Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin with Potatoes

Let's hear it for pork on pork action, first of all. If you're a meat-lover, this is a spectacular and pretty easy recipe to have in your arsenal. For starters, I love when roasted meat recipes don't require any stove top pan-searing prior to roasting. This is one such recipe that simply gets prepped in mere minutes, then tossed straight into the oven - without searing.  You'll be floored at how little work and effort can yield such amazing results.

The dish requires minimal ingredients, gets cooked all in one skillet and is pretty fail-proof so long as you keep an eye on the internal temp of the meat.

Serve this up alongside a salad or vegetable for an easy-peasy meal. It's simple enough for weeknights, yet special enough for Sunday dinner.

Yields 6 servings

Chicken Tikka Masala Over Basmati Rice

I have to admit that Indian cuisine is pretty new to me. I have tried it while out at a few restaurants throughout the years. Some dishes impressed me more than others. One that I enjoyed in particular was Chicken Tikka Masala. I recently started testing some recipes at home for this rich, earthy Indian dish. If you're not familiar with it, Chicken Tikka Masala often begins with chicken that is marinated in yogurt and spices, then cooked in a tandoor oven. The chicken is then combined with ingredients like, tomato sauce, garlic, ginger and coconut milk/cream. And, it's usually served with basmati rice.

Since I do not own a tandoor oven (and I'm pretty sure that most of you don't either), I decided to simplify the recipe using one large pot right on the stove top. My recipe begins by slightly cooking chunks of boneless chicken in a little oil. Next, some onions, garlic and ginger get stirred in. I, then, add the spices in so that they get a chance to slightly toast in the oil prior to proceeding with the recipe. I like the inclusion of chickpeas, but this is completely optional. Tomato puree is added as the chicken finishes cooking. The mixture gets finished with some heavy cream, plain yogurt or full-fat coconut milk. (Any of the three worked well in my testing of this recipe, but I did prefer using the coconut milk.)

Serve this vibrant, beautiful chicken over a bed of basmati rice (easily found in the rice section of most supermarkets these days) and garnish with fresh cilantro. (I prefer everything doused with a squeeze of lemon, too.)

Serving this with naan bread (an Indian flatbread found pretty easily in the bakery section at your supermarket) is almost a requirement. The bread is used to scoop up the chicken and to dip into the sauce as you make your way through this outstanding dish.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have made several versions of Tikka Masala as I have researched the dish and recipe tested during the development of this recipe. I had success converting this to a vegetarian dish solely using canned, drained chickpeas or with using cubed, roasted butternut squash. So, there is some leeway in the recipe if you'd like to make it a vegetarian one. I have, also, read that cauliflower florets can be a good substitute for meat in this dish.

Yields 4 - 6 servings.

Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops

This is a great way to dress up boring pork chops without a lot of hassle and without fussy ingredients. A simple balsamic vinegar glaze comes together easily and quickly to pack quite a flavorful punch (without being too overpowering).

 

We served these chops over buttered egg noodles, but they would be wonderful over mashed potatoes and rice, as well. The hardest part (if there is a difficult part) of this recipe is getting the chops cooked to your liking. We like our pork cooked thoroughly, so we made sure they were well done in the center. Use a meat thermometer to gauge the doneness to your preference.

Yields 4 servings.