Pork Schnitzel

I was originally on the hunt for a German recipe and thought of schnitzel.  Upon doing further research, I learned that it is actually an Austrian recipe and a FAR cry from what Americans think of at that fast food joint!  I also learned that this is a carb-heavy dish and usually served with, you guessed it….MORE carbs!  Traditionally it is made with veal but I used pork since it is what I had on hand.  Since we are not a big potato family, I served it over buttered orzo.  Mr. Foodie and Foodie Jr. enjoyed it and it made for a simple meal.

PORK SCHNTZEL

Ingredients:

1 lb. Boneless pork chops, pounded to about ¼ inch

½ Cup Flour

1-2 Tsp Seasoned Salt (I make my own blend but use your favorite)

1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

2 Eggs, beaten

¼ Cup Milk

1 Cup Panko

3-4 TBS Vegetable Oil

2 TBS Butter

Lemon Wedges

Directions:

1. Set up a dredging/dipping station with three bowls.

2. In the first bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt and pepper.

3. In the second bowl, place the beaten eggs and milk.

4. In the third bowl, place the panko.

5. In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat.

6. Dredge pork pieces in the seasoned flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumbs.

7. Fry the prepared pork pieces for about 4 minutes on each side.

8. Squeeze lemon over finished cutlets, if desired and serve.

 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

With all the special holiday cookies floating around, I got a hankering for something traditional!  Just threw some oatmeal in my grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe…

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cup Unsifted Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Margarine

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 12 Oz. Package Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Oatmeal

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl, cream butter, margarine, sugars and vanilla.

4.  Beat in eggs.

5.  Gradually stir in flour mixture.

6.  Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal.

7.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Homemade Marshmallows

I have always wanted to try my hand at making marshmallows but honestly, found it to be daunting.  Much to my pleasant surprise, it was very easy and they came out just fine!  I cannot say it is easier than purchasing a bag at the store, but I do think they are better and I love the homemade, rustic element they provide.

I hunted around the internet to find a recipe to use and ended up using a combination of Alton Brown’s and Smitten Kitchen’s recipes, with a little bit of self-taught wisdom thrown in!  Generally, I found most recipes to be similar to one another.

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Ingredients:

Confectioners Sugar

4 Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

1 Cup of Cold Water

2 Cups Sugar (granulated)

1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup

1/4 Tsp Salt

2 Large Egg Whites

1 TBS Vanilla

Directions:

1.  Spray a 13x9x2 pan with canola oil.  I used a glass pan but silicone and metal can also be used from what I understand.

2.  You will need to sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with confectioner’s sugar, but I recommend waiting to do this closer to the time you will transfer the marshmallow mixture into it.

3.  Place 1/2 Cup of cold water and gelatin in the bowl of your electric mixture.  Let it sit, no need to stir.

4.  In heavy saucepan, over low heat, cook the granulated sugar, corn syrup, water and salt until sugar is dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon.

5.  Increase the heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil – DO NOT STIR.  Boil until your candy thermometer reads 240 degrees.  I did not use a thermometer, left it on about 10 minutes and eyeballed for color and consistency.  (I know, I know…)

6.  Remove mixture from heat and pour over the gelatin mixture in the mixer bowl, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

7.  Beat mixture on high, until mixture is thick and white – it will triple in volume.

8.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with hand mixer until still peaks form.

9.  Add egg whites and vanilla to the sugar mixture and beat until just combined.

10.  Pour mixture into oiled and confectioner sugar dusted baking dish, spread evenly.

11.  Sift more confectioner’s sugar over the top, about a 1/4 – 1/2 Cup.

12.  Chill mixture uncovered at least three hours, but up to one day.  I let mine sit overnight and this worked very well.

13.  After completely chilled, run a knife around the edges of pan.  Invert pan over a large cutting board and using the knife of your fingers, help the marshmallow mixture out of the pan.

14.  Cut the marshmallows into pieces of your desired size.  (I did 1/2 inch pieces.)  I highly recommend using an oiled pizza cutter for this over a knife, but that was my personal preference.

15.  Roll the marshmallows in more confectioner’s sugar and store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Oatmeal Graham Cracker Toffee

I adapted the popular Saltine Toffee recipe for this.  The combination works really well, great for the holidays and perfect for any sweet tooth!  This is such an easy recipe and it takes no time at all.

OATMEAL GRAHAM CRACKER TOFFEE

Ingredients:

1 Package Graham Crackers

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Cup Oatmeal

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Line cookie sheet with graham crackers.

3.  In a pot, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil.  Continue boiling for three minutes.

4.  Stir in oatmeal.

5. Pour hot mixture over graham crackers and spread evenly.

6.  Bake in oven about 5-6 minutes.

7.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once cool, break apart and enjoy!

Butterscotch Hot Chocolate

A warm, tasty adult treat for the holiday season.  This recipe was given to me by a good friend, Jen, some years ago and it’s my favorite hot chocolate!  It’s the perfect combo of creamy, chocolaty and buttery!  The original calls to be topped with whipped cream but I felt like marshmallows when I made this batch – both are good!

BUTTERSCOTCH HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients:

5 Cups Half & Half

3/4 Cup of Chocolate Syrup

1/2 Cup of Butterscotch Schnapps

Whipped Cream or Marshmallows for topping (optional)

Carmel Sauce or Powdered Cocoa for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.  Heat the Half & Half, Schnapps and Chocolate syrup until hot but not boiling, making sure you mix well.

2.  Pour into mugs and top how you desire.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

This is a recipe from Sam the Cooking Guy.  I was turned on to him (and this recipe) by my good pal, Stephanie.  I own both of his cookbooks and I cannot tell you how handy they are.  He has short, simple recipes that taste great.  I have not been disappointed by anything I have tried from his cookbooks.  The premise of his recipes is that anyone can cook good food, you do not have to be gourmet.  He uses real ingredients to create good meals and ANYONE can follow along.  His comedic writing throughout the book is worth the read as well.

We love encased meats here at Foodie Casa so it was a no-brainer that I had to try this recipe.  This has quickly become one of my favorite comfort foods.  I served this to company around the holidays last year and they all asked for the recipe.  My only warning is that this definitely needs to be eaten right away to get the full effect of the dish.  While I like it leftover just fine, it is not a recipe that keeps well over time.

SPICY SAUSAGE PASTA

Ingredients:

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 lb Penne Pasta

1 lb Spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)

4 cloves Garlic

3 TBS butter

1 Cup Whipping Cream

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 TBS Fresh Chopped Parsley

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.

2.  Add sausage, brown and break up.

3.  Once sausage is browned, stir in garlic and cook another minute or 2.

4.  Add cream and simmer on low about 10 minutes.

5.  While the sausage mixture cooks, add pasta to boiling water – when the pasta is ready, so is the sausage!

6.  Drain pasta and add to sausage.

7.  Add butter, Parmesan cheese and parsley and mix well

8.  Sprinkle with a little more cheese and serve immediately.

Giada’s Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart

There are few combinations I like better than chocolate and hazelnuts.  (Nutella, anyone?)  While watching the Food Network a while back, I saw Giada make this and knew I had to give it a try.  I really liked it but it was VERY rich so a little bit definitely goes a long way!  It is a very easy recipe and I served it to company who liked it very much.

GIADA’S CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART – from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup sugar

2 TBS all-purpose flour

3 Eggs, beaten

1 1/2 Cups peeled, chopped, and toasted hazelnuts

8 Ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

1 Cup corn syrup

2 TBSbutter, melted

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1/4 Tsp salt

1 Store bought frozen pie crust, defrosted

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Line pie pan with store-bought crust.

3.  In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and the flour.

4.  Add the eggs, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt.  Stir well.

5.  Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

6.  Bake for 1 hour.

7.  Cool the tart for at least 30 minutes before serving.

 

The 1950’s Revisited – Porcupine Balls

At a recent church group meeting, the conversation turned to these little morsels:  porcupine balls.  I had never heard of them or eaten them prior to our meeting – that I recalled anyway.  I am generally a fan of the meatball and love to try anything once.  I did a little research on this meal and found out that it was a staple for many in the 1950’s.  When I mentioned them to my mother, she even replied, “Wow, I haven’t heard about those in ages.”

I knew they would go over well with the male Foodies in our household, especially served with mac-n-cheese – might as well go totally 1950’s, right?  Surprisingly, these were yummy and went very well texture-wise with the mac-n-cheese.  The ‘porcupine’ part comes from the fact that there are rice in these meatballs and I wasn’t sure what to serve them with, turns out mac-n-cheese was a good combo!  I made some changes to the original recipe that was given to me, they are noted.

PORCUPINE BALLS

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground turkey (original recipe called for ground beef)

½ lb. Pork sausage (original recipe called for 1 lb.)

3 TBS Dried, minced Onion (Original recipe called for 1 small onion, minced)

Salt and pepper to taste

½ c. Uncooked rice

½ c. Ritz cracker crumbs

1 Egg

1 Can of tomato soup

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients but tomato soup.

3.  Shape meat mixture into balls and place in a well greased 9×13 baking dish.

4.  Mix can of tomato soup with 1/2 can of water and then pour over meatball mixture.

5.  Bake for about an hour, turning at least once.