OMG! Panko Pork Chops

Dear readers- RUN! Run to your kitchen and make.these.chops!!!! Does that give you an idea of how fabulous I think this recipe is? Wow. The Mr. and I are trying to buy more bulk meats at our local Sam's Club to cut down on our weekly bill at the grocery store and to add to our convenience when cooking. We had these beautiful, thick, boneless pork chops just begging to step up to the plate (our plates, that is). So I went to my recipe folder and started digging for inspiration. I had saved this recipe from an old copy of Cooking Light (my own version of a Bible) and decided to try it out since we had most of the ingredients on hand. Let's just say I think some divine intervention came into play ; )
We served them with a spring mix, steamed green beans and sauteed, tri-colored peppers.
Cheers!
MM

Panko-Crusted pork Chops with Creamy Herb dressing (adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
Pork-
6 tsp. all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (i used flakes)
3 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 large egg whites
1 c. Panko (Japanese bread crumbs. You can find them in the Asian section of your grocery store)
6 (4 ounce) boneless pork chops (we used center cut, about 2 inch thick(
1 tsp. oil

Dressing-
2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
4 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt because I had it)
2 Tbsp. skim milk
2 Tbsp. light mayo
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Process:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees
-Combine first 6 ingredients in shallow bowl. Combine egg whites and soy sauce in a separate bowl, whisking to combine. Place Panko in a third shallow dish.
Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in Panko, pressing to adhere breadcrumbs to pork.
-Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan, cooking about a minute on each side, till slightly golden.
-Place pork on cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes. Pull pan out and flip pork over. Continue cooking until done (about 8-10 minutes).
-Combine dressing ingredients in glass bowl and stir. Pour mixture over pork chops and serve!

Spiced Up Pork Loin

I have tried to become a more savvy shopper when it comes to my weekly grocery store adventure. I used to check out recipes, find something that sounded good and make my shopping list based on my taste buds.
There's nothing wrong with that approach per say... but the Mr. and I love to watch our budget whenever and wherever we can. So I have become a huge fan of the store circular! You know, that fabulous ad that arrives in the mailbox mid-week? It showcases all the latest deals and specials happening at a store near you. Now, I check out what's on sale, then search my saved recipes to find a good match!
The Mr. bought me Cooking Light's Best recipes for 2010 and I have had several recipes marked for the past month. Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin sounded fab once I discovered pork loin was the special of the week at Kroger.
This recipe is packed full of flavor, but the cumin definitely dominates, so if you are not big on that spice this may not be the dish for you. Of course, you can always sub in another flavor.
I omitted the sugar (per the Mr.'s request) and instead added a little extra cinnamon. We also quadrupled the recipe and had to cook our loin considerably longer (about 70 minutes total) since I bought an almost 4 pounder. Whoops! More for leftovers...

Cheers!
MM

Spice Rubbed Pork Loin (adapted from Cooking Light best of 2010):
Ingredients-
- 1 tsp. sugar (I omited)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
- 1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, trimmed (I used a 3.6 lb. pork loin)
- 2 tsp. EVOO

Process-
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine first 9 ingredients.Rub mixture over both sides of pork and let stand 20 minutes.
- Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat and brown pork, about 4 minutes on each side.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning pork over after 7 minutes, until thermometer reads 155 degrees.
-Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cooking for the Week Ahead

As you can tell by the title of this blog, the Mr. and I see little of one another during the week with our opposite schedules. So, we love to spend the weekends not only spending time together, but also making things easier on ourselves for the week to come. We typically cook 2 or 3 meals to eat off from during the work week. The Crock Pot always comes in handy to cut down on the time we spend standing over the stove.

I saved this recipe from Cooking Light many months ago... but never got around to trying it out. This past weekend, while feeling the Asian Persuasion, I decided to pull it out and mix it up!

Not only does the Char Siu pork smell amazing while it's cooking, it comes out of the Crock Pot perfectly tender and easy to shred. We have used this meat in wraps, on top of brown rice and egg noodles. I think it would also be tasty in some Asian tacos!

Char Siu Pork (from Cooking Light magazine)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Instructions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.
Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.

Nutrition:

Calories: 227 (38% from fat)
Fat: 9.5g (sat 3.1g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.1g)
Protein: 21.6g
Carbohydrate: 12.7g
Fiber: 0.4g
Cholesterol: 73mg
Sodium: 561mg