pork chops with apple mustard sauce

I made this sauce as a way to dress up boring pork chops, but it would be just as good with chicken. If you don't have coarse ground mustard, just use twice as much dijon. Make the full recipe of sauce, even if it's just two of you, as you'll want to cover everything on your plate in it!

serves 4

4 boneless pork chops
1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups apple cider
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp coarse ground mustard
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. When foam from butter subsides, add pork chops. Brown on both sides, about 1-2 min each side. Remove from pan (chops won't be cooked through yet). Reduce heat to medium, add onions to pan and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook onions for about 3-4 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add wine, cider, and mustards, and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until reduced by half. Then, reduce heat so sauce is barely simmering and add pork chops and any accumulated juices to pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chops are cooked through. Remove chops, remove pan from heat, and stir in 2 tbsp butter. Serve chops with sauce spooned over top.

modern bbq sauce

I like my barbecue sauce nice and tangy, and more salty than sweet. It's easy to tweak to make it just the way you want it, though, so add a little more sugar, hot sauce, or whatever, until you find your perfect recipe. The best part about this sauce is its lack of special ingredients - you likely have everything you need in your pantry already!

makes 2 cups

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 medium red onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup hot sauce
canola oil
salt to taste
splash of liquid smoke (optional)

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat (the taller the better to prevent splatter). Process onion and garlic together in the food processor until finely chopped. Add to pan and cook until translucent but not browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover sauce with a lid and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low immediately (you want only occasional bubbles to surface). Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 45 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning to your liking. If sauce is too thick, add water, 2 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

chimichurri

This 5-minute sauce is delicious on just about anything, but it's particularly good with grilled meat as it provides fresh, bright flavor that balances out richness.

makes 1 cup

1 bunch parsley, removed from stems
1 bunch cilantro, removed from stems
3 tablespoons capers
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. With processor running, slowly stream in oil until combined. Serve at room temperature.

simple herb gravy

After the turkeys are out of the oven, its time to make the gravy. To prevent lumps, be sure to thoroughly whisk the flour with the fat before adding the liquids. Still, if you happen to get lumps, it's no big deal - you're going to pour this gravy through a mesh strainer anyway! For the most turkey flavor, you'll want to use turkey fat. To do this, pour the pan drippings from your roast turkey into a fat separator and allow to sit for a few minutes to full separate. When tipped, the separator will pour out all the turkey broth (save it!) and leave the fat. If you don't want to bother, canola oil or butter will work just as well and taste fantastic. If you'd prefer not to use wine, just use a full 2 cups of broth instead.

Serves 6-8

1/2 cup turkey fat, unsalted butter (1 stick), or canola oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken stock, turkey drippings, or combination of the two
1/4 cup white wine (preferably chardonnay)
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, heat stock and/or drippings, covered, to a simmer. In a large skillet, heat turkey fat, butter, or oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, rosemary sprig, and thyme sprig, and cook until shallots are translucent, about 15 minutes. Remove rosemary and thyme sprigs. Sprinkle 1 tbsp flour into pan and whisk into fat. Add remaining flour and whisk into fat until smooth. Add warm broth a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add wine, if using. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and allow gravy to simmer, stirring occassionally, until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy through a mesh strainer to remove shallots and garlic. Serve warm.

citrus soy sauce

This is a fast and easy dipping sauce for fish or chicken.

Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced

Whisk all ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes so flavors can combine.

carmelized onion and apple chutney

Sweet and savory, this chutney makes a great topping for chicken or pork.

Makes 1 1/2 cups chutney (enough for 4 chicken breasts)

1 green apple, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Chop apple and onion in a food processor until finely chopped. When oil and butter are hot, add apple mixture and cook for 10 minutes or until carmelized. Add remining ingredients, stir, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until most of liquid is evaporated. Serve warm.

ten-second pepper pesto

This no-cook sauce is practically fat-free but tastes amazing over fish, chicken, pork, or tossed with pasta.

Makes 1 cup (enough for 4 entrees)

1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (not grated!)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth (you still want some texture from the peppers and cheese). Spoon over fish, chicken, or pork during the last 10 minutes of cooking and cover with a lid (to melt the cheese a little).

avocado and peach salsa

I like this salsa with peaches, but you could just as easily make it with mango if you prefer. Choose unripe peaches to get a mildly sweet taste and nice crunchy texture.

makes 2 cups

2 ripe Hass avocados, diced (click here to learn an easy technique)
2 firm, unripe peaches, cored and diced
juice of 2 limes
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped (white and light green parts)
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl, mixing gently so as not to smash avocado. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow salsa to sit, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Do not allow to sit longer than 1 hour or avocado will turn brown (it will still taste the same, just won't look as nice!)

modern pesto

makes 2 cups

At the end of summer, my herb garden is overflowing with basil. I make a batch of this healthy pesto, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. That way, we can enjoy fresh homemade pesto all year long. I use far less olive oil than traditionally called for to cut calories; I promise you won't miss it!

4 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp black pepper
juice of one lemon
salt to taste

combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until pureed.

modern tsatziki sauce

makes 1 cup

Tsatziki sauce is a tasty, fresh flavored condiment or a light dip for crudite. You can serve it immediately, but the longer it stays in the refrigerator, the more delicious it becomes as the flavors blend. I swap out half the greek yogurt for low fat plain yogurt to cut calories. If you want to further reduce calories or simply don't have any greek yogurt, you can use all low fat plain, but the results will not be as thick.

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 english cucumber (or regular cucumber, peeled)
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut into large chunks and process in the food processor until finely diced (careful not to puree it!) Line a bowl with paper towels and place cucumber in it, covering with more paper towels and pressing down to remove as much water as possible. Combine with remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

garlic aioli

makes 1 cup

This spicy, creamy garlic sauce is excellent as a dip or spread. You can cut some of the calories by using low fat mayo (don't use fat free, the trade off is not worth it!) or replacing half of the mayo with low fat yogurt or sour cream.

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
pinch cayenne pepper

blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Salt to taste.

mushroom wine sauce

makes 1-2 cups



I make two versions of this sauce, one for chicken and one for steaks. You can use just a cup of thinly sliced mushrooms for a "saucier" sauce, or tons of roughly chopped mushrooms for more of a side dish. Either way, you will not be disappointed!



olive oil
1-2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
half an onion, chopped
red pepper flakes
1 cup broth (beef or chicken)
1 cup red wine
2 tbsp all purpose flour

Heat half of a cup of olive oil in a large sautee pan over med-hi heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms (they should be in a single layer for the best browning). Let brown for a few minutes before stirring, then allow to brown, undisturbed, for a few more minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir, allowing flour to cook and become translucent. Add the onion and garlic and lower heat to medium. Sautee for 5 minutes until onions are just browned. Add the red pepper flakes and herb of your choice. Sautee for 2 more minutes, then add broth and wine and raise heat to high to bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half.

basque tomato pepper sauce

makes 2 cups

This sauce is a great use-up for those onion halves and leftover pepper chunks I always have in my refrigerator. It's delicious over chicken or fish, but could easily be tossed with pasta for a side dish.

olive oil
1/2 onion (any color will do!), sliced into half moons
1/2 red, yellow, or orange pepper (or 1 jarred roasted red pepper), sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
splash white wine
squeeze fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp capers (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Sautee the onions, peppers, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat (do not brown vegetables), sprinkling with salt. When onions are translucent, add the remaining ingredients and allow to cook together for 10 minutes.

lemon caper sauce

makes 1 cup

This highly flavorful sauce is quick to make and delicious over all types of fish, chicken, green vegetables, and tossed with pasta. If it turns out too sharp for your taste, simply add another pat of butter.

1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Melt butter over med-low heat in a saucepan. Add garlic and sautee for 5 minutes (do not brown). Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients, whisking to combine, and cook together for 5 more minutes.