Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork

I got this recipe from cooking light, but I promise when you eat it you will not believe that you are eating something low-cal 🙂

Pork Chops
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs – find these in the international aisle)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon peanut oil (vegetable oil is fine too)
Cooking spray

Sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry (white wine works too)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (also international aisle)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

– Place panko in a shallow dish.
– Place egg white in another shallow dish.
– Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
– Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork.
– Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done.
– Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
– Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
– Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
– Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions.
– Spoon sauce over pork.

Linda’s Notes:
– I didn’t have everything on the list, so I improvised a little: I used white wine instead of Sake, vegetable oil instead of peanut, and I used some chives I had in lieu of green onions.
– I think this would also be a great sauce to serve with a pork tenderloin
– I served this with asparagus, but I think rice would be a perfect side and maybe a nice salad.

Easy Foiled Salmon and Simple Risotto

The salmon hardly even needs a recipe because the prep time is about 5 minutes and it’s about as easy as it gets. The salmon also requires no dishes so it’s immediately my favorite meal to make. I got this idea by ust doing a google search on what I thought people might bake with salmon (onions, lemon juice, thyme?) and ran with that.

Easy Salmon
2 good quality salmon filets (ok, mine were not from a fish market, but they looked good)
1 onion
1 lemon
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Thyme
2 tbsp Olive Oil (appr)

– Prehead oven to 350 degrees
– Salt and pepper the filets and coat with olive oil
– Place each piece of fish on a large enough piece of aluminum foil to create a little sealable pouch
– Place chopped onions and thin lemon slices on top of each filet
– Squeeze the juice from the lemon on the salmon and sprinkle with thyme
– Seal the aluminum foil pouches and place on oven rack for approximately 30 minutes

Side of Simple Risotto
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups canned chicken stock
Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
1 pat of butter

– In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat
– Add onion and cook until tender
– Stir in garlic and cook until aroma is released
– Add rice and cook for 1 minute
– Add wine and stir until all the liquid is absorbed
– Stirring continuously add in 1/2 cup stock at a time. Do not add next 1/2 cup until the previous one has been absorbed.
– Stir in the pat of butter and season with salt and pepper.
– Stir in grated Parmesan cheese

Linda’s Notes:
– The salmon is pretty straight forward, but you could change things up by using rosemary instead of thyme
– To make it a little less healthy you could also stick a piece of bacon in with salmon.
– This is the most basic risotto recipe (because I’ve never made it before!), but you can easily change it up by adding vegetables in the last stage or using different kinds of stock or wine.

Giada’s Onion Soup

This seems to be Giada’s easiest recipe. I don’t usually make her food because it looks really complicated and she uses ingredients that are hard to find or extremely expensive. In this case, Super Walmart carries fontina cheese and it’s really reasonable.

Obviously from the pictures, I don’t have any ramekins so instead I used little foil bowls. I think I might invest in some though 🙂

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 cups beef broth
4 slices ciabatta bread, cubed
4 ounces sliced fontina cheese
Special equipment: 4 (1 1/2-cup) ovenproof ramekins

– In a medium, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
– Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
– Add the thyme and broth.
– Simmer, uncovered, until the onions are soft, about 15 minutes.
– Divide the soup between the 4 ovenproof ramekins.
– Divide the cubed bread among the ramekins. Top each with slices of fontina cheese.
– Place under the broiler, until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 4 minutes.
– Serve immediately.

Linda’s Notes:
– This soup was GOOD. It is also filling enough to be a meal all by itself.
– Cutting down on the salt is a good idea… the cheese can add too much salt depending on how strong it is.
– Adding mushrooms to this would be wonderful I think!

Paula makes my mom’s goulash!

This is actually Paula Deen’s “Wayne’s Beef and Macaroni and Cheese,” but I swear it tastes just like the goulash my mom used to make when I was little. This recipe is SUPER-easy and makes a TON of food! We each had two huge helpings last night and the casserole dish is still half-full.


1-pound box elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon each dried basil, ground cumin, and dried oregano
2 to 3 cups grated Cheddar

– Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
– Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
– Heat the oil in a skillet; add the peppers, onion, and garlic, and saute until soft.
– Add the ground beef and saute until browned.
– Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, to taste, and the basil, cumin, and oregano.
– In a large bowl, combine the macaroni and the beef mixture.
– Spread this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
– Top with the cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Linda’s Notes:
I changed this recipe around a bit, but I think the result was really good!
– I substituted ground turkey for ground beef
– I substitued one can of petit diced tomatoes for one of the cans of crushed
– She doesn’t say to drain the grease from the beef/veggie mixture, but I did
– I used really sharp cheddar for the top

Rollo Pretzel Candies

Yes, I too have hopped on the rollo-pretzel-pecan-m&m candy bandwagon. I saw these first at Something So Clever and they looked easy and delicious, but I’m not one for nuts. Then I saw the M&M variation the Domestic Diva did and I decided I’d throw in the towel and make a bunch for my workplace guinea pigs. They were hit! Even though the combination of ingredients sounds a little weird, even my “skeptical” boyfriend ate 10 of them.

1 Bag of Rollos (or more if you want more candies, but beware you have to unwrap foil from each one of these little guys)
1 Bag Mini-Pretzels
1 Bag Giant M&Ms (can also use pecans, peanut butter cups, etc..)

– Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
– Preheat over to 250 degrees
– Place as many pretzels as you can fit on the baking sheet
– Top each pretzel with one Rollo
– Bake for about four minutes
– Immediately place one M&M on top of each Rollo and push down slightly
– Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for about ten minutes to set chocolate

Linda’s Notes:
– The chocolate melts down into the pretzels, so make sure and get a pretzel that is slightly bigger than the Rollos

Beef Tenderloin with Wasabi Garlic Cream Sauce

Oh what to do when a nice beef tenderloin is on sale at the grocery store! Thank you Epicurious 🙂 My New Year’s resolution is to not only take pictures of what I cook, but also to remember to post them. Hopefully everyone will be so excited about the picture they that will forgive my obvious lack of presentation skills.

2 1/2 – 3 pound beef tenderloin
1 1/2 cups heavy whippping cream
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon wasabi powder (paste is ok too)

– Preheat over to 425°F

To make Wasabi-Garlic Cream:
– Combine whipping cream, and garlic in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes
– Whisk in wasabi
– Remove sauce from heat, season to taste with salt

– Place tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet
– Pour olive oil over the meat and roll to coat
– Mix together kosher salt and sugar and rub over the sides of the meat
– Roast about 15-20 minutes for medium-rare
– Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes under an aluminum tent
– Sprinkle with salt and pepper
– Cut beef into thick slices and serve with sauce

Linda’s Notes:
– Start with the meat at room temperature
– Not only does letting the meat rest keep it moist, it will cook it a bit longer too (thanks Alton Brown!)
– You should use a plain beef tenderloin, but one that is marinated might work too as long as it’s not a total clash of flavors

Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia

Our Friday night dinner! I always thought that the this recipe sounded really good, but I’ve been really disappointed with what I’ve had at restaurants. The Olive Garden’s version is a little bland and over-cooked for my taste, so I skipped all of the copycats for that and slightly modified one I found on Recipezaar. The hint of lemon you get when you bite into this is really great and the salt and garlic give it flavor without being too overbearing.

2-4 tilapia fillets, depending on size
1/4 cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs (anything else can be substituted, but these really make it light and crispy)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
The juice of one Lemon
Salt/Pepper
Olive Oil

– Thaw and wash tilapia fillets if frozen. Pat dry on paper towels.
– Soak the fillets in all but about a teaspoon of the lemon juice while you prepare the rest of the ingredients
– Combine crumbs, parmesan, oregano, and garlic powder on a plate, mixing well.
– Working 1 at a time, remove the fillet from the lemon juice, sprinkle with desired amount of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Turn the fillet over in the lemon juice and sprinkle seasoning on the other side.
– Dredge fillet in the parmesan mixture patting it all over to coat.
– Place in a baking dish coated with olive oil, repeat with remaining fillets.
– Sprinkle the remaining lemon juice over fillets and drizzle or spray them lightly with olive oil.
– If desired, sprinkle a small amount of parmesan cheese on top of the fillets.
– Bake at 425ºF for about 20 minutes or until they easily flake with a fork and edges are browning.

Linda’s Notes:
– I just about over-cooked the fish because I was waiting for it to turn golden brown. It doesn’t have to be brown to be crispy and done.
– I served this with a side of pasta with a parmesan sauce, but I think a healthier option would be broccoli and cauliflower steamed and topped with parmesan cheese.
– Be cautious about how much salt you are adding, especially if you use salty cheese or breadcrumbs.

Simple Sorta-Saltimbocca

This isn’t technically Saltimbocca, but it is the same idea with a much more simple method. Last night I had some chicken breasts and prosciutto on hand, but I didn’t want to spend more than 20 minutes getting dinner ready so I came up with this (after a few Google searches for inspiration):

4 boneless chicken breasts, split in half
several sage leaves, or dried sage if you don’t have fresh on hand
8 slices of prosciutto
2 tablespoons olive oil (appr)
3 tablespoons butter
minced garlic (you be the judge)

– Lay several sage leaves and some minced garlic on top of each chicken breast, and wrap with a slice of prosciutto.
– Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter
– When butter is foamy, place the chicken in the skillet, sage side down.
– Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
– Turn chicken and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
– Remove chicken and place on a plate with an aluminum foil tent to rest and stay warm.

Optional Sauce:
– Add 1 cup of a nice white wine to the pan and scrape up all of the little brown bits.
– When the wine has reduced down to a much thicker mixture, reduce heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter.
– When sauce becomes bubbly again it is done.

"You Won’t Be Single for Long" Vodka Cream Pasta

This recipe is from Rachael Ray‘s first “30 Minute Meals” book. I don’t make a lot of Rachael’s recent recipes because I think they’ve lost a little of their creativity, but this is a throw-back to her simple recipe days. It’s easy to make and most of the ingredients are stuff that I keep on hand. It is also very delicious! My boyfriend would like to rename this to “You Won’t Be Single Again” pasta.


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

– Heat a large skillet over moderate heat.
– Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots.
– Gently sauté shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness.
– Add vodka to the pan (3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup).
– Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes.
– Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.
– Season with salt and pepper.
– While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it).
– Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat.
– Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

Linda’s Notes:
– Make note that she says 1 32 oz can of crushed tomatoes… that is the large can. I used 1 small can though the first time I made this and it was still good 🙂
– Taking the time to let each step of liquid to reduce is important otherwise it gets a little runny.

Polynesian Pork Chops

I originally got this recipe years ago from one of the Pillsbury “Cookoff” books from the grocery store. I lost the actual recipe, but then I did a few searches and found it again on Recipezaar.

4 boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
hot cooked rice
sliced green onions

– Season pork chops with garlic powder.
– In a large skillet, cook chops in hot oil until brown on both sides.
– Add onion, soup, pineapple with juice, water, soy sauce and honey.
– Bring to a boil.
– Cook on low heat 10 minutes or until meat juice runs clear.
– Serve with rice and garnish with green onions if desired.

Linda’s Notes:
– I mix a very small amount of cornstarch in with the liquids so that the sauce thickens up, this might not be necessary for those who do not have a history of thin sauces :/
– This recipe would also be tasty with chicken instead of pork