The Good, the Bad, & the Nommy!: Down Home Cooking

I recently put together a nice down home meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and biscuits and kicked this traditional meal up a notch by trying out Pork Chops with Peppers & Onions (cooked in white wine!), Veggie Mash, and Cheddar Garlic Biscuits. I love a good twist on an old favorite!

Pork Chops with Peppers & Onions
(From Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals)
I'll begin by admitting that this was the least exciting part of the meal. I enjoy the flavor that the white wine adds, and the peppers lend brilliant color, but next time I make pork chops, I'll probably use this recipe as a jumping-off point and add even more flare to it myself!

Ingredients
4 pork loin or rib chops, cut 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 medium yellow sweet pepper, cut into strips
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt

1. Trim fat from chops. In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chops; cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown, turning once. Add sweet peppers and onion to skillet. Add the water, wine, rosemary, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 4 to 7 minutes or until pork is done (160°F) and juices run clear.

The pork chops are under there I promise!

2. Transfer chops to serving plates. Use a slotted spoon to remove pepper mixture from skillet; spoon over chops. If desired, drizzle with some of skillet juices.

Veggie Mash
(From Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of 30 Minute Meals)
I'm definitely in love with this recipe and think it will be a staple on our menus from now on. It makes quite a bit, so I think it would be a quick and easy party or potluck dish. These are mashed potatoes you can feel good about!

Ingredients
6 medium carrots, sliced
4 medium red potatoes (1 1/4 lb. total), cut into cubes
1 cup coarsely chopped broccoli
4 oz. onion-flavor dairy sour cream dip
1/2 tsp seasoned pepper (I used garlic pepper.)

Instructions
1. In a covered Dutch oven or large saucepan cook carrots and potatoes in enough boiling salted water to cover about 15 minutes or until tender, adding broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

2. Drain vegetables; transfer to large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer or low speed. Add dip and seasoned pepper. Beat until fluffy.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits
(Submitted by my friend Sarah to our winter guard's fundraiser cookbook.)
I had the most fun making this part of the meal! Having recently taken part in baking cookies for my church's VBS program, I took this opportunity to put my newly-acquired dough-rolling and -cutting skills to the test in my own home! I know...I'm really behind in the baking arena; you should have seen my last attempts at baking biscuits! They worked out much better for me this time -- I think the baby step of using baking mix helped me out significantly.

Ingredients
2 cups baking mix
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Mix together baking mix, cold water and grated cheese. Roll out biscuits on a floured surface. Biscuits should be approximately 1" thick.