Tasty Tuesday 2

Inspired by my friends, Meredith and Dave, I am going to add a new weekly segment to the blog called "Tasty Tuesdays".

I love Martha Stewart. ADORE HER! Everything about her ... okay, not Martha the person, but really, Martha the BRAND. All the people working for her at the magazine, the website, the show, the people who come up with all the cool crafts sold at Michael's, the paint colors at Home Depot, the Flor tiles - WHAT DOES SHE NOT HAVE HER FINGER ON?

Martha should come up with some GU flavors. I would totally eat the crap out of them!

I picked up the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living because the cover looked SO good - pumpkin pie! Pie in general! Pie! Pie! Pie! I love Pie!

Most of the recipes in the magazine require about 3 hours and a long list of ingredients, so I usually save them for weekends or special occasions ... however, with a quick glance I did find this little gem:

Pork Chops with Apricot-Almond Stuffing
3 oz dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 oz almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T. EVOO
Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (I used boneless because that's all the store had)
1 c. homemade (ha!) or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
2 t. red-wine vinegar

Mix together apricots, almonds, parsley and 1 T. oil. Season with S&P. Cut a 2 inch slit into the side of each pork chop using a paring knife, cutting through to the bone to form a pocket. Fill each pocket with 2 T. stuffing mixture, and press to flatten. Season the meat with S&P.


Heat remaining T. oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear pork chops until browned, 3 - 4 min. per side. Add 1/2 c. stock. Reduce to low; simmer, covered, until cooked through, 6-8 min. Transfer pork chops to a plate.


Add remaining 1/2 c. stock to skillet; raise heat to high, and simmer, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thick, 5-7 min. Add vinegar; simmer for 30 seconds. Strain sauce through a sieve (did not do this!) and drizzle over pork.


Viola! I served (ha! "served"! it was just me that night for dinner) the pork chops with my new, all time favorite side dish: kale sauteed with anchovies, olive oil and lemon juice. It is AMAZING!!!

And don't worry, I am totally going to make one, or three, of those pies on the cover!