Another Quick and Easy Local Meal

Here is another great example of how you can make a quick, yummy, local dinner. Baked butternut squash,  pork with apples, and a tomato basil salad. All local!

For the baked butternut squash, wash then cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds then place face down in a roasting pan, add a little bit of water and roast about 30 minutes in a 375-400 degree oven, or until the skin starts to brown.

The pork chop is first seasoned with a little salt and pepper then very simply cooked in skillet, over medium heat. When it is almost done, throw in some sliced apples, and about 1/2 Tbsp butter and cook till the apples are browned and the pork is done (at least 145 degrees inside).

The salad is a yummy mix of sliced heirloom tomatoes, minced basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Yum!

(If you look closely you can see my dinner is in danger of being eaten by someone other than me)

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Smoked Pork Chops with Beans

Last weekend at the Durham Farmer’s Market I was introduced to Fickle Creek Farm’s famous smoked boneless pork chops. I had to try them. I decided to toss one into the slow cooker with some beans and veggies. Yum! Of course I served this with some local garlicky greens (a mix of chard and kale) as well and a few slices of some local bread from the farmers market topped with Celebrity Dairy Goat Cheese.  I didn’t follow a recipe, but here is what I did:

1 small smoked boneless pork chop (about 3-4 ounces)

1-2 cups dried beans (I used pinto and kidney)

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

Put all this in the slow cooker and cover with water (about 2-3 inches above the top of the beans). Cook on low for 8 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Yum!

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Weekly Menu

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Local Grass-Fed Steak with Braised Greens, Carrots, and Roasted Potatoes

Monday: Local Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Garlicky Greens

Tuesday: White Beans With Garlic and Rosemary

Wednesday: Black Beans with Chipotle and Tomatoes

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Leftovers

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Maple Mustard Pork Chops

This was a quick and yummy recipe. The recipe is in Cooking Light, but it is actually an Ellie Krieger recipe.

pork chops (I used boneless)

1/2 Tbsp butter or Earth Balance

2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup broth

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet over medium  high heat and cook pork about 5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through (145F).  Remove from pan, keep warm.

In the same skillet add the butter and shallots, saute about 3 minutes, add the broth, boil, add mustard and maple syrup, cook about 1 minute until slightly thick, add pork chops back to pan for about a minute (don’t over cook!). 

Serve the pork topped with the yummy sauce. I served this with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Baked Butternut Squash, yum!

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Maple Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

This was a very quick and yummy dinner. This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light.  For a quick dinner: Start the rice first, while the rice is cooking prep the veggies and toss them in the oven, then cook the pork. They should all finish at about the same time.

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 boneless pork chops

2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Combine syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in mustard.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.  Cook about 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Add vinegar mixture; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness, turning pork to coat. Drizzle syrup mixture over each pork chop.

I served this with brown rice and roasted broccoli and carrots.

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Spicy Chard with Ginger, Pork Chops and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This was a fairly simple meal, everything was really yummy.  The sweet potatoes I found were local purple sweet potatoes.

olive oil

1 bunch swiss chard, washed and chopped

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp diced jalapeno

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the ginger and jalapeno, cook about 2 minutes, add the chard, cover and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Pan seared Pork Chops

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add pork to skillet and cook about 5 minutes on both sides (till internal temperature is at least 145F).

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Scrub and dice sweet potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 15-20 minutes, or until tender and crispy on the outside.

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Chinese Cabbage Stir-fry

This recipe was pretty easy, and very tasty. I will definitely make this again, thanks Martha!

4 oz medium flat rice noodles

canola or peanut oil

8 cups shredded cabbage

8oz ground pork

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger

4 scallions, white and pale-green parts, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce

2 tsp Asian chili sauce (Sriracha)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 limes

Bring a pot of water to boil, add noodles, stir and remove from heat. Let stand until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the cabbage and stir fry until mostly wilted and golden, set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the ground pork, garlic, ginger, and white parts of the scallions. Cook until pork browns. Stir in fish and chili sauces, toss in rice noodles and cabbage. Add soy sauce. Remove from heat and add the rest of the scallions and the cilantro, squeeze the limes over the noodles and serve immediately.

YUM!!!!!

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