Aluminum Chef

Okay so I had an eclectic collection of canned goods eyeing me from the cabinet every time I peered in to its depths.

I decided to take some basic flavors and combine them into a healthy snack. I really love having something available to munch on since I have odd hours some days and can't always eat meals at their scheduled times.

I grabbed 1 can of black beans, 1 can of pinto beans, 1 can of kidney beans, & 1 can of corn. I simply drained each can after rinsing it with water and mixed the beans/corn together in a bowl. Grab your favorite chip and this minimal munch is ready to eat!

This is great because you can add tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc. to enhance the flavors and cater to your specific palette.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Ranch Pork Chops:

Last week I whipped up some delicious honey glazed pork chops, but since I am only cooking for one I had extra chops. I popped 'em in the freezer and tonight I used the left over chops to make ranch pork chops.

Ingredients:
-6 pork chops (I only had 3, so I saved the remaining flour batter in a Ziploc bag for another day)
-1 packet Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
-1 cup all purpose flour
-Salt/Pepper
-5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
-1 cup chicken broth

Mix the flour, ranch mix, and salt and pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Dredge each chop in the flour mixture. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Cook each chop until golden brown on both sides. (While doing this pre-heat your oven to 350'F)

Once you have the golden brown pork chops place them on a baking tray and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. During this time take 1 tablespoon of the flour/ranch mixture and pour into the oil left over in your skillet. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next add HOT chicken broth to the skillet. (If it is cold you will get a pretty nice facial and some sweet grease splatter) Cook for 4-5 minutes, until sauce thickens.

At this point your pork chops should be ready to take out of the oven. Ladle as much of the sauce on your chop as wanted. It is delicious and I added quite a bit and dabbed each bite with the sauce to get as much of that flavor as possible in each mouthful! 

I chose to accompany my ranch chop with Rotel macaroni and cheese. Since this past Sunday was the Super Bowl I had leftover Rotel dip. Anytime I have extra Rotel and no chips I always make Rotel Mac & Cheese. It is a flavorful twist on a classic and extremely easy to make. Just boil macaroni noodles as you normally would. Once they have cooked add the Rotel and serve away. Any pasta would work, but I prefer macaroni noodles.

You can make your Rotel dip as spicy or as mild as you like. The recipe calls for 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and 1 package of Velveeta cheese. I always use 2 cans of Rotel to have a hint of spice. The same is true for the Rotel Mac & Cheese. You can use less noodles to enhance the spicy flavor or you could use a 1 pound box of macaroni noodles. I boil the entire box and then stir in a little of the Rotel at a time until all noodles are evenly coated.

Overall this was a wonderful comfort meal. I felt like I was back home as a little girl eating delicious flavors that warm your throat and soul. I wouldn't change a thing about the Ranch Pork Chop recipe.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)