Veal Schnitzel and Rice

This is a classical version. I usually use pork tenderloin but since I bought some nice veal at local farmers market I just couldn’t resist and since we didn’t have a rice with schnitzel for a while it was a side dish of choice. And, of course, wedge of lemon and some pickles balanced the meal perfectly.

Oven Roasted Pork Ribs and Fries

Beside Dim Sum ribs I have never cooked ribs that were separated, I have always cooked whole slab, be it on BBQ or in oven. This time I have decided to separate all ribs, marinade them overnight and then cook them in aluminum foil covered baking pan. Also, since I didn’t want them to stick to the bottom of pan I have placed a sheet of baking parchment paper on bottom and sides creating sort of container that kept all the marinade inside. This way the ribs steamed at 375 °F for first 2 hours, covered, and another 30 minutes uncovered at 400 °F.

Potato chips went into oven 1 hour before ribs were uncovered, on a rack in one layer. Potatoes were cut and then soaked in cold water for 1 hour. Then they were drained, dried and tossed with olive oil and spice mix of 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. Hungarian Paprika and 1 tsp. coarse salt.

What a feast! The ribs came clean off the bone and chips had a nice crunch. This will be my favorite way to cook ribs. By the way, that parchment paper worked like a charm. None of the ribs stuck to bottom and the paper came out leaving fairly clean aluminum foil underneath. There was nothing to wash.

Ribs are placed on parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Potatochips are soaked, then dried and tossed with spices and oil.

Ready for plating.

No mess, no pots and pans to wash!

Kassler with Pineapple and Grapes

Kassler is a cured and smoked pork chop that originated in Germany and is traditionally cooked with sauerkraut and potatoes. Since my better half is not crazy about sauerkraut like I am, she asked me to cook it with pineapple instead. Few years ago, I came up with a meal that was made with pork cutlet rolled with cheese and smoked bacon slices and cooked in white wine and with pineapple and green grapes. It was a hit at my dinner parties because at the table I poured in some hot rum and flambé the sauce. Real retro, I have to say.
If you can’t get your hands on a real Kassler you can sub with a regular thick cut pork chops, brined for 4 hours in salted water with few drops of liquid hickory smoke. After 4 hours, drain, rinse under running cold water and pat dry with paper towel.

Ingredients:

2 Kassler chops

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. oil

14 oz. can of pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup green grapes, halved lengthwise

3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder

White pepper to taste

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

Directions:

In medium hot frying pan heat oil and butter and sauté onions till light golden brown.

Add paprika and chilli powder, stir an push onions on side. Place pork chops in center of frying pan and brown on both sides, about 4 – 5 minutes each side.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water, drain when done, toss with chopped parsley and butter and keep warm.

Pour in wine and reduce to half. Add pineapple chunks and grapes, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through and at the same time stir the pineapple and grapes. Add more wine if sauce is too thick.
To serve, pour half the sauce on each preheated plate, place pork chop on top of sauce and potatoes on side.

I bought these chops at local farmer's market. No cash register, the wrapper serves as cash register tape. Check top left corner on photo.

Kassler and onions are cooked and ready for wine.

Another 15 minutes and it will be ready for plating.

I get hungry just looking at it!

Spaghettini with Clams and Cream Sauce

Another in series of comfort food recipes. This one is basically Spaghetti con Vongole recipe but without the shrimps.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 or 4 shallots, finally chopped

3 Tbs. chopped parsley

1 can of baby clams, drained and separated

1 c. of white wine

1/2 cup 35% cream or whipping cream

Nutmeg, pinch

Hot pepper flakes, to taste

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. dried tarragon

Truffle oil, dash (optional)

Process:

Cook spaghettini till al dente, drain, foss with 1 tsp of olive oil and keep warm.

Heat frying pan and when hot add olive oil and then shallots. Sauté for few minutes but don’t allow to brown. Pour in wine and cook off. Add clam juice and cook till only about 1/4 cup remains. Add clams and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add cream and cook under medium heat till sauce starts to thicken. Add parsley, tarragon, nutmeg, white pepper, chili pepper flakes and optional truffle oil.

When pasta is cooked al dente, drain and toss with the cream sauce.

Baked Penne with Bocconcini

This comfort food dish is based on Mac & Cheese recipe with few twists. Instead of boring macaroni I used Penne Rigatoni. The milk based cheese sauce was replaced with tomato sauce in which I have melted shredded Italian four-cheese mix and topped with sliced fresh bocconcini. The pasta and sauce mix was ladled into oven-proof dish and baked at 450 °F till sauce bubbled and bocconcini was melted. Absolute delight when served with crusty baguette and plain lettuce and arugula on side.

Pan Fried Salmon, Green Beans and Red Pepper.

Because of versatility and taste salmon is my favorite fish. This is one of the simplest versions I have made. It can be made in less then 20 minutes, including preparation, same time as rice takes to cook. I have to mention, though, that the red pepper was already cleaned from prep for previous meal so all I had to do was remove ends from green beans and slice them in half and prepare the wasabi sauce.

Again, this is so simple.

Ingredients:

§    Salmon fillet portion, skin on or skinless, 1 per person

§    Salt and White pepper

§    Green Beans, ends removed and cut in half lengthwise and pre-cooked in microwave for 1 minute.

§    Red Pepper, julienned

§    1 tsp. olive oil

§    1 tsp. butter

Sauce:

§    1 tsp. wasabi powder mixed with 1 tsp. water

§    1/3 cup Mayonnaise

§    2 Tbs. Maple Syrup

Mix all ingredients till smooth

Direction:

Season salmon with salt and pepper (for that little extra I use smoked sea salt).

Preheat frying pan with butter and oil on medium high. Add salmon skin side up together with beans and peppers. When salmon is opaque 1/3 up, about 2 minutes, turn over skin side down and stir beans and peppers. When salmon is almost flaky, about another 2 – 3 minutes, remove from heat and serve on preheated plate with rice, beans and red pepper. Spoon wasabi/mayo/maple syrup sauce on side or on top of salmon.

This will be our post golf game lunch, I think. So tasty and fast.

Beef Rouladen (Hovězí Ptáčky)

As far as I know most European country has a version of this meal. In some places pork is used but mostly very thin piece of beef roast is the traditional cut.

The filling varies from place to place, not only between countries. In North Bohemia traditional filling is smoked bacon, sausage, onions, hard boiled egg and pickle. This time I made half sized version but recipe is for a full sized Rouladen.

Ingredients:

Rouladen

4 slices of rouladen beef (see note bellow)

4” piece of Polish Kielbasa, skin removed and cut into 4 pieces, lengthwise

1 hard boiled egg, quartered

4 pickles, cut in half, lengthwise

4 slices smoked and pre-cooked bacon or ham

1/2 chopped onion

Dijon mustard

Hungarian Paprika

Black pepper and salt

Note: Rouladen beef is cut from rump or round roast and is about 1/4” thick and about 6” wide and 10” long and is tenderized with mallet. This makes the beef quite larger and tender.

Sauce

2 slices smoked bacon, chopped fine

1/2 chopped onion

Dijon mustard

Hungarian Paprika

Black pepper and salt

1/2 cup of red wine or Marsala

Direction:

Place beef on cutting board with wider end closer to you.

Spread about 1 Tbs. of mustard on front half ob beef and season with paprika, pepper and salt.

Place bacon or ham on top, followed by sausage, pickle, onions and egg.

Make sure that all toppings, except bacon, are on a nice pile. Start rolling away from you. After 1 and 1/2 turns fold the sides over to enclose the filling and finish rolling. Make sure the roll is tight. Secure with butchers twine around and across.

This time I did half size rolls.

Heat frying pan with 1 Tbs. of oil and 1 Tbs. of butter on medium high. Brown rolls on all sides and set aside. Do not crowd in pan.

When all rolls are browned discard the oil and butter. Add 1 tsp. of fresh butter and chopped bacon. Brown bacon and then add onions and sauté till golden brown. Pour in wine and scrape all fond from bottom of pan. Add chopped pickles and return beef rolls into pan, bring to gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Add wine as necessary if sauce is too low.

Add mustard and chopped eggs and simmer for 5 more minutes. Do not boil or mustard will become bitter.

Remove rolls from pan, cut the twine and slice into 1/2” thick slices.

Serve on preheated plate with the sauce and rice.