The calendar reads November, daylight savings time has ended, and there is an appropriate chill in the air, all facts confirming we have entered the pre-holiday season.
First up will be Thanksgiving which will arrive this year just a week from this Thursday!
And if that is not enough, this year Hanukkah arrives especially early, with the lighting of the first candle on the menorah taking place the evening before Thanksgiving.
Normally, by now I would have been happily immersed in holiday planning, but this year that planning was to occur in my new home, the cooking in my new kitchen, and the dining around our new dining table.
Now I’m not saying it won’t happen, I’m just saying…we are not there yet.
So we are anxiously awaiting our final walk through, or should I say run through, so we can get the keys, arrange the move in date, unpack the kitchen (kinda) and sit down to Thanksgiving Dinner with our children in our new home here in downtown San Luis Obispo!
Keep your fingers crossed. You will know almost as soon as I do !
In the meantime we are still enjoying life in our studio apartment, and I have managed to continue to prepare meals for us most of the time.
Here are a few of the dinners I have made lately.
While my current kitchen is well equipped with the basics it is compact and lends itself to simpler meals.
Many of them are dishes from my blog which I made in my east coast kitchen, with one big difference…there I could spread out, here, not so much.
So, as with life we make adjustments. And I have.
There are the Pan Fried Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples…
Season the chops generously with kosher salt, pepper, and some minced fresh rosemary. Bring the chops to room temperature before browning both sides in a pan on the stovetop in a small amount of olive oil and a bit of butter.
To the same pan I add thick slices of peeled apples (which have macerated a bit in a little sugar and lemon juice).
Continue to cook them in the pan with the chops on moderate heat, and they will soak up the yummy juices. Continue cooking til they begin to caramelize, but are not mushy, and they will be a stellar accompaniment to the pork chops.
With just 3 russet potatoes I made a quick rendition of mashed potatoes, substituting some of the pan juices from the pork and apples for gravy.
Then there was the Chicken Tenders Parmesan…
…using chicken tenders instead of boneless breasts the breading process was quicker and took up less room.
I made a quick tomato sauce with some good quality canned tomatoes. I simply mashed them with a fork and potato masher since there is no food processor or blender here.
I added the tomatoes to some sauteed onions, garlic, and oregano, added a splash of white wine, and cooked slowly til thickened.
For the breading:
1st…dredge lightly in flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2nd..dip in lightly beaten egg
3rd…dip in Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) to which you have added grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) cheese. Press gently so crumbs adhere.
Note: For more detailed directions on breading and frying see blog post on Chicken Milanese.
When ready to serve, spoon some tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan, as well as on top of each piece of chicken, and sprinkle with some shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some extra Pecorino on top. Return to oven and remove when cheese is melted and the chicken is heated through.
Serve with pasta and some extra sauce.
I also made the Chicken with Olives and Tomatoes…
This is a one pan dish if you have prepared the roasted tomatoes in advance. There will be enough roasted tomatoes left to use for some other meals… as a sauce for pizza, bruschetta, or pasta.
I’ve previously posted the recipe for it here.