Seared Pork Chops with Apricot Ginger Glaze

This has become a go to favorite of mine recently. It's a succulent, sweet meat, with a nice kick from the ginger.  It's quick, super easy, and is great with a side of green veggies. If left to my own devices I'll broil some seasoned Brussels sprouts, but Forrest likes broccoli and loves rice. I love pineapple though, so I tossed that on the grill for me.

I've also started using my Forman Grill, which is how these were prepared, but there is a lot of variety in how you can cook these. You can pan fry them, bake them, or grill them. Additionally this glaze can be used with a pork loin and served at a dinner party. The best way to do this for pork chops is on the grill, a pork loin is best seared on the stove, then baked in the oven.


Ingredients:
4 pork chops

Glaze:
1/4 cup apricot jam
1 teaspoon grated ginger*
1 tablespoons soy sause

Directions:
Mix ingredients for glaze in a small dish. Heat oven, grill, or pan - see below.

Grill: cook meat 2 minutes each side, brush with glaze and finish cooking.
Bake: Set oven to 400º, place chops in a baking dish, brush or spoon on glaze. Bake about 15 mins, or until about 160º internal temp.
Pan fry: Heat pan (non-stick is best) to medium high. Sear chops for 1 minute each side. Brush with glaze, and finish cooking. 

*Tip: Freeze your ginger and grate it while frozen. It makes working with ginger waaaay easier.


Short hand: Mix the glaze, sear your meat, brush with glaze. Finish cooking. Serve hot!

Easter Dinner

Thanks for my wonderful friend Mandi, I have these beautiful pictures of our Easter Dinner. It was our first chance as a married couple to break out some inherited items - the china is from his maternal grandmother, and the napkins are from his paternal grandmother. The silver rimmed goblets you see are Venetian glass - yes, actual Venetian glass from Venice, Italy. After visiting Venice as part of a study abroad program, I hauled them all over Europe and back to the States. This was the first time I got to use them and I was thrilled!!  For those of you who don't know, I collect glass as a side hobby. Stamps may have been a less breakable, more boring option.

Back to dinner. Following is our menu - as the recipes become available I will post them, and link them.


Drinks:
Mint Limeade - Featured by Mandi V.
Martinelli's - Forrest insisted

Salad:
Strawberry, Walnut, and Spinach Salad

Main:

Spiral Cut Ham
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Rosemary and Garlic Rolls - Featuring Josh P.

Dessert:
Red Susan, featured here with Gluten-free brownies via Mandi.

Inside each Easter Egg is a little Marshmallow Peep!  

No tricks about the ham - it's store bought! 

Ham and Potatoes......mmmmmm. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Walnuts, tossed in a poppyseed dressing. 

These stole the show - roasted fingerling potatoes, tossed in a garlic parmesan  butter sauce. 

One of my favorite desserts - Red Susan is what I have dubbed it. 

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. Now I'm craving dessert again. It's totally worth the calories. Trust me.

Broiled Brussels Sprouts and Sausage

Yeah, the picture is lame... I need an actual camera. My iPhone just isn't cutting it. 

mmmmmm. This one is fantastic. It's warm, salty, crunchy and vibrant green, super healthy and very filling.

As for Brussels spouts - I think they're amazing. I've found that people either love them, or hate them. I think this is based on how they're prepared. If you've only ever had them frozen and warmed, or boiled, try this version of broiling them. Or, if you've tried them every way and still hate them, just skip this one. Or swap in chopped up asparagus or broccoli. In this recipe they are not soggy like boiled or frozen ones. They are softened by the heat, that is true, but they retain the bulk of their crunchy goodness.

And an interesting tidbit about Brussels sprouts - they are in the same family as cabbages, and may have very likely originally come from Brussels, Belgium. So, you cultivated devil you, tonight you're going to Brussels!

 Ingredients: 

1.5-2 lbs Brussels sprouts
1/4 c olive oil
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Teaspoon pepper (OR - leave out the S/P and put in 1 Tablespoon of your favorite spice mix. I used a Mediterranean mix on my more recent batch. )

1 lb kielbasa sausage, sliced into rounds. Hillshire Farm is my go to brand.

Directions:

Preheat oven to High Broil (rack should be about 5-6 inches away from the heating coils/flame).

Clean and halve the sprouts, and toss until coated in the olive oil and seasoning mix. Pour sprouts and sausage onto baking sheet, making sure nothing overlaps more than needed (if at all).

Bake about 10 minutes, checking at 5, and potentially flipping over sprouts.

Serve, and enjoy your salty crunchy goodness. Serves well with sweet potatoes, like this Purple  variation shown below!!