Amazing pork chops

Hi my fellow foodies.  I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Sorry to have been gone for so long but I never want to post a recipe that I have not cooked myself.  I had already posted all of my Thanksgiving recipes - thus my absence.

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com and tweeked it a bit.  I am listing MY recipe.  If you use it and tweek it yourself, I would love to hear from you about it.  I have not made pork chops in a very long time because mine where always dry - these are so moist and delicious - you will love them.

As listed, this recipe will feed 6-8.  I like to cook extra so there are leftovers to pack for lunch.  If you need to cook for fewer people, cut back on the amount of chops and seasoned flour.  The gravy is delish so you may not want to cut back on that, particularly if you want to save some for another meal.

Here's the ingredient list:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt (use more if you like - we don't use a lot of salt when cooking - dietary reasons)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 pork chops - 1/2 inch thick - bone in
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 cups chicken broth (homemade is best)
• 1 cup buttermilk (I use lite)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional - I did not use it)

Start heating a large skillet on medium heat and drizzle the oil into the skillet.  While the oil is heating, prepare your chops.

In a shallow pan, mix the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture and shake off the excess flour.

When the oil is hot, place your chops into the pan (in a single layer, depending on the size of your chop and pan - you may have to cook up to 3 batches).  Fry the chops for 3 minutes per side and remove them to a plate.  Continue until all of the chops are browned.  Pink liquid will weep out of the chops on the plate - don't worry - you will be cooking them further.

Once all the chops are browned, sprinkle some of the seasoned flour into the skillet (2-3 tablespoons).  Stir the mixture until the flour has dissolved and cook for one minute.  Add your chicken broth and stir up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let this mixture reduce and thicken a little (it will not get very thick - just slightly thick).  Take a little bit of the broth mixture and temper your buttermilk with it while constantly stirring.  If you don't temper the milk, you will wind up with a separated mess that will take a lot of time to fix.  Once the milk is tempered, add it to the skillet.  Place the pork chops back into the skillet - cover it, and simmer them for 10 minutes total.  If you are cooking 6 chops, you will need to move the ones from the bottom of the skillet to the top after 5 minutes.  If your chops fit into your skillet in a single layer, just simmer for 5 minutes.

Place your chops on a serving plate and sprinkle with the parsley.  Or, you can just serve your chops right from the skillet.

I served this with green beans and wild rice.  Everyone loved it - even my pickiest eaters.

Happy eating
K

Fabulous use for leftover turkey or ham!!

Hello my friends,

This is a delicious recipe that is so, so easy to make.  I made it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it.  I am going to use it and add my leftover turkey to make it extra special.  It will also work with leftover ham. 

It is a carbonara recipe with some lemon added.  You will love it.  As listed it is supposed to serve 4 but in my house it served 6.

Here is your ingredient list:

• 1 lb pasta
• 1/2 lb finely chopped pancetta (I used 1/4 lb and it was fine)
• 1 bunch of green onions finely chopped - keep the green parts and the white parts separate as you will add them at different times.
• 1 small chili pepper - I used an Anaheim - you can use whatever type you like or omit it all together.
• 6 gloves of garlic chopped finely
• 1 large lemon (zest it in one bowl and juice it in another)
• Thyme - you can use either fresh or jarred dehydrated.  I used 2 tsp of jarred.
• 3/4 cup of dry white wine
• 3 egg yolks
• Finely chopped parsley (about 2 tblsp)
• 2 cups grated cheese - I used a combo of parm reggiano and pecorino romano.
• shredded basil and diced yellow tomatoes for garnish (I'm not that fancy and don't spend money on garnish - so I did not use these).

 You will cook your pasta until al dente - drain it but reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While cooking your pasta, do the following:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and pour in about 3 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever oil you have).
• Add the pancetta and cook until lightly browned.
• Stir in the whites of the green onions, chile pepper, and garlic.  Cook for a minute or two.
• Add the lemon zest and thyme and cook for 3 minutes or so
• Add the wine and cook until it has reduced about 4 minutes.  
• Then turn your heat to low

Beat the egg yolks and slowly add the reserved pasta water to them to temper them.  DON'T add the hot water all at once - it will scramble the eggs.  Add it slowly while beating.

You will now add the lemon juice, parsley, and green parts of the green onions to your skillet.  Give it a stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Now, add your pasta to the skillet, turn off the heat underneath the skillet and add the eggs and cheese.  Mix well and serve.

When I make this with my leftovers, I will add the turkey meat while the wine is reducing in the skillet.

Happy eating
K

The Greatest Gravy EVER!!!!

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me.  Once she told me I could make it and freeze it - I was all over it.  One less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving.  I made it yesterday and it truly is the greatest gravy ever.  You may look at the recipe and say "that seems like a pain" - you do need to have a few hours just to look in on it while it's cooking.  It is worth every darn second.  I wanted to get a loaf of bread and just sit down in front of the TV, dunking bread in the gravy.  I resisted and got it in the freezer.  It is just so delicious.  Thanks Joan.


Here's your ingredient list and original recipe as given to me.  I changed an ingredient or two and will let you know what I changed.

4 turkey wings - about 3-4 lbs (I used smoked turkey drums)
2 medium onions peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth
2 medium carrots cut in chunks
2 medium ribs of celery (with leaves, cut into chunks)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme (I lacked fresh so used some ground dehydrated from a jar)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp stick butter or margarine
1 tsp freshly ground pepper or to taste

I used homemade stock so found that I needed to add some salt.

1. Heat oven to 400. Have ready a large roasting pan.
2. Put wings in pan; add onions. Roast 1 1/4 hour or until wings are browned
3. Put wings and onions in a 5 to 6 qt pot. Add water to roasting pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups of broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), the carrots, celery & thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove wings. When cool, pull off skin and meat. Save meat for another use.
5. Strain broth into a 3 qt. saucepan. Discard vegetables; skim off fat
6. Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended and smooth
7. Bring broth in saucepan to a gentle boil. Whisk the flour mixture into it and boil 4 to 5 minutes to thicken (I found there to be a little bit of raw flour taste after 5 mins so cooked for an additional 5 mins).  Stir in butter and pepper. Serve or pour into containers to refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.

Happy eating!!

K

Steak house quality onion rings

Hello my friends.  I found this recipe in an old Rachel Ray magazine.  These onion rings are the best I've ever made at home.  I don't do a lot of fried things but who doesn't love a good onion ring once in a while.  I'm also posting a recipe for a red ranch sauce that was in the same magazine article.  I made both last night with burgers and everything was sooo tasty.  I can see using these rings on po' boy sandwiches and steak.  The sauce can be used on all types of beef dishes as well as fish dishes.

Onion rings ingredient list

• Oil for frying
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I don't suggest using the "cheat" of regular milk and vinegar - get a carton of buttermilk - I used lite).
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite and it was fine).
• 1 1/2 cups flour (it sounds like a lot for what you are making, but believe me you need it all).
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or scallion greens (I did not have either so used dried Italian seasoning - it was okay but next time I will try the chives or scallions).
• 1 large onion or 2 medium cut into 1 inch slices and separated into rings.
• Salt and pepper.

Here's your recipe.
Start heating your oil in a pan or deep fryer.
Mix the sour cream and buttermilk in a bowl.  Mix your flour, salt, pepper, and chives/scallions in another shallow bowl.  You will start out dipping the rings in the wet mixture then dredging in the flour mixture.  Dip again in the wet and again in the dry.  Place a few rings in your oil and fry for around 4 minutes (until golden).  Place the cooked rings on a cooling rack.  DO NOT place them on a paper towel lined plate - they will get soggy on the under side.

Red ranch sauce ingredient list

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 large garlic clove either grated, pasted, or crushed (I did crushed).
• 3-4 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs (chives and parsley are suggested but as I had neither, I opted for dried Italian seasoning and it worked well).
• Salt and pepper
• Hot sauce to taste (I used Texas Pete about 1 1/2 tsp - a staple in my house).

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Here is how I served this with the burgers.

Place your burger on a bun, top with an onion ring.  Use the onion ring as a damn and put some chopped greens (whatever you like - I used Romaine lettuce) inside the ring, top off with the sauce, add your top bun and enjoy.

This was one truly delicious burger.

If you use the rings or the sauce for another dish - please share what you did with them. 

Happy eating
K

A conversation starter

Hello my fellow foodies,

Today there will be no recipe or tips; rather, I have a question for you.  What kitchen utensils or devices could you not live without?  If it's something out of the ordinary like a ricer or food mill, please tell us why you could not live without it.

I'll start.  The things I could not live without in the kitchen are my very sharp santuko knife, a large cutting board, and a good saute pan.

Happy eating.
K

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken

Hello my friends,

Many of us have had to give up the lovely taste of good fried chicken due to high levels of fat, etc.  I have tried many different "oven fried" chicken recipes and I have to say - there's no such thing as a good oven fried chicken recipe.  However, I found a really good crispy oven baked chicken recipe that, on occasion, should satisfy your need for fried.  And, it's a heart healthy, diabetic friendly recipe.

Here's your ingredient list

• Chicken (I used 3 pieces split chicken breasts, cut the meat off the bone, put the bones in my "save for stock" bag and then cut each breast half into 2-3 pieces).  Following my method made it very economical - I got the split breasts on sale for 89 cents a lb and what would normally constitute 3 servings at the typical dinner table turned in to 7 because I cut up the breasts.
• Corn flake crumbs - start with 2 1/2 cups of flakes and pulverize them into crumbs.
• Dried Rosemary (crushed) or fresh, finely chopped - around 1 tsp or more if you prefer.
• Black pepper to taste
• Fat free or low fat milk
• Spray oil.

Lightly spray your baking dish with oil and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the corn flake crumbs, rosemary, and pepper in a bowl.
Pour about 1/2 cup of milk into a separate bowl.
Place your chicken in the milk, shake off the excess, and place in the crumb mixture.  Press down the crumbs with your fingers.
Place your crumbed chicken pieces on a wire rack (a cooling rack) and let it rest for 10 minutes.  The crumbs will not adhere properly otherwise.
When your chicken has rested, place it in your baking dish and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

Wasn't that easy?  You can also add cayenne or any other type of herbs and seasoning you want to the crumbs.  It all depends on what you like.

I serve this with steamed veggies and oven roasted potatoes.  A delicious and satisfying meal that (given the chicken was on sale) cost $7 to feed 6 of us. 

Happy eating.
K

More money saving tips

Hi my friends:

How much food money can you save in one year?  Hundreds with just a few minor changes in how you cook and shop.

I've figured out my actual savings for various things and thought I would share.

1.  Making stock from kitchen discards saves me $96 a year - I use approximately 2 quarts of stock per month and what I make costs nothing versus $1.79 per quart store bought.  The extra bonus - having some control over sodium and fat content.

2.  Using dried beans saves me around $16 a year.  I use an average of one pound of dried beans a month (89 cents a lb) which cooks up to approximately 4 cans of ready to use at 89 cents per can.  The extra bonus - no preservatives or color enhancers.

3.  Making my own marinara sauce from canned tomatoes saves me around $104 a year.  Next year I'm going to start making my marinara from home-grown tomatoes and will save double or triple that.

My other 2 tips for today are about how we stock our fridge/freezer/pantry and what happens to leftovers.

Never, ever stock your fridge, freezer, or pantry so much that you really have no idea what is in there.  On grocery shopping day, I take an hour to take a look to see what I already have and try to build the week's dinner menu around the items that will be expiring soon. It also makes sense to see what herbs and spices you have on hand.  You may decide that you are making something that requires dried savory - check to see if you already have it.  I did not always do this and I wound up wasting money. It doesn't make sense to stock up on stuff that will expire before you use it.  You will probably save $200 a year by being more aware of what you have on hand and when it expires.

Leftovers - lots of people don't like having a "repeat". If you wind up with leftovers you have some options.  Freeze them (if they lend themselves to that), pack them for lunch, or do what my family does - have leftover night once a week.  Most nights we wind up with one or two extra servings of dinner.  We save them up and Friday is "pot luck" night.  We pull out all the leftovers and everyone picks what they want, makes a plate, and heats it in the microwave.  We only throw away food when it becomes unsafe to eat; which is an extremely rare occasion. You will probably save around $300 a year with this tip.

These few easy to do things can save you around $700 a year. 

Any questions - let me know.
Happy eating.
K

Prepping your Turkey for the big day

One week before you need your turkey, put it in the fridge to defrost.  It will take about 3 days.  Don't use any quick defrosting method - don't put it on the counter and NEVER, EVER put your turkey in water to speed up the process.  Fridge defrosting is best.  Once your turkey has defrosted, remove the packet of organs, and give the turkey a rinse.

Get out your bucket or cooler and add the following to it.

• 2 quarts broth/stock
• 3/4 cup salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 diced onion
• 2 diced carrots
• 3 diced ribs celery
• 1 head of garlic cut in half equatorially
• fresh rosemary
• fresh sage
• 6 bay leaves
• 8 peppercorns

You can add whatever other herbs you like.

Place your turkey in the brine breast side down and fill your bucket with enough water to cover the turkey.  You will leave your turkey in the brine for 3 days in the fridge.  You don't need to to anything else to it while it's brining unless you cannot put your bucket in the fridge; then you will have to keep adding ice to it.  You can cut it down to 2 days if you aren't able to put it in the fridge but I wouldn't recommend anything less than 2 days.

Remove the turkey after 3 days and pat it dry.  Then place it in a pan in the fridge overnight - do not cover it.  You want to keep it uncovered so that the skin has a chance to dry (this will help give you a golden brown color when roasting and makes the skin deliciously crunchy).

Stay tuned for my roasting recipe.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Happy eating.
K