Spiced Pork Chops with Scallion Couscous

Serves 4
Prep time: 2 minutes, Cooking time: 13 minutes

1 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup couscous
2 scallions, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges

1. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Place in skillet and cook until done, 3-4 minutes on each side.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Add scallions and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; fluff with fork. Serve pork chops with couscous and lime wedges.

Served with sauteed spinach.

Results: Super easy to make, and actually pretty good! Sometimes you need these simple meals for dinner. I've come to realize that I am the only person in our house who actually likes couscous, which is a shame, because this was a simple way to make it tastier.

Caribbean Pork Rolls

Serves 2 (Note that this serves 2, not the usual 4 that I have on here)

1/2 cup mango, diced
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
2 tsp honey
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp apricot preserves
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger root, fresh, peeled and minced
1/2 pound lean pork tenderloin, cut on diagonal into thin slices
2 tsp olive oil
4 lettuce leaves (large)


1. To make the salsa, combine the papaya, bell pepper, scallion, cilantro,
honey, lime juice, crushed red pepper, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Combine the apricot preserves, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger in another
bowl. Add the pork; toss to coat.

3. Heat 2 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add pork (in batches if you need to) to skillet and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

4. Place the lettuce on a plate. Top each leaf with one-fourth of the
pork and one-fourth of the salsa. Fold the two long sides of the lettuce over
the filling. Starting from a short end, roll up the lettuce to enclose the filling.
Repeat with the remaining lettuce, pork, and salsa, making a total of 4
rolls. Yields 2 rolls per serving.

Served with couscous

Results: This was De-FREAKING-licious. I loved it, the husband loved it. Henry devoured the pork (and asked for seconds), and Steven actually tried a bite (don't worry, fake gagging ensued.) I admit, I could NOT figure out how to roll these into lettuce wraps, but the lettuce is a must, because it adds a nice texture to the meal. Loved it! The salsa had a real kick to it, so it was much too spicy for the kids.

Korean Barbecue Wet Rub

Serves 4

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 pork loin chops

1. Preheat grill.
2. Combine all ingredients. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week at this point). Rub marinade onto pork chops and grill until finished.

Served with Sesame Cucumber Salad and Mac & Cheese

Results: I so cheated on this dish and made Mac & Cheese for Steven to eat. My requirement was that he could have the Mac & Cheese after he ate one bite of pork without gagging. You should have seen him struggle to eat this teeny, tiny dime-sized bite of pork! He finally did, and got his Mac & Cheese. Henry had no problem eating his, but didn't like the cucumber salad. (Not surprising.) This rub is very easy to prepare and very delicious! (The recipe says it can also be rubbed on salmon, steaks or chicken.)

Lime-Cilantro Pork Tacos

Serves 4

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cup into thin strips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1½ cups thinly sliced onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
8 flour tortillas

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and black pepper. Add oil to pan. Add pork, and sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan; place in a bowl. Add onion and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in tomato; simmer 2 minutes.

2. Return pork and accumulated juices to pan. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until pork is done.

3. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup pork mixture into each tortilla; roll up.

Served with a black bean & avocado salad.

Results: No one will be surprised to hear that Steven didn't eat this, BUT he did try it. Henry didn't like it. In their defense, this didn't seem like a very kid-friendly meal, but I really liked the lime taste of the pork. I'll make it again, but I won't force it on the kids.

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing

Serves 4

Pork:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 large eggs
2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (cut into bite-sized pieces for kids)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Cooking spray

Dressing:
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. To prepare pork, preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish.
3. Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in panko. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Place pork on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450°F for 6-8 minutes or until done.
4. To prepare dressing, combine onions and the remaining ingredients. Serve dressing with pork.

Served with chow mein noodles and broccoli drizzled with teriyaki sauce

Results: I've made this recipe a few times and it's one of my favorites. I'm not sure if it's how the panko makes the pork chops crunchy or if it's the yummy dressing, but I love this recipe. For the boys, I cut their pork into bite size "nuggets". Steven sat down, snarled at his food and said "I guess I'm just going to have milk for dinner." A few minutes later, he was eating his noodles. A minute later, we saw him take a bite of pork nugget...then another...and another. No problems from Henry. The boys did not try the dressing, which was fine, because it left more for me.