Save On Pork Cutlet Again

For the  most part I prefer to season my own meat but so far Save On Foods meat department has managed to outdo me with their own pork breading. Since cutlets are on sale and I'm still tiling the bathroom, (No wonder it costs a fortune to put in a bathroom) I need fast and simple. This meal is even easier than prawns'n pasta.

The mashed potatoes are boiled in salted water then drained, mashed and hand whipped with butter, milk and a little salt. Don't over process potatoes as they turn to thick, unpalatable paste.

Right after peeling potatoes I peeled a carrot to go in the microwave with the frozen peas. They cook with a little water and teaspoon of olive oil. A little salt when they are done.

The secret to cooking breaded cutlets (or anything else for that matter) is to get the pan really hot before adding the meat.  If the pan isn't hot enough the meat sinks through the oil and sticks to the pan. A hot pan will cook the breading or meat before it sinks. Really hot but not smoking. Overheating olive oil turns it bitter. There must be heat blooms in the oil when you rock the pan, then add the meat. If the oil smokes, get another pan or wash that one and start again.

Vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

Slice up a tomato, whisk the vinaigrette and toss the salad and tomato till evenly coated. The cutlet is served with Fern's home made ketchup.

This is an under 30 minute meal, costs less than $3 per serving and tastes fantastic.

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken

Recently I have been trying new foods.  I never really noticed it before but I always choose from foods my mother knew how to cook. I rarely try anything else. In an effort to change that I've been trying new things, today it's spaghetti squash.  Fern doesn't really like squash but I do and I'm hoping he was unhappy with past preparations and not so much the taste of squash.

I microwaved the squash for one minute on high before slicing open and removing the seeds.  An article online suggested this so I did it but all it did was make the squash a tiny bit warmer. I don't know if it was easier to clean. I scraped the seeds and membranes out with a spoon then I put the squash face down in a shallow pan of water and put it in the oven at 350º for about 30-45 minutes.

Mashed potatoes shouldn't need explanation.  But just for fun here goes:  Peel them, rinse them, cut them into less than one inch pieces, cover them with cold water in a pot with half a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil then turn down to gentle boil. When a fork pierces them easily, drain them, mash them, add a pad of butter and a little salt.  With a fork stir in an ounce of milk, add more if it's too dry.

Frozen peas:  Put in a glass microwave dish with a little water, not swimming. Microwave on high for 3 or 4 minutes and check for doneness.  Or in a pot bring water and peas to a boil, boil softly for 2 minutes then check for doneness.  Peas, and vegetables in general develop best color just as they are fully cooked.  They quickly lose that color as they overcook. With a little experience I've learned to tell when they are cooked just by color. Other wise use a fork.  Take vegetables off the heat before they are completely done because they continue to cook as they cool and will go mushy quickly.

That leaves just the chicken.  In a plastic bag I put:

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp paprika

a few dried sage leaves that didn't add any flavor.  Use more or none.

2 tsp flour

In another bag I flattened the chicken breasts to double in size then shook them in the seasoning bag.  Into a pan with plenty of oil on just over medium heat. If the pan isn't hot the seasoning will stick to the bottom and burn.  Fry till golden in color and the meat is firm, about 4 minutes per side. Raw meat will stay depressed if you poke it.  Cooked meat will bounce back. That is how to tell when the chicken is done. 

I scraped the cooked squash out of the rind and added butter, salt and pepper.  Fern didn't like it, he just doesn't like squash. Everything else was good, especially the chicken. I liked the squash but I could live without it too.

Roast Beef with Ratatouille

It wasn't Angus beef but it was enough for two dinners for two for $6 so I figured we could live with it.  Since the roast wasn't going to be the star I needed the vegetables to carry more of the flavor load. I had everything but mushrooms so I picked up 6.

I used my beef rub on the meat, seared it and popped it in the oven.  Mashed potatoes. I don't remember if I ever described how to make them so here goes.  Peel them, rinse them, cut them into less than one inch pieces, cover them with cold water in a pot with half a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil then turn down to gentle boil. When a fork pierces them easily, drain them, mash them, add a pad of butter and a little salt.  With a fork stir in an ounce of milk, add more if it's too dry. I would have added chives on top but I was running late due to the ratatouille.

For the vegetables I wanted max flavor so I diced an onion and fried it golden then removed it from the pan.  Next I fried the mushrooms to give them a nice sear and put them aside. Then the crinkle cut zucchini got some color and was taken out.  Finally I put the carrots and celery in to sweat a little then I added some chicken stock and boiled it mostly off.  This dissolved the residue from all the searing and brought all that flavor back into the dish.  Put everything back in and add a diced tomato and keep tossing till it's hot. Add a little salt and pepper and serve. It takes a few minutes extra to sear the vegetables individually but it gets the best results so it's worth it if you have the time.