Apple and Sage Pork Chops

This photo and recipe come from McCormick, the American food company specializing in spices. My Librarian and I stumbled upon a few of these pre-packaged meal spice packs while cruising through the supermarket one night. Generally the spices we use are fresh, save for a few dry spices we buy at one of the markets, but this recipe card really intrigued us, not least of all because the pork looked absolutely divine. These things come with a recipe card that you can keep handy for future dishes and the pre-measured spices necessary for the dish on said card. We figured what the hell, right?

The package included 1 1/2 teaspoons of Rubbed Sage, 1 teaspoon of Minced Garlic, 1 teaspoon of Thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of ground All-Spice, and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika. There were a few things we would need to add so we made a note of the things we had at home, that which we would need to grab, and headed over to the meat section to select our boneless pork chops.

Later that week, we were ready. Per the instructions, we mixed 1 tablespoon of flour with the entire spice packet and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. The recipe asks you to sprinkle - honey, I don't really sprinkle - so I took each of my 4 pork chops and lightly dredged into the mixture.

In a large skillet, I cooked the pork chops on medium heat until browned on both sides and promptly removed and put them on a plate tented with foil. Next, 1 medium thinly sliced onion was cooked for about 3 minutes (or until tender), followed by 2 thinly sliced red apples. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, stir in 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and the rest of the seasoned flour until well mixed. Return the pork chops and any collected juices to the pan and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until done.

We served with a side of apple mashed potatoes and it was delightful.

Butternut Squash Risotto & Pork Chops with a Rosemary-Vinegar Sauce

This dish is the perfect plate of chilled weather comfort food and the risotto itself will yield enough to feed a small country. The butternut squash risotto can also be served by itself as a yummy vegetarian entree without the pork tenderloin or, if you really want to go all out, with a tofu cutlet drizzled in the rosemary vinegar sauce. The undertaking of this dish is a bit laborious although totally worth the time.

Starting with the risotto, bring 7 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (I prefer the chicken broth) to boil in a large saucepan. Cover. Reduce heat to low. In another large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, adding 1 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, sauteing until tender. Add your 2 pound butternut squash - peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into about 1/2 inch dice - with 1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary.

Once the squash is coated with butter and rosemary and slightly tender, add 2 cups of arborio rice and stir for about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and simmer until it evaporates. Add your 7 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the risotto is creamy and slightly soupy. If needed you can add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to maintain the consistency, stirring occasionally.

Once it has the proper consistency, stir in 4 cups packed baby spinach,1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl, sprinkling 1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary on top before serving.

Right about now is when you're probably wondering at which point will you have time to make the pork chops and the rosemary-vinegar sauce. I recommend prepping the pork chops while prepping the squash dish and cooking in a large skillet at the point where you are bringing 7 cups of broth to a boil for the risotto. It seems to work out pretty well, time-wise, and neither dish sits for longer than necessary.

Sprinkle 4 large boneless pork tenderloins on both sides with 3/4 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. Coat each with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic. Saute. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add pork to skillet, sauteing until brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate tented with foil.

Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 4 teaspoons of raspberry or red wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary. Bring the sauce to a boil until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pouring any collected pork juices from plate back into skillet to stir into sauce before serving. Spoon over tenderloin, serving with risotto.