Brined Pork Chops with Parmesan Potatoes and Green Beans with Spring Salad

The temperature hit 74 degrees today. I am finally able to eat outside on the deck! Even if snow is predicted in three days, I am having a Spring afternoon. I claim Spring. 

Pork chop with Parmesan Potatoes and Green Beans with Spring Salad

I took four boneless pork chops and put them in a brine.
Here is the brine recipe....

• 2 cups of hot apple cider vinegar ( I heat in the microwave)
• 1 tablespoon of dry mustard
• 1/2 cup of Kosher Salt 
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups of ice cubes

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the hot vinegar. Stir, stir, stir.....add ice cubes. Stir. Add the chops and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (Do not brine for more than 2 hours)


Now I really rinsed the chops off very well with water. I put them on a plate to wait for the grill (or you could grill on the stove).

You will now need...

• 2 packages of Birds Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Potatoes with Green Beans (Parmesan and Olive Oil Sauce)
• 1 bunch of Romaine
• 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes cut in half
• 1 yellow bell pepper cut in strips
• Green Olives (if you like them)
• Italian Dressing

Put the pork chops on a hot grill and leave on for five minutes a side. Put the bags of Birds Eye Potatoes and Green Beans in the microwave. Make your salad.  Now check on the chops and plate your family dinner. I suggest that you eat this outside with a great glass of wine. 

15 Bean Soup With Ham

15 Bean Soup With Ham
We had another snow day in North Carolina in mid March. Mother Nature is so unhappy. She is making the South miserable. I work at a school. This is day 9 of weather this year. I needed something to warm me up and make me feel happy inside. I used the pressure cooker because I decided I wanted this and needed it within an hour and a half. You can use a pot or a slow cooker too. As usual, I was in a hurry. 

This is an easy soup to make. You can cook it quickly in a pressure cooker, slowly in a pot or slow cooker. This is what you need.

1 package of dried 15 beans (very cheap)

1 box of chicken broth

2 ham steaks

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of Cajun Seasoning

1 and 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Pinch of dried rosemary and oregano

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 cup of water

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 bay leaf

Soak the beans overnight in enough cold water to cover the beans by three inches.(My favorite option is to cover the dried beans with three inches of water and boil for two minutes. Take off heat and cover for an hour.) Then drain in a colander and rinse. Cut up the ham steaks into small squares. If using a pressure cooker, brown the onions in the empty pot with the olive oil. Add the ham squares. Add the garlic near the end when the onions have just a hint of color. Use medium low heat. Now dump in the rinsed beans on top of the onions and garlic. Put in the chicken broth and water. Put the top on the pressure cooker and bring up to pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Take off heat and let the pressure out. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and all of the spices. Put the lid back on and bring back to pressure. Cook for 10 more minutes once it comes back to pressure. 

For Slow Cooker or Cooking Pot

Cook onions, garlic, and ham in oil until onions are soft. Add beans and broth and water. Cook for two hours covered at simmer or on low on the slow cooker. Then add tomatoes, bay leaf and all of the spices. Cook for another 30 minutes at simmer in a pot or another 4 hours in the slow cooker. 

Before you serve....use the potato masher to mash some beans. Now you should have some great soup. This is great with crackers or corn bread.

This is what the pot should look like when you start.

This is what you end up with in the bowl.