Breaded Italian Pork Chops

ALERT!! 

 There's a new favorite pork chop recipe for Saturday night dinner, 

and it comes together in just 30 minutes.

Breaded pork chops are my favorite Saturday night dinner. This week I stumbled upon the Breaded Italian Pork Chops recipe on the fantastic blog Cooking with Mamma C. The recipes on Cooking with Mamma C are always delicious. Please visit the site.

Pure comfort food heaven. The recipe below was rewritten with a couple of edits for our kitchen. The original is for a larger quantity. This one is enough for 2 people.

For sides we had Sauteed Zuccihini and Roasted Potates.

Ingredients

Bread Crumb Mixture

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper 
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1/4 teaspoon dry basil

4 thin, boneless, pork chops (½-inch thick)

1 egg 

salt

pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil 

Method-

Use a whisk or fork to mix the bread crumb ingredients in a shallow bowl or dinner plate.

Crack the egg and add it to a small bowl, and beat with a fork.

Set up an assembly line from left to right with the pork chops, beaten egg, the bread crumb mixture and a clean platter.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the pork. 

Use a fork to place the pork i in the beaten egg. 

Pierce the pork chop with a fork and hold it up to let the excess egg drip off. 

Transfer the chop to the bread crumbs. 

Use a fork to cover the meat with the bread crumbs and pat them onto the surface. 

Flip the pork over and bread the other side. 

Place the breaded pork cutlet onto the platter.

Continue breading the rest of the chops as above.

On the stove, heat a 12-inch skillet (or larger) on medium-high. 

Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. 

When the oil is sizzling, add some pork chops to the pan in a single layer. 

You will may need to cook them in two batches depending on the size of your pan.

Cook the first side, uncovered, for three minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. 

Flip the chops over and cook them uncovered for 90 seconds or 2 minutes, just until the second side is golden brown.

Transfer the cooked pork to a clean platter. (You can cut into one to make sure it's done. It should be white inside or just slightly pink. If you have an instant meat thermometer, the pork chops should have an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.) 

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Zuppa Arcidossana

Zuppa Arcidossana, a Mark Bittman recipe, is our favorite one pot 30 minute meal. It actually only takes 25 minutes if you have your ingredients prepped.

We had no leftovers. If we had extra bread we would have wiped the pan clean.

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 cup 1/2 -inch-diced carrots
1 large onion, chopped
Salt
black pepper
1 cup stale bread (use coarse, country-style bread), cut in ½-inch cubes
1/2  pound spinach, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup ricotta salata, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes (feta may be substituted)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, optional

Method-
Put oil in a large pot or deep skillet and brown sausage over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 
When sausage is cooked through and leaving brown bits in pan, add carrots, onion, and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add bread to pan and stir for a minute or 2; add spinach and continue cooking just until it wilts, a couple of minutes.
Add about 2 cups water and stir to loosen any remaining brown bits from pan. 
This is more of a stew than a soup, but there should be some broth, so add another cup of water if necessary. 
When broth is consistency of thin gravy, ladle stew into serving bowls and top with cheese and some freshly chopped parsley if you have it. 
Serve immediately.

Pollo all'Arancia e Olive

In English - Chicken Breast with Orange and Gaeta Olives.
From Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking.

Here is a link to the exact recipe from the book on Lidia's site. 

I got home from church at 5:45. 

Dinner was on the table by 6:35pm. 

That included the Arborio rice and the roasted Buttercup Squash. 

Not bad for timing and quite delish!!

That Buttercup Squash is a new product we tried. It was featured in the Bishops Farmers Market newsletter this week so I picked it up for a try. It is Sodium Free, high in Vitamin C and A, and Potassium.

I cut it into 1/5 inch slices, brushing it with olive oil and seasoning it with salt, pepper, and crushed sage. Roasted it at 375˚. 20 minutes. Flip and in for another 15 minutes.

20-Minute Creamy Lemon-Feta Chicken

Winner Winner! This 20-minute chicken dinner was fabulous. We both went back for seconds. 

The sauce was the perfect blend of feta and lemon. Nice and smooth. For sides, we had rice and the last of the fresh green beans from my sister's garden. Don't worry. I froze some for a later date.

Did I mention this only took 20 minutes? The recipe is from EatingWell.com. This has to be a go-to recipe.

This recipe is for 4. I used 4 chicken cutlets, around 1/2 a pound, but made the whole recipe for the sauce.

Ingredients-
1 pound of chicken cutlets 
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2cup heavy cream
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and parsley)

Method-
Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. 
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through about 6 minutes. 
Transfer to a plate.
Add broth to the pan. 
Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. 
Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream, feta, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of each salt and pepper; simmer for 2 minutes. 
Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat. 
Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute more. 
Sprinkle with fresh herbs before serving.

20 Minute Pasta Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata.

Oh, this was tasty! 

I have made this before. The original recipe is from HalfBakedHarvest.com. I made a couple of edits this time. Changed the pasta, left out the spinach and of course, no garlic. 

It was easy to put this together. And it was nice to be able to get all the herbs from the deck.

Ingredients-

3 ounces prosciutto, torn

3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten***

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried basil)

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried thyme)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)

1 pound dry Penne pasta 

2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

kosher salt and black pepper

8 ounces burrata or ricotta cheese, at room temperature

Method-

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and cook 8-10 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp.

  Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, basil, thyme, and chives, in a large serving bowl.

  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.

  Immediately add the hot pasta to the egg/cheese mixture, tossing quickly (to ensure the eggs do not scramble) until the eggs thicken and create a sauce. Thin the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency. Add the butter and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

  Divide the pasta among plates and top with freshly torn burrata cheese, the crispy prosciutto, and fresh herbs. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top. 

*** Don't have your eggs to room temp when you start this recipe. Read this-

To bring whole eggs to room temperature quickly, fill a small or medium bowl with warm water. You want the temperature to feel like a warm bath (you don’t want to end up accidentally cooking the eggs). Carefully place the eggs in the water and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If you do this at the beginning of prepping a recipe, the eggs will be at room temperature right as you finish measuring out the rest of your ingredients.

From Bon Appetit - The Impatient Baker's Guide To Bringing Dairy To Room Temp

Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken Bites

Applause from the other side of the table! This recipe is from the All Recipes site.

I did make a small edit. I added Cornstarch to the Panko bread crumb mixture. It helps crisp up the coating in the air fryer. I used Chicken Tenders instead of the whole breast. That sped up the production a bit. The meal came together in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients-
6 ounces chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large egg
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
nonstick cooking spray

Method-
Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.

Combine egg, whipping cream, and 1/2 of the salt in a bowl. Whisk until yellow and frothy.

Mix panko, corn starch, herbs, and remaining salt together in a separate shallow bowl until well combined.

Dip chicken pieces first into the egg mixture, followed by panko, and set in the air fryer basket.

Air-fry for 13 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes. The cooking time depends on how big or small you cut the chicken breasts (or Chicken Tenders)
Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Air-fry until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear and Parmesan is melted.
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165˚

 

Creamy Steak Fettuccine

I love when I have homemade fettuccine in the freezer. This recipe is super easy and the homemade pasta brings the recipe to a delicious level. A perfect 30-minute meal that received rave reviews from the other side of the table!

Ingredients-

Kosher salt
12 oz. fettuccine
1 lb. sirloin steak
2 tbsp. vegetable oil 
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp. balsamic glaze

Method-
Coat both sides of steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the steak to the desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute more, then slowly add milk, whisking to break up lumps, and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook until bursting, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add cooked pasta and ¼ cup reserved pasta water to skillet and toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed. 

Top with sliced steak and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

One-Skillet Creamy French Onion Chicken

The recipe for One-Skillet Creamy French Onion Chicken is from the Eating Well site. It was a delicious, 30-minute meal. Rave reviews from the other side of the table. The chicken was moist and the sauce was perfect!! Just enough for the 2 of us and the cleanup was only one pan. Well, there were some measuring cups and things like that.

I added sliced grape tomatoes and spinach to the recipe.

Ingredients-

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound chicken cutlets 

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1 large yellow onion (1 pound), halved and thinly sliced 

1/3cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes

1 cup baby spinach

Chopped parsley for garnish

Method-

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Cook the chicken, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 6 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Add onion and wine; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, golden and the liquid has evaporated about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the onion and stir to coat.
Add broth, cream, thyme, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; cook until bubbling and thickened, about 2 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and spinach to the pan.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat.
Cover and cook until the chicken is heated through, and the spinach is wilted about 2 minutes.

Black Bean and Beef Tostadas and Nachos

Something different on a Friday night. The recipe for the Tostadas came from Taste of Home. Dinner came together in 30 minutes. It was a quick and light meal. I have some baking to do tonight, so this was a perfect dinner.

Along with the Tostadas I made our house recipe for Nachos. All you do is take nacho chips and spread a few refried beans on them. Then add Diced Chili peppers and some salsa. Top with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes at 350˚.  Delicious!

Black Bean and Beef Tostadas

Ingredients-

1/2 pound lean ground beef 

5 oz ounces diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

8 oz ounces black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz ounces refried beans, warmed

8 tostada shells

Optional: Shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded lettuce, salsa, and sour cream

Method-

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes; crumble beef. 

Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered until liquid is almost evaporated, 6-8 minutes. 

Stir in black beans; heat through.

To serve, spread refried beans over tostada shells. 

Top with beef mixture; add toppings as desired.

 

Boyfriend Steak? Really?

Okay, I love the boyfriend jeans that are sold at The Loft.  And the Boyfriend Jacket that I got at J. Jill. But a Boyfriend Steak?? 

Well, the Boyfriend Steak is a thing.

A delicious thing. And a 30-minute meal with just one pan.  The recipe is from Delish.com. Quite a simple recipe to follow.

Ingredients-

FOR THE HERB BUTTER

1 stick butter, softened

1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

FOR THE STEAK

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for skillet

1 26- to 28-oz. bone-in rib eye or côte de boeuf

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method-

Preheat the oven to 350º. Make herb butter: Mix butter and parsley and shape into a log (use wax paper, if you have it). Refrigerate until firm.

Make steak: Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Season steak generously with salt and pepper.

Sear steak for 3 minutes per side, then transfer skillet to the oven to continue cooking, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer steak to a plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Top with herb butter to serve.

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Creamy Steak Fettuccine

Creamy Steak Fettuccine on a Monday night!!! Yeah, a 30-minute meal. I made the pasta yesterday. And it was nice to have a glass of wine on a Monday night and make dinner. 

It was delicious. The recipe is from Delish.com. I should have used more pasta water to thin the sauce, but that was just my opinion.

This is my version of the recipe, I left out 2 ingredients from the original.

Ingredients-
Kosher salt
12 oz. fettuccine
1 lb. sirloin steak
2 tbsp. vegetable oil 
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp. balsamic glaze

Method-
Coat both sides of steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the steak to the desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Return pasta to pot.

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute more, then slowly add milk, whisking to break up lumps, and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add Parmesan and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook until bursting, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add cooked pasta and ¼ cup reserved pasta water to skillet and toss to combine, adding more pasta water as needed. 

Top with sliced steak and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Pasta alla Gricia

I got the new Delish magazine in the mail. It is put out by the same people who have the Delish site.

The latest issue is the pasta issue. I find a perfect recipe for a Friday night and begin preparing the recipe. I go to look at the next instruction and this is what I see. A cat, but not the recipe.

Back to the recipe. I was at T & J's today, a local grocery store that has an amazing deli and meat department. Did I look for guanciale? No, of course not!

I had bacon so I used that instead. But next time I will get the guanciale.

This was easy to put together, even while enjoying a well-deserved Martini.

Ingredients-

4 oz. guanciale (bacon), diced into ¼" pieces

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 c. water

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

8 oz. tagliatelle

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Pecorino, divided, plus more for serving

Method-

In a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, cook the guanciale (bacon),  stirring frequently, until deeply golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the guanciale (bacon) to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the fat in the skillet. Add pepper and stir until fragrant.

Meanwhile, add water and salt to a medium-large pot and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until pliable but not al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Return skillet to medium-low heat. Add 1¾ cups pasta water to the pan and swirl to combine. Add par-cooked pasta and ½ cup Pecorino and stir to coat evenly. Once Pecorino is mostly melted, gradually stir in the remaining 1 cup of Pecorino in 2 batches, adding more pasta water as necessary to keep the sauce silky. Once pasta is al dente, remove from heat and continue stirring gently until sauce is smooth. 

Fold in cooked guanciale (bacon) and serve with more Pecorino.