Pounded Pork
One of my all time favorite “go to” recipes!
INGREDIENTS
4 (1 Inch Thick) Center Cut Pork Chops
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
1 Cup Bread Crumbs (Lightly Toasted)
¼ Cup Plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Bunch Arugula
1 Diced Tomato
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Using a meat mallet, carefully pound the pork chops until they are ¼ inch thick. You can remove the bone if you want, but you don’t have to. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the beaten eggs. Allow the excess to drip off . Dredge each pork chop in the bread crumbs and set on a plate. In a large skillet heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the butter and allow it to foam for 15 seconds. Place the chops in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown on one side. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over an even medium heat so that they cook through without burning the bread crumb crust. Using tongs carefully turn the chops and cook on the other side for 5 more minutes until light golden brown. Add more oil if necessary (1/2 tablespoon at a time to avoid scorching the breading).
In a large bowl combine the arugula (remove the stems) and tomatoes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to coat the greens. Place one pork chop on each of the four warmed dinner plates. Divide the arugula salad evenly among the plates and serve immediately. Serves 4
Weekend Waffles
Waffles can be frozen and then reheated. Make a large batch ahead of time and let cool on a cooling rack. Freeze in airtight storage bags then heat in an oven or microwave.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Separated Eggs
1 Cup Milk
4 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
In a large size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff. Add milk and egg yolks to the flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla to the batter and mix well. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour about 2/3 to ¾ cup of the batter into the middle of the waffle iron. Cook for 6 minutes until golden brown. Makes 4 to 6 waffles.
Perfect Pecan Pie
INGREDIENTS
9 Inch Pie Shell
3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons Melted & Cooled Unsalted Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Pecan Halves
1 Cup Chilled Heavy Whipped Cream (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the pie pan with the pastry and crimp the edges and store in the refrigerator while preparing the filling. In a large bowl beat the eggs until blended, but not too much. You don’t want the eggs to be frothy. Stir in the corn syrup and the vanilla. In a separate small bowl mix together the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the sugars, the melted butter and salt into the egg mixture. Spread 1 cup of the pecans on the bottom of the pastry shell. Pour the filling mixture over the pecans. Pour the remaining 1 cup of pecan over the top of the mixture and even them out. Bake the pie for 60 minutes until the filling is slightly puffed and the inserted knife comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. If you would like to serve whip cream then whip the cream and serve it on the side. Serves 8
Steamed Lobster
Easier to cook than to eat! All you need is a large pot and water!
INGREDIENTS
Water
2 Lobsters (2 Pounds Each)
Melted Butter
In a pot large enough to hold both lobsters add 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. If you have a steaming rack for your pot then use it as it will help prevent the lobsters from touching the bottom of the pot and charring. If you don’t have a steaming rack then don’t worry about it. Add the lobsters and steam for 15 minutes. Remove the lobsters and let them cool for 10 minutes before removing the claw and tail meat from the shells. Serve with melted butter if you desire. Serves 4
Seared Scallops
So easy and so delicious! Perfect for the Feast of the Seven Fishes!
INGREDIENTS
16 Sea Scallops
¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Cold Unsalted Butter (Cut Into Small Pieces)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Juiced Lemon
1 Tablespoon Flat Leaf Parsley
Season the scallops with the salt & pepper. In a large skillet warm up 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the scallops. Make sure not to overcrowd them in the pan. Leave them alone until they form a crust on the bottom. Turn them over on the other side and cook them until the crust forms. Remove the scallops from the pan and place them in a baking dish. Place them in a preheated 450° F oven for 5 minutes. Melt the rest of the butter in a separate pan on the stove. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Stir. When the scallops are ready take them out of the oven and place on a serving platter. Add the butter sauce and serve. Serves 4
Country French Onion Soup
This soup is absolutely delicious! I love to make this soup every chance that I get.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 Cups Sliced Onions
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Fresh Garlic
2 ½ Cups Water
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
21 Ounces Beef Broth
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
Croutons:
¼ Cup Butter
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil Leaves
½ Teaspoon Finely Chopped Fresh Garlic
3 Cups 1 Inch Cubed Bread
Topping:
6 Ounces Sliced Provolone Cheese
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a 3 quart saucepan until the butter is sizzling. Add the onions and garlic. Cook over a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for 8 minutes. The onions should be tender. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Add all of the remaining soup ingredients and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt ¼ cup of the butter in a 13/9 inch baking pan in the oven for 6 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of basil and ½ teaspoon of garlic. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Bake for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. You want the bread cubes toasted. Pour the soup into oven proof bowls. Place 1 slice of cheese in each bowl. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with the croutons. Serves 4
Butterscotch Pie
INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Scalding Milk
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3 Eggs Separated
1 ½ Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Baked Pastry Shell
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Combine the brown sugar and white sugar with the flour. Gradually add the hot milk. Stir constantly to make a smooth mixture. Add the salt and cook in the top of a double boiler for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickened. Pour part of the hot mixture slowly onto the well beaten egg yolks. Stir constantly. Pour back into the double boiler. Mix well and cook not more than 3 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cool. Add the vanilla and stir. Pour into the baked pastry shell. Make the meringue by beating the egg whites until they are stiff. Add the sugar and beat. Gradually add the vanilla and beat until well blended. Cover with the meringue using the remaining egg whites. Brown in the preheated 300° F oven for 20 minutes. Makes 1 pie.
Brownie Bites
All you need is a round biscuit cutter!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
2 ¼ Cups Sugar
1 ¼ Cups Cocoa Powder
1 Tablespoon Espresso Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Pecans (Optional)
Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a saucepan melt the butter over a low heat. Add the sugar to the melted butter and stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs. Stir until smooth. Add the flour, chocolate chips and pecans (optional). Stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. The brownies should feel set on the edges and barely set in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour. Using a 1 ½ inch round biscuit cutter cut out as many circles as possible. You should get about 38 circles. Wrap well to store. When you are ready to serve, garnish the Brownie Bites with whipped cream, cherry topping or shaved chocolate. You can save the scraps and crumble on top of ice cream for a whole different dessert. Makes 38 Brownie Bites
Chocolate Truffle Cake
If you love chocolate then this cake is for you! It is dense and pure chocolate. Chocolate Truffle Cake is great for special occasions and especially birthdays!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
14 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
9 Large Separated Eggs
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Almonds for Garnish (Optional)
Preheat the oven to 300° F. Remove the bottom from a 9×3 inch springform pan and cover the bottom with foil. Wrap the foil around to the underside. This will make it easier to remove the cake from the pan. Replace the bottom. Grease and flour the foil bottom and side of the pan. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter with all of the chocolate over a low heat. Stir constantly. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar for about 5 minutes with a mixer and 10 minutes by hand. The goal is to get the mixture very thick and lemon colored. With a rubber spatula, stir the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. In a separate large bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Make sure that the beaters are clean before beating the egg whites. With a wire whisk or rubber spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the egg whites one third at a time. Do not mix them in. We want to be gentle with the egg whites. Now, spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Do not over bake because the cake will firm up when chilled. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight in the pan. To remove the cake from the pan run a hot knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the side of the pan and invert the cake onto a cake plate. Unwrap the foil on the bottom and lift off the bottom of the pan. Carefully peel the foil from the cake. Garnish with almonds or other nuts if you like. Makes 20 servings
Lemon Pudding
INGREDIENTS
2/3 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 ½ Cups Milk
2 Large Egg Yolks
1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
Whipping Cream For Garnish
In a large saucepan stir the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt with a wire whisk. Make sure that the ingredients are well blended. Stir in a small amount of milk until smooth and then stir in the remaining milk. Cook over a medium high heat. Wisk constantly until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil for one minute and continue to whisk. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks and lemon juice. Into the yolks whisk half of the hot milk mixture and then pour the yolk mixture back into the milk mixture in the saucepan. Stir rapidly to prevent lumping. Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes until very thick. Make sure to stir constantly. You don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and spoon the pudding into shallow bowls or parfait glasses. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming as the pudding cools. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.
