An Affordable Classic

A good rule to follow when deciding what to serve at a dinner party is: When in doubt, turn to the classics. It’s true that some classics can be pricey, but with a few adjustments you can have an affordable and delicious meal. Our inexpensive variation on veal cordon bleu, for instance, is made with pork rib chops. We used regular-cut chops that were about one inch thick. These thinner chops were great for pan-frying, not only because they cook in just about 10 minutes, but because they do not dry out like thicker chops sometimes do.

Another classic favorite is flan. Ours is a cauliflower flan and it’s a snap to make. Just puree the cooked cauliflower along with eggs, half-and-half and seasonings in a blender. That’s it. The result is a silky smooth flan with a surprisingly delicate cauliflower flavor that accents the flavors in the pork chops.

All that’s needed to complete this dinner is a simple watercress-and-tomato salad. Serve it the classic way drizzled with a little olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkling of cracked pepper.

For the perfect ending: almond cookies dusted with powdered sugar and a good cup of coffee.

MENU

Pork Chops Cordon Bleu

Cauliflower Flan

Watercress Topped With Sliced Tomatoes

Almond Cookies

Beverages

TK wine

Coffee

PORK CHOPS CORDON BLEU

4 (1-inch-thick) rib pork chops

Salt, pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced sage

2 cups sour rye bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chicken broth

2 slices ham, cut in half

4 slices Muenster cheese

Flour

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

1 cup oil

4 sage leaves

4 wedges lemon

Cut pocket in pork chops. Season chops outside and inside pocket with salt and pepper to taste, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 teaspoon sage. Set aside.

Heat butter in skillet and lightly saute remaining 1 clove garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons sage. Stir in 1 cup bread crumbs. Saute until lightly browned. Stir in chicken broth. Line pocket of each chop with 1/2 slice ham. Put cheese in center of ham. Spoon stuffing into chops. Skewer edge of chops with toothpick.

Dip chops in flour to coat shaking off any excess. Dip in egg mixture then in remaining 1 cup bread crumbs to coat. Heat oil in large skillet. Fry chops in oil until browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish each chop with 1sage leaf. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

493 calories; 627 mg sodium; 134 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 0.22 grams fiber.

CAULIFLOWER FLAN

1 small head cauliflower

3/4 cup half and half

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon melted butter

Chopped parsley

Remove outer leaves from cauliflower. Break head up into florets. Cook florets in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain cooked cauliflower. Puree in blender with half and half, eggs, salt, pepper and butter.

Divide into 4 buttered custard cups. Bake in water bath at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If flan mixture is prepared ahead and refrigerated it may take slightly longer to bake. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

150 calories; 249 mg sodium; 184 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.36 grams fiber.

ALMOND COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Powdered sugar

Beat butter in mixing bowl until light and creamy. Beat in sugar, then egg. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

Sift together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat into creamed mixture until blended. Stir in almonds.

Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with 2 1/4-inch round cutter. Bake on buttered baking sheets at 375 degrees 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove to wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to taste.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

140 calories; 72 mg sodium; 24 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.22 grams fiber.

Staples

Salt, pepper

Garlic

Butter

Chicken broth

Flour

Eggs

Milk

Oil

Lemon

Sugar

Vanilla

Almond extract

Baking soda

Cream of tartar

Powdered sugar

Shopping List

4 (1-inch-thick) rib pork chops

Fresh sage

Sour rye bread

Ham

Muenster cheese

1 small head cauliflower

1/2 pint half and half

Fresh parsley

Sliced almonds

Watercress

Tomatoes

GAME PLAN

Day before or morning of dinner: Make cookies and bake. Cool, then store in airtight container.

Two hours before dinner: Prepare cauliflower flan mixture. Refrigerate.

One hour before dinner: Prepare pork chops and fry. Keep warm until ready to serve.

About 30 minutes before dinner: Pour cauliflower flan mixture into buttered custard cups and bake.

Last minute: Arrange watercress and sliced tomatoes on plates. Cut lemon into wedges. Garnish pork chops with sage leaves. Serve along with individual flans in custard cups.

Denby glazed pottery in photo from Bristol Farms Cook ‘N’ Things, South Pasadena.