Red meat is not something I eat very often. Mostly I eat chicken and fish. Every once in a while I do crave a good pork chop however.
My mom used to cook pork chops for us once in a while when we were growing up and you could have used them to shingle a roof, they were that dry! haha We still enjoyed them because they weren't something that we got very often.
.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
Of course back in those days there was a real fear of eating under-cooked pork. Nobody wanted to get sick, so pork was usually cooked very well done.
The same fear no longer exists as our pork is a lot safer than it was back then. I still don't like to cook it pink if there is any bone involved, but I no longer feel the need to cook it to death either.
These delicious chops are tender and juicy and filled with lovely flavors. No over cooking or undercooking. They are just perfect.
.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
This easy Greek Pork Chop recipe is marinated so that you can achieve maximum flavor and tenderness without having to cool them long and slow. In fact, aside from the marinating time, you can have these done and on the table in not much more than fifteen minutes.
And they are juicy and tender, with beautiful Greek flavors. Oregano, garlic, lemon, olive oil, rosemary . . . so flavorful!
The marinate time is at the very least 20 minutes, but you can marinate your chops for up to 24 hours. Obviously the longer the more the flavors of the marinade will penetrate your meat and the more tender they will be!
.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY GREEK PORK CHOPS
Its a very simple list. So simple I am betting you have exactly what you need in your kitchen to cook this delicious recipe today!
- 2 thick cut, bone in pork loin chops
- 1/4 cup (60ml)olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
By thick pork chops I mean chops that are at least 1/2 inch thick. I also always like to cook with bone in chops if I can. The meat is just tastier with the bone in and there is much less risk of them drying out.
I like to use fresh lemon juice. It just tastes better. I also like to use fresh garlic. If you are using dried rosemary, then cut the amount in half, or it might overwhelm the flavor of the marinade. I recommend using fresh if you have it.
.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
HOW TO MAKE EASY GREEK PORK CHOPS
When I say these are easy, I really mean easy. You really can't get much simpler than this. Marinated and then grilled, the work required is really minimal.
Pat the chops dry and then clip the fatty edge of the chop at 1/2 inch intervals. I use kitchen scissors. This simple trick helps to prevent your chops from curling or buckling when you cook them. If your fatty edge is really thick, you can trim it back a bit as well. Also if there is still a rind on the chops, trim that off.
%20-%20Copy.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
Whisk the remaining recipe ingredients together in a shallow dish until well combined. Add the chops, turning to coat them in the marinade.
Cover and leave to marinate on the counter top for half an hour. Alternately, cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Do allow to come to room temperature prior to cooking.
%20-%20Copy.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
You can cook these in one of three ways. Outdoors on the BBQ grill, indoors on a grill pan/skillet, or in an electric grill.
Preheat a skillet/griddle pan, electric grill, or BBQ grill until quite hot. Add the chops and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side (skillet/griddle pan, BBQ) or for 5 to 6 minutes total (electric grill) until they are golden brown and cooked through. You can sear the fat edge if desired, by using a pair of tongs to hold it flat against the heat source.
Remove to a warm plate, lightly tent with foil, and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite sides.
%20-%20Copy.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
Today I served the chops with Mom's Potato Salad and Creamy Cheese Slaw. Both were excellent with these tasty chops. I also added some sliced cucumber.
But really you could serve them with any number of sides. Baked potatoes, rice, pasta, scalloped potatoes, Greek Salad. They would work well with just about anything.
%20-%20Copy.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
Some other favorite pork chop recipes that I have on here include:
PORK CHOPS WITH CREAM GRAVY - This is a real favorite with the men in my family, especially when served with piles of fluffy mashed potatoes!
DEVILED PORK CHOPS - Tasty. tender and flavor filled with a nice crispy crumb.
PORK CHOPS AND APPLESAUCE -An old family favorite. Tender and juicy chops with a fabulous crumb coating, served with a delicious homemade applesauce.
%20-%20Copy.JPG "Easy Greek Pork Chops")
This is actually a small batch recipe but you can very easily double or even triple it to feed more people. It actually makes a great BBQ option when you have guests over for supper and is an excellent midweek supper option!
I really hope that you will want to cook these really delicious chops for yourself! I think you will be more than pleased with them. Simple food, simple ingredients and cooking method, and excellent results! What more could you want?
Easy Greek Pork Chops
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
These delicious chops are marinated in a tasty marinade making for an incredibly tender and flavor filled grilled pork chop! You can do these outdoor on the grill, or on an indoor grill. Both work very well. Timings do not reflect marinating time.
Ingredients
- 2 thick cut, bone in pork loin chops
- 1/4 cup (60ml)olive oil
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chops dry and then clip the fatty edge of the chop at 1/2 inch intervals.
- Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a shallow dish until well combined. Add the chops, turning to coat them in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinade on the counter top for half an hour. Alternately, cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Allow to come to room temperature prior to cooking.
- Preheat a skillet/griddle pan, electric grill, or BBQ grill until quite hot. Add the chops and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side (skillet/griddle pan, BBQ) or for 5 to 6 minutes total (electric grill) until they are golden brown and cooked through. Sear the fat edge if desired.
- Remove to a warm plate, lightly tent with foil, and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
.JPG)
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
Many years ago I used to frequent a site called Steph's Country Kitchen. She had lovely recipes on there. There were no photographs. This was in the early days of recipe pages. I think hers may well have been one of the first food blogs out there before there were even such a thing as blogs!
There was just recipes on her page, and she had some really lovely ones. What I liked the most about them was that they were every day, simple, family food type of recipes. The kinds of things your mom might have made.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
I had printed out a lot of her recipes and included them in my Big Blue Binder. Thank goodness I did not lose my Big Blue Binder when I came back to Canada.
I had the forethought to include it in one of my nine boxes that was sent over.
My Big Blue Binder is one of my life treasures, having travelled with me all over the world now. It is a compendium of all of my tried and trues and favorite recipes having been collected through the years.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
Recipes shared by family and friends, clipped from magazines, etc. Some of those recipes go right back to my childhood. It truly is a treasure. A real family heirloom, I hope!
Sadly, I no longer really need recipes that feed any more than 2 or 3 people at the maximum, and so I am downsizing some of my favorites. This is one I downsized today. The original recipe fed 6 people, and now it feeds only 2 or 3 depending on appetites.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
Is it only me, or have you noticed how expensive food is getting? It doesn't take very long for what is in your cart to add up and I am looking at ways of cutting corners and bringing down my expenses when I can. Trying to be more economical.
This is a really delicious way to make a bit of ham and some pasta go a long way! You can use sliced ham that you buy for sandwiches, but I find it much more economically sound to buy a quarter boneless ham, which is what I did today.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
You end up with ham to use in sandwiches if you want, or casseroles such as this tasty one. You can also cut it into slices and fry it for supper along with some potatoes, or for breakfast with eggs.
You will find that buying a small quarter ham pays for itself in the long run in all the ways that you can invent to use it up! There is no end to things you can do with it!
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
This is a very delicious mac and cheese type of casserole made with bow tie pasta (Farfalle) and cubed ham in a lush garlicky cheese sauce. It really is very simple to make and quite, quite delicious!
I think you are really going to love this one! And not just for its incredibly tasty flavors either. It is economical and very simple to make!
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HAM AND CHEESE BOW TIES
The list of ingredients is really very simple. There is nothing too far out of the ordinary here.
- 1 cup (4 ounces/120g) uncooked bow tie pasta
- 2 TBS butter
- 1/4 tsp garlic paste (or 1 very small clove garlic crushed)
- 2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) grated medium cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces (60g) diced cooked ham
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
You could use any kind of pasta in this really, but bow ties are really quite pretty. Today I used the type of pasta which has extra fiber added. We all need to get as much fiber into our diets as we can.
I find that you really can't tell the difference between regular pasta and the high fiber pasta. If you don't have bow ties you can use regular elbow macaroni, or fusilli. Both would work very well I think.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
I sometimes add some thawed frozen peas to this casserole as well. They add even more fiber, added nutrition and a spark of color!
Be judicious when salting this dish as both cheese and ham are salty ingredients. Salt is very difficult to take away once its been added. It is much easier for people to just add a bit of salt at the table if they need to.
I think you'll find however that my suggested amount is just right. You could also add a bit of hot sauce if you want to spice things up a bit!
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
HOW TO MAKE HAM AND CHEESE BOW TIES
If you can make a cream sauce, then you can make this. I have given instructions for making the sauce in a saucepan, but truth be told I, more often than not, make it in the microwave.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 cup shallow casserole dish. Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse, drain again and then set aside.
Melt the butter until foaming in a saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the mustard. Cook for about a minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Simmer for several minutes, stirring constantly and then whisk in the cheddar. Season with the salt and pepper.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
If you wish to do the sauce in the microwave. Melt the butter in a microwave safe jug for 30 seconds on high. Whisk in the flour and the mustard. Microwave on high for another 30 seconds.
Whisk in the milk, slowly, whisking it well in and making sure you get everything from the sides and corners.
Microwave on high for a further 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Whisk in the cheese until it melts completely.
Season with the salt and pepper. Use as per the recipe.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
Stir the cooked pasta and ham into the sauce. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
This is so delicious. I think it is one of my favorite of all the mac and cheese dishes that I make.
.JPG "Ham and Cheese Bow Ties")
If you are fond of mac and cheese you might enjoy these dishes as well:
MAC AND CHEESE PIE - This is a great dish to make on those nights when you are wanting to make something quick and easy but something that the family will still enjoy. Macaroni and Cheese is a popular dish with most people, but when its also a pie, that's a win/win! Plus it all cooks in the one dish. No fuss. No muss.
CROCK POT MAC AND CHEESE - For those days when you really don't want to be heating up the kitchen by turning on the oven. This is simply delicious, and is another small batch recipe.
EASY CHILI MAC AND CHEESE - If mac and cheese and chili got together and had a baby it would be this deliciously simple casserole. This is an old favorite!
Enjoy!!
Ham & Cheese Bow Ties
Yield: 3
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This is like homemade mac and cheese, but made with fun bow tie pasta and hearty ham! This is a delicious small size recipe which can easily be doubled to serve more.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (4 ounces/120g) uncooked bow tie pasta
- 2 TBS butter
- 1/4 tsp garlic paste (or 1 very small clove garlic crushed)
- 2 TBS plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) grated medium cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces (60g) diced cooked ham
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 cup shallow casserole dish. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse, drain again and then set aside.
- Melt the butter until foaming in a saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the mustard. Cook for about a minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture comes to the boil. Simmer for several minutes, stirring constantly and then whisk in the cheddar. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Stir the cooked pasta and ham into the sauce. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I hope you will fall in love with this deliciously simple Pesto Potato Salad recipe I am sharing with you today. It is filled with delightfully fresh flavors, colors and textures!
It is a bit different than a regular potato salad in that there is n o creamy mayonnaise dressing. Instead the salad is simply dressed with pesto, which makes it a very simple make.
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
You can either make your own homemade pesto to use with this tasty salad, or you can use a good store bought pesto.
Once my herb garden gets going I really like to make my own pesto from scratch. It is such a simple thing to make and has such a lovely color and fresh flavor.
You can find my recipe for a great homemade pesto here. Its a real favorite around here. Until then I am using a quality store bought fresh pesto. I do prefer the fresh over the jarred, but I can appreciate that its not always available, so just use the best that you can buy!
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
Pesto is one of those ingredients that comes in really handy. It makes a tasty addition to sauces, or pizzas, garlic toasts, etc.
Chicken with Pesto and Mushroom Sauce is a real favorite of mine. It is rich and creamy and goes really well over rice.
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
One Pan Pesto Fusilli is another favorite recipe I make. Quick, easy and delicious, its perfect for those busy nights when you are lacking in time and inspiration! You can't get much easier!!
In short, pesto is a kitchen ingredient that you never need to worry about using up. Plus it freezes well. I tend to freeze it in ice cube trays and then pop the cubes out and into a zip lock baggy, ready to grab a TBS here and there when I need it.
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
Today though I used it to make a delicious potato salad inspired by one I found in a cookery book by Ellie Krieger entitled The Food You Crave. I love Ellie's recipes as they are really healthy and pretty simple.
The original recipe made 8 servings so I cut it in half to make 4. It will keep for up to three days so I have been enjoying it on the side for a couple days now! It really is delicious!
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PESTO POTATO SALAD
It really is simple and requires not a lot!
- 3/4 pound of small red potatoes, scrubbed well, unpeeled
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 3 TBS Basil Pesto (click link for recipe) or store bought
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
If you want you can add a few other vegetables into the mix. Steamed crispy tender green beans are really nice as are baby peas, or snow peas, or even all three!
But it really is quite nice just the way it is!
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
HOW TO MAKE PESTO POTATO SALAD
This is probably one of the easiest potato salads to make. You really can't go wrong.
Steam the potatoes over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes until the tip of a knife inserts easily, but the skins remain intact. Set aside to cool completely.
Quarter the potatoes and place them in a bowl. Add the peppers and pesto, tossing gently together to thoroughly combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Cover a refrigerate until completely cold. This salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
.JPG "Pesto Potato Salad")
This is really nice as a light lunch all on its own but really shines when paired up with proteins. I have enjoyed it with grilled chicken and fish.
True confession the last of it, I folded some good canned tuna into it and that was also fabulously tasty! It really is a truly versatile and tasty side dish! It may not be as attractive as some, but don't let that put you off as you will be missing out on something really special if you do!
Quick to make, incredibly easy and delicious. You couldn't ask for much more!
Pesto Potato Salad
Yield: 4
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 25 Min
With beautiful red potatoes, crisp bell peppers and a punchy pesto dressing, this simple side salad is a real people pleaser.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound of small red potatoes, scrubbed well, unpeeled
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 3 TBS Basil Pesto (click link for recipe) or store bought
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Steam the potatoes over boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes until the tip of a knife inserts easily, but the skins remain intact. Set aside to cool completely.
- Quarter the potatoes and place them in a bowl. Add the peppers and pesto, tossing gently together to thoroughly combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Cover a refrigerate until completely cold. This salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons