Miso Crusted Pork Chops

Fun fact of the day: encrusting anything in miso makes it taste 100 times better. There's no question that adding it to a pork chop would make it that much more delicious. Not to mention the fact that it makes a perfect centerpiece for a dinner dish. Served amongst baked eggplant and asparagus with apple ginger chutney it makes any dinner the best dinner of your life.

There's something funny about posting to this blog every week. It's easy to get caught up in it and just accept it and not take account for anything else. For example I now expect everything I eat to be as delicious as all the food I make. I also expect it to look as beautiful as Katy's photos make it look. Naturally that's sort of an unrealistic expectation. But why should it be?

It's a new year and that means new starts. Sure boxed mac and cheese is fine when you're tired and don't feel like cooking, but there's no substitute for a perfectly cooked pork chop when you're in the mood for it. In my personal opinion there's been too much accepting the status quo in this country. What happened to the greatest country on Earth? I personally blame congress and the banking industry. But to get back on track, this is not a year to go with the flow. This is a year of getting better. Doing this blog every week reminds me that settling for anything less than the best isn't an option.

Baked Eggplant and Asparagus

• 1 Eggplant chopped
• 1/2 pound Asparagus julienned
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt

1. Preheat your oven to 375°
2. In a large mixing bowl toss the Eggplant, Asparagus, Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds and Garlic Salt together.
3. Fill a small casserole pan with the vegetables and bake for 15 minutes. Stir halfway through baking.

Apple Ginger Chutney

• 1 Fuji Apple diced
• 1 tablespoon Ginger freshly grated 
• 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Yellow Onion diced
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1. Heat the Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic, Onion and Apple over high. Boil out most of the moisture. 
2. Add the Ginger and Brown Sugar. Stir and cover. Heat over medium-low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Blend if a smoother chutney is desired. 

Miso Crusted Pork Chops

• 3 Pork Chops
• 2 packs of Yellow Miso Soup Mix
• Olive Oil

1. Heat just enough Olive Oil in a skillet to cover the pan over medium heat.
2. Pour the packets of Miso Soup into a shallow dish. Place the Pork Chops in the dish, cover both sides of each chop with the miso. Message the mix into the meat.
3. Place each pork chop in the skillet. Evenly cook on both sides. Don't worry the miso will turn out a little black. Place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking if needed.
4. Serve with Apple Ginger Chutney, and Baked Eggplant and Asparagus. 

Go ahead and change things up for your meal tonight. Put a twist on an old favorite and make it something worth talking about instead of just filling the hole that is dinner.

Photos by the great and talented Katy Weaver

Crepes

 

Having to choose between two great things is always a tough choice. Rarely in life do we get everything we want, crepes shouldn't be one of those difficult decisions. If you're anything like me then you're always plauged with the age old question, should I make savory or sweet crepes? Sure, making a bland normal batter would result in a crepe that could be filled with either salty or sweet things. That's why I added something extra to the savory batter, which then could easily be turned into a sweet crepe with just a few other ingredients.

Crepes 

Makes about 16 crepes

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk (I use 3.8% milk)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl. Mix until there's no more clumps. 
2. I recommend using a crepe pan if you have one, or using a shallow skillet. 
3. Cook each side for about 40 seconds over medium heat.
4. Fill with any savory thing you'd like.
5. To make the Sweet Crepes, mix in 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring.

Hollandaise Sauce

• 4 egg yolks 
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 6 oz. butter 
• dash of cayenne pepper 
• a pinch of lemon zest 
• salt and pepper to taste 

1. Place a mixing bowl over a sauce pan with water in the pan over medium heat. 
2. Mix the yolks, water, and lemon juice into the bowl. Whisk until thick and pale. 
3. Heat the mixture over the pan until they become frothy, be sure not to over cook the yolks by removing the bowl from the heat occasionally. 
4. When the bottom of the bowl becomes visible between strokes of the whisk add the butter and the avocado. Whisk until the butter become smooth. Over whisking is encouraged. 
5. Whisk in the zest, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Asparagus

• 10 stalks of Asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 pinches of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400. 
2. Cut the thick end of the asparagus off, because no likes their asparagus to be too girthy.
3. Place the asparagus on a baking pan or a casserole pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus, spread the garlic evenly atop, and sprinkle on the salt.
4. Cook for 10 minutes. Place 2-3 stalks inside finished crepes and top with hollandaise sauce. Add ham or queso fresco if desired.

Peaches

• 2 peaches diced
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 shot of whiskey

1. Place all ingredients into a pan over medium heat stir occasionally and cook until most of the liquid is gone. To firm up the syrup, add a dash of flour if necessary.
2. Put a dollop of cream cheese inside the crepe and top with the peaches.

All these crepetastic pictures taken by Katy Weaver

Okay, I know this is at the bottom of the post, but you're still reading, so it clearly doesn't matter. This blog wouldn't be half of what it is without the photos. I usually just give Katy a quick shout out at the end of the posts, but she really is the other half of the this blogging team. If you ever need any photos taken give her a call.

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Panko Beer Battered Asparagus

This is the first in my new line of recipes in which I make healthy foods into unhealthy dishes. Even though the asparagus is fried, it makes for a great summer lunch or appetizer. Now, I sort of just winged this recipe, so if you feel like there's something missing then I encourage you to add it.

Panko Beer Battered Asparagus

• 1 cup flour (plus a little extra)
• 1 teaspoon backing soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups beer (something light, no porters or stouts)
• Panko
• Oil for frying

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, except the panko. Mix in the egg and beer. Place the panko in an empty pie pan. Heat the oil over medium high heat. Cut the thick ends off the asparagus and coat in the extra flour. Dip the asparagus in the batter and then lightly coat the asparagus in panko. Fry the asparagus in the oil until the panko and batter turns golden brown. 

Chili Lemon Alioli

• 1 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Mix everything together in a bowl and then dip the asparagus in. 

Dip these fried spears in the alioli and enjoy out in the sun with the left over beer.