Wilted Arugula, Spinach and Herb Quinoa, and Broiled Pork Chop with Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce.

It's been a while since I have done any cooking, and tonight's fare was an easy one, but something I felt I could share.
On the menu tonight was:   Wilted Arugula, Spinach and Herb Quinoa with grape tomatoes and green onion, and Broiled Pork Chops with Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce.  Two of the three dishes used Tastefully Simple products.  (That was what simplified the preparation of the meal for me.)

So what I am going to do is post my pictures and tell you what I did because I didn't follow any recipes. Now, I cook by taste, so I will try to estimate the amounts but you go right ahead and tweak them to meet your own taste buds. :)

Wilted Arugula

2Tbsp grapeseed oil  

2 cloves garlic, chopped or sliced thinly

1 bunch of arugula, leaves and stems cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Heat the oil in the sautee pan. I like using grapeseed oil rather than olive oil because it withstands higher heat without breaking down.  Add the garlic and sautee until the garlic becomes aromatic and golden, but not brown. Add the arugula. and sautee for about 2 minutes until it begins to wilt. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir, cover, reduce heat, and let it cook until the vinegar is mostly absorbed (about 2 to 3 minutes). At this point I left it covered and removed from heat until the rest of the meal was done, about 5 minutes later. My timing was a little off this day. 

If you love the Tastefully Simple products, try using Tastefully Simple Roasted Garlic Infused Oil instead of the grapeseed oil for a little garlic flavor. 

Spinach and Herb Quinoa with Grape Tomatoes and Green Onion

 1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

2 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb dip mix

2 green onions, sliced 

6 grape tomatoes, cut in half. 

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer until the water is absorbed, about 10 - 15 minutes.  At about 9 minutes, add the spinach and herb dip mix and stir.  Add the tomatoes and onions and cover, turn off heat but leave the pot on the burner until the rest of dinner is ready. This warms the tomatoes but doesn't cook them. 

Broiled Pork Chops with Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce

Pork chops

Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt 

Pepper to taste

Tastefully Simple Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce 

Spray a broiler pan with non stick spray. Salt and pepper both sides of the chops to taste. Place under a broiler in the center of the oven.  

Every five minutes flip the chops until they are done. The last five minutes add the Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce.  

Serve all together and enjoy. :)  

You can try other finishing sauces as well. Or try fresh or frozen fruit with a bit of sugar on top of your chops. 

Now its your turn. Have fun cooking!  

Sorry I didn't put into metric. These will be pretty easy to convert though. ;-)

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and Wilted Arugula with Fennel

Tonight for dinner the menu was Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes, Wilted Arugula with Fennel (my own adaptation) and broiled steak with Tastefully Simple's Ultimate Steak Seasoning.  

The Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes came from the Food Network.  You can find that recipe here. I followed it exactly.  My family really liked it. It is a keeper.  

The wilted arugula and fennel is my own combination based on a recipe from Martha Stewart. The original recipe is here.  Mine is below.  

Wilted Arugula and Fennel

1 Tbsp grapeseed oil  (I like it because it handles heat better than olive oil)

1 garlic clove

1 frond and the portion of bulb it is attached to of fennel 

1 smallish bunch of arugula, washed and dried and chopped

2 Tbsp balsamic Vinegar

salt and pepper to taste. 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dice the garlic clove and add to the oil. Sautee until the garlic just begins to turn color. Add chopped frond and portion of bulb of fennel. Sautee with the garlic about 3 minutes. Add chopped arugula and sautee for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over the mixture and sautee a few minutes longer until most of the vinegar is absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I like the addition of the fennel. The licorice like flavor of the fennel really blends well with the peppery flavor of the arugula. I could see adding some tomatoes to it to give it a splash of color, just before the balsamic vinegar. 

My family liked it too. This was a keeper as well. :) 

Now its your turn. Enjoy.