Dinner for two

I made a super yummy dinner tonight and I just have to share it. Pork chops with artichokes and capers, and asparagus in a balsamic butter sauce. SO yummy.

Pork with Artichokes and Capers

2 pork chops (the original recipe called for pork loin, cut into 1" slices, but I opted for the chops)

1 T. butter

2 green onions

1/2 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, chopped

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 T. capers, drained

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 T. minced fresh parsley

lemon slices

Cook your pork in butter in a large skillet until juices run clear. In the same skillet, cook onion until tender. Stir in artichokes, broth, capers, and mustard. Heat through. Serve over pork, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon slices.

Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

1 bunch asparagus

PAM

salt and pepper

2 T. butter

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Rinse asparagus and snap ends off. Place on baking sheet. Coat with PAM and then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 min. (If you like your spears crisp, don't bake a full 12 minutes!) Meanwhile, melt butter and add soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to it. When the asparagus is done, pour your balsamic butter sauce over it, and enjoy!

These two dishes happened to complement each other pretty well. The pork definitely has a unique flavor, with the capers and Dijon mustard and all, so I didn't know how well this particular asparagus recipe would go with it. But it definitely worked. We had some foccacia bread on the side and it was delectable.

Apple and Gorgonzola-Stuffed Pork Chops

These pork chops are great for when you want to knock the socks off of company without it taking all day. These cook up quickly and are a lovely savory-sweet.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter
1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 Tsp. Thyme
1/4 c. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
4 pork chops (1 1/2 inches thick)
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter of medium-high heat.
2. Add the apple to the butter and cook until soft.
3. Remove the apple from heat and put it in a small bowl w/ the Gorgonzola crumbles.
4. Using a thin-bladed knife to cut a pocket into the middle of the pork chops (don't cut completely through)
5. Liberally salt and pepper each side of the pork chop. Sear in a hot pan for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
6. Stuff with the Gorgonzola/apple mixture. Don't overstuff or it'll all spill out.
7. You can either broil it on each side for 4-5 minutes or sauté covered over medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side. Veer on the side of underdone since pork chops (especially lower-quality ones) get stringy and tough if overcooked.

Serve with Gorgonzola sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. butter
2 garlic cloves
3/4 c. chicken stock
2 Tbsp. cream
1/2 c. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper (though, I prefer a lot more)
1 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

1. Deglaze the crusty bits left from searing the pork chops with the butter. Add garlic and cook on med-high heat for 1-2 minutes
2. Add chicken stock, cream, Gorgonzola, and pepper and simmer 10 minutes
3. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.
4. Spoon warm on top of Gorgonzola pork chops.