Loin of Pork Scallopini

Gosh I have been away visiting those grandsons for a week and I need to get back into the groove.  The boys are better than ever and now talking up a storm at the ripe old age of 25 months!! They love yogurt and strawberries!!

This is one of my husbands favorite meals and does not heat up the house by being a quick top of the stove meal.  I hate to turn on the oven when it is a 100 degrees out and the air conditioner is never turning off until after nightfall!




 You will need a large skillet and lid.
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1-1 1/2 pound very thinly sliced pork loin or tenderloin
1 pound mushrooms
2 C. sliced celery, about 5-6 ribs washed and trimed
2 C. chicken stock
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 T. corn starch
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
Cooked noodles or rice

Dice  the celery and clean the mushrooms with a soft brush, then slice them.  Heat the oil and butter in the skillet and cook the pork in batches, seasoning them with salt and pepper as you go.  You need to do this quickly over high heat just to brown the meat.  Then remove the meat to a large platter and set it aside.

Toss in the celery and brown for 1 or 2 minutes and add the mushrooms and stir fry another minute.  Add the chicken broth and the pork back in and reduce to a slow simmer.

Cook the noodles or rice.

Stir the cornstarch into the cream and stir until smooth.  If it is too thick add a little water.  Add this to the skillet and stir together until well blended and the sauce is slightly thickened.  Serve over the noodles or rice and enjoy a great meal!

Broccoli Raisin Salad

Some time back Lazarus was the major department store in our area.  I worked for them for many years and this is a salad they often served on their salad buffet.  I adapted the recipe from the way their restaurant manager gave it to me.






1 C. Hellman's Mayonnaise
1/2 C. sugar
1 T. cider vinegar
2 bunches of fresh broccoli florets cut to be bite size
1/2 pound diced and cooked bacon
1 small onion finely diced
7-8 oz raisins

This recipe can be made using the raw broccoli or it is quite good using blanched broccoli.  I am using the blanched today and made it ahead yesterday after blanching green beans.  I often do a couple of green vegetables using the same boiling water and blanching the mildest veggies first and the stronger flavor last.  I drained and dried the broccoli and stored refrigerated in a plastic bag.

Blend the dressing by mixing the mayo, sugar, and vinegar.  Combine the broccoli, bacon, onion, and raisins in a mixing bowl and gently fold in the dressing.  Serve slightly chilled.  Tastes best when served the same day.  Yields 3-4 pints.

Brian's Smoked Baby Back Ribs

WHAT A PLATE OF RIBS!!!!!!!!

Brian, my husband wanted to smoke baby back ribs this weekend so he set about doing that early Sunday morning.  I noticed he cut up apples and added them along with wine to the smokers water pan. He also used apple wood to achieve the smoke.

The day before I mixed up a brine solution of 1/4 C. salt,  1/4 C. sugar,  1/2 C. cider vinegar, 1 t. black peppercorns, 1 t. celery seed, 1 t. mustard seed,  and 1 bay leaf to 2 quarts of water.  I put the ribs in the mixture in the refrigerator for about 5 hours and then drained them returning them to the refrigerator.

They were smoked low and slow for about 4 hours then grilled over low heat with sauce then wrapped in foil and held at 200 degrees f for another 3 hours.  They melted in your mouth!!  Good job Dad!!

Note:  Our standard BBQ sauce is Sweet Baby Ray's sauce mixed with enough pineapple juice to make it about the thickness of sweet cream and a few shakes of hot sauce for a bit of jazz!  I have used apple or orange juice when I didn't have pineapple and they are fine too.