Pork Schnitzel with Cucumber Salad

I was inspired to make this meal after receiving several beautiful homegrown cucumbers from a neighbor. What an excuse to make schnitzel! 😉 I loved the combination of the pork with the crunchy and fresh cucumber salad.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Justin Chapple. I modified the proportions and used homegrown cucumbers instead of Persian cucumbers. Delicious.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 6 Persian cucumbers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
 OR 3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill, plus small sprigs for garnish
• 1 3/4 cups whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• two 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloins, cut on the bias into 12 to 15 thin slices (each), about 1/4 inch thick
• canola oil, for frying

1. In a colander placed over a bowl, toss the cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon of salt. 
Let stand for 15 minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess water.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cucumbers with the chopped dill and 1/4 cup of the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. (I used whole-milk Greek yogurt in the salad.)
3. Meanwhile, put the breadcrumbs and the remaining 
1 1/2 cups of yogurt in 2 separate shallow bowls. (I used glass pie plates.)
4. Season the pork with salt and pepper and dip 
in the yogurt, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge in the breadcrumbs, pressing to flatten the pork and help the crumbs adhere.
5. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. (I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.)
6. In batches, add the pork in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and crispy, about 
5 minutes. (I placed the pork into the pan with tongs but turned the pieces over with a spatula to keep the coating intact.)
7. Transfer to a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet to drain.
8. Serve the pork with the cucumber salad and garnish with small sprigs of dill.

Swedish Meatloaf with Caramelized Cabbage (Kalpudding)

I planned to make this Swedish dish after spending the afternoon at IKEA. 🙂 I knew that we could buy the lingonberry preserves for the topping during our shopping spree too.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sam Sifton. I used a combination of ground pork and ground turkey instead of ground beef. Next time I would double the sauce- loved it. Sifton recommended serving it with boiled potatoes. We ate it with mashed new potatoes (my husband’s request) and roasted asparagus. It was such wonderful comfort food. Great.

Yield: 6 servings

For the Meatloaf:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 head green cabbage, approximately 3 pounds, cored and shredded
• 3 tablespoons molasses or golden syrup
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup chicken, turkey, beef or vegetable stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium store-bought (or water)

For the Sauce:

• ⅓ cup lingonberry preserves
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• dash of Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

1. Shred the cabbage in a food processor.
2. Heat oven to 350, preferably on convection.
3. Put a large pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter. When it starts to foam, add the cabbage and molasses, lower the heat to medium and sprinkle with salt. Cook slowly, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated and the cabbage is caramelized, approximately 20-25 minutes.
4. While the cabbage is cooking, lightly mix the meats in a large bowl, then add the onion, cream, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix again to combine.
5. When the cabbage is done, add about a third of it to the meat mixture, and mix to combine.
6. Grease an 8-inch-square or 8 x 10-inch baking pan, and transfer the meat mixture to it, spreading it out to cover the whole surface evenly.
7. Spread remaining cabbage over the meat, pour the stock or water over the top and place in the oven, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, to cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cabbage is very, very caramelized, almost dry and crunchy at the edges.
8. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes or so before serving.
9. While the meat and cabbage cooks, make the sauce. Heat lingonberry preserves, vinegar and butter in a small pot set over medium heat, then add Worcestershire sauce to taste. Serve alongside the kalpudding.

One Year Ago:

• North African Meatballs

Two Years Ago:

• Pork & Ricotta Meatballs in Parmesan Broth

Three Years Ago:

• Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Thyme

Four Years Ago:

• Italian Braised Pork
• Pastitsio

Super Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

Well, here it is. I know you all have been waiting for this recipe to complete my husband’s coke-brined fried chicken with biscuits and gravy birthday meal. 🙂

This is the most indulgent, rich, super creamy, super cheesy macaroni and cheese ever. So much so that I could only bring myself to make one half of the original recipe. It was more than enough- especially because we ate it as a side dish! It would also be a wonderful main dish with a huge green salad. (Half of the original recipe would still easily serve at least 4 people as a main dish.)

This recipe was adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics, via Smitten Kitchen. HBD Mr. Brookcook! ❤

Yield: Serves 10+ as a side dish or 4+ as a main dish

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
• 3 to 4 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn or cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces (I used Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane)
• 2 3/4 cups milk (I used 1 percent)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 1/4 cups (about 9 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Gruyère
• 1/2 pound short pasta such as campanelle or elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F on convection. Butter an 8×8-inch (or equivalent), 2-quart casserole dish; set aside. (I sprayed my dish with cooking oil spray instead.)
2. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave. Add the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.
3. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (I warmed it in the microwave instead -one less pot to clean!) Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
4. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and 3/4 cups Gruyère; set the cheese sauce aside.
6. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère on top. Sprinkle the reserved breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the grated cheeses.
8. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes on convection (or up to 30+ minutes in a standard oven). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

Also- an update!

No ducklings yet… I guess we’ll have to welcome the goslings for now… 🙂

One Year Ago:

• Stove-Top Pasta & Cheese

Two Years Ago:

• Mother’s Day Huevos Rancheros