Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

At heart, I'm a meat and 'taters kind of gal. What's "'taters" you ask? "Po-ta-toes, ya know, boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew." (extra points if you can name the movie quote.)*  I just like, er, love potatoes. In all their configurations: mashed, roasted, baked, boiled, hash browned, O'Brianed, tater totted, French fried, scalloped. And any variety, baby new, russet, fingerling, Yukon Gold. The list goes on and on. Whenever I discover a new way to make potatoes I'm game. Seriously, the more ways I have to serve potatoes, the more meals I can serve them at and still have variety. 

When I saw a recipe for Roasted Parmesan Potatoes on Pinterest, I couldn't try it fast enough. It looked super easy and super yummy so I gave it a whirl. . .

Two Timin' Pasta

Theres a time for quality gourmet cooking and there's a time for throwin' it together and shoving it in the oven. This recipe is for one of those times. It's super easy to make ahead and a favorite with my family. With two teenagers who play sports, a part time job and a hubby in grad school, some days we just can't all sit down to dinner. At the very least, I like a home cooked meal that everyone can reheat and eat as they come and go. This recipe is perfect for that. I usually put it all together in the morning and refrigerate. Then the first one home puts it in the oven. Everyone just helps themselves when they get home. And it's good. Really good. Give it a whirl. . .

Split Pea with Ham Soup

Every Christmas my husband and children insist that we get a "Honeybaked Ham" for Christmas dinner. Not a honey baked ham from the grocery store or Costco but a "Honeybaked Ham" from the Honeybaked Ham store. I myself am not particularly fond of ham for dinner. Not that I don't like ham, I do, but it's more a breakfast or lunch thing for me. A ham dinner just really doesn't excite me. I'll admit, a "Honeybaked Ham" is pretty good and far superior to the grocery store honey baked hams. I know this from my own taste buds and the near mutiny I had on my hands one year when I tried to get by on the cheap with a grocery store ham. I get why they want it, it's good, but it's still hard for me to fork over the $55 plus dollars for the designer brand ham. What softens the blow is that we get 3-4 dinners out of one ham. My family is happy and if you do the math: $55.00 ÷ 4 dinners = $13.75 per dinner ÷ 4 people = $3.45 per serving. No too bad. But the real reason I give into the "Honeybaked Ham" is the ham bone and the glorious pot of split pea soup that comes of it. Now I'm lukewarm on a ham dinner but I LOVE LOVE LOVE split pea soup. Seriously, there aren't enough capital letters or repeated words to express how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE split pea soup. And nothing compares to good homemade split pea soup, with a ham bone from a "Honeybaked Ham". You'll have to see for yourself. . .

(OK, seriously, don't go and spend $55 on a Honeybaked Ham just for the bone. You can usually find bone in hams at the grocery and sometimes smoked ham hocks. Either will do for this recipe.)

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Last time we went to Disneyland we were robbed. Not literally, but robbed of our favorite sandwich, The Monte Cristo. We always get them at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. You know, the restaurant where it looks like you're sitting outside at night, even though you're inside in the middle of the day. The one that over looks the boats as they head off for Pirates of the Caribbean. We must, I say MUST, eat there every time we visit the Magic Kingdom. It's just tradition. It's just how it is. On our last trip I thought I'd be super duper clever and make reservations way ahead. So we wouldn't have to wait, so we could get a seat right on the water. On our last day in the park, we arrived 15 minutes before our 6:00pm reservation, requested a seat on the water and were seated at a lovely waterside table 20 minutes later. I was pretty pleased with myself. Then we opened our menus to discover, in horror, that the Monte Cristo isn't served at dinner. WHAT!!! Say it ain't so. I begged, pleaded and all but got on my hands and knees trying to convince the waiter to order the coveted sandwich for us but it just wasn't to be. We would leave the park without our beloved Monte Cristo. (We actually had a very nice dinner once we got over the absence of the sandwich.)

Still feeling robbed weeks later, I decided to try and make them at home. Traditionally, Monte Cristo sandwiches are deep fried. If you've read my post on Funnel Cakes, then you know how I feel about deep frying at home. YUCK, too messy. It's best left to professional chefs in professional kitchens. There must be another way. So I Googled, and Pinterested and found several grilled Monte Cristo sandwich recipes. I read through them, got the general idea, tweaked the proportions, meats and cheeses for our tastes and came up with the following recipe. I'm using our George Foreman grill which makes the whole process super easy but you can use a grill pan or skillet if you prefer. Check it out. . .

Colcannon

I haven't had too much luck with this blog in baking/cooking ahead for holidays. Meaning, cooking a holiday dish a week or two ahead of the actual holiday. I'm always cooking holiday dishes on the holiday in question. Then by the time I post the recipe its too late. The holiday has passed us by.

But not this year. . .

Not with St. Patrick's Day just a week away. . .

This time I planned ahead. . .

It's the dawn of a new era at Becky Bakes and Cooks. . .

Er, too dramatic? Ok, I'll dial it back a bit. Point is, here is an Irish dish that you can make for St. Patrick's Day. I'm giving you a whole week to check it out, get your ingredients together and get cookin'. 

You might have expected a post for Corned Beef and Cabbage. But, truth be told, I don't really like corned beef. Too salty. And cabbage, too bland. I've tried a couple of times to make Corned Beef and Cabbage, and while it sounds fun and festive, it just never seems to be that exciting, or tasty, when it hits the table. An Irish dish I do like is Colcannon. Never heard of it? Come on! It's probably more authentically Irish than Corned Beef. It don't really know for sure 'cause I ain't Irish. What I do know is, we all like it and that's good enough for me on St. Pat's Day. See for yourself. . .

Cabbage Rolls

One of my favorite winter dishes is Cabbage Rolls. I never get to have them. On the rare occasion that I stumble into an old style deli and they have them, I always get some. The very few times I've found them on a restaurant menu, I've ordered them. No matter what time of day, no matter what time of year, no matter what occasion. I love 'em. I'm not sure where I first tasted them but it was love at first bite. (Anyone remember that hokey George Hamilton movie from the 80's?) The sweet savory combo is one of my favorites. Cabbage Rolls have all the elements of old fashioned comfort food. Hot, hearty, one-dish prep, awesome reheated for leftovers and an entire meal (veggie, meat, starch) all wrapped up in one. Yummy, yum, yum!

I finally decided to take the plunge and try and make them on my own. Unfortunately I don't have a Polish Nana to show me how. No long passed down secret family recipe. I'm totally on my own with this one. So, I researched, and read many, many, many cabbage roll recipes. Wowza, there are about a million different ways to make them. Oven or stovetop? Brown or white rice? Chunky or smooth sauce? Onion? Garlic? Pork? Beef? Sausage? So many variations. What I finally decided to try was the recipe below which I came up with by cobbling together what I liked from 4-5 different recipes. See what you think. . .

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

When it comes to gluten free, dairy free, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian copycat/substitute recipes, to say I'm skeptical is putting it mildly. By and large they never deliver on their promises. The recipes will have descriptions like "taste just like a regular brownie", or "they'll never know it's vegan", bla, bla, bla. I can always tell. To add insult to injury, these recipes always use a bunch of obscure and expensive ingredients that I end up throwing in the trash because the recipe was terrible. I was so hopeful for the Gluten Free Brownies from the Whole Foods blog. All the reviews swore no one would be able to tell there were black beans instead of flour in them. NOT! They just tasted like chocolate black beans. YUCK! 

     Don't get me wrong here. I have so much sympathy for those of you out there

     with food allergies. That is such a burden to bear. If you have to cut certain things 

     out due to your health please do. Your health comes first. I just think it's better to 

     give something up than try to re-make it. It never quite works. 

When I came upon this recipe for a pizza crust, gluten free, made from "riced" cauliflower, I didn't have high hopes. But, my very dear friend Shelley is so so allergic to gluten, that for her, I decided to give it a try. Plus, the ingredients were simple and inexpensive so the risk was minimal. Boy, howdy, I couldn't believe it. This one worked. Did it taste just like a regular pizza crust? No. But it is a darn good substitute. The texture holds up and the cauliflower is neutral enough that it just takes on the flavor of the pizza sauce and toppings. If you are cutting back or cutting out gluten or trying to cut down on carbs, I would totally recommend giving it a try. Just one thing to keep in mind is that it is way more filling that regular pizza. I was stuffed after just two small pieces. Must be the cauliflower. . .

Best of 2012 & A Gift

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I've missed you. It was a crazy holiday season and I'm just now getting back to "regular life". Whatever that is. My apologies for neglecting the blog. It's been crazy. 

First, Thanksgiving. . .

then the break in. . .

then my husband was gone for two weeks. . .

then it was Christmas. . .

then my dad visited. . .

then it was New Year's. . .

then I got sick. . .

then I got a sinus infection. . .

then I pulled jury duty. 

Whew, so glad that it's all over. I have just about two weeks to relax (ha ha ha ha) until it's birthday season around here. So, until then, I'm just going to try and take it easy. Not dive into too many projects and just slow it all down for a while. What that means is that I haven't done a lot of cooking this last week and I've decided, for my first post of the New Year, to post a "Best Of". I've also got a surprise for you. See those super cute holiday measuring spoons at the top of the post. To my delight, someone slipped those into my stocking this year. Impractical? Yep, you betcha. Adorably cute, Rightey-O! I thought they were so cute in fact that I'm going to give some away to two lucky blog readers. Check the bottom of the post for more info. In the meantime, check out the most popular posts of 2012:

Chili Cheeseburger Macaroni

So a couple of weeks ago I went fishing around on the web for some easy dinner recipes. Between school, homework, baseball practices and games, homecoming float building nights, my husband's grad school studies and my job search, dinner seems to have become an after thought most nights. NOT OK in my book. I love dinner and us all sitting down together each night. It soothes my soul. BUT, our family is maturing and everyone has their own "thang goin' on". Half of us are zigging when the other half are zagging. Some nights we just can't all sit down. So I went looking for some easy homemade dinners that I could make in the afternoon and we can just heat and eat as we come and go. At the very least, everyone gets a home cooked meal. No frozen dinners, no re-heated take out.

Amongst all the offerings on the ole internet, I found this recipe for Cheeseburger Macaroni. All the ingredients are pantry staples. Nothing obscure, odd or needing a special trip to the store. All things that are easy to keep on hand. Plus, it only uses two pans, easy peasy clean up! That alone will send it to the top of the list. But the very best part of this recipe is that all four of us loved it. The best I ever hope for in a new recipe is a couple of "it's good"s and an "it's ok". I almost never get a unanimous vote. This recipe delivered. I've also shared this recipe with two friends who have confirmed that it was a hit with their families as well. So thumbs up all around. Other than adding a step to blend the Rotel, I only made one other change from the original recipe: I renamed it "Chili Cheeseburger Macaroni".

You can make it with either beef or turkey (I'm showing turkey) and you could swap out the cheddar for some pepper jack to spice it up, or plain old jack to keep it mild. I've made a couple of variations on it but our preference, hands down, is beef and cheddar. See what you think.

Beef Stew

I love beef stew.

I love meals that cook in one pot.

I love slow cooked meats.

I love meals of slow cooked meat that cook in one pot so you can clean up the kitchen while it's cooking and then eat way too much because it's just so good and then fall asleep on the couch watching a zombie movie because the kitchen is already cleaned up and then wake up sweaty from your totally scary zombie dream and go have more ste. . . . TMI?

I love this recipe. . .

It's kind of hard to wax poetic about beef stew because, as I write, it is totes sunny out today. Birds are chirping, breeze is blowing and it's Spring. Or is it? Forecast says were due for a rainy weekend and what's better on a rainy weekend that a hearty pot of beef stew. And this dear readers is one of the best darn beef (or pork, or elk, or venison) stew recipes around. The ingredients are simple and inexpensive and the steps uncomplicated. It's all about the cooking order, developing the individual flavors and then gently melding them all together. Seriously, don't skip any steps, no shortcuts. This is serious stew fixin'!

And no potatoes. "What?" you say. "Beef stew without potatoes?", "Sacrilege!" OK, now hear me out. I love potatoes, oh mama, how I love potatoes. But not in stew. They get all mushy, mealy and fall apart. The "stewing" robs all their flavor and they end up gritty globs of bland tasteless starch, completely ruining the silky texture of the stew. 

But. . . you can always serve it over mashed potatoes. Mmmmm, good!

But. . . as much as I love mashed potatoes, oh mama, how I love mashed potatoes, my preference is to serve the stew over creamy cheddar polenta (recipe below). 

Seriously, you've got to try it.

Potato Gnocchi

I need to preface this post by telling you that I've not got a drop of Italian blood in me. Zero, nada, zilch. No Uncle Ginos or Aunt Ginas hanging out on the family tree. No Grandma from the Old World. Nope, there's no mediterranean blood flowing through these veins. Heck the closest thing I had to pasta growing up was Stouffer's. Occasionally my mom would pour a jar of Ragu over noodles but that's about as Italian as it got. And to this day, brace yourselves, I've never made homemade sauce. I've always made do with the jar. 

Shhh. . .did you hear that? 

That sound? 

The sound of a thousand Italian Grandmothers suddenly crying out in agony?

OK, seriously, not that I couldn't probably make a decent tomato sauce, I just never have. I guess that'll be one for the cooking Bucket List. And I'm not totally inept when it comes to making pasta dishes. I can throw together a decent Fettuccini with Alfredo. My point is, when I venture into Italian Cuisine, I do it with complete naivete.

So for my first, from scratch, Italian specialty I decided to try my hand a Gnocchi. I may not know Italian but my more northern ancestors certainly know potatoes. Gnocchi just sound so inviting. Soft, tender potato dumplings. Mmmmmm! To be honest, I made a few mistakes, but, all in all, they turned out pretty good. I am certainly going to keep making them and keep trying to improve. Once I've got it mastered, the variations will be endless. See how I did. . .

PW's Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Seriously, I've got you covered for Super Bowl Weekend:  Pulled Pork Sandos! They're major! In a major way! Spicy, sweet, pork, slow cooked into tender oblivion. "You had me at pork." OK, all joking aside, this is some serious pulled pork. 

If you've been reading this blog, you know that I follow a number of cooking blogs: Confections of a Closet Master Baker, Smitten Kitchen, Joy The Baker, In Jennie's Kitchen (This one is breaking my heart right now.) and last but certainly not least, Pioneer Woman. They are all a bit different but all written by unique, talented women. They inspire me to keep blogging, baking and creating. I've tried many of their respective recipes and even chronicled a few of them here. So this week I'm bringing you a recipe from Pioneer Woman*. Thanks PW!

Over the years I've tried several times to make pulled pork. Every time, it's been just kind of OK. Not horrible but not great. When Ree posted a recipe for Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, I knew I had to try it. After all, my mother was from Texas, where Dr. Pepper flows like water. It was an instant hit with family and friends. Super easy to make and just a few simple inexpensive ingredients. Since she posted this recipe back in March 2011, I've made it at least 5 times and it turns out awesome every time. It's a crowd pleaser for sure. So if you have a crowd to feed for Super Bowl Sunday, I've got you covered.

Just a few ingredients: boneless pork shoulder roast, Dr. Pepper, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (the recipe calls for an 11 oz. can but that's a bit spicy for me so I use one of these little 7 oz. cans. Use your judgement.), an onion, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Note: The recipe calls for 2 12 oz. cans of Dr. Pepper. We don't drink Dr. Pepper so I really didn't want to buy a whole 12 pack. I might have sprung for a 6 pack but I don't think they even sell them any more. Singles are over a buck-fifty a piece, but, the 2 liter size was only 89¢. So in the interest of economy, I went with the 2 liter size. Just remember that you need 24 oz. total, which is 3 cups.

Start by cutting the onion into thick slices (1/2 inch plus) and cutting those in half. Lay them in the bottom of a large ovenproof Dutch Oven with a lid. Salt and pepper the pork roast all over.

Lay the pork roast on top of the onion and pour in the peppers with all the Adobo sauce, the Dr. Pepper and brown sugar. Put the lid on the pot and roast in a 300°F oven for 6 hours. Turn the roast once or twice during the cooking time. 

After 6 hours, test to see if the pork is done. It should fall apart very easily. If it doesn't put it back in the oven for 30 minutes and check it again. When it easily pulls apart with a fork it's done.

Remove all the pork from the pot. It will probably fall apart into several pieces.

That's a good sign!

Set a strainer over a bowl and pour off all the liquid from the pot, straining out the peppers and onions. I throw them out as no one in my family likes big hunks of onions or peppers. If you do, by all means, leave them in there.

What you're left with are all the cooking juices from the pot. Put this in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You want the fat to rise to the top and solidify.

Use two forks to shred the pork and return it to the cooking pot. Set this in the fridge, covered, until you are ready to serve.

I usually take it to this step the night before.

When you're ready to serve. Remove the cooking liquid from the fridge. Skim off the layer of fat on the top (that orange stuff) and toss it out. The remaining juices may have "gelled up". If so, microwave them a few minutes to get them liquid. Pour it into the pot with the shredded meat and heat the whole thing over low heat until heated through. Now ENJOY!

There are any number of ways you can serve this. I like it in tortillas with a bit of cheese and the usual taco fixins. My kids like BBQ pork sliders: slider buns, barbeque sauce and pork. How about nachos? You could also scramble it up with some eggs and top with cheese and salsa for a hearty breakfast. Sky's the limit here.

Here's the link to Pioneer Woman's recipe: Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork. Try it out, I guarantee you'll LOVE IT.

*If you are a fan of Pioneer Woman you probably know that she has a show on Food Network. I made this recipe two weeks ago and coincidently she demonstrated it the following Saturday on her show. Look for it on Food Network Channel, the Food Network web site or on iTunes.

P.S. I don't know Ree. She probably has no idea my blog exists, I'm just a major fan!

No BBQ Tri Tip Roast

I never thought I'd say it but "I'm never going to barbecue a tri tip again!" There, I said it and although I also say "Never say never." this time it just may be true. Why? Because I've discovered the most delicious way to make tri tip right in my very own oven, in my nice warm and dry house. Don't get me wrong, I love to BBQ or really I should say "grill" but I'm a west-coaster and we say BBQ when we really mean grill. It's a regional thing, get over it. I love hangin' in the back yard, firing up the "Q" and grabbin' a cold one on a hot summer day. What I don't love is schlepping down to the gas station to fill the propane tank, then freezing my keester off in the back yard in the dead of winter. Although we've yet to have much rain here, once that sun goes down, it gets cold and gets cold quick and I don't much feel like bundling up just to go cook dinner. A bit of a hassle, or maybe I'm lazy, whatever, point is, it's easier in the oven.

What you need is a good marinade. Use a bottled one, your favorite recipe or the one I've included here, which came from my good friend Trish, which I pretty much use to marinate everything. You're also going to need a cast iron skillet. At least 10 inches, 12 inches would be better. If you don't have a cast iron skillet then stop reading this blog and get one IMMEDIATELY. They really aren't too expensive and will last you a lifetime. Seriously, get one! Then get to making this delicious No BBQ Tri Tip Roast.

Start with the marinade. Just five simple pantry ingredients: soy sauce, vegetable oil, wine (cooking sherry, marsala, any wine will do.), garlic (Fresh minced is best but you can use garlic powder in a pinch. . .I was in a pinch.), ground ginger. You're also gunna need a tri tip roast.

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients.

Put the roast in a large zipper bag and set it in a bowl.

Pour in the marinade, squish out all the air and zip it up. Let it set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, up to overnight, turning it over several times.

Set your oven to 400°F. Get a cast iron skillet, at least a 10-inch one, and heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Get it good and hot.

Remove the tri tip from the marinate and scrape/shake off the excess marinade.

Carefully lay it in the hot pan and sear about 3-4 minutes.

Then flip it over and sear the other side, 3-4 minutes again. You want a nice crusty caramelization on both sides. YUM! Once both sides are well seared, put the whole thing (skillet and roast) into the preheated 400°F oven for 25-35 minutes. For medium rare at the thickest part, cook until a thermometer reads about 130°F.  Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 10-15 minutes.

Remove to a cutting board and slice it up. Yummy, yum, yum. Perfect, warm, and pink. Add some barbecue sauce and buns for tri tip sandwiches or slice into strips for quick fajitas. A great way to fix tri tip without the barbeque.

No BBQ Tri Tip Roast


2-1/2 to 3 lb. Tri Tip Roast


Marinade:
1/2 C. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 t. garlic powder)
1/4 C. wine
1/4 C. vegetable oil
2 T. powdered ginger


3 T. olive oil


Place roast in a large zipper bag. Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over roast. Squeeze out all air from bag and seal. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate for several hours (or overnight), turning over frequently.


Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet (10 inches or larger.) over medium high heat.  Remove roast from marinade and shake/scrape off excess marinade from surface of roast. Sear roast in hot skillet 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place skillet with roast on the center rack of the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes (medium rare), until thermometer reads 130°F in thickest part of meat. Roast longer for medium or well done meat. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let set for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Pork Chops

Pork Chop Night. Sounds kinda old school and for some reason makes me think of Homer Simpson. Memories of Peter Brady are also conjured, you know "Pork Schops and Appleshash". Whatever comes to mind the bottom line is pork is yummy and pork chops are yummier. As we head into the winter months these end up in a pretty heavy rotation around our place. Everyone loves them, it's one of a handful of dinners that don't require a negotiation with one or both my kids. Ahhh, dinner table harmony. Can you feel it?

There isn't a formal recipe here because most nights I'm pretty much winging it. You know, a dash of this, handful of that, cook it 'till done. Pork chops just kind of happen. But for you, because I love you all, because I struggled for years with dry pork chops and because I figured out how to make them right, I've laid out all the steps here. Adjust the quantities and cooking time as needed to accommodate your tastes and quantities but please, if you like pork, seriously who doesn't, give 'em a try.

Start by heating 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan. You want equal parts olive oil and butter and enough to coat the bottom of your saute pan. Allow the butter to melt completely but not burn.

While the butter is melting and the pan is heating up, add 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite season salt to 1/4 cup flour. Give it a quick stir with a fork to get it mixed together.

Dredge the pork chops (about 1-inch thick chops, bone-in or boneless. I prefer bone-in.) in the seasoned flour, both sides, and shake off the excess flour.

With the pan over medium heat, add the dredged pork chops in a single layer and saute for about 7 minutes, longer if your chops are thicker. Don't fiddle around with them too much just let them be so they get a nice caramelization on them.

After about 7 minutes you'll see the juices (those red parts) start to surface.

That means is time to turn them over.

Flip them over and give them another 5-7 minutes saute time. I grew up with a hunter father and ate a lot of wild boar as a kid. So, I like my pork well done. I'm really not sure what the current safety guidelines are for pork but I generally go until it's well done. NO PINK! Don't worry about them being dry, by dredging in flour and getting a crispy caramelization on the outside your chops will still be juicy.

While the chops are finishing up peel core and thinly slice about 3 medium firm pears. (You could also use apples here).

When the chops are done, remove them too a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm. Do not clean or scrape out the pan. Adjust your heat to medium-low and add the pear slices. Stir them around and get a bit of color on them. The pears will start to release their juices and deglaze the pan. As you are stirring scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

When the pears start to soften add in about 1/4 cup of dry white wine (more if you want more sauce) and again scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Simmer until the wine is reduced and thickened. Scrape the spoon along the bottom of the pan. If it leaves a clean line and the liquid doesn't immediately run back to the center then it's ready. Turn off the heat and add a pat of butter (about 1 tablespoon.) Stir it in to melt and thicken the sauce.

Spoon the pears over the pork chops and voila! Pork Chop Night.

Here are the perportions, adjust as necessary for the number of servings and amount of sauce you'd like:

4-6 pork chops

2 T olive oil

2T butter plus 1T to finish the sauce

1/4 C. flour

2 t. season salt

3 medium sized pears

1/4 cup dry white wine

Note: 1-inch chops take about 5-7 minutes per side. Adjust cooking time as needed if you thicker or thinner chops.

Crepes

Crepes are one of those culinary anomalies that seem really fancy and complicated but are actually quite simple. For the crepe itself you most likely already have all the ingredients in your pantry. Now what you choose to fill them with is entirely up to you. They can be sweet, the option we choose most, or savory. They can be a breakfast, a main dish or a dessert. Once you master the basic recipe and technique you are only limited by your imagination. I like mine filled with jam, my daughter prefers Nutella. On the savory side, a seafood filled crepe with a Beurre Blanc sauce can't be beat.

Now, yes, the ingredients are simple but it's really the equipment that guarantees success. I'm actually not a big fan of single-tasking kitchen equipment but when it comes to crepes the right pan makes all the difference. You can use a small skillet, but, if you think you'll be making a lot of crepes in the future, I highly recommend getting a crepe pan. There are lots of crepe making gadgets out there but really all you need is a French Steel Crepe Pan. They are similar to a cast iron skillet in that you have to season it first before you use it and PLEASE never wash it with soap. I don't really ever wash mine. I just wipe it with a dry paper towel and then coat it with a very thin layer of vegetable oil and store it between paper towels. 

Don't get discouraged on your fist attempt. I tore, overcooked, undercooked and mangled quite a few crepes before I found what works with my stove and pan. But stick with it, it's like riding a bike, once you get it, you get it. Get it? Ok, so arm yourself with the right equipment, some mental fortitude and the ambition to master crepes and go forth and crepe! Allons-y!

Here's what you need: milk (I'm using whole milk here because I had it, but, I usually use non-fat. Use what you have.), eggs, flour, sugar (eliminate the sugar if you are making savory crepes.), melted butter and vanilla (again, eliminate it if you are going the savory route.).

Mix all the ingredients well. I like using a blender but you can use a food processor or whisk it by hand, just get it all well mixed without any lumps of flour. Pour into a container with a lid, cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight. I usually make my batter the night before.

Get your equipment ready. A 1/4 cup measuring cup (I use this ladle which holds 1/4 cup.) A thin flexible spatula and a french crepe pan. You also need a way to lightly oil your pan between crepes. I like using a folded paper towel "dabber" and a small bowl with about 2-3 tablespoons of veggie oil.

Heat your pan over medium heat. Use the paper towel "dabber" to coat the crepe pan with a very thin layer of oil. Next, holding the crepe pan off the heat in one hand, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan. Tilt/swirl the pan until you have a thin layer of batter covering the entire bottom of the pan. Work quickly as the batter will begin to cook as soon as it hits the pan. Put the pan on the heat and gently cook until the surface of the crepe looks dull, no longer wet and shiny.

To flip the crepe, gently work the spatula all the way around the edge of the crepe to loosen it. Then slip the spatula under the center of the crepe. Gently lift and flip it over. Just cook it about 30 seconds after flipping.

Take the pan off the heat and gently slide the crepe onto a plate to cool. Now perfectly made crepes aren't supposed to have browned spots and crispy dry edges. Mine do. I'm not worried about it. It took me a while just to perfect the crepe making technique to this point. Someday I try an take it to the next level, but not today. I'm not going to lose any sleep because my crepes have crispy edges and brown spots, once they are filled and topped no one will even notice or care.

Repeat the cooking process until you are out of batter; oiling the pan between each crepe. Stack them up on a plate to keep them warm. They don't tend to stick to one another because of the butter in the batter and the oil in the pan.

You can use the finished crepes for all sorts of recipes. For a quick breakfast we usually spread them with jam (apricot here). Roll them up and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yum!

Oh la la. C'est magnifique.

Here is a link to a savory crepe recipe by Lou Seibert Pappas. For the sweet crepe recipe (like I made), scroll down to the bottom of the recipe link and click on "Dessert Crepes".