A Taste of Germany

At the beginning of the year, I always like to share a healthier alternative for a traditional food.  Over the last few years, I've shared recipes for salmon patties; broccoli; pork chops; Mozzarella cheese sticks.  I want to share a recipe this January too, but we're going to have to take a little detour.

During the 2014-15 school year, my family hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany named Simon.  We enjoyed getting to know this fine young man and learning about his country's customs and culture.  In exchange, he was able to experience life in an American family, attend an American high school and try American food.  He was a good sport about trying and eating new foods, but after a few months he started missing the food from home.  When he arrived, he'd given me a German cookbook as a present.  At the time, I had him mark the recipes he liked with sticky notes and told him at some point during his stay I'd fix a German meal. When that day arrived, the first thing he wanted me to fix was schnitzel.

Schnitzel -- a thin slice of meat dipped in eggs, coated with bread crumbs and fried -- is the German equivalent of American chicken fried steak or country fried steak.  Although I'd never eaten German food before, I had heard of wiener schnitzel which is made with veal, a meat we don't eat. Simon told me schnitzel could be made with other meats, including pork which is what his family used.

Not long after that, Simon helped me interpret the recipe in the cookbook, putting it together with the way he remembered his grandmother fixing schnitzel.  We coated boneless pork chops in flour, dipped them in eggs and then coated them in plain bread crumbs.  Staying true to the recipe, we fried -- not my preferred cooking method -- the pork chops in canola oil. Unfortunately, they didn't taste like the schnitzel he ate in Germany, but like pork chops cooked in an American home.

A few weeks later, I decided to surprise Simon with schnitzel, but I changed a couple of things.  Instead of using pork chops, I sliced a pork tenderloin into pieces and pounded them flat.

I coated the pieces with flour, dipped them in eggs and coated them with bread crumbs, just like I did the first time.  Instead of frying them, though, I baked them in the oven.  Simon said the schnitzel was much better than my first attempt, but it needed more seasoning.  He looked through my spice rack, smelling some of the spices, until he found what he was looking for: garlic powder and Italian seasoning.  When he showed me those spices, I knew exactly how I was going to make the schnitzel.

One cold winter night, Simon burst through the kitchen door, stopped and exclaimed, "It smells good in here!"  What he smelled was my American version of schnitzel.  Since he liked the schnitzel made with pork tenderloin, I used it again, but decided to coat it with the same ingredients I use when I make Chicken Parmesan.  I omitted the flour completely and dipped the pork in eggs and then a mixture of Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder before baking it in the oven.  Simon loved it and ate with gusto that night!

I don't know if my version could really be called schnitzel since some of the ingredients and the baking method are different.  Regardless of what you'd call it, two things are certain.  One, it's delicious.  Two, it's a healthy entree since it's baked not fried.

I look forward to trying German cuisine -- including schnitzel -- when we go to Germany later this year.  The thing I look forward to the most, though, is seeing Simon again.  I can't wait to see how much he's grown and give him something he hasn't had since he left last June:  a hug from his American mother!

Update:  After this was posted, Simon texted me and said he didn't mind me using his name in the article.  I've revised the copy, replacing "our student" with "Simon."  I also included his name in the recipe title.  The rest of the entry remains unchanged.

Simon's Schnitzel

6 to 8 Servings

1 (1 1/4 lb.) pork tenderloin, cut into eight pieces and pounded 1/4-inch thick

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Beat the eggs in a bowl; set aside.  In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.  Dip each piece of meat in the eggs and then coat both sides thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture.  Place meat on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.  Turn meat over; bake 12 minutes more, or until thoroughly cooked. 

© Margaret's Morsels

Ways to Use Leftover Ham

Not sure what to do with leftover Easter ham?  Here's two recipes that will make you forget you're eating leftovers!

Broccoli Ham Ring

This entree may look complicated, but it's actually very easy to assemble. Refrigerated crescent rolls are wrapped around a filling made with ham and four other ingredients.  Step by step directions can be found here. 

Ham and Potato Casserole

Any form of cooked ham -- including canned, deli or packaged luncheon ham -- can be used in this layered casserole.  You can make a little or a lot, but be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.  The recipe can be found here.  

© Margaret's Morsels

Sauteed not Fried

Last week, I posted a recipe for Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks.  I thought I'd stick with the healthier cooking theme and share a recipe that, instead of being baked, is sauteed.

The first time I fixed Sauteed Pork Chops for my mother, she was concerned the pork chops hadn't cooked long enough to be completely done.  After tasting them, she agreed that, not only were they done, they were delicious!

Saute means to cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over moderately high heat.  It's similar to pan frying, but uses less fat and cooks the food quicker.  The high heat serves two purposes.  One, it quickly browns the outside of the food.  Two, it allows the food to cook faster which prevents the inside from drying out.

There's four things to remember when you saute pork chops:

• Let the pork chops sit at room temperature 30 minutes before they're cooked.  Food that's at room temperature cooks more evenly than cold food.

• Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels.  Food that's wet steams rather than sautes.

• Don't overcrowd the pan.  Overcrowding prevents food from browning.  I cook four pork chops at a time in a 12-inch skillet. If you're using a smaller pan or cooking more pork chops, use a second pan or cook the pork chops in batches, reheating the pan and adding more oil as needed.

• Don't turn the pork chops over with a fork.  Piercing meat with a fork lets the juices escape.  Use tongs instead.

When it comes to the oil you use, it's imperative to choose one that has a high smoke point -- the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke and gives food an unpleasant flavor -- because you don't want the oil to smoke. Different oils have different smoke points.  I use canola, but other oils with high smoke points include grapeseed, peanut, safflower and soybean.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to heating the pan.  Some recipes call for the pan to be heated before the oil is added.  Other recipes, like the one I'm sharing today, call for the pan and oil to be heated at the same time.  I use whichever method is called for in the recipe.

Put the oil in the skillet and heat it over a strong medium-high heat.  I rely on my senses, specifically hearing, seeing and feeling, to know when the oil is hot enough to add the pork chops.

Listen to the sounds coming from the pan.  If you hear splattering and popping, the oil is too hot.  Look at the oil periodically while it heats.  You do not want to see smoke.  You want to see the oil go from this:

to this:

The oil will start to shimmer which indicates it's just below the smoke point. As the oil heats, periodically place your hand a few inches over the hot oil. When you can't leave your hand over the oil for very long, the oil is ready.

When you cook pork chops or any piece of meat, cook the nicest looking side -- known in the culinary world as the presentation side -- first.  In other words, when you put the meat in the skillet, put the presentation side down.  The coloring is more attractive on the presentation side which makes the food look nicer when it is plated.

The rest of the recipe is pretty straightforward.  When the oil is hot, put the pork chops -- presentation side down -- in the pan and cook one minute. Turn the pork chops over and cook the other side one minute.  Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook the pork chops four minutes.  Turn the pork chops over; cover and cook five minutes.

If you've never sauteed pork chops before, you may be wondering how to tell if they're done.  A quick way to test is to press on the pork chop with your finger.  When fully cooked, the pork chop will feel solid.  If you're still not sure, cut into one of the pork chops and check the color of the meat. When cooked, the meat will be white.  It's ok if there's a tinge of pink, but you want to see more white than pink.

I serve the pork chops with either white rice or Mushroom Rice Casserole and Baked Apples.  Because the pork chops cook in less than 15 minutes, they're easy to fix for breakfast with scrambled eggs and biscuits.  I've even been known to serve them this way for supper!

Sauteed Pork Chops

4 Servings

4 (1-inch) thick center loin pork chops, patted dry

salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chops.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, swirling the skillet occasionally.  Put pork chops in the skillet and saute until browned, 1 minute.  Turn pork chops over and saute the other side until browned, 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook the pork chops 4 minutes. Turn pork chops over.  Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

© Margaret's Morsels

One Dish Dinner

There's an episode of the classic TV show "The Brady Bunch," where Peter Brady does his best James Cagney imitation and announces the family is having "Pork chops and applesauce" for supper.  I couldn't tell you what the rest of the episode was about, but I remember thinking at the time, and still do, that pork chops and apples are delicious together.  When I want this wonderful combination, I rely on a recipe that blends everything in one dish.

Easy Pork Chops and Apples is quick to assemble for two reasons.  One, there's no need to peel and cut apples.  The recipe uses canned apple pie filling instead.  The apple pie filling is spread on the bottom of a greased baking dish.  Cinnamon can be sprinkled on top if you want more flavor.

Two, you don't have to precook the pork chops.  Season the boneless pork chops with salt and pepper and arrange them over the pie filling.  When I can find them, I like to use thin cut boneless pork chops.  When cooked, they're so tender you can cut them with a fork.

I changed the recipe at this point.  I can't remember the original directions, but when the stuffing was cooked it was too crumbly.  To solve the problem, I combine the stuffing mix -- cornbread or herb flavor -- with water and unmelted butter.  When combined, the stuffing holds together better and is less likely to crumble when eaten.

The recipe makes eight servings, but can easily be halved and baked in a 9-inch pan. 

Although it's a meal by itself, I always like to add a vegetable such as green beans.

If pork chops and apples aren't your thing, check back soon for a baked apple recipe that cooks in less than 30 minutes.

Easy Pork Chops and Apples

8 Servings

2 (20 oz.) cans apple pie filling
cinnamon to taste (if desired)

6 to 8 boneless pork chops (preferably thin cut )

salt and pepper to taste

6 cups stuffing mix (cornbread or herb flavor)

2 Tbsp. unmelted butter

2/3 cup hot water

Spread pie filling in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.  Season pork chops with salt and pepper.  Arrange pork chops over the pie filling.  Combine stuffing mix, butter and water.  Spread stuffing mixture over pork chops.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour.  Recipe can be halved and baked in a 9-inch baking dish.

© Margaret's Morsels

Company's Coming: Dinner Edition

When we have company -- either overnight or dinner guests -- I like to serve Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy.  It isn't difficult to prepare, is always well received and is one of my family's favorite recipes.

Normally when I cook something for the first time, I take out the offending ingredients -- the things my family won't eat -- and, in the case of most entree recipes, add a can of mushrooms.  The recipe for Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy has the distinction of being one of only a few in my recipe box that I didn't have to change to suit my family's taste.

The pork chops take an hour to cook, but the time it takes to put dinner on the table can be shortened by doing prep work ahead of time.

Chop the onion and green pepper and store them with the mushrooms in a covered container or resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Combine the dry ingredients -- flour, salt and pepper -- in a resealable plastic bag and set aside.  The pork chops will be coated with this mixture, but it will also be used to thicken the gravy.  For this reason, I use Wondra instead of all-purpose flour.  Wondra, also known as gravy flour, is a finely ground all-purpose flour that dissolves instantly and is unlikely to form lumps.  If you don't have Wondra, use all-purpose, but not self-rising flour.

When you're ready to cook, coat the pork chops with the dry ingredients. The easiest way to do this is to put the pork chops in the plastic bag two at a time.  Seal the bag and shake it until both sides of the pork chops are thoroughly coated with the mixture.  Set the coated pork chops aside and continue the process until all the pork chops are coated.  Don't discard the remaining flour mixture.

Melt the margarine over high heat in a large 12-inch skillet.  Put four pork chops in the skillet; don't put more than four in at once because overcrowding will keep the meat from browning properly.  Cook the pork chops for one minute; turn the pork chops over and cook the other side for one minute.  The pork chops will be light brown and there won't be any pink on the top.  Transfer the pork chops to a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.  Repeat the process with the remaining pork chops.

Notice the color of the pork chops 

after being cooked for one minute.

The rest of the recipe is pretty straight forward.  Saute the onion, green pepper and mushrooms in the same skillet until the onion and green pepper are soft.  Sprinkle the reserved flour mixture over the vegetables, stirring to combine.  Slowly stir in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for two minutes or until the gravy is thickened, stirring constantly.

The thickened gravy.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in lemon juice.  Lemon juice may sound out of place in this recipe, but it serves an important purpose. Lemon juice enhances the flavor of food without adding many calories. Pour the gravy over the pork chops, spreading to cover all the pork chops. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350° oven for one hour.

Ready to be covered with foil and baked.

The pork chops cook in the gravy which keeps them moist and tender. The gravy is delicious over the pork chops, but it's even better served with a starch, such as rice or mashed potatoes.  Add a green vegetable and you've got a delicious dinner.

I've always had good luck with this recipe which is one reason I like serving it to company.  When our company leaves, I know they leave content, well fed and, more often than not, with a copy of the recipe.

Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

6 to 8 Servings

1/2 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

6 to 8 boneless pork chops (1-inch thick)

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I use frozen)

1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

2 cups milk

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag.  Add pork chops, two at a time, tossing to coat.  Set remaining flour mixture aside.

Melt margarine in a large 12-inch skillet.  Cook pork chops in margarine one minute; turn pork chops over and cook the other side one minute. When done, transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

In the same skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and mushrooms until the onion and green pepper are soft.  Stir in the reserved flour mixture. Gradually add milk, stirring to combine.  Bring the mixture to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.  Pour gravy over pork chops.  Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.

© Margaret's Morsels

New Life for Leftover Ham

The presents have been opened, the out of town company has gone home, the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over.  If you're like me, two things remain:  bills and leftovers!  I can't help with the bills, but I can share a recipe for leftover ham.


I always cook a ham for Christmas and freeze the leftovers.  Before I freeze the ham, I use some of it to make a quick and easy Broccoli Ham Ring.


The recipe consists of a filling made with ham and four other ingredients. One of the ingredients -- frozen chopped broccoli -- needs to be thawed so I combine the filling ingredients early in the day.  By the time I'm ready to cook supper, the broccoli is thawed.  The only thing left to do is arrange the filling atop refrigerated crescent rolls.


As the name implies, the finished dish is in a ring shape, but it's actually quite easy to make.  I prepare the ring on a large baking stone, but you could use a pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Just make sure whatever pan you use is big enough to accommodate the crescent rolls when they're spread out in a sunburst pattern.  If you don't have a pan big enough, you could make two rings using half of the ingredients for each ring.


A picture's worth a thousand words so I'll let these pictures be your guide in how to assemble the ring.

Put the dough in a circle with the points to the outside.

Put the filling on the wide ends of the dough.

Pull the points of the dough over the filling and tuck

them under the wide ends of the dough.

Some of the filling will show, but that only adds to the beauty of the dish.

I usually serve a salad -- green or congealed -- with the Broccoli Ham Ring.  Since I've got leftover Green Bean Bundles and Cranberry Orange Relish, I'll be serving those with the ham ring this time.  Those two sides were great Christmas day with the ham so they'll be good with the ham ring too.  After all, I don't want Christmas leftovers to go to waste!

Broccoli Ham Ring

8 Servings

1 cup chopped ham

1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 (8 oz.) pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.

To assemble the ring, unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a 15-inch round baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside (there should be a 5-inch diameter opening in center of stone).  Scoop ham mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.  Bring points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. Filling will not be completely covered.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Cut into 8 servings.

© Margaret's Morsels

Eating High on the Hog

I only cook red meat once a week, something I've been doing for over 20 years.  The rest of the week we eat chicken, pasta, fish, vegetables or, the other white meat, pork.  Although I have a lot of recipes, I have very few for pork other than pork chops.  When I found the recipe for Marinated Pork Tenderloin in a school cookbook, I knew it would be a family favorite.


Pork tenderloin, as the name implies, is from the loin which is the most tender cut of pork.  There is very little fat, no bones and no waste.  Pork tenderloin usually comes two to a package so it's very economical.


Marinate means to soak food in a marinade made from oil, an acid -- such as vinegar or lemon juice -- and flavorings.  Marinating meat serves two purposes.  One, it tenderizes tough cuts of meat.  Two, the meat absorbs the flavor of the marinade.  Since pork tenderloin is already tender, the marinade infuses the meat with a wonderful flavor.

The marinade ingredients.

When you marinate food, there are certain dos and don'ts:

• Do use a glass or ceramic container or a resealable plastic bag. If I'm cooking the marinade with the food, I use a Pyrex baking dish.  That way, the dish can go from the refrigerator to the oven.  If the marinade is drained before cooking, I use a plastic bag.  If you use a plastic bag, it's a good idea to put the bag in a pan or plate to catch any drips.

This is how I marinate the tenderloins.

• Don't marinate food in aluminum.  The acid in the marinade can ruin the container and give the food an odd taste.

• Do turn the food periodically if the marinade doesn't cover the food completely.  That way all the food gets coated with the marinade.

Refrigerated overnight and turned several times.

• Do refrigerate meat while it marinates.  If you marinate meat at room temperature, bacteria starts to grow.

Before marinating the pork tenderloin, it is wrapped in bacon.  I use four pieces of bacon on each tenderloin so I get eight servings from one package.  If you have more people or want smaller servings, you can use five pieces of bacon instead.  The bacon adds extra flavor to the dish plus it serves as a handy guide when it comes time to cut the tenderloin.

Before cooking the tenderloin or any meat that's been refrigerated, you need to let the meat sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before it goes in the oven.  If you put a piece of cold meat in a hot oven, you run the risk of the outside of the meat drying out before the inside is cooked.  The meat cooks more evenly when it's not ice cold.

I serve the tenderloins with Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole and green beans.

When I have leftover tenderloins, I reheat them and serve them on a bed of baby spring mix salad.  I like bottled roasted red pepper vinaigrette dressing on the salad, but you could use another flavor or skip the dressing entirely.

I always reheat meat in the oven.  Even though a microwave is faster, I think meat dries out when reheated in the microwave regardless of the power level used.  I put the tenderloins in a baking pan with any leftover marinade, cover the pan with foil and heat at 350° for 30 minutes.  The leftovers come out of the oven as tasty and juicy as the day they were prepared.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin is a recipe you'll reach for whether you want an elegant entree or an everyday dinner.  It's delicious, easy to prepare and makes a beautiful presentation.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

8 to 10 Servings

8 to 10 slices uncooked bacon

2 large pork tenderloins

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. onion salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Wrap bacon around tenderloins and secure with toothpicks; place in a baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over tenderloins. Place in refrigerator and let stand overnight, turning often.

Bake at 300° for 45 minutes; turn oven to 350° and bake an additional 45 minutes.

© Margaret's Morsels