Pounded Pork
One of my all time favorite “go to” recipes!
INGREDIENTS
4 (1 Inch Thick) Center Cut Pork Chops
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
1 Cup Bread Crumbs (Lightly Toasted)
¼ Cup Plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Bunch Arugula
1 Diced Tomato
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Using a meat mallet, carefully pound the pork chops until they are ¼ inch thick. You can remove the bone if you want, but you don’t have to. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the beaten eggs. Allow the excess to drip off . Dredge each pork chop in the bread crumbs and set on a plate. In a large skillet heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the butter and allow it to foam for 15 seconds. Place the chops in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown on one side. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over an even medium heat so that they cook through without burning the bread crumb crust. Using tongs carefully turn the chops and cook on the other side for 5 more minutes until light golden brown. Add more oil if necessary (1/2 tablespoon at a time to avoid scorching the breading).
In a large bowl combine the arugula (remove the stems) and tomatoes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to coat the greens. Place one pork chop on each of the four warmed dinner plates. Divide the arugula salad evenly among the plates and serve immediately. Serves 4
Chicken Taco Salad
In a hurry? Don’t know what to make for dinner? Trying to cut down on calories? This Chicken Taco Salad recipe is so good and easy to make. Even the Salsa Dressing is low fat. What more could a gal want?!
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
4 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
2 Cups Chopped Roasted Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Chopped Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Chopped Red Onion
15 Ounces Drained & Rinsed Red Beans
1 Chopped Red Bell Pepper
½ Cup Halved Black Olives
½ Cup Grated White Cheddar Cheese
For the dressing:
2/3 Cup Light Sour Cream
2 Cups Salsa
1 Teaspoon Cumin
5 Teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
To prepare the salad: Roast the chicken breasts in advance (salt & pepper, roast for 45 minutes on 350°F). Let cool a bit before removing the skin and bones. You can use skinless & boneless chicken breasts, but honestly I think that they can be tasteless and dry. Chop the chicken breasts and set aside. Combine the lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, including the chicken. Toss gently and serve with the salsa dressing. Serves 4
Salsa Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and combine well. Pour into a bowl or a medium size pitcher and place into the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to use.
Marinara Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 (28 Ounce Each) Cans Crushed Plum Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Thinly Slice Garlic Cloves
10 Chopped Basil Leaves or 1 Tablespoon Dried
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, salt and pepper. Cook slowly on low for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Make sure to stir often. Cook for 30 minutes and serve over pasta or as a dipping sauce. Serves 4
Chinese Chicken Salad
This salad is super easy to make and you will love the fried wontons tucked away inside the salad!
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Hot Chili Paste
1 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger
3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
18 Shredded Wonton Wrappers
2 Cup Shredded Carrots
3 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
6 Chopped Green Onions
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Grill or broil the chicken until it is cooked. Cool, slice and set aside. For the dressing, whisk together, in a small bowl, the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the shredded wontons in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. In a large bowl combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and serve. Serves 4
Turkey Burgers
At this time of the year most of us are looking for healthier food options. Turkey is a great substitute for ground beef. Here is a good recipe for Turkey Burgers that I think you and your waistline will enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
¼ Cup Chopped Onion
5 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Pounds Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Thyme
1 Tablespoon Minced Sage
1 Tablespoon Minced Rosemary
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground turkey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley. Mix well. Form 8 equal sized patties. Cook under the broiler for 6 minutes per side (or you can grill these) until evenly browned and cooked through. Serve on toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes and your favorite condiments. Makes 8 Turkey Burgers.
Hanger Steak
Hanger Steak (also known as butcher’s steak, hanging tender or bistro steak) is a cut of beef steak that comes from the diaphragm of a steer or heifer. Hanger Steak used to be called, “Butcher’s Steak,” because the butchers would keep it for themselves rather than sell it to their customers. Hanger Steak typically weighs about 1 to 1 ½ pounds and resembles flank steak in texture and flavor. Hanger steak is a “V-Shaped pair of muscles with a long membrane down the middle. It is best marinated and cooked quickly over high heat because this cut is not particularly tender. To avoid toughness grill and broil and serve rare or medium rare.
The Hanger Steak is said to “hang” from the diaphragm, which is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat. The Hanger Steak is traditionally considered more flavorful and the outer skirt steak is composed of tougher muscle within the diaphragm. The hanger is attached to the last rib and the spine near the kidneys. Hanger Steak is also a very traditional Mexican cuisine, especially in the north, where it is called arrachera and is marinated, grilled and served with a squeeze of lime juice, guacamole, salsa and tortillas for tacos. In South Texas, this cut of beef is known as fajitas arracheras. Historically Hanger Steak has been more popular in Europe. In England it is referred to as skirt steak; in France onglet; in Italy lombatello; in Spain solomillo de pulmon. In America, Hanger Steak formerly was not separated as an individual cut, but today is extremely popular. Here is an easy recipe to follow that is sure to please!
INGREDIENTS
4 (6 Ounces) Hanger Steaks
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Sprig Rosemary (Leaves Removed & Chopped)
5 Thinly Sliced Garlic Cloves
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Mix the olive oil, chopped rosemary leaves, garlic slices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the steaks in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and marinated for 3 hours. Heat your grill, cast iron pan or oven broiler. Add the steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Slice and plate. Serves 4
Fettuccine Alfredo
INGREDIENTS
6 Ounces Butter
½ Cup Heavy Cream
1 Egg Yolk
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Pound Fettuccine
While the fettuccine is boiling in 6 to 8 quarts of salted water, carefully melt the butter in a medium size saucepan. If you are cooking fresh fettuccine then it will only need to cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the melted butter and half of the Parmesan cheese while whisking the mixture together. Drain the noodles quickly to prevent over drying. Do NOT rinse the noodles. Quickly whisk the egg yolk and toss in a large bowl with the hot cream sauce. Mix rapidly so as to serve piping hot. Add the remaining grated cheese and fresh pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Pesto Rosso
Pesto Rosso (red pesto) is a Sicilian red sauce made out of sun dried tomatoes and is also called Pesto alla Siciliana. This sauce is great on pasta as well as bruschetta. Serve with seafood or poultry. Pesto Rosso is definitely a very versatile sauce.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Chopped Water Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes (Drained)
2 Garlic Cloves
6 Fresh Basil Leaves
1 Garlic Clove
1 C up Fresh Basil Leaves
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a medium size sauce pan add the drained sun dried tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic and 6 basil leaves. Cover with 1/3 cup of water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let stand for 25 minutes. In a food processor or a blender place 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil, 1 garlic clove, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture resembles a paste. Next, drain the tomato mixture and add to the food processor and finely chop. The sauce is now ready to use. If you are using as a pasta sauce you may want to thin the sauce with ½ cup of reserved pasta cooking water. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta. Serves 4
Toasted Open Faced Mozzarella Sandwiches
I like to serve these with soup. So easy to make and extremely yummy!
INGREDIENTS
6 Pieces Sliced Italian Bread
5 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
6 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
In a small size bowl, mix together the butter and garlic powder. Set aside. In a separate small size bowl, mix together the mustards and set aside. Preheat the oven to broil on low. Butter each piece of bread evenly and then smear an even layer of the mustard mixture over the butter layer. Put a piece of mozzarella cheese on top of each slice of bread. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sandwiches on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes turn off the oven and let the sandwiches sit for another 4 minutes. The cheese will not completely melt, but the sandwiches will be ready to eat. Take them out of the oven and place them on a serving plate. Serve warm. Serves 6
White Bean Soup
Soup is as old as the art of cooking. In fact, it goes back to ages before cooking was an art at all. – Betty Crocker
INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup Olive Oil
2 Cups Chopped Red Onion
1 Chopped Carrot
1 Chopped Celery Stalk
2 Cups Chopped Fennel
¼ Pound Diced Pancetta
5 Cloves Chopped Garlic
12 Cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups White Wine
15 Ounces Roasted Red Peppers
1 Large Diced Tomato
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Dried Cannellini Beans (Soaked Overnight)
In a large stockpot over a medium high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onions, fennel, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, pancetta and tomatoes. Cook for another 4 minutes. Add the salt and ground pepper. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, white wine and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2 hours. If you need to add more water, feel free to add as much as you wish. The beans should be tender. If the beans are still a bit hard cook the soup for a bit longer until the beans are soft, but not mushy. When done remove from the heat and serve hot. Serves 6
