Easy Peasy & Fancy Schmancy! Pork Scallopini!

Today I want to share my quick and easy pork scallopini recipe with you!  Yes, you read that right!  Pork!  I accidentally took out a package of hand cut, boneless pork loin chops out of my freezer thinking they were chicken breasts because I forgot to label them.  So I needed to do something with these beauties.  Since I live in pork country, this is a super economical meal to make for my family and they love it.  You can, of course do this dish with thin chicken cutlets or even with the traditional veal cutlet if you prefer. 

This dish could not be any easier to make.  The end result is a silky, rich dish that is a mushroom lovers delight.  The light sauce is super flavorful and the perfect accompaniment to hot buttered pasta, rice or couscous.    

I started by slicing my pork chops in half.  I had hand cut some fairly thick chops off of a large whole pork loin I purchased.  So I got between two and three pork cutlets off of each chop and I had a total of four.  Then I pounded the cutlets with a meat mallet or something closely resembling a meat mallet.  In my case that would be a mini cast iron skillet.  That gets the job done.  You should use what you have available to you.  Then I dredged the meat pieces in a seasoned flour to coat.

The meat was sauteed in a mixture of butter and olive oil, in batches until they were all cooked and a bit browned.  Then I removed the meat to a warm plate to build my sauce.   I added onion garlic and a passel of mushrooms to the pan.  I also added a splash of chicken stock to de-glaze.  Then I let all the veggies steam saute for a bit to soften.  

Next I added chicken stock and lemon juice to the pan and gave everything a good stir.  Again I let this simmer for a few minutes to reduce and build flavor.  Then I added some additional butter to finish the sauce and give me a beautiful rich and glossy finish.  

I added the meat back to the pan and nestled those cutlets down in all that lovely sauce and mushroom loveliness.  I turned the heat down just a bit and let that simmer for a few additional minutes before turning the heat off and letting everything come to a peaceful rest before serving.

I served this on a bed of cooked and buttered angel hair pasta, but this would be just as delicious served with rice, plain or pilaf, couscous, quinoa or even cauliflower rice if you are on a low carb diet.  In which case, you can always leave out the flour and just sautee the meat in the butter and olive oil.  

This dish is quick and simple.  It has tons of flavor and a satisfying air about it.  I love this dish for a busy weeknight or a lazy weekend evening when I don't really want to do a bunch of work.  This is excellent served as I have shown or it can be dressed up for company and nobody has to know how easy it was for you to make!  I promise you though, they will be asking for the recipe!  So your secret won't be a secret for long.  

I hope you give this recipe for pork scallopini a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

Get a printable version of the recipe here:  http://bit.ly/1tdjvbx

Noreen's Kitchen

Pork Scallopini

Ingredients

2 pounds thin boneless pork loin chops 4 tablespoons butter, divided 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 pound Crimini mushrooms, sliced 1 large onion, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced Juice of 1 lemon 1 cup chicken stock or dry white wine

Step by Step Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and all of the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet, over medium high heat.

If necessary, pound the pork chops with a meat mallet until they are about 1/8 inch thickness.

Mix together flour, salt and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish.

Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture to cover completely.  Set aside on a dish until all of your chops are finished.

Working in batches, brown the pork chops for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they are browned and slightly crispy looking.  Remove to a covered plate to keep warm while to finish the rest.  Remember not to crowd the pan or you will not get a nice brown coating.

When the pork chops are cooked, add the onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Using a flat spatula, gently coax the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  If needed, add a splash of chicken stock to help you along.

Allow the vegetables to cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are softened.

Add the remaining chicken stock and the lemon juice to the pan with the veggies.  Stir well and allow the mixture to simmer for five additional minutes to reduce the sauce just a bit.

Add the butter to the sauce to finish.  Stir until it is incorporated.

Add the pork chops back to the pan and nestle them into the vegetables and sauce.  Allow to simmer for five more minutes.  This will help to thicken up and bind the sauce even further for a beautiful silky finish.

Turn off the heat and allow to sit for five minutes before serving over rice or pasta.

See how I made this in my YouTube video:

Giving With Heart: The Best Gift Of All!

The time for gift giving is upon us.  Some of us are facing dire economic times and things may not seem very festive because we feel like we simply can't afford to give as much as we would like to or as much as we have given in the past.  I think we all need to re-evaluate our giving and spending habits!  Yes, without a doubt, it is lovely and wonderful to spoil those we care about and indulge them and lavish them with expensive things that they want and desire.  However, I think the time is upon us when we need to regroup and take stock and rethink how we do things.  We should be taking a page from the books of our forebears and our grandparents who lived with much less but seem to have lived much happier and simpler lives. 

Giving does not have to mean giving a lot of expensive stuff.  This should be a happy and festive time to share of ourselves and give from the heart.  It may seem trite and obvious, but a homemade gift is really the very best gift you can give.  Of all the gifts I have ever received,  I count the homemade, handmade ones to be my most treasured possessions.  A clay dog and A clay bear that my girls made when they were small and even though they have seen better days, they sit on my dresser.  A flower pot filled with tattered silk roses and a Popsicle stick recipe holder that I received one Mother's day.  A plaster "fish dish" that sits on my shelf and is where we put the money when the pizza delivery guy comes on "order out" pizza nights.  The special spice rack that you see behind me in every video introduction that my loving husband Rick fashioned out of my grandmother's cutting board.  A "scrap" afghan that my Mommom crocheted when I was small that is  full of so many colorful sections that she called it her "Joseph's Coat" afghan after the Bible story. 

Then there is the newest addition to this list which I am certain will continue to grow, is a gift I received this year, for my birthday.  You see, my family knows that my birthday is not exactly my favorite day.  I don't usually want to celebrate it, opting for a small observation.  My husband and my children always seem to find interesting ways to say Happy Birthday to me.  This year, my girls took a Mason jar and used a chalkboard sticker and some ribbon and some post it notes.  They wrote "10 Things We Love About You" on the outside of the jar and they each wrote five post it notes with messages of how they loved me.  Some were funny and some were sweet and some were simply touching in a very deep way, helping me to know that somewhere along the line, I did a pretty darn good job of being a mom.  This gift is certainly priceless. 

Giving should be from the heart, not from the wallet.  We live in a world where we always want the biggest, the best and newest stuff, and often when we get it, we find out that it isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Then the next big thing comes along and we start the process all over again.    Down size your expectation and reel in your idea of greatness and you can be a little happier.  Think smaller and simpler not bigger is better. 

Give a pan of brownies or a loaf of homemade bread with a jar of jam.  How about some hot cocoa mix or a beautiful bowl of seasonal fruit?  If you have some simple tools, you can use scrap lumber or even palate wood to fashion, rustic handmade keepsakes, like my spice rack.  You can take an inexpensive tile and pop some silicone bumpers on the bottom to make a beautiful cheese board or trivet.  Costs literally pennies and when wrapped up and given will be used and appreciated for years to come.  Every time a hot casserole comes out of the oven and placed on that trivet, the recipient will thank you and think of you!   The possibilities are endless!   Don't even get me started on what you can put inside of a Mason jar!  That is what we will be talking about next week!

If you keep a food storage and you want to keep your gifting on a strict budget, what better time to start rotating some of those number 10 can items than during the holidays?  How about a jar full of brownie mix done up right with nuts and toffee chips?  Pop a pretty ribbon on that jar and a tag with instructions on how to prepare it and that is a gift that can be made on a cold February evening when the snow is coming down.  Then you will be remembered as well as praised for such a delicious gift!  Make a delicious breakfast in a jar by layering some oats and dried fruit such as freeze dried apples or dried cranberries or bananas along with a handful of pecans or walnuts and again a bow, a tag and instructions on how to make some delicious fruit and nut oatmeal.  This is easily achieved when you step back and take a look at what you have chosen to store.  If you are like I am, you could make anything you like from sweet to savory.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner can be gifted!  Make a great basket up with a jar of homemade pasta sauce, a box of pasta and some homemade seasoning.  A jar of chili and a bag of homemade corn muffin mix, add water, stir and bake.  Who would not love receiving any of these gifts?

I have compiled a cook booklet with 12 "Gifts in a Jar" recipes to help you do this yourself!  You can down load it from my website here:  "Noreen's KItchen Gift's In A Jar Cook Booklet"

I can hear some of you saying, "I don't have a food storage and I don't craft, and I don't do anything cool what can I do?"  You don't have to make everything  yourself to make a heartfelt gift.  You can spend time with the people you love helping them to achieve a goal or complete a task.  You can simply spend more time, making a difference in the lives of the ones you care about.  The truth of the matter is,  all the stuff, is just stuff.  Memories are made when we spend time together.  Remember this above all else. 

So this year, give from the heart.  Give simply and give lovingly.  Embrace the idea of giving something that is useful and consumable, like food or drink.  This encourages people to share and sharing is what this season is all about! 

I hope this encourages you to fear not and know that giving great gifts need not be expensive when you take a bit of time to think about what really matters!

You can see how I made some of the gifts in a jar here: