Cora, A Sidelines Story from Clayton

Cooking Lessons

Easy Chocolate chip cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350 – 375 degrees F

3/4 cup softened butter or butter flavored shortening

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon Molasses

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2-3  Tablespoon milk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks (frozen)

( this was so hard to write down because I don't actually measure it any more XD).

Mix or cream softened butter or shortening with sugars, and eggs, then add vanilla and milk. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in. Completely combine before turning in frozen chip. Chill dough for half an hour before making two inch balls or using an ice cream scoop. I prefer to put my cookies on parchment to back but a simple nonstick spray will work too. Place the balls at flatten to about ½ and inch or thumb thickness. The cookies back in 10-18 minutes depending on altitude and humidity. I usually switch and turn the pans after 6 minutes to ensure even baking.

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Broiled Pork chops with spiced apple-onion chutney 

Chutney was one of the first toppings for meat I learned to make, after gravy. I get all kinds of crazy with it, adding raisins or dates or roasted nuts. I even made a peach chile chutney for chicken once... it was 'different'. 

Pork Chops

1 Tbs butter or olive oil

1 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 pork chops (broil according to thickness or cook in pan if you prefer)

Chutney

3 Tbs butter or olive oil (or to make really good, use bacon drippings.)

2 tea apple pie spice (equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)

¼ tea thyme

½ tea rosemary

2 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch julienne = 1C (sweet red, vidalia or very mild yellow)

4-6 green or red apples (pie apples work best but any apple that is firm),cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks = 2- 2 ½ C apple chunks ( I like the to use different colored apples to add color to the dish but you can peal them if you like)

1 cup balsamic red wine vinegar (some people use apple cider vinegar, I find it too pungent)

2 Tbs brown sugar or 3 Tbs honey

Season 6 pork chops with salt, pepper, and sage and rub with oil or butter. Place under broiler on oiled pan, until meat center is 165 degrees F for 1-2 minutes, turn once or twice.

Chop apples, and sweet onions in to ½ inch chunks. Melt butter in sauce pan, add spices to melted butter and onions, as onions start to caramelize ( about 2-3 minutes) add apples. Let the apples get a little bit of color on them, then add brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, let it reduce liquid by a third on low heat ( for 10 minutes) this will soften the apples and onions the rest of the way, makes about 6 third to half cup servings. Dress pork chops with warm chutney and serve.