Too darn hot to sing while cooking!

But here's the menu from tonight :)

Perfect Pork Cutlets

organic pork cutlets (or whatever grass-fed, friendly ones you can find)
kosher salt
brown sugar
molasses
black peppercorns
bread crumbs
olive oil

In a medium sized pot, boil 1-2 cups water with a generous amount of salt and brown sugar, a dollop of molasses, and some black peppercorns.  stir occasionally until salt and sugar are dissolved.  pour into a large, preferably shallow dish, and add ice cubes (about a dozen or so).  stir until melted.  let cool to room temperature.  add pork cutlets and marinate for 1-2 hours.

in a skillet, heat a few tsp of olive oil.  dredge marinated cutlets in bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned, your choice, i used a mixture).  cook until brown and cooked through ( a few minutes on each side, tops, these are THIN).

Stir Fried Spicy Green Beans

Garlic and Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes
small red or yukon gold potatoes (organic if you can get them), roughly chopped in equal sized pieces
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
light cream
goat cheese (i used chive goat cheese from a local vendor)

chop potatoes and peel garlic and cover with cold water in a pot.  cover until boiling.  salt water generously when it begins to boil, and cook potatoes until fork tender.  drain and return to pot (including garlic clove).  add a generous splash of cream (you could use milk) and a knob of goat cheese (maybe 1 to 1.5 inches of the log).  mash to your desired consistency.

Links


Mass Farmers Markets

Monday Night Dinner Feels Like the Weekend

Stuffed Chicken Breats with Apple-Beer Gravy and Garlic Smashed Potatoes


Chicken and Sauce

chicken breast (see previous post about humane, happy chickens)
stuffing mix (choose your favorite, I used Pepperidge Farms)
water
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup chopped apples
1/3 cup chopped onion
(I admit that I didn't measure either, these are eyeball estimates)
1 beer (I used Blue Moon Belgian White...use whatever you have as long as it's not frat party beer)
flour

Pound chicken breast(s) until about half the original thickness.  Slit with a sharp knife to create a pocket for stuffing.  Make stuffing by package directions (I subbed olive oil for the butter, and added salt and pepper).  Stuff chicken breasts with stuffing (I know, I know...this is the same ongoing debate as with stuffing a turkey...make your own judgements, but I think it's yummy). 

Heat a large pan and coat lightly with olive oil.  Brown chicken on one side.  Turn, and add chopped onion and apple to pan as you brown the 2nd side.  Add salt and pepper.  Once cooked most of the way through, add about 1/2 a beer and put in the oven at 375 until cooked through.

Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and return pan to heat.  Add a little flour and a little more beer until sauce reaches your desired consistency. 

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

potatoes
garlic
 butter
milk
salt
pepper

Chop several small, thin skinned potatoes (I used about half the package of that mixed red, gold and purple potato medley).  Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Add salt to water and cook until fork tender.  Drain and return to pan.  Add a couple of tablespoons of butter, 2 (or more) cloves of crushed or chopped garlic, and a splash of milk.  Mash until your desired consistency.

No singing today, but a quick note to say that I just discovered Children of Eden (how a Godspell lover like myself can have known this existed and not owned it before now is beyond me!) and it's fabulous!

Links

apples
Blue Moon
Children of Eden