Stuffed Pork Chops

Jerome and I ended up having the ranch to ourselves starting Saturday afternoon through Easter Sunday when we left in the evening. We decided to make dinner in the wonderful kitchen. I have had the ingredients for this recipe for about a week and we never got around to making it at home. So, I took the ingredients out to the ranch. I bought this great cookbook by Food Network - Great Easy Meals: 250 Fun & Fast Recipes. 

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 bone-in, thick-cut pork chops (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1/2 medium head escarole
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices provolone cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Dissolve 1/4 cup salt and the sugar in 3 cups warm water in a large bowl. Insert a paring knife into the curved side of each pork chop to make a deep pocket, about 2 inches wide. Soak the chops in the brine, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop the escarole and garlic. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry. Fold each cheese slice and tuck into the pocket of a pork chop, then stuff with the escarole mixture. 

 Look at the handsome chef! He's so good at grilling & cooking!

Brush the pork with olive oil, sprinkle with the sage and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the beans and 1/3 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits; season with salt and pepper. Return the pork to the skillet, cover and cook over medium heat until no longer pink, 5 to 7 more minutes. 
Serve the pork with the beans.

We were going to eat this meal in front of the tv. So, Jerome decides to cut up his food before we leave the kitchen. Good idea. Then, I see this:

Haha. He said it tasted so good, he didn't want to waste the meat he accidentally left attached to the bones. Hope that encourages you to try this meal.

Turkey Cutlets with Yummy Sides

Ok, I know I know. "This blog is back?! What about simplifying your life and not worrying about multiple blogs?" Here's the truth: I'm too OCD to combine my blogs. Have you seen my Pinterest page?!

(I had one board "Recipes" but that has been split into all the TYPES of food I have found. I had a board of "Room Designs" but that is now split into all the rooms. I had a board of "Crafts" that has been split into all the seasons/holidays.)

It's been bothering me that my recipes are on a blog with my new craft creations. Literally, I've been kinda stressing out that they were together & it didn't make sense to me. I know I'm crazy. I accept that. Can you? =)

Now to the newest recipe. The most recent cookbook purchase I've made is from Rachael Ray's new cookbook Look & Cook. There are multiple pictures for 100 recipes, step by step pictures!

I copied the recipe from her website here. Sorry there is no picture for this. But, if you have the cookbook, there are 6 pictures, 5 of the process & 1 of the result.

Turkey Cutlets with Sausage & Zucchini & Tipsy Gravy

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds turkey breast cutlets
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• Olive oil or vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 3/4 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage or 3 short links, removed from casing
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 small to medium zucchini, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper

For the gravy:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine, such as Pinot Noir
• 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4

PREPARATION

Season the turkey cutlets with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Set up separate dishes with the flour, the eggs and the breadcrumbs combined with cornmeal, cheese, orange zest and rosemary. Coat the cutlets in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the breadcrumb mixture.

In a medium size skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown and crumble it for 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, pepper, garlic, zucchini, thyme and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook until the zucchini is tender, about 10-12 minutes

Heat a sauté pan with a quarter-inch of oil over medium to medium-high heat.

Add the cutlets, in batches, and cook until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the cutlets, when cooked, to a baking rack to keep crisp.

For the gravy:

Melt the butter in small skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and reduce for a minute or so, then whisk in the stock and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Mound the sausage and zucchini on serving plates, top with the cutlets, then douse with gravy and serve.

Bayou Turkey-Barley Chowder

This is another turkey leftover recipe. It is beyond simple. We tried this one for the first time this year. My mom & I have decided that barley should be a staple in our kitchen after trying this recipe. We left out a few ingredients because we just didn't have them. I'm not really an okra fan either so I may never put that in but it was soooo good. All we needed to add was salt and pepper in individual bowls.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups turkey stock or chicken broth
• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 10 ounces fresh (or 8oz frozen) okra, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped turkey meat
• 1 pound large shrimp—peeled, deveined and chopped
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce, plus more for serving
• Sour cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups turkey stock and the barley to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, bring the remaining 3 cups stock, the tomato sauce, bell pepper and cooked barley to a boil. Stir in the okra and scallions, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the turkey and shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque, about 3 minutes; stir in the hot sauce. Serve the soup with dollops of sour cream and more hot sauce.
   
   
   

BLT Turkey Risotto

This is one of the recipes I have found and used for turkey leftovers. I made this last year for some pretty picky eaters. I was able to convince them that risotto is awesome! So, if you have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, get it out of the freezer and make this for dinner...tonight!
P.S. I use spinach instead of arugula. We don't really like the "peppery" taste of arugula at my house.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups turkey stock or chicken broth
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces sliced pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups shredded turkey meat
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 4 cups baby arugula (about 4 ounces), chopped
• 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the turkey stock to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes; using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add 2 more tablespoons butter and the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute; add the wine and cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup warm stock and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring, until the rice is al dente and cooked through, about 20 minutes (the risotto should be slightly soupy, but not runny).
3. Stir in the turkey and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the arugula, 1/2 cup cheese and the pancetta; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Leek and Potato Soup

Chicken and Noodle Stoup

Italian Sausage Soup

This is a recipe that my mom found in a Cooking Light Magazine. Every time she makes it, my dad says "This is the best thing you've made...ever." Of course, my mom has made the above picture Dad-appropriate. The tomatoes are pureed, and the spinach is left out. We add it to the bowls of people who want it, and ladle the soup on top. I have to warn you, we made the exact recipe and it was gone before anyone had seconds. The last time we made it, we doubled the recipe which was enough for dinner plus 2-3 leftover lunches. And this is great as leftovers. Enjoy!

My bowl of leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage
• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
• 1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
• 2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.
• Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil.