Parmesan pork chops with lemon gravy

I have been trying to come up with something clever or witty or something to insert here, and it just isn't happening, people. I'm sorry. This is just good. It only takes a few minutes because the pork chops are thin (I figure 2 per person). It pairs well with a lot of different things. It's nice enough for company. Just go make it sometime. The basic breading technique can be used for chicken or fish, also just as well.

Parmesan Pork Chops with Lemon Gravy


Ingredients

• 8 thin-cut pork loin chops
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more
  
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons flour

With paper towels, pat dry the pork chops. Place the flour in a deep-sided plate with some salt and pepper. In another plate, place the beaten egg. Put the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley in a third plate. Take each pork chop and coat in the flour, removing any excess. Then dredge through the beaten egg. Finally, coat well in the breadcrumbs.

In a large, flat-bottomed sautee or frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add half the pork chops and cook until golden brown on one side, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook a few minutes longer on the opposite side. Move to a plate and keep warm while you cook the other half. Add more butter and oil in between if necessary.

Once the second bath is cooked, move the porkchops off the pan, and add the broth to deglaze the pan. Dissolve browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce to a simmer, and add the lemon juice and zest. Simmer until reduced slightly. In a small, sealable container, combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water. Shake vigorously to incorporate, then add to the stock. Stir well and simmer until thickened. Repeat with some more flour, if necessary.

Serve the pork chops with the gravy, and top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Creamed Peas on Toast

This recipe is retro. I have no idea if they ate this in the 50's, but to me it kind of seems like something a suburban housewife in a high-waisted plaid skirt would make for her accountant, skinny-tie and chunky glasses-wearing husband to eat watching TV and a mustard sofa. But in all honesty, I can just barely remember the mid-80's, so I really don't know. Most of that mental image is probably based on my last watching of "Edward Scissorhands," which is an amazing movie (although it scared me to death until I was probably 21 years old).

My mom used to make a recipe similar to this quite often, and there is a sentimental place in my heart for it. So maybe it's more retro to the early 90's than the mid 50's, but in any case, it's good and filling.

The other day I realized it had been quite some time since eating a vegetable (these things happen in a bachelor grad student's home occasionally), and looking around the fridge and freezer, this was the solution. If I wanted a healthy, and nutritious dinner, obviously the solution was to cover vegetables with cream, butter, and cheese sauce. Healthy and happy. Mmmm good.

Creamed Peas on Toast


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove, minced garlic
  
• 2 heaping tablespoons flour
• about 1 cup milk (I used about 1/2 milk and 1/2 half-and-half, which I had in the fridge)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1 pound frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Toasted bread slices
  

Heat the butter and olive oil in a flat-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Saute the garlic until slightly browned. Add the flour, and stir until it becomes a smooth paste. Add about 3/4 cup of the milk and stir or whisk well until smooth. Add additional milk or cream until the desired thickness (you want it thick, but not soupy). Add the lemon juice.

Add the peas and stir until heated through, but not mushy. Add the cheese and chives, and stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on toast, or as a side dish.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Kids, these don't even pretend to be authentic. Not even a little bit. I'm just shooting for "good." These enchiladas pack a creamy punch, let me tell you. Perhaps a little too creamy (if such a thing is possible), so be judicious with the sour cream.

I chose to use chicken thighs rather than the traditional chicken breasts, because I liked the richer flavor of the dark meat. However, with the richness of the sauce, you may prefer all white meat. Do whatever you want; I trust you.

You can serve with guacamole and other south-of-the-border (referring to Canada's border) fixins'.


Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

• about 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin and bones still on (they cook better, I promise)
  
• a few tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large, sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 soup-can of milk
• 2 large dollops sour cream
• several sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 10-13 medium tortillas
• A generous amount of shredded cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the chicken on both sides in a flat-bottomed saute pan in the olive oil over medium-high heat (a few minutes each side). Transfer the chicken to a 9 by 13 inch pan, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden and juices run clear. Set aside.

While the chicken is in the oven, return the saute pan to the stove, and add the onions and green chilies. Saute until soft. When the chicken is done cooking, remove the flesh from the bone, and shred it into the onion and chilies in the pan. Season with salt and pepper

In a seperate mixing bowl, combine the soup, milk, sour cream, and cilantro. Whisk until smooth. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the onions and chicken in the saute pan, and stir to coat.

Reusing the same 9 by 13 inch pan you used for the chicken, coat the bottom of the pan with some of the soup mixture. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the chicken and onions mixture into a tortilla, wrap, and place in the pan. Repeat until the pan is full (probably about 10-12 will fit). Pour the rest of the soup mixture over the top, and top generously with the cheese.

Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Basic Beef Enchiladas

There is absolutely nothing exciting or clever about this recipe. I'm just putting it up because a friend asked for it. You could probably find better recipes all over the place. But it's fast, easy, and even domestically-challenged college boys can't mess it up. Enjoy.

Basic Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 tablespoons oil or butter
• 1 small, yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 can green chilies
• Flour tortillas (the smaller, taco-sized kind)
• About 2 or 3 cans enchilada sauce
• Lots of shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, or something similar)
• Juice of 1 small lime (optional)
  
• Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
  
• Chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil / butter in a large, flat skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the ground beef. Break apart and stir until evenly browned throughout. Add the green chilies. Work them into the ground beef, and stir until evenly mixed in. (add the lime juice, if using).

Pour some of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish or similar-sized pan. Make sure the whole bottom is coated. Place a few spoonfuls of the beef mixture into a tortilla. Spread it evenly along the length of the tortilla. Roll tightly and place it in the plan. Repeat until you run out of beef.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, coating as much as you can. Top with the cheese (and cilantro, if using).

Place in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbly. Let cool a few minutes. Serve plain, or ranchero style with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and guacamole.

Eggs Benedict

I remember one time we went to a fancy restaurant for breakfast as a family when I was quite young, and there was eggs benedict on the menu. I was confused. It wasn't Christmas morning, we weren't still in our pajamas at 11:30, and we weren't already half-full from eating cherry chocolates. This wasn't the appropriate time! Didn't they know that eggs benedict were reserved for only one hallowed day a year? Nothing is sacred anymore.

To say that eggs benedict on Christmas morning is traditional in my family is an understatement: it's institutional. It's in our veins. We've experiemented on it a few times, often with questionable results. This is pretty straightforward, but it's good, and it conjures happy emotions and memories of childlike wonder (well, maybe it won't for you, but it sure does for me).



Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

• High-quality English muffins, split apart
  
• Large eggs (as many eggs as muffin halves)
• Chicken broth, enough to fill a wide, shallow pan for poaching
  
• Thickly sliced Canadian bacon (1-2 slices for each muffin half)
• Hollaindaise sauce (click here for a recipe)
• salt and pepper, to taste
  

The trick with eggs benedict is that everything needs to be ready at the same time. It's good to have a different person manning each component so they can all be perfectly timed (or at least that's how we do it in my family).

for the eggs
Bring the chicken broth to a broil in the poaching pan. Reduce heat to let it simmer. Crack the eggs, and gently slip them just under the broth's surface. Poach until the yolk is the desired doneness (usually just a few minutes--watch them closely).


for the English muffins
Place the muffin halves on a cookie sheet and broil them in the oven or broiler until the tops are just golden and slighly crispy, just a few minutes, also. You only want the very top layer to be crispy: the rest should still be soft.



for the Canadian bacon
Heat a skillet or large, flat plan to medium high heat and sear the edges of the ham. It's usually already cooked, so you don't have to worry about cooking it thoroughly--just heat it and give it some texture.

for the Hollaindiase sauce
Whether you're making it from scratch or a mix, do prepare it to be the last thing completed--right at the moment when you assemble and serve.

Assemble them by placing the bacon atop the muffin, then the poached egg, then the hollaindaise sauce. Enjoy, then wait until Christmas next year to enjoy again.

New England Clam Chowder

Clam chowder = Christmas Eve in my family's history. This is one of the die-hard, unbending, every single Christmas Eve since I reached consciousness traditions in my family, and we love it. The original recipe comes from a small, well-used family cookbook (the interesting this is, it's not our family's book--it's some completely random family I've never heard of before, so thanks Minchey's). I particularly liked this year's versions where we had big chunks of baby red potatoes with the peels still on, red onions, big leaves of parsley, and the celery leaves thrown in there, too. It felt much more like a chunky stew, and I was a fan.


New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 pounds baby red potatoes, skins on, quartered
• 2-3 stalks celery, leaves still attached, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cans minced clams, 6.5 ounces each
• up to 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
  
• 3-4 sprigs coarsely-chopped parsley
• about 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup light cream
  
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Put potatoes, celery, onions, and garlic in a large pot. Pour the juice from the clams over, and then add enough chicken broth to just barely cover the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir the flour to make a paste. Add the milk and stir until the flour mixture is dissolved. Add the flour/milk/butter mixture to the vegetables, then add the parsley and sugar. Add the cream, vinegar, and clams. Stir well. Heat, but don't boil or the clams will get tough and rubbery.

Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella

While this is not nearly as much of a "recipe" as some posts on this blog, this colorful plate certainly does pack some punch when it comes to presentation. The simplicity of the flavor, color, and presentation really make this kind of a standout dish, and it so simple. The secret is all really in the quality of the ingredients: without fancy sauces or anything to hide behind, the quality of the tomatoes and cheese shines right on through. Go ahead and splurge a little on this one at the farmer's market or a high-end grocery store. You'll be happy you did.

It's great by itself, or you can serve it with some toasted bread drizzled with a little olive oil.


Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients

• Fresh, slightly firm tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella (yes, it has to be fresh: there's a difference)
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper

Optional

• Toasted pine nuts
• Roasted red peppers
• Balsamic vinegar

(If you're using pine nuts: toast the nuts by placing them in a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat. Shake the pan regularly to mix them around, being very careful to not let them burn. Continue for a few minutes until both sides are golden brown. Remove from heat.)

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into me dium, even-sized slices. Layer alternately on a platter (if you're using red peppers, too, layer them in as well). Drizzle with the olive oil (and vinegar), then top with torn/chopped basil leaves (and pine nuts).