Crispy Stuffed Pork Chops with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes

When I first started cooking I struggled with new ideas for pork recipes. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

I made this a few weeks back when it was still cold-ish (for Florida) and I wanted something warm and cozy for dinner. Now that Spring is officially here, I probably won’t be making it for a few months. Especially since I just spent the last two days hemming and hawing over several new bikinis online…

Is it overkill to buy 4 new ones every year? In my defense I tossed about 5 of my old ones a few months ago. I’d really just be replacing those.

So this recipe is delicious and I suggest you make it now before it REALLY is bikini time and you won’t want something that is fried a little and filled with a tasty cheesy center.

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Pork Chops

*Makes 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          4 6oz boneless pork chops

-          2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed (about 1 cup)

-          ½ cup ricotta cheese

-          3 tablespoons boursin herb and garlic cheese

-          ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-          2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

-          3 -4 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes

-          1 egg

-          ¼ cup flour

-          1 ¼ cup bread crumbs

-          3 tablespoons canola oil

-          Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl combine spinach, ricotta, boursin, mozzarella, parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Take each pork chop and pound out to ¼ inch thickness. Spread an equal amount of mixture all over chops leaving a small border around the edges. Roll each chop up and secure with toothpicks at the bottom.

4. Prepare the coating by beating the egg in a shallow dish. Using a separate plate for both the flour and bread crumbs season each with salt and pepper. Dredge each pork chop on all sides through each. Start with the flour, then egg and finally the bread crumbs.

5. Use a large sauté pan and heat oil over medium high heat. Sear all sides of each pork chop until golden brown. Start with the bottom first and brown the sides as well. About 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Once pork is cooked through, remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before removing toothpicks and serving.

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Mustard and Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

I’m ready for the warm weather to get here. Usually I try to cling to every last chilly day we get – probably because we only get about 10 here in Tampa and I am SUCH a New England girl who loves her scarves and boots – but this year I am ready for cute spring/summer dresses and pretty wedges. I’m ready to wiggle my toes into the sand, and relax on the beach with a good book pretending to weigh about 15 pounds less than I do.

All of this has zero to do with this recipe, which I really love. I first made it a couple of years ago when my dad was coming to visit and I wanted to use the slow cooker so I could spend my time visiting with him rather than cooking. It’s warm and comforting and perfect for one of the last few chilly nights before spring really blooms.

Mustard and Mushroom Pork Tenderloin

*Serves 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          2 lbs pork tenderloin or roast

-          8oz mushrooms, quartered

-          1 ½ cups chicken broth

-          3 garlic cloves, smashed or minced

-          ½ medium onion, sliced

-          ½ cup white wine

-          2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

-          1 bay leaf

-          1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

-          ½ teaspoon celery salt

-          ½ teaspoon ground thyme

-          2 tablespoons butter

-          3 tablespoons flour

Directions:

1. In a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker combine broth, wine, mustard, thyme, celery salt, bay leaf and worcestershire sauce. Add garlic, mushrooms, onions and pork. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

2. Remove tenderloin and set aside. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Remove mushrooms and set aside. Reserve 2 ½ - 3 cups of liquid to make sauce.

3. In a large sauté pan melt butter over medium low heat. Once melted add flour and whisk together for about one minute. Then slowly add reserved cooking liquid whisking as you combine. Bring heat up to medium-high to let thicken – about 5 minutes.

4. Once sauce has thickened, taste for seasoning and add any salt and pepper if needed. Stir in mushrooms.

5. Slice pork and serve over mashed potatoes or rice and top with gravy.

So what are you most looking forward to this spring?

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Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade Pork Roulade

Coming up with new ideas for pork is always a challenge for me. In my opinion, pork can be a bit more temperamental than chicken breast when it comes to keeping it juicy and flavorful. And while I like pork, I always find myself opting for other meats instead because I have better ideas for chicken or shrimp. This recipe was even inspired by a way I prepared chicken not too long ago.

In the summer, I love to grill chicken and then top it with fresh veggies or herbs in either a pesto or tapenade mixture. I find it to be a simple supper that is fast and fresh tasting. The tapenade/pesto-like mixture here was one of those “sauces”. One I definitely plan on using over chicken again, or even on crostini as an appetizer. Some day I’ll be sure to make a larger serving of it and post here for those purposes, but in the meantime, feel free to use the ratio here just omit the bread crumbs. I added those for use in this recipe.

Mediterranean Tapenade Pork Roulade Recipe

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          ¼ cup pine nuts

-          10-12 basil leaves

-          Small bunch parsley

-          8-10 sun-dried tomatoes

-          1 clove garlic

-          ¼ cup kalamata olives

-          ¼ cup feta cheese

-          3 tablespoons bread crumbs

-          juice of one lemon

-          2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil

-          2 tablespoons evoo

-          Salt and pepper

-          4 thin cut pork loin chops

-          4 slices bacon, cut in half

Directions:

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders

Recipe for: Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls with Spicy BBQ Sauce

A couple of years ago now Brent and I were going to a Hawaiian themed graduation party. We were asked to contribute a Hawaiian type dish and bring it along. I've never been to Hawaii, though I’d love to get there someday, but for whatever reason Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork seemed to fit the theme. Plus, pulled pork generally does well with large crowds.

While everyone at the party seemed to enjoy it, Brent really loved it and over the years he has asked me to make it again. Recently he had a potluck at work and asked for the recipe so he could bring it in.  Since the recipe was never posted here, I figured I would make it again so I could write it down and share it with you.

For his potluck we bought about 14lbs of pork butt, so I slimmed down the recipe for 4-8 pounds to post here. This gives you a little wiggle room in the recipe depending on how many people you’ll be making this for.

One addition I made this time was a spicy BBQ sauce to go on top and I really thought it brought the whole thing together. In fact, the BBQ sauce would also be great on grilled chicken, pork chops or maybe even grilled salmon.

Just a note: In the recipe below for the pork, I separated the ingredients between the cooking liquid and the sauce to pour on top afterwards. I think it makes it easier to follow, even though they use many of the same items.

Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sliders

*Makes 20 – 30 sliders or 6 – 8  sandwiches

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

Florentine Crusted Pork Chops

It’s starting to get dark earlier now.

This means taking pictures indoors because it is impossible for me to have dinner ready before 7pm. Other than that, I actually do like changes the clocks back. I need the light in the morning to get moving. That, and a good, strong cup of coffee.

Brent, on the other hand, hates it and will bitch and moan about it until we spring forward. It’s another one of those little things that we are polar opposites about. But he is also able to sleep until 8:30 AM during the week while I’m trying to get up by 6:30AM.

How is that even fair?

So let’s talk about food for a minute! This is a FOOD blog after all. Currently my house is on a pantry cooking challenge. It gets interesting when we go through these challenges, which is about every 3 months or so. Some meals are complete and utter failures, and other times, a pretty great new dish comes together.

This dish, thankfully, is the latter. I had some boneless pork chops I wanted to use and after brainstorming, this idea is what came along. The chops were crispy, but still moist inside, and the spinach and cheese on top kept it from being a plain ol’ boring fried chop. And I was surprised but pork chops actually went well with a side of pasta. I don’t think I’ve ever tried it before.

There is one thing I would do differently next time and that would be waiting to use fresh spinach that had been steamed or sautéed up. But there was no need to go to the store just for that when I had frozen that would work just fine. Use whichever you have on hand!

Florentine Crusted Pork Chops

 

*Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
- 4 boneless pork chops, pounded 1/3” thick
- 1 egg
- Splash of water
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 – 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Whisk egg in a small bowl and add a splash of water. Lay bread crumbs and flour out on separate plates. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add canola oil to a large sauté pan and heat to medium high heat.

Sam Zien’s Beer and Brown Sugar Pork Chops

A couple of years ago I happened to catch Sam Zien’s cooking show. His personality and approach to cooking immediately drew me in. I’m not much of a fancy or fussy cook and I tend think food doesn’t have to be overly complicated to be damn good. I certainly can “get down” with those types of meals every now and then, and I appreciate the time and skill they take, but it’s not realistic to me for everyday food. Still, I felt Sam’s approach was very similar to that philosophy.

This recipe that I’ve adapted from his is the first that we tried. I can come up with a dozen different ways to prepare a chicken breast at the drop of a hat, but for some reason I find it harder to do with a good pork chop. This recipe takes some forethought but is simple to prep and the end result is delicious.

     Beer and Brown Sugar Pork Chops

     A little char never hurt anyone =)

*Makes 4 chops
(printable recipe)

What you need:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup of dark beer – we used Yuengling, he used New Castle
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 boneless pork chops, about ¾ inch thick

How to do it:

1. Mix marinade together. Place chops in an airtight container and pour marinade over it. Make sure chops are fully submerged and refrigerate overnight.