Dinner in a hurry

Last Edit December 22, 1999

This is just for Pepper - You can do this...... Even my boys can fix this dinner. The condensed soup makes a pseudo-gravy and since you use non-fat milk, it gives you the effect but is not as bad for you. The milk-based soup also tenderizes the pork (or chicken).

4 - 6 pork chops - any kind
Canola oil - 1 TBLSP
Frying pan with cover
Salt substitute
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Can of Condensed mushroom soup (Campbell's soup)OR
Can of Condensed Cream of potato soup
This is the soup in the red and white labeled can that you have to add an equal amount of milk to - except for a sauce, you only add 1/3 of a can.
Non-fat milk
1 large Can of green beans, cut
2 Cans of sliced potatoes

Fry pork chops in the Canola oil, both sides, medium to high heat.
When browned on both sides, turn down the heat.
If there is a lot of grease, drain it off and discard.
Add the condensed soup - with 1/3 soup can of non-fat milk.
Stir.
Season to taste with salt substitute, garlic powder and onion powder. (This means shake some in - shake more in if you like garlic or onion).
Add in the green beans - drain them first.
Add in the sliced potatoes - drain them first.
Cover and simmer (low heat) for 15-30 minutes.
Check them every 10 minutes - don't let them go dry - add a little non-fat milk if it looks like they might and lower you temperature.
Pork chops are done when they easily come apart with a fork.

Divide up and serve.

If the chops have a lot of fat on them - trim before cooking.

You can do this with chicken breast fillets too.

Or you can use chicken split breasts (bone in) - just remove the skin and bones first by boiling for 15 minutes in salted water (1 teaspoon salt/quart of water) and then peeling the meat free. Chunks are fine. (Put the hot chicken under cold water - works better and saves your hands.)

With the chicken - 15 minutes is long enough to cook once you have browned it and added the soup.

Should serve 4.

You could use baby peas with the green beans and potatoes. I love peas and beans mixed together.

GUNK

Growing up, we didn't have all that much so meals would get stretched. We raised chickens, or I did, so eggs for breakfast were really very fresh (I had a hen that laid a double-yolk egg every morning). We drank a lot of eggnogs. Lunch was sometimes a bowl of "gunk". We loved it.

Green beans
Shelled peas
baby potatoes
Milk butter Salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes until almost done, add the peas and beans. [Cook the potatoes in 1/2 inch of water - tightly sealed pot, medium heat. No salt.] If you are using canned vegetables and potatoes, heat them all up together.
Drain.
Add milk to cover and dot with butter. Reheat to serving temperature. In other words, add non-fat milk to cover and dot with 1-2 tablespoons of low-fat margarine (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter - Light).
Season with salt and pepper - or use Mrs. Dash salt substitute.

Serve in a soup bowl.

Once, when I was putting my husband through law school (a long, long time ago), I needed to fix dinner the night before payday with no money, and all I had in the house was 1 large carrot, powdered milk, margarine, one potato, and two frankfurters. I made a casserole. Gunk in the oven. Survival of the quick thinkers.