Day 2: Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes

When we got married a year and a half ago, we had registered for some new cookware. We just happened to find a set that we really liked- Emerilware. Little did I know, Eric would now use it as an excuse to yell Bam! all the time! We decided that since we have the cookware maybe we should actually try an Emeril recipe. And what could be more perfect than one with TONS of Garlic! Eric has a love affair with garlic. It is in almost everything we make, and if not, we usually find a way to add it in.

So enter tonight's meal- Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Jam

Ingredients

- 4 thick cut pork chops

- Olive oil

- Essence Creole Seasoning- You can buy this but it was easy to make.

- 2 1/2 T. paprika

- 2 T salt

- 2 T garlic powder

- 1 T black pepper

- 1 T Onion powder

- 1 T Cayenne pepper

- 1 T dried Oregano

- 1 T dried Thyme

- Garlic Jam (Recipe follows)

- 4 large heads of garlic (Yum!)

- 1/2 c olive oil

- 1/4 of a red onion

- 1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce.. plus a little more

- 1 t. lemon juice.. plus a little more

- 1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 300.

In a small saucepan, heat salted water to a boil. Cut garlic heads

in half cross-wise and blanche in water for 5 minutes. Pour olive

oil in a small baking dish. Remove garlic from water and place in

baking dish. Add 1/4 of red onion to dish. Cover tightly with

aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove garlic from oil and squeeze softened garlic from skin

into a bowl. Dice onion and place in bowl with garlic. Smash

garlic with a fork and mix together. Add in Worcestershire

sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until smooth and creamy.

Directions:

Heat Foreman grill. Brush pork chops on both sides with olive oil and rub with Essence seasoning. Cook until cooked through. Serve with garlic jam on the side or on top.

As a side tonight, I made mashed potatoes. Real Mashed potatoes. Growing up mashed potatoes were the bain of my existence. I loathed them, but my parents required that I ate them. And we had them EVERY Sunday! So every Sunday, I would always be the last one to scoop out my potatoes hoping that somehow my Mom had miscalculated the amount of potatoes. But there were always enough. So instead, I would make the tiniest, most minuscule dollop I could get away with.

As a grown up, if I make potatoes they are usually instant potatoes, because those I like. Weird. I know. If the potatoes aren't instant, then they are Slow Cooked Mashed Potatoes from Taste of Home. I don't make them often, usually when potatoes are on sale for cheap. :)

Ingredients-

- 6 cups of mashed potatoes ( no butter or milk added)

- 3 oz of softened cream cheese

- 1/4 cup softened butter

- 1 packet of dry Ranch Dressing

- 1/2 c sour cream

- parsley flakes on top

Directions

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir and mix completely. Cook on low for 3 hrs.

That is it for the potatoes. Easy and delish. And how can potatoes be bad with cream cheese and sour cream and ranch!

Overall good meal. The garlic was good to cool down your mouth, but if you were short on time a big glass of milk would do the same thing. Didn't really think about color until the very end. So sorry it is all in the same color family! Werm, my Foods teacher in HS, would not be very happy with me! :)