pork chops, brussels sprouts, and a tomato mozzarella salad

So I finally picked up some of the bags at Hyvee. Yay me!

I went to hyvee to pick up stuff for dinner and ended up getting nothing I had planned. I started craving brussels sprouts -- cause they're delicious!! I don't usually cook pork chops - that's hubby's thing - but I thought what the hell. And to finish the meal, I decided to make a mozzarella tomato salad... On our minimoon in St. Louis, we went to this AMAZING restaurant called Mosaic and had an amazing tomato and mozzarella concoction.. since then, I've lusted for it! (And just about everything else we had there). If in St. Louis, GO TO MOSAIC!! and Espresso Mod.... so amazing.. anyhoo!!

The brussels sprouts just require 1/2 a stick of butter, 1 pound of brussels sprouts, and salt. I did the same thing as the first time, from Jason Cooks. First you have to slice the sprouts into thin disks which will mostly fall apart into shreds.


They're so pretty! Next, you're going to just brown the butter in a big skillet. Once it's nice and golden, add the sprouts and coat them in the butter. Cook over medium heat until tender - to your liking. Salt to taste.


Deliciousness. Now, don't cook the sprouts to the point of mushiness. They should be tender, but firm. And did I mention delicious?


So... I loved the caramelized onions on my portabello salad last week, and I wanted to do something with them again. I sliced the onions into circles and about 1/4 of a red bell pepper into thin strips. While those sauteed, I placed the tomato slices (2 for each of us) on an olive-oiled baking sheet and broiled them just until they were nice and warm. Once everything was ready, I overlapped the tomatoes then sprinkled them with balsamic vinegar. Next, I sprinkled a little mozzarella on top of the tomatoes -- because I'm too poor for high quality mozzarella -- then piled on some of the onions and bell peppers.

I also prepared some pork loin chops. First I gave the chops a little pounding with the meat tenderizer, then I cut little slits into the meat. I then stuffed about 1/3 of a garlic clove in each slit. Next came a healthy peppering of Chachere's which I rubbed in, then covered with ground pepper. I only did this on one side; both sides would be too much. I quickly seared each side, then turned the heat to a medium low and cooked them for about 15 minutes .. until they were 170F. Hubby LOVED them, and rarely do I use enough Chachere's to satisfy him. Perhaps I should start rating meals based on how much Chachere's he adds. If that is the case, this meal ROCKED. It was simply but tasty.

Also at hyvee, blood oranges. I bought two; they were my first. I felt so much anticipation while peeling the orange, and the color did NOT disappoint. The flavor did a little; I expected something more pungent and exotic...