by Kathy Douglas | Feb 23, 2018 | Entrees
Lightly sautéed with a Panko breading, this recipe turns pork into a crispy piece of perfection. Thirty minutes is all it takes for moist, tender pork to become a melt in your mouth dinner favorite. Traditional Schweineschnitzel (Pork Schnitzel) is served with a garnish of sliced lemon and a sprig of parsley. We modernized it with a delicious Lemon Cream Sauce to serve on the side with a shower of fresh chopped parsley. The addition of easy butter-sautéed thinly sliced potatoes round out the dish.
Pork Schnitzel
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 thin boneless center cut pork chops (about 1¾ pounds) pounded to ¼ inch thick
Grapeseed or Canola Oil
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
Crack the eggs into a wide shallow dish and beat lightly with 2 tablespoons of water. Put the flour on a flat-rimmed plate and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. In another flat-rimmed dish add the panko and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
Dip the pork chops first in the flour, coat both sides well, and shake off any excess flour. Dip in the egg, letting the excess run back into the dish, then add the Panko pressing down to make sure all sides are well coated.
In a 12-inch sauté pan, heat ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering and vigorously bubbles when you dip in the corner of a pork chop. Sauté the chops in batches, flipping once. Add more oil if needed and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain steady bubbling. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side, and the internal temperature is 145˚F. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest and serve immediately with the Skillet Potatoes and Lemon Cream Sauce. Make 4 servings.
Sautéed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
2 Yukon gold potatoes, sliced very thin
Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat in a 12” sauté pan. Add the slices, in one layer, and cook until browned. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Remove to paper towels and drain, salt lightly and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley when still warm. Cook in as many layers as needed, using the additional butter if needed. Makes 4 servings.
Lemon Cream Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons minced shallots
⅓ cup dry white wine
⅓ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
⅓ cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan, then add shallots and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine almost evaporates completely. Add the chicken stock, fresh lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan to remove the shallots; discard the shallots. Add the cream and lemon zest, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened. Makes 4 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | Feb 21, 2018 | Entrees
Cornish Hens are an easy, great dish to prepare for company, a special evening, or any sophisticated dinner. Typically a December holiday entree; serve these elegant little hens any time of the year – especially in the spring. Since hens have an affinity for lemon and fruity flavors, combining Apricot Jam and Meyer Lemon gives this special menu an amazing combination. As a bonus, now is the perfect time to serve this meal when Meyer Lemons are in season. If you can’t find Meyer Lemons you can substitute with Lemon in all the recipes for this dish.
Cornish Game Hens with Apricot Glacé
INGREDIENTS
2 Cornish hens, approximately 1½ pounds each
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Apricot Glacé (recipe below)
INGREDIENTS
With a sharp knife or poultry shears, remove the backbones from the hens and slice through the breastbone, cutting the hens in half. Place in a glass dish skin side up. Whisk together the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne. Pour over the hens, turn them over skin side down, cover, and marinate refrigerated for 4 hours or overnight.
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Wash the buttermilk off the hens and dry thoroughly. Brush the skin of the hens with olive oil and set them, skin side up, on a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the skin with salt. Roast the hens until almost cooked through about 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should register 165 degrees.
Brush the hens with the Apricot Glacé and continue to roast until the Glacé has browned in spots and the thermometer registers 170 degrees in the thigh, about 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and brush again with Apricot Glacé, and serve immediately with extra Apricot Glacé, Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc, Rosemary Wild Rice, and Buttery Pine Nuts. Makes 4 servings.
Apricot Glacé
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Meyer Lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
⅔ cup Apricot Jam
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small bowl whisk until smooth the Meyer lemon juice and 2 teaspoons cornstarch; set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat melt the apricot jam, then whisk in the lemon/cornstarch mixture. When combined, add to a blender, or use an immersion blender, process until very smooth and return to a clean saucepan. Keep warm; cover and hold over very low heat. The sauce can be made the day prior and reheated gently over low heat.
Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup tablespoons white vinegar
3 teaspoons minced shallot, finely diced
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter, diced
1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
Kosher Salt
White pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat add the lemon juice, vinegar, and shallots and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced to one fourth or 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, reducing the cream slightly for about one minute.
Take the pan off the heat and swirl in several pieces of diced butter – about a fourth of the butter. When the butter is incorporated, whisk in a few more pieces, about another fourth of the butter. The sauce should begin to feel smooth and look creamy. Place the pan back over medium-low heat and whisk in the remaining butter until the sauce is smooth. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve in a clean saucepan.
Gently stir in the lemon zest and season to taste with more salt and white pepper. Keep warm in a double boiler over low heat. When the hens are ready, drizzle on the plates with the Cornish hens.
Rosemary Wild Rice
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1 cup wild rice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried and crushed
1¾ cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest
½ cup chopped parsley
Fresh ground pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook while stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and rosemary; cook, stirring until the rice smells toasty, about 1 minute. Add the stock and follow the time directions on the package to cook the wild rice. When cooked, stir in the lemon zest and parsley. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve on the plates with the Cornish Hens. Make 4 servings.
Buttery Toasted Pine Nuts
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan. Add the pine nuts, toss often, and cook until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Place in a bowl and add the salt and toss. Arrange on the plates with the Cornish Hens.
by Kathy Douglas | Feb 12, 2018 | News & Events
Saturday, March 3rd at 12 NOON
Look for Fresh Chef Experience at the 2018 Kentucky Home, Garden & Remodel Show
Fresh Chef Experience will be making an appearance and performing a cooking demonstration at the Kentucky Home, Garden and Remodeling Show (https://www.louisvillehomeshow.com/) on Saturday, March 3rd at 12:00 NOON at the Kentucky Exposition Center. We will be on the Cooking Stage, so stop by to learn our recipes and to taste our delicious samples of:
Asian Chicken Thighs With Ginger Cilantro Sauce
Lemongrass glazed Potatoes
Grill Baby Bok Choy
by Kathy Douglas | Feb 12, 2018 | Desserts
Show your love this Valentine’s Day with tasty mini cream puffs served with a creamy cinnamon sauce. Using pâte à choux dough to make these little treats, they are baked and filled with cinnamon whipped cream for a delightful Valentine treat. Our tasty dipping cinnamon sauce uses “Red Hots” candy tamed with cream to a beautiful rich smooth cinnamon flavor.
If you’re not a fan of “Red Hots” don’t let that deter you from trying this sauce – it has converted many who are not a fan of the candy. The cream softens the flavor to make a sweet, smooth, creamy cinnamon sauce.
Cream Puff Pastry (pâte à choux)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 thin slices
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, plus egg whites if needed
1 egg for egg wash
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, salt, butter, and sugar. Bring to a boil and quickly stir in all at once the flour with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring for about 3 minutes or until the cohesive mixture starts to pull away from the pan and leaves a film of flour on the sides of the pan.
Remove from heat and transfer contents to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for one minute or until slightly cooled. Add four of the eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously to incorporate the egg after each addition entirely. Check the consistency of the batter by dragging a wooden spoon through it. When the groove slowly closes on itself, you have added enough eggs. If not, add egg whites, one at a time, until the dough passes the groove test.
For the egg wash, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each parchment lined sheet tray. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding the tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with the egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove baked puffs from the oven and using a very sharp knife, cut a slit into the side of each one allowing steam to escape and help prevent soggy puffs. Return them to the oven for 5 minutes longer, then remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store the baked Puffs at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Cinnamon “Red Hots” Sauce
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup Cinnamon Red Hots candy
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cornstarch
⅔ cup water
¼ cup heavy cream
5 drops red food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, Red Hots candy, cinnamon, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, frequently stirring to melt the candy. When dissolved, boil for 5 minutes, stirring the entire time. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. (This removes any impurities or wax in the candy.) Add back into a clean saucepan over medium heat and return to a boil; whisk in the cream and food coloring. Reduce the heat to medium-low, so the sauce is at just a simmer and cook, occasionally stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and store in the refrigerator. The sauce can be made the day before use.
Cinnamon Cream Filling
INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour heavy cream into chilled bowl. Beat on high speed using a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Slowly add the sugar and cinnamon. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
To Assemble:
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Transfer the whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Insert the tip into the slit in each puff, and pipe to fill with the cinnamon pastry cream. Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the cream puffs. Serve immediately with the Cinnamon Sauce on the plate or serve on the side. Makes 25-30 mini-puffs.
by Kathy Douglas | Feb 6, 2018 | Desserts
All dressed up in pink and chocolate. Why give your special Valentine just one when they can have two? These easy mix-and-match iced sugar cookies are perfect for a gift, or just celebrating Valentine’s Day. Using Dorie Greenspan’s very easy Do-Almost-Anything Vanilla Cookie Dough and her Do-Almost-Anything Chocolate Cookie Dough, these recipes produce a total of 20-24 mix-and-match cookies. Or, choose just one method and double the ingredients for 20-24 cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Pink Icing
Chocolate Dough
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa unsweetened powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into slices, at room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and more for sprinkling on the cookies
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg white, room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk the flour and cocoa together. Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handheld mixer, beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Combine the egg whites and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and add the mixture. The dough may curdle, but it will smooth out once the flour is added.
On low speed, add the flour in 3 or 4 additions, only beat until it is almost incorporated before the next portion goes in. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Evenly divide the dough and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Working with one disk at a time, roll out to a thickness of ¼ inch. Using cookie cutters, cut into an even number of rounds and heart shapes, rerolling scraps as needed. Stack the shapes between parchment paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookie dough shapes on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the hearts only with sugar. Bake for 19 to 21 minutes until the cookies’ edges start to become golden. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Pink Royal Icing
INGREDIENTS
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
5 drops red food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the sugar and meringue powder to a bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a handheld mixer with a whisk attachment, and mix lightly together. Mix three tablespoons of the water with the vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Mixing on low, slowly add the remaining water little by little until the mixture reaches the consistency of molasses. At this point, turn the mixer to high and whip for approximately three until the icing is light and fluffy with soft peaks like meringue. Add the food coloring and whip to distribute the color evenly.
Assembly: Spread the icing on the rounds and top with a heart cookie. Make 10-12 cookies.
Pink Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Icing
Pink Dough
INGREDIENTS
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into slices, at room temperature
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and more for sprinkling on the cookies
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg white, room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
5 drops red food coloring
2 cups all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a handheld mixer, beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Combine the egg whites, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Reduce the speed to low and add the mixture. The dough may curdle, but it will smooth out once the flour is added.
On low speed, add the flour in 3 or 4 additions, beating only until it is almost incorporated before the next portion goes in. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Evenly divide the dough and shape into two disks. Wrap in plastic cling wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Working with one disk at a time, roll out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Using cookie cutters, cut into an even number of rounds and heart shapes, rerolling scraps as needed. Stack the shapes between parchment paper on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookie dough shapes on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the hearts only with sugar. Bake for 19 to 21 minutes until the cookies’ edges start to become golden. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Chocolate Royal icing
INGREDIENTS
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup meringue powder
1½ teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup, plus 3 tablespoons warm water
INSTRUCTIONS
Add the sugar, cocoa powered and meringue powder to a bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a handheld mixer with a whisk attachment, and mix lightly together. Mix four tablespoons of the water with the vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Mixing on low, slowly add the remaining water little by little until the mixture reaches the consistency of molasses. At this point, turn the mixer to high and whip for approximately two-four minutes until the icing is light and fluffy with soft peaks like meringue.
Assembly: Spread the icing on the rounds and top with a heart cookie. Make 10-12 cookies.
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