Wiener Schnitzel with lemon sauce

In the Hartwig house, we love German food. And it doesn't get more German than a delicious Wiener Schnitzel with a lemon sauce.

Ingredients:

4 cutlets cubed pork (sometimes they have this in the meat section, sometimes you have to ask for it - they always have the pork available to cube and make into cutlets for you)

Salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups (plain) breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine 

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 lemon wedges

Directions:

Season cutlets with salt and pepper.
Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs into three separate shallow dishes.
Dredge each cutlet first in flour, then in eggs, and finally in bread crumbs.
Place breaded pork on a baking sheet or plate.
Heat oil and 3 Tbsp. butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Saute pork until golden brown, ~3 minutes on each side.
Remove from pan and keep warm in a 200° oven.
Deglaze pan with wine; add lemon juice and simmer 3 minutes.
Add heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Off heat, whisk in butter 2 T. at a time.
Stir in parsley; spoon sauce over cutlets.
Serve with lemon wedges.

For sides, I serve with spatzle, warm red cabbage and brussel sprouts.

Chicken Piccata

I made this last night for my husband, my mom and my father in law and everyone loved it. I used Giada's recipe, with a few adjustments.

Ingredients:

4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, then cut in half
Salt and pepper, for flavoring

Flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers (more if you love capers like I do!)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. 

When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 1/2 of the chicken and cook for ~3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for ~3 minutes. 

Remove and transfer cooked chicken to plate. 

Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 1/2 of chicken and brown both sides, ~3 minutes each side.

Remove and transfer cooked chicken to plate.
Add the lemon juice, stock and capers to pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. 

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for ~3 minutes on each side.

Remove chicken to plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. 

Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley and fresh Parmesan.

I served the picatta over rice pilaf with broccoli. 

Easy and delicious!

On a side note, this recipe would be  easy to make a little healthier - don't dredge the chicken in flour, and cut out about half of the butter and oil.

Ham Bone Soup

Finished Ham Bone Soup

A delicious way to use your ham bone after the holidays - but this soup is so yummy, you might buy and cook a ham just to have the bone for leftovers! This is a recipe best started the night before, so keep that in mind.


Ingredients:

For beans:
1 bag (20 oz) mixed beans (i.e. 15 bean soup)
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning


For soup:

1 left-over ham bone
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped up ham
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
1 large onion, diced

Veggies for Ham Bone Soup

1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (fresh is best, or frozen like Dorot, which you can get in the freezer section at Trader Joes, Kroger, Stop and Shop)

Spices for Ham Bone Soup

1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh is best, use frozen like Dorot if, like me, your herbs aren't in yet)
1 tsp chopped basil (fresh is best, I used Dorot because basil isn't in yet)
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Pinch of thyme (again, fresh is best, if not use frozen)
1 cup frozen corn
2 -14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a slow cooker, add beans, vinegar and 2 tbsp Creole seasoning. Set on warm and let the beans absorb the water overnight. 

Beans after soaking overnight

The next morning, drain beans.
In a large pot, add chicken broth, ham bone, ham, veggies and spices - hold off on corn and tomatoes.
Bring to a quick boil, then cover and set to simmer for a few hours - the longer the better.

Once done,  take out bone. Strain the soup if necessary (I haven't needed to). Take the leftover meat off the bone and put in pot.

Cooked ham bone and meat pulled off the bone

Put on low, then add beans. Let cook for an hour or so until beans are soft.
Once beans are soft, add tomatoes and corn, and set to simmer for another hour (don't add tomatoes until beans are soft, the acid makes it harder for the beans to get moist).


 Serve and enjoy! Great with rolls or cornbread!