Kitchen Adventures 3.4

Every baker and cook has off days. Well, Tuesday was mine. After working 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to cover a shift, I was looking forward to making dinner Tuesday. I got home from Tone It Up, showered, and was ready to roll. However, if was just not my night. The cooking process was not the problem, but more along the ingredient amounts. I used too much onion and not enough blueberries. I also had more pork than I needed, but that's just what I got on sale. It's edible at least, but not the best I've ever made. I'll have to give it a try again sometime to see if I can remedy the mistakes.

Pan Fried Pork with Blueberries

Ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless pork loin, cut crosswise into eighths
Salt and pepper
1/4 c. flour
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (make sure it's small and not medium)
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
1 c. blueberries
2 T. butter

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, season the pork with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat the evoo over medium heat. Shaking off any excess flour, add the pork to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and blueberries; bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and return the pork and any juices to the skillet. Divide the pork among 4 plates and spoon the sauce on top.

Here are a few pics:

Kitchen Adventures 2.2

After getting home from a relaxing weekend at home (I know, too many homes!) I needed to make myself a little dinner for the week. I was not feeling up to cooking Monday when I got back since I had been sick for some odd reason earlier in the day. Once Tuesday night rolled around, though, I was ready to make up something delicious. I turned to another church cookbook, this time the "Favorite Recipes from Wheat State Manor Cookbook" put together by the churches that sponsor Wheat State back home. This recipe was actually a contribution by my mom. I don't actually make a lot of things my mom makes, and when I do they never quite taste the same. This one is pretty close, though. As I ate it, it brought back taste memories from the past. It's easy and delicious, the perfect combination! I paired it with some rolls and salad to balance it out.

Parmesan Pork Loin

Ingredients:
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Pork loin, 1 inch thick slices
Olive oil
Margarine, squeeze bottle

Directions:
Combine bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings in a bowl. Pour olive oil in a plate or bowl to use for dipping. Dip each slice of pork loin into olive oil followed by seasoned crumb mixture. Place on foil-lined baking sheet that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Drizzle margarine on each slice of pork. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

*Note: I did not drizzle with margarine but instead just shook a few drops of olive oil on each slice. And the foil-lined plan is a great idea, it makes clean-up and removal of the pork slices so much easier.

Here is a picture of the finished product: