Beijing Beauty

Makes 6 Servings

Glaze

1/4 hoisin sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp each Dijon mustard and liquid honey
1 tbsp each toasted sesame oil and reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp grated gingerroot
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated lemon zest

3 pork tenderloins (12 oz each)

1.  To make glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Set aside.

2.  Preheat grill to medium-high setting.  Spray grill rack with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.  Grill pork for about 16 minutes, turning occasionally.  Pork should be just slightly pink in the center.  Do not overcook pork or it will be dry.

3.  Brush pork generously with glaze durning the last 5 minutes of cooking time.  Baste, baste, baste!  The more you baste, the better the taste!

4.  Place pork on a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.  Cut pork into thin slices and serve.

Recipe taken from

Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Bean Casserole

Serves 4

• 1 pound fresh bratwurst sausages
• 1 (32 ounce) package sauerkraut
• 1 pinch celery salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can baked beans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook bratwurst in a skillet over medium-high heat just until nicely browned on the outside.
2. Spread sauerkraut in the bottom of a 9x11 casserole dish, leaving a 2 inch margin at the edges. Sprinkle celery salt and brown sugar over the sauerkraut. Place the sausages on top. Pour the beans around the outer edge of the sauerkraut. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until bratwurst links are cooked through.

Recipe taken from Allrecipes.com

Life in the Fast Lion

Makes 4 Servings

Sauce
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup no-sugar-added apricot preserves
2 tbsp each balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each salt and ground pepper

4 boneless pork loin chops (about 5 oz each)
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

1.  Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

2.  Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper and let stand for a few minutes.  Heat olive oil in a 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add pork chops and cook for about 6 minutes per side, until nicely browned on the outside and just slightly pink in the center.  Cover skillet with lid if they are splattering.

3.  Remove pork chops from skillet, cover with foil, and keep warm.  Pour sauce into same skillet.  Using a whisk, cook and stir sauce for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens.  Make sure you scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet for added flavor.  Serve pork chops drizzled with hot apricot-mustard sauce.

Recipe taken from

Jellystone Pork

Makes 4-6 Servings

Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1/3 cup finely minced shallots
2 tbsp grated gingerroot
1 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup apple jelly
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 cup light sour cream

2 pork tenderloins (12 oz each)
Salt and ground pepper

1.  Before grilling pork, get all of the sauce ingredients ready so you can whip up the sauce while the cooked pork is resting.

2.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.  Place pork on a grill rack that has been coated with cooking spray or lightly brushed with oil.  Grill pork for about 16 minutes, turning occasionally.  The outside should be nicely browned and the center should have just a trace of pink.  Transfer pork to a plate, cover with foil, and let rest while you make the sauce. (You could also roast pork in the oven:  Brush pork lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 350°F for about 40 minutes.)

3.  To make sauce, melt butter in a small, non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add shallots, gingerroot, and garlic.  Cook and stir until shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.

4.  Add apple jelly, Dijon mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes, until jelly completely melts and sauce begins to thicken.  Reduce heat to low if it's bubbling too much.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

5.  To serve pork, slice it thinly and arrange on a small platter.  Drizzle sauce over pork.

Recipe taken from

The Grill of My Dreams

Makes 4 Servings

Marinade
3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp liquid honey
1 tbsp grated gingerroot
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 lb pork tenderloin
1 medium zucchini
3 large bell peppers (red, yellow, orange)
1 medium mango, peeled and sliced into wedges
Baby spinach leaves (optional)
Medium Red Onion sliced into thick rings (optional)

1.  Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Reserve 1/3 cup marinade for basting and as a dressing.  Place pork in a large, heavy-duty, resealable bag.  Add marinade and seal bag.  Turn bag several times to coat pork with marinade.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

2.  Preheat grill to medium-high setting.  Slice unpeeled zucchini lengthwise into four long strips.  Seed peppers and cut each one in half.  Place pork on a grill rack that has been coated with cooking spray or lightly brushed with oil.  Grill meat until it's nicely browned on the outside and just slightly pink in the center, about 16 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook the pork.  Add peppers and zucchini for the last 8 minutes of cooking time.  Turn vegetables once to grill both sides, and baste with some of the reserved marinade.

3.  Remove pork and vegetables from grill and let pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  Meanwhile, slice peppers into thick strips and cut zucchini strips in half crosswise.  Place vegetables in a large bowl and add mango, thinly sliced pork, and a bit of reserved marinade.  Toss well.  Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves with onions on the side, if desired.  Top with ground black pepper.

Recipe taken from

Shanks for the Memories (two meals)

Makes 8 servings (double recipe to make one for the freezer)

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1 cups each chopped celery and chopped carrots

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried

1/2 tsp dried oregano

7 cups chicken broth

About 2 pounds of meaty smoked ham shank or ham hock

1 cups dried lentils

1 cups dried green split peas, rinsed

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 4 tsp dried)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium high heat.  Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.  Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.  Add thyme and oregano and cook 1 more minute.

2.  Add remaining ingredients, except parsley, vinegar, and salt.  Bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

3.  Remove ham shank from soup.  Puree half the soup in a blender or food processor and return to pot with remaining soup.  Cover to keep hot.  Cut meat from ham shank (this part's a little fussy) and return meat to pot.  Discard bone.  Stir in parsley and vinegar.  Taste soup and add more pepper and a bit of salt, if desired.

*Make 2 batches and freeze one in an airtight container for up to three months.  Thaw completely and heat through to eat.

Recipe taken from 

Lick Your Chops

Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp minced shallots or onions
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops (about 5 oz each)

1.  To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Preheat grill to medium-high setting.  Place pork chops on a grill rack that has been coated with cooking spray or lightly brushed with oil.  Grill pork chops for about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of chops.  Pork should be just slightly pink in the center.  Be careful not to overcook them or they will be dry.  Brush pork generously with sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

3.  Brush any remaining sauce on pork chops just before serving.

NOTE:  If you have time you can marinate the pork chops in the sauce overnight.  You don't ahve3 to cook the sauce first.  Then just throw the chops on the grill.

Recipe taken from:

Sandie's Lasagna (two meals)

Yields 2-8 to 12 serving lasagnas

2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds ground Italian sausage
1 box (16 oz) lasagna noodles
3 jars (24 oz each) pasta sauce
2 cans (3.8 oz each) sliced olives
2 lb large curd cottage cheese
32 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1.  Brown the ground beef and sausage; drain.  Add pasta sauce and olives.  Simmer until noodles are cooked.

2.  In a pot, bring water to a boil.  Cook noodles until tender.

3.  Spray 2 lasagna pans (I use the disposable ones from the dollar store) with cooking spray.  Layer 3 noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 1 cup Mozzarella cheese.  Repeat so that there are 3 layers ending with 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese.

4.  Cover and freeze one for up to 3 months.  Cover and cook the other one for about 30 minutes at 350°F or until heated through.

TO USE FROZEN LASAGNA:  It is probably best to defrost it and then warm it up at 350°F until it is heated through (probably about 45 minutes).  If you can't defrost it, you can heat it at 425°F for an hour to an hour and a half until heated through.

Polish Reuben Casserole

Makes 8-10 Servings

2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/3 cups milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 jar (32 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 package (8 ounces) uncooked medium egg noodles
1-1/2 pounds Polish sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease 13×9-inch baking dish.
2.  Combine soup, milk, onion and mustard in medium bowl; stir well.
3.  Spread sauerkraut in prepared dish.  Top with noodles.  Spoon soup mixture evenly over noodles; cover with sausage.  Top with cheese.
4.  Combine bread crumbs and butter in small bowl; sprinkle over casserole.  Cover dish tightly with foil.  Bake about 1 hour or until noodles are tender.

Recipe taken and modified from Favorite Brand Name Recipes, September 2010