Community Cookbook: Dishes for springtime dining
Spring in the Inland Northwest is an invigorating time of year. The warming temperatures and increasing daylight hours are melting the winter doldrums away. The vast, rolling fields of Eastern Washington and North Idaho are turning green with emerging crops of wheat and other grains, potatoes, lentils and beans. Farmers are fully engaged in the new growing season.
Many plants and animals awaken from their winter slumber. Humans, too, seem more energetic and active, with substantial increases in outdoor activities during the spring months. It’s not surprising that Easter, the most significant Christian event representing rebirth and renewal, occurs in the springtime.
Not accounting for dessert, today’s recipes can provide an enjoyable spring eating experience before the grilling season kicks into full gear on Memorial Day weekend.
No Shake to Bake Pork Chops is a little more difficult to prepare than its store-bought counterparts, but the gains in flavor and presentation are worth it.
Baked potatoes seem like a perfect accompaniment to the pork chops. These potatoes have crispy skins and with a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth middle. The potential topping options for baked potatoes are mind-boggling.
A spring dinner should include a green vegetable. While broccoli may be considered more of a fall and winter vegetable, the availability of quality frozen vegetables makes it a good choice year-round. Micro-steaming and lemon pepper seasoning make preparation about as easy as it gets.
Tomato and Cheese Crostini offers a simple yet tasty bread to fill out the menu. Supersize crostini to make a proper dinner side dish or use them as an appetizer.
No Shake to Bake Pork
Baked pork chops and steaks make delicious dinner fare. The breaded coating used here is more substantial than the store-bought varieties, such as Shake and Bake. You can vary the seasonings to suit your own tastes. The optional dry-brining imparts saltiness throughout the pork. The recipe’s breading method works equally well with pork, fish fillets, and chicken.
½ cup mayonnaise
½-¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
Dash plus sprinkle of ground thyme
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1½ cup panko bread crumbs
Four 1-inch thick boneless pork chops or steaks (about 1¾ pound)
Nonstick cooking spray
Combine the first eight ingredients (through black pepper) in a bowl slightly larger than the pork pieces. Pour the bread crumbs into another bowl. Trim any excess fat off the chops or steaks. Pat dry with paper towels (to dry-brine the optional meat, combine ¾ teaspoon each of salt and granulated sugar. Rub the mix into all surfaces and refrigerate for 8-24 hours). Set the pork out at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Handling one piece at a time, liberally brush the seasoned mayonnaise on all surfaces. Coat all surfaces with bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs into the pork for better adherence. Repeat with the remaining pork, laying the pieces in a single layer on a cooling rack placed in a 17-by-11-inch shallow baking pan, with space between each. Let the pork rest at room temperature for another 20 minutes. Spray both sides of the pork lightly with cooking spray. Place the pan on a rack in the lower third of an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces over with a fork and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees in the center. Check the temperature on the smallest pieces first (remove the pieces as they reach 140 degrees). Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving (the internal temperature will continue to rise to a safe 145 degrees).
Notes: Oven temperatures can vary by as much as 50 degrees, so use an oven thermometer, if available. Use boneless pork for the best results. The cooking time will be shorter for thinner cuts of pork.
Yield: 4 main-dish servings
Baked Potatoes
with Fixins’
Baked potatoes are a popular and versatile food. These inexpensive, nutritious spuds can be found in the humblest of meals or as part of the most elaborate and sophisticated dinners. America’s Test Kitchen’s method for baking potatoes serves as a starting point for this recipe. The potatoes are light and fluffy on the inside, with nearly crispy skins on the outside. Serve them with just about any toppings desired.
½ cup water
1½ teaspoon salt
2 or 4 large baking potatoes
Vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, butter, or margarine
Shredded cheddar cheese or cheese sauce
Finely chopped green onion
Finely chopped cooked bacon
Select baking potatoes that are nearly the same size and have no serious defects in the peels. To make the brine, combine the water and 1½ teaspoons of salt in a medium bowl. Let sit until the salt dissolves. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes. Dry with paper towels or let air dry. Pierce each potato 3-4 times on 2 sides with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking. Briefly dip the potatoes in the brine, ensuring that all surfaces are wet. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan, leaving space between each. Bake on a rack of positioned in the lower third an oven preheated to 400 degrees, until their internal temperature reaches 205 degrees, about 1½-1¾ hours. Remove from the oven and coat the potatoes with vegetable oil. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and immediately slice them lengthwise nearly to the bottom, just short of the ends. Lightly squeeze the ends toward the center to open the potatoes up and allow the steam to escape (use a towel to do this, if preferred). Serve the hot potatoes with the selected toppings on the side.
Notes: Use an instant-read thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the potatoes. A temperature probe is even more convenient. The potatoes will have soft interiors when lightly squeezed. Reheat them quickly in a microwave oven, if needed.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Broccoli With
Lemon Pepper
This vegetable dish is quick and easy to make with frozen broccoli florets. The lemon pepper nicely eliminates the need for salt.
4 cups frozen broccoli florets or fresh broccoli, prepared as directed
¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lemon pepper, or to taste
Frozen florets don’t need trimming. If using fresh broccoli, cut the florets from the stalks and stems, and cut the larger florets, lengthwise, into 1½-inch pieces to produce flat sides. Cut off and discard the ends of the stalks. Peel the outer layer off the stalks up to the stems, if needed. Slice large-diameter stalks in half, lengthwise. Slice the stalks and stems into ¾-inch pieces. Place the broccoli and red pepper flakes in a 2-quart microwavable container. Cover with a lid, leaving one corner open to allow venting. Microwave on high power until tender but still slightly firm (about 4½ minutes in a 1,000-watt oven), stirring every 90 seconds. Remove the lid to allow steam to escape; stir in the lemon pepper.
Notes: Be careful when removing the lid due to possible steam. Cooking times will vary for ovens with different wattage.
Yield: Four side-dish servings
Tomato and Cheese Crostini
Tomato and cheese crostini make a great Italian-style appetizer or dinner bread. Crostini look elegant with layers of color and flavor, and are quick and easy to make. They’re guaranteed to impress. Top the crostini with thin slices of pimento-stuffed green olives while the cheese is still hot, for an even more impressive presentation.
8 baguette bread slices, sliced ½-inch thick at a 45-degree diagonal
Extra-virgin olive oil
8 ¼-inch -thick slices Roma tomatoes (about the diameter of the baguette slices)
Salt
Black pepper
Finely shredded fresh basil
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Place the bread slices in a single layer on a shallow baking pan with space between each. Place in an oven about 6 inches below the broiling element (no need to preheat). Broil just until the slices start to change color. Brush olive oil liberally over the top of each, followed by a tomato slice, salt, black pepper, basil and cheese, to taste. Return to the oven and broil just until the cheese melts.
Notes: Use any good melting cheese. Supersize the servings by using slices of regular French or Italian bread. Just increase the other ingredients accordingly. English muffin halves also work.
Yield: 8 servings
Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com