Thyme for                         Cooking

Pork Chops Creole
Brown Rice with Onions
Cauliflower with Lemon
Cooking time:  40 minutes for menu
Cooking schedule: see below for "menu"  instructions

    This almost has the flavor of a barbecue.  As the weather starts to warm up, I'm looking for lighter, more summery flavors... Until the next cold spell hits, anyway.

Pork Chops Creole                                                         Time: 40 minutes
    Use boneless chops for this if you can get them.  The lively sauce keeps them tender even though they are only simmered 20 minutes or so..

2 - 4 pork chops, depending on size, 10 - 12 oz total weight
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 onion  use the rest in the rice
1/2 green pepper save other half for Thursday
2 oz mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1/3 (3oz, 90ml) cup ketchup
1 tbs Worcestershire
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbs chicken stock
1 tsp oregano

Mince garlic, chop onion and pepper.  Clean mushrooms and slice.  In medium nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.  Sauté pork chops until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove and set aside.  Add chili powder, garlic, onions, pepper and mushrooms to pan and sauté 5 minutes.  Return chops to pan.  Spread ketchup and Worcestershire sauce over top.   Add stock and bring to a boil.   Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 - 30 minutes, turning once and stirring sauce, until chops are done and tender.   Serve.

Brown Rice with Onions                    Time: 25 minutes or whatever your package says
   
  I use 'Uncle Ben's' which is all I can get and it is quick cooking.  It looks like brown Basmati and cooks in 15 minutes.  A bit of fried onion makes them a little more interesting than normal.

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup chicken stock or whatever your rice calls for
1/2 onion
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano

Chop onion.  Heat oil in small saucepan.  Add onion and sauté until tender.  Add rice and sauté another 2 minutes.  Add stock, oregano, cover and cook rice according to package instructions.  Fluff and serve.  

Cauliflower with Lemon                                        Time: 25 minutes
    Olive oil and lemon make a fresh-tasting finish to vegetables, almost like a light vinaigrette.  Finish with lots of black pepper if you like.         

cauliflower, 1/3 head - enough for 2 people. 
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried thyme

Cut cauliflower into pieces, put into a steamer basket and steam over water for 15 - 20 minutes until fork-tender.  Remove from pan and empty water.  Heat oil in the same pan.  Add lemon and herbs.  Heat through and add cauliflower.  Toss to coat and serve.
                                                                                               top of page

Cooking Schedule: 40 minutes
Assemble all ingredients and utensils
Heat oil in skillet
Start to sauté pork chops
Chop onions
Heat oil in saucepan
Start to sauté onions for rice
Chop/mince/slice the rest of the vegetables
Add rice to onions
Turn chops
Add stock, oregano, to onions, cover and cook
Cut cauliflower
Remove chops, add chili powder & veg.  Sauté

Start to steam cauliflower
Return chops to pan
Add ketchup, Worcestershire and stock
Cover and simmer
Hm! nothing to do for a few minutes
Still on a break (sic)
Stir chops
Remove cauliflower
Add lemon, oil and herbs to empty pan
Add cauliflower, toss to coat
Fluff rice
Put chops on platter, spoon over sauce
Serve all and eat

 

 

 

 

Cooking for Two?  Or more? 
Our Weekly Menu Planner Service gives you healthy, gourmet dinners, carefully planned to eliminate waste and insure a wide variety of seasonal, wholesome foods each week. 

All text and images are copyright © 2005 - 2007 Kathleen Lerum Zeller.
All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated

 

Easy Recipes
         Great Dinners
                    We do the planning; You do a bit of cooking

Menu for the week of February 29, 2008

Wednesday's Recipes