Just tasty tender pork chops here, coated with a great dry rub.
This is my go-to rub, a good blend of aromatic herbs and spices: Hungarian sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, seasoned pepper and oregano. It’s everyday ingredients most of us have on hand.
Well, I know a few of those people, but that’s not the case here with us, so I knew this chicken dish would be on our menu soon when I saw it on Larry’s blog.
We really like cabbage and bacon too ~ just like magic ~ I saw recipes for it everywhere, and knew immediately it was a "must try," with the operative word being bacon!
These delicious savory fork-tender chops are topped with stuffing and gravy, they’re right up Bill’s alley!
Bill is a huge fan of pork chops and I’m always thinking of new ways of preparing them. If stuffing is involved, that’s all the better in my way of thinking!
Looking for a recipe for baked chicken breast? This is the only recipe you'll need!
The ubiquitous chicken just might be the most popular meat around. Cooks love it for its versatility and folks, young and old, love the flavor of it. I’ve cooked a lot of chicken in my lifetime, and we think this is one of the best!
I gave catfish a lighter spin by baking the fish last night.
There’s no problem in finding catfish here in the Midwest. Virtually every body of water in Illinois contains at least one species of the catfish family, with the most common members being channel catfish, flatheads, blue catfish and several species of bullheads.
A lean cut from the bottom sirloin, this economical choice is delicious when roasted with a rub and carved into thin slices to enjoy its rich, deep beefy flavor.
This is not your run of the mill Chex mix recipe off the back of the box, this is my recipe, a spicier version!
Way back in the early 1950’s, Ralston Purina wanted a way to get people to eat a lot more of its cereal. That’s when the classic recipe for the famous snack mix was printed on the back of Wheat Chex and Rice Chex boxes. The recipe included Worcestershire sauce, butter, garlic salt, salt and nuts baked in an oven.
It has been almost 9 years, since October 2009, that I started this blog. That's a lot of posts and I've reached the point where it has become a chore for me, so it's time to say so long. It has been a great journey, I've learned a lot from all of you over the years and thank you all very much for your support of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner! I'm leaving you with a great summer recipe that I hope you'll try...
It’s looks like fiesta time when you serve this spicy corn salad for your crowd!
Here you go, if you’re craving a spicy taste of the islands…
Most Cuban’s make Cuban pork roast, Lechón Asado con Mojo, by roasting a whole pig that has been slow-coked in a pit or a Caja China over charcoal, with skin that is nice and crispy.
For most of us, it is much easier to use a smaller cut of pork, such as the traditional pork shoulder or picnic cut and roast it in the oven.
I went even further and swapped the fatty pork shoulder with a boneless pork loin roast to cut the large amount of fat and roasted it on a roasting pan rack in the oven.
The flavor here comes from the mojo, the citrusy sauce, marinade…
This mojo is a great combination of tangy and savory flavors. It’s a mishmash of several different, similar recipes I saw while surfing the internet ~ basically citrus juices, spices and oil.
It’s Cuban mojo pork loin roast with unbelievably tender meat and crisp, crackly skin!
Make Cuban sandwiches out of the leftovers!
Yield: 4-6 servingsAuthor: Pam
Cuban Mojo Pork Loin Roast
Try this pork recipe for a taste of the islands.
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds boneless, pork loin roast
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup sherry
INSTRUCTIONS
Place pork roast in a zip top bag.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, pour mixture over pork.
Marinate in refrigerator for a couple of hours, or overnight.
When ready to roast, place meat in roasting pan or rack, reserving marinade.
Roast until completely cooked (145°), about 1½ hours, basting occasionally.
Let roast rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
You may remember way back in the day, back in 1965, when “Shake ’n Bake” first appeared on the grocery shelf… Shake ’n Bake provides a healthier, less-greasy alternative to frying.
Vintage 1976
Manufactured by Kraft Foods, the flavored bread crumb-style coating for pork and chicken mimics the texture on the outside of fried foods. It comes with its own baggie for you to shake the meat in order to cover it with the breading mixture.
My homemade version is a copycat of the classic dish, only a hundred times better than the packaged version!
If you like crispy, savory chops, the crunch of these baked pork chops will be just the thing for you.
No marinating needed ~ all that’s required is a resealable bag for covering the chops in the panko breadcrumb coating, made from ingredients right out of your pantry.
Serve the chops with rice and vegetables for an easy, delicious weeknight meal!
Yield: 4Author: Pam @Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner
Crispy Shake 'n Bake Pork Chops
This homemade Shake 'n Bake is easy and cheap to make. It makes a great crispy breading for your pork chops that is utterly satisfying.
INGREDIENTS:
4 pork chops, about ¾” thick
1½ panic bread crumbs
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400° and set wire rack on baking sheet.
To a large resealable plastic bag, add panko and remaining ingredients, blend well.
One at a time, place pork chop in bag and shake until evenly coated in panko mixture.
Place chops on wire rack.
Bake until pork is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden, about 25 minutes.
If you’ve never
breaded any fish with Japanese panko bread crumbs, you must try it!
Panko bread crumbs are
perfect in low-fat recipes as it gives food the crunch that comes from breading
and frying fish in deep fat. The panko
crumbs have a light, flaky texture that’s a change from the traditional heavier
bread crumbs.
Cod is high in
protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin B6, yet low in sodium, fat, and
carbohydrates making it a great healthy food.
Deep frying that cod filet turns it into a greasy piece of fish that is
about as good for us as smoking. There
is nothing you can do to make fried foods healthy and that's why it's good to
consider using panko bread crumbs.
In this recipe, swiping
the cod through a mixture of garlic and onion powders, paprika, ground red
pepper and lemon juice adds flavoring for the cod. Then coating the filets with panko bread
crumbs and baking the fish delivers a crispy texture.
Covering the baking sheet with cooking spray
eliminates the need for any oil and here’s the bonus: you
will not have a messy stove top from the splattering grease to clean up, nor
the aroma of grease in your kitchen! Cod
is delicious but any whitefish would work just as well.
Panko Breaded Cod
Ingredients:
4 cod filets, 4-6 ounces each
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method:
With flour, combine garlic and onion powders and salt and
pepper on a plate for dredging.
Mix together Panko, paprika and red pepper on another plate.
In a bowl, whisk the egg and lemon juice well.
Pat filets with a paper towel.
Dredge through the flour mixture.
Swipe through the egg mixture.
Coat with the Panko mixture.
Place cod on a baking sheet that has been coated with
cooking spray.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, turning half way through baking.
ENJOY!!!
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of
Cooking for great tips, recipes.
You’re probably asking why would anyone bother to make their own summer sausage. The reason is, because it is so very delicious!
The flavor of Bubba's home made sausage is much better than the store bought version, cheaper also and you know exactly what it consists of. You control the ingredients ~ no added chemicals~ and flavor it as you like. It reminds me of growing up on the farm with Dad making our own pork sausage, not similar to supermarket sausage at all.
Our older son, Bubba here on my blog, has been refining his summer sausage recipe and has hit on the exact proportions for it. It's easy to pull together, it just takes time; requiring 5 days to cure.
There is no casing involved. Do not use a grade of ground beef with very low fat content as the result will be dry and crumbly. Do not substitute any other salt for the Morton Tender Quick Cure ~ it is not the same thing!
It’s a great summer sausage that you just slice and serve with cheese and crackers or by itself. I love the great flavor and the texture also!
Good job, Bubba! It’s delicious!!!
Loaves: 4-5
Bubba's Homemade Summer Sausage
The flavor of Bubba's home made sausage is way better than the store bought version, cheaper also, plus you know exactly what's in it. Just give it a try it to believe it!
Prep time: 10 MinCooking time: 9 HourTotal time: 9 H & 10 M
Aside from the 15 degree temperature and VERY windy, snowy weather here yesterday, it was a fantastic fun day for Bill and me! If you follow my blog, you may recall that I am going to be a grandmother for the first time.
Kathy’s baby shower was held yesterday and what great amazing gifts she and Matt received for their baby boy who is expected the middle of February. I had no idea there are so wonderful things for a baby!
I’m hoping the little guy will like fish as he grows up as baked fish is a great choice for any meal and healthy too! Tilapia is popular and noted for its capability for absorbing other flavors, especially herbs; dried and fresh.
This recipe is easy and tasty. It has a kick of flavor from the light coating of Dijon mustard along with herbs and horseradish. Panko bread crumbs makes a delicious crunching topping for the tender flaky tilapia. I’m crazy about baked tilapia!
Herb Crusted Tilapia
Ingredients:
2 pounds tilapia filets
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon thyme
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil
Method:
Pat dry tilapia with a paper towel.
Mix mustard, horseradish, onion powder, parsley and thyme in a small bowl.
Spread mixture over filets.
Scatter bread crumbs over top.
Drizzle over all with olive oil.
Bake 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until fish is fork tender and golden.
Who in the world would think of baking pork chops with mayonnaise and Melba toast crumbs? Not me ~ that is, until I came across the recipe in The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
First off, coat the chops well with mayonnaise to give them a substantial crust. Seasoned Melba toast crumbs coat these oven-baked pork chops and helps make these pork chops extra-crispy. Don’t break the Melba toasts too much. The crumbs should have some pieces the size of small pebbles.
While an instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of determining when the meat is done, you can use the "nick-and-peek" method: Use a paring knife to make a slit in the top of the pork chop and take a look at the meat's interior.
These pork chops are delicious; very tender and moist with an excellent crunchy breading!
Ready for the oven
Crunchy Pork Chops
Ingredients:
1 (5-ounce) box plain Melba toasts, broken into rough pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper (my addition)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 pork chops (6 ounces each)
Method:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Place Melba toasts, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme and sugar in a zip-lock bag.
Seal the bag and pound to coarse crumbs, leaving some crumbs the size of small pebbles.
Add 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise to the bag and work the mayonnaise into the crumb mixture.
Transfer the Melba crumb mixture to a large plate.
Working with one chop at a time, coat with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (see my note below.)
Coat thoroughly with the Melba crumb mixture.
Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they adhere, then lay the chop on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the chops on the wire rack until the coating is a golden brown and the center of a chop registers 140 degrees on an instant-red thermometer, 16 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the chops to a clean plate and let rest until the pork reaches and internal temperature of 150 degrees before servings, 5 to 10 minutes.
These are definitely excellent pork chops!!!
Enjoy!!!
Pam’s notes: Instead of placing the crumb mixture on a plate to bread the chops, I kept the crumbs in the plastic bag and it worked great to press on the breadcrumbs to adhere to the chops.
I found that a tablespoon of mayo was a little much to coat each pork chop with. I used about a teaspoon for each chop.
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway.
It’s time to grab some napkins and have some finger-lickin’ good chicken wings!
Whether you call them Buffalo wings, chicken wings, hot wings or just wings, they’re a wonderful thing. I guess I’m not alone in my love for wings and now that grilling season is here, they’re the perfect thing to barbecue.
They’re called Buffalo wings because that is their city of origin is Buffalo, NY. There are several legends of how they came about with one being that they were first prepared in Buffalo in 1964 by Teressa Bellisimo, the co-owner, along with her husband, Frank of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. Their son, Dominic, arrived late one night at the bar, hungry and unannounced, with his college friends. Teressa needed a fast, easy snack for them and as luck would have it, they had just received a mis-delivery of chicken wings instead of the necks and backs she had ordered for her spaghetti sauce. It was then that she came up with the idea of deep frying the wings and tossing them in hot cayenne sauce.
They are probably Buffalo wings to the rest of the country but, around here we call them chicken wings and they’re a great bite-size morsel of savory goodness. This time there was neither hot sauce nor blue cheese dipping sauce ~ just a delicious barbecue sauce and this is the way it goes….
BARBECUED CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds chicken wings
1 cup bottled bottled chili sauce
½ cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients except chicken wings, in a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Set aside for basting.
Rinse chicken wings, cut and discard wing tips, pat dry.
Place wings on grill under slow heat.
Cook, turning occasionally and basting with sauce approximately 30 minutes until cooked through.
