Third time’s the charm!

So…  what are the odds of getting two computers within 4 days that had identical problems?  While I have no idea what the actual odds might be, the folks at MicroCenter came through with flying colors.  “We will make this work for you.” is what they told me – and they did.  It’s nice to see that sort of customer service – it’s been a while since I’ve experienced quite that level.

I now have to install all of those programs for the third time in a week.  The little robot at Microsoft is really tired of me calling, I’m sure.  I know I’m tired of calling it.

But it matters not, really.  The computer is running, I can get back to playing Scrabble, and taking pictures of dinner.

I had a couple of veal chops – veal porterhouse, actually – and wanted to do something other than grill them.  I started leafing through some old Bon Appetit magazines that are still around cluttering up the house and found a recipe for Basil-Crusted Veal Chops.  We just happen to have lots of fresh basil so I gave it a whirl.

It was g-o-o-d!  One of the most simple recipes imaginable – but loaded with flavor!  The basil-crust would be perfect on any number of things – from chicken to fish.  The one ingredient that took it from ordinary to extraordinary was just a bit of seeded Dijon mustard. I’m definitely going to keep it around.

Basil-Crusted Veal Chops

 

  • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
  • 1/4 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
  • 2 8-ounce veal loin chops (each about 1 1/2 inches thick)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix basil, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, Parmesan, butter and mustard in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Pat veal chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add veal. Cook until brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat. Press basil mixture onto top of veal chops. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon remaining breadcrumbs over each. Roast in oven until cooked to desired doneness, about 15 minutes for medium-rare.

My chops were much thinner (maybe 3/4″) so I cooked them at 425° for about 10 minutes.  They came out medium rare and juicy.

The potatoes were baked with fresh rosemary, garlic, and olive oil.  The baby broccoli was steamed and then drizzled with melted butter mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Simple but effective.

The veal chops really did come out good.  The crumb top really has a lot of flavor.

So…  time to start installing more programs.  Hopefully, this will be it for a loooooong time!