Oh how pretty!

Well, at least that is what I said when I took a picture of the veggies I made for this dish!  All the colors looked so vibrant.  See?

I love all of the purple, orange and green.  But to be honest, there shouldn't be that much green.  It happened again!  I misread a recipe.  What is going on with me?

Pork Chops with Fennel and Carrots
From Everyday Food, November 2011 issue
Ingredients:
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1.2 inch wedges
1 lb carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch wedges, root end left intact
12 garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
6 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
6 bone in pork loin chops (AFC note: I used 8 boneless chops)
lemon wedges for serving

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 F.  Toss fennel with carrots, onions and garlic on a baking sheet with 3 T oregano (AFC note: this is where I messed up.  I used dried!  Oops.  A little too much oregano) and 4 T oil.  Season with salt and pepper and roast until veggies are tender and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 T of oil over medium-high heat.  Season pork with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 2 T oregano.  In batches, cook the pork until cooked through, about 4 mins each side.  (AFC note: my chops were thick and I did them on the grill.  Still came out great.)

Serve chops with veggies and lemon wedges.
*This recipe is large so you can save 1 C of veggies and 2 pork chops to make another recipe later in the week.  Everyday Food gives 2 recipes: pork quesadillas and pork ragu with pasta.  I'll be trying the quesadillas and will post next week.

Carrots and Parsnips

I've been looking for recipes to use the favor that I took home from my brother-in-law's wedding: rosemary infused olive oil.  It looks so pretty, and I almost hesitated to use it, but then thought better of the situation.

I had some leftover parsnips and carrots from the harvest stew I made.  So I decided to chop them up, drizzle with the olive oil, and roast them.  They came out really yummy, and made a very filling side!

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Ingredients:
4-5 parsnips, peeled and rough-chopped
4-5 carrots, peeled and rough-chopped (or equal amount of baby carrots)
fresh rosemary
olive oil to drizzle and coat the veggies (AFC note: I used rosemary infused olive oil)

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400 F, place chopped veggies in a baking dish.  Add rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss veggies to coat them with the oil.  Place in oven until tender, about 30 minutes.

What are your favorite side dishes in the fall?  Do you like squash?  I'm looking for recipes that use spaghetti squash, so if you have some, please let me know!

P.S.  Have you made a fall dish or a Halloween treat and posted it on your blog?  Want to be featured on an upcoming Friday Edition of Yummy Finds?  Let me know!!

Hurricane Chicken

Well the Husband, the Toddler and I made it through Hurricane Irene.  The good news is that we did not lose power.  The bad news is that all I have in my house is canned food since I was 100% certain that we would lose power.

The Husband thinks all the stores are still closed, and refuses to drive anywhere.  And I am still in my pajamas as I write this.  So I guess I will have to go to the store tomorrow to get fresh food.  We will use the canned goods tonight, or maybe thaw something frozen and have a "surprise" for dinner (I am really bad at labeling things!).

Last night, while we were anticipating the worst of Irene, I made "Hurricane Chicken".  Basically I looked around and threw stuff in the oven and called it a meal.  I thought it tasted pretty good.  The Husband was expecting more flavor.  Oh well! 

Did you get hit by the hurricane?  If so, I hope you and your family are safe and that it didn't do too much damage to your property!

Hurricane Chicken
Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken drumsticks
1 lb small red/white potatoes, quartered
4-6 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
oregano
onion flakes
paprika

Instructions:
Spray large baking dish with olive oil spray and add chicken.  Surround chicken with chopped veggies.  Sprinkle chicken with seasonings until coated.  Bake at 400 F for about 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done.