cranberry and apple braised pork chops

This creation made use of Thanksgiving leftovers and pork chops I had in the freezer from my CSA, making it delicious and inexpensive. In fact this was so good I’ll be making it again from scratch and trying it with different apple and wine varieties.

Local, natural, sustainable agricultural just tastes better, and these chops didn’t disappoint. Despite being frozen, this pork was incredibly tender and flavorful. With more chops, this dish could easily have served 4-6 people.

serves 2

salt and pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1-2 cups cranberry sauce

1 cup wine (I used Estancia Pinot Noir)

2 all-natural pork chops, ½” thick

1-4” stem fresh rosemary, stem discarded

1-4” stem fresh thyme, stem discarded

1 cored and sliced granny smith apple

to make your chops:

*rub both sides of the chops with salt and pepper and marinate with a little cranberry sauce 8 hours or overnight

*preheat oven to 350

*in a saucepan, warm 1-2 cups cranberry sauce and 1 cup wine over low heat

*in the Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic in a little Olive Oil over medium heat about 5 minutes

*make room for and sear both sides of chops until golden, about 5 minutes total, transfer chops to plate

*add apples to onions and cook for 5 minutes

*place chops on top of apples and cover with thyme and rosemary leaves

*spoon warmed cranberry sauce over chops

*cover and cook for 45 minutes, uncovering the last 5 minutes

serving suggestion:

with cornbread stuffing

maple cranberry sauce

This recipe comes from the ‘big cookbook’ (it’s at least 3” thick) my mom gave me years ago which has become my bible of sorts for all things cooking and baking. There are a million ways to make a cranberry side dish for a Thanksgiving meal but this one is extremely simple and a good balance of sweet and tart flavors.

Walnut halves have been omitted from the original.

adapted from The New Basics Cookbook

serves 10-12

12 oz. fresh organic cranberries, well-rinsed

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup raspberry-cranberry juice (not from concentrate)

Grated zest of 1 orange

to make your sauce:

*combine all ingredients and bring to boil

*lower heat to medium and cook until cranberries pop, about 10 minutes

*skim off any foam, allow to cool, cover, and refrigerate

serving suggestions:

*with your Thanksgiving feast of course!

marinara sauce

Marinara sauce has been a love of mine since I was a kid sharing family meals at Anna Maria’s, a beloved family-owned Italian restaurant in Santa Monica. Marinara over shells is my favorite, but I have been known to eat it just by the spoonful. Never have I a made a worthy version from scratch, until now.

This recipe incorporates celery and carrots. And while I’m not sure how authentically Italian these ingredients may be, they seem to be valuable additions to the tomatoes, delivering a rustic flavor. I substituted half of the tomatoes for fresh tomatoes and wine. This sauce is hefty, despite being meatless.

adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis’ marinara sauce recipe

serves 4-6

½ cup EVOO

2 small onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1-28oz. can Hunt’s crushed tomatoes

4 fresh, large paste tomatoes, sliced

1 cup red wine

2 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

to make your sauce:

*heat oil over medium high heat and sauté onions and garlic for 10 minutes

*add carrots, celery, salt and pepper, and stir occasionally another 10 minutes

*add tomatoes and remove from heat

*blend with immersion blender

*bring to simmer, add bay leaf and red pepper

*cook on low heat, uncovered, for one hour

*remove and discard bay leaves before serving

serving suggestions:

*freshly grated parmesan and homemade garlic bread, buon appetite!

butternut squash soup

Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook and an immersion blender have been on my wish list for some time and when I received both as birthday presents, I couldn’t wait to use them. Searching her book for a soup recipe with blending in mind, this one seemed spot-on for a fall afternoon.

Garam masala provided depth of flavor to this thick, savory soup. Most likely owing to the dark vegetable stock, the russet tint was not entirely appealing. G.P. offers a vegetable stock recipe, but I opted for store-bought. Another grocery item to save time is the peeled and diced butternut squash available at Trader Joe’s.

Since everything will be blended, there's no need to toil over perfectly-sized chopped veggies. The immersion blender was quick easy to use. It has become my new favorite kitchen gadget and I’m looking forward to more applications. This recipe was sized just right for two people with leftovers for an entire other meal.

A native of Central America, Butternut Squash is easy to grow. Due to its nutty taste and orange flesh, this winter squash is considered a type of pumpkin and used as such in Australia. Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, as well as a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

adapted from ‘Butternut Squash Soup’ from My Father's Daughter

serves 4

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 large yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

½ tsp sea salt

several turns of fresh ground pepper

½ tsp Garam masala

6 cups butternut squashed, peeled, seeded, cubed

32 oz. vegetable stock

to make your soup:

*melt butter in the olive oil over medium heat

*add onions and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

*stir in salt, pepper, Garam masala and heat for another 2 minutes

*add squash, stirring occasionally for another 10 minutes

*add vegetable stock and bring to a boil

*lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes

*remove from heat for 15 minutes

*blend soup with immersion blender

*heat for another few minutes, salt to taste, and serve

serving suggestions:

*a fried green tomato salad and sweet vinaigrette would nicely complement the savory nature of this soup. also, cheesy croutons would be a most welcome addition.