Pork chops are a time old dinner food that have been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. I think they go well with potatoes and spinach salad, so this will include how to put the whole meal together. This serves two people.
Oven Roasted Potatoes With A Kick:
Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- 20 small potatoes cut into quarters
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- a dash of cayenne
- a dash of dill
- a dash of salt
- a dash of pepper
Mix the oil and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Toss the potatoes until completely coated with the mixture. Spread them out on a baking sheet and let them bake for 30-35 minutes, turning them over halfway through their cook time.
Simple Pork Chops:
- 2 pork chops
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- a dash of pepper
- a dash of salt
Heat a cast iron pan to medium with a small amount of vegetable oil.
Dry the pork chops with paper towel on both sides then season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. Sear them in the pan on each side for 1 minute.
Flip the pork chops every 2-3 minutes for 12to 15 minutes. At about 8 minutes, add in your butter and garlic on top of the pork chops. Turn off the heat and let the butter and garlic flavours seep into the meat until your potatoes and salad are plated.
Spinach Salad:
- 3 cups of spinach, washed
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- a dash of kosher salt
In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, oil garlic and onion powder. Mix in the spinach until a thin layer coats the spinach. Serve onto plates and top with a little kosher salt.
The whole meal comes together in less than 45 minutes and due to the varied prep times you can start the potatoes, get them in the oven, then move onto the pork chops, once they are seared you can throw together a quick dressing, at which time it’s time to flip the potatoes and the pork. I like to clean while I cook, so during the odd minutes between cooking I’ll be washing the cutting boards, the bowls and knives. This way after dinner I really only need to clean up my cast iron, the baking sheet and the plates. I find it makes it a lot easier and this way I’m always a step away from my pan, able to keep an eye, while still being productive.
As you guys might have noticed in my cooking and recipe posts, I tend to give an “average” serving size. In reality, I can never finish my meals, whereas my man always has room in his belly to finish my plate after his own. I realize everyone has their own hunger to feed, and for that reason I recommend thinking about how much you are actually going to eat before cooking, as not to waste food and money. I find it’s always easier to add more food than to throw it away, and salads are a great example of how you can add a lot more to a meal without adding a lot of calories. For years when ever I’ve tried a recipe and found it to be smaller than what it seemed to be, I just add a quick salad as a side and that way no one goes hungry and everyone gets their vegetables! If you have any nifty tricks when feeding guests or your family, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comments.
Eva Blakeman 