July | 2009 | Kitchenbelle

Balsamic Marinated Pork Chops & Grilled Nectarines

Posted on July 9, 2009 by kitchenbelle

I am always on the lookout for low fuss, delicious, and healthy weeknight suppers. What I especially love about this one is it takes advantage of the season’s bounty: nectarines AND it allows me to use my favorite pan: my grill pan! Grilling the fruit really capitalizes on its sweetness and the marinade is a great combination of flavors that keeps the pork nice and moist. Even my husband, who is not always a fan of fruit in savory dishes, seemed to enjoy these grilled pork chops and nectarines.

(I served some grilled zucchini with this as well.)

Balsamic Marinated Pork Chops & Grilled Nectarines:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
4 5-oz lean boneless pork chops, visible fat removed
sea salt & black pepper to taste
4 Nectarines, halved & pitted (I had a tough time pitting these guys!)
fresh thyme leaves for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, honey and rosemary. Reserve 2 Tbs. and add the rest to a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Add pork to bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Spray grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Remove pork from fridge, discard marinating liquid and season pork with salt and pepper. Cook in grill pan until pork is opaque throughout and feels firm to the touch. About 5-6 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.

Spray the grill pan with another quick squirt of cooking spray. Add nectarines to the grill pan over medium heat until tender and juicy, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to plate, and brush with reserved marinade. Serve with pork chops.

Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine July/August issue.

Filed under: Main Dish, nectarine, pork | Leave a comment »

Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on July 8, 2009 by kitchenbelle

I made these cupcakes for a cookout and they were a huge hit! All of the children at the party found them and ravaged them before dinner was even served. Then the adults followed suit! I had to snag one for myself in order to have a taste before they were gone! DELICIOUS!

I used this recipe for the cupcakes-

Oatmeal Cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups boiling water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Insert liners into cupcake pans.

Combine boiling water and oats in a medium bowl; let stand 20 minutes. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oatmeal, beating until blended.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack.

And this recipe for the cream cheese frosting–

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Two 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, until smooth. Slowly sift the confectioners’ sugar into the butter/cream cheese, about one cup at a time. Continue to beat until all lumps are gone. Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined.

june 23 021

Oatmeal Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light. Frosting recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting, icing, oatmeal | 7 Comments »

Broccoli Salad

Posted on July 7, 2009 by kitchenbelle

I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend! The sun finally introduced itself to Bostonians after weeks of shyness—and it could not have been better timing. It was a beautiful weekend to spend outdoors grilling, playing backyard games, and basking in the rays.

My mother made this salad as one of many sides to accompany our grilled proteins. I could not stop snacking on it! The broccoli stays crunchy even as it absorbs the dressing which is light and sweet yet subtle. It is not goopy or “mayonnaisey” at all, even though it contains mayonnaise. This is my new favorite side salad! I hope you will give it a try.

Broccoli Salad:

2 cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1 large red onion, chopped
4-6 pounds fresh broccoli florets (do not use frozen, they will get mushy!)
1 pound bacon, fried and chopped into small pieces

Combine first five ingredients (dressing) and pour over broccoli florets. Let sit over night (or at least a few hours) for maximum dressing absorption. (Mix with a wooden spoon occasionally so all broccoli absorbs dressing equally.) Top with bacon just prior to serving.

Filed under: broccoli, salad, Side | 4 Comments »

Avocado, Corn, and Tomato Salsa

Posted on July 5, 2009 by kitchenbelle

This salsa is a delicious addition to any cookout! The flavors are so fresh. It is a nice alternative to traditional chips and dip. I like to serve it with assorted colored tortilla chips because it makes for a pretty presentation, however, traditional corn chips work just as well.

Avocado, Corn, and Tomato Salsa:

2 avocados, diced into small cubes
4-5 vine ripe tomatoes, diced into small cubes (seeds removed)
4 cobs of corn cooked and then kernels removed or 2 cups frozen corn
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine avocado, tomato and corn in one bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients (dressing) in another bowl. Pour dressing over salsa and use a spoon to toss to combine. Serve with chips.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.