Lazy Baked Pork Chops

Pork chops are dreamy in itself.  I love, love, LOVE pork chops!  Grilled, seared, fried, or baked they all usually come out fantastic.  You see it's pretty hard to mess these things up especially since the butcher already did half of the work for us.  He/she (because I'm gender sensitive) reduced the fail-factor by almost 50% simply by making sure that the fat-to-meat ratio is perfect on each chop, and that the thickness of each one is consistent as well.  This makes for even cooking and oh-so-juicylicious pork chops.  All we're left to do is to defrost, clean, pat dry, and basically add whichever seasoning or marinade we want.  I mean, the bare minimum is throwing on some salt and pepper, and they'd still taste great.

The other day we had five pieces of boneless, 3/4" thick, pork chops in the freezer.  In my head I had originally planned to marinate them for at least three hours and then grill them right before dinner.  Around lunchtime, I had cut out the grilling part from my plan since it just seemed like too much work for five pieces of chops.  At about 5 o'clock, the marinating part was (obviously) out of the question since I was just pulling the chops out of the freezer.  Teehee.  Yes this always happens to me.  My grand plans always somehow morph into less-than-an-hour meals.  It's called cooking smart.  Or lazy.  It depends on your perspective.   Minimal effort with maximum results.  Like my college friend used to always say, "di bale nang tamad, di naman pagod."  I say, if you come out with a tasty dish anyway, who can judge the method right?

So this is my easy baked pork chop dish.  This can convincingly be presented as something you had marinated the whole day.  With the addition of a few sides, like baked potatoes and some veggies, this would be a sure hit.  Definitely works with rice too.  I honestly just pulled together ingredients that I already had.  The critical part to the success of my lazy cooking philosophy is always having a decent selection of seasonings and sauces on hand to get away with dishes like these.

Ingredients:

•  Ideally 6 porkchops (but I only had 5)
•  2 T soy sauce
•  4 T vegetable oil
•  2 T knorr liquid seasoning
•  2 T balsamic vinegar
•  1 t lemon juice concentrate (or 2 t of fresh lemon juice)
•  2 T brown sugar
•  4 T ketchup 
•  6 garlic cloves, whole, peeled
•  black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2.  Combine soy sauce, vegetable oil, knorr liquid seasoning, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar,  and ketchup in a bowl and mix well.  Set aside.
3. Pat your pork chops dry with a paper towel and lay them out on a non-stick baking tray.  Season both sides of all the chops with freshly-cracked black pepper.  Now pour about half of the sauce that you made over the pork chops.

I accidentally poured in some of the sauce before I remembered to take a picture.  lol.  Anyway, I'm sure you get the general idea.

4.  Now turn all the chops and make sure that they are evenly coated in the sauce.  Now dump in the whole garlic pieces.  This simple addition will add a subtle flavor to the sauce later on.

5.  "Tent" aluminum foil very loosely on the chops, making sure all the chops are covered, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.
6.  After 30 minutes of baking, remove the foil and drain all the liquid from the pan.  Now pour over the remaining half of the sauce, again covering and turning the chops, and bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
7.  I stop baking them them just before the chops are completely cooked, and then I broil the chops for 5 minutes on each side.  You can choose to forego this step and just simply bake it until cooked through.  I like broiling them just because, it add a little crispness to the fat on the pork chop (hands down, my favorite part!) and deepens the color of the glaze on the pork chop.
8.  You can stop here and serve the dish, or if you'd like to go the extra mile, you could de-glaze the drippings with a little red wine (preferred), white wine, or any cooking wine you want or have.  It's just a matter of transferring the drippings into another pan, adding your wine of choice, and reducing the sauce.  It just gives the dish that added oomph.

I personally, foregoed reducing the sauce (because I was lazy, hence the name of the dish) and just poured the leftover sauce from the baking tray over my finished pork chops.

Even without the reduction, you still end up with a tangy, flavorful, and well-balanced dish that is both savory and slightly sweet.  The balsamic vinegar together with the roasted garlic gives a wonderful depth to this dish and subtly adds another level of flavor.  You don't even have to serve the garlic pieces with the the chops since not everyone is crazy over garlic.  You can just pick 'em out and set them aside.  I personally love garlic, plus it's supposedly really good for the heart, so I just serve it anyway.  I like multiple layers of flavor.  That's one thing that's consistent about my cooking.  Yep I'm asian through and through.

Also, my instant-read thermometer decided to die that day, so I kind of just felt my way through it.  My actual baking time came up to approximately 50 minutes plus the 10-minute broiling period, if that helps anyone.  The only tricky part about this dish is ensuring that it's cooked just right.  There is that danger of slightly under cooking or over cooking it since the reddish-brown glaze on the chops can be quite deceptive. BUT if you get that part down pat, then you're golden.

I hope you guys enjoy this dish as much as I did.  You can add this to your weekday cooking arsenal if and when you run out of ideas.

~ Mich :)

Of Tortoises and Gazelles

So let me start off by introducing myself. I’m Yuri, Michelle’s lucky husband. In a nutshell, I love to cook, watch sports, read useless internet articles, and like my lovely wife, I adore eating.  As people who have met me recently have pointed out, the short description I have provided is becoming evident through my ever expanding waistline. See, the only reason for me to sweat before was due to the heat of the burner while I cook or the Ravens being down by a touchdown to the Broncos with 34 seconds left in regulation.

I’ve realized though that maybe it’s time for me to try to get in shape. I’ve been trying to run at least every other day in UP. The first attempt, I was able to accomplish a total of an astoundingly sad 1KM before calling it quits. Running can’t be that hard! The burning lungs, the sore feet, and most of all, the whiff of oil emanating from those fishball stands kept calling me to the sidelines. Being the geek that I am, I decided to go back home, and read countless articles on how to run. I thought it was as simple as putting one foot in front of the other and then collapsing in a heap of blubber at the end point. Apparently, it’s not. Here’s what I’ve gathered through my research:

1) Stretch, stretch, stretch. Pulling a muscle HURTS. It’s easier to just spend a couple of minutes warming up those tight hamstrings by the sidewalk than trying to hobble back to your vehicle while clutching your aching legs.

2) Relax and realize that it’s not a race (unless it actually is one haha) I’m a guy with short, stubby legs. Time and again, I get reminded of that whenever Michelle is in a hurry to get anywhere. Her 1 step is 2 of mine (although sometimes it feels like 10). I used to get bothered every time somebody would pass me by and appear as if they’re not having a difficult time. Once these gazelles would stream past by me I’d mutter something non-sequitur under my breath like “You may have long legs and run fast but at least I could cook up a mean Phad Kha Pao”. After the first hundred people passed me by, I just said to myself that I’m enjoying the run anyway. So let them pass by me while I go at my own pace. I just let my mind wander and enjoy the scenery.

3) Try to keep a steady rhythm. Both in breathing and in cadence, it works wonders.  I kept remembering those ROTC days where my CO would keep shouting “Left, Left,Left, Right Left”. Just keeping that steady pace helped me cover longer distances than I thought I could.

4) Look ahead. It’s good for your running posture. Your spine and hips will fall in place if you keep a steady gaze of like 10 feet in front of you. As I’ve said time and again, I have short legs so I’m slow.  People who didn’t follow this tip have bulldozed into me before. To avoid this embarrassing situation for both you and me, just look ahead. :)

5) Move your arms. It helps propel you forward and it also prevents your body from twisting too much. Keep your elbows at a 90 degree angle and swing your arms back and forward opposite your leg. Don’t clench your hands. Pretend that you’re holding an egg while you run. Also, make sure that your hands don’t cross the midline of your torso or you’ll create a twisting motion.

6) Cool down. Make sure that your muscles and breathing are back to normal by doing a bit of stretching afterwards.

7) Finally, the most important tip for me:  Don’t pig out afterwards! Avoid the fishball stand like the plague and try to eat sensible portions. It feels good to eat after a run. There’s a certain sense of entitlement every time I sit down at the table and see all that good food. I think to myself, I earned it! I deserve to eat more since I exercised! Sad to say it doesn’t work that way, If you’re serious about losing those love handles, exercise and dieting go hand in hand.

It’s been a little more than a month since I started this journey towards uncharted territory called “exercise” and I’m surprised by the result. I’ve lost a total of 6 kilos and from that paltry 1km, I’m now up to 8km per run. I’m still a long way from finishing that marathon but I’m happy to see results. I’ll never get long legs, and keep pace with the gazelles but maybe after a couple hundred more kilometers of running I could at least say, “you may be fast, but at least I can cover longer distances”. At least I would then have a valid argument. :)

- Yuri    

My Kind of Oatmeal

Mornings aren't my strong suit.  Never liked 'em.  It's a combination of things I guess.  I wake up hungry (always!), grumpy (most of the time), and usually the barrage of issues, if any, from work and home, tend to overwhelm me as soon as open my eyes.

Breakfast has always been the most vital meal of my day.  A good breakfast erases all my aforementioned rants.  I have no doubt that I'm Filipino through and through since my idea of a perfect breakfast is anything with sinangag (fried garlic rice).   I could pile on that rice and eat like there was no tomorrow.  You see, growing up I was blessed with an insanely efficient metabolism, but I have to admit, with every year that passes, it has been slowing down ever so slightly.  It's depressing really.  So now, I try to offset my usual greasy, carbo loaded but oh so yummy morning fare, with something healthy(ish), at least every other day.

This is my go-to oatmeal breakfast which sometimes doubles as a midnight snack.  It's been pretty effective.  And it doesn't leave me grumpy (that much) and doesn't leave me as hungry as its' flavored Quaker Oats equivalent which seems to be the only other option left.  The Sunny Select instant oatmeal has whole rolled oatmeal grains and oat bran which gives it a substantial bite, unlike the other instant oatmeal products you find with other brands that just turns to mush when mixed with hot water or mik.  Plus the fruit bits in the Sunny Select oatmeal, once rehydrated, are a lot chunkier than the Quaker oats version.  Everyone knows that oatmeal can be really boring, and the feeling can be akin to eating wet cardboard.  If you're easing into healthier breakfasts, and your slightly lactose intolerant like me (which prevents me from eating cereal with milk often), Sunny Select might be a good option.  You get fiber, loads of vitamins and minerals (like vitamin A, B6, folate, calcium, niacin, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus) with each serving.  It contains artificial flavors, sodium, and sugar, but these, I think, are outweighed by all the other health benefits you get.  I don't mean to sound like a commercial (lol), but I really tend to go on and on about food products that I love.  All the people close to me know that, and yes they do make fun of me for it.  What can I do?  I LOVE food. :)

Hey, it tastes good, that's the bottom line.  If you're not as lazy as me in the morning, you could put together instant rolled oats and throw in some cut up fruit (like bananas, or peaches), a touch of honey, and some hot water or milk.  But if you want something fast that you can grab and go that won't leave you depressed and tempted to go back to your old carbo loading breakfast routine (again, assuming that you're like me) then this Sunny Select oatmeal might be worth a try.  It comes in four flavors.  I first bought a box of this on a random trip to Subic in on of those duty-free stores there.  I was desperate to try more oatmeal options at the time.  Luckily enough, Shopwise has recently started carrying this product so now I can stock up.

My favorite flavor is peaches and cream.  Notice that there's a trivia question on each packet.  Not that it matters but it adds to the fun.

Again, let me just state for the record that I am in no way a representative or affiliated with Sunny Select nor was I paid to write about this.  Just in case somebody gets the wrong idea.  This is just me, sharing something I really like.

Oh and just in case you were wondering, the answer to the trivia question is John Paul Jones.  I have no clue who that is though.


~Mich :)

Freestylin' Thai Beef Basil

Yep this is the comeback of the comeback, if there is such a thing.  I'm trying really hard to restrain myself from spouting promises, like I did in my previous entry which was, embarrassingly enough, erm more than a year ago the last time I checked *cringe*.  I never thought I had commitment issues until, well, now I guess.  Let me stop there.  This time there will be no promises.  I've decided to just gently ease into this again and prove to myself and to you guys that I'm back for good.

Here goes nothing.

Yuri and I have our issues in the kitchen.  In the three years we've been married, we've discovered that we don't work all that well together in the kitchen all the time.  Sometimes it goes pretty okay, but on days when our control issues are at their peak it can turn ugly.  Our prep and cooking styles are just on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.  The food just comes out way better when one of us is out of the picture.  Plus, it's just more peaceful that way.

Anyways, It's been weeks since Yuri and I last cooked anything for ourselves.  We had a rare lazy Sunday yesterday and Yuri took it upon himself to cook dinner for me and my brother-in-law.  We're kind of nearing the end of our pantry supply so he put together an adaptation of his favorite Thai Basil Chicken dish, but he used ground beef instead, added tofu, and some red bell peppers as well.  We're calling this dish *drumroll*... Thai Basil Beef with Tofu.  Harhar. :p 

In the spirit of marital harmony I have decided against nagging him about recalling the exact measurements he used, so please adjust everything to your taste.   This was after all a kind of freestyle home cooking session.

Ingredients (a.k.a. what we had left in fridge)
Serves 3-4 persons

• 500 g of ground beef
• 3/4 C of fresh basil leaves
• 1 piece red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 T dried chili (put less if your tolerance for spiciness is low)
• 1 T sugar
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T water
• 2 T patis or fish sauce
• tofu, slice into cubes or into whatever shape you desire
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk onion leeks
• 2 -3 T vegetable cooking oil

Lightly pre-fry the tofu in cooking oil and then set aside. You could pre mix the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and water together if you're feeling unsure but you may opt to to just add it into the wok directly after searing the beef later.  You can adjust the saltiness of the sauce by adding and balancing it with water. The sauce can be as dry or as plenty as you please.  He prefers a drier version of this particular dish he created, as do I, because it just tastes better for us that way.   Let your taste buds guide you.  Once you've pre-mixed your sauce, heat up about two tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil in a wok on medium-high heat, and add the garlic.  Right before the garlic turns brown, go ahead and add the ground beef.  Keep tossing the wok until the beef is seared and cooked through.  You may then add the sauce, the bell peppers, and the onion leeks to the beef.  Keep mixing and turning everything until the bell peppers have wilted slightly, which will take about 3-5 minutes only.  Add the tofu mixing gently for about a minute or two and just enough to toss the tofu with everything else so that it absorbs the flavor of the sauce.  Finally, add the basil leaves and toss for approximately 30 seconds.  As you can see, this recipe is by no way exact.  At all.  This is just to give you an idea of the flavor profile of the dish.  Since you're cooking with medium to high heat this dish should be completed in 15 minutes or less.  Plate it up and...

Voila!  You're done.

This is Yuri's Thai Beef Basil with Tofu sans food styling.  We're keeping it realistic.  Besides, it wasn't even an option since we were too hungry.  

~Mich :)