Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chops Food

PORK, SPINACH, AND RICOTTA MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Filling: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and put the pan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until the onions are translucent and very aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the pork sausage and cook until nicely browned. Stir in the spinach, season with salt, to taste, and saute until the spinach is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. In a large bowl, add the ricotta, 1 cup of grated Parmigiano, the eggs and 1 cup of bechamel and stir to incorporate. Mix in the cooled sausage mixture into the ricotta mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. To assemble the manicotti: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the baking dish by evenly schmearing 1 cup of bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Put 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling on a crepe just below the halfway mark. Form the filling into an even log and then roll up the crepe to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining filling and crepes. Arrange the crepes in the baking dish, snuggling the crepes together until the dish is filled. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top of the crepes and spread the bechamel in a wide swath down the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top starts to brown a little, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve topped with a little extra cheese. Mamma mia! ;
• Add the butter and onion to a large saucepan over medium heat. Season the onions with salt, to taste, and cook until they become translucent and very aromatic. Add the flour and cook until the flour and butter resemble wet sand, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually, whisk in the milk until incorporated. Add the bay leaf and nutmeg and season with salt, to taste. Slowly bring the milk/flour mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom. Be sure that the milk comes to a boil or the flour will not cook out and you will be left with a very objectionable starchy feeling on your tongue. Once the sauce has come to a boil and has thickened, remove it from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the grated Parmigiano, taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Use right away or refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble dish. Creamy! ;
• Coat a large sauce pot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Put the pot over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt, to taste, and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Pass the tomatoes through the food mill. Be sure to pass all of the pulp through the holes leaving only the stems and the seeds, and be sure to scrape the pulp off of the bottom of the food mill. That's all of the big money stuff! Add the tomatoes to the sauce pot and 1 can of water (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently. Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or it can be frozen. ;
• Batter: In a mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Add the eggs, milk, club soda and 3 tablespoons of melted butter into the center of the well and whisk together until just combined. The mixture should be like VERY loose pancake batter. If the mixture is a little thick, whisk in a little more milk. Let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using. Crepes: Melt about a 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a small nonstick saute pan. The butter should coat the bottom of the pan, if there is a lot of excess, wipe it out with a paper towel. Keep the paper towel handy in case you need it again (you will). Put the pan over medium heat. Fill a 2-ounce ladle, almost to the top, with batter and pour it into the preheated pan, tipping and rolling the pan, as you ladle the batter, to evenly cover the bottom. This will take a little practice, even when you are an experienced crepe maker the first couple always get wasted. Accept it and move on. When the edges of the crepe begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and the bottom begins to brown a little, turn the crepe over and cook it for about 1 minute on the other side. Remove the crepe from the pan to a plate and let cool. Stack the crepes as they are cooked between parchment paper squares. Repeat this process, until all the batter is used, wiping the pan with your paper towel or melting a little more butter to the pan, as needed. YAY! ;

SPINACH & GOUDA-STUFFED PORK CUTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. , Sprinkle tops of cutlets with salt and pepper. Layer end of each with Gouda cheese and spinach. Fold cutlets in half, enclosing filling; secure with toothpicks. Brush mustard over outsides of pork; dip in bread crumb mixture, patting to help coating adhere. , Place on a greased foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and pork is tender, 12-15 minutes. Discard toothpicks before serving.

PORK CHOPS STUFFED WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the pork around the stuffing. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard.
• Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon some sauce over the pork before serving.

SPINACH-STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open tenderloin so it lies flat. On each half, make another, lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2 in. of bottom; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness. Remove plastic wrap; sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon celery salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Layer with the cheese, spinach and ham. Press down gently., Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Tie the roast at 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle with remaining celery salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan., Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Transfer to a serving platter. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

SPINACH & RICOTTA-STUFFED PORK CHOPS RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the chops under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to make 1- to 2-inch slits on the sides of each chops to make space for the stuffing, then use your finger to make a little cave in each one. Rub each chop with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the meat for 30 minutes. Steam the spinach until it turns deep green and wilts; this usually takes only a few minutes. (Alternately, you can microwave the spinach for two minutes.) Drain the spinach, and mix the warm greens with the ricotta cheese, garlic, and pesto to make the stuffing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the pork chops with about 1 tablespoon of stuffing each. Secure the pockets with toothpicks to hold the stuffing in place. Heat enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Place the stuffed chops carefully in the pan and sear them on each side for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Remove them from the pan and let them rest for 5 minutes. Remove the toothpicks. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn or green beans and brown rice.