Apples and pork are best friends....you just can't separate them

So today, we were trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight and I remembered that we had pork chops in the freezer.  Great!  But....what to do with them?  I put in a little thought, and decided to make honey dijon pork chops with apples, onions, and bacon.  As we strolled through the produce section, the sweet potatoes caught my eye, so I decided to serve the pork chops along with a sweet potato puree of some sort.  Last but not least, what meal is complete without something green?  So to finish it all off, I made fresh green beans with lemon, garlic, and almonds (which is pretty much how I always make them).  The slightly sweet and tangy honey/mustard mixture on the pork was perfectly complimented by the natural sweetness of the cooked apples and grounded slightly with the earthiness of the thyme.  Combine that with the sweet (and slightly spicy) creamy sweet potato puree and the light citrus flavor of the green beans, and you have yourself one tasty meal.  Sound good?  Well let me tell you....it was!

PS...The pork chops and apple mixture were both made intentionally for two portions with no leftovers, but can easily be increased.  The green beans and sweet potatoes made easily enough for 4 portions...but that, of course, depends on how you portion things. :-)


Honey-Dijon Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 bone in pork chops, large in size
Equal parts of honey and dijon mustard (about 1/4 cup each, enough to fully coat the pork chops)
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1/3 tsp of dried thyme

Instructions:
Mix together all of the ingredients to make the marinade for the pork.
Bring the pork to room temperature prior to cooking.  While it is sitting out, coat the pork all over in the marinade and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with olive oil.
Remove the pork from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off.
Sear the pork for a few minutes on each side until done (of course, how long really depends on the size and thickness of your chops).


Apple topping for the pork chops:

Ingredients:
2 medium/large apples, I used (and prefer) gala
1 small/medium sized onion, chopped
2 slices of bacon, chopped
(NOTE:  we use center cut reduced sodium bacon, which doesn't have a whole ton of salt or drippings when rendered)
Juice of 1/2 of an orange (couple teaspoons or so)
(NOTE:  I did not season the apple mixture with either salt or pepper.  With the salt from the bacon and the other flavors in the pork itself, I did not want to overpower anything.)

Instructions:
Heat a small pan or sauce pot over medium heat.
Meanwhile, chop the bacon into bite sized pieces, the onions into small pieces, and the apples into about 1/4 inch chunks (you want the apple large enough that when it softens, it maintains its shape)
Start by cooking the chopped bacon over medium heat until almost crisp.  I don't get a whole lot in the way of drippings, so I didn't drain it.
Add the onions to the pot with the bacon and saute for a few minutes until almost translucent.
Add the apples and continue cooking until the onions are completely softened and the apples are softened as well.
Squeeze the orange juice over the apple mixture and continue cooking until the juice has almost completely reduced.
Top the pork chops with the apple mixture.

Sweet potato puree:

Ingredients:
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
About 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, to taste
3 tablespoons of butter
Enough half and half to thin the potatoes slightly and help them move around when being pureed, about 2 or 3 tablespoons
(NOTE:  We use fat free half and half and the 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' in sticks)

Instructions:
Chop the sweet potatoes up and boil them in water until softened as you would with regular potatoes.
Drain the sweet potatoes and return to the pot.
Add in the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper and puree with an immersion blender until mostly smooth.
Add in as much half and half as needed to slightly thin out the sweet potatoes to aid in the puree process.  (This can also be done in a blender or in a food processor, but the immersion blender is easiest)

Fresh green beans with garlic, almonds, and lemon

Ingredients:
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Large handful of sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup, more if you like)
1 pound of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the green beans for about 4 minutes.  Immediately remove the green beans from the boiling water and into ice water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan large enough to hold the green beans over medium low heat.
Add the garlic and saute a few minutes.  Add the almonds and continue cooking until the nuts are slightly toasted.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Add in the green beans and cook them until warmed through.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the green beans and remove from heat.


And so it went, that my first concoction of the year was a keeper...hopefully you will enjoy it too :)