Baked Pork Chops

My mom made pork chops regularly growing up. When I moved away I stopped having them and on visits home my mom would pan fry them just for me. I tried making them on my own but they always came out too dry. I finally found a way to make them super moist - in the oven, and with a meat thermometer.

• bone-in thick pork chops
• olive oil
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• salt

1. Use pan just big enough to hold the meat.
2. Drizzle both sides of chops with olive oil. 
3. Sprinkle seasoning on both sides.
4. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
5. Bake at 400F until meat registers 140-145F - roughly 8 min per half inch thickness.
6. Rest for 5 min before serving.

Snickerdoodles

Key ingredient is cream of tartar. If you don't have it, make another cookie! These turn out very soft. Lost my original recipe but these turned out fantastic.

• 1 c butter, softened
• 1.5 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 2.75 c flour
• 1.5 t cream of tartar
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt

Dip

• 1/4 c sugar
• 1.5 T cinnamon

1. Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. optional: Chill for 15-20 min.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Combine dip ingredients.
6. Roll dough into small balls and roll in dip. Place on parchment lined paper. Take each ball and roll AGAIN with a spoon, scooping dip on top and pressing down lightly with spoon.
7. Bake for 9-10 min. Err on the side of shorter to ensure soft cookie.
8. Cool on tray for 2 min before moving to cooling rack.
9. Store any leftover dip in small jar.

Tofu Black Bean Stir Fry

I usually buy extra firm tofu, but had a package of firm tofu in the fridge I needed to use up. Found a recipe I had the ingredients for.

• 1 pkg firm tofu
• 1 T black bean sauce
• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 cl garlic
• 1 t minced ginger
• assorted vegetables (spinach, carrot, snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms, etc)
• 1 T cornstarch
• 2 T cold water
• 1/2 c broth
• 2 T low sodium soy sauce

1. Pat tofu as dry as possible.
2. Cut into 1/2" cubes.
3. Combine with black bean sauce. My sauce was very thick and did not spread easily. Next time combine with soy or water to make thinner? Let sit for 10 min.
4. Heat oil in wok. Saute tofu until browned. Set aside in bowl.
5. Add oil as needed. Saute vegetables with garlic and ginger.
6. If possible, move veges to side of pan. Add broth and soy sauce.
7. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl. Pour into broth and stir until thick.
8. Stir in slurry with veggies. Mix until veggies are cooked. 
9. Add tofu and stir one last time.
10. Serve with rice or udon noodles.

Oven Braised Beef Shank with Tarragon

Got a bottle of dry Marsala and was ready to go with this recipe. Next time try adding potatoes with the carrots.

• 2 T olive oil
• ~2 lbs beef shank (I used 2 pieces, bone in)
• salt and pepper
• garlic
• celery, 1 stalk, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 c Marsala wine
• 14oz+ beef broth
• carrots, 2" cuts
• 2 T dried tarragon

1. Season shanks with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in cast iron/dutch oven pan on stovetop. Fully brown the shanks, 5-12 min.
3. Transfer to plate.
4. Saute celery for 5 min. Add garlic and continue to saute 1-5 min.
5. Pour in wine, scrape brown bits off with wooden spoon.
6. If in small pan, transfer to oven proof pan.
7. Place shanks in pan. Add in carrots. Pour in broth (and water if needed) to cover 50-75% of shanks.
8. Sprinkle tarragon over shanks.
9. Cover with lid or with double layer of foil.
10. Bake at 275 until meat is falling off bone (about 4-5 hours). [Alt: cook at 300 for shorter time]
11. Serve with veggies and bread/mashed potatoes/rice.

Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

I had a sick family so needed to make a quick lunch of chicken noodle soup. Everyone liked it. Cheater because I bought a roasted chicken at the grocery store. I based this on a recipe I found online but can't find it anymore. This is from memory.
1/16/25 used Italian chicken pieces from jumbo, chicken bouillon cubes, half a small yellow onion, sage, bay leaves, parsley, dash of fish sauce. Cooked egg noodles separately to be able to freeze leftovers.

• chicken, roasted
• 4 c vegetable broth (or more)
• egg noodles
• celery (optional)
• carrots, cubed
• salt
• pepper
• garlic (instead of onion)
• thyme
• 1 T butter

1. Saute minced garlic in butter.
2. Add carrots (and celery). 
3. Add broth and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
4. Add chicken pieces.
5. Add egg noodles to cook through (OR cook separately so that the soup sans noodles can be frozen and used later).
6. Simmer for 20 min.
7. Serve with bread.

Stir Fry Tofu

This came out a bit too salty, as I didn't have low sodium soy, but still tasted good.
3/2/20 Made the sauce but realized had no usable tofu. Used it as sauce for veggies only - broccoli, carrots, eggplant, zucchini. Served with hakka noodles all mixed in with beef broth. Delicious.

• 1 package extra firm tofu
  
• 4 T low sodium soy
• 3 T rice vinegar (I used chinese black vinegar)
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 t sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 t dried ginger (or 1 T fresh grated ginger)
• Vegetables (carrots, spinach, zucchini, ...), chopped

1. Press the tofu dry. Cut into small cubes
2. Combine the soy to ginger in shallow container. 
3. Add tofu and stir to combine. Let marinate in refrigerator.
4. Heat oil in pan and fry the tofu, not turning until fully browned on one side (to prevent breaking apart).
5. Remove tofu and add in chopped vegetables. Pour in leftover marinade.
6. Serve with rice or noodles.

Lemon Cake

DBD wanted a lemon cake but not a lemon almond cake. So I had to try yet another recipe. As usual, I did assembly of cakes and icing, but let the party kids decorate with choice of sprinkles or fruit. ***

10/14/20 Made this again with substitutions and it came out very moist and light. Filled it with lemon custard and topped with raspberries. Much improved - ****

• 2 1/4 c cake flour, sifted [substitute: all purpose flour with cornstarch]
  
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 1/4 c low fat buttermilk [substitute: lactose free milk with lemon juice]
• 4 egg whites
• 1.5 c sugar
• 2 t lemon zest
• 1 stick butter, room temp
• 1/2 t lemon extract

1. Grease the sides of 2 8" pans (or one 8" and one 9"). Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
2. Sift together the cake flour, powder and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg whites.
4. In a large bowl, rub together the zest and sugar.
5. Add the butter to the sugar mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
6. Mix in the lemon extract.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 the buttermilk mixture, ending on the flour mixture, beating on medium speed. Then beat an additional 2 minutes.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans evenly. Smooth the tops.
9. Bake 30-35 min until well risen, the center springs back when lightly touched and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Rest on wire rack for 5 minutes. 
11. Flip out, remove the paper, and cool to room temperature on wire rack.
12. Wrap airtight and keep at room temperature for up to a day before icing. Otherwise freeze.

Lemon Icing

• 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2 3/4 c powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T zest
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/8 t kosher salt

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until no more lumps (about 3 minutes).
2. On low speed combine the powdered sugar. Once incorporated, beat on high for 3 min
3. Add in the lemon juice, zest, vanilla and salt.
4. May be kept in airtight container in the fridge or used to ice the room temperature cake.

Lemon Custard

• 1/2 c sugar
  
  
  
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 c water
• 2 T butter, softened
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 1 t lemon zest

1. Prepare all the ingredients before starting. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
2. Add the egg yolks and mix until completely mixed in.
3. Stir in the water until mixture is smooth.
4. Cook over medium low heat until just boiling. It will become quite thick. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the butter.
5. Gradually stir in lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the zest.
6. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-60 min before spreading on cake.

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