Tuscan Pork Chops

I was dreaming of fall yesterday...wishing it was here.

While it is still in the 90's in LA I can pretend can't I?  I'm thinking of fall in LA, different from everywhere else I'm sure.  Golden leaves...(that's about all we see around here) and warm Santa Ana winds (aaah chew! my allergies!).  We usually have hot and cold weather, back and forth, through October.  Not ideal, but I'll take it.  Anything for some change in the weather...just a little!

So in dreaming about it I also think of rustic food.  Something homey, comforting, and something you can sink your teeth into.  Don't you love rustic food?

This dish fits that perfectly.  My Tuscan Pork Chops remind me of fall.

So, I made them last night for our dinner.  This is one of my Favorite dishes and is a great weeknight dinner that provides some really good flavors from the addition of balsamic vinegar to the sauce.  You can have this on the table in 30 minutes, and enjoy a meal that satisfies your palate, and your tummy...and makes you think of fall!

So let's make some Tuscan Pork Chops.

First, you will want to have some thin cut boneless pork chops.  They cook up really quick.  Dredge them in some flour that seasoned with salt & pepper.

Place them in a hot skillet that has a Tablespoon of olive oil in it so they don't stick.  Brown them on each side for about 3 min.

Remove the from the pan so you can make the sauce...they will finish cooking once you return them back to the pan.

Next, throw in the minced garlic and some sliced mushrooms.  If you don't like mushrooms, leave them out, or you can use zucchini instead...whatever floats your boat!

Then add some chopped tomatoes.  I used a combination of red Roma tomatoes, and some yellow cherry tomatoes.  Use what you have, this is flexible.  Saute about 1 min.

Add the balsamic vinegar and the broth.  Stir scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Return the pork chops and any juices back into the skillet. 

Bring your sauce to a boil.  Cover with a lid and turn the heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for about 4 min or until pork is done.

Serve with sauce and mushroom-tomato mixture.  Soooo good!

You are gonna love the flavor!

Let me know how you like it....this is one of my FAVORITE dishes!

Tuscan Pork Chops

Serves 4

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 t pepper
8 thin cut boneless pork chops
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/3 c low sodium chicken broth

Salt & pepper your pork chops and dredge them in flour in a shallow pan.

Cook pork chops in hot oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Remove chops from the skillet.

Add garlic and mushrooms to skillet, saute 3 min.  Add sliced tomatoes to skillet and saute 1 min.

Add vinegar and broth, stirring to loosen particles from the bottom of the skillet.  Return the pork and accumulated juice to the skillet.  Bring your sauce to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 4-5 min. or until pork is done.  Serve pork chops with sauce and mushroom-tomato mixture.

Product Review: Trader Joes Mini Croissants

I love Trader Joe's.

Their products are very tasty and cost worthy too.

On a shopping trip to Trader Joe's the other day I spotted something I had not seen before in the freezer section.  Frozen Mini Croissants.

Apparently they've had these for quite a while.  Where have I been?

So I grabbed a box and promptly put them in my cart.  In the freezer they went, awaiting that special day when I could treat MGG and myself to some nice breakfast goodies.

Well that day came...and I must say that they were fabulous.  Light, airy, flaky, buttery, and steamy hot!

The trick to them is to take them out the night before you want to eat them.  Set them on a baking tray and leave them out overnight to rise (proof).  When you take them out they are teeny, tiny. 

The next morning...OMG they rose so MUCH!  They are not really that 'mini' after all.

Then you just pop them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes and you have some delicious, hot, croissants!  They are soooo good, they are amazing they were frozen.

See for yourself.

They go great with some jam or my Blueberry Butter.

We loved them so much we made turkey sandwiches with them for lunch....delicious!

Trader Joe's sells these for $3.99 for a box of 8.  Pick up a box and treat yourself!

Peach Raspberry Crisp

Dessert is a good thing.

A sweet ending to a wonderful meal. 

When trying to come up with a dessert to take to our picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, I looked to my fellow bloggers for ideas.  When I came across the Peach Raspberry Crisp recipe on Jo-Ann's blog, A Pretty Life in the Suburbs, I knew I had found the perfect dessert.  Jo-Ann has a wonderful blog full of fantastic recipes.  Stop by and say to hello to her sometime!

What makes this dessert perfect?  Natural fruit (good for you) in warm spices topped with a crunch crisp topping! YUM! But the best part?  They are baked in MASON JARS! 

How awesome it that?  I can bake them in the jars, and then pop the lids on them and take them along!!!

The result?  A wonderful warm dessert to end our meal....Tasty too! 

Here's a great tip I tried.  I made the crisps the day before and let them cool and stored them in the frig.  On the day of the picnic I put them in the oven on low for about 30 min to bring the temperature up.  I took the warm jars, topped them with the lids, and wrapped them in a little foil.  I even had a hot/cold bag from the grocery store and carried them in this insulated bag.  At the intermission of the show about 2 hours after we arrived, the dessert was still warm. Yeah!  We each had individual servings and used spoons to scoop up the delicious fruit right out of the jar.  All that was missing was the vanilla ice cream.  I need to work on how to avoid melted ice cream in transport for next time!

So here's how I made them.  I adapted the recipe just a little to suit my taste for cinnamon.  You can adjust it to fit your tastes as well!

Peel and slice your peaches.  Place the peaches, Splenda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.

Add the raspberries and stir gently to mix.

Next make the crumb topping.  In a medium bowl combine AP flour, wheat flour, brown sugar, oats, and melted butter.  Stir until well combined and crumbly.

Divide the peaches evenly in each of the jars.  They should be about 3/4 full.  Top each evenly with the crumb topping.

In a preheated oven at 350 degrees, bake for 30 min. until bubbly.  I put the jars in a baking dish to make them easier to handle. 

Look at these colors...

Treat yourself to something very cute....so delicious!

Peach Raspberry Crisp

makes 6 servings - 250ML jars used

4 cups of peaches, sliced (I used 4 large peaches)
1 pint of fresh raspberries
1/3 c Splenda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/3 c all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup melted butter

Peel and slice your peaches.  Place peaches, Splenda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Mix to combine.  Add raspberries and toss gently. 

In another medium bowl combine AP flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, melted butter.  Stir until all ingredients are coated and your have a crumbly mixture.

In 6 clean 250 ML jars divide your peach mixture evenly.  You will fill about 3/4 of the way up.  Top each peach mixture with the crumb topping, dividing evenly. 

Place jars (no lids please!) in a baking pan and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Mixture should be soft and bubbly.  Serve warm.  Store any leftovers in the frig by placing the lid on the top!

adapted from:  A Pretty Life in the Suburbs