Good Morning.
I believe we need something to comfort ourselves this week so I present some of my fall favorites. I'm not sure there's a person alive who has ever been to dinner at my house that hasn't been fed these dishes. Three of the four are big, which means men love them and women take half the portions home on a paper plate covered with foil. I don't do swans or other
fanciful creatures favored by chefs in upscale restaurants.
We begin with Mustard and Beer Pork Chops.
4 Iowa pork chops, an inch thick
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. Herbes de Provence
1 can of beer
Dredge the chops in the bread crumbs. In a large skillet, saute the chops in olive oil until golden brown. Remove and place in an oblong baking dish, probably not metal. Smear each chop on top with some of the mustard - the back of a spoon works well - and sprinkle with the herbs. Pour the beer over everything and cover tightly. Use aluminum foil in a pinch. Bake in a 325 preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes. Serves 4.
This incredibly easy dish can be tweaked if you like. Substitute German mustard if desired and use white wine in place of the
beer. If you prefer not to use alcohol, use orange juice. Any combination works well and I've tried them all. The deal is to
cook the chops in a relatively slow oven for a relatively long time so they fall off the bone. Serve with the following:
The Tingle Twice-Baked Potatoes
4 good-sized but not behemoth baking potatoes
4 slices of bacon, fried crisp, drained of grease, and crumbled
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Bake the potatoes, cool, and cut off a little of the tops. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes and place in a bowl. Add the sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits. With a mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth. Stuff the potato shells and bake in a 350 degree oven - or the 325 oven where the chops are cooking for 40 minutes.
I first had these potatoes in 1966. They were made by a woman named Elaine Tingle from somewhere in Tennessee, but
she served them mashed style and they're just as luscious that way. For a meatless change, use chopped chives, but in
my world, bacon is right up there with chocolate.
Absolutely against my deepest beliefs but perfect for a comfort meal or a church potluck, here is Cranberry Black Cherry Salad. My feelings about jelled salads date to my childhood when something called tomato aspic was an occasional dinner item. It was on my No Eat List along with a dreadful salmon and pea loaf that also turned up now and then and oyster
stew on Christmas Eve. I have such awful memories of that stew smelling up the kitchen that I immediately established a more palatable menu the minute I was off on my own. The Tingle potatoes were shortly a part of it, along with prime rib, any harmless vegetable, and French Silk pie. I will pass along the recipe for the pie as the holidays near. In any case, here is the salad:
1 6 ounce package black cherry Jello
1 16 ounce container sour cream, room temp absolutely essential
1 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
2 cups hot water
Combine the Jello with the hot water in a good-sized bowl and stir until dissolved. Stir in the cranberry sauce and mix well.
Add the sour cream and stir to combine. It will look funny but not to worry. Place in the fridge and chill until set. To serve
at home, make a bed of salad greens on individual plates, scoop some of the salad on top and scatter a few somethings around if desired, like sliced berries or peaches. Top with a dollop of mayonnaise mixed with sweetened whipped cream.
And for a nod to October, Baked Apples for dessert.
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
6 baking apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup currant jam
Blend the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter in your food processor or blender until crumbly. Peel and remove the core and a bit more from the center of the apples, a firm type like Granny Smith. With a fork, scratch the sides of the apples on all sides and roll them in the crumb mixture. Place the apples in a greased baking dish. Combine the granulated sugar, cashews, and jam in a bowl and spoon this mixture into the cavities of the apples. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve them warm with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Build or switch on a fire and have coffee, de-caf if you're over the age of thirty. Say your prayers. We need all the help we can get.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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