RunAmok Mama's Zesty Parmesan Shake 'N Bacon!

Want a little something special?

20 years ago, I was a "Shake 'N Bake" groupie!  I loved quick, seasoned meals - ones which seemed like I spent a lot of time in the kitchen... ones which made it seem I knew how to cook!

As I became more aware of the unnatural ingredients used to create these convenience "food" items, I set out to "healthify" some of our family favorites. 

"RunAmok Mama's Zesty Parmesan Shake 'N Bacon" is an extremely versatile recipe -- used to coat pork chops, spareribs, chicken thighs & drums, chicken breasts, sausage and hamburger patties, zucchini, yellow squash and more! YUM!!

For ease of cooking, you can make a big batch and store in the fridge for several meals over the week!

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Before we begin... some THMs may find the idea of using chicharrones ("pork rinds" or "pork skins") to be surprising - and for those of you who have never eaten these, there can be a certain "ick" factor which comes into play.  DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT let an unusual ingredient stop you from trying this recipe!  Seriously, this WILL make a family HAPPY!

These "original" pork rinds, shown below, contain only pork and salt.  The spicy, flavored varieties can contain many unwanted ingredients, such as MSG, maltodextrin, dextrose, and more.  *On rare occasions, I have used the pre-spiced versions, but usually only when the men-folk do the shopping for me.  (E'hem!) 

It is so easy to spice things up without the "off-plan" ingredients!  *Please note:  If you do not eat pork for personal/religious reasons, unfortunately, I do not have a suitable alternate for this ingredient at this time.

INGREDIENTS

2 bags of pork skins (best to use regular and add the spices yourself)
1/2 cup Frigo Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TBS McCormick Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp McCormick Curry Powder
3/4 tsp Trim Healthy Naturals High Mineral Salt (Himalayan Salt)
1-2 tsp Swanson Organic Cayenne Pepper (How HOT do you want this??)
1 tsp Paprika

YIELD: 
Enough to coat 3 pounds of meat, or 2 pounds of meat and 4 smaller zucchinis.  Leftover coating can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for approximately 1 week.  Our "leftovers" are usually used for another meal within a few days, because everyone asks for this, OFTEN.

1.  Gather your ingredients, then pour the bags of pork rinds into a larger bowl and crush to a fairly fine crumble.  I use a glass jar, but a potato masher works fine as well.

2.  Once crushed, add the spices and Parmesan, mixing well.

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You are ready to coat your meat or veggies!
Good recipes to try this with:

RunAmok Mama's Spiced Parmesan Spareribs
RunAmok Mama's Zesty Zucchini Spears

Works well for chicken tenders too!

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