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Savory Hawaiian Pork and Charred Pineapple Burgers

I love this combination. The texture of the pork takes a little getting use to. Next time I will use chicken. I used the outside grill instead of the grill pan. The pork seemed a little bland so I added some of the ketchup and some ginger to the meat mixture. The ketchup needed a little something so I added some Korean Gochujang. I had white cabbage the red would have added more color, so I added in some yellow bell peppers. Savory pork, sweet pineapple, spicy catsup and crunchy slaw. This just hits all the notes.

https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/pork-and-charred-pineapple-sliders

Bangers and Colcannon

This was divine! The onion gravy was silky and rich. The mashed potatoes were sweet from the cabbage and crunchy from the chopped cooked bacon.

Granny’s Bangers and Mash Recipe | Everyday Eileen

Colcannon

2 Strips of smoked bacon

1/2 a Small head of cabbage shredded

2 Tbls butter

1/2 Cup of cream

New Potatoes- I used a microwave steam in the bag

Cook your bacon and set aside. Add 1 tbls of butter to the bacon fat and cook your cabbage on medium low until tender. Cook your potatoes until tender enough to mash. Add the cream and last tbls of butter to the cabbage to warm the milk. Pour the cream and cabbage mixture over the potatoes and mash. Chop the bacon and stir it into the potatoes.

Rice Bowl with Chicken, Spiced Chickpeas, and Avocado

This dish was so fresh and the spice was just right. I made it less of a salad than the recipe calls for. I used a microwave 7 grain rice blend. I heated some olive oil in a skillet and added the chickpeas, chicken, cumin, and a pinch of cinnamon and cooked until everything was heated through. I added in the rice and some zatar and cooked a minute or two then pour in some of the dressing and mixed it. I put the rice mixture in the bowl and topped with the rest of the ingredients. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grain-bowls-with-chicken-spiced-chickpeas-and-avocado

Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Pie

This is soo much better than the pot pies that I grew up on. It is a very sophisticated pie. I found a similar recipe that I tried some time ago and it was to dry. I used the same concept and came up with a version that more suits me.

Package of store bought pie crust-2 crusts

2 Cups of shredded cooked chicken

1/2 Onion diced

1 Package of sliced mushrooms

1 Tsp of chopped thyme

10oz of Frozen spinach defrosted and squeezed dry

1 1/2 Tbls of butter

1 1/2 Tbls of flour

2 Cups of warm milk

1 Cup of grated swiss

Pinch of nutmeg

1 Egg beaten

1 Tbls melted butter

Set the pie dough out to warm up. I used a springform pan but a regular pie pan works. Put a piece of parchment in the bottom of my pan and sprayed it with cooking spray. Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add some olive oil and butter to a non stick saute pan on medium and sauteed the onions until soft, then add in mushrooms, thyme and a splash of white wine cook them until the mushrooms are soft then add in the spinach with some salt and pepper and mixed all together breaking up the clumps of spinach. Put this mixture in the bowl with the chicken and wipe out your pan. Put in 1 1/2 Tbls of butter and melt add in the flour stirring at least 1 minute then whisk in your milk and cook until thick. Off the heat add in the swiss and nutmeg. Let this cook a few minutes and add the chicken mixture and the beaten egg. Place your first crust in the bottom of your pan making the edges as even as you can on all sides. Pour in the filling and top with the second crust and crimp your 2 crusts together. Make a few slits in the top of the crust and brush with the melted butter. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Chard and Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini with Baked Ricotta

This was much better with the baked ricotta. I also added some cooked hot Italian sausage to the stuffing before I put it in the food processor. The fresh zucchini, the spicy filling, the crunchy bread crumbs and the creamy cheese. Yum!

Chard and Parmesan Stuffed Zucchini

Waffles with Blueberry Sauce

I have never made waffles. I did not plan for our Sunday breakfast as I usually do. I found that I had 1 egg and no bacon. I did find some fresh blueberries. I had some bisquick, I have a waffle maker that I bought to make hashbrown waffles. Ta Da, waffles with blueberry sauce

Eggplant Parmesan with Bolognese

I have been thinking about that crazy meatball eggplant parm sandwich that I made. I made this instead. A short cut meal. The first time that I used precooked microwave in a bag pasta. Not bad. I used a Bertolli Rustic cut sauce, nice big vegetables. I browned a little ground chuck and a mild Italian sausage, added in some red wine and the jarred sauce and let it simmer for 40 minutes. I salted my eggplant slices and let them rest to leach out some liquid. I pat them dry, roll in flour, then egg wash then into panko and parmesan. I sprayed them with cooking spray and air fried them 7 minutes on each side at 400.

Fresh Tortellini with Asparagus, Peas, and Mint

This pasta is soo spring. Peas, asparagus, mint and I added lemon zest and juice. Wow what a nice fresh pop against this creamy pasta. The crunch from the pine nuts is a very nice addition. https://sophisticatedsoutherngirl.com/2020/06/24/fresh-tortellini-with-asparagus-peas-and-mint/

Honey, Lemon, Basil Grilled Chicken and Green Bean Salad

I love this chicken recipe. It comes from Jillian Michaels cookbook Master Your Metabolism. It screams summer, fresh basil and bright lemon. This green bean salad is a perfect pairing. I used the dressing from the chicken on the salad as well.