Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Pork Chop Casserole

I got this recipe from a German friend, so I'm translating (if things sound weird). My mom really loved this! It tastes great with baked potatoes--pop them in about 20 minutes before you put the casserole into the oven (don't forget to prick them and rub with butter).

Serves 4.

2 lb pork chops ca. 3/4" thick
ca. 2 cp heavy cream
2 packages onion soup mix (this will be intense--you may prefer to use only 1)
1 sm can mushrooms
200 g Emmentaler cheese (we used Havarti), grated or sliced thinly

Heat the oven to 425F.

Put the pork chops in a casserole dish (ca. 9 x 13). Mix the cream with the onion soup mix and pour this over the pork chops. Drain the can of mushrooms and scatter these over the chops and around them, making sure they get covered with the cream mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes more.

Chicken and Cashews

If you think this is a little bland, you can spice it up with some ginger. If you add all the cashews and then refrigerate it, the cashews will go soft and aren't as nice, so I'd suggest adding them to each serving before eating.

Serves at least 4.

1 T cornstarch
1/2 cp chicken broth
1/4 cp soy sauce
1 lb chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut in matchstick sized pieces (easier to do when slightly frozen)
4 T oil, divided into 2 T and 2 T (or less if you're cutting down on fat)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2 lb some green vegetable like broccoli or asparagus
2 lg carrots, cut in 1/4" slanting slices
2 sm onions, cut in half, then in 1/4" slices
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2/3 cp roasted cashews

Mix the cornstarch with a bit of the soy sauce, then add this and the rest of the soy sauce to the chicken broth. Stir and set aside.

Place wok or frying pan on high heat. When pan is hot, add 2 T oil. When oil is hot, add chicken and stir fry until it is opaque (ca. 3 minutes). Remove to a plate or bowl and set aside.

Add remaining 2 T oil to pan. When oil is hot, add celery, green veggie, carrot, onion and garlic. Stir fry for at least 1 minute on high. (I prefer my veggies more well-done.)

Turn heat down to med-low. Return chicken to pan. Stir liquid ingredients and add. Stir and cook till liquid thickens, ca. 1 minute. Stir in most of the cashews and garnish with the remaining ones.