at least 30 minutes – but be sure to check frequently to avoid over-baking. Remove the bars from the oven, garnish with the additional chocolate chips and coconut (if desired) and cool on a wire rack. Remove the bars from the pan by holding on to the overhanging foil edges and cut into bars.

And I leave you with this… these bar cookies are made with your “sweets leftovers” – so the next time you meet someone who tells you they don’t like leftovers (even though I’m not sure how that is possible) you should direct them to these bar cookies & then ask them how they feel about leftovers!

S’mores Cupcakes

S’mores Cupcakes

“Please sir, may I have s’more” Welcome to the summer season! There is nothing that screams summer more than some warm roasted marshmallows (ok – maybe grilling screams summer pretty loudly too, but I grew up in a house where dad grilled in a winter 

Butter

Butter

That’s it – simple, easy, pure – BUTTER . We all use butter as an ingredient but how many of you have ever made it. Wait – what, you have never made butter!? It’s ok – don’t feel bad. It is so easy that you 

Pork Fried Rice

Pork Fried Rice

Growing up I was always a Lo-Mein kinda girl. So much so that when my parents would order Chinese, I would never even look at the menu (and pretty soon they just stopped asking me and just knew what to get me – Lo-Mein and Hot & Sour Soup!!). They would always make me try other things and here & there I would find things I liked (General Tso’s chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Boneless Spare Ribs), but overall I was just a Lo-Mein Girl! Then, I went to college and for some reason I started ordering different things – or asked to try friend’s stuff! And it was then (even though I had always had it growing up) that I really decided that Pork Fried Rice is awesome!

So when my mom called me recently because she was going to Shop-Rite’s Customer Appreciation Day and did I want pork loin, because the price was too good to pass up but they already had some in the freezer – I obviously said yes. Little to my surprise (a ‘thank goodness I got a new fridge already’ kinda surprise) she had purchased me a 10 pound pork loin!

Yeah – 10 lbs and 2 people… wow! So I got to slicing and dividing (ended up with 4 meals of sliced pork loin, two 2 pound-ish hunks for slow cooker or something, and some small chunks to use in what else but pork friend rice!).

So I started to do some searching for good Fried Rice recipes because I always seem to just not make it right. This time I made sure to cook my rice as SOON as I got home from school so it was cooled by the time I went to cook the rest of the dish. The secret that I have been missing has got to be hoisin sauce – this taste was right on!! I like more kick to my fried rice, so next time I will get some of that red chili sauce or maybe just chinese mustard – but I want more of a kick.

This was super tasty, not too time-consuming – perfect for the next time you have a ton (literally!?) of pork sitting around OR have leftover pork OR just have the craving for fried rice (you can even add in whatever other veggies you like, or make this vegetarian very easily – play around & let me know how it goes!

Pork Fried Rice

as adapted from Sweet Pea Chef

  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil, divided
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 2 boneless pork chops
  • 6-7 cremini (or a container of baby-bella) mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced plus more for garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups cooked long grain rice
  • 3 tbsp. (low sodium) soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
  • [1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed]
  • 1 small container sliced water chestnuts
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Generously season pork chops with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Brown each side. When cooked through, remove from heat and allow to cool, reserving the drippings in the pan. When cool enough to handle, chop the pork into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil and 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the shallot, green onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped pork, rice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and thawed peas and stir to combine.

Push the rice mixture to one side of the skillet. Pour the eggs into the cleared side of the skillet and scramble. Once mostly scrambled, break up with spatula or spoon and combine eggs and rice mixture. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper, if necessary. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

And I leave you with this quote… “Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul – chicken, pork half a cow. They must think we’re the greatest hunters on Earth!” (Anne Tyler)