Two Winners . . .A Cooking Light Hit and a look at The Biggest Loser
I've been a little hesitant to try another Cooking Light meal around here since my last flop, and needless to say, share the recipe with you all! But I ran across a photo in this January's issue that just called my name. It spoke to the Third Son, also. He said I should definitely try it. So, what else did I have planned for dinner? Nada. Might as well give it a try. Sooooo glad I did!
The recipe is Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops. I'll be honest with you. I never make pork chops. I'm not really sure why. I grew up eating them on a regular basis. The were country fried with red eye gravy, or battered and fried with mashed potatoes, or cook slow in a brown gravy to be eaten with homemade biscuits, and always delicious. I imagine I don't make them now because I would have no idea how to "county fry" a pork chop! Much less make that gravy I grew up with! However, I'm thinking I can add this pork chop recipe into the rotation. Easy and delicious and different.
Here goes:
ORANGE-MUSTARD GLAZED PORK CHOPS
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted the salt and never knew the difference)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 rosemary sprigs
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I omitted this only because I forgot!)
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine juice, marmalade, and mustard in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until syrupy. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn pork; add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over pork; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140°. **This is where I stopped. I served the pork chop on a plate and poured a little sauce over the pork chop. It was moist and delicious.** The real recipe says to do the following: Place onion and rosemary on a platter. Return pan to medium-high heat; add lime juice. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy. Add pork to platter; drizzle with sauce.
I served it with a side of Bacon Leek Risotto also from this month's Cooking Light magazine.
BACON LEEK RISOTTO
5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
2 cups water
4 bacon slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 4 large) (I only used 2 because I didn't want to scare my boys off!)
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I substituted dried thyme as I didn't have fresh)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Bring stock and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add leek, shallots, thyme, and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup stock mixture; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/3 cup stock mixture. Add remaining stock mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more (about 25 minutes total). Stir in lemon juice, butter, pepper, salt, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Remove pan from heat. Stir in reserved 1/3 cup stock mixture. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley.
This was a really nice side to the pork chops. It was warm, flavorful and easy to make.
I added sauteed spinach and this whole meal was a big hit. You know I'm honest and wouldn't tell you to try something we didn't like! We liked this one!
Tell me how good this looks!
The recipe is Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops. I'll be honest with you. I never make pork chops. I'm not really sure why. I grew up eating them on a regular basis. The were country fried with red eye gravy, or battered and fried with mashed potatoes, or cook slow in a brown gravy to be eaten with homemade biscuits, and always delicious. I imagine I don't make them now because I would have no idea how to "county fry" a pork chop! Much less make that gravy I grew up with! However, I'm thinking I can add this pork chop recipe into the rotation. Easy and delicious and different.
Here goes:
ORANGE-MUSTARD GLAZED PORK CHOPS
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I omitted the salt and never knew the difference)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 rosemary sprigs
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I omitted this only because I forgot!)
Preheat oven to 425°. Combine juice, marmalade, and mustard in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until syrupy. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn pork; add rosemary and onion to pan. Pour juice mixture over pork; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140°. **This is where I stopped. I served the pork chop on a plate and poured a little sauce over the pork chop. It was moist and delicious.** The real recipe says to do the following: Place onion and rosemary on a platter. Return pan to medium-high heat; add lime juice. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid is syrupy. Add pork to platter; drizzle with sauce.
I served it with a side of Bacon Leek Risotto also from this month's Cooking Light magazine.
BACON LEEK RISOTTO
5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
2 cups water
4 bacon slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 4 large) (I only used 2 because I didn't want to scare my boys off!)
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I substituted dried thyme as I didn't have fresh)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Bring stock and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add leek, shallots, thyme, and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup stock mixture; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reserve 1/3 cup stock mixture. Add remaining stock mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more (about 25 minutes total). Stir in lemon juice, butter, pepper, salt, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Remove pan from heat. Stir in reserved 1/3 cup stock mixture. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped parsley.
This was a really nice side to the pork chops. It was warm, flavorful and easy to make.
I added sauteed spinach and this whole meal was a big hit. You know I'm honest and wouldn't tell you to try something we didn't like! We liked this one!
Tell me how good this looks!
Hungry Yet?
Now on to current events. I 'm a one of the Biggest fans of The Biggest Loser show. I don't watch it as often as I used to do, but I still catch it now and then and find myself so inspired by these folks! I admit I am a sucker and cry each time I watch. I had every intention of watching last night's Biggest Loser episode since it was the finale. Somehow I got distracted and didn't even turn on the television. However, someone brought it up after my Bootcamp class this morning and showed me a photo of the winner. I think my reaction might have looked a little like Bob and Jillian's did on the show or like the contestant standing behind them. Granted there has been a lot of firestorm and comments today about the winner and how thin she appears. It is a completely different look from previous winners in that the previous winners have, obviously, lost tons of weight and changed drastically. However, they each have had that healthy glow and shown hard earned muscles in their reveal. This winner had a different look.
I cannot judge. I was not there. I was not on the Ranch or at home with the winner, Rachel. I know the medical and emotional support these contestants receive to help them through this life altering journey. I can only hope this winner continues to receive all the support she needs to be healthy both inside and outside and demonstrate to others that such an accomplishment is attainable.
What do you think?
When was the last time you had a good pork chop? Did you grow up eating them like I did? Are you a Biggest Loser fan? How many tattoes do you think Bob will think is enough? What do you think of Bob and Jillian's faces? And of Rachel's arms?
Here's to a Happy Hump Day today!
Here's to a Happy Hump Day today!