Romano Pork Chops

4 boneless pork, loin, chops 

½ cup grated Romano or Pecorino cheese 

½ cup dry breadcrumbs 

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning 

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 

¼ cup all purpose flour 

2 eggs 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Lemon wedges 

 1) Trim fat from chops. One at a time, place chops between waxed paper and pound with mallet to about ¼ inch thickness. On plate, mix together cheese, breadcrumbs, Cajun seasoning and lemon rind. Spread flour on another plate. In shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs. Coat each chop in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg then into crumb mixture to coat both sides. 

 2) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; fry chops, in 2 batches and turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Finnish Oven Pancakes (Kropsua)

4 Tbsp butter

 4 eggs 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground Cardamom 

1 tsp vanilla 

2 1/2 cups milk 

1 1/2 cups flour 

 1) Preheat oven to 425°F. 2) Place 4 Tbsp butter in a 9x13 Pyrex pan. Place in oven while it preheats. 3) Crack 4 eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk. add salt, cardamom, vanilla, milk, flour. Mix until smooth. 4) Take the pan out of the oven and pour the mixture over the butter. No need to stir. 5) Bake for 25 minutes.

Southern Pimento Cheese Spread

2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 8 oz cream cheese, softened ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon onion powder 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 1 (4 oz) jar diced pimento (I use roasted red peppers), drained 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste Place the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, minced jalapeno, and pimento into the large bowl of a mixer. Beat at a medium speed, with paddle if possible, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be used for grilled cheese sandwiches or as a spread for crackers.

Pasta e Ceci

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium carrot, diced 1 medium celery stalk, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced Chili flakes to taste 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 (14 oz or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes 1 (14 oz or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 cup dried ditalini pasta (or another type of small pasta) Salt and pepper, to taste 1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. 2. Give the oil a minute to heat up, and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sweat the veggies for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften up. 3. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant. 4. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, and rosemary. 5. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. 6. Stir in the pasta and bring the liquid back up to a boil. 7. Allow the pasta to cook in the soup at a low boil until al dente – this may take a minute or two longer than the time indicated on the pasta’s package directions. Stir the pot occasionally while it simmers. 8. Remove the pot from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. 9. Ladle into bowls and serve. Serves 4.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (do not drain) 

5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tablespoon minced ginger 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 

1 teaspoon ground paprika 

2 teaspoons garam masala, divided 

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs 

4 oz butter, cut into cubes (or ½ cup coconut oil) 

½ cup heavy (whipping) cream or full fat coconut milk 

¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1) In the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, tumeric, cayenne, paprika, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, cumin, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then place the chicken pieces on top of the sauce.

2) Lock the lid into place. Select Manual or Pressure Cook, and adjust the pressure to High. Cook for 10 minutes.

3) When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Unlock the lid. Carefully remove the chicken and set it aside.

4) Using an immersion blender in the pot, blend together all the ingredients into a smooth sauce. Let the sauce cool for several minutes.

5) Add the butter cubes, cream, remaining teaspoon of garam masala, and cilantro. Stir until well incorporated. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when you're done.

6) Remove half of the sauce and freeze it for later, or refrigerate for as long as three days.

7) Add the chicken back to the sauce. Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté and and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces, if you like, but don't shred it.

8) Serve over rice or zucchini noodles.

Serves 4. 

Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Enchilada Chicken

½ cup chicken broth 2 ½ pounds chicken breasts (frozen is also ok) 1 ½ tsp cumin 1 ½ tsp dried oregano 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce (use medium, or add some spices to make it spicy) Optional: 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water 1. If using fresh chicken add in ½ cup broth, if using frozen chicken use ¼ cup broth. Add in the broth into the pot. Sprinkle the chicken with and oregano. Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the chicken. 2. Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes for frozen chicken or 12 minutes for thawed chicken. When the time is up, let the pot sit for 5 minutes and the move the valve to venting. 3. Remove the lid. Place chicken on a cutting board and shred or cut into pieces. Stir it back into the sauce. If you want to thicken the sauce turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Stir the cornstarch and water together in a bowl until smooth and then stir the mixture into the pot. The sauce will thicken fairly quickly. 4. Serve chicken in tacos, nachos, quesadillas, burritos or over rice.