Pork Cutlets Florentine
I'm definitely getting creative in my old age, here... Two days in a row of things I've never made before! I just love the weekends!
Tonight's dinner is loosely based on a grocery store magazine meal I read about. I liked the concept but wasn't really interested in buying all of their pre-made ingredients. I knew I could swing it without barcodes and expiration dates.
The premise is breaded pork cutlets topped with sauteed fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes with a lemon caper sauce. It can all be made in the same skillet, too.
We both totally cleaned our plates, tonight. It really did come out good. Lots of different flavors and textures - similar to a picatta - and a really easy pasta as a side. It took no time, I made a huge mess, and all was right with the world.
Pork Cutletts Florentine
- Flour
- Eggs
- Bread crumbs
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Boneless thin-sliced pork chops
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Fresh baby spinach
- Plum tomato cut in strips
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- 3 tbsp Italian parsley , chopped
- Lemon juice and zest from one lemon
Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Blend cheese into bread crumbs.
Season pork with salt and pepper; dredge in flour, dip in egg and then dredge in bread crumbs until completely coated.
Saute in small amount of olive oil until well-browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan, if necessary and add spinach. Cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted and heated through.
Plate cutlets and top with spinach and sliced tomatoes.
Add butter, lemon juice, capers and parsley to pan. Bring to boil and pour over top. Garnish with lemon zest.
I cooked up some pasta and after it drained I added a pat of butter, grated parm, and parsley. Simplicity.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
I pulled a pork tenderloin out of the freezer this morning with a bit of a vague idea of what I was going to do for dinner. A while later, I was in the office doing a bit of work whn Victor came in and asked if I wanted a stuffed pork tenderloin for dinner. I immediately said "YES!"
One thing about meals is I'm always willing to cook - but I'm also willing to sit back and be cooked for! Especially since Victor is such a good cook.
I love to eat and I love good food, but I'm also not a fussy eater. You're cooking, I'm eating. But it definitely is a plus when it's something pretty spectacular.
As was dinner, tonight.
Victor cooked off a filling of shallots, spinach, speck, sun-dried tomatoes, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. He split the tenderloin, pounded it a bit to get an even thickness, and then stuffed it and tied it. It went into a 350° oven for about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, he cut up a couple of potatoes, cut a head of cauliflower into florettes, drizzled it all with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and placed it itto the same oven.
The flavors blended perfectly! Every bite put a smile on my face.
I really don't understand people who don't like to cook. You just can't get a meal like this in a restaurant - or out of a box.
My stomach is smiling...
Pork Tenderloin
After making a ton of Apricot Pepper Jelly, the question ofttimes asked is... "What do I do with it?" Why... you top a lovely pork tenderloin with it, says I!
And that is precisely what I did!
This stuff came out good! It packs juuuuuust enough of a punch to be interesting, without searing your taste-buds to smithereens. I didn't do anything special to the pork - just a bit of S&P before putting it on the grill.
I'm thinking there are a lot of things that can be done with this stuff... And I'm already working on a Thanksgiving hors d'oeuvre...
I'm lovin' me some peppers!
Pork Tenderloin and Peach Salsa
I think this is one of my most favorite food combinations. Peaches, onions, and hot peppers atop well... just about anything. I've used this on flank steak, chicken, pork, fish, and even with tortilla chips. Versatile, indeed.
Peaches are pretty much my favorite summer fruit. I remember the pies my grandmother made from peaches from her neighbor, Mrs. MacNamee. Summertime was always great at their house. Grandma and Grandpa had strawberries and grapes - and a chicken coop! - and Mr Brown on the other side of them grew watermelons. My brother and I actually stole his seed melon one year - it was the biggest in his yard - and, while he knew we did it, couldn't prove it. We barely escaped that one. Boy, was he pissed. We laid low for a long time.
But back to peaches...
My sister, Arlene, lived on a peach orchard for many years and we definitely had our share of juice-down-the-arm peaches. From salsa to pies, to jams and preserves, we canned, baked, cooked, and otherwise consumed peaches all the time. It was good eating.
Peaches on the east coast haven't always been as good as the California peaches from my youth, but we've been getting a pretty good supply from California the past few years that have made my tummy smile. They're perfect for pies, cobblers, salsas, fruit salads, or just eating out of hand.
Here's my quick salsa recipe. It takes seconds to prepare.
Peach Salsa
- 2 ripe peaches, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers. minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mix ingredients and chill.
This time around I actually used one cayenne pepper from our garden and it added all the heat we needed.
The fruit can be switched out to plums, strawberries, apricots, or whatever suits your fancy.
For the tenderloin, I just rubbed it with a bit of chipotle powder, salt, and pepper before putting it on the grill. Also really basic and simple.
It's going to be sad to see them go for the season...
Pork and Polenta
I tend to buy whole pork loins, beef loins, and the like, and cut them and freeze them. Picked up on special, I can get chops and roasts for a great price. There's always a bit at the tail that doesn't quite work for a chop or steak. These I put away fro stewing or braising.
I pulled about a pound of pork out of the freezer today with the intent of cooking it with our less-than-stellar home-grown tomatoes. Something vaguely Italian to serve over polenta.
The February issue of La Cucina Italiana had quite a few polenta recipes as well as a pork ragu. I wasn't quite as ambitious as I would have needed to be to create any of their recipes, but it did give my lazy self a few ideas.
I started off with a really big shallot that I sauteed in a bit of olive oil. Next went 2 cloves of chopped garlic, the pork pieces and a 4oz container of pancetta. I browned it all a bit and then added about 8 chopped roma tomatoes and 2 chopped beefsteak tomatoes. I lowered the heat, put a lid on it, and walked away for a couple of hours.
I came back in, shredded the pork, added a bit of S&P and some crushed red pepper. Nothing else. I let it simmer some more.
Meanwhile, I made the polenta. Here, I did get an idea from the magazine. They made one polenta dish with something called polenta taragna - a polenta and buckwheat flour combination. I didn't have it, but I did have buckwheat flour. (What a surprise huh?!?)
Per the notes in the recipe, I mixed some flour with the polenta. Their ratio is 5:1 polenta to buckwheat flour.
I made the polenta with 2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup polenta mixture, and a pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper. After cooking the required time, I stirred in some shredded Locatelli cheese with peppercorns we picked up at the shore last weekend.
I have to say it came out pretty swell.
The flavors all worked together really well. I could have really spiced the pork to no end - my first idea this morning was a spicy BBQ'd pork - but it worked really well with the more subtle flavors. It was actually a bit of a change from some of the dishes I've made in the past.
And there was enough left over to make a couple of really good sandwiches for lunch tomorrow!
The best kind of fast food.
Pork Cutlets with Walnuts, Raisins, and Speck
I just love La Cucina Italiana. Every issue has something in it that I just need to make. It's especially good because I just can't seen to get Italy out of my mind. It really was the best vacation, ever. I'd head back tonight if I could, but though we can't go tonight, we are going for our 20th Anniversary in 2014. I'm starting to put the pennies in the piggy bank. I want to go to Sicily and bask in the Mediterranean, this time.
The latest issue had a recipe for pork cutlets with pine nuts and prosciutto. I didn't have pine nuts (???) and had some great speck, so the recipe was adapted to fit my ingredients. It's how I cook.
Pork Cutlets with Walnuts, Raisins, and Speck
(adapted from La Cucina Italiana.)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped and drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons capers
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated Grana Padano cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 6 small pork cutlets, pounded
- 6 thin slices speck
Heat oven to 475º. Finely chop together nuts, raisins, parsley, and capers. Sir together nut mixture and cheese. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and garlic over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a sheet pan. Mound nut mixture over cutlets, then wrap each cutlet with 1 slice speck.
Dot with remaining tablespoon butter; bake 5 minutes.
I have to say it came out pretty darn good. I took the leftover filling and stirred it into some gnocchi and added some small mozzarella balls to the mix.
The saltiness of the capers, cheese, and speck negated the need for any salt at all. And the sweetness of the raisins added juuuuuust the right balance.
This is another of those recipes that has a lot of variations just waiting to be made.
Ah, Italy...
Dinner Salads
It's still a billion degrees outside. The air is so thick you need gills to walk outside.
Time to grill.
I avoided grilling yesterday, but it's difficult to avoid two days in a row. I like my grill.
I marinated a pork tenderloin in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and rice wine. Onto the grill it went.
Meanwhile, I made up a huge bowl of fruit salad. 'Tis the season. I am definitely a summer fruit person. Peaches, apricots, plums - and berries of every stripe - are my mainstay. I very seldom buy fruit out of season. Once in a blue moon I'll pick up strawberries in the winter, but I really do like my fruits to be local as possible - at least the same continent. It just tastes better.
The pork went on a bed of greens along with an avocado and tomato. A simple balsamic vinaigrette. And a bit of yesterday's potato salad.
I hate the fact that I'm buying tomatoes but ours just aren't doing that great. They really don't like the humidity, either.
There's still a lot of growing time left, so we shall see...
Repurposed with a Purpose
I love it when there are enough odds and ends laying about that I can create dinner without having to really do anything.
And tonight was a perfect case in point.
Yesterday I had grilled pork chops. Not the two thick chops I thought I had pulled out of the freezer, but 5 thin chops I had cut and thought I'd use for pork scallops or some such thing. After they had thawed and I realized they weren't quite what I was expecting, I marinated them all in some red wine, garlic, and olive oil and then grilled them. We ate the two larger ones and the remaining three went into the 'fridge.
Also in the 'fridge - sitting in a lovely tupperware container - was a couple of cups of sauce left over from Sunday's Lasagne. It was a great homemade sauce - we eschew jarred sauce in our house - and was just crying out for some pasta to cover.
And lo! A half-box of pasta on the shelf! Could this have really been planned all along?
Well. No. It's just what our kitchen is like on most days. We can always cook dinner without going to the store.
So the pork cutlets were cubed and dropped into the sauce. The pasta was dropped into the boiling water. The end of the wedge of pecorino romano cheese was grated. Yesterday's bread was sliced.
Dinner was served!
And while dinner was a bevy of leftovers, dessert is fresh - fresh blackberries in a homemade custard. It's cooling in the 'fridge right now...
The Weekend
I've come to the conclusion that I hate writing out recipes.
I still love cooking and creating and all that, but the actual process of sitting down and trying to write out what I think I may have done for dinner is actually difficult. My measuring skills are imprecise at best. Well... not exactly true. If something calls for a half-cup of milk, raisins - whatever - I can eyeball a pretty precise half-cup. But if I'm making a sauce for scallops of pork tenderloin... Was it a half-cup? Three-quarters? I dunno. The finished result was a smooth, creamy sauce. I can tell you the ingredients, but amounts vary.
I used to love creating recipes commercially - the real science behind cooking. And taking a base recipe and expanding it to 20 - or 200 portions. I first learned the concept from the AFRCS - The Armed Forces Recipe Card Service. It was relatively new when I was in Uncle Sam's Yacht Club. Standardized recipes printed on cards set up in 100-portion quantities. One of the first things we learned in "A" School was to multiply them out to 5000 people - or to divide them down to 30. It was only through working with the recipes that one learned how to manually adjust things like baking powder or yeast - and salt and other spices. Even though ingredients are the same proportionally, they do not multiply out. A quarter-cup of salt in a recipe for 100 would not call for 12 1/2 cups of salt for 5000. Trust me on this.
And speaking of varying... You've surely noticed the trend in many cooking magazines to give you the weight of some ingredients in place of measurements. The theory - according to the magazine publishers - is because of the variables in measuring. They wish to be precise.
However... the recipes generally will state something like "15 1/2 oz flour (3 1/2 cups)" yadayadayada ingredients, and then state something like "1 cup water, or more." with instructions to add the 1 cup and then add more, 1 tbsp at a time, to get the desired consistency.
HELLO?!? Where is your "precision" now?!? I certainly understand the science of baking vs the art of cooking. The variables in baking are legion. They include the type of flour, the moisture content of the flour, the weather and relative humidity along with in cake baking - the proper ratio of flour, sugar, eggs, and fat...
But if the recipe calls for weighing your flour - approx 4 1/2 oz per cup - and NOT weighing your sugar - about 7 oz per cup - it's nothing more than something written by an elitist snob. Be precise - or within acceptable guidelines - but please don't pretend a precision that isn't true. Whether it be 3 1/2 cups of flour or 15 1/2 ounces, you still have as much as a 20% variable to play with within the traditional parameters. Generally speaking, a teaspoon of flour either way is probably not going to ruin your cake.
Rant over. For the moment.
So for those lovely pork scallops up there?
Really easy.
I sliced a pork tenderloin and then pounded the slices between sheets of plastic wrap with my wooden mallet. I sauteed them in a bit of butter and olive oil and then removed them from the pan. I added sliced mushrooms and browned them well, and then added a splash of sherry. I then added a splash of chicken broth and a splash of heavy cream. I cooked it all down, added the pork scallops back, and heated it all through. If it seems too thin, you could add a bit of cornstarch.
As a side dish, I did cauliflower in a cheese sauce, baked in the oven. No crumbs on top, but it was yummy.
And then Sunday...
Beef Stroganoff.
I bought a whole tenderloin a while back and after cutting up steaks and a roast, set the tail, chain, and other smaller pieces aside for a stew or something. The something was stroganoff. A really simple recipe that literally just takes minutes to prepare.
The beef doesn't get a lot of cooking or braising time, so you want to use something reasonably tender. I sauteed beef and mushrooms, added a splash of marsala, a pinch of sage, about a cup of sour cream, and a teaspoon of grainy dijon mustard. I heated it all through and served it over wide egg noodles.
The whole dish was cooked in the time it took to boil the water for the noodles.
Simplicity.
Stuffed Peppers and Other Meals
I had planned to cook dinner tonight. Really. I even baked a loaf of bread. But Victor beat me to the kitchen when it came time to stuff the peppers.
I was so heartbroken. NOT!!!
Red peppers stuffed with ground pork mixed with carrots, celery, garlic, scallions, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, an egg... topped with a bit of tomato sauce and some panko bread crumbs. Baked in the oven.
Perfection. My stomach is definitely smiling!
And then we have all these other meals we've had the past couple of weeks that I haven't posted. I make the time to take the pictures but somehow end up doing other things instead of writing posts about them.
So here we go...
I made those little rolls so I had to make little sandwiches. BBQ pork with faux tater tots. It was yum.
And then we had Stuffed Baked Potatoes.
These puppies were good! Chicken, bell pepper, andouille sausage, diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese stuffed into a baked potato. Okay, it was stuffed into and atop a baked potato half. With sour cream. Garnish is everything, ya know... Ooey gooey cheesy goodness.
And then there was a stuffed pork loin...
Spinach, carrots, onion, celery, bread crumbs... roasted in the oven with roasted potatoes and roasted cauliflower. It could have been a one-pot meal but why dirty one pot when you can dirty three?!? That's my motto.
And back last week when we had decent weather, we had beanie weenies and potato salad.
Phoebe's Baked Beans and Mom's Potato Salad.
The perfect Summer Meal - in Mid-March.
And them Victor stuffed Chicken Breasts...
The chicken was stuffed with prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese. It was Italian Chicken Cordon Bleu. Brushed with the Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette he made a couple of nights ago with the pork tenderloin. Along with cheesy polenta.
Can you say *wow* boys and girls?!?
And, of course, we've had our desserts...
I made a Banana Clafoutis the other night that was outrageously good.
A Clafoutis is a bit like a baked custard - but not quite. An authentic clafoutis is made with cherries. So much for tradition.
I made a similar clafoutis last year that I had actually forgotten about until just now. This one was banana, coconut, and rum.
So I think I'm almost caught up with the past meals...
I'll try and be a bit more timely.
No guarantees, though...
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
It was so nice to come home tonight to dinner cooking. I do love a man who can cook! And Victor can definitely cook.
I've mentioned many times that a little twist is all it takes to go from simple to sumptuous. It's that little bit of unexpected. Victor pulled that one off tonight with a roasted garlic vinaigrette to go atop a simple pork tenderloin. The concept came from Giada but the execution was pure Victor.
Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Roasted Garlic:
- 2 heads garlic
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Slice garlic heads in half through equator. Place cut-side up on a square of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil up to fully enclose garlic and roast at 350° for about an hour - or until garlic soft and golden brown. Cool.
Vinaigrette:
- Roasted garlic
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- salt and pepper, to taste
Squeeze garlic into blender. Add Italian seasoning, sugar, vinegar, and 2 tbsp water. Blend well. With machine running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Taste for seasoning and add salt & pepper, as desired.
It really did come out good. Roasted garlic is one of the nectars of the gods and when it's blended with good balsamic vinegar and good olive oil, there's just no stopping it! I first questioned why it needed additional sugar when roasted garlic and balsamic have a sweetness to them, already, but I think the pinch of sugar helps to pull the two somewhat-conflicting sweetnesses together. Whatever the reason, it worked.
It made a cup and a half of dressing and we really only used a couple of tablespoons at the most, so the rest went into the 'fridge for salads later this week.
Yes, it definitely worked.
Pork Chops and Broccoli Pasta
All day long I knew we were having pork chops for dinner. I wasn't sure about what I was doing with them or side dishes until I started making them.
Some meals are like that. Yesterday I made sandwiches. Possibly the best sandwiches ever in the history of sandwiches. I knew they were going to be grilled chicken sandwiches on french rolls. Until I started making them, I didn't really know they were going to be dry-rubbed with chipotle powder, cumin, garlic, and Mexican oregano, grilled and sliced onto the rolls with a green chili mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and avocado.
They were a total mess, stuff sliding everywhere, and took at least 6 napkins while eating, and I almost needed a shower when I was done.
They were such a mess putting together I didn't even take pictures.
But DAYUM! They were good.
When I got home today, I marinated the chops in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper. I had broccoli, rice, noodles, pasta, potatoes... Somehow the idea of pasta and broccoli mixed together with boursin cheese developed. The chops went on the grill, the pasta and broccoli went on the stove, and in less than 15 minutes, dinner was served.
Boursin cheese is one of the most basic, no-brainer sauce and/or ingredient cheeses on the market. From stuffing into burgers, mixing into mashed potatoes, melting and thinning to pour over vegetables, or mixing into pasta and vegetables, it may be one of the most versatile cheeses ever.
Two great meals in two days that started with vague ideas.
I'm glad I finally cleaned the grill. I wonder what I can cook up on it tomorrow...