Gap Casting Call

I entered Kayden and Daven into the Gap casting call. I doubt they will be chosen and I really doubt there is time to catch up for the fan favorite but I figured "hey why not try". If they do win we could get money for new clothes which is always a plus and I could get profesional pictures of them. Whats not to love about that!! =) So anyway if you read this please hop on over to www.gap.com/castingcall and put in the contestant id of 613811213, 653811782, 873811510, and 803811124. I also have a friend who has her daughter entered as well that i have been voting for so while you are there if you wouldnt mind throwing in a vote for 806123406 as well I would appreciate it. =) Thanks to all who vote!

"BREADED" PORK CHOPS WITH MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE

The only problem I had with this meal is that I wanted to keep eating. it was soooo yummy! I will have to say it is one of my faves at the moment. I seemed to have more sauce then she did but i am pretty sure my porkchops were smaller. I bought the small ones that come in a package of 5 or 6 at crest so i didnt have to pound them or cut them up except to cut off any fat. I served this up with some cauliflower and lowfat cheese sauce and a baked potatoe for Mr. Darren. If your going to try a recipe i list I would DEFINITELY try this one. I'll be posting more reviews later in the week. I hope someone gets some good use from them. Happy Cooking!


Recipe
"BREADED" PORK CHOPS WITH MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE

2 thick boneless pork chops

salt/pepper
Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning (optional - If you don't want to buy this, season the pork chops with a tiny bit of garlic powder)
1/4 cup almond meal
1-2 T olive oil (will depend on your pan)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 T cream or half and half or milk
1 T Dijon mustard (or less)


Trim all fat from pork chops, then put between saran wrap and pound until 1/4 inch thick. For best results, pound the pork chops on both sides with spiky side of meat mallet, then cut each flattened pork chop in half for more manageable sized pieces for frying. Season pork chops on both sides with a tiny bit of salt, pepper, and Penzey's pork chops seasoning. Put almond meal on a plate and press pork chop into it, sprinkling almond meal over both sides of pork chop and pressing on until you have an even coating on each chop. Heat olive oil in pan big enough to hold all pork chops, then add pork chops and saute over medium heat until well browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Turn them a couple of times and be sure not to have the heat too high or the almond meal will burn. Quite a bit of the coating will fall off, but don't worry about it. There will still be enough left on to give a good brown color to the pork chops. The part that falls off gives a delicious nutty flavor to the sauce.



Remove pork chops to plate and cover to keep warm if you want. Turn up heat in pan and add chicken stock, scraping pan until all the browned bits of almond meal are loosened. Cook about 2 minutes over high heat, then lower heat to medium low and wisk in mustard, then cream. Cook sauce at a low simmer 1-2 minutes more. Pour over pork chops, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve.

Stuffed Zucchini Cups

I have decided to start blogging on some of the meals i make since a lot of my friends are looking for healthier meals. Right now i am following a south beach phase 1 friendly diet. I get all of my recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen food bog. She is awesome. If you havent checked her out you should!http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/recipe-for-meat-tomato-and-mozzarella.html
I am on the fence with this particular recipe. I liked it enough to recommend it but it is not a meal I said "wow i want more!" She mentioned she liked hers crispier but i am thinking that was my problem. I think i would like them a little softer so next time I am going to try and cook the zuchinni for a little while first then add the stuffing. The inside was very good! Excuse the picture i obviously cant stack cheese. ha Anyway all in all i would recommend this, especially if you like zucchini!

Recipe
Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)


Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot