When you ask a Pole about Polish cuisine and its signature dishes there will always be a number of commonalities. Pork schnitzel, kotlet schabowy as we know it, is one of those dishes and has been a staple in all Polish homes. When I desire a taste of nostalgia, this is what I make.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 2 large eggs
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
- breading of choice (I use coconut flour, regular breading will do)
- frying oil (I use coconut oil)
You will need a tenderizing mallet, a gallon ziplock bag, and a frying pan.
Tenderize the pork chops on both sides and put in the baggie. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs and spices and add to the pork. Leave it marinating in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When ready to eat, bread both sides of each pork chop and pan-fry it until each side is a nice golden color.
Traditionally, it is served with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, but the sky is the limit here.
Enjoy!
It's been multiple years since the first time I've made this dish and I seem to recall it being an enormous hit. Back then Food Network was a part of basic cable and I could watch all the shows for no extra charge. I saw this recipe, it looked easy to make, I went for it, and it was delicious. Granted, I removed the 'easy' part from it when I chose to make my own pizza dough. I will address that at a later day, though.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (leftovers are fantastic for this)
- 1 lbs. pizza dough (hand-made or purchased at the store)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp buffalo/hot sauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Parmesan, grated (packaged one will do)
Note: This dish comes with a dipping sauce. You will need 1 cup sour cream, chopped green onions, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Optionally, you can add some blue cheese for extra zing.
You will need a rolling pin, mixing bowls and a cookie sheet, preferably covered in aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and coated in cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, mozzarella, tomato sauce, liquid smoke and hot sauce. Stir thoroughly and set aside.
Quarter the dough. Roll out the dough into a circle, add a quarter of the stuffing onto half of it and fold over the un-topped side so it forms a half-circle. Make sure to pinch the side with slightly wet fingers so they hold together. With a knife, make a couple slits in the top and set out on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest. Once all is ready, brush some olive oil over the top and sprinkle the Parmesan.
Bake approx. 15 minutes until golden-brown and puffed. Make sure to let it cool down a little before serving or the sauce will burn your mouth. I speak from experience.
Note: I strongly suggest experimenting with sizes, so you could always make these more bite-size if you want it as dippers.
Dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with calzone.
I no longer remember how I came across this recipe, but I know I fell in love when I saw it. Pecan pie is my favorite pie and as a woman I am genetically predisposed to love cheesecake. Combining those two together seemed like a marriage of awesomeness. It was.
Ingredients:
- Deep dish pie crust of choice
- 8oz cream cheese (1 package)
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup pecan, chopped
Note: When I first made it, I used a gluten-free cannoli recipe as crust. It was heavenly. I will have to post the recipe in a separate post.
Preheat oven to 350F. You'll need your hand mixer and mixing bowls.
Cheesecake layer: Blend the cream cheese with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 egg, and continue blending until uniform. Once done, pour into the pie crust.
Pecan layer: Combine corn syrup, 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, butter and vanilla in a bowl and use hand mixer until it's all blended. Stir in the pecans and pour over the cheesecake layer.
Bake for approx. 50 minutes. Cheesecake layer will "magically" move to the top and turn golden brown. I promise this cake will not last long once set on the table.
Enjoy!
I don't know if I've mentioned this recently, but Stephanie O'Dea is my Cooking Goddess of Crockpot and I use her recipes on regular basis. Her recipe for this soup is one of my favorite. When I first cooked it years back, my boyfriend looked at it skeptically and then devoured two large bowlfuls of it. It's delicious and incredibly easy to cook.
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs chicken breast, sliced (more, if you like a lot of protein)
- 1 lbs black beans (2 cans)
- 4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
- 1 cup corn (1/2 can)
- 16oz medium salsa
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- (optional) 1 cup mushrooms
- Garnish options: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips
Note: If you do not want to use canned beans, purchase a 1-pound bag of black beans, put them in a bowl, pour hot water until submerged with an inch of extra space and soak for 2 hours. Beans will expand. Rinse thoroughly and multiple times; you want the water to become clear as it rinses the beans. Once done, repeat the hot bath for 2 hours and rinsing. The more you soak the beans, the less flatulence you will experience after eating the food. The more you know!
You will need a 6.5qt Crockpot.
Starting with the black beans, add all ingredients to your Crockpot. Cook on HIGH for 9 hours (set it up before going to work, you'll have dinner when you get home). Serve in bowls and garnish to taste.
Enjoy!
A friend of mine was doing a cooking challenge and was looking for something that's easy to cook, that will reheat quickly, and that tastes great. When she showed me this dish I fell in love and cooked it as soon as possible. It's easy, delicious, and I can't stop eating it when I make it.
Ingredients:
- 1 lbs raw sausage of choice (I buy Sprouts' green chile chicken sausage)
- 1 bag of Cole slaw mix (at least 16oz or more)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbs grated ginger
- 1/2 cup soy sauce of choice
- green onion, chopped
You will need a large frying pan or a wok.
-
Brown the sausage in the pan while making sure it's nice and separated.
- Add garlic and ginger, and stir until it all crystallizes.
- Add the Cole slaw mix and saute until the cabbage has softened to your liking.
- Add soy sauce, toss it around to cover everything, and remove from heat.
- When serving, sprinkle a whole bunch of chopped green onion as garnish.
Enjoy!
Recently I had the pleasure of tasting some of the best fajitas I have ever had; they were delicious. What's really great is that fajitas are easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, sliced into pieces
- 1/8 cup oil (canola or an alternative)
- 1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- (optional) sliced onion and green pepper
You will need a gallon-sized ziplock bag and a large skillet/frying pan.
Combine everything in a baggie and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Once sufficiently marinated, fry up on a skillet until the outside of chicken strips is crispy and slightly blackened. Add onions half-way through cooking and add green peppers towards the end (so they only saute).
Serve on a tortilla and top with a choice of guacamole, cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.
Back when I first made my Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars, I didn't want to use a caramel sauce on that dessert. First, I am extremely picky about the caramel I eat, and two, it's super messy to work with. Out of the depths of my brain came a memory of a very simple chocolate sauce my grandma used to use all the time. After consulting the Internet for support, I had the recipe. It's incredibly easy and super delicious.
Ingredients:
- 4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
- 120g unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 3 tbs milk
- 90g powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
You will need a medium pot.
On medium heat, melt the butter in the pot. Add milk and sugar; mix. Add cocoa powder and mix until the sauce looks like a glaze. Remove from heat once done.
This can be used as ice cream topping, on cakes, pancakes, etc. Sky is the limit.
Enjoy!
