The Urban Dictionary has some really colorful definitions for the word pork. There are the obvious definitions such as a slang term for having sex, well, who hasn't used that. And then there are these rather interesting versions, the non kosher meat, and my favorite, to describe someone who is fat, as in, Camilla Porker Bowles.Anyway, hours of time could be wiled away on that website. Go there peruse, have fun.I have never made pork chops. Again, this is due to the fact that I don't usually eat meat. I don't eat it for a host of various reasons; I'm not a foot stopping PETA activist, I just have my reasons. Anyway, CB eats anything, so when I saw that these were on sale at the market, I knew he would want them. I didn't have a recipe, I just made them, so here goes.Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops with Orzo and Spinach.
1 egg1/4 C milk3/4 C bread crumbs1/4 C Parmesan cheeseSpinach1 Cup Orzo PastaOlive OilGarlic ButterPork ChopsHeat a sauté pan with oil and butter. Combined the egg and the milk in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl combine the breadcrumbs and the cheese. When the pan is hot, take pork chops one at a time and submerge in the egg mixture, then place in the bread crumb mixture and coat both sides. I did this twice per pork chop to ensure a nice crush on the outside. Place in hot oil/butter mixture and cook each side until golden brown and cooked through the middle.SpinachSaute the spinach with a little butter and garlic. That's it.OrzoPrepare according to directions. When complete add grated parmesan cheese (as much as desired.)ENJOY!
We had friends in from Columbus, Ohio this weekend. One friend was taking her anesthesiology boards, which, I'm not completely sure, but I'm guessing are REALLY FRIGGING HARD. So, after all her tests, classes and seminars were done, a few of us got together and decided to celebrate. I thought that the occasion deserved a drink with a little more gusto than just a beer cracked open with one's teeth, or the glug glug of wine being poured, so I made a pitche of Mojitos. They rocked.I decided to make the simple syrup on the stove top and added mint so that the flavor would infuse the whole pitcher. I placed four cups of filtered water in a pot on the stove, added a little over a cup of sugar, and a handful of chopped mint. I brought the mixture to a boil, when the sugar had dissolved I turned the heat down and intended to let it simmer for a few minutes. I INTENDED to let it simmer for a few mintues, but due to the fact that the day before I had two cosmopolitans before dinner, and then shared a bottle of Reisling with dinner, compounded by the fact that I was out way way past my bedtime, I proceeded to fall asleep on the couch and let the syrup simmer for at least an hour and a half. You know what? The syrup flavor really condensed and came out so damn good. Gooey, but good.Mojito Pitcher3/4C light rum1.5 Liter Raspberry Lime Seltzer1C Simple Syrup1C Chopped MintMix together in pitcher and serve in a highball glass with ice.
So, I’m not a big fan of Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network. I can’t stand watching her, with her perma teeth grin, which makes her look like she’s always in the middle of a fluoride treatment. Or the fact that her breasts are far too big for her twig like structure, and are always on display in her low cut shirts. Has this women ever heard of a turtle neck? Anyway, I don’t particularly like watching her, but the let’s face it, the bitch can cook.
So this recipe is from the infamous De Laurentiis collection. It’s super easy and tasted great.
CB has lost a little weight due to all the manual labor he has been putting in the house at night, and also the stress associated with buying a house and selling a house at the same time. So in order to make this meal a little more beefy, I added chicken to the pasta. CB needs his protein. With the protien from the chicken and the iron from the spinach, he'll be back to popeye shape in no time.
1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne
3 garlic cloves
2 ounces goat cheese
1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.
Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.
I'm truckin' in more ways than one. It's move time. Pack up your shit and make an ungodly amount of trips to and fro time. Put it all in a box wrapped in newspaper, only to unwrap it and take it out of the box the next day time.
Yes, it's the big move this weekend for me and dear cb. It's been a long time coming and we are more than thrilled to move to our new home. This does mean however that I will have to put a hold on all food posts because there will not be a pan nor pot that is not packed away awaiting burly men to carry it to a new home.
Moving sucks. It sucks enough to make you drink, so that is what all my posts will be about until I can unpack my crap and get it all into working order. So without further ado...I present Red Truck, apropos don't you think?
I visited Cline Vineyards while in Sonoma this fall and it was a wonderful little place with great people running the show. They offer a variety of reds and whites. CB has been drinking Red Truck for years, and you can get it in almost every local wine and liquor store. It's a blend, of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Mourvedre. It's "medium-bodied and delicious flavors of dark berries, licorice and chocolate with smooth tannins." It pairs well with pizza and tomato based dishes...and considering I don't have any dishes, it pairs well with a powerbar.
CHEERS!
The Urban Dictionary has some really colorful definitions for the word pork. There are the obvious definitions such as a slang term for having sex, well, who hasn't used that. And then there are these rather interesting versions, the non kosher meat, and my favorite, to describe someone who is fat, as in, Camilla Porker Bowles.
