Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan-Sage Crust

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 large eggs

1 /4 cup all-purpose flour

4 center-cut pork loin chops (each about 1 inch thick)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges

 

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in pie dish.  Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend.  Place flour on plate; season generously with salt and pepper.  Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess.  Dip chops into eggs, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture. (FEB = Flour, Egg, Breadcrumbs)

Melt butter with oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

 

Chicken Caesar Burger

1 lemon

1 small garlic clove

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large heart of romaine lettuce

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 1/4-pound ground chicken

Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium high heat.

From lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice.  In small bowl, stir together lemon peel and juice, garlic, mayonnaise and 1/4 cup parmesan. Set Caesar sauce aside.

In medium bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining Parmesan just until blended. Shape into 4 3/4-inch-thick burgers. Spray both sides of burgers with nonstick cooking spray. 

Place burgers on hot grill rack; cook 12 to 14 minutes or just until meat loses its pink color throughout, turning over once. Burgers should reach internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Serve burgers with sauce and chopped romaine.  Serves 4

Sheet Pan Lamb Meatballs with Veggies

Lamb Meatballs:

1 pound ground lamb

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano

3 tablespoons grated yellow onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, beaten

 

Sheet Pan:

1 cup grape tomatoes

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 teaspoon dried oregano

8 cloves garlic

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half-moons

1 lemon, halved

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Yogurt Sauce:

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 cup plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Directions:

1.     Make the lamb meatballs.  In a large bowl, combine lamb, panko, cheese, onion, mint, oregano, salt garlic powder, pepper, and egg.  Stir to combine and set aside.

2.     For the sheet pan: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

3.     To a rimmed baking sheet, add the tomatoes, olives, oregano, garlic cloves, potatoes, zucchini, lemon halves and onion. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat everything.

4.     Roll the meat mixture into nine 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place on the baking sheet. Roast until the vegetables are golden brown and the meatballs are cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.     For the yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, mash the feta with a fork, then stir in the yogurt, lemon juice and mint. Season with pepper.

6.     Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir everything to combine and coat in the olive oil. Squeeze over the juice from the lemon halves.

7.     Serve meatballs and veggies with the yogurt sauce.

  

Brown Sugar Chicken Brine

 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt

1 ½ tablespoon light brown sugar

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

32 ounces warm water

½ tablespoon molasses

½ tablespoon soy sauce

 Mix salt, brown sugar, garlic, and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Pour in water; stir until dissolved. Mix in molasses and soy sauce.

 Place chicken in a food-grade, nonreactive container such as a stainless steel or enameled pot. Add brine, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight. Drain, then pat the chicken dry and cook as desired.

Swiss Steak

1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 pound beef round steak, 1 inch thick*

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 14 ounce can of tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together first three ingredients. Cut meat into 6 serving pieces.  Dredge meat in the flour mixture to coat it.

Heat oil over medium high heat, brown meat on both sides, about 7 minutes per side.  Cover tightly; simmer for one 1 hour. Add a small amount of water if needed.

Mix together the remaining ingredients; pour over the meat.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Serve with mash potatoes. Serves 6.

*If round steak is hard to find any moderately priced steak will work.

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons grated garlic

1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons butter - optional

2 tablespoons flour - optional

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until golden brown 3 - 4 minutes per side. Transfer to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add onion to the pan cook stirring occasionally until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Stir in ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin and cardamom; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in coconut milk, broth and tomato paste.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender and cooked through, 6 to 7 hours.  Season with salt and pepper to taste

If desired the liquid can be thickened by melting the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the flour and stir until smooth.  Pour the liquid from the crockpot into the saucepan and stir until smooth.

Serve the chicken and the sauce over rice.  Serves 6.

 

Zippy Turkey Zoodles

 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 medium zucchini, spiralized

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add turkey, onion, jalapeno and garlic; cook until turkey is no longer pink, and vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes, breaking turkey into crumbles; drain. Stir in seasonings; remove and keep warm. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil; cook zucchini over medium heat until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, corn, beans and reserved turkey mixture, heat through. If desired, serve with shredded cheese. Serves 4