Our favorite part of summertime, or anytime for that matter, is our Ben. I took this photo of our sweet little nephew last summer while we were all enjoying our time on the water. He has learned to swim so well, learned to fish, and enjoyed being our youngest sailor. David and I are looking forward to spending time with Ben on the lake!
Another part of summer that we love so good is cooking with all the ripe produce that's available now. Here, I've made rice with vegetables and David's grilled pork chops topped with my homemade tomato and mango chutney.
David loves scallops and I try to include them in my menu planning when I can. Its hard to beat any kind of delicious shellfish with good, ol' cream cheese grits. In true Last Resort style, I paired them with sauteed kale served with a side of mango. Doesn't that offset the grits with cream cheese, mozzarella, heavy cream and butter?
Tonight we paired a Santa Fe marinated pork chop with black bean cakes and steamed broccoli - delish! I've included recipes at the bottom!
Black Bean Cakes2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cans black beans
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup grated sweet potato
Sour cream and lime zest
Saute onions, bell pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder in olive oil in medium skillet for about 5 minutes. Mash beans with potato masher adding egg, onion mixture, bread crumbs and potato with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and add to cooking spray covered cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes on one side, and 3 on the other at 500 degrees. Garnish with sour cream and lime zest.
Spicy pork chops with mango-lime salsa For the salsa:
1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into small dice
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into small dice
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
2 scallions (white and light- green parts), thinly sliced
3/4 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
Kosher salt
1 Tbs. peanut or canola oil
For the chops:
1 Tbs. cumin seeds
1 Tbs. freshly cracked coriander seeds
1 Tbs. ground dried chile (chipotle is good, but ancho or New Mexico will work, as will a mild chili powder)
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. freshly cracked black pepper
4 bone-in center-cut pork chops (1 to 1-1/2 inches thick)
2 Tbs. olive oil; more if needed
Make the salsa: In a small bowl, combine the mango, tomatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, and Tabasco. Toss gently to combine. Season with salt to taste. Drizzle with the oil and gently toss again.
Cook the pork chops: Combine the cumin, coriander, ground dried chile, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and rub each side evenly with the spice mixture. Heat the olive oil in a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. (If you don't have a sauté pan large enough to fit the chops without crowding, use two smaller sauté pans, heat 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil in each, and cook two chops in each.) Cook the chops until well browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until the meat is done, 2 to 4 min. (If they start to burn, turn down the heat slightly.) To check for doneness, make a small cut near the bone and look inside—the pork should have a hint of pinkness. If it's still red, cook for another minute and check again. Transfer the chops to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 3 to 5 min. before serving with the salsa.
David and I went to see Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz last night in their action-romantic comedy, Knight and Day. While it was totally over-the-top, it was Tom Cruise at his Mission Impossible best...packed with stunts and car chases. It was really entertaining, and I recommend it definitely for the boys.
This weekend had its share of fun times on the lake...Sydney did a little tubing...
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