Italian Chopped Salad

I followed this recipe but used different ingredients. See my notes below. 
 
https://www.loveandlemons.com/chopped-salad/
 
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6
 
Ingredients
 
Lemon Vinaigrette
 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
 
For the salad
 
1 small head iceberg lettuce
1 head radicchio
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 ounces fresh pearl mozzarella, drained
4 ounces provolone cheese, diced
5 pepperoncini, stemmed and sliced
1 teaspoons oregano, for garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Instructions
 
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
 
Cut the iceberg lettuce in half through the core, then cut out the core. Slice the lettuce lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips. Repeat with the radicchio.
 
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, chickpeas, mozzarella, provolone, and pepperoncini. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Sprinkle with extra oregano, and serve.
 
My Notes:
 
I doubled the salad dressing to have some extra for another night.

I pureed the garlic with my French garlic grater. This helped to blend in with the dressing.
 
I used romaine lettuce; added sliced black olives, Genoa salami cut into small pieces. 

I added Dijon mustard (1/2 T) to the dressing; Italian seasoning instead of oregano. 

I used shaved parmesan cheese. 

I served the pepperoncini on the side, as well as the dressing.  

I also adjusted the amount of salad, as I made it for a dinner party of 10. 

Lasagna

Our Lasagna January 2026
 

We made this the night before serving. Sitting overnight in the refrigerator and heating it the next day melds the flavors of the lasagna.

 
This recipe is adapted from https://www.spendwithpennies.com/easy-homemade-lasagna/
 
12 Servings
 
Ingredients
 
12 lasagna noodles uncooked
Salt
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sweet sausage
42-42 oz Rao’s marinara sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 t fennel seeds
3 T dry red wine
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese shredded
1 15-oz container of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg beaten
 
Instructions
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Add some olive oil so the noodles don’t stick together while preparing the rest of the dish.
 

While the noodles are cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil. Add the beef and sausage, breaking into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink. Drain any fat.
 
Stir in the Rao’s sauce, tomato paste, fennel seeds, and wine. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove the skillet from the burner and add the chopped basil, stir to combine.
 

While the meat sauce is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parsley and egg. Set aside.
 
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a baking pan, lined with foil, on the rack. This is not needed if you use a deep casserole dish.
 
Spread a layer of Rao’s sauce (not the meat sauce) in the bottom of a 9x13 glass or ceramic pan. Top it with 3 lasagna noodles. Layer as follows: Meat sauce, mozzarella/parmesan cheese mixture, and the ricotta mixture. Use a spoon to spread the ricotta. Repeat the layers two more times. 
 
For the last layer, add the 3 noodles, Rao’s sauce (not the meat sauce), and mozzarella/parmesan cheese mixture.

  

Cover the lasagna pan with foil, tenting the foil slightly so it doesn’t touch the cheese. You can also use toothpicks to help tent the foil. Place on top of the foiled baking pan, and bake for 50 minutes. 

 
Remove, uncover, and let cool before placing it in the refrigerator (covered tightly with saran wrap and then tin foil).
 
When Ready to Eat
 
Bring the lasagna to room temperature, 2-3 hours. Reheat the lasagna, covered, at 350 degree for 50-60 minutes.
 
Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
                
Rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes:
 
We did not salt the meat sauce. Taste to see if you want salt added. We felt the meat sauce didn’t need any because of the flavors of the Italian sausage and Rao’s sauce.
 
Because we made this in the early evening, we used Rao’s sauce. When we make a marinara sauce, we like to let it simmer for a few hours.
 
We boiled 16 noodles in case any broke in the boiling process.
 
Next time, we will use less fennel seeds; and more ricotta cheese, about 6 oz more.

To freeze, wrap individual sections in saran wrap and place in a zip lock bag. Freeze up to 3 months.

Garlic Bread: I followed this excellent recipe:  https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/the-best-garlic-bread-recipe/

   

     

Ricotta Cheese Ravioli with Lemon Slices

When Tony and I were on a cruise this past October 2024, one of our ports was the beautiful town of Amalfi. Our morning started with a tour to a nearby grotto, which was beautiful. Later we explored the town.
 
For lunch, we ate at Rosticceria La Galea. I had the most amazing ricotta ravioli with a lemon flavor: RAVIOLI ALLO SFUSATO AMALFITAN, Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, local Amalfi lemon, with Datterini cherry tomatoes, shrimps and rocket. 

Datterini means “little dates”, elongated small tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are a good substitute. 
 
While there were lots of other delicious dishes to choose from on the menu, I decided to try this ravioli dish since it was so appropriate being in the land of lemons.
 
There are many variations of lemon ravioli recipes online, some with lemon juice and others with a combination of lemon juice and lemon zest.  I wanted to duplicate what I ate, so this is my creation.
 
Serves 2
 
4 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. cherry tomatoes cut in half
4 T tomato sauce
Salt to taste
A few turns of the black pepper mill
Ricotta Stuffed  Ravioli, enough for two servings
1 lemon, peeled into strips and thinly sliced
6-7 large shrimp, peeled and diced into large pieces
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
5-6 Basil leaves, julienned
Arugula

Instructions:
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the ravioli for 3-4 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cups of water. 

I cooked 20 raviolis and had some leftovers

Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon slices, cherry tomatoes, stirring to combine, then add the tomato sauce. Cook on low.  With a wooden spoon, gently smash the tomatoes to let out the juices.

While the ravioli is cooking, add the shrimp to skillet and cook until they are no longer opaque. This will be about the same time the ravioli is done.

 
 Add the drained ravioli, about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, and 1/4 parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. You want the sauce to have a ‘soupy’ consistency, so adjust as needed. Add half of the basil and stir to combine.

 

Plate the food and top with fresh arugula, more basil and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 
My Notes:
 
The ravioli that I had at the restaurant did not have lemon zest as part of the filling, just a regular ricotta filling. The thinly sliced lemon peel is what brought out the lemon flavor. It may have had some lemon juice in the tomato sauce. At Trader Joe’s, I found Ricotta and Lemon Zest Ravioli and used for this recipe.
 
Next time I may add a squeeze of lemon juice to really brighten up the dish.
 
For a variety, I may add some crushed pepper flakes.
 
Next time I will stir in half of the arugula in the skillet and will finish with fresh arugula.

Rosemary Focaccia

This is a recipe from The Tucci Cookbook (2012). I made this as a trial run for my cookbook dinner for next week.

Ingredients
 
1 package dry yeast
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c bread flour
4 t kosher salt [divided]
1 c milk
5 T oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
Leaves from one 5-inch fresh rosemary
 
Directions
 
In a measuring cup, stir the yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the all-purpose and bread flours with 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix at low speed until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 5 minutes.
 
(To mix by hand: Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour and the 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. Mix with a fork while adding the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to form a soft, dry dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue mixing it with your hands. Knead until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 8 minutes.)
 
Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and drape a dish towel over the bowl. Set aside in a warm place and allow to double in size, about 2 hours.
 
Lightly grease a large baking sheet (about 9 x 15-inch). Gently punch down the dough. Place it on a baking sheet and roll it out to fit evenly on the sheet. Cover with a dish towel and the dough to rise for 20 minutes.
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Use your fingertips to make random indentations in the dough. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and the rosemary leaves. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving warm.
 
Variations
 
Before baking, top the focaccia with any combination of the following ingredients:  1/4 inch thick slices ripe plum tomatoes, 24 pitted Kalamata olives, 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion, 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese; 1/4 inch thick slices peeled eggplant; 1/4 inch  thick slices zucchini; 1/4 inch thick slices peppers; 1/3 cup pesto.
 
For a sweet variation on this recipe, gently 1 cup dried fruit such as raisins, cherries or blueberries, or 1 cup chocolate chips; into the rolled and risen focaccia. Brush with 3 tablespoons melted butter and bake.
  

  

  

  

My Notes
 
I mixed by hand, as I didn't have an electric mixer.

The dough more than doubled the size. Next time check at 1 hour 40 minutes.
 
I used a 10 x 15 baking sheet.
 
I used a teaspoon of kosher salt on the top.
 
I added Kalamata olives and red onions with the rosemary.  Next time I won’t slice the onions so thinly.
 
Next time I’ll check the bread in the oven at 20 minutes. I looked through the oven door and it didn’t seem baked long enough. It came out a little more than golden brown, but it came out very good.
 
I served with some olive oil for dipping.

26 June 2024:

I made this again for tonight's cookbook dinner. I added sliced cherry tomatoes along with red onion, Kalamata olives and rosemary. It came out great.

 

 

Turkey Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

24 Jan 2024

December 2022: My friend Amy C made this for our book club. 

This makes 16 roll ups.

Ingredients:

1 package lasagna noodles (use the kind you Boil, not the no boil ones)

1 jar tomato sauce (I used Lowes Spicy Arrabbiata sauce)

1 15-oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1 lb ground turkey

1 small container fresh baby spinach

32 oz. Ricotta cheese (I used part skim)

1 egg

~1 tsp Italian seasoning

~1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1) Boil large pot of water and cook lasagna according to package (suggest cooking in 2 batches so the noodles don't stick)

2) Mix tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes together

3) While lasagna is cooking brown ground turkey and drain off any excess liquid/fat then mix with a little bit of the fire roasted tomatoes

4) When lasagna is cooked, carefully coat with a bit of tomato sauce and then lay out flat to cool for a bit

5) Chiffonade (thin slice) the baby spinach

6) Mix together Ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste

7) When cheese, egg, etc. are well mixed add in spinach and stir well to coat it all and evenly distribute

8) Coat the bottom of a ceramic baking dish with a bit of sauce

9) When lasagna noodles are cool enough to handle lay out one at a time on parchment paper and smear with cheese/spinach mix leaving about 1-2 inches at top of noodle clear, sprinkle with a bit of turkey and shredded mozzarella

10) Starting from bottom roll up the loaded lasagna noodle

11) Place upright in the baking dish, repeat

12) Lightly drizzle top and dish side of noodles with any remaining sauce

13) Cover with tinfoil 

14) Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes 

My Notes: 

I made this on 22 January 2024 (photos below).

I had a large pot to cook all of the lasagna noodles (added 2 T of salt) at one time. I rinsed them in cold water after boiling and to stop the cooking process.

For the ricotta filling, Amy's recipe calls for 32 oz. I may not have used enough, as I had a lot left over (Tony made lasagna a few days later, so that worked out well). I will either add more filling the next time or just buy a 15 oz container.  I added some parmesan cheese and mozzarella  to the mixture. Next time I'll chop the spinach. 

For the meat sauce, I sautéed 1/2 cup of chopped onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic with 1 T olive oil before adding and browning the meat. I seasoned with salt and pepper. I added Rao's marinara sauce, the fire roasted tomatoes (drained), and some hot pepper flakes.

I laid out the lasagna on top of parchment paper so that it didn't stick to the counter and added the filling and meat mixture. Instead of standing these, I laid them on the sides seam down (14 in a glass 9x13 baking pan; two in a smaller baking pan, which I wrapped tightly and froze for a future dinner). 

I baked this for 40 minutes, then uncovered and broiled for 2-3 minutes until the mozzarella cheese was bubbly. 

This came out great and my friends that were over for dinner loved it. 

The next time I will do a combination of beef and Italian sausage. 

Antipasto Platter

I made this today for an Italian dinner party. 

Adapted from:  https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/antipasto-platter/

 

Ingredients

 
1 jar (24 ounces) pepperoncini, drained
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups halved fresh mushrooms
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 pound provolone cheese, cubed
1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni
1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian vinaigrette dressing
Lettuce leaves
 
Directions
 
In a large bowl, combine pepperoncini, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, provolone cheese, olives and pepperoni. Pour vinaigrette over mixture; toss to coat.
 
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. Arrange on a lettuce-lined platter. Serve with toothpicks.
 
My Notes:
 
The recipe I followed (and adapted) stated it serves 16. I reduced the recipe for my dinner.
 
I didn’t use garbanzo beans. I didn’t bother with the lettuce leaves.
 
I quartered the mushrooms, as they were large.
 
I added pearl mozzarella, cooked cheese tortellini, quartered artichoke hearts, sliced roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes.
 
For the pepperoncini, I sliced them in half, lengthwise, and seeded them.
 
I let chill in the refrigerator for 5.5 hours; then plated everything onto a serving dish. 

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto (with spinach)

This is a delicious risotto that I made last night to go along with salmon that I baked in parchment paper. This was very easy to make in the Instant Pot. I adapted this recipe https://pressureluckcooking.com/instant-pot-mushroom-risotto/. See my Notes at the bottom of what I changed or added. 

 

PREP TIME 5 minutes
COOK TIME 14 minutes
TOTAL TIME 19 minutes
YIELD: 6

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp of vegetable oil
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) of salted butter, divided in half
2 large shallots, diced
24 oz (or three 8 oz packages) of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp of crushed garlic [1 clove]
2 cups of Arborio rice (make sure you use Arborio rice for a risotto)
4.5 cups of mushroom broth (or chicken, garlic or vegetable broth – I used 4.5 tsp of Mushroom Better Than Bouillon + 4.5 cups of water)
1/2 cup of a dry white wine (white cooking wine is fine too – but if you don’t use wine, add another 1/2 cup of broth)
1 tsp of seasoned salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp of Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp of dried parsley
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of white or black truffle oil
 
Instructions
 
Add the vegetable oil and the first 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of butter to the Instant Pot
 
Hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting and wait until the butter has melted and it bubbles.

Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes so it softens and just lightly browns. Then, add the garlic and sauté for another minute with the shallots. Lastly, add the mushrooms and add the other 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of butter. Stir constantly with the shallots and garlic for another 2-3 minutes until the butter’s melted and the mushrooms brown a bit in color 
 
Next, add in the white wine and once it bubbles, let it do so for another minute so the mushrooms simmer in it as you deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot to make sure it’s free and clear of any veggie remnants from sautéing (NOTE: If not using wine, add in 1/2 cup of the broth now)
 
Add in the rice and mix it in with everything in the pot and let sauté for 1 minute
 
Lastly, add in the broth, seasoned salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning and dried parsley. Stir well, once again deglazing the bottom of the pot so nothing’s stuck on. (NOTE: It will look like there’s way too much liquid in the pot given how much risotto is in it, but trust me. It will be magical and perfect once cooked since Arborio rice is a major liquid absorber once cooked)
 
Secure the lid, hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done. Once the lid comes off, stir everything together and it will immediately be the right consistency.
 
Add in the grated Parmesan cheese and truffle oil, stir until well combined and transfer to a serving dish
 
If you want more truffle oil, add more after tasting or drizzle over individual servings. 

My Notes:
 
I cut the recipe in half but kept the same cooking times. I didn't want to make the entire recipe for just the two of us, and I read that freezing risotto isn't a great idea. The texture of the risotto will change. I also read that if you freeze the risotto, you could later make Arancini di Riso (fried rice balls). I think I'll do that!

I used avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.

 
I didn’t have shallots on hand, so I just used a white onion, chopped, about 1 cup.
 
Once the lid came off, I added some truffle oil, a 1/2 teaspoon of Trader Joe’s truffle powder seasoning (kicking up that wonderful mushroom flavor), 1 cup (packed) chopped fresh spinach, and 1 tablespoon half and half.
 
I found I needed to stir in more parmesan cheese, and a little more salt.

It took four minutes to come to pressure. 

Overall, this is an excellent risotto. In fact my husband said it was the best he's ever had.

 

Italian Wedding Soup

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this soup. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.

Ingredients
 
For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
 
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
 

Limoncello

 

This is very easy to make and is so delicious, especially when you serve it from the freezer. I don't make it very often, but when I do, I always ask myself, why do I buy store-bought? I should make my own more often! 

Note that the amount of sugar and water is a ball park. You may want it sweeter or stronger. Start with the measurements I have and set aside 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Taste and add more if needed.

Ingredients:

1 empty (extra) 1.5 liter bottle

15-16 lemons

1.75 liter bottle of vodka (Many recipes call for grain alcohol. If you do, you may need to add more simple syrup, as I found the grain alcohol too strong) 

3 cups of sugar
3.5 cups of water

Directions:

Wash the lemons to remove any residue. Dry the lemons and remove the zest with a potato peeler. Make sure you remove any pith.
 
Divide the alcohol and zest into two bottles. Screw the caps on and store the bottles at room temperature in a cabinet. Let it sit for about 2 weeks or up to a month. Every couple of days, shake the bottles to mix the ingredients.

When ready, combine the sugar and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens, about 5-8 minutes. Let the sugar syrup cool completely.  
 
Using a strainer (some will use a coffee filter), pour the vodka mixture into the cooled sugar syrup. 

Pour the completed mixture into bottles using a funnel.
 
Place one bottle back in the cabinet; the other into the freezer. It's ready to serve once it's completely chilled. 

 Enjoy!

Instant Pot Pork Chops

23 January 2022

I had a couple of pork chops on hand, so I wanted to make them in the instant pot with a red sauce.

Most recipes I found called for thick chops. Mine were 1/2 inch thick, so I had to adjust the time for cooking. I checked on a couple of facebook pages and got some suggestions. 

Here’s my recipe:  

 

2 1/2” bone in pork chops

Olive oil for the bottom of the pot

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/3rd cup chopped onions (next time I’ll keep them in larger pieces)

A couple of small red peppers, thick slice

Dash of Italian seasoning

Dash of onion powder

Smoked Paprika, just a little. Next time I’ll add more.

1 can of diced tomatoes and its juices

About 4 T. Rao’s tomato sauce

About 1/2 cup of white wine

Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

10-12 Italian green olives

1 small can of mushrooms, drained (didn’t have fresh on hand)

Salt and Pepper

 

Season the pork chops with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and onion powder.

 

With the Sauté setting, add some olive oil and added the two chops to brown. Add the garlic, onions, peppers and salt/pepper (I placed them around the pork chops.  Turn the pork chops to the other side to brown; about 3-4 minutes on each side.

 

Turn off the IP.  Top the pork chops with the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, parsley, olives and mushrooms.

 

Pressure cook for 5 minutes followed by a Natural Release. 

The Natural Release took about 18 minutes. Next time I won’t let the natural release go beyond 13-14 minutes. The chops came out not quite tender, but not tough at all. Or I’ll buy thicker chops.

 

I had some leftover grits to serve as a side.