As time goes by, it seems that things change and we get lost in the adult whirl wind of life. Though I don’t believe I’m truly an adult at heart, the time has come to come to grip with the fact that I’m not a kid anymore either. I’ll always find humor in being young forever; the people around me of all ages are so young at heart that I could never age myself by dwelling on a number. Seeing as my great-grandma is 97 years old, she’s proof that there’s still so much life to live and no number is going to change that. My brother is now 25, which is insane. He’s accomplished so much for being 25, I’m proud of him every day.
Me, Kyle in the red and my sister Kristen behind
Kyle, Kristen, and Me
I always picture us so young, but we aren’t and that’s okay too. We’ll always be running around making fun of each other, punching and talking trash to one another, no matter how old we are. I’m so glad to have such an amazing family.
Happy birthday, I love you little brother.
So for Kyle’s birthday I made dinner for our family and his wife’s family as well. There were 11 of us at the table, enjoying each other’s company and the food that was made. I fashioned this menu from some things that came to mind while utilizing my limited refrigerator space after Thanksgiving and refashioning some left over at that.
Menu
Balsamic, Honey, Spinach and Arugula Salad with Cucumber, Tomato, Mozzarella and Red Onions
Caprese Salad with Imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken Marsala with Roasted Baby Bellas, Shitake Mushrooms and Steak Button Mushrooms
Center-cut Pork Chop “Saltimbocca” with Crispy Sage, Prosciutto di Parma, and Bruleed Mozzarella Cheese with Champagne Sage Beurre Blanc
Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts, Parmesan and Banana Peppers
Tri-Colored Rotini Pasta with Parmesan Cream Sauce, Roasted Green Beans and Honey Baked Ham
Saltimbocca which translates in Italian to Jumps in mouth, can be prepared in a variety of ways, and originates from different places in the world. Traditionally it is a Roman, Italian dish, which includes veal, sage and prosciutto that is rolled and cooked in a sweet butter wine sauce. This recipe isn’t traditional, but a bit of a spin on what I know to be saltimbocca. I love the use of pork chops in this dish because it’s an elegant way to make an affordable delicious meal, since veal can be costly. So the next time you have pork chops and want to try something new, think about this.
Center-cut Pork Chop “Saltimbocca” with Crispy Sage, Prosciutto di Parma, and Bruleed Mozzarella Cheese with Champagne Sage Beurre Blanc
15 sage leaves
4 tablespoons butter
5 center cut (½ inch to ¾ inch) pork chops
5 slices Parma prosciutto
5 slices whole milk mozzarella
1 cup dry white wine or brute champagne (I used left over from the past evenings festivities)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Garlic power
¼ cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Season pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides.
Place in the bottom of large sauté pan, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Heat until sizzling.
Add sage leaves to hot oil mixture and fry until lightly crisp, about 5 minutes (careful not to burn). Then remove from oil and set aside.
Add one more tablespoon of butter to pan and heat until melted.
Then add prepared pork chops.
Depending on thickness, cook on each side about 3 minutes or until golden on each side.
Place in baking dish and add two leaves of sage to each pieces of pork, one slice of prosuitto, and top with one slice of mozzarella.
Sauce
Add remainder of butter, lemon juice and wine to pan and reduce by half on medium heat about 5-7 minutes.
Then add stock to pan as well and reduce for an additional 5 minutes.
To finish, add cream to sauce until thickened and the sauce comes together loosely.
Taste for seasoning
Add ½ of the sauce to the bottom of the baking pan with the pork.
Finish pork chops off in 400 degree oven for 6-7 minutes, but depending on the size of chops. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure it reads 150 degrees in the center of the chop.
Lastly, place pork chops in the broiler to brulee cheese to a golden brown.
Place on platter to rest 5 minutes.
Heat sauce and ladle over top of chops, adding extra sage for garnish.
Serve with mashed potatoes or your favorite vegetables.
Enjoy
Cheers
-Unrivaledkitch
