Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

PORK CHOP MARINADE:

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 CUP HONEY
½ CUP SOY SAUCE
1 CUP CIDER VINEGAR
3 CLOVES GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON SESAME SEED OIL

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork chops overnight. Then grill. (This recipe is for about 6-8 pork chops.)

MANGO SALSA

2 RIPE MANGOS – CUT IN SMALL CUBES
½ MEDIUM RED ONION – CHOPPED
½ LARGE RED PEPPER – CHOPPED
½ CUP CHOPPEN CILANTRO
¼ JALAPENO CHOPPED (REMOVE SEEDS)
JUICE OF 1 LIME
Chill the salsa. Serve with grilled pork chops

Zucchini Muffins

I am a sucker for muffins at all time of the day. I love this recipe. Mike hates zucchini, and he really likes them too.

2 EGGS
1 CUP SUGAR
½ CUP OIL
1 TABLESPOON VANILLA
2 CUPS UNPEELED SHREDDED ZUCCHINI
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
¼ TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 ¼ TEASPOON CINNAMON
1 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Stir in the zucchini. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins test done. Makes 24 small muffins or 12 large muffins.

Butterfly Chicken

This is the hubs all time favorite dish!  Every birthday, holiday, special occasion, if I ask the hubs what he wants, it is this chicken. It is a family favorite!  Butterfly Chicken always impresses our guests too.  Warning:  This recipe is not low fat.  Just close your eyes and throw in cubes of butter and pour in cream and then you won't even realize it's fattening, right?  This is definitely a special occasion type meal and so worth every...single...delicious...taste bud tantalizing...bite!

Butterfly Chicken
Ingredients:
6-8 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on the thickness of breast. I usually pound the breasts with a meat mallet to thin the breast and end up getting two pieces of chicken out of each thick breast. You can determine how thick you want the meat.)
½ cup flour (For gluten free, use rice flour.)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½-3/4 cup butter
lemon juice
1 ½ pounds of fresh mushrooms or 2-3 jars canned mushrooms
3 cups whipping cream
2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
minced fresh parsley or dried parsley

Directions:
Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper or plastic wrap until thin like a cutlet. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, salt and pepper.  Dip chicken in flour mixture. Shake off excess flour. Melt part of the butter in a large skillet. Saute’ chicken two to three minutes on each side. While sautéing drizzle 4-5 drops of lemon juice on each chicken piece. Add more butter as needed to the pan for sautéing the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken to 9x13 inch baking pan. Give each piece of chicken some space between to let the cream and cheese run between the pieces. Set aside.

Saute’ the mushrooms in the same pan as the chicken was sautéed in. Add more butter if needed. Don’t burn the mushrooms. Spoon the mushrooms and drippings over the chicken. Pour the cream over the chicken. Sprinkle generous amounts of parmesan cheese on each chicken piece. Get the parmesan down in the cream. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Stuffed Shells

1 PACKAGE (12-OUNCE) JUMBO SHELLS
4 CUPS RICOTTA CHEESE
8 OUNCES SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE
½ CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 EGGS
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cooking 9 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and arrange in single layer to fill. Meanwhile mix together cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fill cookie shells with cheese mixture.

Cover bottom of a 9x13 pan with some sauce. Arrange filled shells in single layer in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.

(Sorry! We had already dug in before we took the pic!)