Tonkatsu

My dad is retired Navy; have I mentioned that before?  Not sure...anyway, because of this career choice a brief snippet of my early life was spent in Japan.  I was really too young to know any different but our time there was truly amazing.  That country is GORGEOUS and man, I can't wait to go back some day.

Don't be scared.  I don't bring this up to try and force a sushi recipe on you.  So far the sushi technique has escaped me, much like grilling.  I leave that up to Rob.  Instead I have an extremely simple and TASTY dish that I bet any mid-westerners will L-O-V-E:  tonkatsu (aka breaded and deep-fried pork chops).  With me now? ;)

Tonkatsu
Recipe from Allrecipes

4 eggs
2 tsp milk
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
8 thin cut boneless pork chops (about 1/4" thick OR LESS; this is NOT a recipe for the Big Bertha pork chops I know you Iowans love)
1 1/2 - 2 cups panko crumbs

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the panko crumbs in a shallow bowl. 

I love adding more flavor to egg batters

2.  Dip pork chops in the egg mixture. Coat with panko crumbs, dip in the egg mixture again, then coat with another layer of panko crumbs (the double coating process is messy but oh-so-worth it!). Lay coated chops on a plate until the rest are finished. If you have time, let them set for about 10 minutes, and the coating will set very well. If you wish to freeze the chops (Ooo!  A Get Ahead opportunity!!), now is the time. 

Cute little pork chops...ready for freezer OR fryer!

3.  When the oil is very hot, place pork chops into the pan, and fry for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  

Drool-worthy golden color

I made some notes about this recipe...  

• Depending on the size of pan you're using, the oil may not completely cover the chops and that's ok.  This is more like shallow frying than deep frying.  
• The exact cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chops and how hot the oil is. If your chops are super thin, cook closer to 3 minutes per side. Remember, nobody likes a tough pork chop.  And contrary to popular belief, pork is NOT like chicken...it can be a little pink inside.
• ALWAYS make sure to let meat rest before eating!!  They will finish cooking while the juices redistribute.
• Though fine on it's own, the BEST way to eat tonkatsu is with sauce.  The best one I've had is a sweet plum sauce.  There are a variety of recipes out there though that range from sweet to tangy to spicy.  Try whatever suits your tastes.  If you're crazy busy some weeknight though and happen to forget about putting a sauce together (like some absent-minded Mommy of almost 2 kids who I think we all know), steak sauce works well too.

KISS Cooking Method: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Last night my exhaustion, my lack of cooking creativity was richly rewarded.  I was reminded that not only is it ok to keep meals simple, my family NEEDS simple meals sometimes.

To my humble menu of grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches (with pesto for Mama), fruit salad, and roasted broccoli, Gavin exclaims, "Oh thank you Mommy!  This is the best dinner EVER!"

I love making this little guy happy.

How do you keep things simple in your kitchen?

Strawberry Sauce

This is quickly becoming my favorite time of year.  Temps are warming up.  Kids are starting to play outside more.  Grills are getting dusted off and that smoky aroma permeates neighborhoods everywhere.  Garden stores are shouting at us all to stop in, get some plants, grow your own food.  Strawberries are in season.

Oooohhhh strawberries.....

Yes, I am that person who will sit by the fruit tray at parties and eat up all the luscious red berries first (sans dip of course, unless we're talking whipped cream).  I love, love, LOVE strawberries!  There's a winery not too far from me that not only makes strawberry wine special every year, but has this enormous festival celebrating the delightful berry gem!

I love it.

Do you ever struggle though with what to do with all the berries you've purchased?  Perhaps when they're on crazy sale you go a wee bit too crazy and have more than you can feasibly eat before they go bad.  Never fear... I have your solution!

Strawberry Sauce
Recipe from Rachael Ray

2 lbs fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
Juice of two lemons (approx. 4 tbsp)

1.  Combine the strawberries, brown sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Partially cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries are softened and release their juices, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

I've stopped measuring the sugar and juice.  Just add to taste!

2.  Pour the strawberries into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  If you have an immersion blender, use that (less dirty dishes = WOO HOO!).

Berries before.

Berries after. I love my immersion blender!

3.  Press the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a storage container.  Straining it will get out any pulp that didn't puree well, and also the bulk of the seeds, leaving you with this luscious, velvety-sweet sauce that's just AMAZING.  If the seeds don't bother you though and you're in a hurry, feel free to skip the strainer and pack up the pureed sauce as is.  The sauce will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

This seriously tastes like liquid velvet.

I've been making this sauce for years but I think this is the year for it to become MAJORLY popular in my house.  Gavin's suddenly aware of it and requests "strawberry syrup" with his pancakes every weekend now.

Scraping the sauce of his plate with his fork.

I've also discovered a new use for this sauce, as well as a new favorite summertime drink: Strawberry Soda.  Pour a tablespoon or two of the sauce into a glass with ice.  Fill glass with lime seltzer and stir to combine.  DELICIOUS!!!  I need to stock up on lime seltzer.

Pancakes.  Soda.  Those are some more obvious uses for this sauce but you can literally do anything with it.  Stir it into some plain yogurt with some chopped kiwi or pineapple.  Use it as a base for a pork tenderloin marinade.  Or just eat it over ice cream!  Explore, get creative. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

A very special I LOVE YOU to the woman who instilled in me my love of cooking. 

Thank you for letting me crack the eggs for cookies.  Thank you for letting me make you dinner, complete with overcooked broccoli.  Thank you for letting me burn the rice over and over and over again.  Thank you for teaching me that stove top burners operate on more than just HI and LOW settings. 

Thank you for letting me make pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, and for encouraging me to enter my peanut butter cookies in the 4-H fair.  And thank you for the years of experimental recipes you would try on us, many successes, and a few maybe not the most stellar recipes but we ate them anyway.  You've given me the inspiration to keep trying, to keep experimenting, to keep playing, to keep having fun.

I love you Mom!!

Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

I can trust y'all, right?  I mean, we are talking about food here... peoples' likes and dislikes and that can get pretty intense sometimes.  See, I need to confess something....I am always on the hunt for vegetarian recipes that I think my family will like.  There, I said it.  I'm in a house of carnivores, and God knows I like to eat meat too, but I also sometimes just need to change things up a little with a vegetarian option.

Baby's really into avocado, hence my heavier hand with the guac

And can I just say that it is HARD to quietly get a vegetarian dish to my table??  Knowing how much I love cooking, Rob will usually ask about what meals I'm planning because he's awesome and wants to be supportive of my obses- *ahem*, I mean hobby.  If it comes to light ahead of time that I'm working on a dish with no meat in it, I get The Look.

But this time, I won. :)  And even though I agree this would also be good with chicken in it (occasionally), we BOTH liked it despite it's lack of meat!

Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

2 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped green onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice

1.  Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook about a minute, just to soften it up a little.  Stir in beans and corn (if you're in a rush and using corn that's still frozen, add the corn first and let that heat up a minute or two before adding the beans).

Look at that COLOR!!

2.  Add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes to the skillet; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. 

3.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese on half of a tortilla.  Top with a little of the bean-corn mixture and sprinkle with some more cheese [Note: a little goes a long way].  Cook on a hot griddle or dry skillet until golden, then flip and cook on the other side.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. 

The combination of the brown sugar along with the salsa and red pepper flakes really gives this an amazing flavor.  It's so not spicy at all (but then I used medium salsa and was careful with the red pepper), rather I get this lovely warming sensation in my mouth, but it's tempered by the sweetness of the sugar.  I almost think it has a barbecue flavor but that's not entirely true.....Give it a try and let me know what you think!

As for cheese, I used two different kinds of cheeses: cheddar and pepperjack.  Cheddar is my standard go-to for all quesadillas.  And since I had some leftover pepperjack cheese from those club sandwiches (and Rob and I love the kick of pepperjack), I tore those slices up too.  Wouldn't you know but I happened to love both!  I got a better sense of the filling from the cheddar quesadillas, while the pepperjack ones satisfied my desire for spice (and, again, I can't get over how great that sweetness is in this!).


So, if you're a vegetarian or into vegetarian dishes, try this out and let me know what you think of the flavor.  If you're a Tried-and-True-sure-this-looks-great-but-I-can't-do-it Carnivore, my feelings aren't hurt. ;)  Try this with some shredded chicken or, better yet, pork. 


p.s. Just want to let you know that the leftover filling, topped with some cheese and guacamole, make awesome nachos the next day!

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

I love that I am surrounded by people who love food as much as I do.  It just makes me happy!  We all get a kick out of making food, talking about food, EATING food, and sharing it with others.

One of my coworkers shared this one with me last week.  And let me just say that the name alone had me checking my dwindling supply of Nutella to make sure I had just enough to make this bread.  This is the kind of bread that can be consumed rain or shine, happy or sad.... or if you've just returned from a particularly stressful road trip that included yourself in the same car with Those Relatives.  You know the kind I mean.

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread
Recipe adapted from Lovin' From the Oven

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup Nutella

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan (yes, you want to make sure your pan is fairly wide and shallow; a taller bread pan may result in the edges being done but the center still a gooey, raw mess.  Trust me on this one).

2.  Whisk together flour, baking soda & salt. Set aside.

Yes, you can use applesauce to replace some or all of a fat in baking

3.  In another mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and applesauce. Add the eggs and mix well. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended. Next, blend in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

I love that this recipe also uses yogurt!

4.  Microwave the Nutella for about 15 seconds until soft. Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir together.

I really could just get a spoon...

5.  Take turns spooning the nutella batter and the plain banana batter into the loaf pan. Swirl the batters with a knife.

Pretty!

6.  Bake the batter for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Polla alla Cacciatora

Polla alla whata?  Yeah, sorry...  I know the name sounds kind of weird.  Really this is like a variation on chicken cacciatore.

So I was getting my usual Saturday morning foodie fix and I watched one of the chefs prepare this.  She mentioned how this was an easy weeknight supper... yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before.  But then I really looked at her ingredients and how she was putting it all together.  Dude, this seriously is a weeknight wonder meal!  Fancy-sounding enough for company, simple, comforting, and filling enough to be just for the family, and comes together in about 30 minutes.  Wahoo!!!

Polla alla Cacciatora
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson

4-5 strips of bacon
1 tsp (ish) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
5-6 green onions
1 lb chicken thighs
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
1 (14.5oz) can Great Northern white beans (or cannellini beans, or whatever white bean you like)

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Using kitchen shears, snip bacon into pan.  Let cook a few minutes and start to crisp up a bit.

Oh fresh rosemary....I love you

2.  Also using kitchen shears, snip bits of green onion into pan with the onion.  Add rosemary.  Let cook a few more minutes and try to not stick your nose into the pan too far as you inhale the glorious aroma of fresh rosemary being cooked in bacon fat.

Seriously, the smell of this concoction cooking together is HEAVENLY!

3.  As the bacon, onion and rosemary cook, cut chicken thighs into quarters.  Add to pan with the celery salt and let brown a couple minutes.  Pour in white wine and let that come up to a simmer before adding the tomatoes, bay leaves, and sugar.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.

4.  Drain and rinse the canning juices off the white beans.  Stir into the chicken mixture and let heat through before serving.

Couple of things to make note of: I know I wasn't very exact on the time to cook the bacon because I think it's going to vary depending on how hot your skillet is.  You want to make sure though that by the time you start adding liquid to the pan that the bacon is good and crispy.  The liquids will soften the bacon no matter what so any "lightly done" bacon will seem almost raw in the finished dish.  If you want to keep that bacon crispy, I'd suggest cooking the bacon on it's own and them removing it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Cook the onions and rosemary in the bacon fat and then add the bacon back in just before you serve.

I like to eat this over rice to help soak up some of those lovely tomato/wine/bacon juices.  I think you could also eat this in a bowl with some crusty bread.  Despite some of the more intensely flavored ingredients (hello bacon, rosemary...), the resulting flavor of this dish is pretty mild in my opinion.  Between the juicy chicken, hearty beans, and wonderfully rich tomato sauce, this is just the kind of thing I'm looking for at the end of a long day.