Chef Johnny Prep Reveals 'The Magic Of Cooking With Really Good Broth'

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — What's the secret to making really good broth? Chef Johnny Prep knows!

Chef Prep, an author, entrepreneur, cooking show host, soup expert, and an advocate for children's health, visited the KCAL9 studios Wednesday to talk about his new book, "The Magic of Cooking with Really Good Broth".

The book is packed with rich-tasting, healthy recipes that reveal a chef's best kept secret.The recipes focus on five categories of broths and stocks and provide menu options including veggie, meat and seafood soups, five-star and healthy lifestyle dishes and main course meals and entrées. A portion of the book's proceeds go to LA Food Bank & Forgotten Harvest.

Johnny also showed viewers how to make Frenched Double Pork Chops with Vidalia Dijon Cream Sauce.

Frenched Double Pork Chops with Vidalia Dijon Cream Sauce:
SERVES 4
The epitome of five-star fare shines through in this lusciously moist pork chop dish, with the caramelized onions complimenting the tender tanginess of the Dijon mustard.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 double cut pork chops
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Cream Sauce
1 large onion, cut into strips
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken stock or bouillon
¼ cup cream
salt and pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

French each chop by scraping all the meat and fat from each bone down to the loin. Place chops in a brine solution of salted water with equal amounts of sugar. Let brine for 1 hour. Remove and thoroughly pat dry with a paper towel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush chops lightly with olive oil

Mix seasoning in a bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture aggressively on chops to coat evenly. Preheat grill or grill pan on medium high heat. Sear chops until nice grill marks are evident and meat is browned. Remove chops and place in a foil lined baking pan. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Tent with foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

While chops are baking, preheat a frying pan to medi¬um heat. Add olive oil to pan and heat for 1 minute. Add onions to pan and sauté until onions are soft and translucent with a touch of brown color. Add mustard to pan and toss onions to coat. Continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce for 3 minutes. Add cream and let reduce for an additional 2 minutes or until you reach desired sauce thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon sauce on a plate and place 1 pork chop in the middle. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Udon Noodles with Red Lentils, Peanuts, and Thai Curry Sauce:
SERVES 4

8 ounces thin organic Udon noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup red lentils
1 cup peanuts, chopped
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup mint, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
½ cup Thai coconut milk
½ cup chicken stock or bouillon

Place lentils in a bowl and cover with boiling water (water from an instant hot tap works well) and let soften for 2 hours. If not soft add more hot water and continue to soak for another half hour. You can also just cover with hot water overnight. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Place noodles in water and boil until tender. Drain and toss with sesame oil.
In a large frying pan, place oil over medium high heat. Stir in red curry paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and chicken stock and mix until paste is thoroughly incorporated. Add half the cilan¬tro and mint and reduce sauce by N. Place drained noodles in sauce along with half of the peanuts and half of the lentils. Toss to coat noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Plate noodles with rest of peanuts, lentils and cilantro. Place mint on top as garnish.