I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Recently, I made a trip home to Chicago for my bestie’s wedding. I couldn’t wait to be back walking those windy streets, especially since the temps had begun to drop and snow was on the verge of falling. I love that in-between; you can almost smell the first snow before it hits.
The problem though, for me is always what to pack? I mean I’m a terrible packer in the best circumstance. But add in bridesmaid dresses, hot to cold temps, and outfits that would have to be comfortable, and warm enough, to walk around plus fabulous enough for wherever the wind may blow me. Enter my go-to combo: long dress, high boots, and a hat. Warm, comfortable, and almost always a “no fail.”
I love this W by Worth dress for a few different reasons. First, it’s extremely comfortable. Second, it’s extremely light which makes it the perfect outfit to take when traveling. It doesn’t take up too much room, or weight, in my suitcase plus it’s easy to steam if it wrinkles during the journey.
And third, it’s extremely versatile. Technically it’s an “off the shoulder” dress, and looks completely the part accessorized with heels and something shiny. But here because I was going for a bit more relaxed look I wore the dress on the shoulders rather than off and paired it with my over the knee boots and favorite Rag & Bone hat. This allowed me to walk around Chicago comfortably during the day, but felt ready for drinks with friends later that evening.
All in all, it was the perfect outfit for what turned out to be the perfect week in Chicago. Tell me, do you have a go-to outfit when traveling? Truly, MKR
When I began eating meat again one of the first dishes I made was pork chops. For me, there’s just something so nostalgic and comforting about pork chops. And while I always like a good chop, I find myself craving that classic apple-pork combo the second the temps drop.
It’s also an added bonus that pan fried pork chops are one of the simplest meats to make on your stovetop. I feel a lot of people shy away from them because they tend to over cook pork and all the applesauce in the world won’t save an over-cooked chop. The key is to get your skillet blazing hot with a little butter then sear each side to create that nice caramelized pan fry. Once you’ve accomplished that turn your heat down to low or add the chops to the oven. Pulling them out, or removing them from the heat, at about 150 degrees and letting them rest for a few minutes. The chops will continue to cook, but you won’t have to worry about them being over-done.
Anyway, now that we talked about why you should be cooking pork chops lets talk about today’s recipe; pan fried apple pork chops with root vegetables and potatoes. Recently, when faced with a plethora of leftover apples from another recipe I thought why not mix up my classic pork chop recipe by pan frying the chops with the apples rather than using the apples as a topper or after thought. And oh my goodness…the flavor! The apples, garlic and onions completely infused my chops with the most delicious, tart yet sweet goodness.
Combine the flavor of the pan fried apple pork chops with seasonal root vegetables plus potatoes all in one skillet and you have yourself an easy, one-skillet, weeknight meal you’ll be making over and over again. Plus doesn’t it look impressive? Trust me when I say its easier than it looks, try it out for yourself this week and please tag me if you do. I love seeing your WOM recipes in real life! Truly, MKR
P.S. Pork chops not your thing? Make sure to check out our recipe index and get inspired this season!
Pan Fried Apple Pork Chops with Root Vegetables & Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 400. Salt and pepper pork chops, set aside.
While the oven is preheating begin to heat a large cast iron skillet on the stovetop to high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon butter, garlic, onion, and apple. Sauté 2-3 minutes.
add another tablespoon of butter and add pork chops frying each side until brown, approximately 2-3 minutes each side. You're not cooking the pork chops through just browning the outside.
Once browned remove from the skillet and set aside. Add all of the root vegetables, potatoes, and 2 sprigs of rosemary. Stir with onions, garlic and apples making sure nothing is sticking to the pan. If anything is add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix. Add salt and pepper and put skillet into the oven cooking vegetables until almost done, approximately 15-20 minutes.
5 minutes before vegetables are done remove the skillet from the oven. Shift the veggies around to make room for the pork chops. Once situated take one more tablespoon of butter and divide it amongst the pork chops putting a bit on each. Add the apple cider vinegar to the skillet.
Return the skillet to the oven and cook until pork is fully cooked through.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @waitingonmartha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
Out of all the ingredients I use when cooking I would say olive oil is my number one go-to. I literally put it on, and in everything. Vegetables, pasta, salads, marinades, and of course combined with a little balsamic for dipping fresh bread! But for some reason, I hadn’t ventured into baking with olive oil until recently and now the only question I have is why did I wait so long?!
Not only is olive oil good for you, high quality olive oil also has different flavor notes that can work perfectly with certain recipes. Take my latest creation for example: Olive Oil Bundt Cake with a Fresh Citrus Glaze.
For this specific recipe I used Carapelli® Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. With olives from the 2016/2017 harvest, Carapelli® Extra Virgin Olive Oil is fresh, earthy, and a little sweet with a fruity yet balanced taste. It not only added that extra flavor note to my bundt cake, but it made it incredibly moist. Plus I was thrilled to find Carapelli® Extra Virgin Olive Oil at my local Publix (in the cooking/spice aisle in case you’re wondering). It’s always a win win when I can get everything I need in one place.
But back to the cake. To add citrus to the cake itself I used a few drops of lemon, lime, and orange essential oil. I’ve tried using actual citrus or citrus zest to the sponge, but I’ve found you can’t control the acid which can often make the cake collapse. And we can’t have a collapsed cake can we?!
The frosting is your classic vanilla glaze kicked up a notch with loads of fresh lemon, lime and orange zest. I prefer not to cover the entire bundt cake in glaze as I don’t want to overwhelm the fresh citrus with too much sugary sweet.
All in all, I could not be happier with how everything turned out. The Carapelli® Extra Virgin Olive Oil brought out the citrus to create the most perfect balance, and quite possibly my favorite cake ever.
Looking to pick up some Carapelli® at your local Publix? Use this Ibotta coupon offer and save on your purchase through November 3rd! Learn more about Carapelli® on their Facebook or Instagram pages. Truly, MKR
1 cup high quality olive oil, I used Carapelli Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops lime essential oil
For the glaze
4 teaspoons whole milk
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted to remove lumps
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup citrus zest (can be any kind of citrus)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and heavily grease your bundt pan and set aside.
In a bowl whisk the sifted flour with the baking powder, baking salt, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl using an electric mixer beat the eggs with the sugar and citrus essential oils on medium/high speed until smooth. This will take a few minutes.
Slowly beat in the olive oil until creamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients the wet mixture in batches of 3 beating on medium speed until well mixed.
Pour the batter into your bundt can and bake in the center of the oven for about 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the cake and it comes off clean.
While the bundt cake is in the oven make your glaze. Place the sugar in a medium/large mixing bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla a little at a time until through thouroughly mixing the glaze is smooth and not lumpy. Add 1/2 of your zest and reserve the rest for garnishing your cake.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Cool for 15-20 minutes **this is KEY** then slightly tap the sides before flipping over to reveal your cake.
Let the cake cool completely then ice with citrus glaze and garnish with fresh citrus zest.
By Mandy Kellogg Rye of Waiting On Martha
Welcome by Waiting on Martha https://waitingonmartha.com/
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with Carapelli, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
