Nibbles & Sips

Fun with food and beverages: recipes and opinions about what, how, and why we eat.

When Inspiration Strikes: Pork Cutlets Cristo

Nibbles
Getting a VoxBox is always a bit of a treat--this one came with the Sargento coupons and a soft-sided lunch tote.

Getting a VoxBox is always a bit of a treat–this one came with the Sargento coupons and a soft-sided lunch tote.

Todd and I take turns each week setting the menu, grocery shopping, and cooking supper. We’ve been doing it this way since we first moved in together and I am continually grateful to has a husband that enjoys cooking as much as I do. Sometimes my menus are very specific (especially if I’m working on a new cookbook review) while other times they can be pretty vague: just stating the primary protein, starch, and vegetable for the meal. Keeping a good variety of spices and condiments on hand means I can improvise at will without needing to make a special trip to the grocery store.

Such was the case last weekend when I was making pork chops. Granted, we seldom buy the old-fashioned bone-in chops, usually it’s the leaner loin chops, and this day I’d actually picked up the thin cutlets instead. As I was seasoning them with salt and pepper I was reminded of a recent conversation with friends about Monte Cristo sandwiches–a rare indulgence back in the day, there’s just something about the sweet and savory combination of the meats and cheeses with the powdered sugar and the raspberry jam, not to mention the crunch of the fried outside with the melty goodness of the cheese inside. I love those sandwiches so much that I even devised a slimmed-down version of it for my own cookbook.

While I wasn’t tempted to break out the deep fryer for supper that night, I was tempted by the flavor combination, so while the cutlets sizzled in the pan, I grabbed some grainy mustard, some strawberry preserves, and some Sargento Ultra Thin Swiss that I’d recently picked up with the coupon in my recent VoxBox from Influenster.

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Pork Cutlets Cristo

Pork Cutlets Cristo

serves 4

8 pork loin cutlets (approx. 1 lb)
kosher salt, black pepper
garlic-infused olive oil
2 Tbsp grainy mustard
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
4 slices Swiss cheese (like Sargento UltraThin), sliced in half for 8 pieces

Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil into a hot frying pan large enough to accommodate all 8 cutlets.

Brown each side of the cutlets over medium-high heat, arranging the cutlets in a way that leaves the center of the pan open.

Add the mustard and the preserves to the center of the frying pan and stir together with the remaining olive oil and resulting pan juices. Top each cutlet with a half-slice of Swiss cheese and wait only long enough until it melts (should be quick) before moving two cutlets (one serving) to a place.

Spoon a bit of the strawberry-mustard pan sauce over the top of each cutlet.

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I served the cutlets with a quick creamed spinach (frozen spinach cooked with a bit of butter, a bit of 2% milk, a generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese, and thickened with an arrowroot slurry) and it made for a nice and light Sunday supper. Sure, it’s not the decadence of a true Monte Cristo sandwich. To bring it closer a toasted crouton (the larger kind of French cuisine, not the smaller ones that top your salad) underneath the cutlets would be a tasty addition, and also soak up some of those pan juices, as well.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Don’t Skimp on the Spices

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Planning a menu on a restricted diet–be it the Low-FODMAP protocol or otherwise–means a lot of the same.

With broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, various beans and peas all on the trigger list that leaves a lot of repetition of spinach, green beans, and carrots (not to mention the ubiquitous green salad) as side dishes. Of course there are more options available seasonally, but these are our core components. Even the proteins can get a bit repetitive without a helping hand from the spice rack.

Whether you’re following a recipe or experimenting on your own, a careful perusal of the spice blends on your shelf will turn up some High-FODMAP ingredients–namely garlic and onion powders–in the ingredient lists. Curry powder, chili powder*, steak seasoning, taco mix, etc. Even the simple-sounding Lemon Pepper usually includes both garlic and onions! (And I can report from personal experience that even the small amounts in the Lemon & Pepper seasoning blend are enough to provoke a reaction in an otherwise safe meal.)

The solution, as with any specialty diet, is to make your own. Often it’s just a matter of making up the blend without the offending powdered garlic or onions, but what if you find yourself missing those flavors? There’s always asafoetida (aka hing) powder–a little of that goes a long way, and I’d suggest saving it to apply per dish, not including it in the pre-mixed spices–or a drizzle of garlic oil if appropriate for the recipe. You can still add a sprinkle of green onion tops to the dish while it’s cooking for a more authentic flavor, and some well-diced turnips add a peppery bite to a soup or stew in place of onions.

Here are a couple of my go-to blends we use regularly in our kitchen.

Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp oregano

Combine in a glass jar and shake until combined; makes about a half a cup. Use 2 tsp mix per pound of protein of your choice; go up to a tablespoon if you like your tacos hot!

Curry Powder

4 Tbsp coriander
2 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp red chili powder

Combine in a glass jar and shake until combines; makes about a half a cup. Use 2 Tbsp mix per pound of protein of your choice, 1 Tbsp if you’re seasoning vegetables, or as much as your recipe requires.

While there are plenty of seasoning blends just a convenient search away, I also have two “old-fashioned” books to recommend for just this sort of kitchen quandry. First is one of my long-time favorites, The Kitchen Companion by Polly Clingerman. It’s currently out of print but if you find a used copy either online or at a yard sale, snap it up! This is my go-to for all sorts of cooking basics, time and temp charts out the wazoo, and just all sorts of kitchen awesomeness. The other is The Spice and Herb Bible by Ian Hemphill. In addition to being a veritable encyclopedia of herbs and spices in their various forms, there are usage suggestions and spice blends galore–perfect for kitchen experimentation!

 

*For the record, if you buy your red chili powder in “bulk” at the Indian grocery like I do, remember that this is straight chilies whereas the chili powder called for in most recipes is rather “diluted” with other things. Pare down accordingly or risk the wrath of your tastebuds!

Daring Bakers: Easter Breads

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The April Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den . She challenged us to Spring into our kitchens and make Easter breads reflecting cultures around the world.

We actually don’t do a whole lot for Easter–in fact, this year we did absolutely nothing as family members had other engagements and we’d just spent the previous day banging around our new house with no running water… More on that tomorrow! But way back when I’ve been known to make fun and flavorful baked goods at Easter time because why not? I’ve even made the somewhat traditional hot cross buns, though I admit that they weren’t the top of my favorites list. (The bunny rolls might just hold that honor.)

Low-FODMAP Spiced Carrot Breakfast Buns

Low-FODMAP Spiced Carrot Breakfast Buns

At any rate, we were free to use any recipe that fit the bill and the other day, in my feed reader, popped up this Low-FODMAP Hot Cross Buns recipe that seemed promising. But not so promising that I didn’t tweak it on several levels to the point that we’ll consider it an adaptation and I’ll share the recipe below. First, we’re not a big fan of buckwheat flour–it’s one of the few flavors that I just can’t get behind, then there was the dried paw paw (which probably means papaya, but it wasn’t something I had on hand). Hot Cross Buns usually include currants or raisins (which aren’t Low-FODMAP) so I substituted dried blueberries–closer in color and texture, and in such a small quantity as not to present any FODMAP issues; we also subbed macadamia nuts for the pine nuts (both Low-FODMAP, but Todd’s not a fan of pine nuts). Finally, I disagreed with the lack of sugar. Sure, the grated carrots and dried fruit add some sweetness, but sugar adds tenderness to baked goods, and that’s not something you want to forgo with gluten-free baking, so I added some back in.

The results were dense but tasty, and will work perfectly for breakfasts this week instead of my usual overnight oats. If I make these again (and there’s a good possibility of that) I’ll add a pan of water to the pre-heating oven to keep the dough from firming up too much in it’s first “baking” (really more of an accelerated proofing), maybe that will allow the buns to rise a bit more.

Low-FODMAP Spiced Carrot Breakfast Buns
adapted from Resist the Sloth

Makes 18

2 cups lactose-free milk, warmed (between 90-110 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 packet Active Dry Yeast
3 cups Gluten-Free baking blend
1/2 cup Millet Flour
1/4 cup Potato Flakes
1/2 Tbsp Xanthum Gum
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup dried Blueberries
2 Tbsp ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground Nutmeg
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/2 tsp ground Cloves
1/2 tsp ground Allspice
1 egg, gently beaten
2 large carrots, grated (approx. 2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 215 degrees Fahrenheit. (optional: place an oven-proof bowl of water in the oven while it’s pre-heating)

Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk and let sit while the yeast puffs up. If it’s drafty in your kitchen (or the a/c has just kicked on), cover the bowl to keep the milk from getting too cold.

Combine the flours, potato flakes, gun, nuts, blueberries, and spices in a large bowl; stir to combine.

Combine egg, carrots, sugar, and butter in a small bowl; stir until mixed.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add the carrot mixture and milk mixture, stirring just until combined.

Spoon dough into a gall-sized plastic bag, seal, and snip off one corner. Pipe dough into muffin or doughnut pan wells.

Bake at 212 degrees F for 20 minutes, remove the pan of water (if you used one) and increase the temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 25 minutes, or until the customary hollow thump of a well-done bread can be heard.

Holding Out for a Gyro

Nibbles

In February, Todd and I were in Pensacola, Florida, for Pensacon and when we’re out of town we like to try at least one local restaurant. Down the street from our hotel was a Greek place that certainly seemed to be popular since it was absolutely packed when we were there, but after having supper I can see why: the food at Founaris Brothers is plentiful and tasty.

Of course, if we’re at a Greek restaurant it’s tough to resist the mighty gyro but this place offered both a gyro plate as well as a gyro bowl–we ordered one of each.

The gyro plate (top) and gyro bowl (bottom)

The gyro plate (top) and gyro bowl (bottom)

Since that day at the convention had been pretty busy, I admit I didn’t eat much at lunch so was pretty hungry. The idea that the gyro bowl came with all the gyro insides on top of rice sounded like heaven to me, and paired with their house Greek dressing (which looks like a thin buttermilk dressing but tastes a lot like tsatziki sauce) it was just what I was craving. And it was while I was reveling in the amazing flavor that I decided to try and recreate it at home.

The trick, of course, was the gyro meat: I don’t exactly own a vertical spit, and even if I did I didn’t need the massive amount of gyro meat doing this the “right” or traditional way would net me. Instead, I wondered if it’d work to season ground meat (in this case a 50/50 blend of lamb and beef) and then pat it into a thin sheet and bake it. Unlike a meatloaf or even burgers, where you’d add a binder like eggs, oatmeal, breadcrumbs, or some combination of all three, all I added to the ground  meat mixture was the seasonings. I didn’t really measure, but here’s what I used (in descending order of amounts):

  • salt
  • paprika
  • ground pepper
  • parsley
  • oregano
  • cinnamon
  • nutmeg
  • cumin
  • coriander
  • allspice

Just like everyone has their own barbecue or curry blends, Greek seasoning blends are equally as personal–use what you like, skip what you don’t. And then I added just a splash of garlic-infused olive oil. Use the leanest beef you can find, but still line the baking sheet with foil–it’ll make cleanup so much easier.

Homemade gyro meat, before and after baking

Homemade gyro meat, before and after baking

As you can see, there’s an awful lot of shrinkage going on during baking, that also means there’s a lot of pan juices to deal with. After about 15 minutes at 350F I drained off the pan juices but reserved them–never know when they might come in handy. (Answer: the longer you have to hold the meat before serving supper, the more of a “refresher” it might need.) Draining the pan also allowed the meat to brown nicely in the dry heat rather than braise. It helps give the finished product a similar texture to the thin layers sliced off the vertical spit that I don’t own.

Cutting the meat into narrow planks gives it even more of the traditional gryo look.

Cutting the meat into narrow planks gives it even more of the traditional gryo look.

Todd had to work later than expected, so to refresh the gyro strips I added about half of the pan drippings to the meat and tossed it to coat.

Todd had to work later than expected, so to refresh the gyro strips I added about half of the pan drippings to the meat and tossed it to coat.

Meanwhile, I’d made a batch of white rice, diced up some tomatoes, and made a fairly standard tsatziki sauce and then thinned part of it out with additional lemon juice, rice vinegar, and some olive oil to make a tsatziki vinaigrette of sorts. I combined most of the vinaigrette with the cooked rice and then topped each serving with meat, tomatoes, tsatziki sauce, green onions, and feta cheese, keeping the rest of the vinaigrette on hand in case we wanted to add more to the bowl–you can always add, but it’s tough to take-away!

Our at-home gyro bowl.

Our at-home gyro bowl.

That was a very good supper. Not only was it a better-than-decdent facsimile of an out-of-town meal we adored, it’s fabulous to know we can make gyros any time we feel like it!

Daring Bakers: Hazelnut Banana Nougat

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The March 2014 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Rebecca of BakeNQuilt. She challenged us to learn to make classic nougat and to make it our own with our choice of flavors and add-ins.

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My house smells so amazing right now!

You’re just going to have to take my word on that, though, since they have yet to invent smell-er-net or whatever. But seriously, it’s like toasted marshmallows (the good kind) without the bonfire smoke thanks to the various sugary components of this month’s confectionery challenge.

It’s been my experience, making candy in the south, that our biggest challenge is humidity and there’s something like a handful of clear, bright days where everything will work if you hold your mouth right. The rest of the year? Well, I remember making these sugar-dipped pear slices back at the Plantation as a garnish for Pear Clafoutis during the first few weeks there. It was, of course, summer in south Georgia and humid as all get out, and I had to store the slices in a plastic container with some powdered dehumidifying agent to try and keep them from going limp before the next dinner service.

I’ve made divinity at Christmas that I had to store in the freezer because it was the only way it would stay semi-solid. Pralines have crystallized in front of our very eyes. And more of the same. So it was with a tiny bit of trepidation that I put together the ingredients for the chocolate nougat, hoping I wouldn’t end up with a weepy, goopy mess.

I needn’t have worried. At least about it not setting.

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Thanks to a random cold snap last night, we had pretty much perfect candy-making weather. And as I watched the sweet meringue whip around my stand mixer, letting it mix the 3-5 minutes to cool off a bit before adding the chocolate and other mix-ins, something strange happened. One moment it was silky smooth and belching steam like a locomotive, the next it developed that whipped look of the inside of a 3 Musketeers bar, and then–in the blink of an eye–turned to something much more choppy. Adding the chocolate didn’t smooth it out (maybe it would have, had I melted it, but that’s hindsight talking). Since the nuts and dried fruit originally called for in the recipe were either High-FODMAP or not Todd’s favorite, I used toasted hazelnuts and banana chips–sort of like Chunky Monkey meets 3 Musketeers.

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Unfortunately, it stayed pretty crumbly. I managed to get a few decent-sized pieces for a picture but instead of neat little bricks they’re more like field stones, so the majority got put into an airtight jar. Despite its rugged appearance, it melts nice and smooth on the tongue, so it’s not crystallized or anything like that. I tried adding a little water to a bit of it, but that just melted it, so we’ll leave it crumbly.

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Besides, this way it makes an amazing ice cream topping!