This is a variation on the Jaegerschnitzel I’ve loved since my grandmother made it for me when I was as little as Boo.  I went with thicker cuts of meat, took away the breading on the pork, and made something of a Southern style peppery cream gravy. It’s still got the mushrooms I love, and the pasta makes a good good stand-in for the spaetzle that would normally be served.

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick
1 white or yellow onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, whatever variety you like
Olive Oil
Black Pepper and other herbs/spices you like.
Canadian Steak Seasoning
1/4 to 1/3 cup Kentucky Kernel or other seasoned flour (Make your own if you want)
Milk

Sprinkle the chops with the steak seasoning on both sides and set aside.  In a large saute pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom.  Add the onions, mushroom, and bell pepper and saute until the onions soften and begin to become transparent. Add the black pepper and other spices to taste.  Add the chops and brown on both sides.  Make a slurry of the flour and 2 cups of the milk.  Take the chops from the pan.  Add the milk/flour slurry and bring to simmer.  Add more milk until a thin gravy forms.  Add the chops and turn until coated.  Lower the heat and and simmer until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.

Serve over rice or pasta with steamed fresh vegetables.  Goes well with baking powder biscuits or a good bread.

Making more goodies for lunches.  This time I thought I’d get away from the horrifically-bad-for-you chocolate chip cookies and make something that at least pretends to have nutrition.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar or light brown sugar with a tablespoon of molasses
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
Vanilla, almond extract, or bourbon to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg to taste
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups dry oatmeal
1 cup dried fruit (apples, cherries, raisins, cranberries, or whatever you like) chopped up into small 1/4 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put dried fruit in a microwave safe bowl and add water until the fruit is barely covered.  Microwave for 1 minute then let stand while you put together the rest of the dough.

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars in a mixer at low speed.  Once creamed, add in eggs and vanilla/almond/bourbon.

In another bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, soda, and spices.  Add to wet mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add oats and mix.

Drain excess water off of fruit, and add to the dough.  Mix just until the fruit is evenly distributed.  Dough will be slightly wet, but not runny.

Spoon 1 inch balls of dough (a heaping tablespoon) on baking stone or lightly greased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart.  The cookies will spread and flatten during baking.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies brown and the edges are crisp.  Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack.