Balsamic Bruschetta Recipe

 This is a great summer recipe with fresh Roma tomatoes.

Ingredients:

- 2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- sliced and toasted baguette bread

Directions:

In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.

Cook's Notes:

I really liked how simple this recipe is to make.  You can prepare the topping a few hours ahead of time and chill it in your refrigerator.  If you prefer not to toast the baguette slices, consider spreading goat cheese over the bread and then top it with the bruschetta mix.

Mustard and Soy Marinated Pork Chops

I found this recipe at recipetineats.com.  I tried it and the results were amazing.

Ingredients:

- 2-4 pork chops (bone in or boneless)

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and black pepper in a ziplok bag.

2.  Place the pork chops in the bag and massage the chops to coat them in the marinade.

3.  Place the bag with the marinated pork chops into the refrigerator for at least two hours.

4.  20 minutes before cooking, take the bag with the pork chops out of your refrigerator.

5.  Prepare a grill.  Once the grill is hot, remove the pork chops from the bag and reserve the marinade.  Place the pork chops on the grill and cook for four minutes.  Baste the chops with the reserved marinate before turning them over. baste the other side of the pork chops with the marinade, then discard the marinade.

6.  Grill the pork chops for three to four minutes, and when done, remove the chops from the grill.  If you are using an instant read thermometer, check the temperature of the meat after about seven minutes of grilling.  The pork chop is done when the meat has an internal temperature of 135F.

7.  After you remove the pork chops from the grill, place them on a plate and cover with aluminum foil.  Allow the chops to rest for five minutes and then serve.

Cook's Notes:

This was an incredibly simple and delicious recipe.  The good thing is that I had all of the ingredients on hand when I discovered the recipe.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.