Pork Chops with Squash & Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette

Here's a yummy little number that is simple enough to throw together for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough to serve if you have company.

I'm not normally a fan of pork but I really enjoyed this combination, although I think next time (and there will definitely be a next time!) I will get thin chops rather than the thick ones as they were a little meaty overload for me.

This was a win for healthy eating without losing any of the joy as the zesty vinaigrette brought a lively zing to the otherwise delicate flavors of the pork and the squash. 

I really wanted to get acorn squash for this as I have never cooked with it before and it looks fun, but my local store only had butternut squash in stock. It was still really delicious with the butternut squash, and you could use whatever kind of winter squash you can find.

Here's what you'll need to feed 3 people

• 3 tbsp shelled pumpkin seeds
• 1 butternut squash, halved and cut into wedges
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 3 1" thick bone in pork chops
• 1/2 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pumpkin seeds on a large baking sheet and toast for 2 to 4 minutes, until starting to darken. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
2. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp olive oil and season. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast, turning once, until tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Whisk the garlic, cilantro and lime juice with 3 tbsp olive oil and the reserved pumpkin seeds to make the dressing.
4. When squash has been roasting for around 30 minutes, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Season the pork chops and add to the skillet. Cook on one side for 5 to 8 minutes, then flip and cook for about 3 minutes more.
5. Serve the pork and squash drizzled with the dressing.
6. Eat and enjoy!!!!

I was a little concerned that with only the pork and squash on the plate the meal might be missing an element so I served some crusty bread on the table, but I was wrong as nobody even looked at the bread!

When making the vinaigrette you really need to taste and tweak to your own preference. The quantities I gave here were as listed in Bon Appetit but I played around and added some more garlic, lime juice and olive oil until I got it tasting the way I wanted it. 

Well, that's about all I have to say about this dish. Try it! Enjoy it!! 

Chile & Olive Oil Fried Egg with Avocado & Sprouts

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it can also be the most boring. Soggy cereal? Dry toast? They do nothing for me and always leave me starving an hour or two later.

My default breakfast is poached or scrambled eggs with a toasted muffin. Eggs seem to be the only thing that stops me snacking before lunch time so I am always looking for new and fun ways to prepare them.

I picked this recipe, quite honestly, because I had bought a pack of mixed sprouts on a whim last week and needed to use them up. I was very pleasantly surprised and now have a new breakfast in my rotation! 

Here's what you will need for breakfast for 2

• 1 cup mixed sprouts
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• Salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 wholegrain tortillas
• Hot sauce
• 1 oz crumbled feta
• Avocado slices

1. Toss the sprouts with the lime juice, season then set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over a medium high heat. When the oil is hot, crack both eggs into the skillet and season. Cook until the eggs are cooked to your preference. Add red pepper flakes to oil and remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in the oven or a toaster oven.
4. Pile the sprouts on to the tortilla, top with eggs and chile oil. Add the avocado slices, feta and your favorite hot sauce.

This was a tasty fresh way to start the day! The combination of egg and avocado packed a mighty protein punch which kept me going all morning, and frying the egg in olive oil made a nice change which kept it healthy while still feeling a little decadent.

For a heartier breakfast, or even lunch or light dinner, you could add crumbled chorizo or some beans. Maybe some fresh corn or salsa wouldn't go amiss either. There are loads of possibilities and I am looking forward to exploring all of them!!

One thing I won't be mixing up, though, is my choice of hot sauce! I'm not generally a fan of hot sauce - I find the flavor a little too sharp - but I am in love with this mellow smoked tomato one. Unfortunately, I bought it in a speciality hot sauce store in Austin so I am not sure how easy it will be to track down a replacement, but supplies are running low so I had better get on it!!

Parmesan Panko Chicken

One of my goals for this year is to try and avoid food waste. I feel like every week I throw out vegetables that I bought but didn't really have a plan for and leftovers that I didn't get around to either eating or freezing.

After doing a quick inventory in the kitchen yesterday I discovered that I had enough chicken in the freezer to start my own poultry store, and a ton of random vegetables in the fridge that were about to go off.

A quick rummage through my cabinets and a short internet trawl later I had come up with the perfect pantry dinner that required no additional shopping! Hurrah!!

Here's what I used

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Here's what I did

1. Preheat oven to 400 C. Grease a baking sheet with butter or oil
2. Mix butter and Dijon mustard together in a bowl
3. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a large bowl or a plate and season to taste
4. Dip chicken thighs in mustard mixture and coat well
5. Press thighs into Panko mixture and coat well. Transfer to baking sheet and spray top of thighs with oil 
6. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and coating is crispy

I served it with a medley of cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red onion, carrot and yellow bell pepper, which I simply tossed with some olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice and roasted in the same oven with the chicken for about 20 or 25 minutes.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I'm not a huge mustard fan and usually only make exceptions when used in marinades, but here it complemented the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs perfectly.

I would have been happier if the coating had been a little crispier on top, and I think I will make more of the Dijon butter next time as I ran a little short and the coating on the chicken was a bit patchy in places which meant that the Panko mixture didn't always stick very well. With this being such a quick and easy dish, though, I'm sure I will get many opportunities to perfect!

Bon appetit!

Spicy Red Lentil Dal with Lamb & Vegetables

With the new year often comes resolutions along the lines of "I must lose weight", "I must eat healthier" and "I must cook more". Although I am not doing resolutions per se, I must confess that all three appear on my list of goals for the year, and I thought that this recipe would be a great way to start!

I grew up eating my stepmother's dal and although this recipe is quite different, it still brought on the warm fuzzy feelings you get when you think back to your favorite family meals. Packed full of lentils and vegetables, this Indian stew is positively brimming with health and goodness, and while normally a vegetarian dish, the addition of the lamb gave the flavor more depth and made it something I could serve to my carnivorous boyfriend!

As always, I have a couple of tweaks for next time. While I thoroughly enjoyed this as is, next time (and there will definitely be a next time!!) I think I will increase the garlic and ginger and maybe reduce the garam masala a little. For my taste buds the spice ratio was a little harsh but it did not stop me eating it all up and enjoying the leftovers for the next few days! 

Also, in step 3, instead of adding all the ingredients at the same time I would like to try adding the onion mixture first and saute for a minute or two before I add the rest of the ingredients listed. Finally, I would probably chop the lamb and vegetables into smaller chunks so they are more evenly distributed through the stew.

Anyhoo, the recipe below is exactly as I made it last week and how I found it in Fine Cooking magazine

Here's what you will need:

• 1 1/2lb boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 tsp garam masala (you could also use curry powder)
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 1 Serrano chile, stemmed and chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mix the lamb with 2 tsp of the garam masala, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, ginger and chile until finely chopped. Take care not to over-process as the mixture will become watery.
3. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 5qt pot or large soup pot over a medium heat. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop and turn grey, about 1 minute, stir in the remaining garam masala, the onion mixture, lentils, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, turmeric, 6 cups of water and 1 1/2 tsp of salt.
4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil over medium high heat and brown the lamb in batches. Transfer the meat to the pot of dal. Deglaze the skillet with 1/2 a cup of water, let it reduce by half, then add to the dal. 
5. Bring to a boil then reduce to a medium low heat, cover and simmer until vegetables and meat are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in cilantro. 

I served the dal with brown rice, but it would also work with a naan or similar flat bread to mop up the sauce. It isn't overly spicy but if you are heat sensitive a dollop of plain yogurt would cool it down and make a nice creamy tangy variation to the flavor.

I can see myself making this a lot over the next few months as it is the ultimate in good-for-you comfort food, and I think will be something that will keep very well in the freezer for those nights where you can't quite face cooking but don't want to resort to calling a pizza!

I am pleased that my first new recipe of the new year was a success and hope that I have many more to follow for your reading and cooking pleasure!!