Tag: cooking

Rosemary and Maple Glazed Porkchops with Creamy Apple Salad

Adding a little sweetness to your meal is never as easy as it is with pork! I often pare this protein with apples, pears, and now maple flavors! The combination of sweet and savory is amazing!

This meal is a simple to prepare crowd pleaser with a little wow factor because the flavors make it seem like a complicated dish, when in fact it’s easy peasy! So prepare and serve for your family meal or as a dinner party fave this is a diverse dish with lots of flavor!

Here’s what you’ll need:

For couscous

1tsp vutter

3/4 c couscous

1/2 tsp fresh rosemary

3/4c. Water

The whites of two green onions or scallions chopped (save the greens aside chopped)

In a small sauce pan add 1 tsp butter, rosemary, and scallions. Cook until fragrant about one minute. Add couscous and 3/4c of water. Bring to a bowl cover and remove from heat set aside.

For pork chops

2 medium boneless porkchops about 1/2in. Thick

1 tsp butter

2 Tbsp sugar free maple syrup

1 Tbsp bouillon concentrate

1Tbsp white wine vinegar

3/4c.water

1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

Salt and pepper

Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel, and salt and pepper both sides. In a medium sauce pan add butter until melted. Add pork chops, cooking on medium high heat 2-3 minutes eaxh side turning once. Remove to a plate. Turn heat down slightly to medium add maple syrup, boullion concentrate, vinegar, water, and rosemary. Slowly increase heat until mixture is bubbly, reduce over heat until thickened. Add pork chops, turning to coat.

For salad

2c. Mixed Spring greens

1 med. Apple chopped (I used gala)

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl combine mayo, salt pepper and vinegar. Add greens and chopped apple toss to coat.

You’re ready to plate! Place couscous on plate and spoon sauce from pork chops over top, top with pork chop and sprinkle scallion greens on top. Serve with apple salad! Enjoy!!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

I have done fat Tuesday posts in the past and to be honest not much has changed. I had a lemon filled paczki this morning for breakfast. Not great for my diet, but it was delicious!

Fat Tuesday is the last night of feasting before the ritual 40 day fast of the Lenten season. Are you giving anything up for Lent? I’m not per se but I am working hard right now a better physical, more healthy me. So that was my last donut for a long while, I’m glad it was a good one lol!

Marble Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Sometimes it’s just nice to be in your kitchen. After a quick inventory I realized I had everything I needed to make a homemade marble cake with a light fluffy vanilla frosting. I literally had everything! Who can resist that!

This delicious cake is moist and not to heavy the vanilla and chocolate flavors are perfect together and the light marshmallowy frosting adds just enough sweetness. And I’m here to tell ya making a cake for no real reason other than just to have some cake is awesome!

Here’s what you need:

Cake

2 1/4c. Flour

1 2/3 c. Granulated sugar

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

2/3 c. Butter or Shortening

1 1/4c. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

5 egg whites

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour a 9 x 13in glass cake pan.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder in a large mixing bowl add butter milk and vanilla mix on medium speed till well blended. Add egg whites and mix on high speed 2 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl as you mix. In a medium bowl reserve 1 2/3c. batter. Pour remaining batter into the cake pan. Add cocoa powder and baking soda to reserved batter mix well. Spoon onto the top of the vanilla batter and use a butter knife to swirl together for marble effect. Bake 40-45 minutes.

Frosting

2 room temperature egg whites

1/2 c granulated sugar

1/4c. Corn syrup

2 Tbsp. Water

1 tsp. Vanilla

In a large mixing bowl mix egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan stir together sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat to a boil covered. Uncover and boil 4-8 minutes or until candy thermometer reads 240°F. On medium speed slowly pour syrup mixture into the egg whites and mix until glossy peaks form. Add vanilla and mix well. Place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Cool cake completely before frosting. Enjoy!

Light and Fresh Fish Taco

I’ve been searchong for some new healthy dinner options. I feel like I’ve had dinner on loop lately. So last night I started back to through the loop woth tacos…but decided at the last minute instead to make this a lighter and tad healthier by using fish as the primary protein instead of the usual ground beef. I have to say it was a delicious change of pace and I’m so glad I decided to change things up!

Here is what you need!

1lb. Fresh cod

3Tbsp butter

2 lg cloves garlic

Zest of one lime

2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp chicken taco seasoning, I use McCormicks brand.

1/4 c. Cilantro or curly parsley

Shredded lettuce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Cubed avocado

Fresh pico de gaillo

Flour tortillas

In a large sauce pan melt the butter add the garlic and fish. Cook on medium high heat 3 minutes each side. Once you turn the fish add lime zest juice seasoning and cilantro using spatula cut fish into chunks and stir the ingedients around in the pan till coated. Turn down heat and layer fish in the tortilla with any of the additional ingredients you prefer. Enjoy!

Jackson Coney Island

@Tour_the_Town has had a busy day! After a quick downtown photo shoot in the freezing cold we made our way to local favorite, Jackson Coney Island!

Jackson Coney Island first opened it’s doors in 1914 under the ownership of George Todoroff. It’s original name was Todoroff’s eatery and the name later changed to Jackson Coney Island in 1931. It’s convenient location next to train depot meant lots of visitors and train depot employees would frequent the small establishment.

George sold the restaurant to the Andy and Don Lazaroff twin brothers with a knack for the restaurant business.

In 1965, Jackson Coney Island itself moved on to bigger things when the original building was torn down along with the McCain Block building next door to make way for the current restaurant and its parking lot.

In 1970, Andy Lazaroff sold out to his brother and Christoff to focus on Andy’s Pizza restaurants. They kept Jackson Coney Island until selling it to Dave White in 1972.

Now more than 100 years later the restaurant continues to call the community together with the diner concept that specializes in a Jackson Coney Dog. A humble hot dog on a steamed bun topped with a perfectly seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. The Jackson Coney is so much more than it’s sloppy southern counterpart. The Jackson Coney has a characteristic meat sauce that isn’t runny sloppy overly greasy or difficult to eat. It’s iconic flavor is something you’ll never forget!

The restaurant also sells a variety of lunch and dinner options as well as some very tasty desserts and classic malts!

The restaurant today keeps with traditon. It has a small dining room with booth spaces and a long bar where you can enjoy your dessert and cup of coffee while visiting with the very friendly staff! There is definitely a taste of Nostalgia when you walk in!

Jackson Coney Island was voted one of the top 5 coney island restaurants in State of MI in 2018, and is a must see when you tour our town!

We want to thank the wonderful staff for allowing to take photos and ask questions! You guys rock! You can find out more by visiting their website, see their menu, and like them on facebook! http://www.jacksonconey.com @JacksonConeyIsland

Hope you enjoyed this weeks tour! Find more behind the scenes photos this week on our instagram page @tour_the_town. Thanks for following along!

Barnwood’s Best Lemon Bars

I know I have shared a lemon bar recipe before which was a bit more pf a short cut recipe. Great of you short on time and usually a little cost saving due to fewer ingredients…BUT…it’s no replacement for a really great, from scratch, recipe.

That what these babies are. Fresh made shortbread crust with a custardy lemon topping that is just amazingly creamy and the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Here’s what you’ll need.

Shortbread crust

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 10 tablespoons butter, cubed. I ise mine cold but you can warm to room temperature for easier mixing.
Lemon Filling:
  • 4 lemons, juiced and zested
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar, for dusting
  • Preheat your oven to 350F then butter and line an 8×8 inch baking tin, set aside. In a large bowl combine the sugars and the flour. Next using a pastry blender or large fork blend in the butter until you’ve reached the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Continue to bring the shortbread together using your hands until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the shortbread dough to your lined baking dish and press into one even layer using your fingertips and the palm of your hands. Then prick the crust all over with a fork.Bake the shortbread crust for 25 minutes. While the base is baking, make the lemon filling.

Lemon Filling:
In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, baking powder, soft butter, lemon juice, and zest then mix to combine. If the mixture looks a bit separated, don’t be alarmed. Remove the crust from the oven then fill with the lemon filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top has formed a crackle crust and is golden brown.Allow to fully cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares, of ot’ warm at all it will melt into a horrible little messy altgough tasty pile. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. That’s it! Enjoy!!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A recent Audubon Society meeting had me in the kitchen…seems odd I know but it was my turn to help with the refreshments and thats when I rise to the occasion! So for the meeting I prepared Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Lemon bars! They were so good that I literally came home with clean plates! Here’s what you need!

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients except sugars, and oats. Stir together and set aside in a large mixing bowl combine sugars, butter, vanilla mix on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and mix again until light and fluffy. Add in dry ingredients, mixing together with a spatula until combined add oats and raisins fold together. Spoon onto baking sheet and bake 6-9 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!