The Cookbook

[Catseye3]

George,

You are an evil, evil man.

[George K]

@catseye3 I used a whole onion for this, and I thought I overdid it.

Mrs. George said, "Nah, it was fine."

We did this with chicken schnitzel.

Tasty and simple.

[George K]

Tonight:

Instant Pot Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

4-6 Pork Chops
3 Tbsp Oil
8 oz Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (divided) or replace 1/4 cup of the broth with dry cooking sherry
1 small Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic minced or pressed
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Soy Sauce, low sodium
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sour Cream (or Greek yogurt)

Tenderize the pork chops by using a meat tenderizer with multiple blades, or by hitting them several times with the back side of a large knife.

Turn on the pot's sauté setting to the highest heat level (More on an IP). When the pot is hot, add the oil.

Brown the pork chops on both sides, in two batches. Then set browned chops on a plate.

Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook a couple of minutes. Then add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth (or cooking sherry, if using) and deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until it starts to turn translucent.

Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth. Stir well.

Add salt & pepper.

Place the pork chops back in the pot and turn off the Sauté setting.

Pour the cream of mushroom soup on top but do not stir. Place the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

Press the Pressure Cook button or dial and then the + or - button or dial to select 10 minutes (for about 1 1/2" thick) or (7 or 8 minutes for smaller, thinner chops, 12 minutes for thicker chops)

When the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 8 minutes (8 minute Natural Release).

Remove the chops to a dish and spoon some of the gravy over them to keep them moist.

Turn the Sauté setting on and mix the flour with some of the hot liquid in a mug. Then pour the mixture into the pot and stir to thicken. Stir a little water into the gravy if it is too thick.

Turn off the Sauté setting.

Stir in the sour cream.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner:

https://www.southernliving.com/syndication/cast-iron-chicken-piccata

Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata

4 (5- to 6-oz.) chicken cutlets
1/2 cup (2 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons (3 oz.) salted butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brined capers, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Hot cooked pasta

Place each chicken cutlet between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper. Dip each cutlet in egg white, and dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 2 cutlets, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean, and repeat process with 2 tablespoons butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets. Discard drippings; do not wipe skillet clean.

Add broth, lemon juice, and capers to skillet. Bring to a boil over high, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately with pasta.

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Quite tasty. The lemon and capers gave a bit of "zing."

Mrs. George peeled some red spuds which I threw into the Instant Pot with chicken bouillon for mashed potatoes - add milk, salt, butter and peppers. Smash away, and smoothness be damned!

Some (Instant Pot) steamed carrots as well.

Only criticism is that the chicken breasts which I bought as "sliced thin" were not as thin as I'd like. If they had been "schnitzel thin," they would have come out a bit nicer.

[Mik]

Skyline here daughter and cat arrived from NC for a couple weeks. Cat was entranced by lightning bug on the window.

[George K]

Pork Schnitzel

4 boneless pork chops (1 pound total), 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (Spike or Lawrey's, or just substitute plain salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs or panko
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)

1 Use a meat hammer to pound the pork cutlets to 1/4-1/8 inch thickness. Cut small slits around the edges of the cutlets to prevent curling.

2 Set out 3 shallow bowls. One with a mixture of the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. The second with the egg and milk whisked together. The third with a mixture of the breadcrumbs (or panko) and paprika.

3 Dredge cutlets: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Dredge the cutlets first in the seasoned flour, then dip the cutlets in the egg mixture, and then into the mixture of bread crumbs and paprika.

4 Working in batches, sauté the cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the cutlets from the skillet and cover with foil or place in a warm oven to keep warm.

5 Deglaze pan, make sour cream dill sauce: Add the chicken stock into the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.

In a small bowl mix the dill and salt into the sour cream. Stir the sour cream mixture into the chicken stock.

Heat and stir until mixture thickens (do not let boil).

Serve the cutlets with the sauce, and lemon slices if you like.

[Catseye3]

Tomato-Braised Rotisserie Chicken

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. bacon (about 4 slices), sliced crosswise ¼" thick
2 shallots, thinly sliced
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 2½-lb. rotisserie chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 bunch curly kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet with a lid over medium. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened and bacon is brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes.

Increase heat to high and add wine, garlic, and rosemary to pot. Cook, stirring, until wine is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes along with their juices, broth, salt, and red pepper flakes and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; nestle in chicken, skin side up. Top with kale, cover pot, and cook until kale is wilted, 5–7 minutes. Stir kale into sauce and continue to cook, uncovered, until chicken is warmed through, about 5 minutes more.

(This is not TNT. But it seems like you could make the sauce ahead of time with all of the ingredients except the kale and the chicken, and freeze it. Then for a quickie meal, heat it up and add the kale and the chicken.)
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

For some reason this recipe reminded me of George. But I'm also thinking of Mik because it's from Bon Appetit, and also uses canned tomatoes, which I think he likes to use?

[Catseye3]

Oh, wottheheck, here's the Bon Appetit site I got the above recipe from. It has many more loverly canned tomato recipes, so have at it.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/canned-tomatoes

[Mik]

Yum. Bon Appetit has the best recipes.

Grilling chicken tonight with (of course) fresh picked corn on the cob!

[George K]

Tonight's dinner:

Chicken Lombardy

Ingredients:

▢ 2 large chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)
▢ Salt & pepper (to taste)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ Flour (for dredging)
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
▢ 7 ounces cremini mushrooms (sliced)
▢ 1/2 cup marsala
▢ 1/4 cup chicken broth
▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella
▢ 2 scallions (chopped)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to make 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt & pepper and the garlic powder. Coat each piece in flour.
Add the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter to an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes/side or until golden. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining butter to the pan. Let it melt, then add the mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have nicely browned (about 5-6 minutes).
Add the marsala and chicken broth to the skillet and let it bubble for about a minute.
Add the chicken back to the pan and let it cook for about a minute while spooning some of the sauce and mushrooms over top.
Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the mozzarella over top (I concentrate it on the chicken), and then sprinkle the scallions on.
Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 7 minutes. You can broil it at the end for a few minutes if you want the cheese to brown. Serve immediately.

[Catseye3]

Boy, that looks good . . . so, Lombardy Chicken, you say? You gonna throw the leftovers across Lake Michigan?

You could outdo Tom Brady and General Washington in one swell foop!

[George K]

@catseye3

I didn't have any chicken broth, so I used "better than bouillon." Good stuff, but salty.

If you substitute, go easy on the salt.

Mrs. George is not a fan of "cheese on meat," so I doubt it'll be made in Chez George in the future. I've wanted to try it, so there.

[Catseye3]

DIY Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt

1 lb of any fresh fruit that is amenable to stewing. (I used plums, you could use berries, rhubarb or apples.)

4 T Honey (I stopped at 3, and it was just right.)

Scant 1/4 tsp Salt

2 T Cornstarch

2 T Water

Rough chop the fruit and put it in a medium saucepan with the honey. Warm it to a simmer. Dissolve the cornstarch into the water, then add it to the compote. Stir until thickened. Cool and refrigerate.

How much compote you add to plain Greek yogurt is up to you. I did half a cup of yogurt and a full third cup of the compote, and it was perfect, but YMMV.

The recipe calls for sweetening the yogurt (this recipe was originally intended for kids) but I forgot to do that, and it was fine.

You could also substitute vanilla ice cream for the yogurt, or stir a bit of liqueur into the compote and build a fancy parfait for dessert.

[Mik]

Love yogurt, especially that way. First time I ever had yogurt was at the Swiss pavilion in Montreal at Expo 67.

Tonight we are having carbonara with prosciutto. Easy peasy, but I use twice the prosciutto.

https://parmacrown.com/recipe/prosciutto-pasta-carbonara/

[Catseye3]

Kentucky Benedictine Dip (or Spread)

"This Benedictine spread with cucumber can be used as a dip or a sandwich and canape topping. It was created by Jennie Carter Benedict, a cookbook author, caterer, and restaurateur. She operated a Louisville restaurant and tea room, Benedict's, in the early 20th century."

Ingredients
1 large cucumber
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated sweet or yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Dash green food coloring, optional

Peel the cucumber; cut it in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.

Grate the cucumber coarsely or chop it.

Put the grated cucumber in a blender container or the bowl of a food processor with the cream cheese, grated onion, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise.

Pulse or blend the mixture until smooth.

[George K]

Tonight's Dinner:

Rosemary Baked Chicken with Potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon McCormick Paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Rosemary Leaves
1 teaspoon McCormick Sea Salt Grinder
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Coarse Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2 pounds)
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix oil, paprika, rosemary, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder in large bowl. Add chicken and potatoes; toss to coat well. Arrange chicken and potatoes in single layer on foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray. (For easier clean-up, try lining pan with foil.)

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.

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Cooking now - review to follow. I didn't have any thighs, or red spuds, so I used boneless, skinless breasts and baby whites.

Meh...

Chicken was dry, though flavorful.

Spuds were OK.

On a scale of 1-5 this is a solid 3.

[George K]

Spuds

Recommended by Gryphon

Easy Breakfast (or anytime) Potatoes

I found this recipe online. Easy to make and are awesome. I make a large batch at once, put them in the fridge, and eat with any meal. Very flavorful and step #5 sends it over the top. I also use much more pepper because you can never use too much pepper.

Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or foil. Foil is the correct choice.
2. Peel potatoes (or not if you like skins) and dice into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Place potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss again to coat.
4. Spread potatoes in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes.
5. Give the potatoes a quick stir, turn on the broiler and broil the potatoes for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
6. Sprinkle with fresh minced parsley and serve immediately.

Made them tonight. I didn't have any russets on hand, so I used baby reds.

I used the chopper I mentioned earlier. I used 8 small baby red potatoes (with skin on) and added ½ yellow onion (diced) rather than the onion powder.

Mrs. George approves.

If I were to do ti again I'd slice the potatoes into ½" slabs and then dice. I'd cook the potatoes longer before broiling, and then broil longer than the recipe suggests.

Nevertheless, this is another go-to recipe for a side dish:

[George K]

Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe)

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces (170g) bacon, roughly chopped
3 pounds (1 1/2 kg) beef brisket, trimmed of fat (chuck steak or stewing beef) cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
12 small pearl onions (optional)
3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine
2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 beef bullion cube, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)
2 bay leaves
1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons butter

Set Instant Pot or Cooker to SEAR function (or use a pan on the stove over medium heat of you wish). Sauté the bacon in 1 tablespoon of oil until crisp and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches until browned on all sides in the oil/bacon fat.

Return bacon to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook on SEAR for a further 4-5 minutes to brown.

Add in the onions, pearl onions, carrots, wine, 2 cups of stock, tomato paste, 4 cloves minced garlic, bullion and herbs. Stir well, cover and lock the lid into place. Press Keep Warm/Cancel to stop the Sauté function, then set to MANUAL mode. Choose HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes cook time.

After cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 8-10 minutes. Open the valve and allow and remaining steam to escape (for Instant Pot, turn the valve from sealing to venting to release the pressure).

While steam is releasing, prepare your buttered mushrooms (OPTIONAL -- or add them straight in without cooking in butter if desired): Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.

Change the Instant Pot or cooker setting back to the SEAR setting (or SAUTE) stir well and allow the sauce to thicken uncovered, for a further 5-10 minutes.

Add the buttered mushrooms, garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

[George K]

This actually came out pretty good, but I have some criticisms.

First of all, I wanted some potatoes, so I threw in some quartered baby reds. They came out mushy.

And speaking of mushy, the whole thing was kind of mushy. Mrs. George approved of the taste, but not the texture.

Next time I'm feeling industrious, I'll make it the tradition way that takes 3 hours (or more) and throw the spuds in for the last hour or so.

[Mik]

Instant Pot is fast, but lacks finesse. Everything can get mushy fast. That particular dish is worth taking the traditional time to develop the flavors, especially the wine flavors.