Beer

Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches on Rye


Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches on Rye
Serves 4

4 pork cutlets, 3-4 ounce each
1/8 c flour
Seasoning (I used Penzey’s Bavarian Style Seasoning)
1 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon cooking oil (corn, canola or safflower)

  1. Cover a large plate with parchment paper.
  2. Coat cutlets in flour.
  3. Dip in egg wash.
  4. Press in panko crumbs, pushing firmly to help it adhere.
  5. Place cutlets on the parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (This helps the breading bond to the meat.)
  6. Preheat non-stick skillet. Add oil.
  7. Fry each cutlet until brown and crispy (3 minutes per side.)
  8. Serve on rye bread with sliced red onion, lettuce and brown mustard.
Nutritional data:
Calories:           313
Fat:                    9.9g
Sat fat:               1.7g
Chol:            89.5mg
Sodium:     560.2mg
Carbs:             35.6g
Fiber:                4.7g
Protein:           24.3g

I served this sandwich with my homemade low-sodium pickles.

And since it is October, and this was a German dish, I needed a nice beer from my friend Brad at Stillmank Brewing to go with it.

Beer Battered Tilapia, with White Tartar

This was one of my entries into the 2014 Mezzetta Make That Sandwich contest.

Beer Battered Tilapia, with White Tartar
Serves 4

4 Kaiser rolls (or other large roll)
Beer Batter (or any other fish batter, your preference)
Enough cooking oil to fill a pot to 3-4 inches
4 tilapia fillets, 3 ounces each (or any mild-flavored fish)
Lettuce
Beer Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder

12-24 ounces of beer (Do not use a very hoppy beer, like an IPA. Use a British Mild, like Boddington.)
  1. Combined the first four ingredients.
  2. Mix in egg.
  3. Slowly add the beer while stirring to prevent lumps. This should be a thin batter. You may only need 12 ounce, but 16 is more likely. When you dip the fish into it, you should still be able to see the fish through the thin layer of batter. (If you have extra, drink it!)
  4. Heat oil to 375F (using a thermometer is recommended.
  5. Dry the fish fillets.
  6. Mix all ingredients for the red tartar while waiting for the oil to get to temperature. (The sauce can be made a day in advance for better flavor.)
  7. When the oil is hot, dip the fillets into the batter, and carefully lower into the oil. Depending on the size of your fryer, you may only be able to fry one fillet at a time.
  8. When the fish is beginning to brown, carefully turn it over.  Total cook time will be 6-10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the oil and fish.
  9. While the fish is frying, prepare the bun. Toast the cut surface.
  10. Lay lettuce on the bottom. When the fish is done, and drained, lay on the lettuce and top with 1 tablespoon red tartar.

When I make this, I use the remaining batter by dipping Mezzetta Roasted Red Bell Pepper and then frying them until golden brown.

I’m not giving nutritional data for the sandwich. It will change if you use a different fish, make your batter thin or thick, fry it darker, use a different roll….the variability will change everything. 

White Tartar
2 Tablespoon Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 tablespoon Mezzetta Capers
2 Mezzetta Sweet Banana Wax Peppers, sliced

½ ounce (4 pieces) Mezzetta Cocktail Onions, chopped
  1. Mix all ongredients together and chill. Making this a day in advance is recommended for best flavor.
Nutritional Data (per tablespoon)
Calories:         32
Fat:                2.4g
Sat fat:           0.1g
Chol:              0mg
Sodium:  388.8mg
Carbs:            2.2g
Fiber:             0.1g
Protein:          0.1g

Pulled Pork Chili

Pulled Pork Chili
Serves 10 (1 cup portions)

This morning I woke to 45F temperatures. To me, that means chili season. But some chili can be high fat, and some high sodium. This is neither, just high flavor. This is one of those little life hacks that I talk about on one my Make Your Someday Today Trevitorials. Make good food and eat it. When you make it yourself, you know what is in it!

In a large (3-4 quart kettle) add:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Add your preferred chili spices

Sautee that together until the onions begin to get translucent (5 minutes)
Add:
1 tablespoon tomato paste. Stir to mix together, then add:
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained, and low sodium if available
2 cans beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound pulled pork

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. After 30-40 minutes, taste and add more seasoning as needed. This is better if you can then chill it for a few hours or overnight.

So, why is the beer in the picture? I make my beans with a pressure cooker. I use 1 cup dried beans (here is a mix of white navy beans and black bean), one onion diced, 2-4 cloves garlic minced and 4 cups beer. This is one of my favorites, Green Bay’s own Wisco Disco. Put the lid on, set to high pressure and leave them cook for 45 minutes. When it is time to add the beans to the tomatoes, I dump everything in, beans, beer, onion and garlic.

Nutritional data:
Calories:         210
Fat:                  5.4g
Sat fat:             1.7g
Chol:           38.5mg
Sodium:      32.7mg
Carbs:            18.2g
Fiber:               4.6g
Protein:            19g

Beer Battered Tilapia, with Red Tartar

This was one of my entries into the 2014 Mezzetta Make That Sandwich contest.

Fish fries are a way of life in Wisconsin, but rarely do you get a sandwich quite like this. I enjoy finding new combinations of favorite foods. It brings excitement to the meal. Life is meant to be enjoyed and relished. We all need to find our place in the world. That is why I host my podcast Make Your Someday Today. I talk to successful people from around the world, like Julie (a Ukrianian-born Israeli who specializes in time management strategies) and then we apply their life-stories to you (and to me!)

Beer Battered Tilapia, with Red Tartar
Serves 4

4 Kaiser rolls (or other large roll)
Beer Batter (or any other fish batter, your preference)
Enough cooking oil to fill a pot to 3-4 inches
4 tilapia fillets, 3 ounces each (or any mild-flavored fish)
Lettuce
Beer Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder

12-24 ounces of beer (Do not use a very hoppy beer, like an IPA. Use a British Mild, like Boddington.)

  1. Combined the first four ingredients.
  2. Mix in egg.
  3. Slowly add the beer while stirring to prevent lumps. This should be a thin batter. You may only need 12 ounce, but 16 is more likely. When you dip the fish into it, you should still be able to see the fish through the thin layer of batter. (If you have extra, drink it!)
  4. Heat oil to 375F (using a thermometer is recommended.
  5. Dry the fish fillets.
  6. Mix all ingredients for the red tartar while waiting for the oil to get to temperature. (The sauce can be made a day in advance for better flavor.)
  7. When the oil is hot, dip the fillets into the batter, and carefully lower into the oil. Depending on the size of your fryer, you may only be able to fry one fillet at a time.
  8. When the fish is beginning to brown, carefully turn it over.  Total cook time will be 6-10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the oil and fish.
  9. While the fish is frying, prepare the bun. Toast the cut surface.
  10. Lay lettuce on the bottom. When the fish is done, and drained, lay on the lettuce and top with 1 tablespoon red tartar.

When I make this, I use the remaining batter by dipping Mezzetta Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives and then frying them until golden brown.

I’m not giving nutritional data for the sandwich. It will change if you use a different fish, make your batter thin or thick, fry it darker, use a different roll….the variability will change everything. 

Red Tartar
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Mezzetta Gourmet Deli Sweet and Hot Pepper Rings
2 Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives, sliced
½ ounce (4 pieces) Mezzetta Cocktail Onions, chopped
1 tablespoon liquid from the cocktail onion jar (to thin the tomato paste)
  1. Mix all ingredients together and chill. Making this a day in advance is recommended for best flavor.


Nutritional Data (per tablespoon)
Calories:         15
Fat:                1.4g
Sat fat:           0.0g
Chol:              0mg
Sodium:  116.2mg
Carbs:            2.9g
Fiber:             0.1g
Protein:             0g

Classic Borsh (you might call it Borsht)

Borsh
Serves Many! (Approximately 24 portions, 1 cup each)

Some people and cookbooks call this “borscht”. My Ukrainian-born friend who gave me this recipe says that it is supposed to be “borsh.” She was a Captain in the Israeli Defense Forces, and is a fierce woman. Who am I to question her?

Well, actually, I question her quite a bit, when I interviewed her for my podcast, Make Your Someday Today (abbreviated as MYST). You can hear the complete interview at MakeYourSomedayToday.com/JulieSheranosher

Ingredients:

2 pounds (1kg) top loin steak or round steak. Use a lean cut, and trim excess fat. Cut this into squares 1″ (2.5cm) on a side
2 cans/bottles of beer (Do not use a very hoppy beer. A simple pilsner would be best.)
2-4 cloves garlic, or more to preference
6-8 black peppercorns
1 big or 2 small onions, diced
2 large beets, peeled and grated
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small cabbage, thinly shredded (or use a 12 ounce bag of pre shredded cabbage)
2 red bell peppers, diced
fresh parsely, 2 large handfuls 
1 tablespoon white sugar
sour cream and fresh chives for garnish.
  1. Put the meat in a big pot. Add beer, garlic, black pepper and 2 cups water.
  2. Bring to boil, cover and lower the heat to a medium flame and allow to cook for 1 hour.
  3. Add the beets, carrots, onion, potatoes and salt (optional). Add 1 cup boiling water if needed to cover.
  4. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for another 30 minutes
  5. Add the tomato paste, cabbage and peppers. Stir to combine.
  6. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Add the sugar and parsley. The parsley is NOT for garnish. It is necessary to complete the flavor profile.
  8. Cook on a medium flame for another 20 minutes.
  9. Cover, cool and place in refrigerator overnight. (Required for full flavor!)
  10. When serving, reheat over medium, and serve with a tablespoon sour cream and freshly chopped chives.
Nutritional data (not including sour cream or bread):
Calories:    161
Fat:            8.1g
Sat fat:       3.1g
Chol:        33mg
Sodium:   48mg
Carbs:      10.6g
Fiber:         2.3g

Protein:    11.3g

Do me a big favor? Please leave a comment here for Julie and her recipe and tell us when you have or will make it!


Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Grown Up Grilled Cheese
Serves 1

This is the sort of “Comfort Food” that my guests on my Make Your Someday Today podcast will talk about in our interviews. Comfort foods do just that. They make us feel safe, secure and warm. They tell us that everything will be all right, that success will arrive, but only if we get moving toward.

2 slices of your preferred bread
2 slices of your preferred cheese
2-3 slices of tomato
1 jalapeno cut into strips
1/4 avocado, sliced
1 teaspoon Vegemite (optional)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

  1. Prepare your ingredients. Preheat non-stick griddle or skillet.
  2. Spread the Vegemite on one slice of cheese (optional).
  3. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread.
  4. Lay the bread mayo-side DOWN on griddle.
  5. Lay the Vegemite spread cheese on the bread, Vegemite down.
  6. Arrange the remaining ingredients on the cheese.
  7. Top with second piece of cheese and bread, mayo-side UP.
  8. Grilled until the edge gets brown (2-4 minutes, depending on the heat.)
  9. With a spatula, carefully flip and grill the second side.

Nutritional data:
Calories:       274
Fat:             16.8g
Sat fat:          5.7g
Chol:           25mg
Sodium:     354mg
Carbs:            25g
Fiber:            6.9g
Protein:          14g

Please be aware that those nutritional numbers are specific to my sandwich. Adding to deleting ingredients, using different cheese, or not using Vegemite will change all the numbers.

Served with Wisco Disco, a great American Amber Ale

Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.

Prepping for Sunday’s Show

On Sunday, I will be making crepes on Good Day Wisconsin. I am making both recipes before Sunday, just to make sure that I eliminate any rust. I don’t make crepes every day. Planning and preparation is important when success is important. If I were cooking for myself, I might be tempted to not worry about details and just “wing it.” But when I am cooking for guests at home, I try to create food as good as possible (which, in my humble opinion, is sometimes as good–or better–than what is available in a restaurant.) When I am cooking on live television, that increases the need to be as correct as possible. So I practice my recipes.
When I made foods on previous shows, I always had all my ingredients out on display so people could get an idea what was necessary. My recipe is very basic: milk, eggs, flour, vanilla, salt, and beer. Yes, beer. (Here in Wisconsin, we can put beer in anything, right?)
Every beer brings its own characteristics. You can’t use just anything. Something like North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout–a great beer–would add a powerful flavor, as would something hugely hoppy like Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. So, I made a test batch tonight. And I know what I am using.
So, you may be wondering what beer I will use. I don’t want to keep you in suspense.
I am going to use Wisco Disco, a fine amber ale brewed by my friend Brad Stillmank and the Stillmank Brewing Company here in Green Bay. It is malty and hoppy, smooth and delicious. You can see in the photo that one can of the four-pack is gone, sacrificed for the test batch. Well, not all of it. The recipe only needed 5 ounces, leaving 11 ounces for my glass!
If you are local, I hope you watch me. (Also, locals will be able to buy some of this great beer!) If not, I will post a link to watch my segments online.

Think happy thoughts for me!

Seared Yellowfin Tuna Wrap

Seared Yellowfin Tuna Wrap
Serves 1

I ate this at a local pub, Jimmy Sea’s, in Green Bay, WI. This recipe is my best guess on how this was prepared.

1 large soft wheat tortilla
4 ounce fresh yellowfin (or other variety) tuna steak
Mixed greens
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) guacamole (prepared with your preferred recipe)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) chipotle mayonnaise. (An alternative would be mixing Sriracha sauce with mayo.)

  1. Season tuna with your preferred seasoning.
  2. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spray with cooking oil.
  3. Lay tuna steak in skillet. Sear for about 30 seconds. Carefully flip and sear the other side for another 30 seconds. (This should result in a rare interior as seen above.)
  4. Spread guacamole and mayo. Top with greens, and the tuna. Roll and serve immediately.
I can’t give exact nutritional data, but my best guess is:
Calories:      534
Fat:              23g
Sat fat:           7g
Chol:         75mg
Sodium:   900mg
Carbs:          42g
Fiber:          2.5g
Protein:        38g

I deliciously paired this with Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale (malty and hoppy).

Pan-Fried Pork Cutlets (Six Versions!)


Pan Fried Pork Cutlets
Serve 4

4 boneless pork chops or pork half loin, 4-5 ounces each
2 tablespoons, flour
Seasoning
1 egg lightly beaten, in a bowl
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Seasoning
2 tablespoons cooking oil

  1. Place chops or cutlets between think sheets of plastic or in freezer Ziploc bag. Pound thinly (1/4 inch).
  2. Mix together flour and your seasoning of choice on a plate or large bowl. (See options below.) Place panko crumbs on another plate or large bowl and toss with seasoning. (See options below.)
  3. Lay the pork in the flour and coat both side.
  4. Dip in egg wash, turning to coat both sides.
  5. Lay in panko crumbs, turning to coat both sides.
  6. Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  7. Add cooking oil. When it is hot, carefully lay the pork in the skillet.
  8. All the pork to cook until the crumbs are beginning to brown (4-5 minutes). Flip and repeat on the other side.
  9. Serve with your choice of sides. (I had my Asian Cole Slaw and homemade Kimchi. Sure, I was blending national cultures, but it is my kitchen! I can eat what I like!)
Nutritional data (for a 4 ounce raw cutlet):
Calories:      221
Fat:           10.2g
Sat fat:        1.5g
Chol:         60mg
Sodium:   253mg
Carbs:         8.5g
Fiber:          0.6g
Protein:     24.2g
Choices of seasonings:
Above is the basic recipe that can be modified to suit many needs.  When mixing the seasoning for this recipe, if the seasoning is a powder, it should be mixed into the flour. If it is more of a flake or dried herb, it gets added to the panko. That keeps the textures in each layer consistent.
For my meal, I used Chinese Five Spice powder (one of the few spice blends that is not available from Penzey’s) in my flour and panko for an Asian flavor, which fit well with my chosen side dishes.
For a more German flavor, use crushed mustard, garlic and rosemary (or just get Penzey’s Bavarian Seasoning) and serve with German potato salad and warm sauerkraut and a robust German Oktoberfest from Paulaner or Hacker-Pschorr.
If you want a more Russian characteristic add garlic, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg (Penzey’s Tsar Dust Memories), served with a nice cold beet salad (I have a recipe for that, but it isn’t online yet) and coarse dark rye bread would be excellent. A Russian beer, such as Baltika #2 (pale lager) would work well, but Baltika #6 (Baltic Porter) is big enough to stand up to the robust flavors of this meal and would be a better choice.
Do you like Polish flavors? Use salt, pepper, coriander, garlic, crushed mustard and some sugar (Penzey’s Krakow Nights) served with a pile of braised cabbage with tart apples and smokey bacon, and a crisp Polish pilsner, such as Okocim.
A nice Italian flair would use basil, oregano, garlic and black pepper (Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset) served with angel hair pasta, boiled until al dente, drained, and then put into a skillet with olive oil and a LOT of garlic over medium high heat and toss until the garlic gets fragrant and lightly browned. (I would love to give a recommended wine for this dish, but to be totally honest, I am not that good at pairing wines. I like wines, but I love beers, so my strength is beer. Sorry.)
Northern Wisconsin flavor (my home territory) needs black pepper, coarse salt, paprika, thyme, rosemary and garlic (Penzey’s Northwoods Seasoning), crispy American fried potatoes, and my roasted carrots and peas. This needs a true Wisconsin beer, such as Leinenkugel Original, but I would suggest New Glarus Two Women which is crisp and balanced or Moon Man, which is bold and hoppy. But to get the New Glarus beers, you will need to travel to Wisconsin, as New Glarus does not distribute out of state.
Truly, the options are endless with this very basic fried meat. And if you buy a cutlet made from a half loin it will be very lean, too.
Note: I do not get any compensation from Penzey’s (and I tried) or the breweries (wouldn’t that be cool, though?) I just really enjoy all that they offer and want more people to know about them.
Two questions: 
1. Which version do you think you will try first?
2. What wine would you suggest with the Italian version?

Beer Braised Pork Chops

BLOGGER WON’T LET ME UPLOAD A PICTURE AT THIS TIME! I have a nice photo of the meal, but Blogger seems to have changed it’s procedures. 🙁

Beer Braised Pork Chops
Serves 4

2 teaspoon olive oil
4 boneless pork chops (approximately 6 ounces each)
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
12 ounces beer (it can be a lager or an ale, but NOT a hoppy beer!)
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
Your preferred seasoning (I like Penzey’s Krakow Nights.)

  1. Season pork chops with pepper or your preferred seasoning blend.
  2. Preheat large 10-11″ non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
  3. Add oil.
  4. When oil is hot, place chops in skillet and sear 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
  5. Add pears to the skillet, cooking about 6 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a plate.
  6. Add beer and sage to the pan. With a plastic or wooden spoon, scrape any caramelized bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  7. Return pork and pears to pan, partially cover the skillet and bring to a simmer.
  8. Keep heat on low and braise 5-7 minutes, or until the pork is heated completely.
  9. Remove pork and pears from skillet, cover to keep warm. Increase heat to medium, and cook about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced by half.

Nutritional data:
Calories:        305
Fat:                8.5g
Sat fat:           2.6g
Chol:            82.5mg
Sodium:         3.5mg
Carbs:          20.9g
Fiber:             3.6g
Protein:        32.3g

I specifically said “NOT a hoppy beer.”  When the beer gets boiled down, all the flavors will become concentrated. If the chosen beer is a hoppy, deliciously bitter ale (such as the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA) the resulting sauce will be overwhelmingly bitter. Find a soft, mild beer. I used New Glarus Spotted Cow. A German wheat ale (Franziskaner), a malty and fruity Belgian white ale (Hoegaarden) or Ommegang’s Rare Vos would all work very well in this recipe because their flavors would pair well with the pork, the pears and the sage.