Mother's Day 2010

We are doing Mother's Day a weekend early because my parents will be out-of-town for my sisters graduation from her Masters Program! So this menu was made from things my mom asked for: Giada's Parmesan & Breadcrumb baked mashed potatoes, her recipe for Stuffed Porkchops, Green Bean Casserole and for dessert what I am hoping is a wonderful recipe from Paula Deen, Chocolate Bread Pudding. She did not request but I know this is one of my mom's favorite desserts! I will update after tomorrow with pictures, but for now here is the world's best potatoe recipe from Giada!

Baked bread crumb and parmesan mashed potatoes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return the potatoes to the same pot and mash well. Mix in the milk and melted butter. Mix in the mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Stir the bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mashed potatoes. Recipe can be prepared up to this point 6 hours ahead of time; cover and chill.

Bake, uncovered, until the topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.


I also made my Mom's Peachy Stuffed Pork Chops and the good old Green Bean Casserole!


Paula Deen's Chocolate Bread Pudding


Ingredients
1 loaf French or Italian bread, cut into cubes (about 15 cups)
3 cups milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish fill with bread cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and liqueur. In another bowl, combine the granulated and brown sugars with the cocoa powder and mix well. Add the cocoa mixture to the milk mixture and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the cinnamon to the beaten eggs. Combine the egg mixture with the milk mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most of the milk mixture. Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until set; a cake tester inserted into the center of the pudding should come out clean.

Serve the pudding warm or cold, with Pecan Rum Flambe, dessert sauce.


Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce:
1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup dark rum

In a large skillet, melt the stick butter and add brown sugar, stir together. Add the pecans and cook until sugar has caramelized over medium-high heat. Turn off the stove and pour in the rum. Stand back and carefully light with a long lighter. Be careful; a flame will shoot up above the pan. As the alcohol cooks out, the flame will die down. Serve over chocolate bread pudding.

Carmel Apple Pork Chops

This is another Allrecipes, recipe. I followed alot of the other reviewers and marinated my pork chops overnight and didn't bother to pan fry them, just baked them. My instructions are at the bottom, but I also inclosed the original as well. This is an excellent recipe and I would tell everyone to try it!!!

INGREDIENTS
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

This is the original post, but here is how I made it:
Marinated pork chops over night in a mixture of apple cider, cinamon and nutmeg.
Cooked carmel sauce in saucepan. Placed apples over pork chops in casserole dish, poured carmel sauce over the apples. Covered and baked for 35 minutes. When it came out I served with stuffing and biscuits. I sprinkled pecans over mine.

This is the best dish EVER. It was incredible and so easy. I will make this again and again, it will soon become a fall favorite, I am sure!

Herb Crusted Pork

This came from a new South Beach Diet cookbook I just bought called South Beach Quick and Easy Recipes. It has some GREAT recipes in it I can't wait to try!

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin (cut into 1 inch slices)
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon dried Basil
1 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbl Fresh Lemon juice
*it called for 2 Tbl capers but I didn't use them

Heat oil in large pan over med-high heat.

Pound tenderloin slices to 1/4". Rub herbs on pork slices. Put in pan and cook about 2 mins per side until nice and golden brown and center is no longer pink.

Remove from heat and put on plate and keep warm.

I found I had to take the pan totally off the heat, then add lemon juice and capers, let warm and then pour over pork. (the recipe called to leave on heat and let reduce, when I put the lemon juice in the pan it instantly evaporated)

We enjoyed this pork with some asparagus roasted ar 400 for 12 minutes. I tossed the asparagus with EVOO and sprinkled with salt and lemon pepper.

Mom's Peachy Stuffed Porkchops

I have no idea where this came from except for Mom. She's been making it for years, it's so good, it's birthday dinner good =)
8 small boneless pork chops
2 cups stuffing
1/3 cup hot water
2 tbl margarine
1 8 oz can diced peaches with syrup reserved
1 cup peach perserves
4 tbl dijon mustard

Put four pork chops in bottom of 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Mix stuffing, hot water, margarine, peaches and syrup together. Put stuffing mixture on top of pork chops and top with other 4 pork chops. Mix preserves and mustard and brush on top of pork chops. Bake uncovered on 350 for 30-60 minutes or until 160 degrees.

*depending on thickness of chops, you can also make these using butterflied chops or thick chops with a pocket cut in them. They way I do them is the easy man's way! I will take a picture next time I make, which I am sure will be soon, since I make these all the time!