Leaner, meaner baked schnitzel

Ever since the Eat on $30 Challenge I've been reserved about the meals I've prepared, or not prepared for that matter. We've been eating a fair amount of what I call cheater meals, stir fries made with frozen vegetables or ham sandwiches, for dinner. Not that these dishes don't have a place in our busy lives, they do. If I were living alone I probably would just eat string cheese on nights like this, but I'm the big sister and have to take care of my little sister (even though I live in her house, with her husband and her dog while I go back to school to restart my life). Life's funny that way.

None-the-less, I just finished a big paper and had lots of free time yesterday. Berkley and I both could have used a run in the hills, but the wind was hateful and we would have returned home grouchy with earaches. We hung out in the kitchen instead.

This is one of my favorite methods of preparing pork or chicken -- pound it super thin and then cover it in bread and cheese. Yum, right! Most often people fry schnitzel, which makes it heavy and fatty, and I'm all about cooking food that is as healthy as possible. Go to a restaurant and eat fried schnitzel -- that way it won't stink up your house, your clothes, your dog.

This dish is easy. It's just messy. I wish I could have taken a picture of my fingers when I was finished, but I didn't trust Berkley with my camera. Be prepared to make a bit of a mess, but trust me, it's worth it. This pork or chicken (I know there are folks who just don't like pork) is divine. With a squeeze of lemon it is so bright and cheery. I served it with the Pioneer Woman's crushed potatoes, which you can find here. By the way, my Utah lovelies, she'll be in your neck of the woods next week! She's signing her new cookbook at the King's English Bookstore on Wednesday. You should go for me and tell her how much I love her and how when I grow up I want to be just like her -- kitchen and cowboy and all :)

Baked Schnitzel

3 boneless pork chops

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup flour

2 eggs

1 tbs grainy mustard

1 tbs chopped Italian parsley, more for garnish

½ tsp salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On one plate combine flour and salt and pepper. On another plate combine panko, parmesan and parsley and in a bowl scramble the eggs with the mustard.

Place pork chops in a sealed zip lock bag and pound the hell out of them. Don’t worry if they look a bit mangled – the more tender, the more better :). In assembly line fashion, dredge your chops in the flour first. Shake off any excess. Move on to the eggs and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a cookie sheet (I sprayed mine with Pam to ensure stick-free removal).

Depending on how thin your chops are, bake for about 15-25 minutes. No one likes to eat raw pork. Serve with lemon slices.