Fried Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes

This is a decadent one! Pork chops can be dry, but not if you bread them and fry them, let me tell you. This recipe makes juicy, delectable pork chops, and it's so easy.

You will need:

2 pork chops (the ones I used were boneless, but that was because they were on sale--choose the cut you prefer)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tsp garlic powder (if you use garlic salt, omit the tsp of salt that follows)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme leaves

These are small potatoes!

1 egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Enough oil (I use olive, canola or safflower) to have a 1/2 inch deep in your choice of frying pan
3/4 lb of baby potatoes, such as French fingerling
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

3 shallow bowls, such as soup/salad bowls(you'll need to dip the pork chops in them so deep bowls will not do unless they are quite large)
whisk
frying pan big enough for 2 pork chops
ungreased cookie sheet or oven dish for the potatoes

Preheat oven to 400.

Drizzle the 2 tbsps of olive oil over the potatoes on the cookie sheet. Dust the 1 tsp of salt over them. Bake for 45 minutes, checking 2-3 times to flip the potatoes and make sure they aren't cooking too fast. They are ready when they are browning on at least one side and their skins are wrinkled.

Wait until about 20 minutes into the potato baking time, and then set the frying oil to heat on medium to medium high.

Put the flour and spices in one of the shallow bowls and whisk together. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg. In the final bowl, put the bread crumbs.

Coat the first pork chop in the flour mixture, then dip both sides in the egg, then cover with bread crumbs. I often put the pork chop in the bread crumbs and then bury it in more crumbs, to make sure it's well coated.

Place in the pork chop carefully in the oil--if you've never fried anything in oil before, note that burning oil is very painful! Just set it gently in and avoid splashing. Repeat the process with the second pork chop.

Fry on each side for eight minutes.

Serve with the potatoes and enjoy!

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cajun Seasoning

I recently got an email from Lindsey, who handles social media at Kernel Seasons.* You've probably seen these little shakers at the movie theater--they have all sorts of flavors for seasoning your popcorn. Lindsey said she had read my blog and bookmarked some recipes, and she asked whether I might be interested in developing some recipes using some of the available seasonings. It sounded like a lot of fun to me, so I asked to have a couple of kinds sent. This is the first recipe I developed, loosely inspired by my stuffed tomato recipe, which you can find here. The biggest different with this recipe is I wanted to go for some heat, and use the Kernel Seasons Cajun powder to do it.

You will need:

8 poblano peppers (choose some that are more puffed out, for easier stuffing)**
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 green jalapeno or 2 red jalapeno peppers, chopped into small pieces
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup water
2 cans tomato sauce, 15oz each
1/4 tsp Kernel Seasons Cajun powder
1 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tsp whole thyme leaves
1 lb ground turkey, crumbled
1 package queso fresco (about 4oz), crumbled

chef's knife
cutting board
measuring cups and spoons
a large pan or wok
wooden spoon
small mixing bowl
nonstick cooking spray
large baking dish (you might lay out your raw poblanos to make sure they all fit)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Put the onions, green or red jalapenos, and rice in a pan with the oil and heat on high. As an aside, I've made this recipe twice now, once with red jalapenos, and once with a green. I used to be such a fan of heat in food that I would put a chopped up a habanero in my grilled cheese sandwiches. I have since lost all tolerance for spicy food and am a complete wuss--hence, I preferred the recipe with the red chilis (AKA red jalapeno peppers) which are milder. I also removed the seeds in both recipes. This part of the recipe really is a matter of taste. Leave the seeds, use five jalapenos, do whatever you prefer and your taste buds can handle. The next time I make the recipe, I'll use red chilis if I can find them, and I'll leave the seeds out.

Anyway, heat the onions, chilis, and rice, stirring frequently, until the rice starts to brown. When it does, add the water and allow to cook without stirring until most of the water is absorbed. If you're not sure, run a wooden spoon through the mixture--do you see water? Leave it alone a while longer. Also listen to it--if the sizzling starts to sound serious, the water is gone and you need to act quickly. Before that point, mix the Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and thyme into the tomato sauce. I do this regardless of whether the sauce is already seasoned. Don't add salt--the tomato sauce and the Cajun seasoning both already have it.

When the rice had absorbed the water, add half the tomato sauce and stir, turning the heat down to medium low. Allow to simmer for five more minutes, and add the ground turkey. Cook for fifteen minutes.

Add the queso fresco. The cool thing about queso fresco is that it doesn't melt. You can stir it into your stuffing mixture and it will not gunk up your pan.

Spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray--you'll thank me later. For some reason this recipe is especially splattery.

Pour the remaining tomato sauce into your baking dish.

Cut the tops off of the poblanos. Poblanos often have indented tops--you don't want to waste any peppery goodness, so cut just enough to be able to pull the insides out. Clean out the seeds.

Using the end of your wooden spoon to push the stuffing into the tips of the poblanos, stuff your peppers. Put them in your baking dish. (See the note below about leftover stuffing.) Bake for 25 minutes, but check your peppers to be sure they are done, since your oven may differ from mine. You want the skin of the poblano to be visibly darkening in spots.

Enjoy! Serves 8.
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* Note: Kernel Seasons sent me free powders, but is not paying me to endorse their product.
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** I actually did the recipe with four and saved the leftover stuffing for burritos. It was yummy. If you decide to reserve some stuffing for later or you find that you have some leftover for whatever reason, continue cooking it in its pan for another 25 minutes. Add a little water if necessary to keep it moist. You can refrigerate it once cool for no more than two days, or freeze it for two months. To reheat in burritos, just put some stuffing on a tortilla and reheat in the microwave--2 minutes on 80% power, then 20 seconds on high. And if you put a little piece of wet paper towel in the microwave with the plate it keeps things moist.
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Couscous with Chicken, Red Bell Peppers & Yellow Squash

France has a history of imperialism, which, on the whole, I'm not so proud of since I like the idea of self-determination. However, one good thing to come of it is that some North African dishes, like couscous, have become standards in French cuisine. All this to say that the following recipe is far more French than Algerian or Tunisian.




You will need:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4-6 chicken legs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 medium yellow or summer squash, sliced
1 tomato, diced
1 15oz can of  chick peas (AKA garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 heaping tbsp cumin powder
3 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
chicken broth (optional, 1-2 cups)

3 cups of couscous
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tsp salt
chicken broth (optional, 6 cups)


3-Quart Saucepan
Measuring Spoons
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Stockpot
Can Opener
Strainer for rinsing the chickpeas
Wooden Stirring Spoon
Ladle
Serving Spoon
Mixing Bowl with Lid

Put the onion, garlic, and chicken in the stockpot with the olive oil to brown for three or four minutes on high heat. I don't add salt because the crushed tomatoes and the chickpeas are both already salty, but it's a matter of taste. You may want to add a bit of salt--if so, do it now. Add the red bell pepper, carrots, and squash, stirring. Heat for another five minutes, continuing to stir to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom. Add the diced tomato, chick peas, and crushed tomatoes, stir and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the cumin, cayenne, and black pepper.

Once the mixture is bubbling, turn down low and allow to cook for at least 40 minutes, although this is the sort of recipe that can cook for as long as you like, and it just gets better. If you do decide to cook it for longer, make sure the liquid doesn't reduce too much. Add chicken broth if you think it's boiling down.

When you're about ten to fifteen minutes from finishing cooking the mixture, boil 6 cups of water (or chicken broth, but omit the salt) with the tablespoon of EVOO and the salt. Put the couscous in the mixing bowl. As soon as the water or broth is boiling pour it over the cous cous, give it a quick stir, and cover for five minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

Plate the couscous with the chicken and squash mixture on top. Enjoy!

Serves four.

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Vegan Tofu Stir-Fry with Cashews & Zucchini

My husband likes to eat vegetarian a lot, but he's also an athlete so he's not willing to skimp on protein. This dish goes the extra step to vegan (meaning there are no animal products in it at all) but the tofu keeps the protein count up. Many people avoid dishes with tofu, but unless you're allergic to soy, give this one a try. The trick to making good tofu is to marinate it first so it takes on flavor.

You will need:

One 18oz block of firm tofu (found in the produce or refrigerated sections of the grocery store), cubed
1/2 cup of soy sauce

Lemon juice from one whole lemon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups of white long grain jasmine rice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
3/4 cup of roasted, salted cashews, chopped coarsely
2 zucchinis, sliced
3/4 cup of frozen green peas
4 green onions, chopped (I cut them with scissors)

small bowl with a flat bottom for marinating the tofu
chef's knife
cutting board
citrus juicer
rice cooker
measuring cups
measuring spoons
wok
wooden spoon

Put the cubed tofu in the small bowl. Pour the soy and lemon juice over the cubes, then sprinkle the ginger, garlic, and pepper on top. It's okay if the marinade doesn't cover all of the tofu. Set aside for at least ten minutes before starting the rest.

Cook the rice in the rice cooker. I use a ratio of about 1 part rice to 1.25 parts water when I cook white rice, but your rice cooker may not work the same as mine, so go by your own experience.

Put the chopped garlic, celery, cashews, and zucchini in the wok with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until the bits of garlic are translucent (2-3 minutes), then lower to medium. Stir frequently. Add the tofu and half the marinade (discarding the rest).

When the zucchini's seeds are more visible, somewhat translucent, but the skins are still dark green, add the peas and the green onions. Continue stirring frequently until the peas have warmed, about 3-4 minutes.

Plate the rice first and then the stir fry on top. Enjoy!

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If you try one of my recipes, please comment and let me know how it turned out!
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