So what happens when you take the queen of take out and activate her cooking gene? You get the chick who can't stop cooking (except when her baby is crying which makes things a little tricky)
Having a baby makes home meals much more convenient and cost effective now that our finances are being funneled into another direction other than our own entertainment.
I plan to post only the yummy recipes that turned out wonderfully. Then again, maybe I'll post a disaster or two because they are learning experiences as well...
First off:
Stuffed Pork Rib Eye with Zucchini Rotini
Prep: 15 minutes (depending on baby... Mia was a little frisky so it took me almost 30!)
Cook: 15 minutes (again, depending on baby....)
Serves: 4
Cost: Under $3.00 a serving. I found the pork at HEB for $2.46 for 4 medallions!
Ingredients:
Stuffed Pork
4 pieces Pork Rib Eye (cut from center loin roast--look for light pink and slightly marbled)
2 cups wilted spinach
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled cooked Applewood smoked bacon
garlic salt, pepper, paprika to taste
EVOO
Zucchini Rotini
2 - 3 cups cooked whole grain rotini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 TBS chopped garlic (I like Christopher Ranch)
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 TBS butter
3/4 cup white cooking wine
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese to taste
In a bowl, combine the spinach, mozzarella and bacon and set aside if not cool. Butterfly the pork pieces and stuff 1/4 of the mixture in each. Use toothpicks to seal the meat, or skewers of toothpicks are not available. Season the pork on both sides with garlic salt, paprika and pepper.
Add EVOO to a pan on the stove and heat on medium high for 2 - 3 minutes. Place pork in pan (a splatter guard is your friend here) and cook each side 3 - 4 minutes until browned nicely and internal temperature is approximately 145 degrees.
In another pan, melt butter and saute onions until translucent and slightly brown on the edges. Add garlic and cooking wine and saute another 1 - 2 minutes. Add in zucchini and cook until tender. Toss in pasta and Parmesan. Serve with extra Parmesan if desired.
I added extra spinach to my pasta to "bulk it up" a little. Makes the dish more calorie friendly and yummy. Hubby was thoroughly impressed and I must say, so was I. Looks like I can do more than boil water after all!
