Apple Stuffing

Monday night I cooked too much food. I was in the mood for pork. I decided on the pork chops instead of the pork tenderloin. It took me a while to start liking pork chops again. I just remember having them growing up where my mother would fry them. For awhile I stop eating pork since it always reminded of the fried pork chops. To get over this dislike, I found new ways to discover pork.

Stuffed Pork Chops

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
2 leeks, white part only, rinsed and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups unseasoned bread cubes (or cut up day-old bread)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or enough to moisten bread
4 (5-ounce) boneless pork chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed of fat

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and apple and saute 4 minutes, until tender and golden. Add oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add bread cubes and chicken broth. Mix well and set aside.

Using a sharp knife, slice pockets into chops by slicing horizontally into the side, and almost through to the other side. Season the outside with salt and pepper. Stuff chops with apple mixture, allowing stuffing to overflow out of pockets.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear on 1 side until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chops and transfer to oven to finish cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

The apple stuffing was divine. I am considering using the stuffing for other recipes. Another suggestion is fry the pork chops until done instead of backing them.

As a side, Rosemary Garlic Potatoes, goes very well with this.

Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

2 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 t minced garlic
A handful of fresh rosemary
Red potatoes; depending on how much you are making

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium to large sauce pan, bring water to boil. While the water is boiling, chopped the potatoes into bit size pieces. As the potatoes are cooking, mix the EVOO, garlic, and rosemary in a small sauce pan. Cook the potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes and place back into the pan, add the mixture of rosemary, garlic, and EVOO over the potatoes. Coat the potatoes, then place on a cooking sheet. Bake until golden brown.

This is one of my favorite sides to fix. I'm a huge fan of carbs--yes I know they are bad for me--so it's easy way to spice up potatoes.

Sorry I don't have pictures for this meal, but I promise it was very tasty!