Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chops

Power to pistachios! They're good for combatting heart disease, diabetes, and aging. And more importantly, I recently discovered they're good on pork chops!

Grinding the pistachios, garlic, and lemon peel. 

 

Browning the chops in olive oil before throwing them in the oven.

I used butterflied boneless chops, mainly because I don't like paying for bones when I'm just frying or baking, rather than simmering/slow cooking.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 clove garlic (I used 3 cuz I LOVE garlic)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Salt
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• Pepper
• Four 1-inch-thick pork chops (or two 1-inch butterflied chops)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a food processor, finely grind the nuts, garlic, lemon peel and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a shallow bowl; whisk in the breadcrumbs.
2. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the egg, then coat with the nut mixture; transfer to a baking sheet.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chops and cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side; return to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140°, about 20 minutes.

 

Cornbread-Topped Bourbon BBQ Chicken

This is a fun recipe because you get to set it on fire! Very exciting for a pseudo-pyromaniac like myself. 

I took photos of almost every step...Sometimes blogs like that annoy me, but I'm testing it out. Enjoy!

Sauteing the red onions and garlic.

Adding tomato paste and smoked paprika. 

Adding the broth, brown sugar, hot sauce, worcestershire, and orange peel. 

Cooking the chicken. 

Pouring the sauce and bourbon over then taking a match to it. The blueish steam below is actually flames. 

Topping it off with the cornbread mixture and shredded sharp cheddar. 

Wholla! 

The final result was real good, although I might do a bit less bourbon next time. I've never been a fan of an obvious liquor flavor. 

The recipe is below. I actually cut it in half when I made it, because my cast iron skillet is medium sized and you'd definitely need a large or extra large size for the original recipe.

Cornbread Topped Bourbon BBQ Chicken

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, plus 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts and thighs, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup bourbon
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Two 8.5-ounce boxes corn muffin mix, such as Jiffy, batter mixed according to package directions

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red onion and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, brown sugar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, orange peel and orange juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the barbecue sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the barbecue sauce into the skillet and drizzle the bourbon on top. Remove the pan from the heat and light the alcohol with a match. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the flames subside.
3. Fold the scallions and 1/2 cup cheese into the mixed corn bread batter. Spoon the mixture evenly over the barbecue chicken in the skillet. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Bake until the corn bread is golden-brown, about 30 minutes.

Prosciutto-Arugula Pizza

Simple, simple, simple! 

 

Ingredients

1 pizza crust

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups baby arugula

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

Place a pizza stone or upside-down baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl with the garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.

Brush the pizza crust with the olive oil mixture and top with the mozzarella. 

Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula and shallot in a large bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Top the pizza with the arugula salad, prosciutto and shaved parmesan.

 Before toppings...

And after. 

 

Chicken Potpie with Cheddar Crust

Can you tell I've been in the mood for comfort food?!? Good old Wisconsin winters... you've got to bulk up! Although, this has been a mild winter so far, so it's not the best excuse for my weight gain. Let's blame the holidays!

This recipe took a decent amount of prep time... and clean up time, as I managed to pour chicken broth all over the counter and floor while I was straining it. But, the end result was worth it. 

the filling:

golden cheddar crust:

ready for chowing!

Ingredients 

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

For the filling:

• 1 3 1/2-to-4-pound roasted or rotisserie chicken
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Make the crust: Pulse the flour, fine salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor. Add the cheese, butter and shortening; pulse until the butter is in pea-size bits. Add 1/2 cup ice water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. 

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Discard the chicken skin and shred the meat; set aside. Put the bones in a pot and add the chicken broth. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the broth and set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, thyme, celery, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; cook, stirring, until soft, about 6 minutes. 

Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and cook until soft, about 6 more minutes. 

Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. 

Add the wine; cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. 

Add the broth, cream and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes. 

Add the parsley, shredded chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a 3-to-4-quart baking dish. 

Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper until slightly larger than the baking dish. Drape the dough over the filling, press it against the inside of the dish and trim. Brush with cream, then cut a few slits in the top. Put on a baking sheet; bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Cuban Pork & Sweet Potato Stew

Disclaimer: Photos of stews never look that appealing, and mine probably looks even worse. BUT, this stew was delicious, so don't let my crappy photo turn you off!

This was a slow cooker recipe, which I love because I can make it the night ahead and put it on before work the next morning. As those of you with slow cookers can likely attest to, you come home and not only have a ready-to-eat meal, but the house smells amazing.... It's like magic! 

Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lb lean pork, cut enough for other ingredients to cover (you can always shred it after it's cooked)

14 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 C orange juice

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

Crushed red pepper, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

2 T chopped cilantro (or much more if you love it like I do)

Mix everything in slow cooker, except for lime juice and cilantro. Cover and cook on Low for 7 or more hours.Then, stir in lime juice and cilantro. Cook for 5 minutes more. 

Eat with loads of buttered bread. Mmmmmm.

Tom Ka (thai coconut soup)

This is one of my favorite soups. Lots of flavors, and coconut milk is always delicious in my book. I make it with tofu, but you could sub chicken or shrimp.

I had a recipe for this years ago, but now I just make it to taste. Here's what I include:

base

5 c chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk

3 T fish sauce

spices-- all of these are to your taste, I probably use at least 1 T of each
lemongrass
garlic, minced
ginger
red chili paste or sauce, or a hot sauce like Sriracha
lime juice

cilantro

veggies:
cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or just tomato slices
white mushrooms (i look for small ones so there's no need to slice and they stay juicy)
green beans (fresh if possible)

meat:
precooked chicken, shrimp, or extra firm tofu

Mix everything together except for the cilantro and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Keep boiling until the mushrooms are tender. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and meat towards end.

If you're adding tofu, press/pat it dry. Then slice the block into 4 slices lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil and broil, flipping once (usually about 15-20 mins total, until golden brown). Slice into bite size pieces.

 

Tasty Travels

Go figure that one of my favorite parts about traveling is trying new food. But my memories aren't only about the food itself... When I look at the photos, I can remember where I was sitting, how the air smelled, what the temperature was, the noises around me, who I was enjoying the experience with, and overall -- how incredibly happy I felt. Here are some photos from some trips I've taken in the last few years, both near and far.

Honduras

A $1 breakfast plate in the coastal town of Tela.  Scrambled eggs, refried beans, fried plantains, tortillas, pork, pickled onions, & salty white cheese. We ate this while waiting for the bus to head back to San Pedro Sula.

Fresh fish sticks on the island of Roatan. We ate at a table outside while a stray cat kept us company.

Wahoo fish that Jamie caught. Lonnie (other guy in photo) cooked it up for us the next day -- bbq style and grilled with lemon. 

Mangosteen fruit.  Sadly, it has too much sugar to send to the U.S. without it spoiling before arrival.

San Antonio, TX

Beef brisket with pickles and yellow mustard.

 Tamale & taco plate down by the River Walk.

Grand Cayman

Blackened mahi mahi with pasta.  This was the first stop on our honeymoon cruise.

Cozumel, Mexico

Fish tacos. This was the second stop on our honeymoon.  We ate on the beach while watching a big soccer game.

Chicago

Ethiopian food (but can't remember the dish names!).  I was visiting my buddy Angie.

 Breakfast burrito.

Milwaukee

Cuban beef and potato stew.

Portland, OR

Sushi rolls with my buddies Erin and Dan.

Seattle, WA  

Carne asada with pico de gallo, white cheese, quac, and beans.

Roasted pork cooked in banana leaf. 

Victoria, BC

Fresh halibut, sold by a stand right on the pier.

 Dungeness crab plus steak.

Crab leg, scallops, and steak.

New York City

Guacamole & plantain chips.  This trip was to celebrate my cousin Sarah's bachelorette days with her sister (and my cousin) Hannah, who lives there.

Arepa with fried plantains, avocado, & salty white cheese.

 Gruppo Pizza

 Ribs with an Asian twist.

 Italian appetizers. This meal was part of a scavenger hunt we were on.

Thai coconut tofu, mushroom, & cabbage dish. 

Jumbo scallop.

Saving the best for last -- Lobster Roll!