Recipe for Creole-Seasoned and Pan-Fried Pork Cutlets with Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Salsa

There are lots of you out there counting down to the Superbowl, and I might impress the Saints fans by saying I planned these Creole-seasoned pork cutlets in honor of the big game, but that would be a lie. This recipe actually came about because I had pork loin chops and red bell peppers hanging out in the fridge and a few wayward cherry tomatoes on the counter. Rubbing the chops with a Creole-seasoned mix before I pounded them into cutlets was just an experiment that worked, and luckily I had the sense to take some photos while I made this, because it turned out to be a keeper.

Friday Night Photos: Two Thumbs Up for New Red Iguana Location in Salt Lake City!

It was nearly four years ago when I first acknowledged my love for Salt Lake City's Red Iguana Restaurant in a post on the blog. Then a few weeks ago I was excited to hear that Red Iguana 2 was opening, literally blocks away from the original location. Now you can go to one Red Iguana and if it's standing-room-only with people waiting for tables, it's a 5 minute drive to the other location. I think that plan was a stroke of marketing genius on the part of Lucy Cardenas, the personable and charming owner of the Red Iguanas. I've been to the new Red Iguana several times since it opened, and I love the new Red Iguana 2 just as much as the original one. It's been a while since I shared restaurant photos for Friday Night Photos, but these are some of the dishes that make eating at the Red Iguana always so memorable.

Recipe for Braised Cauliflower with Garlic and Anchovies

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites: January 2010.) I'm guessing at least a few of you saw the word "anchovies" in the recipe title and weren't excited about it. I felt that way about anchovies for a long time, but when I finally started cooking with them a few years ago, I really came to appreciate the salty and umami-rich flavor that the tiniest amount of anchovies or anchovy paste can bring to a dish. In this recipe, the combination of garlic and anchovies turn this simple dish of braised cauliflower into something that you'll want to make over and over, which is why I think it's perfect to be added to my category for Recipe Favorites.

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer Machine

I'm years behind in spotlighting the FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer machine as one of my Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, because this product is something I've owned for over 20 years and use all the time to freeze or store foods I buy in bulk. Interestingly, what has kept me from featuring the FoodSaver is also a good reason to recommend it, because the one I use is now so old it doesn't look much like the newer models, so I didn't want to take a photo of it. After I'd had my original FoodSaver about 10 years it quit working (completely my fault, because I had sucked water into the machine when vacuum-packing Feta cheese). I called FoodSaver and for a very small fee they sent me a refurbished model that I've used ever since! (Just for the record and to keep the FTC happy, FoodSaver has no idea I'm featuring this product, and they have never given me samples or paid me in any way to promote their vacuum-packing systems.)

Recipe for Ground Turkey and Bean Stew with Cumin, Green Chiles, and Cilantro

A reader named Katherine from Sacramento sent me the link to green chile chicken and pink bean stew that inspired this turkey and bean stew with green chiles. I used ground turkey instead of chicken thighs, and Rancho Gordo Yellow Indian Woman Beans instead of pink beans, but I kept the generous amount of garlic, cumin, and diced green chiles from the original recipe. I also added a can of refried beans to thicken the stew, and although it ended up being not not overly photogenic, this turned out to be the kind of comforting stew I'd love to have in the freezer for a quick dinner. Don't skip the lime wedges for serving this; they're the perfect finishing touch.

Five Fun Things on Friday (1-22-10)

Photo of Southern Utah Desert from PDPhoto.org

Once again it's time for some Friday Night fun. These links are all things I've spotted on the web this week. (The truth is, I find most of them on Twitter, where I spend far too much time some days.) Keep reading to see why photos of Southern Utah are featured in this weeks intro.

Recipe for Eggs Fried in Olive Oil with Wilted Greens and Sumac

When I was a kid, my mom used to fry eggs in bacon grease. Mom would cook the eggs until they were slightly crispy on the edges, and mom's fried eggs, with a whisper of bacon grease flavor, were something I loved for breakfast back in the day. Fast forward quite a few years, and I now like olive oil much more than bacon grease, so I have no idea why it took me so long to try this way of cooking eggs. The idea of frying eggs in olive oil is something I thought might be a nice option for Phase One Breakfasts that so many people are looking for this time of year. If you're not on a diet, or not on phase one, I'd add some 100% whole wheat toast to this for a breakfast that might just be better than mom used to make.

How to Make Ham Stock and Recipe Ideas Using Ham Stock

I'm not always the most frugal cook on earth, but one frugal thing I love to do is save scraps of meat and vegetables and use them to make homemade stock. Making stock from scraps that might have been thrown away feels like getting free food, plus the homemade stock is so much more flavorful than canned stock, and your house smells great while the stock is cooking. If you're already making homemade chicken stock, turkey stock, or beef stock, you may not need this tutorial on making ham stock, but when I've mentioned ham stock to people, I've been surprised how many people have told me they've never thought of it.

Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup with Ham and Sherry Vinegar (Crockpot or Stovetop Recipe)

Besides writing about food and South Beach Diet friendly recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen, I also write for a site called BlogHer.com. For January I'm writing a series of posts there called Eat Your Greens. I started with Kale, and I somewhat sheepishly had to admit that although I've made several tasty dishes with the Red Russian Kale I've grown in my garden, I'd never once cooked dark green kale. Since Kale has more nutrition per calorie than almost other food, I really wanted to start using it. Luckily my store had it on special for $.99 a bunch, so I bought three nice bunches, and this soup is the first thing I made.

Five Fun Things on Friday (1-15-10)

It's time for another Friday night collection of fun things, and this week one of the Fun Friday things has something to do with this spinach salad recipe I got from a reader named Robin back in July. Of course, it's not exactly strawberry season in January, but keep reading to see how strawberries just bacame a lot more fun, especially if you have an iPhone.

Recipe for Southwestern Omelet with Easy Guacamole and Salsa

One of the reasons why I love the South Beach Diet is the way it makes a distinction between "good fats" and "bad fats." While saturated fats and trans fats are kept to a bare minimum, you can eat good fats, like avocados, nuts, or olive oil in reasonable amounts. I'd have a very hard time sticking with a diet that didn't allow those kinds of things, and especially avocados, which are one of my favorite foods. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to share this recipe and these photos are even from my old camera, but this omelet with guacamole tucked inside is something that would definitely help me not feel deprived on phase one.

Recipe for Split Pea Soup with Ham, Bay Leaves, Epazote and Red Bell Pepper (or Carrots)

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites, January 2010) Utah is actually having a relatively mild winter, but for some reason all I feel like cooking lately is soup. Today I woke up with good intentions of cooking some fish, but once I saw the Vegan Split Pea Soup at The Perfect Pantry, I couldn't stop thinking about split pea soup. I knew this recipe was back in the archives needing a photo, but originally I had used carrots in it, and since I'm focusing on South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes for January, carrots were out. When I hit on the idea of replacing the carrots with red bell peppers, this turned into an updated recipe favorite with a new Phase One twist. Of course, if you're not doing phase one or prefer a more traditional split pea soup, go ahead and use the carrots.

Recipe for "Cauliflower Rice" with Fried Onions and Sumac

One of the first things I heard about when I started the South Beach Diet (over 5 years ago) was the now-famous "cauliflower mashed potatoes." Frankly, the idea didn't appeal to me until I tried Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese and realized how good it could be as a delicious cauliflower dish, and not a substitute for mashed potatoes. I feel the same way about the idea of this "cauliflower rice." Although the name is useful to give an idea of the texture of this dish, it's cauliflower, plain and simple. If you don't like cauliflower, you're not going to like this.

Five Fun Things on Friday (1-8-10)

I may have to re-think calling this Friday night post Five Fun Things on Friday, because sometimes I want to share things that make me think, but they may not really fit into everyone's description of fun. This week I should probably call it Five Things I'm Sharing on Friday Which May Be Fun or Might Make You Think. So here are my five fun or possibly just thought provoking things for this Friday.

Recipe Favorites: Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites January 2010) This is one of the Phase One recipes you could find in the new Index of South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen, and I first featured it on the blog in January 2007. Since then the recipe has accumulated a lot of fans. A faithful reader recently told me that she makes it every time she does Phase One, and mentioned it deserves be a recipe favorite. Then I made it over the weekend for my annual New Year's Day soup party, and a lot of people there raved about it too. When I went to lunch today with my friend Bonnie she told me her husband George loved this soup at the party. The signs from the universe are clear; it's time for this soup to be officially made a recipe favorite.

South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-up for December 2009

Kalyn's only phase one recipe from December was
Ham and Cabbage Soup with Red Bell Pepper.
(Leave out the carrots to make this soup phase one.)

Welcome to any new readers who are starting the South Beach Diet this month. I hope you're enjoying the new Index of South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen, which is an easy way to find phase one recipes I've posted on the blog. You can also find Phase One recipes in my once-a-month South Beach Diet Phase One Recipe Round-ups. Those posts are a round-up of all the Phase One recipes from the previous month that I spotted on other food blogs. As you might imagine, in the food blog world December is mostly about cookies and not so much about healthful eating, but even so I did manage to find some pretty tasty recipes last month.

Recipe for Mexican Red Lentil Stew with Lime and Cilantro (Vegan)

It's the first day of a brand new decade! Especially for anyone who's getting started on the South Beach diet, we're going to start the year off with a very healthful phase one soup that's not only inexpensive and easy to make, but vegan as well. I adapted this recipe from a new-to-me blog called Budget Bytes, who had adapted it from Andrea Meyers, so you can tell the recipe has a lot of fans! My brother Rand, his partner Bradley, and my nephew Jake all tasted this soup and declared it a winner. I'm having my annual New Year's Day Soup Party today, and this is one of the soups I'm serving.