Preparing to plant this year's garden.  More to come soon!

Parmesan Crusted

Pork Chops

This recipe will make you a fan of pork chops!  I never really cared for pork chops because they can dry out easily and it is difficult to get great flavor out of them.  After trying a few experiments, I finally found a recipe that brought them to life.  This recipe does require a bit of prep time, but it is totally worth it.  

Ingredients:

• 6-8  one inch pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
•  3/4 cup flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp ground sage

I prefer to use boneless pork chops for this recipe, but it really doesn't matter.  When I took the pictures for this, I was cooking bone-in pork chops.  You will need 3 medium size prep bowls to bread the pork chops, and a decent amount of counter space.  :)  

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper.  In another bowl, lightly beat the 4 eggs.  And in your third bowl, combine the Panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and ground sage.  Have a baking sheet ready to set your breaded pork chops on.  I like to line mine baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray them with non-stick cooking oil - this makes clean up so much easier later.  

Prep bowl 1

Prep bowl 2

Prep bowl 3

Aluminum lined baking sheet, sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. 

Use a fork to place a pork chop in the flour and cover both sides with the flour.  Then, lift the pork shop out of the bowl and shake off any excess flour.  Transfer the pork chop directly into the bowl with the lightly beaten eggs.  Make sure the egg covers both sides of the pork chop and then transfer it to the bowl with the bread crumb mixture.  Again, make sure both sides are covered and shake off any loose crumbs before setting the pork chop on the baking sheet. 

Repeat the process for all the pork chops.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  While the breading sets on the pork chops, heat a skillet to medium and add a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, place the pork chops in the skillet and brown on each side.  This takes about 3-4 minutes on each side.  When the pork chops are browned, place them back on the baking sheet.  

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear.  Let the pork chops rest for at least 10 minutes after they come out of the oven, and then serve.  

Happy Cooking!  :)

 

Honey Teriyaki Chicken

Honey Teriyaki Chicken

 This recipe has been a favorite in my family for years.  It's sweetly delicious and super easy to make.  I've never had a marinade work as well on chicken as this one does, and it's practically impossible to mess up.  I usually serve it with brown jasmine rice and a vegetable as shown above. 

Ingredients:

• 3-6 pounds of chicken - you can use any kind of chicken: boneless/skinless, drumsticks and thighs, leg quarters, etc.
• 2 cups Kikkoman teriyaki sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup honey

Start with putting the chicken in a large marinade container.  If you have thick pieces of full chicken breasts, I recommend splitting them down the middle so they are only 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick as shown below.  

 

 

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients together: teriyaki sauce, garlic, onion powder, red pepper, black pepper, and honey.  FYI, I use Kikkoman teriyaki sauce because it is by far the best I've ever tried.  I've previously tried several other brands and they don't even come  close to Kikkoman's - there's no sponsorship here (I wish there were!), just a great product. ;-)

  Mix all ingredients together until all the honey has dissolved.  

 

Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure each piece has marinade on it.  Cover the chicken and set in the refrigerator.  Marinade for at least 2 hours if you can.  Turn the chicken over in the marinade at the halfway point of the marinade time. 

When you are ready to bake the chicken, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put the chicken in a baking dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray.  I always put a little bit of the marinade at the bottom of the baking dish to make sure the chicken stays moist.  You can also add a little olive oil over the top of each piece for moisture.  

 

Bake for 30 minutes and then turn the chicken over, then bake for another 30 minutes.  This recipe is also great on the grill!  If you are going to grill chicken, remember to grill it at low heat, slowly until the juices run clear.

 Enjoy!