Don't Let Breading Get You Down.

I've never made pork chops before, so when I saw this recipe for Parmesan Pork Chops, I worried that I would screw it up, even though the recipe seemed so simple. I didn't, but I could have done better.  The pork chops themselves came out perfectly cooked, but the breading didn't get very crispy. The flavor was great, so I will make these again, and I know exactly what to do next time. Breading and baking meat is sometimes difficult, because you want the meat to be tender and juicy, but you don't want the breading to have much moisture in it. I wanted to use the guidelines in the recipe on the first try before I decided to do anything differently.  I did change one thing about the recipe itself, only because I didn't have Italian-style breadcrumbs: I used plain bread crumbs and a tablespoon of rosemary.  The rosemary and Parmesan went well together, and I will probably continue to use that in the future.

What I did wrong:
1) Used untoasted sandwich bread for the crumbs.  I should have toasted the bread first or used day-old French bread for a crispier coating.
2) Covered the pork chops while baking and didn't broil for the last few minutes. While a good technique for unbreaded meat, covering with foil can make breading soggy. Broiling for a few minutes at the end of baking helps to brown the breading and give it more crunch.
3) Put the pork chops directly onto the foil.  Putting them on a wire rack on a pan (with sides less than 1") would keep both sides evenly crisp.  I also could have sprayed both sides lightly with cooking spray to keep them crisp.

I combined the bread, rosemary, Parmesan, black pepper and garlic powder in a food processor and blended until they formed even crumbs.

Then, I washed and thoroughly dried the pork chops (I had a package of three; the recipe makes more than enough breading for four, though).  I dipped them in the olive oil and let the excess drip off and dredged them in the bread crumbs.

Then I lined a baking sheet with foil, misted it with cooking spray, and placed the pork chops on it and pressed more bread crumbs onto each.  Here, I should have put the foil on the sheet and placed the pork chops on a wire rack over it, leaving them uncovered.

I baked the pork chops for 35 minutes.  Pork is safe to eat at 145°F (medium), and well-done at 165°F.  Because some members of my family don't eat meat with "pink bits," I took mine out at 155°F and let the residual heat cook it to 160°F before eating.  I should have broiled the pork chops for the last three or four minutes.

I did have use a paper towel to pat off some oil, as you can probably tell, but in the end, the pork chops came out well.  And next time they should be even better.

DEEMS THIS RECIPE:
Much easier than pie.  

Double, Double Toil and Truffle.

If someone tastes a chocolate confection and says, "Wow, this is really rich," and you think: Ooh, perfect.  I'll take two!... then you will enjoy today's recipe (and why aren't we friends?).  A plan started to form two nights ago when a) I wanted a chocolate dessert but only had milk chocolate and bittersweet chips in the pantry and wasn't quite desperate enough to eat them straight from the bag, and b) I had Nutella for future waffle-making endeavors.  I also had leftover heavy cream in the fridge, and because I have a simple, standard recipe for chocolate ganache that I use on a regular basis, truffles came immediately to mind.  I made two different kinds: one with rum and rolled in toasted coconut and the other with Nutella.  I have only made these once, so I will tell you what I could have done differently/will do in the future if I make them again, but because they turned out well, I thought I'd go ahead and do a post about them!

What I did wrong: 

1) Didn't chop the chocolate or let it warm up enough for the ganache.  I usually chop the morsels then heat them in the microwave for five to ten seconds and let the bowl sit on the counter until adding the cream, but I wanted to see if those steps were truly necessary (conclusion: they're not strictly necessary but prevent lumps and make the chocolate easier to handle later).  

2) Added slightly too much cream and about two teaspoons too much rum to the one batch.  Alcohol can keep the ganache from hardening properly.  Mine hardened eventually, but it took much longer than it would have otherwise.

3) Didn't temper the milk chocolate properly or dip the truffles with good technique. This didn't much affect how they looked after I'd rolled them (although next time I will make them smaller and rounder when rolling), nor did it affect the taste, but it did make it more difficult.  

I divided 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (60% cocoa) into two bowls to make two different flavors, so here are the ingredients for each; if you want to make a whole batch of just one, you can double the recipe.  Each makes ~25 truffles.

Nutella:

5 oz bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped and warmed to just above room temperature)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Nutella

1 1/4 tsp vanilla* 

5 oz milk chocolate for dipping

Cocoa powder, sprinkles, raw sugar, crushed hazelnuts, or other crushed nuts for rolling

Rum Coconut:

5 oz bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped and warmed to just above room temperature)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp dark rum

5 oz milk chocolate for dipping

Toasted coconut flakes for rolling

The first step is to put the chocolate (and Nutella) into heat-resistant/microwave-safe bowls.  

  

Then bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium heat.  Only let it boil for about 10 seconds, otherwise it will boil out of the pan.  There isn't a good way to take a picture of cream boiling; you'll know it's about to boil when the top looks filmy and starts to swirl.

If you're doing two flavors, pour the boiling cream evenly into both bowls over the chocolate, otherwise pour it all into one, and stir until smooth, adding in the vanilla to the Nutella ganache and the rum to the other after some cream has been stirred in.

At this point you can do one of two things: either you can let the ganache cool and thicken, then whisk until light and fluffy before refrigerating, or you can put it directly into the fridge.  Whipping will make a less dense truffle, but I chose to put the ganache directly in the fridge, covering it with plastic wrap to keep out moisture. Take the ganache out after no more than three hours so that it is easy to scoop and roll.

Next, use a scoop or spoon to form the truffles, trying to work quickly so it doesn't melt.  I used a small scoop but should have used an even smaller one. Each truffle should be roughly a tablespoon. I tried to even them out with my hands, but I could have done a better job.  The easiest way to roll and ensure the chocolate doesn't get too soft is to run your hands under cold water, make sure they're dry, then roll between your fingertips.  Place the formed truffles on parchment-lined baking trays. 

While the truffles went back into the fridge to firm up, I toasted the coconut for the topping. To toast coconut, preheat the oven to 350, spread the coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and bake for ~10 minutes until lightly browned.  Just make sure to continually check on the coconut; it can only take a minute or two to go from toasted to burned.

There are two ways to temper chocolate: in the microwave or in a double boiler.  I microwaved in quick bursts until most was melted then stirred until smooth, but I don't think I got it to the right temperature, so it wasn't easy to dip in, and I had to roll the truffles in the chocolate to coat them.  If you temper the chocolate correctly, the best way to coat a truffle is to submerge it completely, and lift it up with a fork, letting the excess drip off between the tines.  You can also completely melt the chocolate, which will make it easy to dip but can cause lumps and make it harder to keep the truffle centers from getting too soft.

I set up small bowls of cocoa powder and raw sugar to roll the Nutella truffles in, and left the coconut on the pan for the rum coconut truffles.  

As you can see, I just dropped the chocolate-dipped truffles into the bowls and then rolled them around with a spoon.  I lifted them up and gently tapped off the excess cocoa powder/sugar.  I did the same with the coconut, although I didn't get a picture of it.  I put the truffles into individual mini cupcake liners for presentation purposes:

The ideal way to store truffles (lasts the longest) is individually wrapped in wax paper in the freezer, then taking them out and putting them in the fridge for a day and then letting them come to room temperature before eating.  But I don't think anyone really wants to do that.  I'm storing them well-covered in the humidity-controlled portion of our fridge.  The main thing to remember is that you want the truffles to avoid moisture.  They should last for a few weeks.  They are best eaten at room temperature, but they're still good cold...

DEEMS THIS RECIPE:
About as easy as pie.  I think with practice it would get much easier, though.

*So sorry; I realized I accidentally put 1 1/2.  I always add slightly more vanilla than needed.  Even 1 teaspoon should be fine, and if I double it, I'd use "two and a bit" but not a whole tablespoon.

Midweek Recipe Roundup: Easy Peasy.

Sometimes I'm in a hurry.  Sometimes I haven't been able to get to the grocery and don't have many items in the fridge or pantry.  Sometimes I just look at the wide variety of dinner options in the fridge and think, "Nope.  Not today."  I'm trying to accumulate a set of quick-and/or-easy recipes.  And keep a few staples around that make cooking... well... easier.

Link: Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
I used panko crumbs and skipped browning the chicken on all sides--who wants to clean more pans?--and baked it for 40 minutes, and it was still delicious.  Also, to avoid the hassle, I bought a few packages of thin-sliced chicken breasts instead of pounding the chicken thin.  To make the coating crunchier, you can also use crushed cornflakes.  If you don't have toothpicks or can't get the chicken to roll up, though, you can just put the chicken in the bottom of the pan and top with ham and cheese then top with the crumbs.  If you've rolled them but the breading doesn't stick with just milk, try beating an egg with the milk.

Steam and Mash Potatoes
I discovered these one day in the frozen potato section at the grocery.  You know, the one that has fries and hash browns that every kid wants to raid before stepping across the aisle to the ice cream?  I don't want to sound like I'm advertising for a brand, but I think Ore Ida is the only company that makes them. And because I avoid prepackaged mashed potatoes (you don't get to choose consistency or flavor), they've been a lifesaver on more than one occasion.  I've also used them to make gnocchi.  That takes long enough without peeling, dicing, and cooking two pounds of potatoes.

Simple Stir-Fry

This is a great option if you have a few steaks or grilled chicken breasts leftover from a previous meal. Really, it works with almost any meat.  Or you can leave out the meat completely or substitute tofu. You can, of course, just cook the meat beforehand as well.

1) With chicken or steak, slice it into thin strips.
2) Heat meat through (if you have leftover shrimp or scallops, add everything together; overcooked shellfish can get tough) in a deep skillet with a couple teaspoons of vegetable oil.
3) If you can't find an already-seasoned package of assorted vegetables to cook according to package directions and then add to the skillet, you can add fresh vegetables of your choice* with the meat at the beginning along with 1-2 teaspoons of ginger, 2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar (optional) and one minced clove of garlic and cook until everything is heated through together.
4) Toss everything together with chow mein noodles** and two tablespoons of soy sauce.  You can then add extra soy sauce to taste when serving.

Spinach and Feta 3-Egg Omelette
I like spinach and feta, but you can also use bacon, sausage, cheddar, bell peppers, or any other topping you prefer.

1) Bring three eggs to room temperature (or more if you're making more than one omelette).
2) Lightly beat the eggs in a measuring cup or other cup that you can pour easily.
3) Place a non-stick skillet (or skillet with non-stick spray) on the stove over medium heat.
4) When you can place your hand about three inches over the skillet and feel heat rising (careful not to touch it!), pour the eggs in and let them coat the bottom of the pan.
5) Once the you can't see the bottom of the pan through the eggs, salt and pepper the eggs (just a pinch of salt and even less pepper; you can always salt and pepper to taste after cooking).
6) Add a thin layer of fresh spinach and sprinkle feta on one side.
7) The only tricky part with omelettes is folding them over.  It can take some practice.  The trick is to use a long, flexible spatula and make sure that the eggs are opaque and whitish and small air bubbles have formed on top before folding.  Gently slide the spatula under and around the side so no places stick and to let any uncooked egg run underneath and cook.  Then carefully lift it and fold it over the toppings.  You can then flip over the entire omelette to make sure the cheese melts and the toppings heat evenly.
8) Lightly brown each side before sliding onto a plate and serving.

Link: Quick Caramel Glaze
I made this to go over vanilla ice cream.  It's almost embarrassing to tell people how easy it is.  Just tell everyone that it's a secret family recipe.  They'll probably believe you.  Unless they read this.  I guess it's not so secret any more...









DEEMS THESE RECIPES:
Much, much easier than pie. Not even close.






*Vegetables that work well include: baby carrots, baby corn, snow peas, water chestnuts, broccoli, and bell peppers.  The only vegetables that wouldn't work very well are leafy greens.
**Chow mein noodles are usually in the international section at US non-specialty groceries.  They should only take 3-5 minutes to cook.