apologizing with pork chops

so it has been quite awhile since my last post (in october!), and for that i'm truly sorry. as final papers crept up on me and the holiday season began, my work caught up with me and i developed bronchitis. there wasn't a lot of cooking, and i didn't have much time, hence the complete lack of posts. some friends offered serious complaints, so i put together a little dinner in your honor - pork chops stuffed with blue cheese and crisp bread. i served mine with sauteed collard greens and grilled corn and peppers, but this dish would go well with a number of items.

 this dish is incredibly easy, and full of rich flavor and lots of texture. this stuffing could also work in chicken breasts, but the pork chops give a firmer texture that contrasts nicely with the crunchy french bread and creamy, tangy cheese. gorgonzola, roquefort, or feta cheese could be substituted if you aren't a big fan of blue cheese, but anyone that knows you will say that i'll put blue cheese on just about anything - this is my kind of dish.

you will need:

3-4 boneless center cut pork chops

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup french bread (i used rolls for easier measuring)

1/2 cup mushrooms

1/2 cup white onion

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

to begin, break the french bread into small pieces with your fingers.

place a skillet over medium heat, and cut the butter into three separate tablespoons. pop one into the pan and let melt completely.

drop the bread pieces into the butter and saute the bread for about ten minutes, until crisp and golden brown.

remove from heat and place into a small bowl to the side.

next, chop the onion and mushrooms into small pieces, and place another tablespoon of butter into the same skillet.

throw the mushrooms and onions into the buttered skillet, sauteing for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have a nice golden color. add the rosemary, salt and pepper while they're browning.

remove from heat and add to the bread, stirring well.

pop this bowl into the refrigerator to cool until you're ready to cook the pork chops, at least 15 minutes but up to several hours in advance.

when you're ready to eat, add the blue cheese to the bowl. use your fingers to stir well, breaking the bread into smaller pieces - this will make it easier to stuff into the pork chops.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. use a sharp knife to each pork chop down the middle, taking care to create a pocket and not just cut all the way through the chop. you can also wiggle the knife and cut across the sides of the first slit to create a bigger pocket. use your hands to get the stuffing into the chops. 

once you've gotten each chop stuffed, warm up the same skillet and melt the last tablespoon of butter. pop each chop into the warm skillet for a couple of minutes to brown.

i intentionally overstuffed my pork chops, so i was really only able to brown one side. you can stuff them less, or use toothpicks to hold the sides together if you want to brown both sides.

one they've browned, pop your pork chops into a baking dish and place into the oven for 18-22 minutes, until they're cooked through. remove from dish and serve immediately.

as i said, i served with sauteed vegetables and a cabernet sauvignon that my brother gave me for my birthday (thanks eric!). really yummy, and doesn't take long to prepare at all.

look like you spent two days in the kitchen: one-pan coq au vin

i think it's fairly clear from the cooking/writing/photographs on this blog, but in case you haven't yet picked up the subtle nuances: i have no actual culinary training. i didn't go to culinary school, i don't come from a family of professionals, and i've never been paid to make anything fancier than a latte and a sandwich. i'm just a girl who loves to cook (and really loves to eat), and i happen to have a gigantic kitchen and a crappy digital camera. unless i directly credit them, my recipes are my own bizarre creations - although i often get inspiration from television, films, and reading blogs and recipes online.

to that end: i wanted to make my husband a delicious celebratory meal, since he's leaving his past job and beginning a new and exciting one. however, as dearly as i love him, i didn't want to spend two days slaving over a coq au van when he'd never heard of the classic french dish before. i'd seen a quick-and-dirty version on bon appetit, and i knew i had my answer. what follows is my slightly adapted version, but here's my inspiration if you want a professional's opinion.

using one pan to cook all of the ingredients in allows the drippings from each ingredients to blend, so by the time things are done you've got tons of flavors. it also helps to keep the chicken really moist, and gives the sauce a lot of depth.

you will need:

3-4 large chicken breasts

4 slices bacon

4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped - i used flat leaf italian

5 oz fresh mushrooms

1 small onion - you can also use shallots

about 8 cherry or plum tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

begin by preheating the oven to a low setting - 275 or 300 degrees is fine. heat a large skillet over medium heat, and chop the bacon into small pieces. saute the bacon until it's nice and crispy.

once the bacon is browned and crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and set aside until a bit later.

rinse the chicken breasts in cold water, and pat dry. save 4 tablespoons of the flour in a small bowl for later, and put the rest into another bowl. cover the chicken well with the flour so that it sticks to both sides, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and add the chicken to the skillet with the bacon fat. top with about half of the chopped parsley.

continue to cook the chicken breasts until they're golden brown and cooked through, about 6-7 minutes on each side.

remove the breasts from the pan and place them into a pie pan or pyrex dish.

cover these guys with aluminum foil and pop them into the preheated oven - just to keep them warm while you're preparing the rest of the sauce.

grab your mushrooms and onion and chop everything up into small pieces.

throw these into the same pan, and top with a bit more salt and pepper. saute them together for about 5 minutes, until they're a golden brown color.

press or finely chop the garlic, then add to the pan. let sautee for one minute, then add the wine, 1 cup of the chicken stock, the bacon, and the rest of the parsley.

let everything continue to heat up in the pan. dice the tomatoes and add them to the pan.

turn the heat up and let the sauce come to a boil, and keep it boiling for 10 minutes.

in a bowl, combine the flour and the last 1/4 cup of chicken stock. make sure they're well mixed together, then add to the sauce.

continue to cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened - another 5 minutes or so.

remove the chicken from the oven, and arrange on your plates or on a platter. stir any extra drippings from the pyrex baking dish into the sauce, then spoon over the chicken.

this is delicious with buttered vegetables, which is how i served it for us.

pan-fried cod and garlic/mushroom risotto

the idea of this blog was to get me to expand my horizons and experiment, and while i've definitely tried some new things i want to push the envelop a bit more and really start cooking things i've never tried to make before. what's the fun of getting your masters in gastronomy if you don't experiment a bit with new techniques? so in that vein...

i've never actually fried fish before, and i'd also never made risotto before, so with all the fish in my freezer and the bags and bags of rice i seem to have mysteriously acquired, i figured it was time to experiment. they actually turned out quite well, although i meant to make broccoli as well and completely forgot so it was a rather beige meal.

risotto isn't as complicated to make as i thought, but it is time consuming - at least an hour, potentially longer depending on how much you're making. if you happen to be a full time masters student and have hours of reading every week, like myself, this might be the meal for you. if you're looking for a quick meal on a weeknight, i'd save this for another evening.

you will need:

1 1/4 cup long grain rice

4-5 cloves of garlic

14 oz chicken stock

14 oz water

few tbsp olive oil

about 1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

3-4 filets of fish, fresh or frozen (i used cod because i had it but this will work with any white fish)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to taste

vegetable oil for frying

since the risotto takes a lot longer to do, we'll start there. you don't have to roast your garlic, but it gives the risotto a great flavor. (it'll still taste good if you don't feel like doing this.) preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and peel the garlic cloves and wrap them in aluminum foil. cover them with a few dribbles of olive oil.

pop this into the oven for about 50 minutes. 

you can do this while you prepare the risotto, since it takes awhile and the garlic won't go in until the very end.

for the risotto, begin by throwing the water and chicken stock into a saucepan and bringing it up to a simmer. drizzle a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large pan and put over medium heat. once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion.

saute these for a minute or two, then add the mushrooms. top with salt and pepper.

saute these together for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to release their juices. everything should be beginning to brown.

add the rice, and let it cook for a minute or two to toast. 

then, ladle 2 scoops of the chicken stock mixture into the pan. stir and let simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

continue this process of adding liquid and letting it absorb until all of the liquid is used up. this can take around 30 minutes or more. the rice should be cooked but not mushy, and starts to look creamy.

once the liquid is gone, add the garlic, cheese, and butter. (i also threw in some herbs and spices - ground mustard, basil and parsley, as well as some more salt and pepper.) turn off the heat, let sit for a few minutes and it'll be ready to serve. sorry for the lack of pictures of the finished product - steve got home and i was starving!

onto the fish - if your fish smells pretty strongly and you want to cut the fishiness a bit, soak the filets in water with some salt for a few minutes (up to an hour). won't hurt the fish and helps to keep it from being too overwhelming. since my fish was frozen, i did soak it for about 20 minutes.

grab several bowls and prep your assembly line - 1 bowl with flour, 1 with the egg and milk (whisked lightly together), and 1 with breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

pat the fish dry, then put it through the assembly line - flour, egg mixture, then breadcrumbs. once your fish is prepped, grab a large frying pan with high sides and put about an inch of vegetable oil in. heat it on medium until the oil is hot, then drop your fish in carefully.

keep an eye on these, because they only need 2-4 minutes. you want them to be a beautiful golden brown. take them out and serve immediately with your risotto (and vegetables, if you can get it together better than i can!).

i know it's a lot of beige, but i promise that both the fish and risotto are absolutely delicious.

i'm trying to decide what to make next, and i have a little list going. any requests? i'm thinking of trying french onion soup, tomato bisque, pesto lasagna, potato leek soup a la julia child, perhaps some huevos rancheros or jumbalaya...?

the ultimate blt - my version

my husband and i are going to be moving soon (not sure where, but hopefully somewhere fantastic with a big kitchen), so rather than buying new groceries i'm trying to clean out our freezer and pantry so that we'll have less stuff to transport. i had some bacon left over from another recipe, so i decided to make blts for dinner. i've made them before, but (i'm sure you're sensing a pattern here, if you've been following this blog for even a few entries) i never make my blts the same way twice. i decided to google "ultimate blt" for some inspiration...

...and let me just say, woah.

there are tons and tons of options and combinations of flavors. everyone's got the best, the most unique, the most flavorful, the most satisfying blt recipe on the planet. now, i'm not going to say that my blt is mindblowing or will save the world, but it is pretty delicious and unlike any i've had in a restaurant.

feel free to experiment, or to replace ingredients i have listed with your personal favorites, but below is the recipe i used to make my sandwiches.

you will need:

1 cup mayonaise

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp basil pesto

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp basil, finely chopped

1 tsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp crushed red pepper

4 slices sourdough bread

2 roma tomatoes

1 cup fresh spinach

8 slices bacon

2 slices gouda cheese

for the spread, i made a type of garlic mayonnaise (aioli) to use on my sandwiches. i took the easy route and used regular mayonnaise as a base, but if you want to get fancy about it you can make it yourself from scratch.

combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic and pesto in a small bowl and stir well.

cover your aioli and put into the refrigerator for at least an hour. this is enough spread for two sandwiches, but this keeps well so you can double or triple the recipe to have on hand if you like.

to give the tomatoes lots of flavor, i marinated mine for a few hours. begin by slicing your tomatoes into nice, thick slices.

these are roma tomatoes, which were the best i could find at my local supermarket. if you can get your hands on a nicer type, like an heirloom variety, this is a great way to use them - the flavors are incredible.

once your tomatoes are all sliced, nestle them together into a bowl.

top them with the olive oil, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. cover and allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

when you're ready to assemble your sandwiches, warm up a large pan or griddle pan and arrange the bacon flat inside of it.

let the bacon sizzle away. when it's time to flip, cover the cooked sides with the ground mustard and crushed red pepper. allow to continue cooking until it's reached desired crispiness.

remove bacon from the pan and blot on paper towels.

lightly toast your bread, then spread each side generously with the aioli spread.

on one side, arrange the spinach in a thick layer.

stack several of the marinated tomatoes on top of the spinach.

then top with several slices of crispy bacon...

...and finish with a slice of gouda.

slice and enjoy!

ricotta gnocchi with pesto, shrimp and asparagus

last night we had our friend oliver over, and i wanted to make a new twist on something i've tried before - gnocchi made with ricotta cheese, instead of the traditional potato. i had found a recipe online that featured gnocchi with pesto and chopped shrimp, and it sounded absolutely delicious - i really wanted to combine it with the ricotta gnocchi i'd made a few months ago, and it turned out really nicely. (it's also completely vegetarian - this one's for you, cate!) i served this with a spinach and arugula salad, and an individual chocolate soufflé for dessert - it's the post right below this one, if you want to make the whole meal.

the gnocchi are not complicated to make, but you can certainly buy them pre-made and frozen if you don't have time to make your own. likewise, i would encourage you to make your own pesto for the sauce - i didn't have time to do both, but i'll make it at some point to post here.

you will need:

16 ounces of ricotta cheese

 1 large egg

3/4 cup grated parmesean cheese

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chopped asparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1 pound shrimp, no skin or tails, chopped into small pieces

2 tbsp basil pesto

in a big bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, lemon juice, flour, basil, and parmesean cheese. top with salt and pepper and mix well.

cover with saran wrap and pop it into the refrigerator for 15 minutes. once it's chilled, pull this out and check on the texture - you want it to be easy to roll, not tacky. if it feels sticky, mix in additional flour until it reaches the right consistency. stick it back into the refrigerator for another 15 minutes, or until you're ready for the next step.

 put a large pot of water onto the stove and bring to a boil, adding a few pinches of salt. grab a large plate and keep it next to your workspace to stack the gnocchi on.

sprinkle flour onto your work surface. unwrap your chilled dough and grab a medium-sized ball, about the size of a tennis ball.

roll the dough out until it's a long tube, about an inch thick.

 use a sharp knife, and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. stack these on your plate, and repeat with the entire batch of dough.

for the sauce, put your chopped shrimp and asparagus into a large saucepan with a bit of olive oil.

throw in some salt and pepper, and add the pesto. stir well and bring to medium heat. let this simmer for a few minutes until the shrimp are cooked and the asparagus is crunchy, then bring down to low heat.

to cook the gnocchi, drop about 10 into the pot of boiling water. they will initially sink to the bottom.

keep an eye on these - once they float to the top, let them cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from the water.

when the gnocchi are out of the water, put them right into the saucepan with the shrimp and asparagus. let the gnocchi get covered in the pesto, and keep them in the pan until all the gnocchi are cooked and mixed in.

get everything into a serving dish, top with some extra parmesean cheese and chopped basil, and serve immediately (preferably with a delicious sauvignon blanc).