Best breaded pork chops I've ever had...

are definitely the Ultracrunchy Baked Pork Chops from Cooks Illustrated. Oh.my.Goodness! DH took one bite and said "oh!" so loudly it scared me.. my heart skipped a beat thinking that this new recipe was a failure. But that exclamation was quickly followed by "these are unbelievable!" And then I heaved a sigh of relief.

These are not the breaded 'chops I grew up with. No, sir... not a box of Shake 'n Bake in sight. I, personally, have never been a fan of breaded 'chops because the Shake n'Bake I grew up with was terrible... it was mushy, it didn't have any flavor.. it just grossed me out. (I apologize to any of you whom are devout Shake n'Bakers. I mean no offense!) So for the last 10 years of cooking on my own I have avoided them like the plague. But DH picked this recipe out as part of our weekly meal plan. I am so glad he did! This is another absolutely fabulous recipe from Cooks Illustrated. It came to me in one of my free mini-booklets (which means I can't link you the original). If you haven't checked these people at America's Test Kitchen out yet, you really should. I can't sing enough praises the dishes I've made from them!

This recipe has a few key ingredients that make it better than any other breaded food recipe I've seen. One is the  inclusion of a flavor (in this case spicy mustard) in the egg wash. Why this subtle step hasn't been included in other recipes before is beyond me. The second, and probably the most substantial, ingredient is FRESHLY made bread crumbs. You spice 'em up. You toast 'em. You make 'em delicious. I am a 100% complete convert to the freshly made bread crumbs. I'll never go back to store bought again for anything!

So go on, make these tonight for dinner -- and be prepared to be blown away.

Then be prepared for your family to ask for these again and again. =)

Ultracrunchy Baked Pork Chops


For once, I made this recipe completely as it is written in the book -- there is not a thing I could think of to add to enhance this dish. Its simply delicious! 

Ingredients


4 boneless center-cut pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick,
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small shallot, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Step 1.

If you are using "enhanced pork" skip this step (your meat has already been brined .. kinda.) Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 4 cups of water and soak the 'chops for 30 minutes. 

Step 2. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Take the 'chops out of the brine, rinse under cold water and let them rest on a paper towel to dry a little. 

Step 3. 

Take your torn up pieces of bread and toss them in a food processor -- about 8 pulses. (we want coarsely chopped, not a fine powder).

Step 4.

Pour your bread crumbs onto a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil and shallots. Bake until dry and golden, turning every 5 minutes. (total cook time about 15 minutes)

Step 5. 

Let the bread crumbs cool to room temperature. Mix in parmesan, thyme and parsley. 

Step 6. 

Dig out 3 rimmed dishes (I used pie dishes). Pour 1/4 cup flour in the first one. Mix the egg whites, the 6 tablespoons of flour and spicy mustard together in the second, mix until thoroughly combined. . Fill the third with the breadcrumbs. 

Step 7. 

Turn up the oven to 475. Take a oven-safe cooling rack, spray it with cooking spray and fit it inside a cookie sheet. (This keeps the 'chops elevated, so they cook evenly all the way around for a whole chop batter that is super crisp and delicious!).

Step 8. 

Coat the 'chop in the flour, using thongs or your hands, then in the egg wash, then into the bread crumbs. Cover completely and press the bread crumbs in slightly to ensure a good stick and an even coating. Repeat for all 'chops! Place on prepared cookie sheet.

                                                              

Step 9.

Bake for about 25 minutes (or until 150 degrees inside with an instant read thermometer.) Let them rest for 5 minutes. Then dig in! 

I served my 'chops with some roasted asparagus.  -- Super easy! 

Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is a simple hearty side that is fun, tasty and good for you! I only use sea salt in my kitchen, just a sprinkle really brings out the flavor! 

Ingredients

Olive Oil

Coarse ground salt

Coarse ground pepper

1 bundle of asparagus, bottoms snapped.

Step 1. 

Wash and snap off the bottoms of your asparagus spears. They will snap off themselves, with little effort at about the bottom quarter. This part of the veggie is tough, so most people break it off.

Step 2. 

Drizzle some olive oil in a rimmed cookie sheet, and roll the asparagus around to coat. 

Step 3.

Sprinkle some coarse ground salt and pepper (fresh pepper if you have it and Kosher salt would work too)

Step 4.

Bake at about 475 for 10-15 minutes, or until the desired tenderness is reached. 

mmmmmMMmmmMmmmm! This meal is definitely on my to-do-again list!  I hope you give your breaded pork chops a revival -- I know you will be so glad you did! ;) 

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

are my brand new creation!  Delicious made-from-scratch lemon cupcakes....with fresh raspberry butter cream icing! These little treasures come together in a snap and are the perfect flavor combination to welcome spring.They are light, sweet and a little tart, like biting into a refreshing glass of Raspberry Lemonade! 

I have been dying to make some kind of homemade lemon cake for weeks... I raved about it on my Facebook page in March. After spending one of the best spring days I've experienced in years out and about in down town DC at the National Zoo with my amazing kiddos and a great friend, I thought I'd share with you my newest and most exciting recipe. I actually made these mini darlings for a charity event hosted by OWC Events this passed Sunday for World Vision, a relief organization currently helping in Japan among many other places globally.

This has a yellow cake base, so its got 2 extra egg yolks. The trick to lightness in a cake is less flour. On top of that, if you can use cake flour, its even better! Cake flour has been sifted for you, and its a finer grain than just all purpose flour. A box will cost you $1.50-$2.25 depending on the grocery store you shop at. The foundational yellow cake comes from the The New Best Recipe cook book -- which has become an absolutely integral part of my life. I could read it for hours! Unfortunately I can't link to the book, but I can link to amazon where you can get a copy! Check it out here! The butter cream recipe is one I stumbled upon looking for some other kind of frosting idea, but I can't remember what I was looking for because I have been drooling over this recipe since I found it. Anyways, here's the link to the original!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

As you may have noticed one of my favorite citrus spices is ground cardamom. Its bold and pairs SO well with citrus and fresh fruits.

For the cake:


1.5 cups Swan Downs cake flour (or any other brand!)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon extract
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt, if you are using unsalted butter
zest of 1 lemon
A drop or two of yellow food coloring, just for presentation if you desire

Step 1.
Set out your butter and eggs so they get up to room temperature.

Step 2. 
In a stand mixer or large bowl combine all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cardamom, baking powder and salt if you are adding it. Mix evenly.

Step 3.
Preheat your oven to 350!

Step 4. 
Slowly add in your wet ingredients, starting with the butter. Then eggs/yolks (one at a time), the sour cream, the lemon zest and then the lemon extract. Beat each addition thoroughly before the next. (if you're adding yellow food coloring, do it now!)

Step 5.
In a paper-lined muffin tin, evenly distribute the batter. I used about a tablespoon and a half per cupcake, so the baked right up to the edge of the liner. Bake these mini delights for 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick stuck in the middle of them comes out clean.

Step 6.
Let them cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling whip up some fresh frosting!











For the butter cream frosting


This frosting is tart and sweet and an Au natural shade of beautiful pink. Its going to have little bits of raspberries stuck in it, giving it a unique texture and presentation.

1 stick softened (but not melted!) butter
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 16 oz package confectioner's sugar

Step 1.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter, raspberries and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. I put my mixer on 4 and let it go for about 5 minutes.

Step 2.
Sllooooooowllllyyy start adding in the powdered sugar, making sure the mixture is creamy and smooth after each addition.

Step 3.
Fill your favorite frosting bag, or use a zip lock baggie with a corner cut out and pipe the frosting in a nice dollop on the top of your cooled cupcakes.

See? Totally amazingly cute! And so easy to do! I bet you didn't think you could make a cake from scratch, but there you go, you did it and I'm proud! ;)  Give them that finishing touch, topping with fresh raspberries and a spring of fresh crisp mint if you've got it! (I didn't have any on hand, but I will for next time!)

Happy Spring baking!! <3<3  

As the weather warms up...

so does my schedule! I have some exciting news to share, I was offered a position with an IT contract company as Help Desk support and I'm soooooo entirely excited about it! I'm months away from graduating with my bachelors and I'm ready to join the workforce again. We're really settling into life here in Maryland, I think its going to be a great few years!

But, I have been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance  to try out too many new recipes, I've been relying on some oldies.but.goodies. (Like baked spaghetti and steak Gorgonzola) ... But on Friday I tried out a new cauliflower recipe, Curried Cauliflower Soup, that I had found tucked away in my home-made cookbook. (its a green binder that I stick the recipes I find in....) It was seriously comforting. It had all my absolute favorite ingredients: cauliflower, spinach, garlic and curry. It was the perfect meal Saturday night, when we actually ate it and it fit the bill for a cold, dreary rainy April day. And its got some great 'stats' to boot!

We've been trying really hard to stick with a "traditional" Lent season, meaning we don't eat meat on Fridays. So this dish is perfect for my non-meat-eater friends because you can easily substitute veggie broth for the chicken broth and the rest is the same!

You can find the original recipe here, because surprise surprise I added an extra touch or two! ;) I just can't help myself!

Curried Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, halved and chopped into bite size chunks
2 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans chicken broth, or 3.5 cups broth or bouillon
2.5 cups water
2 medium potatoes cut into bite size pieces (not too small, they might fall apart!)
1/2 head fresh Cauliflower, chopped
1 can  chickpeas, rinsed
1⁄2 cup frozen cut-leaf spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1. Sautee onions and carrots in a medium sauce pan (or small stock pot) in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. 

Step 2.

Add in all the other ingredients. 

Step 3.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer until the veggies are tender, about a half an hour. 

Voila! A hearty, good for your heart (and soul!) soup that is warm and fragrant without being hot. Serve with some crusty bread, if you are feeling so inclined! 

Its passed my bed time, and I'm about ready to turn into a pumpkin -- but for next time I'll tease you with this : Lemon cupcakes with fresh Raspberry butter cream!

(insert squeal of delight here! =) )

Have a fabulous evening!!

 Here are the stats on the soup, if you wanted to know!:

• Nutrition Facts
• Yield 10 cups
• Servings 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories 110
• Total Fat 2g
• Saturated Fat 0
• Cholesterol 0
• Sodium 272mg
• Total Carbohydrates 20g
• Dietary Fiber 5g
• Protein 4g