Schnitzel- or breaded Pork Chops

This meal is certainly one of my boy's favorites.  It is my version of Schnitzel.  I started making Schnitzel because during our last trip to my Grandparents house in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we ate at a great restaurant called The Bird.  The Bird has one of the most exquisite views of the Tetons I have ever seen. (And great beer.)  Eating out on the deck is a must!  Anyway, I digress, the food there was fantastic!  The Schnitzel with a squeeze of lemon was simple and perfect.  I pound out a 1/2" thick piece of boneless pork chop until it is 1/4" thick, then I flour it, dip it in egg and then into seasoned Panko breadcrumbs.  I season the Panko with 1/4 tsp dried parsley, pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder.  I fry it up in my Lodge (one of my favorites) cast iron skillet with grape seed oil.  Very simple.

My Brussels sprouts are definitely something worth writing about.  They are so simple to make and so yummy, you will never go back to mushy, gross Brussels sprouts again!  I start with 4 slices of bacon which I cut into cubes.  Then I get the bacon crispy in a pan with 1 tbsp of grape seed oil in a skillet.  I remove the bacon, cut the Brussels sprouts in half, quarter a lemon and add that to the skillet with 1/2 tsp black pepper.  I try to get the flat side down in the bacon grease so that can get crispy.  After 5-7 minutes on medium heat, I add 1/2 cup chicken stock, put a lid on it and let the sprouts steam for about 10 minutes.  To serve, I scoop it all into a serving dish and then add the crispy bacon.  You can totally do this with green beans, asparagus or carrots.  This is one veggie dish that my boys all fight over.

The mashed potatoes are so simple.  Thanks to my friend Lea, I was introduced to something that has saved my sanity!  Pre-made mashed potatoes from Trader Joes.  I add some chicken stock, pepper, some of the bacon from the Brussels sprouts and voila!  Perfect mashed potatoes that were super easy!

I hope you like these recipes and a bit of my history.  Cheers!