Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa

Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa

Serves: 6

Difficulty level: Moderate

Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa 

Quick – get out there and make this before the peaches disappear.  I have made it twice in the last few weeks because I loved the sweet-spicy tang of the salsa with the juicy smoky grilled pork chop.  I was tempted to list this as difficulty: easy but the 24-brine and managing the BBQ likely added just a wee bit of complexity.  But, trust me, it is easy peasy.  If there is any left, these thick cut pork chops taste just as good cold. The peach salsa is also great the next day, and day after – with fish, chicken or chips. So give it try – I mean NOW – while the peaches are still spectacular.

Pork is the “other white meat” as well as relatively inexpensive, tender and flavorful.  It is quite a bit leaner than similar cuts of beef. The most common cuts of pork have 16% less total fat and 27% less saturated fat than 20 years ago. Today’s leaner pork can be enjoyed medium rare. The USDA recently announced that pork could be safely cooked to 145 degree F followed by a three-minute rest time, resulting in juicy and tender pork.

Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce

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Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce 

Serves: 4

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce 

There is nothing quite like fresh fish. And when it’s fresh, the simplest preparation will often suffice. Yellowfin tuna, also known as ahi, demonstrates this principle perfectly. With just the barest cooking time, the flavor of a fresh piece of ahi is heavenly. Its ubiquity and popularity in sushi restaurants is a testament to how good ahi can taste served rare. In other words, less is more. However if you are a bit squeamish about partially cooked fish, you can adjust the time in the oven accordingly – or if you want it seared only, skip the oven step altogether. One could also substitute Ahi with Mahi Mahi, Shark or center cut Halibut.

Fried Egg with Squash and Tomatillo--updated with new pics!

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Fried Egg with Squash and Tomatillo

Serves: 4

Fried Egg with Squash and Tomatillo

Tomatillos are also called "tomate verde" in Mexico (which means green tomato) and are considered a staple in Mexican cooking. Tomatillo is a member of the nightshade family, related to tomatoes. It now grows everywhere in the Western Hemisphere. An inedible paper-like husk formed from the calyx surrounds the tomatillo fruit. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest. The freshness and greenness of the husk are key criteria for quality. Fruit should be firm and bright green, as the green color and tart flavor are the main culinary contributions of the fruit. To prepare, peel the husk by hand and wash them thoroughly in cold water to remove sticky residue from the surface. Fresh tomatillos can be used raw and cooked in recipes.

Lamb Stew with Golden Raisins

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Lamb Stew with Raisins

Ragout d’agneau aux Raisins

Serves: 4

Difficulty level: Easy

Lamb Stew with Golden Raisins

Ragout d’agneau aux Raisins, a dish served at a Benichon Feast (equivalent to Thanksgiving) in Fribourg, Switzerland, is a hearty and easy to make savory lamb stew that will have your guest swooning over the touch of sweetness from the scattering of golden raisins over tender lamb. The stew smells so good – wine aromas, fruity and meaty all at once – that it will make your mouth water.  After a single bite of tender lamb braised in red wine with garlic and golden raisins, you will be committed to add this to your weekend repertoire. Since it’s easy to make and serves a crowd, it is a favorite dinner-party dish.  I love serving it with mashed potatoes.