Pork Schnitzel & Creamy Mushroom Topping

I made the following for my Oktoberfest event. You can read and get other recipes from the event HERE.

Robert's Pork Schnitzel & Creamy Mushroom Topping
recipe HERE

6 thin, boneless "breakfast" pork chops
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic1 12-ounce jar roasted chicken gravy
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Flatten each pork chop lightly with a flat meat mallet or heavy skillet into a uniform thinness. Place the flour on a plate or in a glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the eggs in a baking dish or pie plate. Place the seasoned bread crumbs in another baking dish or glass pie plate and stir in the sage. Dip a pork chop into the flour, coating both sides and shaking off excess. Next, dip into the egg, coating well, then into the seasoned bread crumbs. Place on a plate and continue until all 6 chops are breaded.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add 3 of the pork chops and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown on other side, cooking until done, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and brown remaining chops, adding them to the plate and setting aside when they are done.

Add the mushrooms and garlic to the hot skillet. Season with salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken gravy and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Place the pork chops on a platter and top with the sauce.

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Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

The following recipe was featured in my Muffin Swap event. You can read about it and view other muffin recipes HERE.

Jennifer's Lemon Honey Yogurt Muffins

Recipe adapted from HERE

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablepoon grated lemon zest

Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins. In a small bowl stir togther flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine sugar, honey, eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and lemon zest and beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 12-15 minutes or until delicately browned and tester comes out clean. Prepare syrup ingredients in small saucepan and boil one minute. Set aside. When muffins are done, poke tops with toothpick. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of syrup over top of each muffin.

Let cool a few minutes then remove from pan. Serve warm.

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Lemon Blueberry Coconut Muffins

The following recipe was featured in my Muffin Swap event. You can read about it and view other muffin recipes HERE.

Andrea's Lemon Blueberry Coconut Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon lemon extract or juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries ( I used 1 cup- too much)

1/3 cup sweetened coconut

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk, oil and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

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Shrimp Ceviche

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Shrimp Ceviche
shared at the event by Kurt
recipe from here

1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of water, salted with 2 Tbsp salt. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute to 2 minutes max, depending on size of shrimp. (Over-cooking the shrimp will turn it rubbery.) Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Drain the shrimp. Cut each piece of shrimp in half, or into inch-long pieces. Place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour.

Mix in the chopped red onion and serrano chile. Refrigerate an additional half hour. Right before serving, add the cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.

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Mejillones a la Vinagreta

The following recipe was made and shared at my Tapas party. You can read about the event and view links to the other recipes shared HERE.

Mejillones a la Vinagreta
(Mussels Vinaigrette)
shared at the event by Teresa
recipe from here

2 1/2 dozen mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
Shredded lettuce
2 tbsp minced green onion
2 tbsp minced green pepper
2 tbsp minced red pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
Dash of red pepper sauce
Salt to taste

Steam open the mussels. Put them in a deep pan with the water. Cover the pan and put over a high heat, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that do not open.
Mussels can also be opened in a microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, partially covered, and microwave at full power for one minute. Stir and microwave one minute more. Remove any mussels that have opened and microwave one minute more. Again remove open ones. Repeat twice more. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the empty shells. (Mussels can be cooked in advance and refrigerated.) Shortly before serving, arrange mussels on a bed of shredded lettuce on a serving platter. In a bowl combine the onion, green and red pepper, parsley, oil, and vinegar. Season with red pepper sauce and salt. Spoon the mixture into the mussels in their shells.

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Salmon w/Ginger Balsamic Glaze

The follow recipe was shared at my Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Event. You can read and view links to other recipes that were featured HERE.

Salmon w/Ginger Balsamic Glaze
shared at the event by Semeena
recipe adapted from Recipezaar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed plus
1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
4 salmon fillets, skin on (center cut)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

Stir together balsamic vinegar, water, lemon juice, ginger and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat, not smoking. Increase heat to high, add salmon skin side up, and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Transfer salmon to plates and carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam). Simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes. Spoon glaze over salmon. Serve and enjoy!

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MMM... Melons & Breakfast!

It's a hot day in Chicago and a little too hot in the kitchen to slave over the stove. So with that in mind, I needed something quick. One of the fastest meals I can put together is breakfast... and that was dinner for us tonight! I made "Eggs in a Hole," which is a fried egg cooked into a piece of toast, maple sausage patties and some fresh pineapple. It was also a great time to crank out some sorbet! After making a watermelon sorbet not too long ago, I just had to try the recipe with cantelope. I used this Melon Sorbet recipe from Alton Brown. It is my go to sorbet recipe for melons because it came out perfectly!Here's Alton's recipe for Cantelope (Melon) Sorbet:
1 pound, 5 ounces diced cantelope
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Vodka (I used Absolut)
9 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups

Place the melon in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, vodka, and sugar and process for another 30 seconds. Place the mixture into the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F; depending on the temperature of your ingredients and refrigerator, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

** I'm also submitting this to the Weekend Breakfast Blogging: Summer Feast event, hosted by Monsoon Spice. This event focuses on a dish using Summer Fruits & Vegetables which can be served for breakfast or brunch. With the warm summer upon us, this Cantelope Sorbet is cool, refreshing and a great palate cleanser for the heavier breakfast & brunch dishes. If you have any breakfast & brunch dishes, submit them to the event by July 31st, 2008!**

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Lemon Bars

The following recipe was shared during my Chef Spotlight Dinner highlighting recipes of Chef Wolfgang Puck. You can view other recipes and pictures of the event HERE.

Lemon Bars
shared at the event by Joelen
Original recipe found here

Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Lemon Custard
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon zest
Confectioner’s sugar, for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. With the machine running, add the butter and continue to process until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 12-by-18-inch baking pan. With your fingers, press it in to form an even layer of crust.

3. Bake the crust until light golden in color, 15 to 18 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon custard topping. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar, flour, and salt and stir until well blended. Finally, stir in the lemon juice, milk, and lemon zest.

5. Pour the lemon mixture over the prebaked crust, return the pan to the oven, and continue to bake until the custard has set, 20 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven, let it cool to room temperature, and then chill, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

6. Before serving, use a sharp knife to cut down through the topping and crust to make 3 dozen bars. Carefully pry them from the pan and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

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Peach Berry Cobbler

The following recipe was shared during my Chef Spotlight Dinner highlighting recipes of Chef Wolfgang Puck. You can view other recipes and pictures of the event HERE.

Peach Berry Cobbler
shared at the event by Mary
Original recipe found here

1 1/3 cups (330 ml) cake flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream, plus extra for brushing

Filling:
2 pounds (4-5 large) peaches
6 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and blackberries
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Peach brandy, Kirsch or Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons quick cooking oats
Pinch each cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon
2 tablespoons heavy cream for glazing shortcakes
2 tablespoons sugar for glazing shortcakes

Make shortcake: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture forms small gravel-like pieces. With the motor running, pour the cream through the feed tube, stopping just before the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until it forms a smooth ball, being careful not to overwork it. On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch (12-mm) thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch (6-cm) cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 6 circles, gathering and re-rolling the scraps if necessary. Place them on a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cobbler.

Prepare filling: In large pot of boiling water blanch peaches for about 1 minute. Plunge into an ice-bath. Remove skins, cut in half and remove pits. Cut each half into 4 or 5 slices and place in large bowl. Add mixed berries, brown sugar, lemon juice, Peach brandy and cinnamon. Stir to mix thoroughly. Spoon fruit mixture into a lightly buttered 13x9x2½-inch baking dish.

Prepare streusel: In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a fork, cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in remaining streusel ingredients.

Assemble cobbler: Preheat the oven to 375. Sprinkle prepared streusel mixture over fruit filling in dish. Place prepared shortcake circles on top. Lightly brush shortcakes with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until shortcakes are golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling and thickened. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Presentation: Warm the cobbler, if made earlier in the day. Serve with your favorite ice cream or softly whipped cream or just as is with a sprinkling of sifted powdered sugar.

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Melon Sorbet

Now with breakfast done, onto some fun treats to enjoy later! I had a large half of fresh watermelon sitting in my fridge and decided it was time for a fruity sorbet recipe. With my ice cream freezer bowl ready, I made this Melon Sorbet recipe from Alton Brown. It was really easy and so refreshing! Seriously, this recipe is so good, I plan on making variations with other melons like cantelope & honeydew... I'm also submitting this to Nik Snack's very first blogging event she hosting, Ice Scream, You Scream. What a great event to pay homage to Ice Cream... after all, July is National Ice Cream Month! Here's Alton's recipe for Melon Sorbet:
1 pound, 5 ounces diced watermelon, muskmelon or honeydew
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Vodka (I used Absolut)
9 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups

Place the melon in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, vodka, and sugar and process for another 30 seconds. Place the mixture into the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F; depending on the temperature of your ingredients and refrigerator, this could take 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

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Cream Cheese Brownies

This recipe was featured in my Blondie & Brownie swap event, which you can read about HERE.

Cream Cheese Brownies
from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

4 ounces German sweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup plus 1 tbsp. all purpose flour
½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
½ cup walnuts (optional)
½ tsp. almond extract

-- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 inch baking pan
-- Combine chocolate and 3 tbsp. butter in small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is just about melted, remove from heat and continue to mix until smooth.
-- Cream the remaining butter with the cream cheese and ¼ cup of sugar. Beat in one of the eggs. Stir in 1 tbsp. of flour, ½ tsp. vanilla, and the lemon juice.
-- In a separate bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the remaining eggs until thick; gradually add the remaining sugar and beat until quite thick (when you remove the mixer from the eggs, a ribbon of egg will fall from the beaters).
-- In a separate bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, and remaining flour. Add the chocolate mixture, nuts if using, almond extract and remaining vanilla.
-- Spread half of the chocolate mixture on the bottom of the baking pan; top with the cream cheese mixture, then the remaining chocolate mixture. Swirl through all with a rubber spatula to create a marbled effect.
-- Bake 25-30 minutes or until just barely set in the middle. Cool on a baking rack before cutting. Store, covered and refrigerated, for no more than one day.

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Celebrate the New Year!

For 2008, we started the year with a wonderful meal cooked at home. We have been weening ourselves off of red meats for the past few months and so tonight's dinner is our own version of a "surf & turf." (Please forgive my pics... my camera is on the fritz!)

I prepared a turkey mignon, jumbo sea scallops in a citrus butter sauce, potato gratin and roasted tomatoes & asparagus. Here are the my recipes for the dinner:

Turkey Mignon

4 turkey medallions
4 strips of bacon (smoked bacon adds a nice flavor)
2 tablespoons of butter
¼ cup of white wine
1 cup of chicken stock or broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Wrap one strip of bacon around each of the turkey medallions, securing it with a toothpick placed straight into the turkey.

Lightly season the turkey on both sides with salt and pepper.

Pour the oil into a medium sized pan and place over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, about two minutes, place the turkey medallions into the pan and sear each side for about a minute.

Place the turkey medallions onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

Place the turkey the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees.

While the turkey is cooking, place the butter into the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Once the butter has melted, add a pinch of salt and wine. Simmer until it's reduced by half.

Add the stock or broth and reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from heat.

Once the turkey is done, remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes.

Just before serving, spoon sauce over the turkey.

Jumbo Sea Scallops in a Citrus Butter

6 jumbo sea scallops
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon citrus seasoning
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
splash of heavy cream (optional)

In a saute pan, melt butter.
Season scallops with salt & pepper.
Sear scallops in melted butter until a crust forms on both sides.
Remove from pan.
Add seasoning and lemon juice.
Add splash of heavy cream if desired for a creamy sauce.
Spoon sauce over scallops or meat entree.

Potato Gratin
(provided by my friend, Michele)
I divided this recipe by half and made it into 2 individual dishes.

1 tsp. butter or margarine, softened

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 cup coarsely shredded Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Lightly crush garlic with side of knife.

Heat cream, milk, garlic, salt and pepper in small saucepan over medium-high heat, until small bubbles appear around edge of pan; remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat potato slices with paper towels.

Arrange half the potatoes in overlapping slices along the bottom of prepared dish.

Pour half the cream mixture over the potatoes, then sprinkle with half the cheeses.

Repeat with remaining potatoes, cream mixture and cheeses.

Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until top is a deep brown and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

Tips:

1. Use russet potatoes; they have the highest starch content.2. Use heavy cream--not just milk or half and half--because the fat prevents curdling.3. Prepare this dish right before baking. Parboiling or letting the sliced potatoes stand in cold water before baking reduces the starch content and makes the dish runny.

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So Shrimpy With Cream, Cream...

Blah ~ Back to the daily grind and dinner adventures! We've managed to polish off most of our leftovers so now we're moving into some new, non-Thanksgiving fare. My husband loves shrimp s0 I made a quick shrimp & pasta dish using what I had on hand. Nothing too fancy, but pretty darn simple and tasty!Here is my recipe for Creamy Lemon & Basil Shrimp Fettucini:

1/4 stick butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1 lemon
2-4 oz cooked fettucini pasta
1 cup cooked & peeled shrimp
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large pan, melt butter with minced garlic and lemon juice.
Cook garlic until golden.
Add cooked shrimp and cooked pasta.
Toss and add fresh basil.
Gently fold in grated cheese.
Add cream & toss.
To serve, plate and garnish with more chiffonade basil and grated cheese.

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Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

Here are the recipes for the appetizers I'm serving up 2 hours prior to the Thanksgiving buffet dinner. I figured I'd post the recipes now before the kitchen chaos begins...

Shrimp Cocktail Platter
w/Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

2 tablespoons horseradish cream
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
dash of black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill.
Serve with cooked & chilled jumbo shrimp and a few slices of lemon.
**It's best to make ahead to allow the flavors to meld.

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