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!

 

Orange Glazed Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones 

with an Orange Glaze

Okay, so it's not the best picture, but they're delicious I promise!  What I love about this recipe is that it's a blank canvas.  I made it with strawberries today; but you can use any kind of fruit, substitute yogurt for cream, add oats or nuts - the possibilities are endless. 

 Scone Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp lemon zest  
• 6 tbsp cold butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced and dried

Glaze Ingredients:

•  2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 2 tbsp orange zest

You can mix this by hand or use a mixer, but since I'm lazy I always use my Kitchen Aid whenever possible.  Start with washing and slicing your strawberries (or whatever kind of fruit you choose).  Then set them on a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.  

Next, combine the cream and extracts in a small bowl and mixing them well.  Set them aside for later.  

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg to a larger bowl or your mixer and mix well.  

Using a scorer, get 2 tablespoons of zest from a fresh lemon and add it to the flour mixture.  

 
 Mix in the lemon zest and then at the butter.  It's helpful if the butter is still cold and has been sliced or cubed.  

If you're doing this part by hand then you will need a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour.  Using a mixer on the lowest speed works great too - don't go too fast or you will have flour everywhere! 

Once the butter has been cut in well, the mixture should have small pea-sized clumps of flour.  

Add the strawberries to the flour mixture and then slowly add the cream mixture to it as you stir. DO NOT OVER MIX! Over-mixing will cause the dough to become tough and chewy.  Mix the ingredients together just until they've combined. 

 Turn the dough mixture out onto a floured board and carefully shape it into a flat round about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Do not knead the dough, it will be very sticky, so just use some flour  on your hands to shape it. 

Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into wedges.  This usually yields eight 3-inch wedges that will double in size once baked.  After you've cut the wedges carefully place them onto a baking sheet that has been covered in wax or parchment paper.  Be sure to separate each wedge by at least one inch on all sides so it can bake evenly.  

 Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes.  They will be lightly browned on top when done.  

Don't forget the glaze!

While your scones are baking you can make a very easy glaze to put on top.  I usually use lemon, but you can do any kind of citrus really.  

Score one orange for zest.  Squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice from the orange into a bowl.  Add  2/3 cup of confectioners (powdered) sugar and mix well.  That's it!  

The glaze should be thick enough to coat your spoon and then you can drizzle it over the scones after they have cooled.  If its not thick enough, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.  

 

Simple White Bread

Simple White Bread

 

 

My family members are big time bread eaters.  Personally, I have never cared much for bread either way, but fresh homemade bread is another story.  There's something about baking bread from scratch, and having the scent permeate your house, that is impossible to resist.  

 

I found a simple recipe from allrecipes.com (click here for the original recipe) about a year ago, and since then I've made a few adjustments that have made it a must-have staple in my home.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of hot water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups flour

Combine the hot water, sugar, and yeast in a mixing bowl or stand mixer.  Let stand for about 15 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy and has doubled in size.  

 

Add the olive oil and salt and mix well.  Then incorporate the flour slowly.  I add 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer at "Stir" speed.  Once all the flour has been added, need the dough for at least 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth.  

 

Spray a bowl non-stick cooking spray.   Form the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl.  Flip over the dough ball to make sure both sides are coated with the non-stick spray.  This will keep the dough from sticking to the cover you will put over the bowl. Set the bowl someplace warm; I set it on top of a heated oven when I'm already cooking something else.  Cover the bowl with saran wrap, foil, or one of those Ziploc fitted bowl covers (they look like shower caps).  Let the dough set for an hour until it doubles in size. 

 

Once the dough has doubled, take the cover off and knead the dough for 3 minuted to reactivate the yeast.  Separate the dough in half for two loaves, or shape into several small (2 inch) balls for dinner rolls.  Place the dough halves into bread pans that have been oiled and floured, or place the dough balls onto an oiled baking sheet.  

 Let the dough rise for another hour until it has doubled in size again.  

 

 

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees.  Bread loaves will bake for 30 minutes and dinner rolls will bake for 12-18 minutes.  They will be golden brown on top when they're done.  

This bread is grest right out of the oven with butter or honey.  And it also keeps well if it is stored in an airtight container.  It makes great sandwich bread and the french toast is AMAZING! 

 

 

Broccoli & Cheddar & Potatoes! Oh My!

Broccoli & Cheddar & Potatoes! 

Oh My!

I love love LOVE broccoli cheddar soup, so I finally decided to make it myself.  I heard it wasn't a difficult soup to make, so off to the store I went for fresh broccoli.  

Here is a list of ingredients I used:

•  3 crowns of broccoli, chopped into small chunks
• 6 cups of rice milk (you can use any kind of milk)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 4 cups mild cheddar, shredded
• salt & pepper
• ground nutmeg

First, I chopped and rinsed all the broccoli.  

Setting the broccoli aside, I melted the stick of butter in a large cast iron pot (dutch oven) on medium heat.  

Once the butter melted, I added the onions and garlic with a little salt and pepper and cooked them until the onions were translucent.   

 
Next comes the flour.  It's important to sprinkle the flour over the onions little by little so  you don't have clumps of flour.  Let the flour cook with the onions for about 3 minutes and then add the broccoli, potatoes, milk, and nutmeg.  

Bring the pot to a boil and then let it simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.  After that, the broccoli and potatoes are very tender.  Some people like to put there broccoli cheddar soup through the blender or use an emulsifier, but I've always liked chunky soups.  I used a potato masher to break down some of the broccoli and potatoes and then added the cheese.  

Once the cheese is all melted it's time to taste test.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then it's ready to serve.   This recipe ended up making about 6 quarts of soup which my family of five demolished for dinner. 

Yum! Enjoy.