Crunchy Honey Soy Pork Chops

Sometimes you just need something quick and easy for dinner.  Let's face it, most of the time you want something quick and easy for dinner. No one has time to make extravagant dinners in the middle of the week or when they get home on Sunday evening.

These pork chops are quick, easy and packed full of flavor.  Quite perfect for dinner before soccer practice, swimming lessons or like me, watching the Batchelorette.  Who is pumped for the finale tonight?  I am! I am!  Make these tonight so Emily, Jef and Arie can have your full attention….for three hours.  I understand that is ridiculous but I am totally sucked in.  Who do you think will win?  My money is on Jef. 

Start by making the dredge.  Toss some flour

Season all salt, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning and paprika.

Don't forget the black pepper

Stir it together

Crack to eggs in a bowl and stir them with a fork

Get out those pork chops. Pretty aren't they?

Set up your assembly line.  Pork chops, eggs, flour mixture.

But, first, coat them in the flour.  I know, kinda out of order. But trust me, we will get back to the flour.

Into the eggs

Back in the flour.  See, told ya.

Place them in a skillet with a bit of butter and oil.  We's be pan fryin'.

While the chops fry up, chop up a bunch of garlic.

Flip the pork chops.

Once they are fully cooked, remove them and place on a plate.  Golden brown and delicious.

Add the garlic to the pan

Also add the soy sauce.  At this point, I would add just a bit of water as well. It was a bit soy-sausy.

Add a bit of honey (photo credit: Mr. Schwartz--he might run me out of a job : )

Some hoisin sauce.

And a squeeze of lime juice.

Take each of the pork chops and toss them around in the sauce.

Plate on a bed of rice.

The crunch on these is out of control.

Now, go do something important.

Crunchy Honey Soy Pork Chops

4 pork chops
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon season all salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola/vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
juice of 1/2 a lime
green onions and brown rice for serving

Start by combining the flour, season all salt, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, paprika and black pepper.  In a bowl crack the eggs and stir with a fork.  Pour the eggs into a shallow plate.  Set up an assembly line with the pork chops, eggs, then flour. Dredge each pork chop in the flour, then egg then back to the flour.

To a lage skillet, add the oil and butter.  Preheat the skillet on medium high heat.  Once the butter has melted add the pork chops.  Fry on each side for about 4 minutes or until they are no longer pink in the middle.  Remove from the pan and place on a large plate.

To the pan, add the garlic.  Let it cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat.  Add the soy sauce, water, honey, hoisin sauce and juice of the lime.  Bring this to a simmer.

Using a set of tongs, take each pork chop and flip in the sauce.  Place the pork chop on a bed of rice and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: here

Rainbow Cookies and Ice Cream Sandwiches

Let me say it, I'm basically a computer genius.  Okay, maybe I wouldn't go thaaat far but, I did fix iPhoto all by myself.  A little googling and crossing my fingers poof iPhoto was back up and running.  That means I could upload all of the pictures from my camera and start a-bloggin'.  I'm baaaaack.  Okay, I'm done being annoying.

Are you ready to make the weirdest cookies in the world?  Well, you should be, it's time.  Would you believe me if I told you there is NO butter, NO margarine, NO shortening in these cookies?  If you are a baker you are wondering "what kind of fat will we use then?"  Let me tell you: canola oil.  I know, SO weird huh?  

This is Mr. Schwartz, yes you read that correctly MR. Schwartz's recipe.  He makes these every year for deer hunting and they go fast.  Luckily this recipe makes about a million cookies.  Less if you are like me and like huge cookies.  

Since they have a different texture, less fluffy more chewy yet being crisp on the outside, I figured they would be the perfect cookie for ice cream sandwiches.  They are perfection.  Let's get to it. 

Musical Selection: Songs About Rain by: Gary Allan. Probably One of my all time favorite songs.  For real.  It won't stop raining in Minnesota and it always reminds me how much I love this song.  That and driving from Minnesota all the way to Daytona Beach, Florida with 4 college buddies.  We drove through Kentucky in the rain and only my friend Erin was up with me since it was about 5 am.  Something I will never forget.  

Start by combining the oil (I know it's weird, we will get through this together)

Sugar

Brown sugar

Burry vanilla

And eggs.  Give it a good stir.  I love that you can make this in a large bowl, no stand mixer needed.

Add the baking soda

And flour.

Stir just to combine.

Add the chocolate chips

And mini m&ms.  It took me for-ever to find these little guys.  Guess where they showed up?  Walmart.  Who would have guessed!

Scoop them out using a cookie scoop.  Technically I used my Pampered Chef muffin scoop.  Make sure there is a lot of space between these guys, they spread a lot. Bake for 10 minutes.  

See that flat weird cookie, it tastes like heaven.

Studded with m&ms and melty chocolate chips.

Now we are talking.

Absolute perfection.  But wait...

Here we go.  Freeze the cookies until they are completely frozen.  Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream to one side.

And smash on another cookie.  Enjoy immediately but if you can wait, freezing these guys makes them easier to eat.  I love that you can take a bite and they don't crumble.  These will be our summer go-to treat.  

Rainbow Cookies

1 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 cup white sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 cups flour 

1 package (about 1 1/2 cups) mini m&ms

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 

Combine the oil, sugars, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl.  Stir to combine. 

Add the baking soda and flour and stir just until it comes together.  Don't over mix.  Fold in the m&ms and chocolate chips. 

Scoop onto a greased (or silpat lined) baking sheet with a muffin scoop.  If you don't have a muffin scoop you can use a 1/4 cup measuring cup.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  When done baking let sit on the baking sheet to set for about 3 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks. 

To make the ice cream sandwiches: 

Freeze two cookies in the freezer until fully frozen.  Once frozen, scoop one scoop of your favorite ice cream onto the bottom of one cookie.  Place another cookie on top and gently squeeze together.  You can enjoy now but they are easier to eat if you freeze them for a bit.  

Enjoy! 

Grilled Breakfast Burritos

I'm a planner.  I plan everything from meals to weekly schedules far in advance.  It makes me feel less anxious knowing what is going to happen, even if that is a Taco Salad for lunch.  I also really enjoy thinking about what I'm going to have for a meal before I have it.  

Today I am doing you a little favor for planning if you are like me--this is your breakfast tomorrow.  It is absolute heavenly Saturday morning perfection.  You can thank me after you try it.  

Musical Selection: The Show by: Lenka

Let's get started shall we? Crack a few eggs into a bowl

Season with salt and pepper

Stir together with a fork

And pour into a skillet on medium heat

Scramble, scramble, scramble.

Dice up some ham and cheese

Lay your tortillas out on a large plate and line with some of those scrambled eggs

Add some ham

And cheese.  This one was for Mr. Schwartz, he has a thing for American cheese

Fold up the top and bottom like so

Then fold in the sides.  Not easy to do while taking a picture

It should look something like this.  I'm sure yours will be neater.

Pop it in a panini press

And grill away.  If you don't have a panini press, you can use a large skillet and place another large skillet on top of it.  You just want the pressed/grilledness that a panini press delivers.

That's what I'm talking about.

Serve with salsa for dipping. 

Happy weekend.


Grilled Breakfast Burritos
(makes four smaller burritos)

4 eggs
Salt and pepper
4 tortillas (we use whole wheat)
4 slices of ham, diced
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, diced
1/4 cup American cheese tore into pieces
Salsa for serving

Preheat your panini press (or skillet if you are using this instead) to medium high heat.

Preheat a different skillet on medium heat.  Crack eggs into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Stir together with a fork.  Pour into the skillet on medium heat and scramble the eggs.

Place the tortillas on a large plate and line with eggs.  Top with ham and cheese and fold into a burrito (see above for step-by-step).

Place burritos on panini press and press until the cheese has melted and the outside is grilled/crunchy.  This takes about 2-3 minutes for me.  If you are using a skillet place burritos in skillet and top with another large heavy skillet to press them.

Serve with salsa and enjoy!

Recipe by: Mrs. Schwartz