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Author: vscson

Pork Cutlets, Parmesan-Crusted

Pork Cutlets, Parmesan-Crusted

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Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from theKitchn

Panko breadcrumbs give cutlets the crispiest exterior and the meat is lightly pounded just thin enough to let all that crispy breading shine without losing the structure of the chop.
The thing that makes this cutlet particularly good? The addition of finely grated Parmesan cheese gives the pork chop tons of delicious savory flavor, with all the crispiness you crave from a cutlet.

  • 2oz Parmesan cheese
  • 1cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2large eggs
  • 1¾tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
  • 4(½-inch thick) center-cut boneless pork loin chops (about 1 lb total)
  • ½tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½cup plus 2 TBS olive oil, divided


Prep:

Finely grate 2 oz Parmesan cheese (about 1½ packed cups). Transfer ½ cup to a shallow bowl. Add 1 cup panko and stir to combine. Place the remaining Parmesan in a second shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and ¼ tsp of the salt until broken up with no streaks of egg whites.

Pat four boneless pork chops dry with paper towels. Working with one pork chop at a time, place in between two sheets of plastic wrap or large zip-top bag and pound with a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet until ¼-inch thick. Season the pork with the remaining 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.

Working with one pork chop at a time, dredge to completely coat in the Parmesan, then the eggs, and finally the bread crumb mixture, gently pressing the bread crumbs into the pork to adhere. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

Fry:
Place enough olive oil in a large skillet to come half way up the cutlets. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add two of the breaded pork cutlets and fry until cooked through and lightly browned on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack. Season with salt. Add additional olive oil to the pan and fry the remaining pork chops.

Serve with buttered noodles and your choice of vegetable.

Pasta with Shrimp & Broccoli

Pasta with Shrimp & Broccoli

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Yield: 2
Scott Nowell

A simple pasta with shrimp and broccoli. Easy and flavorful, it only takes about 30 minutes to put together.

  • 12shrimp (21-25), defrosted if frozen
  • 8oz penne, rotini or other pasta
  • 1head broccoli, trimmed into small florets
  • 4TBS extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 4TBS butter
  • 4-6large cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • fresh basil, chiffonade or chopped fine
  • 1pinch red chili flakes
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, add 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta until al dente. DO NOT DRAIN. Use a spider to remove the pasta to a bowl. Stir a couple of TBS of olive oil into the pasta. Reserve a half cup of pasta water and set aside.

Add the broccoli to the boiling water. Cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, chill with cold water and set aside.

Return the pot to the burner and reduce heat to medium.

Add 4 TBS butter to the pot and melt. Add the garlic to the pan. Sizzle until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

Add the prawns and a pinch of salt and cook until pink on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Return the pasta, broccoli, shrimp, red pepper flakes and the half cup of reserved pasta water to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes so the water reduces.

Add the basil, mix and add more olive oil to taste.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sam’s Friend Kate’s Mom’s, Neighbor’s Holiday Stuffing

Sam’s Friend Kate’s Mom’s, Neighbor’s Holiday Stuffing

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Yield: 10 to 14 Servings
Vance Neighbor’s Holiday Stuffing

Divide in half unless you want enough for an army. I made a half batch and used one 12-oz bag of stuffing. Fills a 9 x 13 baking dish.

  • 2lb Jimmy Dean Sausage, special sage recipe
  • 8TBS butter (1 stick)
  • 8celery stalks, sliced
  • 1large onion, chopped
  • 2Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
  • 2cans GOLDEN mushroom soup
  • 1soup can water
  • 38 oz bags seasoned Pepperidge Farm stuffing crumbs

Brown the sausage in a LARGE skillet, breaking it up as it browns.

Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon allowing the drippings to remain.

Add the butter to the pan and brown the vegetables and apples. When celery is transparent, but still crisp (8-10 minutes), return the sausage to the pan.

Add the soup plus the 1 soup can of water. Stir to mix. Sneak a bite.

Now add the crumbs a little at a time. You will probably only need 2½ bags of crumbs. (Sneak another bite).

Correct the seasoning. Allow stuffing to brown a bit while adding crumbs, stirring occasionally.

Put the stuffing in a pan you can bake it in; (eat the crumbs that spill), store in the fridge until 1 hour before dinner. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to an hour.

Chicken and Rice IP

Chicken and Rice IP

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Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from: Cook’s Illustrated

An Instant Pot take on classic chicken and rice using bone-in chicken breasts. Stirring the rice makes the dish gluey, so simply fluff it with a fork when incorporating the peas, lemon juice, and parsley.

  • 4(12-oz) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed
  • salt and pepper
  • 1TBS vegetable oil
  • 3carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1onion, chopped fine
  • 1½cups long-grain white rice
  • 4garlic cloves, minced
  • 2cups chicken broth
  • 1cup frozen peas
  • 3TBS minced fresh parsley
  • 2tsp lemon juice

Build Flavor: Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat until just smoking.

Brown: Set a 6-qt Instant Pot to the SAUTÉ HIGH setting. Add oil and heat until shimmering.

Brown chicken in two batches, skin side down, until golden, about 6 minutes; transfer to plate. Use additional oil if needed.

Pour off all but 1 TBS fat left in pot. Add carrots, onion, and ½ tsp salt and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth. Using wooden spoon, scrape up all browned bits stuck on bottom of pot and brush any rice off sides of pot. Nestle chicken, skin side up, firmly into rice.

Pressure cook: Seal Instant Pot and set to MANUAL HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.

Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Before Serving: Transfer chicken to serving dish and tent loosely with aluminum foil while finishing rice. Sprinkle peas, parsley, and lemon juice over rice, cover, and let stand until for 5 minutes. Fluff rice gently with fork and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chicken.

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

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Yield: 2 to x Servings
Scott Nowell

Say hello to delightfully tender chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless or bone-in skin-on, both come out moist and luscious.

  • 28- to 10-oz chicken breasts, boneless, skinless or bone-in skin-on
  • salt & pepper
  • seasoning of choice, Herbes de Provence, Italian, Poultry, Five Spice, etc.
  • 1-2TBS cooking oil or clarified butter

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 150°F/60°C in 7-quart or larger container.

Note: Do not use brined chicken.

Pat the breasts dry with paper towel. Season well with salt and pepper. It is fine to use more salt than normal. The slow cooking is well suited to absorbing the salt.

Place the chicken in a single layer in suitably sized zip-lock of vacuum seal bag(s). Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, and then clip top corner of each bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag.

Cook for 90 minutes.

Remove bag with tongs.

Boneless, skinless breast: Open and serve boneless, skinless breasts.

Skin-on breasts: Heat the oil or butter in a skillet until shimmering. Place breasts skin-side down and cook for 2- to 3-minutes until you reach desired brownness. Serve.

Finishing steps – stovetop:

Remove the chicken from the bag, discard any aromatics (if using) and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Pat it dry very carefully on both sides. Place a heavy cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with one tbsp / 15 ml of vegetable, canola, or rice bran oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Because skin-on chicken has natural insulation, it’s not necessary to use the super-high heat that is required for searing things like steaks or pork chops.

Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil, skin side down.

For best results, use a flexible slotted fish spatula or your fingers to hold the chicken down against corner of the pan in order to maximize contact between the chicken skin and the hot oil and metal. Tilting the pan towards the chicken to help the fat pool up under the skin can also help. Be careful, the chicken may splatter and pop as it sears. I recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves if you are very sensitive to small oil splatters.

Carefully lift and peek under the chicken as it cooks to gauge how quickly it is browning. Let it continue to cook until the skin is deep brown and very crisp. This will take about two minutes total.

Remove chicken from pan and let it rest until cool enough to handle, about two minutes.

As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the wishbone, which runs along the fatter end of the breast. It should pull right out (there may not be a wishbone if it was removed in-store).

Next peel the breast off of the breastbone by running your thumb in between the meat and the bone. It should come right off.

Use a sharp chef’s knife or boning knife to slice the chicken on a bias.

Cut the chicken into 3 to 4 thick slices to make it easier to eat when serving.

Serve the chicken immediately garnished with lemon wedges, extra virgin olive oil, or a vinaigrette or sauce as desired.

Safety:

While the USDA recommends 165°F (74°C) for poultry, sous vide allows for lower temperatures for longer times, which can still be safe.

Temperature and Texture:

140°F (60°C): Very soft and juicy, ideal for chicken salad when served cold.

145-150°F (63-66°C): Juicy and tender, a good balance for most applications.

150°F (66°C): Slightly stringy when served hot, but still juicy.

160°F (71°C): Traditional, juicy, firm, and slightly stringy when served hot.

Timing:

1 hour: Minimum time to ensure safety at 145-150°F.

1.5-4 hours: For softer texture, especially at 140°F.

Finishing:

You can finish the chicken in a pan with cooking oil, salt, and pepper, or a rub, or reheat in the water bath.

Sous Vide Spanish-Style Spicy Shrimp with Olive Oil

Sous Vide Spanish-Style Spicy Shrimp with Olive Oil

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Yield: 2 to 4
Adapted from ATK

TIME: Sous vide: 30 minutes; active cooking time: 40 minutes, Temperature 140°F/60°C
The Spanish tapa gambas al ajillo is a simple dish of shrimp quickly cooked in an abundant amount of olive oil with garlic and chilies. Served with crusty bread and a glass of wine, it’s a great way to start a meal. For our sous vide version, we started by boosting the flavor of our olive oil by infusing it with shrimp shells, garlic, and pepper flakes. After straining the mixture, we bagged up the oil with our shrimp. We set the water bath to 140°F—our preferred temperature for both shrimp and lobster since it keeps them both tender and moist. Finishing the dish off with a touch of sherry vinegar added brightness while chopped parsley gave it some fresh color.

  • 1lb extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb), peeled and deveined, shells reserved
  • salt
  • ½cup olive oil
  • 6garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • ½tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1tsp sherry (or unflavored rice wine) vinegar
  • 2TBS chopped fresh parsley

Note: Use weights to make sure the shrimp are fully immersed during cooking.

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 140°F in 7-quart container.

Sprinkle shrimp with ½ tsp salt and set aside.

Prepare oil: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add shrimp shells and ½ tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells turn deep orange, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden-brown, and oil is rust-colored and aromatic, 2 to 4 minutes. Strain oil through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on shrimp shells with rubber spatula to extract as much oil as possible, discard solids. Allow oil to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Sous vide: Transfer shrimp and oil to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and toss to coat. Arrange shrimp in single layer and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag until shrimp are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of each bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Finish: Transfer shrimp and oil to serving bowl. Stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Making this recipe in advance is not recommended.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Crustless Spinach Quiche

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Yield: 6
All Recipes

Cheesy, savory quiche is the perfect addition to any brunch menu. It’s easy to make, takes less than an hour, and it’s a crowd favorite. When you’re in need of a crustless quiche that will brighten up your breakfast or brunch, turn to this tried-and-true recipe.

  • 1TBS vegetable oil
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 1(10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach – thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  • 5large eggs, beaten
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ⅛tsp ground black pepper
  • 3cups shredded Muenster cheese


Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue to cook until excess moisture has evaporated.

Whisk together eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add Muenster cheese and spinach mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Rice

Rice

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Yield: 4
Jean-Pierre

If you’ve ever wondered how to cook rice and get if perfectly fluffy every time, wonder no more! With just a few simple tips, you’ll be on your way to becoming a rice-cooking pro.
Cooking rice may seem like a simple task, but there is a real art to getting it just right. If you’ve ever had a plate of mushy or under cooked rice, you know how disappointing it can be. On the other hand, when it’s cooked perfectly, rice is light, fluffy, and positively delicious. So how do you achieve that perfect result? Here are a few tips:
First, it’s important to rinse your rice before cooking it. This helps to remove any dust or debris that may be on the grain. Rinsing also helps to prevent the rice from sticking together while cooking.
Next, it’s time to start cooking! Be sure to use the correct amount of water for the type of rice you’re cooking. For example, long grain rice requires more water than short grain rice.
Bring the water to a boil before adding the rice, stirring gently to distribute it evenly. Then put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low.
Finally, let the pot simmer until all the water has been absorbed by the rice. This should take about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes to allow the steam to escape before fluffing the rice with a fork and serving.

  • 1cup Basmati rice
  • 2-3TBS sweet butter
  • 2TBS onion or shallots chopped
  • 2cups stock, chicken or vegetable
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chives, cilantro or parsley chopped (optional)

Wash the rice until the water comes out clear and not cloudy.

In a 2-to-3-quart pot (with a tight cover), add the butter and when hot sauté your onion or shallots and cook until light golden-brown. Add the rice and mix well. Add the stock mix well and bring to boil. Cover and reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the pot COVERED (do not open the pot) for 10 more minutes.

Using 2 forks, be sure to fluff the rice to remove most of the steam. This will avoid the rice from continuing to cook and lose its texture.

If you have some you can certainly add some freshly chopped chives, cilantro or parsley.

Short grain rice: 1 cup rice to 1½ to 2 cup water or stock

Brown rice: 1 cup rice to 2 water or stock

Arborio rice (risotto): 1 cup rice 3 cups water or stock

Sushi rice: 1 cup rice 1¼ water

Baked Cod/Haddock Crab Stuffing Topped

Baked Cod/Haddock Crab Stuffing Topped

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Yield: 4
Scott Nowell

You might use frozen lump crab. It’s lumpier… This is a very nice way to serve a baked fish.

Precooked portion of stuffing:

  • 2TBS olive oil
  • 1stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 2green onions, finely chopped
  • 1tsp minced garlic

Remainder of stuffing:

  • 26 oz cans lump crabmeat, drained
  • 1cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1big pinch salt
  • ¼tsp ground black pepper
  • 1egg, beaten
  • ¼cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1TBS fresh lemon juice
  • 1Roma tomato, seeded and diced

Fish:

  • 4TBS butter, melted
  • 46- to 8-oz haddock or cod fillets

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.

Crab stuffing:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add celery, green onion and garlic, and cook and stir for a few minutes until soft. Remove from heat and let sit to cool for a few minutes.

Stir in the crabmeat, bread cubes, egg, Romano cheese, lemon juice, and tomato. Season with salt and ¼ tsp of pepper and mix until well blended.

Fish:

Lay the fish fillets in the prepared baking dish. Season both sides with salt and pepper and then brush each one with melted butter.

Spread the crab mixture over the fish. Drizzle with any leftover melted butter. You can also drizzle olive oil.

Bake for 20- to 30-minutes in the preheated oven until the top has browned and the fish reaches 140°F.

Shrimp Lo Mein

Shrimp Lo Mein

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Yield: 2
Woks of Life

Shrimp Lo Mein is an easy dish to make at home and tastes just as good as any restaurant version. Prepare the ingredients ahead of time for an easy lo mein.

  • 12oz shrimp, 31-40 size (or 21-25 cut in half), peeled and deveined
  • 1lb fresh pre-cooked lo mein noodles

Sauce:

  • ½tsp sugar
  • 1½TBS soy sauce
  • 2tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1TBS oyster sauce
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • ⅛tsp ground white pepper
  • 3TBS neutral oil (like vegetable or canola, divided)

Vegetables:

  • 2cloves garlic (minced)
  • 6fresh button or cremini mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1medium carrot (julienned)
  • ½cup bamboo shoots (sliced)
  • ½cup water chestnuts (sliced)

Stir-fry:

  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 3cups napa cabbage (shredded)
  • 1cup snow peas (trimmed)
  • 1cup fresh mung bean sprouts
  • 2scallions (split and cut into 2-inch-long pieces)

Take the shrimp and noodles out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature. One trick for the noodles is to soak the whole bag (unopened) in hot water, which speeds up the warming process without making the noodles soggy.

If you can’t find lo mein noodles, you can substitute dried linguini. Just cook until al dente, drain, and immediately toss with 1 TBS of vegetable oil, working the oil into the pasta so the noodles don’t stick together. Always prepare your noodles just before you are ready to make the dish, so they don’t dry out and remain at room temperature or warmer. This makes the stir-frying process much easier.

Premix sauce:

Combine the sugar, soy sauces, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.

Shrimp:

Heat a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke and add 1 TBS of oil around the perimeter of the wok. Quickly spread the shrimp around your wok and let them sear for 10-15 seconds on each side. Immediately transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

Vegetables:

Return the wok to the highest heat possible and add 2 TBS oil, along with the garlic. After a few seconds, add the mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Stir-fry:

Next, spread the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and then add the napa cabbage. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Spread the noodles evenly over the vegetables and give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Now, you can see why you want everything at room temperature, or everything will be overcooked and mushy by the time it heats up!

Sauce:

At this point, the noodles should be softened, so add in the sauce mixture you set aside earlier and mix until everything is well combined. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds using a scooping motion, until the sauce is well distributed.

Finish:

Add in the shrimp, snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another 2 minutes and serve!