March 17-Pork Chops w/Peppers and Onions & Buttery Baby White Potatoes

Good Housekeeping's Fast Weeknight Favorites cookbook has been a lifesaver on busy nights. The book is full of easy, yummy dishes that take hardly any time to make. This week we tried the recipe for Pork Chops with Peppers and Onions. It was fine. Nothing life-changing, but good. We both liked it but neither of us loved it. It was still a good option for a busy weeknight.

What really won me over were the potatoes. The recipe for Buttery Baby White Potatoes was on the side of the potato bag and I decided to give it a try. Mmm mmm warm, indulgent goodness!

Pork Chops with Peppers and Onions

4 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed (about 4oz each)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1 bunch green onions, green tops cut on diagonal into 3-inch pieces, white bottoms thinly sliced crosswise

2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork chops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned on outside, about 8 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate and keep warm.
2. Add oil and green onion tops to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer green onion tops to a small bowl.
3. In the same skillet, add red peppers and green onion bottoms and cook, stirring occasionally, 8  minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in broth and half of green onion tops; Heat through.
4. To serve, transfer pepper mixture to a platter. Top with chops and remaining green onion tops.

Buttery Baby White Potatoes

1.5 lb baby white potatoes

6 tbsp butter

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1/4 cup minced shallot

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

1. Place unpeeled baby potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and gently boil until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the shallot and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm pot. Immediately add the shallot mixture, butter, and parsley. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

May 14- Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa

This may be a repeat (see original post from last June), but it is definitely a recipe worth repeating! As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. I enjoyed this recipe the first time I made it, but it seemed so much better this time around! I think it goes to show that a lot can change in a year- I think I've finally perfected the perfect pan-grilled chop. Thinly sliced, perfectly cooked, yummo.

Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa II

6 3oz boneless center cut loin pork chops
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp lime juice, divided (I just cut a lime into two halves)

4 1/2in thick pineapple slices

1 medium red onion, cut into small pieces

1 jalapeño pepper, minced (seed jalapeño for a milder salsa)

3/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp ground black petter

1. Combine pork with 1 tbsp lime juice. I just squeezed the lime over the pork. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Chop pineapple and onion into small pieces and sauté about 4-6 minutes on medium-high, or until onion is tender. 

3. Combine pineapple and onion with jalapeño, 1/8 tsp salt, and remaining lime juice. 

4. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt and pepper over pork. Cook 4 minutes each side or until done. My pork pieces were much thicker than the suggested 1/2 in, so it took longer to cook. 

5. Top pork with salsa and enjoy!

April 1-Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

Another winner from Campbell's Kitchen! We'll be adding this one to the repertoire of weeknight favorites for sure.

Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

2 tbsp olive oil

6 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 1/2lbs)

1 medium onion, diced

1 jar (24 oz) Prego Marinara Italian Sauce

1 package (10oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heath. Add the pork chops and cook until the chops are browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook until tender-crisp.

3. Stir the sauce and spinach into the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the pork chops to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the chops are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese. 

July 18-Grilled Swiss, Ham, and Pineapple Sammies

My mom came up with this delicious sandwich combination when I was a kid. There was a sandwich shop at our mall foot court that offered a similar selection, and she was inspired. Quick enough to whip up in 10 minutes, versatile enough to enjoy for lunch or dinner, tasty enough to send me into melty cheese cravings for the past week (I am now satisfied).

Grilled Swiss, Ham, and Pineapple Sammies

Deli sliced ham

Swiss cheese

Canned pineapple pieces

Deli rolls

Slice ham into thin strips and heat in a nonstick skillet, along with the pineapple pieces. Meanwhile, toast your rolls in a skillet or toaster oven. Once the ham and pineapple are heated through, divide into sections within the skillet (one section per roll). Top each section with a slice of Swiss cheese. 

Once cheese is soft, use a spatula to place the mixture into each roll.

Top with lettuce, tomato, or may if desired (I personally like them just as is). 

If you love Hawaiian style pizza, another great option is to heat up Marinara sauce for dipping. Yum!

June 11-Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Tonight we brought a taste of the tropics into our home. (I've been craving a vacation, so I guess you could call that my inspiration.) This fresh, summer time dish was a hit with both my husband and myself. I'd never prepared pork before, so I was a little unsure what to expect, but I was extremely pleased with how it turned out. The salsa was my favorite part and definitely complimented the dish. It was much more filling than I expected, and we probably have about two or three servings leftover for later.

Served with baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli.

Pan-Grilled Pork Chops w/Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Original Recipe by Cooking Light

4 4oz boneless center cut loin pork chops (I purchased about 2lbs, so it was about double)
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp lime juice, divided (I just cut a lime into two halves)

4 1/2in thick pineapple slices

1 medium red onion, cut into small pieces

1 tsp minced jalapeño pepper (seed jalapeño for a milder salsa)

3/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp ground black petter

1. Combine pork with 1 tbsp lime juice. I just squeezed the lime over the pork. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Chop pineapple and onion into small pieces and sauté about 4-6 minutes on medium-high, or until onion is tender. 

3. Combine pineapple and onion with jalapeño, 1/8 tsp salt, and remaining lime juice. 

4. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt and pepper over pork. Cook 4 minutes each side or until done. My pork pieces were much thicker than the suggested 1/2 in, so it took longer to cook. 

5. Top pork with salsa and enjoy!