Recipe(tried): Oven Braised Pork Chops & Fixin's.... Tia's Ara Delectable Pork Chops, Supreme Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Florida Sunshine Glazed Carrots, Southern Green Beans, Apple Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Good Morning Everyone!

It's a beautiful morning out here...if you sit out in the sun like DH is doing reading a book waiting for his French Toast. The chill is gone and now it is a bit hotter.

It's a good day to have a Pork Chop Dinner. We rarely eat pork chops but these are delicious. They are marinated overnight in a bath of sour orange juice, salt and pepper and of course, garlic. Then they are placed in a speckled little oval pot that has a lid and cooked in the oven with rosemary, and other delectable seasonings that will turn into the sauce to go over the mashed potatoes. Definitely a Sunday meal.

I first had these pork chops at my Tia Ara's home in MIami and you could close your eyes and swear you were eating at the best French restaurant in town, that's how tender and tasty they were. I love the simplicity of their preparation and the heady aroma that permeates throughout the house.

I am also going to make an Apple Cranberry Kuchen with a crunch topping for dessert. This is a good way for me to get rid of the excess surplus of fresh cranberries I have in the freezer.

Keep Warm! Gina

Tia's Ara Delectable Pork Chops
serves 2 (Recipe can be doubled)

I use a speckled oval oven pan that has a lid. It is small and perfect for the two chops and it cooks meat tender to the bone.

2 boneless, 1 inch thick pork chops
1/2 c. sour orange juice or 1/2 c. mixed lemon juice with orange juice
3 garlic cloves mashed
salt and pepper
rosemary
2 T. worcestershire sauce
orange marmalade

Marinate the chops overnight in the orange juice mixture with salt and pepper and garlic.

Next day, slash the little bit of fat band on the chops so that they don't curl up and stay flat as they cook. Place them in the speckled pot at 350 for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 300 for the next 50 minutes and after the 1st half hour, open lid and check chops. Sprinkle the worcestershire sauce over them and continue cooking. When the chops are almost done that they are browned, smear a tablespoon of orange marmalade over the tops and continue cooking.

Use the sauce to put over mashed potatoes. Serve with green beans and glazed carrots.

Supreme Garlic Mashed Potatoes

6-8 potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 stick butter
1/2 c. sour cream
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c. milk or more if needed

Boil potatoes and the garlic cloves together. When tender, mash with potato masher, add butter and mash some more, add sour cream and enough of milk to your liking for consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Florida Sunshine Glazed Carrots
Serves 6

6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. allspice
1/2 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste
10 dried apricots, slivered
1/3 c. sliced almonds
2 T. fresh orange or tangerine juice

Place the carrots in a saucpan, cover barely with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10. mts. Rinse under cold water and drain.

Stir the sugar and spices together and set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the carrots and the citrus juice. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and cook over med. heat til carrots are glazed and sauce is slightly thick. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir in apricots and almonds and cook an additional 5 mts. Serve immediately.

Southern Green Beans

1 lb. fresh green beans, ends snapped off
2 large onion slices, chopped
1 garlic clove
2 bacon strips
2 T. veg. oil
pepper
salt
1-2 drops of hot sauce
splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Cook bacon pieces with onion in a med. pot. After 3 min. add the oil and stir. Add seasonings and garlic clove. Add vinegar and beans, stir to coat. Cover and lower heat to med-low. Check after 5 min., stir, and lower heat to low. Cook for about 25 min or tender. You should have a delicious brown sauce coating the beans when they are ready.

Apple Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake
serves 10-12

Coffee Cake:

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, room temp.
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 T. grated orange zest
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
1 c. whole fresh cranberries
2 cans Luck's Brand Fried Apples, drained

Streuesel Topping:
3/4 C. packed light brown sugar
1/2 C. flour
1/2 c. oatmeal
2 T. cinnamon
4 t. (1/2 STICK) butter
1/2 C. coarsely chopped walnuts

Oven at 350. Drain the apples and mix them with the cranberries and set aside. Butter and lightly flour a 13/9-inch baking pan. Cream the butter and sugar til fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and zest. Mix the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternating with the sour cream to make a smooth and thick batter. Spread the batter evenly over the prepared pan and sprinkle the apple/cranberries mixture over. Prepare the topping by tossing the sugar, flour, oatmeal and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Toss til it is crumbly by cutting in the butter with two knives or pastry blender. Stir in the nuts and sprinkle this streusel evenly over the fruits. Bake 45 min. till knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cut into squares, serve warm with ice cream or at room temperature.