Italian Veggie Soup

On the weekends, I like to make up a big pot of soup or chili for quick lunches, especially if I know it's going to be a crazy week. I had a hankering for a ham and veggie soup, and looking through some recipes, I threw this together. Most recently I substituted 3 cups each of chicken stock and beef stock. Surprisingly, it works very, very well.

Italian Vegetable Soup (Or Zuppa di T-Dawg)

Makes 12 approximately servings

6 cups vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bag (16 oz) frozen Tuscan Vegetable blend
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
16 oz Ham steak, deboned and diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon italian parsley
1 teaspoon basil

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the broth and garlic, and bring to a boil. Add the onions, frozen vegetables, fennel, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and add thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and ham. Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Serve with warm Tuscan or Italian bread.

Pork Cutlets with Pineapple Salsa

Maybe cause it’s the dead of winter with highs in the single digits, or maybe it’s because we have not abandoned our New Year’s resolution of healthy living, but I have been craving citrus. I love clementines, and having made the citrus salsa for the scallops last week had me looking to make it even better.  

I found some small, thin boneless pork chops at the store. Each cut is around 2 oz and about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Perfect for some cutlets. I love pineapple on pork, so let’s see where this goes.

Pork Cutlets with Pineapple Salsa

Serves 4

Pineapple Salsa (prepared 1 day in advance)

1 - 8 oz can pineapple (crushed or finely diced) with juice

¼ cup diced onion (I used white)

¼ cup diced bell peppers (I mixed Red, Yellow, Orange for color)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)

1 jalapeno pepper - seeded and finely diced (optional)

Make the salsa by combining all of the ingredients, mixing well, and refrigerating overnight.

Pork Cutlets

8 thin boneless pork chops (around 2 oz each)

½ cup flour

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ cup milk

2/3 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by pounding any pork chop greater than 1/2” thick to approximately 1/4”. Rinse the pork chops and pat dry.  Preheat a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.

Combine the flour and paprika in one dish and the bread crumbs, salt and pepper in another. Coat the pork chops with flour, place in the milk, and then coat well with bread crumbs. Place in the pan for approximately 3 to 4 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Cooking several at time, plate the cooked cutlets and cover with foil to keep warm.

Top the cutlets with the salsa, and enjoy!