Pork Loin Chops with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

I'm mainly just putting this here so I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time I make it.

4 thick-cut pork loin chops

salt and pepper

2 T. butter, divided

generous handful of mixed dried gourmet mushrooms

1 1/4 C. hot water

1 C. sliced button mushrooms (white or crimini)

1 C. sliced fresh shitake mushrooms

1/3 C. marsala wine

1 t. dried herbes de provence

1/2 t. salt

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. milk

In a small bowl, soak dried mushrooms in hot water for about 30 minutes, or until softened and hydrated. Strain soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, squeezing most of the liquid out of the mushrooms. You should have about 1 cup of liquid. Set aside for later.

Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, melt 1 T. butter over medium-high heat. Brown pork until golden on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt remaining butter in pan; saute all mushrooms until moisture has evaporated and they're starting to brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Return pan to medium-high and deglaze with marsala, scraping up any bits and reducing to about half. Stir in herbes de provence, salt, and HALF the mushroom soaking liquid. Return pork and mushrooms to pan, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch and milk into remaining soaking liquid. Remove pork from pan. Bring mushroom mixture to a boil, and add the soaking liquid mixture. Boil until thickened, stirring constantly. Spoon sauce over chops to serve.

This is delicious with polenta, but I also often serve it with fancied-up mashed potatoes. Rice would be good, too!

Salami and Potato Frittata

I love frittatas. They're relatively quick and easy. They're great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can put just about anything in them and they'll be fantastic. All you need is eggs, cheese, and whatever you happen to have languishing in the fridge/pantry. Some of my favorite ingredients are spinach, broccoli, chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, ham, bacon... but pretty much anything goes. This time, I had some sliced dry salami left over from Christmas meat and cheese platters, a hunk of mozzarella, a large bag of potatoes, and a random Roma tomato. I don't normally put anything on them as a topping, but the diced tomato dressed with red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard was a perfect addition of fresh flavor to the richness of salami and cheese. Served with your favorite salad (Fresh Express Pear Gorgonzola Salad Kit pictured here), it makes a hearty, delicious meal in almost no time!

This recipe is EXTREMELY flexible. Use whatever variety tomato, potato, onion, and/or cheese you happen to have on hand.

Salami and Potato Frittata

1 C. finely diced tomato 

2 t. red wine vinegar

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. extra virgin olive oil

pinch kosher salt and black pepper

Combine all ingredients; set aside.

1/4 lb. thinly sliced dry salami, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 T. oil

4 small-medium potatoes, diced (about 3 C.)

1 C. chopped onion

1 1/2 C shredded cheese

10 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Select a large saute pan with an oven-safe handle. I used to exclusively use one of my cast iron pans for frittatas, but recently discovered even my cheap non-stick pan handles are oven-safe to at least 375°. Who knew? On stovetop, cook salami over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until just beginning to crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, leaving as much rendered fat as possible in the pan. Add oil, potatoes, and a pinch of salt and pepper to pan; cook over medium-high for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions and continue cooking until onions are translucent and potatoes are starting to brown, about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle salami pieces and cheese evenly over potato mixture. Pour in beaten eggs. Place pan in oven and cook until eggs are set, about 7-12 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a tablespoon or so of the tomato mixture. It's just... that... easy!