Pork Paprika Skillet Dinner

This is sort of funny how this dinner came about. They say necessity is the mother of all invention. Well I really did not want to make dinner tonight, but, it is necessary. So I went out the the freezer, actually hoping for some bacon to eat with pancakes since that seemed really easy. And I found a tiny package of thinly sliced pork I had bought to make a Korean dish with, then forgot about, and bought more pork for that Korean dish. It was delicious though. So that brings me to this. And not wanting to cook dinner. My dad used to make a dish that we loved that was rice, some seasonings, and chicken all baked in the oven until the rice and the chicken were cooked. So I decided to try something like that here. I seared the pork, added the rice and seasonings and baked until done. While that was cooking I cooked some frozen green beans and opened a bottle of sweet and sour red cabbage. And we have a nice Sunday dinner with such minimal work. 

6 fairly thin pork chops

Season salt

2 tsp. Paprika

2 - 3 Tbsp. oil

1 onion

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 pork bouillon cube (enough for 2 cups)

3 c. water

1 1/4 c. rice

Pre-heat the oven to 450.

Heat the oil until sizzling. Season the chops on one side lightly with the season salt and put in the pan, seasoned side down. Lightly season the other side and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Once the pork is lightly browned in spots flip over and add the onion. 

Once the second side is lightly browned add the water, bouillon cube, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, when the bouillon cube is dissolved add the rice stirring to combine. Bring to a boil again, cover, and place in the oven. Stir after 10 minutes, replace the lid and bake until the rice is cooked. About 10 more minutes.  

Remove from the oven and let stand still covered for 10 minutes.

Bacon Spatzle

I saw someone mention not too long ago that they had bacon spatzle. Enough said, it had to be done. 

I would normally add sauteed onion as well but I can't stand them right now. Whole chopped or green would both be great.

I served this with a side of steamed kale drizzled with Italian salad dressing. Don't salt or season the chicken and go really light on the salt in the water when cooking the spatzle. Between the bacon and the kielbasa there is more than enough.
Look for this at Presto Pasta Nights over at Briciole this week. 

1/2 lb bacon

1 kielbasa, sliced thin

1 chicken breast, cut into tiny cubes

4 c. hot cooked spatzle

1/4 - 1/2 c. half-an-half

Saute the bacon until crisp, remove and crumble. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of the drippings.

Add the Kielbasa to the pan and cook until browned around the edges

Push the kielbasa to the side and add the chicken, sauteing until cooked through.

Turn the heat to medium low, and add the hot spatzle and stir. Continue stirring until the juices from the pan are mixed in and the spatzle starts to take on their color.

Add the half-an-half to taste and stir in.

Top with the cooked, crumbled bacon and serve.

Peach Kuchen

This has a crumbly shortbread crust, a warm peach filling, and is topped with a baked custard. Well worth the annoyance of working with cold butter.

After I made this I was thinking it would be great with a tropical twist. I would add some lime zest to the crust, replace the mangoes with peaches, and use come coconut milk in place of some of the sour cream, maybe even a little coconut extract in there too.

Crust
3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 sticks of butter

Combine all the dry ingredients and cut in the cold butter until the dough becomes crumbly. I actually freeze my butter and grate it in. I then stir it a little to coat the butter with the flour mix and the then squish it a bit with my hands.

Top that layer with either
1 dozen ripe peaches, skins removed and sliced thin
OR 2 (29 oz) cans of sliced peaches
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes

For the custard combine
3 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour on top of the peach layer, sprinkle with another
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp Cinnamon

And bake at 400 for another 30 minutes or until the top looks puffed and set.

Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting and enjoy warm or cold.

German Fried Potatoes

My mom always made this with leftover cooked potatoes and leftover ham. She fried them up with butter and onions and some Nature seasons for good measure.

Leftover cooked potatoes, sliced OR really thinly sliced potatoes
Butter
Chopped onion
Leftover ham chopped, or a can crumbled

Saute the onions in the butter until translucent. Add the ham and potatoes and saute until heated through and browning, if using raw cook over a lower heat for a longer time to cook the potatoes and then turn the heat up to brown the potatoes.

Season with salt and pepper or Nature Seasons, and I like to top mine with a little cheese, while it's still hot to melt it.

German Lentil Soup

I know this looks like a long list of ingredients but you probably already have most of them in your pantry and you just throw the lentils, broth, and seasonings in the pot. While that is cooking I chop the remaining vegetables and throw them in when the lentils are tender. It's that simple, but the results are a very hearty, very thick, very flavorful soup that makes great "pockets" the next day. I'll explain that last part in a minute.

I like to eat with a dollop of sour cream



2 c. dried brown lentils
7 c. vegetable stock
(you can use chicken too, I prefer vegetable though, it doesn't interfere with the flavors of the spices as much. If you use bouillon skip the salt, you wont need it)
1 bay leaf 1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 drops hot pepper sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp. caraway seed (I like lots)
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. chopped celery
3 c. potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 can ham, crumbled, or 1 c. leftover ham or chicken chopped fine (optional)

Combine the lentils, chicken stock and the next 11 ingredients. Simmer 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Do not let the soup boil dry, if it starts to add more liquid, either water or more stock. If you just simmer the pot you should be just fine. The only time it went dry on me was when it was at a full boil. When the lentils are soft enough to eat add the carrots, celery, and potatoes and continue to cook until tender. When the vegetables are done stir in crumbled ham. This goes great served with a dark crusty bread.

Or you can throw all the ingredients at once in the crock pot and cook on high for 4 - 6 hours

And now for the pocket part. The next day I like to strain the liquid and use as a filling in stuffed bread. I throw a batch of dough in the bread maker and when its done pull off 2 inch balls of dough. I roll them flat and top with a heaping tablespoon of the lentil mixture. Then wet the sides on half of the dough and pull the other side over the top to create a half circle. Press the sides with a fork to seal and place on a lightly floured bake sheet. I bake them at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the are golden brown and it looks like the bread is done.