Month: February 2020

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Pork Pizzaiola

Chopswithsauce

What is pizzaiola? It’s either the guy making your pizza or a dish cooked “pizza-style.” In this case it’s a dish cooked pizza-style– which means it has tomato sauce and oregano in it. Those are the ingredients that are the signature tastes of pizzaiola.

Usually it’s made with steak. Here I’m using pork “chops” instead, but they are chops without the bone and really just thickish slices of pork loin.

It’s an easy dish and comes together in a half hour. Perfect! Serve it with a little pasta using the pizzaiola sauce.

All it takes is browning the pork coated in breadcrumbs (I got a trick from my mom– season pork with salt and pepper, then give them a light coat of olive oil for the breadcrumb to stick on). After they get golden on both sides, take them out of pan…

ChopeBrowned

…and saute onion until soft.

Build your sauce. Then add back chops for 5-6 minutes more. It’s so tasty. Try the same process with chicken cutlets. Oh yes!

Pork Pizzaiola

6-8 boneless pork chops

olive oil for drizzling and sautéing

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 medium onion, peeled & thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper to taste

Lay chops out on a plate or pan. Season them well with salt & pepper on both sides. Lightly drizzle a little olive oil across them and then turn them to get lightly coated in the oil. In a medium shallow bowl, add the 2 types of breadcrumb. Season crumbs with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan. When hot, press the chops onto the crumbs to adhere, on both sides. Place crumb-coated chops in pan. Sauté till golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Take them out to a paper-towel-lined plate or pan.

If needed, add a little more oil to pan, keep hot. Sauté onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add oregano. Add splash of wine. When wine evaporates, add tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper. Let tomato sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Add back chops. Spoon sauce on top. Let simmer with a cover askew for 5-6 minutes more. Serve.

Chops CU

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Mini Pies with Fresh Orange

PiesonPlate

mini pies with fresh orange

Let’s celebrate a winter fruit: here’s a dessert that makes fresh oranges the center of attention. Mix them up with mascarpone, some sugar, and some extract boosts…and these mini-hand-pies are the perfect perk-you-up bite for a snack, with afternoon tea, or a morning coffee friend.

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I found the best way to get the flesh sans peel and pith is to cut off the peels and pith by sliding a knife all around the edges (careful—do it on a cutting board). Then cut flesh of oranges into slices then cubes.

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I added a vanilla glaze to drizzle on top with some crushed walnuts. (Don’t you always find the possibilities are endless?? 🙂

I did a demo on Nashville’s WSMV-TV “Today in Nashville” with Kelly Sutton and Carole Sullivan…here’s the segment on YouTube. (I also show you how to cut the orange.) And find the recipe below. Have fun!

Orange Mini Hand Pies with Mascarpone

3 navel oranges

2 sheets store-bought puff pastry

8 ounces mascarpone, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1 egg (for egg wash)

Vanilla Glaze & Topping

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup walnuts, crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Zest all 3 oranges. Cut off the peel and pith off the oranges. Cut oranges into slices and then into small dice.

Add the mascarpone to a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar and extracts. Stir to combine well. Stir in the orange pieces and orange zest. 

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough pieces until just slightly larger and thinner. Using a 3-inch square cutter, cut out squares of dough. Add a tablespoon of mixture in the middle. Fold to make triangles. Press along the edges to seal. Then use the tines of a fork to press closed more securely. Place triangles on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Re-roll dough scraps to make more — you should have about 30 mini hand pies.

Mix the egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush egg wash on each triangle. Poke a small hole in the center of each one. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden.

Make the Vanilla Glaze:

In a medium mixing bowl press out the butter with a spoon to make it smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until the butter is blended into small pieces. Add the vanilla and mix well. Run the kitchen faucet until very hot. Add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water to the mixture and stir rapidly to combine. If frosting seems too thick, add more hot water until it becomes the right consistency for drizzling.

Wait until mini pies are completely cool. Drizzle glaze on top in a zig-zag design. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts.

PiesCU