Parmesan Crusted Pork Cutlets

What You Will Need: Pork, panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, flour, parsley, eggs & olive oil.

Preheat oven to 200.

Combine bread crumbs with parmesan cheese & parsley. Set aside.

If your pieces of pork are thick, butterfly them and then slice that large piece in half.

Place your piece of pork between sheets of plastic wrap then pound it till thin.

Set up your breading station. Flour (season with salt/pepper), egg wash & bread crumb mixture. 

Place in the flour first.

Then the egg wash.

Next press into the bread crumbs.

Then finally place into a hot skillet with olive oil.

Sear till golden brown, then flip and cook the other side.

Once the pieces are cooked, place onto a wire rack that is on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. 

You can serve the cutlets as is or you can make a quick pan sauce to spoon overtop. 

In the skillet that the pork was cooked in, sprinkle some flour into the hot oil. Whisk.

Add in some broth. I used chicken broth because pork is light similar to chicken. Bring to bubble.

To serve, I whipped up some mashed potatoes & a simple salad of mixed greens. 

Light & crispy..tender & meaty!

A great dish for your weekday menu. Make it with pork, chicken or turkey.

The cutlets are also great on a nice big dinner salad! 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Review: Traffic Jam & Snug

On an episode of Diners, Drive-In & Dives, they went to a place in downtown Detroit called Traffic Jam & Snug. Ever since then, we wanted to check this place out. 

Almost two year's later, we finally made it!

We got there around 1pm & we pretty much had the huge place to ourselves. 

We were seated across from a large burning fire place & took in the size of the restaurant, which was huge! Both of us almost got lost trying to find the bathrooms. 

My husband ordered the sandwich that Guy loved. 

House brewed dopplebock braised beef brisket panini. The meat was flavorful, super tender and the barbecue sauce was not overpowering in any smokey flavors which is what we usually find in barbecue around us. Caramelized onions and the white cheddar/sun dried tomato foccacia bread made this one heck of a man loving sandwich! 

Seared with house made potato salad that was creamy with nice crunch from the peppers & celery. A good compliment to the beefy sandwich. 

Blazing Redfish Sandwich called out to me with lettuce, tomato and a jalapeño mayo. 

I pressed the buns together and as I was taking my first bite I was immediately struck with a foul smelling sent. I took a bite and even before I said a word, my husband said "it can't be good from the look on your face."

The sandwich tasted more like dirty tank water and I asked another server to find our waiter. The manager came over and asked what was wrong. I explained that the fish had gone bad.

He asked if I would like something else and I said I would like to try the Chicken & Basil Eggroll appetizer. While we waited, my husband shared his sandwich with me.

We received our egg rolls and I cut them all in half to allow them to cool. My husband took the first bite. When asked how they were he responded with "they are frozen inside".

Sure enough, I touched each egg roll and they were ice cold in the middle. 

When our server came by, I explained that the egg rolls were not fully cooked and we would just like our bill.

Overall, I was not very impressed, especially after our waiter said, "Come back again, your experience will be better next time."

Italian Spaghetti Salad

Got leftover pasta? 

Make a tasty side dish that is great for lunch or even a party platter.

What You Will Need: Cooked spaghetti, tomatoes, onions, pepperoni, bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, italian dressing & mushrooms. I used jarred marinated mushrooms.

Start by chopping up your spaghetti into pieces.

Place into a large bowl. Add in diced onions, pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes & cheese.

Add in your dressing & mix.

Allow to sit overnight. Taste the next day & add more dressing if needed.

Simple, quick & easy

It will be a great addition to your weekday lunch box!

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Review: Great Lakes Brewing Company

On a recent trip to Cleveland, I wanted to dine out somewhere fun as well as delicious. I did some research on the top rated restaurants and found ones like Blue Point Grill & Michael Symons restaurant Lola's which tend to be a little pricy.

I wanted to find a nice medium, one that both my husband & I would enjoy as well as our pocket book. (do people still use the term pocket book?)

Anywho, I came upon Great Lakes Brewing Company & decided this was were we would venture.

We loved the building & how untouched it felt. What is said to be the oldest bar in Cleveland, you truly felt the age, the history, the antique wood work throughout the place.

After we sat down in what seemed like a 100 year old booth, I ordered the flight because 'when in rome' taste all the beer you can!

I am still learning about craft beers so I don't have much to say about the beers but I must praise the Alberta Clipper Porter! A smooth, delicious combination of chocolate & raspberry that was as decadent as eating a truffle!

I ordered the Bratwurst & Pierogi's. 

Hands down the best Bratwurst Ive ever had! Czuchraj's Dortmunder Gold Lager brats made locally & cooked perfectly. Soft in the middle with just the right amount of 'snap' to the grilled crust. Delicate spices with nothing overpowering, just sweat, meaty delicious brats! The spicy mustard served along side was the perfect accompaniment that complemented the overall flavors.

Pierogi's were large with a good seared crust but it was lacking in seasoning. There was no salt or pepper at the table & as I looked around at the other tables I noticed no other tables had it either. I was told years ago that if there is no salt or pepper at the tables, its because the chef thinks the food is seasoned perfectly. I don't know if that was a the case here, but it defiantly would have been nice to sprinkle a little salt on them.

Braised cabbage had good flavor but lacked the crunch contrast needed to complete the dish.

My husband ordered the recommendation from our waitress, which she claimed was the most popular dish, the Pretzel Chicken. The chicken lacked "pretzel" flavor and was overcooked. The onion, pepper relish was a nice contrast as it was crisp & refreshing. We found ourselves wanting more relish to help the dried chicken. Burning River Pale Ale mustard sauce would have complemented the dish if there was more then a teaspoon on the plate. 

The mashed potatoes alongside were stiff & under seasoned. Using the sour cream off my entree plate & the butter from the bread basket, we were able to help them along. 

Luckily, the green beans were crisp & seasoned perfectly. As my husband said, they were the best part of the dish.

Overall, we enjoyed our evening here. We drank, ate & laughed. We even stopped at the gift shop to pick up a Great Lakes Brewery Edmund Fitzgerald magnet! 

Chicken-Pepper Pasta

This dish will forever remind me of my father.

Growing up, there were a few dishes that he always made. Chili, Beans & Franks, the BEST Biscuits with Sausage Gravy and Chicken-Pepper Pasta.

What You Will Need: Chicken (cooked & sliced), bell peppers, onions, pasta, garlic (roasted or raw), butter, chicken broth & parmesan cheese.

In a large, high sided skillet, melt some butter and sauté your peppers/onions.

Get your pasta cooking.

Add in the sliced pieces of chicken, salt/pepper,

Garlic goes in next. If you use roasted garlic, mash it against the back of your knife to make a paste, then add it in.

Give a splash of chicken broth.

Then throw in a couple pats of butter.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

When your pasta is cooked to al dente, add it to the chicken/pepper mixture.

Serve up in a big bowl, garnish with more parmesan cheese & some parsley. Add some crusty pieces of baguette along side! 

I loved this dish as a kid & I love it as an adult! It doesn't have any expensive, elaborate ingredients or take hours to prep & make. I love this pasta for its simple flavors & for the memory I get each time I take a bite! 

Food is so powerful for your memory. The smells, sounds & taste can make you travel back in time! 

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!

Potato Boat Shepherds Pie

I sometimes find that my favorite dishes are the ones not planned....when I go from the fridge to the freezer to the pantry and back again trying to figure out what to make. 

On this particular day, I must have made the fridge-pantry circle about 4 times before everything finally came together. 

Everything in this dish is made with items that I always keep on hand. We go in on a portion of a local cow every other year, freezer always has veggies for quick go to need & potatoes, onion & garlic are a must.

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What You Will Need: Ground beef (or ground turkey), whole potatoes, garlic, butter, onion, frozen vegetable blend, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, flour & a spice blend of your liking. 

Preheat your oven to 350.

For quicker cooking, prick holes into your potatoes and cook them through in the microwave. 

Slice them in half and allow them to cool so you can handle them.

While the potatoes are cooling, sear the ground beef, add in the diced onions & your seasoning blend.

Garlic goes in next. Stir and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add in a couple good splashes of worcestershire sauce. Make sure your scraping up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan.

Throw in a couple pats of butter. Allow to melt completely.

Sprinkle in the flour. Stir & cook till all the raw flour is gone.

Add in your mixed, frozen vegetables.

Stir in enough beef broth to come half way up the pan, bring to a simmer and let cook. Allowing the gravy to thicken and flavors to really come together.

Once your potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the middles, place into a bowl & make mashed potatoes any way you like.

Milk/Butter

Butter/Heavy Cream

Add Sour Cream

Cream Cheese

Shredded Cheese

Scallions

.......Bacon.....

anything you want

On a baking sheet, place the potato skins & fill with the beef mixture.

Top with the mashed potatoes. I just used clean hands and placed a gallop on top and pressed it down lightly. If you have a pipping bag and large tip, feel free to use it & add a fancy flare!

Bake in the oven till the tops get golden brown.

Serve as is, top with extra beef gravy or whip together a quick cheddar sauce.

Using half & half or heavy cream, slowly heat then stir in shredded cheddar cheese. Allow to melt completely, then spoon over top.

I can't say enough good things about this dish. My husband absolutely loved it and I have a feeling that it will be one of my sons favorites once he can start eating more solid foods. Not to mention, I think it will be a great meal to cook together with him.

Enjoy & Always Cook with Love!