The beauty of regional foods and a little imagination is that you can be transported to other lands simply by embracing the dining experience. Would you like to fly off to Normandy France? Place Poulet Normandie (Chicken Normandy) on your menu planner. Imagine whole chicken legs braised with onions, apples and brandy or cognac. I promise you, this dish is so unbelievable good – only the strongest of self control will keep you from licking the plates!
Hamburger Helper Style Stroganoff without the Box
Here we are, installment five of the Hamburger Helper series. Just remember, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it’s not necessarily a duck. How many of you remember the popular “Hamburger Helper” first introduced to the American Consumer in the early 1970s? The timing of this “convenient” form of cooking wasn’t by chance. It was a result of a corporation seizing the moment. On the heals of the Civil Rights Movement; the Woman’s Movement began to build momentum as women left the kitchen and joined the work force seeking more than jobs, they wanted careers and to be viewed as equals.
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Getting Back to the Basics with Fried Pork Chops and Country Gravy
Sometimes you just get a hankering for down-home country cookin’. While most “country” cooks might dip their chops in an egg wash and give ’em a dusting of flour or breadcrumbs before frying in oil, I’m going “naked” – a little salt, a little fresh cracked pepper and a little olive oil to “crisp” things up. The flavor is pure, simple and unadorned. Make no mistake about it – a “naked” pork chop is delightfully delicious. This basic recipe could easily be made with Pork Tenderloin Medallions. Simply buy a tenderloin and slice into 1″ thick medallions seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook as you would the pork chops and serve with gravy.
When it comes to good old fashion gravy, hands down my Dad makes the best gravy. Although he never knew he was making a roux with bacon drippings and flour, that fat to flour ratio is the bases for his country gravy. Pan drippings from roasted or fried meats are always a good place to start, but sometimes you don’t necessarily have much in the way of pan drippings, especially when it comes to pork chops, so bacon drippings to the rescue! We always keep a jar of bacon drippings in the fridge – it’s so versatile. Great for seasoning your skillet for Southern Style Cornbread or adding extra flavor to your Refried Beans. We use bacon drippings so often that there are times when I need to cook up a pound or two of bacon (usually for breakfast or my personal favorite a California Avocado BLT Sandwich) just to get more drippings. The beauty of this bacon-dripping based gravy is that you can make it anytime – served with pork chops (like now) or fried chicken If you are ever in the mood for not much more than smokey, flavorful gravy and mashed potatoes, then a simple bacon based gravy is great.
Simple Pork Chops with Country Gravy
Simple Pork Chops
4 Pork Chops, 1 inch thick
Coarse Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Rub; press seasoning into the chops and allow to rest 15-20 minutes before cooking.
Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chops, sear for 1 minute. Using tongs, turn and sear other side for 1 minute.
Lower heat. Turn chops with tongs, cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Turn with tongs, and continue to simmer, covered, for 4 minutes longer or until cooked through.
Remove from pan. Place on cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Allow meat to rest for 5-10 minutes. While meat is resting, make gravy.
To serve, cut pork chops into thin slices and fan on individual plates. Drizzle with gravy and serve.
Country Gravy
2 Tablespoons bacon drippings
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Cup Chicken stock
1/2 Cup Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste
Add bacon drippings to same skillet used for pork chops and heat over medium-low heat. Let drippings melt and become a part of the pan drippings from the pork chops.
Sprinkle flour over bacon drippings and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until blended and foamy. Pour stock a little at a time into skillet and whisk to blend. Add milk, salt and pepper to taste. Increase to medium heat, stir until thickened, scrapping up any browned pieces remaining in pan. Cook to desired consistency.
Spaghetti with a Meaty Ragù
A while back, Kiddo was given a strange gift – a small bottle of top-shelf imported Italian Balsamic Vinegar. I say strange because Balsamic Vinegar is not a typical gift to give a twenty-something guy. Kiddo in turn gave the bottle to me.
Chorizo Crunch Wrap – Double the Pleasure!
Have you ever noticed that when a fast food or chain restaurant has a hit on their hands, dozens of Copy-Cat recipes flood the foodie world? Everywhere you look, at every turn there’s a Copy-Cat in books, magazines, the internet and even within the restaurant industry itself.
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Here’s another quick lesson in cuts of meat. You have heard the expression in Real Estate it’s all about location, location, location. The same holds true for steaks. People often get confused when it comes to certain cuts of meat such as a New York Strip or a Rib-Eye. While both cuts can be purchased boneless, the New York Strip should NEVER have a bone as it is one half of a Porterhouse or T-Bone, the other side of the bone being a small taste of a Filet Mignon. And then there’s that whole location thing. The Rib Eye comes from (wait for it) the cow’s rib area. Imagine that! The New York hails from the cow’s loin area. Rib Eye is fatter and more tender than the New York Strip. The Rib Eye can be had boneless or bone in. Personally, I thing having a bone adds flavor, but that’s just me. Rib Eye and New York both are considered a premium cut of meat. Recently, while dining in the beef capital of the planet, Wyoming, Hubby and I ordered these two steaks. I chose the Rib-eye while Hubby had the New York Strip. This wasn’t done as individual preferences but rather because the Rib Eye had a smaller cut, 14 ounces, while the New York’s -smallest strip was 29 ounces. I’m glad we ordered different cuts of steak. It gave us a chance to sample them side by side. While the Rib Eye was far more tender, the New York had a more intense beefy flavor. While this recipe calls for Rib Eye, you could always use a New York Strip instead.
A few quick tips to help everything come together smoothly.
- Start preheating the oven to roast the garlic first.
- Make marinade and get the steaks into the refrigerator to start the marinating process. By now, the oven should be heated for the garlic.
- Pop the garlic into the oven, begin roasting. While garlic roasts, mix up all the ingredients for the glaze.
- If desired, strain grilling glaze for a smooth finish just before serving.
Grilled Rib Eye Streaks with Jack Daniel’s Grilling Glaze
INGREDIENTS – STEAKS
4 Rib Eye Steaks (8 oz each, ¾-inch thick)
2 Limes
½ Cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Olive oil or cooking spray for grill
INGREDIENTS – JACK DANIEL’S GRILLING GLAZE
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons minced white onion
1 tablespoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 tablespoon crushed pineapple
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
FOR STEAKS: Slice limes in half, rub fresh lime on steaks. Rub salt into steak. Squeeze lime juice into bowl. Whisk in Jack Daniels, garlic cloves and black pepper. Allow steaks to marinade for several hours in refrigerator. Don’t let the strange color of the meat scare you – the lime juice will start to “cook” the meat with its high acid content. The steaks will cook up beautifully.
Remove steaks from refrigerator and allow to continue to marinade while coming to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
While steaks come to temperature, prepare grill. Wipe or spray grill grate with olive oil or cooking spray.
Remove steaks from marinade. Pat dry and brush with grilling glaze. Grill to desired doneness, about 3-5 minutes per side, turning only once.
Remove steaks from grill, transfer to round plate (stack if necessary) and cover with stainless steel bowl inverted. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving. (If you don’t have a stainless steel bowl, cover serving platter with foil).
Serve steaks with any remaining grilling sauce on the side for “dipping” if desired.
FOR JACK DANIEL’S GLAZE: Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
Cut about 1/2-inch off of top of garlic. Cut the roots so that the garlic will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but leave enough so that the cloves stay together. Put garlic into a small casserole dish or baking pan, drizzle olive oil over it, and cover with a lid or foil. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 45.
Remove garlic and let it cool until you can handle it. This should take about 15 minutes. As the garlic cools, spread the bulb open to allow for faster cooling.
Combine water, pineapple juice, Teriyiaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils then reduce heat until mixture is just simmering.
Squeeze the sides of the head of garlic until the pasty roasted garlic is squeezed out. Discard remaining skin and whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
Let mixture simmer over medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes or until sauce has reduced by about 1/2 and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn’t boil over.
Let glaze sit until ready to use, stirring occasionally.
Big Smokin’ Burgers on Toasted Onion Rolls
And so the quest for the perfect grilled burger continues. Not that there is such a thing as the quintessential recipe when it comes to grilled burgers. I’ve been grilling up burgers for years and have yet to find one recipe that outshines all others. Truth be told, each blend of ingredients brings its own signature distinction to the grill. Just as the buns and toppings bring something to the plate. Burgers on grilled sourdough bread (such as patty melts) doesn’t necessarily upstage burgers on a buttery brioche bun or toasted onion bun.
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Aidells Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Kabobs
Hubby, Kiddo and I are an unusual family. We live together, play together and up until recently even worked together. Yep, for years we all worked for the same party and event rental company. Together we have been involved in the behind the scenes productions of high-end events from celebrity weddings to red carpet affairs, from Grand Prix racing to soccer matches and everything in between. While my guys are still working in the event industry, I am now retired.
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Fabulous Filipino Barbecue
My family spent the summer of 1965 in the Philippines, getting to know Mom’s side of the family. We stayed in her childhood home and immersed ourselves in a world that at first glance seemed very different from the one we knew “back home” in America. Yet, strip away the outward surroundings, and it really wasn’t different at all. The same can be said for families everywhere. Families gathered, visited, enjoyed one another and ate. When you think about it, a typical family scene plays out every day throughout the world. The “native” foods vary from country to country and the language spoken might not be the same, but the warmth, laughter and the love for one another are universal.
Traveling Dinner Party – Part 1 – Introduction
Have you ever had a meal that you wish could go on forever and a day? Have you ever planned an entire menu that was better suited to another time – say in the spirit of the Edwardian in era?
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Franks and Beans and Childhood Memories
Kiddo came wandering into the kitchen and offered to help with dinner. I love that about him – offering to help. I told him I had dinner under control. I mean, how much help do you need when making Franks and Beans?
Pacific Dover Sole Meunière
In my mind, nothing renews the soul more profoundly than spending time in the Pacific Northwest – the morning mist, the rhythm of the sea and forlorn cries of gulls circling overhead – there is no comparison.
Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry with Ramen Noodles
A family that cooks together, stays together. Okay, maybe not, but it sounds reasonable. Kiddo and I have spent enough time in the kitchen together to have that rhythm – almost like a dance, each knowing the other’s style, steps and timing. As for Hubby, we do well together when I prep and he grills. In the kitchen, my Master Griller becomes all-thumbs – and to equate it to dancing, it’s more like a stomp. Hubby tends to want to clean before we are ready to clean. For example, I’ll chop a veggie, place it in the pan, leaving the chopping board and knife on the counter. When I reach for it again, he’s already washed, dried and put it all away. (After a lifetime of marriage, you would think he understood – on counter, going to use again – in sink, okay to wash).
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Pasta Prima Ravioli
This original recipe was inspired by a recipe I found at Taste of Home for Ravioli with Italian Sausage. Their recipe looked yummy. Cheese Ravioli, Italian Sausage, a meatless Pasta Sauce, chopped green bell peppers and Parmesan Cheese – what was not to like? I put it on my meal planner. Yeah, a quick weeknight supper. And it wouldn’t overheat our cozy kitchen on a warm summer night.
Antipasto Platter
Recently, my baby sister invited Hubby, Kiddo and I to her home for an evening of Liar’s Dice. She was making a big pot of Spaghetti, bread and a salad. I wanted to bring something keeping with her Italian supper theme. If you haven’t noticed by now, let me clue you in – when invited to a party I always offer to bring a little something, and then go a little nuts. Dish after dish – not just one appetizer or side dish, but a trunk-load.
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Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 