Connor requested two things for his birthday dinner – Grilled Pizza and Baby Back Ribs.

I can easily do that and was more than happy to fulfill his modest request!

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For our sit-down birthday dinner we had stuffed pork loin, green onion and Parmesan mashed potatoes, and a cold succotash side dish. The potatoes and the succotash have been posted here before, there are links to those recipes near the bottom of this post.

Peggy is not a big fan of beef. Occasionally, she’ll indulge in a hamburger, but put of plate with beef tenderloin in front of her and she turns her nose up at it. (I know, sometimes I think there is something wrong with that girl!)

It was a blessing when you’re feeding 25 people, though! Beef tenderloin would have been on the expensive side, to say the least. But a pork loin – now that is doable!

I was initially planning to use pork tenderloin, but when I compared the price of the loin to the tenderloin – well that made the decision for me. I purchased two huge pork loins at Costco, they were about $18.00 each.

This recipe would work just as well using beef tenderloin, so choose whichever you prefer. If you can’t find Manchego cheese, use Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack instead.

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On the second day after Christmas, we had no food left in the house.  OK, we had food, but nothing much to make for dinner. All I could scrounge up was the ham bone from HoneyBaked left from Christmas Eve. It had less than a cup of meat left on it.

What to do?

I dug around and found a package of diced pancetta with an expiration date of 12/29/12. Score!

I had a few potatoes, a bell pepper, a chunk of cheddar cheese, and some leftover mushrooms that would soon be going south. Hey, this might constitute a meal, after all!

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These individual lasagna servings are a fun and less-mess way to serve lasagna at a casual party.  They are delicious straight from the oven or even at room temperature.

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The next several days I will be giving you quick and easy party food ideas. Finger food or individual serving size portions of what would normally be a larger dish. These six ingredient spirals are an example of that. You may think of  chicken cordon bleu as an elegant dinner entrée, but with this preparation it becomes a fun bite-size treat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Spirals

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning
4 thin slices of deli ham
4 thin slices of provolone cheese
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

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“Bánh mì” is considered one of the world’s best street foods, and for good reason, it is one delicious sandwich!

Bánh mì  is the Vietnamese word for bread, or more specifically the baguette, which was introduced in Vietnam by the French during their colonial period.

Although the term “bánh mì” itself only means bread, without fillings, the term is used to refer to a type of meat-filled sandwich found in Vietnamese bakeries abroad, especially in the United States, Canada, Australia, and France where there are large Vietnamese populations.

There are countless Vietnamese flavored Bánh mì fillings- such as pork prepared in numerous ways; juicy pork meatballs (xiu mai), bar-b-que pork (thit nuong), shredded pork (bi) and pork roll (cha lua). Also popular are grilled chicken (ga nuong), sardine (ca moi), scrambled egg (trung chien) and vegetarian (chay). One seemingly surprising but very popular and common ingredient is liver pate.

For today’s recipe, I’m going with my personal favorite – the Xiu Mai or the pork meatball.  I hope my friend, Tram Mai, would approve of my rendition.

I used this cool little kitchen gadget that I’d purchased about a year ago at Sur La Table to julienne the vegetables. What’s so cool about it, is that it spins to reveal three different peeling/slicing edges.

I don’t recall how much I paid for it then (probably too much) but I saw it for sale at Cost Plus World Market, just yesterday. So if you want one – get yours there!

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I needed to think of a quick meal to throw together in a crockpot – when suddenly I remembered that I had seen and then “liked” a pulled pork sandwich recipe on Pinterest. So I went back through my list of “likes” – clicked on the picture and it took me directly to the recipe on the Better Homes and Gardens website.

This is exactly why I love Pinterest!  It was even easier than if I’d cut out the recipe from the actual magazine. Because then I would have had to remember just where I had stuck that clipping, which would not have saved me any time at all.

I changed a few things from the original BH&G recipe, so we’ll call this one, “inspired by”…

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Several techniques help keep these pork chops tender and juicy. First, pounding the chops thin helps the acid (vinegar) penetrate the meat right to the center. The vinegar not only acts as a tenderizer but also adds a delectable level of flavor. Next, by dredging in flour, egg, and panko – the juices are sealed in and a crispy delicious crust puts these chops over the top. Lastly, by using a instant-read meat thermometer, you are sure to not overcook.

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Really, it is!  Eight of those 17 ingredients are things like salt, pepper, spices, sugar, olive oil, and chicken broth. The only things to cut up are an onion, some garlic, and a couple apples. As for the time involved, the four hours – or more, if that works better for you – is to brine the meat. That means that it is just sitting in the refrigerator, not bothering you one little bit! So don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off, this is the perfect recipe for a quick and easy dinner, as long as you think ahead and get those pork chops into the brine.

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Happy New Year’s Eve! I offer up a toast, to you, followers of this blog. Thank you for another wonderful year and here’s to an even better 2012!

We are having a NYE Brunch today, I’ll post some recipes and pictures next week. Until then, please stay safe… and if you live in Arizona and are going out tonight, remember that AAA Arizona offers a NYE “tipsy tow” service. It is a free one-way ride and tow home, up to 10 miles, for drivers and one passenger, who have been drinking. It is open to everyone, not just AAA members. CLICK HERE to learn more!

This delicious pork roast recipe and the beef tenderloin recipe that I’ll be posting in the new year, are both from the fabulous Bruce Aidells and were featured in this month’s issue of Bon Appétit.  I did make one major and one minor adjustment to the pork recipe. Mr Aidells’ version used a double rack of pork and I used a boneless pork roast. And the original used oranges, whereas I’ve used tangerines.

Wishing you a safe and festive New Year’s Eve!

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