Mexican Style Pork Chops with Fiesta Bean Pasta

Tis Mexican night and this meal was a nice Mexican twist on an American classic. I breaded the pork chops with a little Mexican Ancho Chili Powder and for a nice smoky bit of heat and with that, I have paired it with a Fiesta Bean Pasta.

The pork chops are breaded with flour and seasoned nicely, and then a touch of Mexican Ancho Chili Powder are added to them to enhance the flavor with an underlying heat that elevates this once American classic and takes it South of the Border! They are very moist, and the crunchy exterior makes for the perfect pork chop!

To compliment these delectable pork chops, I have made Fiesta Bean Pasta. I cooked my pasta, then added my beans to them. Then to that, I added my chayote pico de gallo, which adds a fresh, yet authentic Mexican flavor to the dish. The chayote pico really makes this dish pop! I had to add the dollop of sour cream and jalapeno on the side to it, and man, I was pleasantly surprised! The ingredients worked together so well, I even surprised myself! This is a Mexican night that will not be forgotten, but craved and requested by my family for a while. My husband already said I have to make them again very soon. These pork chops and Fiesta Bean Pasta is definitely a great twist on this American classic, and it will definitely make a comeback to our table!!!

Smothered Veal in White Wine Gravy with Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli

This is the second of my recipes including white wine. This time, I decided to make a white wine gravy for my veal cutlets. I have for you today, my Smothered Veal in White Wine Gravy with Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli!

For this recipe, I took my veal cutlets and lightly dredged them in flour and pan-seared them in EVOO. When I took them out, the oil that was left in the pan, I added green onions, green peppers, garlic, and white wine to cook down and render their flavors. Then I decided to turn this into a gravy, so I added some all-purpose flour to it, thinned it out with a little water, and then the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon for the added freshness and to brighten the gravy some. I added the veal cutlet back to it to allow it to absorb the flavors of the gravy. While that's simmering, let's go to the Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli.

For the Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli, I cooked the rice and to that I added the broccoli to it and then added the Brie. The Brie cheese melted down into the broccoli and rice, stirred them all together and began the plate process.

I pulled the veal from the gravy and plated it up with a healthy scoop of the Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli. Then for extra love, I spooned on some of that delicious white wine gravy. The white wine gravy provides an amazingly refined taste to the veal, and the extra that spread on the plate, mix it in with a scoop of the Brie Brown Rice and Broccoli, and it feels like you are dining at a five star restaurant in New York! The taste of the Brie is so light, but apparent, and the creaminess really makes the dish that much better! Paired with the crunch of the broccoli, it is a great contrast of textures and flavors! This meal is soooo elegant and delicious, you will realize the true definition of what it means to "Fancy Your Plate"! Bon Appetit!!!

Chicken á la Fancy with Brown Rice and Broccoli

This meal came to be because I was looking for something healthier and lighter, but still keeping things very flavorful. I love brown rice and broccoli just happens to complete the meal very well. So this is what I came up with, my Chicken á la Fancy with Brown rice and Broccoli!

The chicken was pan-seared in EVOO (See, there it goes again! There I go using one of my favorite "RRism's") and seasoned to perfection with Tony Chachere's and Blackening Seasoning. Juicy and tender, they went quite well on top of a pillowy stack of perfectly cooked brown rice. The EVOO seeped down into the rice, providing extra flavor. But that isn't the kicker...

After the chicken was taken out of the skillet, in goes the green onions, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic. Then, into the skillet goes the white wine! That makes all the flavors come together like clockwork! The white wine cooks everything down and releases the flavors of the veggies and the EVOO that's still in the pan. Then pop the chicken back in the white wine and veggies and let them cook for a few more minutes. Take them out and top the rice with them. Let those flavors lavish the rice... The flavors are magic!

While the white wine and veggies are cooking, the broccoli should be cooking down with some butter and Tony Chachere's. When they are done, use the broccoli florets to fancy the mound of brown rice, then take some of the white wine sauce and pour it over the chicken, rice, and broccoli, then serve up. Your family will sing your praises! Mine did, and I am definitely stepping it up for my next recipe!

Italian Chicken Fried Rice

This just came to me one evening. I had some chicken tenders, rice, and veggies, so I sat down and thought to myself, "Self, I see what I got here. How can I flip, switch, and fancy up these ingredients?" Well, since the chicken is seasoned with fresh Italian herbs, let's see... Italian Chicken Fried Rice!!!

Perfectly seasoned chicken tenders cut into one inch pieces and veggies mixed in with pillowy soft white rice. This dish was an incredible plate of "UMPH!" It had the trinity: onions, peppers, and celery. Then I added half inch pieces of squash, and some Italian seasoning. This was forkfuls of Heaven!

The chicken was moist and the seasoning came through beautifully! The rice was fluffy and absorbed all the flavors of the dish which tied everything together perfectly. Then the love from the onions, bell pepper, and celery; and the squash on top of that was tender, and absorbed all the flavors as well! All in all, this dish was the perfect blend of Asia and Italy! My family loved it and yours will too!

Alamo Steak Po' Boys with Chayote Salsa

Now, here I reign as the Queen of the Po' Boys, so now you know I had to do this! This is my "incredibly delectable, yet oh so filling" medium rare, Alamo Steak Po' Boy with Chayote Salsa. I present thee!

Now, my inspiration for this particular Po' Boy is that living in San Antonio for 10+ years, I have a deep love for authentic Mexican food. I also married into a Creole family, so I thought it necessary to learn all I could about Creole cuisine, and as a result, I also have a deep love for Creole food, so hence the Chayote Pico de Gallo. And what a coincidence that the chayote, A.K.A. mirliton, is both a Mexican and Creole staple! It works well together.

When you first bite into this Po' Boy, the steak obviously is the first thing that taste. The full, hearty, but still juicy and flavorful flank steak was pan seared to perfection and let's just say I had to take a piece of steak and taste it solo just to savor the goodness that it was. I was not disappointed. The steak was on point! I then folded it up and bit into it and WOW! Of course, the steak, yes, but also, the chayote salsa!!! It provided a refreshing taste along with the amazingly authentic taste of the pico de gallo! This is has got to be one of my favorite po' boys!!! But of course, you can't forget the pickles!

Spicy Pineapple-Orange Asian-Style Ribs with Asian Slaw and Spicy Asian Baked Beans

This meal was absolutely delicious! It was Asian Day in my kitchen and oh my goodness did I deliver! This plate was an eyeful and the flavors were spot on!

The Country-style Ribs with that Pineapple-Orange sauce on them were soooo moist and savory, I would that this was one of the moistest ribs I have ever made, but truly, all my ribs turn out this juicy and succulent! The flavor from the pineapple-orange sauce gave them a rich, tangy flavor, and th soy sauce from the marinade was a nice underlying accent at the end. Perfect ribs, me tested, husband approved!

The Asian Slaw was a big hit! The crispy crunch from the cabbage and apples paired with the sweetness of the pineapples and mandarin oranges and the tartness of the rice wine vinegar was a perfect combination and, let me just pat myself on the back and say, off the chain!!! I couldn't put it down!!!

The Baked Beans had the perfect classic flavor kicked up with the sweet and tangy pineapple-orange BBQ sauce from the ribs, which made my perfect baked beans legendary! Fork tender baked beans with an Asian twist! Even my kids looked at me like "Wow, what is in these beans, Mom?!" Easily the best beans I have ever made!

Chipotle BBQ Pork Ribs with Skillet Fried Mexican Corn and Fiesta Green Beans and Potatoes

This is one of my favorites. It is a Chipotle BBQ sauce pork rib, skillet fried Mexican corn and fiesta green beans and potatoes.

The pork ribs are oven roasted low and slow and then coated with a chipotle BBQ sauce that gives the tender, juicy pork rib a great smoky flavor with a very underlying, subtle bit of heat. Now, for those who don't exactly know, a chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeno. They take on a savory taste when you find them in the adobo sauce. This flavor, paired with pork, makes a fantastic duo! Succulent, tender, with a hardy taste like eating a small steak, this is one of the best pork ribs you'll ever try! Voila! Magnificence!!!

As for the Skillet Fried Mexican Corn, the freshly shucked corn was flavor-filled! First off, freshly shucked corn is so sweet, this is no better time than in the summer to have freshly shucked corn. And paired with some Mexican Chili Powder, the butter coated corn with a squeeze of lime juice was a true Mexican delicacy! Biting into this, you get the sweet of the corn with the sour of the lime juice, then the subtle heat from the chili powder. If you've never had corn on the cob this way, you are truly missing out!

The Fiesta Green Bean and Potatoes are not only a pretty display of colors on the plate, but a veritable feast for the eyes and mouth. The taste of the green beans, sliced potatoes, and roasted red peppers all together give of this rich, savory flavor that keeps you coming back. The red peppers really make this dish pop!