Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Upcoming foodie events in Charleston

Monday, January 23, 2012

Stuck in a cooking rut?

So I'm not going to lie. I had to go back several FB posts to find my blog address because I couldn't remember it. So lame! Now that I've had some time to relax since the wedding, I feel revived and refreshed and have had TONS of cooking ideas lately. Which is great news because this month and next seem to be the ones where everything is dull and gray. Here are 2 great, easy recipes for you to try.


Parmesan crusted pork chops with heirloom tomato, garbanzo bean, and sage risotto
  
Ingredients:
Pork Chops (I used bone-in)
Olive Oil
Shredded Parmesan
2 eggs
Panko
Risotto
Garbanzo beans
Sage
heirloom or yellow tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
lemon wedges

Season pork chops with salt & pepper and coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, over medium/high heat.
Set up three shallow dishes; one with shredded parmesan, one with egg, and one with panko crumbs. In that order, dredge the chops, making sure to pat the cheese on them to cover. Cook until the center is no longer pink, about 7 minutes per side, making sure the breading does not burn. Serve with lemon wedges.

Cook package of risotto according to directions and add tomatoes, sage, and garbanzo beans at the end. I think this would also be great with mint or basil and any kind of nut as well. Really, you can put anything in risotto!

Recipe recycle: cut up leftover pork chops and mix with risotto and top over a bed of arugula and add your dressing of choice. Delicious!

Lasagna Cups

Ingredients:
Spaghetti sauce and ground beef
Parmesan Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella
Wonton Wrappers

This lasagna recipe was so easy and has completely turned me on to wonton wrappers which I had never previously used. Easier and healthier than using lasagna noodles. Genius!

Make spaghetti sauce to your liking. I used ground beef,jarred sauce, spices, bay leaves, onions, garlic, and orange and green bell peppers. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.

Cut wonton wrappers (find them in your grocery's produce aisle near the tofu) using the top of a small glass so they fit in the bottom of your muffin pan. Then, add grated parmesan, ricotta, shredded mozzarella, spaghetti sauce, another wonton (use one right from the package this time). Add the same ingredients and top with mozzarella. Bake on 375 degree for 18 minutes or until the cheese is golden. These go great with garlic bread and a salad as usual! You could also top it with basil which I forgot to buy but think would be a great garnish!

And, if you're looking for a great lunch idea, check out this recipe I snatched from Sunset magazine: Arugula Walnut Pesto Farfalle. I added shredded chicken for a little protein but pretty much followed the rest verbatim.