M is for Marjoram

I was going to do a milk recipe today but just wasn't feeling it. So I decided to do a dish today that my mom used to make when I was kid. Today's food is marjoram. Marjoram is in the mint family but tastes like oregano.

It has been about 20 years since the last time I've had this dish. It's tasty and super easy to make



Roasty Potatoes and Onions

6 potatoes sliced (a little thicker than you would for scallop potatoes)
3 large onions  sliced
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram finely chopped
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Paprika

photo courtesy of franksteiner on flickr

Preheat oven to 350. In a large buttered oven proof dish layer the potatoes and onions evenly in a circular fashion. Dot with butter between layers  Gently sprinkle on marjoram, paprika, salt and pepper. Dot more butter on top. Place in oven for 35-45 minutes. Potatoes should be golden brown on top and cooked through. Let sit for 3-5 minutes before serving.

G is for Garlic

Well for the second letter in a row I have no etsy shop :( The ones I had lined up never responded
back to my Q&A. So I'll continue with the shops I already have. But this post here is not about etsy but rather one of my all time favorite foods...GARLIC!!

The weird thing is that I'm not a fan of onions (especially raw, ew yuck!). But, garlic? OH my more please! Since I'm a little late this morning with my post and I have another rant like post I need to do I'm gonna skip the health facts today. Though I will say from the top of my head that garlic is known to be great for your digestive health.


The following recipe is a bit hard for me to post because I don't have exact measurements. This is a dish that my family adores but that we have crafted and developed over the years. We never measure we just kind of know by eyeballing. So I'll do my best to give measurements. We like to serve this with a nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce. My stepdaughter likes to use her bread to make a soggy sandwich out of the pork chops.

photo courtesy of modomatic on flickr

White Wine, Onion, Garlicky Pork Chops

6 thick sliced bone in pork chops (can use boneless but bones add more flavor)
1-bottle dry white wine (Chardonnay is what we usually use)
8 Garlic cloves minced
2 large onions sliced (we like half moon shaped)
2 Tablespoons oil
12 oz beef broth
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons butter
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper


 Preheat oven to 325. We like to brine the pork chops for a few hours ahead of time but it is not necessary. In large cast iron skillet heat up oil and brown chops on both sides. Set aside.  Add onions to cast iron and heat till they start to become translucent. Remove onions and add some of the white wine to deglaze the pan. Add all of the white wine, beef broth, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, butter, a generous sprinkle of garlic and onion powder and a nice sized pinch of salt and ground pepper.  Let wine sauce heat up for a few minutes then add half the onions to the sauce. Place pork chops on top of the onions (make sure to also add the drippings on the plate) and top with the other half of onions. Remove from cooktop and place in oven. Finish cooking in oven. Depending on the thickness of the chops this can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. Internal temp of pork chops should be about 160. If you do not have a thermometer cut into one of the chops. The juices should run clear and you should not see pink. When in doubt let it cook just a little longer.