Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
The herbs are from the garden. The tomatoes from the store. I can't wait for our plants to start producing. There is nothing like a homegrown tomato. I rarely bought tomatoes, but Nonna really really likes them, so who am I to argue? I'm buying vine-ripened organic. They're not picked green and gassed...
Fresh tomatoes really are delicious. A bit of fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper - it's all it takes.
In a matter of minutes, a great side dish is created.
I've actually had today's dinner planned for a few days. I've been waiting for the mustard to be ready to make a mustard sauce for pork chops. It really was the first thing I thought to make with it. Take a basically healthy product and add cream to it. That's my style.
I pan-seared the chops and then finished them in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. The sauce was simply a bit of heavy cream I reduced down a bit, and a couple tablespoons of the Irish Whiskey Mustard I just made. Simplicity. Lundberg whole-grain rice on the side.
The sauce came out great and it was perfect for sopping up with slices of french bread.
Nonna ate everything - including two helpings of tomato salad. Victor cleaned his plate, as well.
And there's plenty of mustard for a few more experiments!
Pork Chops and Peach Salsa
Everything but the pork chop is courtesy of my shopping trip to Gentile's on Monday. We started off with white sweet potatoes - mashed with butter and sour cream. Basic and good.
Fresh spinach cooked in a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic. How could it be bad? And then a simple peach salsa with fresh peaches, jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro. Oops. I lied. The cilantro came from the garden.
The pork chop was pan-seared then finished off in the oven. Perfectly tender. All of the various flavors worked well...
And now for another flavor - fresh figs.
I have an idea for a roasted fig over ice cream.
I'll be back!
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
It is 73° outside. Blue skies, a gentle breeze... It's one of those perfect-weather days that just don't happen often enough. Absolutely gorgeous.
The only thing that would have made today better was if I hadn't broken my glasses this morning. I received my notice from my eye doctor a few weeks ago stating it was time for my checkup. The card has been sitting on my desk to remind me to call one of these days. Well... I finally called. The spare glasses are just not cutting it. I need to see.
Monday, 6pm. I'll be there.
But even being blind as a bat can't take away the beauteous day! Windows are open and real air is in the house. We're on the deck, Cybil is under her rhododendron, and life is good.
Dinner was pretty good, too.
I bought a whole pork loin the other day and cut it into chops. I took the tail end and set it aside for sandwiches or something - and tonight it was sandwiches.
I put the pork pieces in a pot with water and a sprinkling of garlic powder and chipotle powder. I simmered it for about 2 hours - until it was fork-tender. I drained it and let it cool, and then pulled it all apart with two forks. I then placed it in a skillet with about a cup of Gate's BBQ Sauce.
The pork went onto little seeded egg rolls; mine had avocado, Victor's had cheese, and Nonna's was plain. French fries and ketchup. Yummy!
I see ice cream, strawberries, and fudge sauce later on...
The perfect ending to the perfect day...
Pork Tenderloin and Lentils
Over the winter I had stocked up on lentils and rice. I bought several pounds of black beluga lentils, lentils du puy, black japonica rice, and a few other slightly offbeat whole-grain rices from Lundberg. I really like the various white rices, but I also really like the nuttier whole-grain varieties.
I've been a bit loathe to break out some of the things Nonna wouldn't really recognize, but I thought I'd give the black lentils a try, tonight. And I'm glad I did - they were a success!
I could tell when she sat down she wasn't sure about them, but she's been a real trooper when it comes to trying things. She did, declared them good, and then ate a hefty portion of them!
Lentils are really good for you and have lots of fiber, protein, folic acid, c and b vitamins, amino acids, trace minerals... I remember a million years ago when my grandmother's doctor told her to eat a small amount of lentils every day. Even back in the Dark Ages, the benefits were known.
So fast-forward a bit and we have black beluga lentils. They're called beluga because they resemble beluga caviar. They cook up like lentilles du puy - French green lentils - of which I also have several pounds. I'm hoping to make many lentil salads this spring and summer, but in the meantime, a hot lentil dish is the perfect accompaniment to dinner! The recipe will work for any hardy lentil.
Black Lentils
- 1 cup lentils
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups water or broth
- pinch salt and pepper
Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil. When vegetables are wilted, add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, about 25 minutes, or until tender. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.
The pork tenderloin was marinated in a bit of soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, and garlic, and then grilled. I topped it with some Apricot Pepper Jelly I made back in September. I still have a few jars left.
And I did let Nonna know that she's free to ask for or suggest things for dinner, as well. I am always open to suggestions or ideas. She smiled and said she couldn't think of anything right off the bat but would let me know if she did. Then she said I was doing pretty good.
I'll take it.
Pork Chops, Potatoes, and Tomatoes
Nonna really likes tomatoes. Back when I did her shopping, I'd pick up three or four of them every week for her. She's just cut them up and make simple tomato salads. I really like tomatoes, too, but I would seldom actually buy one. I like to wait until summer when our garden is in full swing and enjoy them right off the vine - before the critters get to them.
But since Nonna is here, now, and summer is a long ways off, I've had to resort to the grocery store... Ya know... It's not easy being pigheaded and opinionated about certain foods, but a boy has to do what a boy has to do. I'm at least getting organic and making sure they don't come from Florida.
They really aren't as good as the ones out of our back yard, but Nonna is cleaning her plate and that really does take priority over my political opinions.
So chopped tomatoes, really good olive oil, fresh mozzarella, some fresh parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper were all it took to make a tasty side dish.
The pork chops were marinated in the same olive oil, a bit sage, garlic, and red wine vinegar - and then grilled to perfection. The potatoes were mashed with parsley, Boursin cheese, butter, salt, & pepper. Not exactly health-food, but they definitely hit the spot.
There are strawberries macerating in a bit of Cointreau for strawberry shortcakes later. And in another case of putting pigheadedness aside, the shortcakes are store-bought.
Expect to see pigs flying in the full moon, tonight.
Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
We had a bit of a victory in the Nonna-likes-and-dislikes-department, tonight. I pretty much know her likes, since I did her grocery shopping for quite a few years, but the dislikes can catch me off guard once in a while. I know about pumpkin and polenta - although she liked the polenta bites from Easter - but I didn't know about non-red tomatoes, and while I knew she liked rice, I wasn't sure about a whole-grain rice medley. I probably have 20 pounds of various whole-grain rices, from mahogany to black to a few blends that I bought prior to Nonna moving in. While I do like plain white rice, I really like the nutty whole-grain rices. And, thankfully, so does Nonna!
I cooked up a batch with chicken broth and a pat of butter and she went back for seconds! Victory, indeed!
The main course was a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin I cooked on the grill. I had a couple of pieces of bacon that needed using, so it was simply a matter of using up what was in the 'fridge. I placed it on the top rack of the grill for about 30 minutes and then set it on the fire for the last 10 or so. I didn't do anything else to it, at all. Came out great.
I think the most difficult part of having an 87 year old living with us - other than the oppressive heat - is the vegetables. Nonna is of the cook-them-to-death school. I think at some point I'm probably going to have to work out a separate set-up for us and her. But considering her likes far outweigh her dislikes, it's a pretty easy fix.
Lentils and Fennel
I love stuff on top of stuff. Layers of food are good. I've dealt with people who can't stand having their food touch other foods. I really do feel sorry for them. Mixing food is fun!
Tonight's dinner was a mixture of really simple flavors and different textures, topped with slices of grilled pork tenderloin.
The concept came from Bon Appetit. They did a dish with Italian sausage and such. I'm over Italian sausage for a few days. I thought I'd bring it up a notch.
The dish could easily be made vegetarian or vegan. I cooked my lentils in beef broth for a bit of a flavor-boost, but mushroom or vegetable stock - or even just water - would work just fine. The original recipe calls for adding a tablespoon of red wine vinegar at the end. I used a nice sherry vinegar because I had it. Use what you have, the better the better.
I also used the last of my black lentils mixed with green lentils.
Lentils and Fennel
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, cut into small dice
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or other good-quality vinegar)
- S&P
Cook lentils in broth, uncovered, until lentils are just tender.
While lentils simmer, cut fennel bulb into 1/4-inch dice and chop about 2 tbsp fennel fronds for the finish.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and add onion, carrot, fennel, and fennel seeds. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
When vegetables and lentils are cooked, stir lentils into vegetables and cook until heated through. Stir in parsley, vinegar, and fennel fronds. Add S&P, as desired.
Top with sliced pork tenderloin.
Valentine's Day
We don't celebrate Valentine's Day. That hokey Hallmark-Florist-Candy-Industries-Holiday. We did the first few years we were together, but... heck - every day is Valentine's Day at our house. We buy flowers for no reason, buy candy, or cook a special meal just because. We're nauseating that way.
But just because we don't celebrate Valentine's Day was no reason for me to not buy Victor a dozen roses, today, as well as plan a fun dinner. Just as there was no reason for Victor to buy me a dozen roses and a big box of chocolates. For not celebrating Valentine's Day, we did pretty good.
It is typical that we both decided to ignore our non-Valentine's Day. We also have a long-standing rule about not buying single-use appliances. One year for Christmas, we both bought the other the exact same Ice Cream Maker. Obviously, rules are made to be broken, around here.
The rule that wasn't broken, though, was a fun dinner. We do have those every night.
Tonight it was pork tenderloin, fresh spinach, and roasted little potatoes.
The pork tenderloin was really good. I sliced it open, filled it with Monterey Jack and Pecorino Romano cheese, and then wrapped the entire thing in bacon. Into a 425° oven for 3o minutes.
I can actually see this one in a lot of different ways. I have a few tenderloins in the freezer, so I think I may be experimenting in the future.
In the meantime, I'm off to chocolate-dip strawberries. You know... for that holiday we don't celebrate...
Pork Chops
The upside of buying a whole pork loin is having lots and lots of pork chops. The downside of buying a whole pork loin is having lots and lots of pork chops. While there are a million-and-one ways to prepare them, I can get brain dead now and again. Repetition, thy name is Tim.
So... I figure if I'm going to be repetitive, I might as well try and be creatively repetitive. Or something.
The easiest way to make something seem different is put a sauce on it. I know my French cooking. I can make sauces. But this was going to be dinner in 30 minutes, not several days. Besides, I was all out of veal stock and roasted bones...
Necessity is the mother of invention, so, I invented. We had apricot filling left from cookie baking and there is always sambal oelek in the 'fridge. Pan-seared pork chops with a spicy apricot sauce became dinner. I mix sambal oelek with apricot jam for dipping sauce when I make Chinese food, so I knew the combo would work. I was originally going to add some cooked bacon to it - I had a couple of pieces in the 'fridge that needed cooking - but I ended up adding them to the broccoli rabe, instead. Boiled potatoes with butter and parsley finished the plate.
Simple, effective, and on the table in 30 minutes.
My kind of meal.
Parmesan Pork Chops
Victor: "How did you get these chops so juicy?"
Me: "Skill."
Victor: "The only thing I like more than your cooking is your modesty."
~~~~~
So... what can I say? I nailed these.
We have more than a couple of pork chops in the freezer from the pork loin I bought a couple of weeks ago. It always seems like such a good idea when I buy these things and then I look in the freezer and it's "Oh. Pork chops." I then try and think of something new and different to do with them. And then grill them.
This time, I actually decided to do something a bit different. A while back I saw a recipe that dipped a pork chop in olive oil and then coated it with a bread crumb and parmesan cheese mixture. Something different. I usually go the flour/egg/bread crumb route but this sounded easy. I didn't have the recipe - just a vague idea of what it was. I have to be careful when I do things from a vaguely-remembered recipe because invariably I'll forget a key ingredient or step. I wasn't sure how well the crumbs would stay on the chop, but thought I'd give it a go. Worst-case scenario is I'd have chops without crumbs.
Onward.
To my bread crumbs I added an equal part of shredded parmesan, a pinch of salt, pepper, and some garlic powder. I mixed it all nicely, dipped the chop in olive oil, dredged it in the crumbs - pressing to make sure they adhered - and then placed them on a hot lightly-oiled cast iron pan on medium-high heat for exactly 5 minutes. I flipped them over, and placed them in a 375° oven for exactly 16 minutes.
I never time things - which is why I can never replicate things - but I did have the timer going for the potatoes and cauliflower so that's why I knew the timing. I only had the timer going for the potatoes so I wouldn't forget them while doing something else.
My lack of memory is nothing new. Back in my corporate-world-pre-smart-phone days, I had a Palm Pilot that I set every day with my schedule and then had alarms go off to remind me where I had to be at any given time. My staff would laugh at me when my pocket started beeping and ask me where I was supposed to be. My usual answer was Personnel to fire them all. For being such a creature of habit, I'm not always a creature of habit.
But I digress...
The chops were about an inch thick, so I'm going to try this one again and see if I'm actually on to something or if it was just a really tasty fluke. I'm hoping for the former.
The potatoes were a sweet potato I sliced thin on the mandoline and then mixed with a pat of melted butter and a bit of maple syrup. Into a small casserole they went, covered with foil, and then into that 375° oven for 45 minutes. The cauliflower was drizzled with a tad bit of olive oil and then covered with the leftover crumbs from the pork chops. Also into the oven, but uncovered and for a mere 30 minutes.
So dinner was a success. But even better than a successful dinner is the fact that we've been busy making cookies and candies.
Dessert is soon upon us!
Stuffed Pork Chops
I'm a little late in getting some of my posts done. I could always use the excuse that I've been busy with cookies and other things, but... being lazy is probably closer to the truth. And this is probably the ultimate in laziness because I didn't even cook it - Victor did!
Stuffed pork chops. Yum. He started off with a couple of thick-sliced chops, cut a deep pocket in them, and then stuffed them with dressing we had in the freezer from Thanksgiving. They then went into a 350° oven for about 40 minutes. They were thick chops. If you're not fortunate enough to have leftover dressing in your freezer, it's easy enough to whip up.
And speaking of whip up, Duchesse potatoes made with yellow sweets! How about that?!? Duchesse potatoes - pommes de terre duchesse - are a classic potato dish of mashed potatoes, egg, a pinch of nutmeg, and cream. They are mounded onto a sheet pan - usually piped with a pastry bag - and then baked until golden brown. They can also be done by the spoonful and can be tiny golf ball or tennis ball-size. They become just slightly crispy on the outside and light and creamy on the inside. The yellow sweet potato really rocked!
And then we had oven-roasted glazed carrots. A bit of honey, butter, and thyme, salt, and pepper. Into the same 350° oven as the pork and potatoes.
It was an all-oven meal, perfect for warming up the kitchen on a cold night.
Pork Chops
One of my more favorite kitchen devices is the FoodSaver vacuum sealer. I can buy things on sale and/or in bulk and portion it and freeze it without freezer burn. We bought one years ago and it has repaid itself many times over.
This week's buy was a 10-pound pork loin for $16.00. From it I cut 12 boneless chops, a roast, and chunks for a batch of chili when the weather gets colder, again. Last year I bought a couple of beef tenderloins - for under $25 a piece. We had filet mignon for a couple of months. Eating rich on a poor man's salary. Not a bad thing.
Tonight was a really simple marinade of red wine, olive oil, garlic, French herbs, and salt & pepper. I pan-seared them and then popped them into a 375° oven for about 20 minutes.
Victor came into the kitchen and saw me reaching for another pan to cook the spinach and he said "Another pan? You know raw spinach is good, too." I replied, "yeah, but it's better with butter." He came back with "In that case, it's really better with bacon grease."
The spinach was cooked in a bit of bacon grease, salt, and pepper.
Eating rich on a poor man's salary, indeed.