Friday, January 12, 2007

Quick chops



Apricot Pork Chops
Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2006 Copyright 2005

Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless loin pork chops
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic I used fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sliced green onions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. Add chopped onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic and salt; cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add pork to pan, turning to coat. Sprinkle evenly with green onions.

Yield: 4 servings
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These didn't have a strong apricot flavor but they were very good. This was one of Cooking Light's 'Quick and Easy' recipes and it doesn't get much quicker or easier than this. You can make these pork chops faster than you could make frozen pizza. I got to use the apricot preserves I had left over from making Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints for Christmas. I threw out last year's jar when I bought this year's jar so I keeping up with my resolution of wasting less food.

I baked one layer of my son's birthday cake last night. I don't know if I added the sugar. I used the same recipe as last year, which is just a doctored up cake mix so they're sweetened from the cake mix, I just don't know if I added the sugar. I started to make the cake and my elderly cat started getting very sick so I was distracted. I also made a batch of cupcakes with the same batter and I ate 2 1/2 cupcakes trying to figure out if I added the sugar. It's not really the sweetness that concerns me - the cake doesn't seem as dense as I thought it was going to be. No matter - it tastes fine and will be covered with frosting (and I'll make sure to add the sugar to the other layer). I'm certainly not making another cake when there are half a dozen eggs in that layer but it's really bugging me.

Blast From The Past: Spicy Orange Beef from July 2006. This is another 'Quick and Easy' recipe from Cooking Light that was very good. I've been wanting to make it again but we haven't had beef (other than ground) in quite a while.

Question of the Day: Are you still keeping up with your New Year's Resolutions, new routines, etc, now that it's almost 2 weeks into the new year?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've always been a bit scared of using apricot in savory dishes, but since you say that the flavor isn't very pronounced, this sounds like a must-make dish!

As for the wonderful resolutions - i didn't make any concrete ones this year, except to meet new people and discover new activities. :)

How about you?

Heather said...

I am still keeping up with my resolutions and it has created a 5lb loss so far, so I need to keep at it.
Cooking healthy is new and different and quite a bit more challenging for me though. Especially when I just want to make cookies!!

DancesInGarden said...

Well, seeing as I didn't make any then, yeah, sure! Tee hee!

My "New Year" isn't actually between Dec 31 and Jan 1, so I get a little leeway on these matters. When the rest of the world is trying new diets and lining up to buy gym memberships I avoid all that. Then when they let their memberships lapse and get tired of using the workout equipment to hang clothes and want to sell it very cheap, I am about ready to start MY year. Works out well, really. ;)

ThursdayNext said...

Yes, 6 pounds have been shed. :)

Anonymous said...

I didn't make New Year's resolutions but did recently decide to change a few things in my life - the timing was kinda coincidental! I'm doing well so far.

Anonymous said...

I make a recipe like that, but also add chopped up dried apricots. Yum. And I didn't have any resolutions, but now I do I just started the biggie - a re-dedication to low carb eating. I hope I can keep it.

The Cookbook Junkie said...

I'm doing alright with my food and blogging resolutions, baking more yeast breads (two recipes so far) and wasting less. Also, I'm trying to respond to comments more. I still have time for the rest of those resolutions.

No personal resolutions really, but I have stepped up my workouts, cut out most snacks and promised myself I wouldn't have to step on a scale as long as I behaved myself and don't fall off the wagon, with my eating, for more than one day in a row or two days in the same week. That's excellent motivation because the scale is evil!

I did buy one cookbook already this year. Just one.

Anonymous said...

Resolutions - don't make them. Never have. Wouldn't keep them anyway. And believe me, I need them for dieting. I admire all of you.

Jan

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't have known it before I started cooking, but apricot jam in savory dishes can be so good, as you found! I LOVE the Ham and Pork Loaf with Apricot Glaze from The Mixer Bible. And Green Apple Chutney with Apricots and Ginger from the ATK Family Cookbook (dried apricots, not jam) was really good on grilled cheese sandwiches :)