Spiced Fruit Stuffing with Pork Chops

This is what I am making for dinner tonight. I will attach a photo later after I plate it pretty.

Another crock pot recipe that takes a little bit of prep but smells delicious coming from my crock pot. We are pork lovers in this family. Very busy family as of late with training a new puppy along with other activities around the house with the kids. Once the stuffing mix is all together its very easy to throw into the crock pot and go.

1 cup of diced dried fruit and raisin mix ( just used the dried fruit I had around the house)
1 cup  chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon ( I used 2 tsp)
1/8 tsp nutmeg ( I used 1 tsp)
1 - 6oz pkg herb seasoned stuffing mix
1- 4oz boneless pork loin chops about 1/2" thick ( I used the pork should blades I had)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large sauce pan combine dried fruit, broth, 1/4 cup apple juice, margarine , cinnamon, nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stir in stuffing mix Remove from heat.

Arrange pork chops in bottom of 4 qt slow cooker. Pour remaining 1/4 cup of apple juice over pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Top with stuffing mixture.

Cover, cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.( My slow cooker is weird it cooks fast so it cooks for me in about 4 hours)
Remove stuffing from cooker, place in serving bowl, stir gently, serve with pork


Post picture later

Happy Eating.

Cowboy beans

This recipe is from the current place I work. I have yet to try it because there is so much sugar in it for me.  I have cut down the quantities so that it could be made in a home kitchen. The original recipe is for a half hotel pan which is 8"x6"x6".  The home size would fit a 2qt sauce pan maybe.

Cowboy beans
2 cans of butter beans, drained
2 cans of red kidney beans, drained
1 large can of bushes baked beans
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar,packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1 lb of bacon, diced in 1" pieces and made crispy
1-2 lbs of ground beef cooked
1 medium yellow onion small diced
1-2 tps ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. dump into a large baking dish and bake at 350 F degrees until heated through. Then serve.

That is it. It is that simple for this recipe. If anyone makes it please let me know how it is.

Happy Eating

New Year New Food

I didn't make my 200 posts by the end of 2014. That falls on me for not being consistent with writing or having the time to keep up with blogging.  Trying to find my way in the culinary  world and where I belong in life. 
Ate a Chinese fortune cookie today "if you feel you are right, stand firmly by your convictions." I usually do but I found having to keep a job here in Central Wisconsin. I have to dumb down my standards because of the type of owners here. They all think they know better and serve food that they think is good. One guys prices are high for mediocre food. One guy served everything frozen and canned and said that the customers didn't know any better so its ok. Its not ok. Chef Katie would be kicking my ass if she had seen half the stuff here. I can just hear her now.
Central Wisconsin is not the place to go for good food. People are mean, cheep, and cut corners at every turn. I am stuck here for now. So I dumb down what I do, to get a pay check and make it. I wish I could be a private chef here and make better money, but people are too cheep thanks to the restaurant owners, supper clubs and other places that make it that way.

This year I want to focus more on better food, writing more, and sharing the food I love. Ill even share the cut corners that the places I have worked use. This is all in hopes that I get more people to read me and share me. I know I am good at cooking food. I need to validate it for myself. I have yet to be able to do that.  I had my cake business threatened by a local, who turned me over to the state. I got lucky and a warning to shut down or get fined. So my confidence in being a great chef and cook has been shaken. 
Thank you to the few readers who have listened to me and read me. It is appreciated that there is some one out there who reads. I hope to have more for you to read in the future..


Happy Eating
Chef Lisa