Pork Chops with Cranberry-Maple Pan Sauce

I'm generally not a huge fan of pork chops.  With the exception of the smoked pork chop at one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants, I feel like they are often dried out, overcooked, and kind of bland.  But so many people seem to love them, so I figured I'd give them another shot.  I was so smitten with the idea of this cranberry-maple pan sauce, so I started by going to Whole Foods and buying the biggest, thickest, bone-in chops ever.  I then enlisted the help of my friend Elly, who gave me some chop-cooking tips.

The result?  Awesome!  By using a thicker-cut, bone-in pork chop, you lower the risk of the meat cooking too quickly and drying out.  And pan-searing the chops followed by a brief stint in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout.  Pan sauces are one of my favorite ways to spice up a simple pan-roasted protein, and this one was really great.  A little tart from the cranberries and vinegar, with sweetness from the maple syrup.  And by making the sauce in the same pan as the pork chops, you get all those super flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.

If you're a pork chop novice like me, this recipe is a great jumping off point.  Because even if you happen to overcook your meat, the pan sauce will help mask that.  If you are a pork chop hater, then I think this method and sauce would also work really well with chicken or pork tenderloin.

I served this with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, but I think sweet potatoes would be really great as well - a pork chop Thanksgiving dinner, if you will!

Pork Chops with Cranberry-Maple Pan Sauce
sauce adapted from Fine Cooking

• 4 (1- 1 1/2- inch thick) bone-in pork chops
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pat the pork dry and season well on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the pork chops 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown - you may need to do this in 2 batches, depending on the size of each pork chop.  Transfer to the oven and cook until the center reaches 135 degrees (using an instant-read thermometer), about 7-10 minutes.

Transfer the chops to a plate and cover loosely with foil.  Return the skillet to the stovetop.  Add the cranberries, chicken broth, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, red pepper flakes, and thyme and cook over medium heat until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 7 minutes.  Use a whisk to incorporate the mustard into the sauce and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Return the chops to the pan and turn a few times to coat well with the sauce.  Divide among plates and serve immediately, spooning the sauce over the chops.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares

I know that for most, chocolate chip cookies are the epitome of nostalgia, but for me it's snickerdoodles.  My mom had a Mrs. Fields cookie cookbook, and snickerdoodles were most definitely the favorite cookie in the book.  I remember carefully rolling each ball of dough in cinnamon sugar, then watching them spread and bake in the oven.  The smell of snickerdoodles can't be beaten, and the cookies themselves are pretty fantastic as well.  I love the crunchy outside that gives way to the soft and chewy interior.  It really is just pure comfort food for me.

As I was flipping through The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook (!!), I literally gasped when I came upon these bars.  They are a combination of snicker doodle, creme brûlée, and St. Louis gooey butter cake.  I mean, come on.

If you're unfamiliar with gooey cake, it is basically a yellow cake base, with a gooey, buttery topping.  It's pretty much one of the best things ever.  This version has a cakey-cookie base, topped with that decadent gooey topping as well.  However, it goes over the top when it's sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, which creates kind of a creme brûlée effect - crunchy, sugary, but with that wonderful warmth from the cinnamon.

These are pretty much completely irresistible, and I foresee them being on the dessert table on Thanksgiving.  And Christmas.  And New Year's.  And MLK Day.  I think you get the idea.

Gooey Cinnamon Squares
barely adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
makes a 9x13 inch pan of bars - cut them as small or large as you like

Soft Cookie Base

• 8 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup milk

Gooey Layer

• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 12 Tbs (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Topping

• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch cake pan with foil or parchment paper, then spray liberally with cooking spray (or grease with butter).  Set aside.

To prepare the cookie base, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and milk and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl and then beating for another 10 seconds.  Beat in the dry ingredients at low speed until just combined.  

Dollop the cookie base over the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a butter knife or offset spatula.  Set aside.

To prepare the gooey layer, whisk together the corn syrup, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt  until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat another 10 seconds.  Add 1/3 of the flour and mix, followed by half the vanilla mixture, mixing well to combine.  Repeat again, twice, until all of the flour has been added and mixed until just combined.  Dollop over the cookie base and spread carefully with an offset spatula.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the gooey layer.  

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the cookies have bronzed on top.  The gooey layer will rise and fall in the oven, but wills till be a little liquidy under the cinnamon crust (Definitely ere on the side of under baked rather than over baked in order to maximize the gooeyness!).

Allow to cool completely on a rack, then cut into squares to serve.

(Crockpot) Chicken & Sausage Stew

Sometimes you make a dinner and you immediately know it will be going into heavy rotation for years to come.  That was definitely the case with this chicken stew.  It seems so humble - chicken thighs, Italian sausage, white beans, and spinach.  But something magical happened in my crock pot that day.  The chicken was so tender and flavorful.  The sausage was rich and just slightly spicy.  The white beans made the stew so creamy and hearty.  And the spinach gave it a nice freshness.  Topped with some shredded Parmesan cheese, and served with a thick slice of bread, this was pretty much the epitome of the perfect fall dinner.  Something about the combination of all the ingredients just seemed so right.

I'm not one to turn my nose up at leftovers as a general rule, though it's not too often that I look forward to them with great enthusiasm.  However, I ate the stew for lunch every single day the week I made it, and I never grew tired of it.  I had actually intended to freeze half of it (time to stock my freezer for the babies!), but I wasn't willing to part with it quite yet.  The bright side is that since it comes together rather quickly and then cooks all day, it will definitely be making another appearance around the same time as these baby boys!

Chicken Stew with Sausage, White Beans, and Spinach
adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Slow Cooker Revolution
serves 6-8

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sausage links (mild or spicy)
• 2 large onions, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (white beans)
• 8 oz baby spinach (about 8 cups)
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, and transfer to the slow cooker.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the sausage about 1-2 minutes per side.  Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle, then slice into 1/2-1 inch slices (It probably won't be cooked though - don't worry, it will finish cooking in the slow cooker!).  Add to the slow cooker with the chicken.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet, and add the onions.  Cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the garlic tomato paste, thyme, and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly whisk in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.  Whisk in 1 cup of the broth, whisking to smooth out any lumps.  Transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining 2 cups of broth, the bay leaves, and the cannellini beans.  Cover and cook until the chicken and sausage are cooked through, 6-8 hours on low (or 3-4 hours on high).

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and use 2 forks to shred into bite-sized pieces.  Fish out the bay leaves.  If there appears to be a lot of fat on the surface, use a large spoon to skim it off.

Return the chicken to the crockpot and stir in the spinach.  Cover and cook on high until heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 5-10 more minutes.  If the stew is too thick, stir in additional (warmed) broth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Top each serving with grated parmesan before serving.

Chicken Saltimbocca Spaghetti

If you ask Caroline what her favorite food is, she'll tell you "spadetti and mac & sheese."  She's a carb-loving girl after my own heart.  So when I set a bowl of this chicken saltimbocca spaghetti in front of her, I wasn't expecting her to tell me that "This is NOT spadetti."  I replied that it's just a different kind, and she seemed happy enough with that answer.  And once she tried it, she was definitely a fan.  So spaghetti still reigns as her favorite food, huzzah!

This is a deconstructed version of chicken saltimbocca, so there are the usual suspects:  chicken, crispy prosciutto, and sage.  But since it's served as a one-pot pasta dish, you also have tender and flavorful noodles that are cooked in the skillet in a mixture of chicken broth, white wine, and water.  There's plenty of garlic, a good dose of lemon for some brightness and freshness, and it's finished off with some briny capers.

Between the capers and the prosciutto, it seems like this may be too salty, but just be careful when seasoning the dish.  By itself, it may seem a little bland, but with the garnishes it is perfect.  Adding too much extra salt would definitely make it too salty.

I absolutely loved this dinner - way more than I expected too, since I'm typically not a huge fan of capers or sage - it's easy to go from "pleasantly herbal" to "Christmas tree" with sage.  But pan-frying in a little oil made the leaves crispy and perfect.  I could have just eaten them all on the spot.  And the little briny bits of capers were a pleasant addition as well.  This was a fairly quick and very comforting meal that celebrating so many of the homey flavors of fall.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did - and if you're in the northeast, I hope you're faring okay in the midst of Sandy!  Stay safe!

Chicken Saltimbocca Spaghetti
adapted from Pasta Revolution

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch strips
• 8 large fresh sage leaves, plus 3 Tbs minced
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and pounded to uniform thickness
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion), chopped fine
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 12 oz dried spaghetti noodes, broken in half
• 3 Tbs capers, rinsed and chopped (optional)
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest + 3 Tbs juice

Heat 2 Tbs of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the prosciutto and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes.  Add the sage leaves and continue to cook until the leaves are crisp, 20-30 seconds.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the prosciutto and sage, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Reduce the heat to medium.  Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer in the now-empty skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side.  Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, and stir in the onion.  Cook over medium heat until softened and golden, 5 to 7  minutes.  Stir in the garlic, minced sage, and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, then whisk in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the broth and water, then stir in the pasta.  Increase heat to medium-high and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, 12-15 minutes.  While the pasta cooks, shred or slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Once the pasta has cooked, stir in the chicken, capers, butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Cook until the butter melts and the chicken is heated through.  Off heat, season lightly with salt and pepper.  Divide the spaghetti among serving bowls, and sprinkle each serving with crisped prosciutto and sage leaves (I liked the sage leaves crumbled over the top so you could get some in every bite!).

Smith's Rookie of the Year Birthday Party

My sweet sweet baby boy turned one!  Smith, or as Caroline refers to him, Baby Sniff, has been such a wonderful and fun addition to our family.  I absolutely love love loved having a girl, so I was initially admittedly a little worried about being a mom to a boy.

(while I could never be a Twins fan (1991 World Series, anyone?) I couldn't resist wearing this shirt for his party)

But I honestly can't even imagine it any other way.  He is most definitely a momma's boy.  He loves to snuggle with me (for 0.35 seconds anyway, before he's off on another adventure).  He's hilarious.  He's inquisitive, daring, adventurous, and basically all-boy.  I love it.  

Like most guys, Joey played baseball growing up.  And I've been a huge baseball fan my entire life (Go Braves!)  So a baseball party seemed like a great theme - and then to make it even more awesome cheesy, I called it a "Rookie of the Year" party.  It was so much fun to plan the party, and all of our friends and family loved the theme as well.  

As soon as I decided on the theme, I knew I wanted the invitation to be a baseball card.  I had a good friend of mine design it, and I love how it turned out.  And I laughed every time I looked at his "stats."

The menu was super easy to finalize.  If you throw a baseball themed party, you must serve stadium food.  As much as I love to go all-out and make things complicated, I managed to successfully reign it in here.  We served:

Hot dogs with ketchup and mustard

Soft Pretzels  (I made a quadruple batch, and they were all gone by the end of the party!)

Nachos with cheese

Popcorn

Cotton Candy

Roasted Peanuts

Cracker Jack

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ice Cream Sundaes

I also put together a little area for more snacks, which included a giant fruit tray (not pictured), pretzel bites, applesauce tubes, extra Crackerjack and popcorn, and some goldfish.  Since we had a lot of small kids at the party, I thought it would be nice to have some more familiar, slightly healthier, and less messy options for them.

Perhaps Joey's favorite detail of the party, however, was the ice cream sundae bar.  As soon as we decided to have a baseball party, he threw out the idea of ordering those baseball helmets like we used to get at Dairy Queen growing up.  At first we were going to order all Braves ones, but he liked the idea of having all the teams represented.  Pretty much everyone in attendance commented that they loved getting ice cream in those helmets when they were kids.  And it was a fun favor for them to take home as well.  And as excited as Joey was over the helmet bowls, I was just as excited about these super cute spoons!

While I initially had so many cute ideas for the decor, I ultimately just didn't have the time or energy to execute it all.  We had moved into our house just 2 1/2 weeks prior to the party, so things kind of just got stripped down to the basics.  I loved the green "turf" tablecloth for the food table though, and we made a banner out of baseball cards to display as well.  Joey also had several baseball player figurines and old gloves, balls, and hats to scatter around.  And I put together these super simple centerpieces on a few tables that were just vases filled with peanuts and cute little flags.  They served double duty because everyone liked to munch on the peanuts while sitting around.

And of course what kind of first birthday party would it be without cake??  A baseball smash cake seemed like the obvious choice, and since I am no cake decorator, I just used the star tip to pipe the frosting.  When the time came for him to dig in, however, Smith was not a fan.  I really wonder sometimes if he is even my child?!  He picked at the icing for a few minutes, then just cried until I took him out of his high chair and held him.  

But of course the most important part of the party is who you're celebrating!  Smith had tons of friends and family there to help us celebrate his big day, and I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all!

Sources

Braves Onsie:  Little Ones Baby Boutique Etsy Shop

Wooden Spoons:  Sucre Shop (Etsy)

Red and White Snack Cups:  TomKat Studios

Cracker Jack, Popcorn Boxes, Striped Straws:  Amazon

Flags, Tablecoth, Baseball Cards, Candles, Ballons:  Party City

Very Berry Applesauce

People often ask me for "kid friendly" dinner and snack ideas.  While I hate to be unhelpful, the truth is, we don't really differentiate between kid meals and adult meals.  For the most part, Caroline and Smith eat what we eat.  I'm glad that so far we've managed to avoid the curse of the picky eater, and hopefully we'll continue to be lucky in that regard with all of our kids.  However, some foods are definitely really big hits with Caroline and Smith.  This berry applesauce was one such snack.  I threw this together on a whim the night I made the roasted veggie-stuffed potatoes, and Caroline and Smith both had seconds of the applesauce.

Since berries are no longer in season (sad face), I used a bag of frozen mixed berries.  I believe it was raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  And since the berries tend to be pretty sweet on their own, I used tart Granny Smith apples for the applesauce.  It was super simple to throw together, and with no added sweeteners, it's a super healthy snack or dessert option for little ones.  I think Caroline, Smith, and I had a bowl of this for our afternoon snacks every single day until it ran out.  Plus, it's super cute when Caroline asks for "Vewy Bewwy Applesauce."

But the fun doesn't have to stop with berry applesauce.  In the past, I have used a wide variety of fruits and even veggies as add-ins.  Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, pumpkin puree, and peaches have all been big hits in our house.  Feel free to play around with any of the above fruits, or get crazy and make-up your own combination.  Brussels Sprouts Applesauce, anyone? ;-)

Very Berry Applesauce
a Pink Parsley Original

We like a slightly chunky texture because it makes it easier for caroline to feed herself without drips.  If you prefer or need a thinner texture, then use a food processor or blender, then strain it through a colander.  This would also be a good method if the seeds from the berries bother you.

• 5-6 medium-large apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (I used Granny Smith)
• 1 (16-oz) bag frozen mixed berries, thawed, with juices reserved
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• splash (maybe 1/4 cup) apple cider or water

Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until he apples are softened, about 15-20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce, leaving a few chunks of the apples and berries.

If the applesauce seems too thin, bring to a boil and allow to cook until it's thickened to your liking.  Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or portion it into freezer bags and freeze.

Roasted Vegetable-Stuffed Potatoes

Twice baked potatoes are by far one of my favorite foods.  I honestly think I could eat them every single night for dinner, and never get tired of them.  Chubbier, yes.  Burned out, no.  With the weather turning cooler, I have been all about comfort food, and found myself craving their carby, cheesy goodness.  And while it's tempting to use the excuse that "I'm eating for three," I try to reign it in and abide by the moderation rule (besides this weekend.  I think I ate about 25 cupcakes.  More on that later though).

These twice-baked potatoes stuffed with roasted vegetables were a perfect compromise.  The potatoes are rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and baked like normal.  For the last 15 or 20 minutes, I threw in some chopped veggies to get those tender and caramelized.  I then scooped out the filling of the potatoes, and mashed it with some Greek yogurt, herbs, and Gruyere cheese.  I stuffed the filling back in and topped the potatoes with the roasted veggies and a little more Gruyere.  After a brief stint in the oven, they emerged as a healthier, hearty version of my beloved twice baked potatoes.

Feel free to play around with the vegetables and use any combination that you like.  I used onions, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and carrots.  All vegetables that I knew Caroline and Smith would eat, and the combo worked really well together in my opinion.  Also feel free to use any combo of herbs.  I believe I used rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley.  Just use whatever you have on hand and sounds good.

These were a big hit with Caroline and Joey.  Smith loved the carrots and brussels sprouts, but he's not the biggest fan of broccoli yet, unfortunately.  I served these as the main course with some apple and pear slices, but if you need something more substantial, they'd be great as a side dish to any array of proteins - steaks, roasted chicken, pork loin... really anything.  And you can feel good knowing that you're getting a healthier version of the steakhouse favorite.

Roasted Vegetable-Stuffed Potatoes
a Pink Parsley Original

• 2-3 Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 cups bite-sized chopped vegetables, for roasting (I used carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and onions.  Just be sure they are all about the same size so they cook evenly).
• 6 oz.  Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp chopped mixed fresh herbs (any herbs)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Rub the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Use a fork to poke a few holes in the top of each one, then place on a baking sheet.  Bake until cooked through, about an hour (it all depends on the size of your potatoes though - start checking them after 45 minutes).

Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Transfer to the oven and cook on the shelf below the potatoes until the veggies are browned and crisp-tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove the potatoes and the vegetables from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool until they are cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes or so.  Slice the potatoes open, and scoop out as much of the filling as you can, being careful not to tear the skin.  

Add the filling to a medium bowl and mash with the Greek yogurt and milk until mostly smooth, but a few chunks still remain.  Stir in the garlic powder, 3/4 cup of the Gruyere cheese, and the herbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and return the filling to the potatoes.  

Divide the roasted vegetables among the potatoes, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere cheese.

Return to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the filling is heated through.  Serve.