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Tuscan Pork Cutlets

Tuscan Pork Cutlets

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with cauliflower scampi

Yield: 2 Servings

Adapted from: Home Chef

Brightness abounds, with a tomato-y Parmesan sauce, with a hint of spice making the perfect adornment for the tender and lean pork chop. The cauliflower scampi brings the divine decadence.

Note: A green side dish would be a welcome additional to balance the meal.

  • 1TBS grated parmesan
  • 1½TBS butter
  • 1tsp Italian seasoning
  • ¼oz parsley
  • ¼tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2tsp chicken demi-glace
  • 1Roma tomato
  • 12oz cauliflower florets
  • 12oz boneless pork cutlets
  • 2garlic cloves
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • cooking spray


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray.

Roast the Cauliflower:

Cut cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces. Place cauliflower on prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 TBS olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. Massage oil and seasoning into cauliflower. Spread into a single layer. Roast in hot oven until browned and tender, 20-25 minutes. While cauliflower roasts, prepare ingredients.

Prepare the Ingredients:

Core tomato and cut into ¼” dice. Stem and mince parsley. Mince garlic.

Unless your pork is well marbled, tenderize it was a jacquard.

Pat pork chops dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Season one side with ½-tsp of Italian seasoning.

Make the Scampi Butter

Place a medium non-stick pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add butter, garlic, and a pinch of salt to hot pan and stir constantly until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Once golden brown, immediately transfer scampi butter to a mixing bowl. Set it aside.

Cook the Pork Cutlets:

Return pan used to make scampi butter to medium heat and add 2 tsp olive oil. Add pork cutlets to hot pan, seasoned side down. Cook until golden brown and cutlets reach a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer pork cutlets to a plate and tent with foil.

Make Sauce and Finish Dish:

Return pan used to cook cutlets to medium-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add chicken BTB, tomato, ½-tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ cup water, and 1 tsp Parmesan (reserve remaining for cauliflower) to hot pan. Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, stir occasionally until slightly thickened, 1-3 minutes. Remove from burner and add red pepper flakes (to taste).

Add roasted cauliflower, parsley, and remaining Parmesan to bowl with scampi butter. Stir to combine.

Plate dish, topping pork cutlets with sauce. Bon appétit!

Seafood Kabobs

Seafood Kabobs

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Yield: per Kabob

Scott Nowell

My version of a seafood skewer we had in the Latin Quarter of Paris in Sept 1999.
The skewers were about 18” long with 4 shrimp and a center salmon steak. Each is interspersed with a wedge of onion and round of zucchini.

For the Marinade:

  • ⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 4garlic cloves minced
  • ¼cup packed chopped fresh parsley
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1tsp paprika
  • ½tsp coriander
  • ½tsp red pepper flakes

For the Seafood & Veg:

  • 1salmon steak about 1-inch thick
  • 2-4shrimp (16-20) peeled and deveined
  • 1onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • ½zucchini, cut into ¾ to 1-inch-thick rounds.
  • 3-4button mushrooms, can be cut into halves
  • Kosher salt

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 2 TBS of the marinade in a separate bowl for later.

Pat the shrimp and salmon dry and season with kosher salt. Place the shrimp and salmon in a large bowl and pour the marinade all over. Toss to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes (do not go longer).

Thread the skewers: (If using bamboo skewers, they need to be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes first).

18” Skewers: Shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, salmon steak, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp.

12” Skewers: Shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, salmon steak, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp.

To grill on an outdoor grill: Preheat grill to high. Then, reduce heat to low (temperature should be somewhere between 275 to 325ºF). Carefully oil the cooking grates. Once the grill reaches the recommended temperature, add the seafood skewers and close the lid. Cook skewers for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until no longer translucent.

To grill on an indoor griddle or cast-iron grill: Heat a dry griddle over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the seafood skewers and cook on one side about 3 or 4 minutes. Turn skewers over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

To broil: Adjust oven rack to be 5- to 6-inches below the burner. Place skewers on a lined broiler pan or half sheet pan. Broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn skewers over and broil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the grilled skewers to platter and spoon the remaining marinade your reserved earlier over the grilled skewers. Add a splash of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Leftovers: To store leftover grilled shrimp, remove it from the skewers. Store in a co9vered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can enjoy it cold as an appetizer or over a salad.

Chicken Chop Suey 😐

Chicken Chop Suey 😐

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Yield: 4 Servings

TheWoksOfLife

Chop Suey (杂碎, zásuì in Mandarin) refers to “odds and ends” or miscellaneous leftovers. It’s a dish combining all those odds and ends into a stir-fry of meat and vegetables, coated in a tasty sauce.
Notes: Sadly, not thrilled with this. Gayle thought it has a funky taste, probably from the Sesame Oil.

For the chicken & marinade:

  • 12oz boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced into ¼” thick slices)
  • 3TBS water
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • 1tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1tsp vegetable oil
  • 2tsp cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • ½cup chicken stock
  • ¼tsp granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1½TBS soy sauce
  • 1tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1½TBS oyster sauce
  • ½tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ⅛tsp white pepper

For the rest of the dish:

  • 3TBS vegetable oil
  • 2cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 4mushrooms (white button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced)
  • ½small carrot (thinly sliced)
  • ⅔cup celery (thinly sliced)
  • 6oz bok choy, cut into ¾” x 2” pieces, (I usually skip this)
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • ¾cup mung bean sprouts (3 oz)
  • 1cup snow peas (3 oz)
  • 1½TBS corn starch (mixed with 2 TBS water)


Marinate chicken:

Combine the sliced chicken with water, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Massage the chicken until it absorbs all the liquid. Next, mix in 1 tsp oil and 2 tsp cornstarch until the chicken is uniformly coated. Set it aside.

Premix sauce:

In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients, and set aside.

Stir fry chicken:

Heat your wok over high heat until lightly smoking and pour 2 TBS vegetable oil around the perimeter. Spread the chicken in a single layer.

Sear for a few seconds, and then stir-fry the chicken for another 15 seconds, or until it is lightly golden-brown and opaque. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside. (It should be about 80% cooked at this point.)

Turn heat back up to high and add an additional TBS of oil along with the chopped garlic. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add in the mushrooms, carrots, and celery. Stir fry for 20 seconds and add the bok choy. Give everything a good stir and spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok to deglaze it.

Make sauce:

Next, stir up your premixed chop suey sauce and spread that around the perimeter to further deglaze the wok. Use your wok spatula to give everything a quick stir.

Once the sauce begins to simmer, add in your bean sprouts, and snow peas. Also add the chicken back to the wok.

When the sauce gets to a strong simmer or boil, mix up your cornstarch slurry. Drizzle it into the sauce, stirring constantly, until it thickens to a consistency you like. Add more cornstarch slurry mix if you like the sauce thicker. Cook for another 10 seconds to ensure everything is coated with the sauce.

Serve immediately with steamed rice!

Beef with Snow Peas

Beef with Snow Peas

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Yield: 3 to 4

Adapted from: Omnivore’s Cookbook

Beef with snow peas features thin slices of beef with crisp snow peas and a hearty brown sauce. The sauce has a savory and slightly sweet flavor.  The beef is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch to help tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor.

Marinade:

  • 1lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain (or skirt steak)
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • 2TBS Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1TBS vegetable oil
  • 1TBS cornstarch

Sauce:

  • ¼cup chicken stock
  • 1½TBS oyster sauce
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 1tsp dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
  • ½tsp sugar
  • 1tsp cornstarch
  • 1tsp sesame oil

Stir fry:

  • 1-2TBS peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 2cups snow peas
  • 1onion 
  • 1tsp ginger, minced
  • 1clove garlic, minced


Note:
Flank steak is usually too wide for bite sized pieces, so it’s best to cut it in half lengthwise and then thinly slice each half.

Marinate steak:
Combine the steak, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, and oil, in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well with your hands to knead and coat the beef evenly. Add the cornstarch and knead that in. Marinate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.

Prep veggies:
Pull the strings from the snow peas and slice the onion in half, trim the root end and tip, then slice lengthwise (julienne) in ½-inch wide strips.

Premix sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients, chicken stock, oyster sauce,  Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and corn starch  in a small bowl.  Stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. Add the sesame oil and set it aside.

Stir fry steak:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the marinated steak into a single layer, cooking in batches to avoid overcrowding if necessary. Sear on one side for 1 minute or until the bottom is lightly charred. Flip and sear for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the other side is cooked but the inside is still slightly pink. Transfer the steak to a plate, leaving any excess oil in the pan.

Stir fry vegetables:
If the pan looks dry, add another TBS of oil to the pan. Add the snow peas and onions. Cook and stir for about 1 minute.

Add the ginger and garlic. Continue to cook for another 30 seconds.

Finish and serve:
Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour it into the pan. Add the beef back to the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens. Immediately transfer everything to a large plate and serve hot as a main dish.

Roast Potato Wedges

Roast Potato Wedges

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Yield: 2

Scott Nowell

Simple seasoned potato wedges.

  • 12oz potatoes
  • 1½tsp garlic powder
  • 1½tsp onion powder
  • 1½tsp paprika


Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges.

Mix seasoning ingredients in a small dish.

Toss potatoes on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil, seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 20-30 minutes.

Pork with Black Bean Sauce

Pork with Black Bean Sauce

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Yield: 3 to 4

Woks of Life

Slices of pork tenderloin with black bean sauce is a tasty combination. The dish is also flexible as you can use the vegetables of your own choice.


Velvet pork:

  • 12-16oz pork tenderloin
  • 2tsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2tsp oyster sauce
  • 2tsp vegetable oil
  • 1-2TBS cornstarch

Sauce:

  • 1½cups beef or chicken stock
  • 2TBS black bean and garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 1tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1tsp sesame oil
  • ⅛tsp ground white pepper (or to taste)

Stir Fry:

  • 2TBS vegetable oil
  • 1onion, diced
  • 1red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1green bell pepper (cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1cup green beans (cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 1cup snow peas (trimmed)
  • 2TBS cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 TBS water)


Velvet pork:

Then add the cornstarch, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix well and marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight if you’d like to make this ahead.

Premix sauce:

In a liquid measuring cup, mix the stock, black bean garlic sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper, and set aside.

Stir fry:

Heat your wok over high heat until it starts to smoke lightly. Add 1 TBS of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Add the pork in 1 layer and sear the pork on both sides until browned (this should only take 2-3 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the pork from the wok, and set aside. Do in two batches.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the remaining 1 TBS of oil, onions, and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until the onions and peppers have very light sear on them.

Next, add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the wok.

Stir in the sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer and add the pork (along with any juices) back to the wok. Stir, then add the snow peas.

Bring the contents of the wok to a simmer.

Stir the cornstarch and water until incorporated into a slurry, and gradually add the slurry to the sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened to your liking (if it’s too thick, add a splash of water or stock, if it’s too thin, add more slurry).

Cook until the snow peas are just crisp-tender.

Serve immediately with steamed rice!

Seasoned Barley

Seasoned Barley

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Yield: 2 to 3

Jean-Pierre

This is a great but simple side dish to go with about anything.

For the barley:

  • 1cup quick barley
  • 2cups chicken stock
  • 2TBS butter
  • ½red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1TBS parsley chopped and a few basil leaves if you have them


Barley:
Cook quick barley in chicken stock according to package instructions.
Stir in butter, diced red bell pepper, parsley, and a few basil leaves if you have them.
Serve.

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

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Yield: 2

Sue & Gambo


Shrimp & Marinade:

  • ½lb shrimp
  • 1egg + 1 egg white
  • 1pinch of salt
  • 1pinch white pepper
  • 3tsp corn starch
  • 1tsp sesame seed oil

Stir-Fry:

  • ¼lb ground pork
  • 4TBS vegetable oil, divided
  • 1tsp minced ginger
  • 1tsp minced garlic
  • ¼cup green onions
  • 1TBS black bean sauce

Slurry:

  • 2TBS water
  • 1TBS corn starch

Sauce:

  • 2cups water
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 1tsp soy sauce


Marinating the shrimp:

In a bowl add the shrimp, egg white, salt, 1 pinch white pepper, 3 tsp corn starch and 1 tsp sesame seed oil. Mix everything together well.

Premix Sauce:

To a small bowl, add oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame seed oil, and 1 pinch of white pepper. Set it aside.

Slurry:

In another small bowl, whisk together 1 TBS of cornstarch and 2 TBS water. Set it aside.

Stir fry:

Add 2 TBS of oil and add the pork to the wok and cook on high heat until the pork is fully cooked all the way through. Set pork aside.

Next add 2 TBS of oil and add the shrimp to the wok and cook on high heat until the shrimp is cooked through.

Add minced garlic, minced ginger, black bean sauce, pork, water, and stir-fry for about a minute.

Add the premix sauce to the wok and bring to a boil.

To thicken the sauce, slowly add slurry to your stir-fry until it’s the desired consistency.

Add green onions to wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Optional:

Slowly pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream. When it starts to set, transfer the food to a warm serving dish.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Vegetable Stir-Fry

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Yield: 4

Woks of Life

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand to make this everyday vegetable stir-fry. It’s a great way to use up bits of vegetables you don’t know what to do with, and to get a big dose of colorful veggies into your diet!
Prep: 15 Cook: 5

Premix sauce:

  • ⅓cup water or chicken stock
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 2tsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ¼tsp sugar
  • ¼tsp sesame oil
  • 1pinch ground white pepper

Premix sauce:

  • 2TBS vegetable oil
  • 4slices ginger
  • 1cup sliced mushrooms (button, baby bella, oyster, or shiitake 1 cup = about 3 oz)
  • 1cup carrots (thinly sliced on a diagonal; 1 cup = about 1 medium carrot)
  • 1cup celery (thinly sliced on a diagonal; 1 cup = about 2 oz)
  • 1cup asparagus (cut into 2-inch lengths on the diagonal; 1 cup)
  • 1cup bell pepper (any color; de-seeded and thinly sliced; 1 cup = about ½ medium bell pepper)
  • 1cup long hot pepper (red or green, de-seeded and thinly sliced; 1 cup = about 1 long hot pepper)
  • 3cloves garlic (minced)

Slurry:

  • 2tsp cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 1 TBS water)

Premix sauce:

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the water (or chicken stock), Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Make slurry:

Combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry and set aside.

Stir fry mushrooms:

In a wok over medium heat, add the oil and ginger. Cook until the ginger is lightly browned at the edges, and then add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until the mushrooms are tender.

Stir fry vegetables:

Add the carrot, celery, asparagus, bell pepper, and long hot pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute, and then add the garlic and premix sauce. Bring it to a simmer, and cook for 1 minute, until the vegetables are tender.

Thicken sauce:

Mix in slurry to desired thickness and stir-fry until the vegetables are coated in sauce.

Serve.

Beef with Black Bean Sauce

Beef with Black Bean Sauce

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Yield: 3 to 4

Woks of Life

Beef with black bean sauce is a tasty, classic combination found on Chinese restaurant menus around the country, and it’s easy to make at home!

Tenderize beef:

  • 1lb beef flank steak or beef chuck (thinly sliced against the grain)
  • 1tsp baking soda
  • ¼cup water

Velvet beef:

  • 2tsp cornstarch
  • 2tsp vegetable oil
  • 2tsp oyster sauce
  • 1tsp Shaoxing wine

For the rest of the dish:

  • 1½cups low sodium beef or chicken stock
  • 2TBS black bean and garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • ½tsp sugar
  • ½tsp dark soy sauce
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • ⅛tsp ground white pepper (or to taste)
  • 2TBS vegetable oil
  • ⅔cup onion (cut into 1-inch/2.5cm pieces)
  • 1cup red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch/2.5cm pieces)
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 1cup snow peas (trimmed)
  • 1½TBS cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 TBS water)


Tenderize beef: In a medium bowl, add the beef, baking soda, and water. Massage the beef with your hands until most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours (less time for more tender beef, or longer for a tougher cut like chuck). Then rinse the beef thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Drain. This step tenderizes the meat before marinating.

Velvet beef: Then add the cornstarch, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix well and marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight if you’d like to make this ahead.

Premix sauce: In a liquid measuring cup, mix the stock, black bean garlic sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper, and set aside.

Stir fry: Heat your wok over high heat until it starts to smoke lightly. Add 1 TBS of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Add the beef in 1 layer and sear the beef on both sides until browned (this should only take 2-3 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the beef from the wok, and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the remaining 1 TBS of oil, onions, and bell peppers. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, until the onions and peppers have very light sear on them.

Next, add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze the wok.

Stir in the sauce mixture you made earlier. Bring to a simmer and add the beef (along with any juices) back to the wok. Stir, then add the snow peas.

Bring the contents of the wok to a simmer.

Stir the cornstarch and water until incorporated into a slurry, and gradually add the slurry to the sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened to your liking (if it’s too thick, add a splash of water or stock, if it’s too thin, add more slurry).

Cook until the snow peas are just crisp-tender.

Serve immediately with steamed rice!

Tips & notes:

Prep time includes inactive marinating time! Actual active prep is about 20 minutes.