Apple & Maple Pork Chops!

Due to some overzealous pick your own apple shenanigans we have an overabundance of apples (although the pie did put a nice dent in them). I was flipping through my fall magazines when I saw this gem: Pork Chops with Maple Apples. I had two pork chops, an abundance of apples, and I love maple...what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing!

This recipe was divine. The sweetness of the apples with the onions and pork was amazing. While I was cooking I panicked that one pork chop wasn't going to be enough for the manly Mr. Lawyer so I threw a couple of frozen hash browns into another pan. In my wedding addled brain (we were yelling back and forth about tux pick ups over the sizzling of the pans) I rationalized "pork and potatoes, latkes and applesauce, soooo apple pork chops and hashbrowns!". It was completely random but totally delicious. This is definitely a make again recipe. It was so good that I started eating it before I got a decent picture.

A weird but delicious combination!

I swear there are pork chops under the apples!

Sizzling away.

Pork Chops with Maple Apples

(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine)

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork chops, 3/4" inches
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light whipping cream
2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions:
1. Trim excess fat from chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. Remove from skillet. Cover with foil. Let stand 3 minutes.
2. Add apples, onion, and garlic to skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add apple juice. Cook about 4 minutes more or until most liquid has evaporated and apples are crisp-tender. Put pork chops back in pan with apple mixture. 

4. Stir together whipping cream, maple syrup, and thyme. Pour over pork and apples in skillet. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through and sauce starts to thicken. 

5. Remove from heat and serve!

Beautiful Chard!

I wasn't wowed by this recipe. I had some technical issues with the rainbow chard and some flavor issues with the whole dish. But before we get into the breakdown lets admire this beautiful piece of produce. Isn't it just gorgeous?

When I added everything together the pieces of chard leaves gravitated towards each other and clumped up. It was impossible to evenly distribute it throughout the dish. Secondly the flavor was a little bland unless you got a hit of red pepper. A bite with the ricotta cheese helped the flavor so I added extra ricotta and mixed it up with the whole dish instead of just using it as a topping. When Mr. Lawyer  added some garlic powder to the leftovers that helped it out a little but overall it was very underwhelming. Sad story.

Orecchiette with Ricotta and Chard Pan Sauce

(from Better Homes & Garden)

Ingredients:

1 large bunch organic swiss or rainbow chard
3/4 pound dried orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
crushed red pepper
2 ounces ricotta salata, asiago or pecorino cheese finely grated
1/4 cup fresh whole milk ricotta
sea salt and pepper
freshly grated Asiago
Directions:
1. Bring large pot of generously salted water to boiling. Separate chard stems from leaves; cut both into bite-sized pieces. Add orecchiette to boiling water. Set timer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for pan sauce, in large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chard stems, cook 3-5 minutes, until crisp tender.
3. After 10 minutes, add chard leaves to cooked pasta; cook 2 minutes more. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of cooking liquid. Return pasta and chard to pot; place over lowest heat setting. Add chard stems and any residual oil to pasta, along with butter, crushed red pepper, and reserved cooking liquid. Grate in Asiago; toss. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Divide among bowls. Top each with about 1 tbsp. ricotta. Add sea salt, pepper, and additional Asiago to taste.

Veggie Pasta

This was on my list for cheap and healthy recipes. It delivered. Under ten bucks for the whole meal it fed the two of us and there are enough leftovers for tomorrow. Obviously there isn't any crazy in your face flavors like bacon or a cream sauce but it was still really good. The dish had nice, simple veggie flavors. It was a nice way to get a healthy does of veggies and you could you use whole grain pasta for an extra healthy punch. And quick! It was so quick and easy.

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Spinach

(from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
6 ounces dried farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced portobello or other fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1/ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are nearly tender. Stir in spinach, thyme, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until heated through and spinach is slightly wilted. Stir in cooked pasta; toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with cheese.

A Refreshing Dinner Party!

Friday evening I hosted a dinner party for Mr. Lawyer's family. Six people total and no one got sick and we didn't run out of food! Everything was delicious and I'm psyched to host another gathering.

Appetizers: Cabot Cheddar, Swiss, and Yancy's Fancy Bacon Gouda with Onion Crackers (on my new cheese slate!). Kalamata and Red Pepper stuffed Green Olives. Artisan Bread with Pino's Press Tuscan Dipping Oil (on my new bread paddle!).
Wine: Wagner's Reserve Blush (yeah NY wines!) and a Zinfandel from Kuleto Estate, CA.
Main Course: Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel  (My home-run dish!)
Dessert: Refreshing Lemon Basil Ice!

Refreshing Lemon Basil Ice is one of my summer staples. It's nice and light, not heavy and filling which is perfect for a scorching summer day or after a big meal. Basil is also my new obsession which makes this recipe even better. Oh wait, top it off: it's super simple and requires only a few ingredients!

Refreshing Lemon Basil Ice

(Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil
2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
1. In medium saucepan bring water and sugar to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat; cool slightly (about 20 minutes). Add basil and let stand 30 minutes more. Pour through a fine mesh sieve; discard basil. Stir lemon peel and juice into syrup. Pour into a shallow baking dish. Cover; freeze 2 hours (edges should be firm and center almost firm).
2. Transfer mixture, half at a time, to blender. Cover; blend until slushy, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Spoon back into dish, spreading evenly. Cover; freeze 2 hours more or until firm.
3. To serve, with a small ice cream scoop scrape across surface of mixture. Place scoops in small dishes. Top with lemon slices, fresh mint leaves and/or edible flowers.