SLOW COOKED SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS, CREAMED SPINACH & LEMON BLUEBERRY YOGURT CAKE

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SLOW COOKED SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

I love these pork chops, they are so flavorful and so tender and you would think it took a lot of work to prepare this dish or that you had to use all these fancy ingredients, when in fact you didn't & let's not forget that anything you can throw in the Crock pot in the morning and not have to worry about all day, is perfect for those mid week meals.

INGREDIENTS:

6 lean boneless center-cut pork loin chops (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Brown pork chops on each side and place in a lightly greased slow cooker.

Stir soup and water together until smooth. Fold in onions, mushrooms and black pepper. Pour over pork chops.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.


CREAMED SPINACH

Spinach is probably my favorite leafy green vegetable -- nutritious yet delicious, and so versatile.
Spinach + butter + cream looks mushy and unimpressive, but the delicious flavors just wrap around your tongue and the whole thing melts in your mouth

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds baby spinach or 2 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, tough stems discarded
1 3/4 cups heavy cream or whole milk, or a mix thereof
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

Wash your spinach well but no need to spin or pat it dry. Place spinach in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes for baby spinach and 4 to 6 minutes for regular spinach.

Press or squeeze out the excess liquid any number of ways, either by wringing it out in cheesecloth (my favorite method), putting it in a mesh strainer and pressing the moisture out with a spatula or large spoon or letting it cool long enough to grab small handfuls and squeezing them to remove as much water as possible. Coarsely chop the wrung-out spinach.

Wipe out large pot so you can use it again.

Heat milk or cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Keep warm. Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic, if using, in butter in your wiped-out large pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about six minutes. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, about three minutes. Add warm milk or cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, three to four minutes. Stir in spinach, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until heated through.

DO AHEAD: Creamed spinach can be made one day ahead and chilled, covered then reheated over moderately low heat until hot. However, it really tastes best eaten immediately.


LEMON BLUEBERRY YOGURT CAKE

After baking, the cake is drenched in a lemon juice/sugar concoction that immediately soaks into every inch of the cake, and then drizzled with lemon glaze. The end product is moist, sweet, tangy, and delicious -- you won't be able to resist going back for thirds and fourths!

INGREDIENTS:

1-1/2 flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups blueberries

(For the glaze)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour loaf pan or bundt cake pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into medium sized bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture.

Fold vegetable oil gently into batter.

Mix in blueberries

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until knife in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for cooling.

While cake cools, cook 1/3 cup lemon juice + remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. When cake has cooled for about 10minutes, pour lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Turn cake over onto plate.

For the glaze, mix powdered sugar and 2 tbsp lemon juice until thick. Pour over the cake.
Recipe from justputzingaroundthekitchen