Grilled pork chops stuffed with roasted red peppers, granny smith apples, and fresh rosemary along side pan roasted brussel sprout hash with red onions and turkey bacon... mmmm.... wait a minute... I know what you are thinking.
"Did she say brussel sprouts? Well, I might as well just click out of here and go check my facebook page because I'm not going to be making brussel sprouts. I don't like brussel sprouts."
Just wait. Hear me out. This brussel sprout hash is good. I mean really good.
But I have a confession. I like brussel sprouts. Even before finding this recipe. Not the yucky canned kind your mom forced you to eat as a kid, but crisply charred fresh brussel sprouts roasted in olive oil and sprinkled with just the right amount of salt. They are so good. I even converted Ed, whom I recall saying to me when I first brought home the omnious looking plant, "I am NOT going to even try that. I don't eat brussel sprouts." But guess what? He has metamorphosed into a brussel sprout lover. And now he practically begs me to buy them. And I have faith if you just open your mind and let it happen, you will enjoy them, too. This particular recipe comes from the thanksgiving issue of Coastal Living with a few adaptations. Go ahead. Try it.
As for the pork chops, the idea of stuffing them with red peppers and green apples is a direct result of my attempt to use everything in my Washington Green Grocers box. Those items are really what inspire my menu. Sometimes it feels a little bit like Iron Chef where I'm being forced to making delectable meals for a family of four that everyone will like using only the ingredients found in this box. At times, the combinations can get a bit quirky. Tonight it really worked. And as an added tip for cooking stuffed pork chops, you can cut your cooking time in half by grilling them for a few minutes on each side before sticking them in the oven. This also adds those cool criss cross lines that make any meat seem more gourmetish.
Oh yeah, and for dessert, I made Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. They were inspired somewhat by a basic peanut butter cookie recipe (see here). I added my own twist based on my personal preferences and my husband's desire to find the world's healthiest cookie that has zero calories, zero fat, and zero carbs... Well, this cookie does have calories and fat and carbs. And it also has almond butter, which is a refreshing alternative to peanut butter. I also substituted a few other standard ingredients for more hippified ones. I'm still tweaking the recipe a little, but this batch came out pretty scrumptious :)
Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients
2 large Pork Chops
1 large roasted Red Pepper, sliced
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp. Apple Sauce
2 sprigs of Rosemary
salt and pepper
kitchen twine
Directions
Butterfly pork chops and stuff with slices of red pepper and apples. Add 1 sprig of rosemary to each chop. Close the chop and tie with kitchen twine. Grill pork chops on grill pan for about 5 minutes on each side. Then transfer the chops to a shallow dish. Place 1 Tbsp of apple sauce on top of each chop and garnish with remaining apple slices. Oven bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160.
Brussel Sprout Hash
Ingredients
1/2 lb Turkey Bacon
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 stalk Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and chopped
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
1 bunch of your favorite loose leaf lettuce
salt and pepper
Directions
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon reserving the the grease and cut the bacon into bits. Set aside. Add oil, brussel sprouts, onions, and walnuts to the skillet. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with bacon bits. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over loose leaf lettuce.
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Almond Butter
1 Cup Sucanat
1/4 cup Splenda
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1.5 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups Chocolate Chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, almond butter, sucanat, and splenda. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Add eggs one at a time. Then add in the corn syrup, water, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons full of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart allowing space for the cookies to expand. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack. This recipe makes about 24 cookies.
Ed's Verdict: Ed liked the sweetness of the apple sauce mixed with the tartness of the slices of green apples. That is something I hadn't originally intended, but it turned out to be a very good contrast of flavors. He thought the brussel sprout salad was crunchy deliciousness. He insisted that I add that he still hates brussel sprouts and is not convinced that what I have prepared are really brussel sprouts. (I assure you they are). As for the cookies, he thought they were "delicious" and tasted "refreshingly natural". Not exactly the way I was expecting him to describe the cookie, but hey, I'll take it.
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Almond Butter
1 Cup Sucanat
1/4 cup Splenda
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1.5 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups Chocolate Chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, almond butter, sucanat, and splenda. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Add eggs one at a time. Then add in the corn syrup, water, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons full of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart allowing space for the cookies to expand. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack. This recipe makes about 24 cookies.
Ed's Verdict: Ed liked the sweetness of the apple sauce mixed with the tartness of the slices of green apples. That is something I hadn't originally intended, but it turned out to be a very good contrast of flavors. He thought the brussel sprout salad was crunchy deliciousness. He insisted that I add that he still hates brussel sprouts and is not convinced that what I have prepared are really brussel sprouts. (I assure you they are). As for the cookies, he thought they were "delicious" and tasted "refreshingly natural". Not exactly the way I was expecting him to describe the cookie, but hey, I'll take it.
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