Red River Rivalry

 It's a wonderful coincidence that UT and Autumn colors go hand in hand!

Hook 'Em Horns!

Event: UTvOU Football Game


Menu:
Cheeseburgers
Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries
Fresh Fruit
Potato Salad
Hummus and Pita Wedges


We've found that good old ground chuck makes the best burger. Just toss in a little kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, combine, and form patties. Be careful not to overwork the meat. Just lightly pat it into shape. 


For a great burger topping combo, I look to Shoal Creek Saloon for inspiration. Their Reynaldo Burger is topped with grilled jalapenos and onions and cheese of your choice. (I go with American for this one.) Hot off the grill and spicy, it's an amazing burger!


Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries
3 lbs sweet potatoes, washed, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chipotle powder (or chile powder)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 375. Toss potato wedges in oil and spices. Spread out on foil covered baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. 

Project Porkchop

Whew- what a busy weekend! I've got a lot of blogging to do... and, unfortunately, the little one has decided that one nap is sufficient. So I've got about two hours to attend to all my business, get everything organized, put away, and ready for this afternoon.

And.... GO!

Thursday night, my friend, Erin S., my sister, Shannon, and I gathered to watch Project Runway. While the season has been kinda disappointing so far (a result of the switch to Lifetime?) it's always fun to get together and ooh-and-eh (yes, eh) over the designers' creations.

We chowed down on some yummy pork chops- dressed up even fancier than Tim Gunn.

Event: Project Porkchop


Menu: 
Parmesan Porkchops
Spicy Sweet Potato and Russet Wedges
Steamed Green Beans


Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops (Should be called Pork Chops with a Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce)
6 1/2 inch thick boneless pork loin chops
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c milk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 c italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 c butter or margarine, divided
1 1/2 tsp jarred minced garlic
3/4 c whipping cream
1/3 c white wine
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 375.
Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. In a small bowl, stir together milk and mustard. Dip pork chops in milk mixture; dredge in breadcrumbs. Place on broiler pan. (Or foil-covered roasting pan- note: with this method, you'll get one pretty side and one gnarly looking side. Which doesn't really matter, because you're gonna drizzle the the pork chops with sauce anyway!)
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine. Add cream and cheese and reduce heat to low. Simmer 3-4 minutes. Do not boil. Whisk in remaining 3 tbsp butter until melted and combined in sauce. Ladle generously over chops... or all over plate!


Spicy Sweet Potato and Russet Wedges
2 Sweet Potatoes
2 Russet Potatoes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tbsp chili powder
3/4 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne (or more, for kick!)
Preheat oven to 375 (if serving with pork chops, start potatoes 15 mins before pork)
Cut all potatoes into 1/4 inch thick wedges. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add potatoes and turn to coat. Pour potatoes onto a foil covered baking sheet. 
Bake for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes to cook evenly.