Pork Chops, Pierogies, Zucchini

Last night's dinner was all about using up some of the odds and ends in the freezer. We had two bone-in pork chops and about 1/3 of a bag of frozen pierogies. SP asked if we could have steamed zucchini and it just happened to be on sale at the store.


In an effort to be slightly more healthy, I opted not to make the pierogies with bacon. Instead I thinly sliced two small onions and about 1/3 of a red onion I found in the fridge and slow cooked them in a touch of oil until they were soft. I boiled the pierogies until they floated to the surface and then tossed them with the onions.

We both wanted a thin, breaded pork chop but I didn't want to forgo the bone, which helps keep them moist as they cook. As luck would have it I saw a recipe in a magazine that called for pounding a bone-in chop so I used that method. All you do is make a slit to separate the meat from the bone at both ends and then pound it like you normally would. I coated the chops in egg beaten with a little water and then some Italian seasoned bread crumbs with some grated Pecorino tossed in. The chops were fried in a little olive oil until they were crispy and golden brown. In this photo I've removed the bone from my chop to make it easier to eat.


Steamed zucchini is a new one for me, so I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I cut the zucchini in half and then into large pieces and put them in my steamer basket along with two cloves of crushed garlic. I made sure to keep a close watch since we both like tender-crisp veggies. As soon as they were done I put half the zucchini (my portion) in a bowl along with the garlic, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a little grated Pecorino and tossed them around. SP opted to have his zucchini plain. I absolutely loved these and wished I'd bought more. I'll definitely make zucchini this way again.