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I seriously love sweet sauces served with meat. There's something incredibly savory about topping a perfectly cooked piece of pork (or chicken...) with a fruit based sauce. Never mind the fact that it also aids in getting the kids to eat it. This recipe didn't fail to impress. It'll make it back on our table in the near future for sure.

The key to perfect pork is knowing exactly how long to cook it. Pork is best left slightly pink in the center (and I promise, is still safe to eat this way!) though it can be difficult to get the timing down just right. When removed from the oven, it retains its heat and continues to cook slightly. Therefore the best time to remove from the oven is just before the optimal cooking temp. I used a pork loin roast (I'm guessing it was around 2-2.5 pounds) from a 2-pack I bought at Costco. I cut it in half to give it the approximate thickness of a pork tenderloin which is what the original recipe called for. I still used both halves because one just didn't seem like enough.

*original recipe from Budget Bytes*


Pork with Balsamic Cranberry Sauce
1.5-2.5 pounds pork loin roast
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of ground black pepper
1 (14 oz) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Mix garlic, olive oil and 3 T balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Pour over pork in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and massage contents to distribute marinade evenly and coat the pork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet or broiling pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Remove pork from bag and discard marinade. Add pork to pan and brown on each side about 5-7 minutes per side. Place pork on lined baking sheet and place in oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer in the thickest portion registers 145 degrees (this ended up being a little less than 30 minutes for me.)

Using the same skillet, add cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, butter and sage. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking to combine and remove any browned bits of pork from bottom of pan. Turn heat to low and continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let pork rest 10 minutes on cutting board after removing from oven. Slice and serve topped with balsamic cranberry sauce.

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I pinned this recipe with high hopes of something different to make for dinner last week.  I scanned the ingredients and figured it was simple enough and sounded tasty.  So I planned it for one night in our weekly dinner menu.  It wasn't until I sat down and prepared to make it that I started reading the online reviews for the recipe which were nothing stellar to say the least.  The words "bland", "lacking" and "disappointing" overwhelmed me but I was in too far to turn back as I had already begun preparing the ingredients.  That's not to say that there weren't also several good reviews.  It was just the bad ones that caught my attention.  So I carried on, pushed through, and made the dish anyway.

I won't say it was the best pork dish ever.  And maybe Paprikash in general  is just not my thing.  But it wasn't bland or disappointing by any means.  Joe enjoyed it and the kids both cleaned their plates (Aubrey only after giving her customary whiny "what is this?! I don't want this, it looks groooosss!" that I've come to expect on a regular basis.) In my book that's a culinary success.  It's just not one that will likely be asked for again and again.  The salad, however, may be a different story.  Something simple and easy and so full of flavor.  It's a keeper for sure and will be added to several dinners to come.

*original recipe courtesy of Cooking Light*

Pork Paprikash
1 (1.5 pound) pork tenderloin cut into one inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sour cream

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Brown pork in a large skillet in 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove pork from pan.  Add remaining tablespoon (3 teaspoons) olive oil to pan, reduce heat to medium.  Add onion, pepper, garlic and remaining salt and pepper.  Saute 4 minutes.  Add flour, tomato paste, thyme and paprika.  Cook 30 seconds.  Add wine, broth and vinegar, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.  Add pork and continue cooking 5 minutes or until meat is heated through.  Add sour cream and stir.  Serve over rice or noodles.


Apple Salad with Mustard Dressing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium Fuji apple, thinly sliced
1 (5 oz) package mixed spring greens

Place greens and apple slices in a bowl.  Mix remaining dressing ingredients together, whisk well and pour over salad.  Toss to coat.

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Marinades and brines are some the easiest ways to give amazing flavor to meats and fishes... one of my favorite preparations before grilling.  But beware that pork tends to soak in more salt than most meats that have been brined, resulting in a slightly more salty taste. Salty or not, these chops were amazing.  The strong flavor combination of the stout and molasses left hints with every bite while the brine locked in an incredible amount of juiciness.  Grilled to perfection (I think I'll sing my own praises on this one!)


Beer-Brined Pork Chops

4 pork loin chops, trimmed of fat
1 3/4 cups water
1 3/4 cups stout (dark beer)
3 tablespoons course salt
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced

Place chops in resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.  Combine water, stout, salt and molasses, stirring to dissolve salt.  Pour over chops.  Seal bag; turn to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator for 8-24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain chops, discarding brine.  Pat chops dry with paper towels.  Combine pepper and garlic.  Rub mixture evenly over both sides of each chop.

Preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium and grill 5-10 minutes per side.

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I sadly left out the mushrooms... they would have been good in this dish.  But since there are really only two things (mushrooms and olives) that my dear husband won't eat, I figure I can be kind enough not to force them on him.  He tends to be one of my best critics and has rarely (if ever) disliked my "new creations."  And so, for him, I omit these ingredients because it's the least I can do...


Balsamic Pork Cutlets

4 boneless pork chops pounded to 1/2-inch thickness (I found thin-cut pork chops that worked great)
1/4 cup Wondra flour (regular flour would probably work just fine)
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small red sweet pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounce) beef broth
1 can (6.5 ounces) mushrooms, drained
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup orzo, cooked with chicken broth

Coat pork with flour and shake off excess.  Reserve excess flour.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook 2 minutes per side.  Remove to a plate.  Add onion to skillet and cook 1 minute.  Add red pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.  Stir reserved flour into chicken broth and add to skillet; sitr in mushrooms, vinegar, parsley, basil, pepper, and salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Add pork; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes.

Serve pork with cooked orzo and steamed veggies.

CAL: 505. FAT: 15g (sat: 3g), PRO: 41g, CARB: 53g, FIBER: 6g, CHOL: 88mg

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

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Sometime within the last few years or so, Cooking Light has developed a section of their magazine called "Super Fast: 20-Minute Cooking."  Meant to help you figure out quick weeknight meals, this section is ideal for any busy mom and always seems to catch my eye.  Especially when the recipes look and sound so gourmet yet are so quick and easy.

My 15-year-old niece came to stay with us last month when this recipe made its debut. And while 15-year-olds, in general, are adverse to trying new things, I truly believe she enjoyed the results of my culinary adventures. She started out by asking "what's couscous" and ended by cleaning her plate.  I'll take that as a compliment :)


Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4-ounce) boneless pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 peaches, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons butter

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper.  Add chops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chops from pan and keep warm.  Add shallots, thyme and peaches to pan; cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced slightly.  remove from heat and stir in butter.  Spoon sauce over chops (Serving size: 1 chop, 4 peach wedges and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.)

CAL: 235, FAT: 8.6g (sat: 2.8g), PRO: 26.2g, CARB: 13.6g, FIBER: 1.1g, CHOL: 83mg

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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I love the ease of freezer meals.  I've said this a thousand times.  Marinated meats seem to be one of my most favorites.  Freezing meats in marinades, locking in some amazing flavors, pulling it out effortlessly and tossing it on the grill (or the broiler, the oven... really your preparation of choice... mine is the grill :) How much easier can it get?  Effortless gourmet!

I served these with baked potatoes and veggies.  But steamed snap peas and soba noodles would have been a great accompaniment to the asian flavors.

Recipe courtesy of Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik

Asian Pork Chops 
(makes 2 entrees, 6 servings each) 


12 pork chops
1 1/3 cups low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled

Divide chops evenly among bags.  Combine soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and oil.  Divide evenly between the two bags.  Into each bag, measure 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.  Seal and freeze.

TO COOK: Thaw completely.  Remove chops from marinade and grill as desired, basting with remaining marinade (or use cooking method of choice!)

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I often look at recipes and think "who thought of putting these ingredients together?" and sometimes skip right over them.  Until recently when I realized, hey if someone put them together and bothered to create a recipe then that someone must have thought it was good right? (and sometimes... just sometimes, this logic fails me.) This recipe, however, impressed and pleased and "wowed" everyone's palates.  I may just have to try the "Tex Mex" version next time.

As with some of my other favorite freezer recipes, this one takes a little more prep time but totally worth it!

*Recipe altered from Fix Freeze Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik*

Cajun Braised Skillet Chops
(makes 2 entrees, 4 servings each)

8 pork loin chops
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite-cut tomatoes, undrained
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
2 one-quart freezer bags

Rinse and trim chops as desired.  Lay out 2 shallow dishes.  Put egg whites in one dish.  Mix Parmesan, pepper and Cajun seasoning in the other. Line a baking sheet (or 2) with parchment paper.  Dip chops into the egg, then dredge in Parmesan coating and place onto prepared baking sheet.  When all chops are coated, place in the freezer for 1 hour.  Discard remaining egg and Parmesan mixture.

Into each 1-quart freezer bag measure 2/3 cup chicken broth, 1/2 can corn and 1/2 can tomatoes, 1/3 cup onion and 1 tablespoon garlic. Seal.

Divide frozen chops evenly among the 1-gallon freezer bags.  Place one bag tomato mixture into each bag of chops.  Seal and freeze.

To label the freezer bags:  Completely thaw.  Fry chops in 2 tsp oil in deep skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.  Remove from the pan.  Pour tomato mixture into pan.  Gently scrape browned bits from the bottom; reduce heat to medium-low.  Return chops to pan.  Simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, turning chops at least once.

*Tex Mex variation: substitute a packet of Taco seasoning for the Cajun seasoning, fire roasted tomatoes for regular and Green Giant Mexicorn in place of the corn*

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This dish was absolutely fantastic. Especially with the lemon-garlic green beans on the side! Of course, there wasn't much "peachy" taste to the meal. I would have enjoyed a bit more sweetness and would probably add a little more of the preserves next time. Husband and children at every last bite as they sang my praises :) Delicious and easy... this one's a keeper.

Peachy Pork with Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (brown or white)
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (you can use store bought or refer to my recipe here)
1 cup salsa (I used Pace Mild Chunky Salsa)
3 Tbsp peach preserves (I used apricot because I couldn't find peach and would probably use about 1/3 cup or more!)

Cook rice according to package directions (substituting broth for water if more flavor is desired.) Meanwhile, place pork in a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with taco seasoning; toss to coat.

In a large skillet coated with coking spray, cook pork for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in salsa and preserves; heat through. Serve over rice.

For Lemon Garlic Green Beans:
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir 1 lb fresh, trimmed green beans in 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat 10-13 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add 2 minced garlic cloves; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Garnish with grated lemon peel if desired.

*Courtesy of Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking*

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So I changed the name of the original recipe. When I ran across this recipe in one of my beloved Cooking Light cookbooks I was intrigued. Pork Chops with Country Gravy? Sounds DELICIOUS! However, as my meal preparation progressed, I realized this would look nothing like I had imagined "country gravy" to look. More like a sauce, nothing like a gravy, I served this dinner with a slight sense of failure. It hadn't turned out the way it was supposed to and I followed the directions exactly! But such is the life of an adventurous cook... you sometimes end up eating your mistakes and failures....

Except that this wasn't. A mistake or a failure that is. It was something much better than I had even imagined. Maybe it was a combination of the braised chop atop warm mashed potatoes covered in this strange new "sauce." But all I could think was "WHOA!" And 4 cleaned plates backed it up as a "keeper" and maybe even a new favorite...


Pork Chops Braised with Country Sauce

4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups milk (I used nonfat because it's what we have in our fridge)
1 teaspoon butter

Trim fat from pork. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large resealable bag. Add pork; seal bag and shake to coat pork with flour mixture. Remove pork from bag, reserving remaining flour mixture. place reserved flour mixture in a small bowl. Gradually add 3/4 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Add milk mixture; cover, reduce heat to low and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn pork. Stir in 3/4 cup milk; cover and cook an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover skillet and cook pork 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 2/3 cup. Serve pork chops atop mashed potatoes. Spoon sauce over pork.

YUMM!! *courtesy of Cooking Light*

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The flavor for this pork was so intense and delicious that when Joe gave his praises for a dinner well done, I had to brag about the fact that I had mixed up the spice rub myself (from a recipe of course.) He was thoroughly impressed and continued to rave about the tenderness and flavor. The kids devoured every bite too, along with the steamed zucchini and cranberry couscous that accompanied it.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup uncooked couscous

In a small bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients (with only 1/2 tsp salt, through cumin.) Reserve 1 tsp. of the spice blend and set aside. Rub the remainder over the pork tenderloin and place in a resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat gas grill to medium-high heat. Lightly coat grill rack with oil or cooking spray. Grill 14-15 minutes, turning twice, or until internal temperature registers 150 on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Place chicken broth and onion in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in reserved rub, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, cranberries, and couscous; remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve with pork.

*Recipe courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

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So I'm coming back with a bang. I can't believe I let an entire month slip by without posting a new recipe! I'm slacking big time and I need to make up for it. I even told a potential new follower that I would post my mom's Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread Pudding recipe and I failed at that too. I promise, that one will be coming soon. But for now... Pork Chops with Cherry Port Wine Sauce. Oh heavenly goodness. The reason the photo was taken subsequent to my first few bites was because I was enjoying it too much to pause for the picture. I served it with a rice pilaf and roasted cauliflower for an incredibly delicious and easy dinner.

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, halved
2/3 cup ruby port wine
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt

PORK CHOPS:
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops
2 tsp. olive oil

In a small saucepan, suate shallot in oil until tender. Stir in the cherries, wine, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 1o minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the coriander, mustard, salt and pepper; rub over chops. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side. Serve with sauce.

(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

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