Arugula Pear Salad and Smothered Pork Chops with Brown Rice Medley

I spent 20 minutes at the dinner table tonight trying to get the perfect picture of each dish for the blog before taking my first bite. After about 30 pictures, I think I narrowed down the two best photos of the bunch which look almost as good as they tasted!
Arugula Pear Salad
Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp shallot, minced
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 salt
1/8 pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Toss with vinaigrette:
Arugula
Pear, sliced thin
Toasted walnuts
Blue cheese

Smothered Pork Chops

Combine and set aside:

1/4 cup beef broth

2 tbsp milk

2 tsp flour

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Season both sides of 6 boneless loin pork chops with thyme and paprika. Cook over medium high heat 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove pork from pan.

Reduce heat, add 1 cup chopped onion, and saute for about 4 minutes. Add 3/4 cup beef broth, bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Add milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Add pork, turning to coat, and cook 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Brown Rice Medley

Cook brown rice adding any remaining beef broth to the water.
Stir in:
Grape tomatoes, halved
Carrots, julienned
Scallions, chopped
Almonds, slivered
Pinch of dried thyme

Pasta Primavera

I had a crisper full of vegetables that I wanted to use up while still fresh, so I created my own version of Pasta Primavera. The beauty of this recipe is that you could use just about any combination of vegetables which provide so much flavor that you really don't need any sauce.

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta while you prepare the vegetables.

1 garlic clove, minced

1 scallion, chopped

1 small handful baby carrots, sliced lengthwise

1 small handful of snowpeas, ends trimmed

1 small handful grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup broccoli (I used leftovers that were already cooked)

6 zucchini ribbons (using veg. peeler)

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Melt butter and olive oil (about 1/2 tbsp each) in pan over medium high heat. Lower heat and add garlic, cooking until just lightly brown. Add scallion, carrots, peas, and tomatoes, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add broccoli and zucchini and cook 1 minute longer, stirring and shaking pan. Squirt juice from half a lemon over vegetables and season with a little salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add cooked pasta to the vegetables and sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese.

Peachy Day

Today truly felt like Spring! The air was warm, the sun was shining, and John and I got to spend half the day together which was the best part. We had a delicious brunch at a South American cafe, Cafe Colonial, and then took a walk afterwards. On our walk, we came across this bright peach wall which coincidentally was graffitied with the name "Argentina".


Doesn't John look cute here?







I wore my new dress and purse from TJ Maxx today. Thanks for the birthday gift card Claire and Joe!

Mozzarella Chicken with Olive Tomato Sauce

This was so delicious!















1 lb. boneless skinless chicken cutlets
1/2 Italian or Greek dressing
1 tblsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves sliced thin
1/4 dry white wine
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 jar marinara sauce
part skim mozzarella cheese, sliced

Marinate chicken in dressing for at least 4 hours.

Heat olive oil in large pan over high heat. Add garlic and stir quickly until the garlic lightly browns. Place chicken pieces on one layer in the pan and cook over medium high heat for 7 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Deglaze the pan juices with the wine. Add the olives and tomatoes and cook while stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan, covering the pieces with the tomato sauce. Cover each chicken piece with a slice of mozzarella, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve with vegetables (like spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic).

Making Plarn

Yesterday I made another batch of plarn from a month's worth of plastic bags.


Here are the bags organized by color and stacked flat.




Two hours later the bags are cut...

And then later the following day the cut pieces are joined and rolled into balls of plarn.

Easter at the Guggenheim and Central Park

John and I spent Easter day together at the Guggenheim Museum and then Central Park. It had to be one of the most beautiful days we've ever shared. The weather was incredible and the park was in full bloom. I've never seen so many blooming trees in my life. I couldn't resist taking a multitude of pictures...

Coffee, Cooking, and Strawberries

I've been having so much fun with the macro feature on my camera which I just discovered after owning the camera for almost 3 years now. Here are some of my experimental shots:

My new coffee cup that my friend Stacey gave me for my birthday while I was in Texas a few weeks ago.

My first attempt at Chicken Piccata from the Martha Stewart cookbook my dad and Leslie gave me last week...also a birthday present.

And, finally, a pretty little pile of strawberries that Kristina laid out for a small birthday cocktail party in mine and Paula's honor.