In the past few months I have heard from several drivers that they find cooking on the truck to be difficult. Either they do not have all the ingredients or it is just not the same as cooking from home. As a truck driver, I have to agree, cooking in the truck is NOT like cooking at home. Unless you have a very tiny apartment, your kitchen at home probably provides you with much more space for cooking, prepping, storage, and just about everything else.
The first secret to successful cooking on the truck is to realize your not at home. It may help if you look at it as if you are camping or on a picnic. You want to try to keep things simple and focus on meals with smaller ingredient bases, which require as few appliances as possible. Keeping these things in mind will keep preparation simple and make cleaning up a lot easier.
The next important thing to remember is that the recipes you choose are just an outline of suggestions of how to do things. Some of the best recipes are happy little accidents due to a mix-up in the kitchen, being short on an ingredient, or just plain ole' substitution.
This month's recipe is an example of how you can take a basic recipe and easily adapt it to a variety of situations. The first time I prepared my mustard coated pork chops, I did it as a way to add flavor without the extra calories and sugar that many marinades and glazes have. A friend of mine who was testing the recipe for me did not have any pork chops on hand, so she chose to use my recipe on chicken leg quarters instead. Both her husband and herself can be a tad picky when it comes to certain foods, yet my recipe along with her substitution was a huge hit for the both of them. As you can see from that example, recipes can be easily changed around and substitutions can be made quite simply without ruining a dish in the end.
Likewise, if you don't have whole grain mustard, you can easily substitute almost any other kind of mustard instead. The only one I personally would suggest not using is yellow mustard, however that is due to my own preference of taste. As I often remind friends, cooking is meant to be fun. Recipes are a framework and you should feel free to take detours and change things around to your personal preference.
You can also modify recipes to provide health benefits beyond what the original may or may not include. Take mustard for example, some quick research on it and you will find a large number of claims on its benefits to health. I'll quickly focus on the two which are most often documented. Mustard comes from the Brassica family (broccoli and cabbage). Like it's cousins, it is being studied for its effects in protecting against intestinal cancers. The Selenium and Magnesium with its anti-inflammatory properties may help with asthma, high blood pressure and possibly migraines. It is also a good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Copper, Manganese and Vitamin B-1.
Who knew that such a humble plant with its small seed could be so tasty and beneficial to your health? If you want to learn more about mustard and it's benefits (as well as it's uses), click here.
Feel free to send me your suggestions to roadtestedliving@gmail.com. Ideas for articles and requests for recipes customized to your needs are gladly accepted.
Whole Mustard Coated Chops Recipe
This is one of those recipes I really enjoy because it is so versatile and can be easily altered with different meats depending on my preference that day.
Ingredients
- Pork Chops (Or substitute in your preferred meat, chicken works wonderfully)1 tbsp of Whole Grain Brown Mustard per Pork ChopDash of Garlic Powder
- Dash of Onion Powder
- Cajun Seasoning (Optional and add per individual taste)
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- Dash of Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
Pre-heat pan over medium/low heat. Take your prepared meat and add your seasonings to each side before coating the entire slice of meat with a generous portion of mustard. Place into your pan and cook for 5 - 6 minutes per side, cover (allow some steam to be released as it cooks).
For those who are not familiar with the pinch and Dash measurements: A pinch is the amount of an ingredient that you can hold between your thumb and first finger (about 1/8 of a teaspoon.) For a Dash that one is just a light sprinkle. For me personally it is another way to day to taste, as a Dash can vary depending on who is doing it.
Cooking times may vary depending on thickness and type of meat used.
As a side dish, I like to add in either fresh asparagus or broccoli. Just before the meat is finished cooking, I move the meat to the side of my pan and toss in my vegetables with a dash of salt/pepper and occasionally season them with some Cajun or other seasoning.
Just before completing your dish, I highly suggest splashing a small amount of water (about 1-2 teaspoons) into the pan to help loosen any cooked on bits at the bottom of the pan and tossing them in with your meat and vegetables to add flavor. Then tightly cover everything for about 3-5 minutes. This will finish off the meat and should turn the veggies out al-dente.
Feel free to serve with a salad. For a healthy dressing that will complement the flavors use a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.