WIAW #10: Two Tasty Dinners

Greetings, everyone!  After talking about combatting my laziness, I've been very lazy in getting this post together for today.  But, better late than never, right?

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another What I Ate Wednesday!

Today, what I have for your is two recipes for two tasty dinners.

Dinner on Monday

I tried out a meat I don't normally use on Monday: pork!  I made Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops.

You can find the recipe I used from MyRecipes.  I followed the recipe exactly, so I'm not going to re-post it here.  I do want to make a few recommendations and comments: 

• I will say that I used thin-sliced pork chops, as the recipe suggested, and was able to make 7 pork chops using the ingredients listed.  
• Joe ate 4 pork chops and I ate 3.  We weren't stuffed, either.  If you need to feed more people, adjust the recipe accordingly (or serve with more hearty side dishes).
• There was plenty of flour and the parmesan-sage mixture, so feel free to double the egg white/mustard mixture for more thinly sliced pork chops.  
• I think I cooked this on higher heat than I needed to. I would go for more of a medium heat level so you don't get the burning that I did.

This recipe was very tasty, really easy to make, and husband-approved!  I plan on making it again, as well as using pork more often in cooking.

Dinner on Tuesday

This meal was a favorite in our house, and I've talked about it before on WIAW.  I found a recipe for homemade spaghetti meat sauce online a while back because it's Joe's favorite meal.  As someone who usually doesn't like red meat sauce on pasta, I LOVE this recipe so I wanted to share it!  I have since lost the original recipe, but I've estimated the measurements.

Homemade Meat Sauce: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3 strips of bacon (I use turkey bacon)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/3 cup red wine (I usually use a cabernet, but you can use any red wine.  I wouldn't recommend sweet red wine)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce (can add more to taste)

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into small pieces, then cook in large pot on medium-high heat until grease renders out.
2. Put grounded beef and onions into the same pot and brown the beef.  Dump out any grease once beef is browned.
3. Next, add salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and red wine.  Cook on medium-high heat until wine renders out (about 5-10 minutes)
4. Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and tabasco sauce.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes.  (I usually simmer until the spaghetti noodles are cooked and ready to go).
5. Serve over pasta of your choice.  Add parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!

Again, the measurements of the spices are an estimate, so feel free to add more or less to your taste.  I also usually add a little more wine than just 1/3 cup.  What can I say?  I like wine :)  You can also double the recipe if you need to serve more people.

Question for you: Do you have a meal that you've made so often you know the recipe by heart?