Scrumptious Chops

My honey had to work this Valentine's Day, so I wanted to make him an extra nice meal. I found a recipe for chops, picked up some asparagus and key lime pie. I was very excited to be preparing so many of his favorites. Little did I know he hates asparagus, and the onions in the chop recipe left him cold. Oops. His exact quote was "who is this dinner for?" Despite my bad menu choices, he loved the venison (he just didn't eat the onions, but did like the flavor the sauce added to the meat).

Once again, I have Suzanne Somers to thank for the meal. I think my grandmother used to do something similar, though...the taste was very familiar and comforting to me.

Scrumptious Chops (based on Pork Chops with Creamy Shallot Sauce from "Eat, Cheat, and Melt the Fat Away)
4 boneless center cut venison chops, 1 inch thick
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tbs butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 200. Season chops with slat and pepper. Heat skillet on medium high. Melt 2 tbs of the butter in the pan. Pan sear the chops for about 5 minutes, until the outside is golden brown, then turn over and continue cooking for another five minutes. Remove chops from pan and put in warm oven.

Add the onion to the skillet (and more butter if pan looks too dry) and cook until browned. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for another minute. Pour red wine into pan and bring to boil. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook until wine is reduced by half (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the remaining butter, stirring to melt. Whisk in the cream. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Return the chops to the pan and heat for 2 minutes.

Honey Mustard Rack of Venison

For Christmas, Rick got a guide to butchering. The result is we're getting more gourmet cuts of meat, like racks. I've always loved rack of lamb, so I've been pretty excited to try rack of venison. Last night was the perfect opportunity...our friends Rebekah and George were coming over and they're always up for trying new things.

I found the rack recipe on Cook's.com. Today I'm adding a bonus recipe (the sprouts) because they went so well with the meat and Rebekah loved them. The whole meal was very easy and delicious.

Honey Mustard Rack of Venison
2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 tbsp. honey
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 lb. rack of lamb
Salt and pepper to taste
12 shallots, peeled
12 cloves elephant garlic, peeled (more if desired, wonderful when
roasted)
1 tbsp. olive oil

Whisk together mustard, honey and lemon juice until well blended. Pierce lamb all over with tip of small knife or sharp fork. Rub lamb with generous amount of salt and pepper. Spoon mustard mix over lamb. Set in pan, cover and refrigerate for several hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place lamb, meat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Surround with shallots and garlic and drizzle them with the olive oil. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting every 10 minutes. Check with meat thermometer, 135 for rare; 145 for medium.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Carve into chops, 2 per person. Spoon shallots and garlic over each plate. Serves 4.

Cooks.com Recipe "Rack Of Lamb With Shallots And Elephant Garlic"

Brussels Sprouts with Lime
This recipe comes from Suzanne Sommers, and like all her recipes, is amazing.

1 bag Brussels sprouts
1 tbs butter
Juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Chop the Brussels sprouts lengthwise into strips. Melt butter in pan over medium heat and add sprouts. Saute on medium low for about 9 minutes (until tender and browning), stirring every few minutes. Add lime juice and salt.

Southwestern Chipolte Salad

I love my salads. I love my southwestern food too. I really love when the two are combined. This salad is hearty and yummy.

Southwestern Chipotle Salad
Makes 1 main course salad.

3 cups greens (mesclun, romaine...your choice)
3 oz grilled venison, chopped
1 oz Monterrey jack cheese, grated
2 tbs black beans
2 tbs corn
2 tbs red onion, sliced
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
1 tbs fresh cilantro
2 tbs chipolte ranch dressing (address below)
1 wedge of lime

Mix all ingredients together, and squeeze lime juice from wedge over salad. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing
(Recipe from the Food Network)

2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs buttermilk
1 tbs chipotle hot sauce
3 tbs minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 scallion (white and green parts), very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to make a creamy dressing.

Super Superbowl Nachos

Happy Superbowl Sunday. No matter who is playing, watching the game with friends and family is a tradition I look forward to every year. Since we're avid Dolphins fans in this house, I'm not very invested in who wins. That means I can sit back and just enjoy the food!

In honor of Superbowl Sunday, Rick and I made some yummy nachos...they are the bomb! Have fun today, wherever you are and whatever you're eating.

Super Superbowl Nachos
1/2 lb venison, grilled and chopped into small bite sized pieces
1/2 can refried beans
1/2 jar hot salsa
black olives (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
guacamole
Blue corn tortilla chips (Garden of Eatin' spicy red hot and blues are best for this)

Mix the salsa and beans together and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Place a layer of chips on a plate, dollop the salsa/bean mixture over chips and sprinkle with meat and olives (if you're having them), then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat the layer process until you have the heap of nachos you want (I do it once for myself, the photo is Rick's serving, which is three layers deep*). Heat in microwave until cheese is melted (time will vary depending on the density of your creation). Removed and put desired amount of sour cream and guacamole on top.

*Yes, Rick ate that entire plate in one sitting. And yes, he had a bit of a tummy ache after.