Cover recipe from Cooking Light, March 2010
Maple Mustard Pork Chops with Winter Squash Puree
This month’s Cooking Light cover features: “Healthy, Quick, Comfort Favorites: Recipes that are Ready in a Hurry.” The article talks about a simple 1-2-3 system for stocking the fridge and pantry with easy-to-find foods. 1. Stick with 10 minute meats & seafood (choose things that can cook quickly), 2. Shop for low-fuss veggies (choose pre-cut or frozen varieties to save chopping time) 3. Add a side of fast-cooking whole grain (couscous, quinoa and precooked brown rice in a pouch).
I must admit that this cover didn’t appeal to me all that much. Pork chops have never been a very successful dinner for me (meaning, I’ve killed every pork chop I’ve ever tried to make), and the recipe for this one didn’t seem all that exciting. But when I took a closer look, I realized that cookbook author Ellie Krieger wrote the recipes for this section. I’ve tried many of Krieger’s recipes and have been successful with each and every one. Could it be that I had finally found a pork chop recipe that wouldn’t result in something so tough that it feels like you’re biting into a Goodyear tire? I was now excited to try the recipe. See my notes below for the results…
Maple- Mustard Pork Chops with Winter Squash Puree
Source: Cooking Light, March 2010
For pork chops:
ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) bone-in-center-cut pork chops
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
instructions:
1. Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Remoe from pan; keep warm.
3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling to coat. Add shallots; saute 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. Cook pork 1 minute on each side or until thoroughly heated (be careful not to overcook pork). Serve pork with sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 1/2 tsp. parsley.
For Winter Squash Puree:
ingredients:
1/3 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 (12-ounce) packagees frozen cooked butternut squash
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
instructions:
1. Place broth and squash in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add butter and remaining ingredients; stir until combined.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Information for pork chops (serving size: 1 pork chop & 1 Tbsp. sauce):
calories 283, Fat 15.1g, Protein 27.1g, Carb 8.2g, fiber .3g, cholesterol 84mg, iron 1.1mg, sodium 456 mg, calcium 44mg
Nutritional Information for squash puree (serving size 3/4 cup)
calories 100, Fat 3g, Protein 2.4g, Carb 19g, fiber 4.9g, cholesterol 8mg, iron 1mg, sodium 204mg, calcium 37mg
Notes from Culinary Covers:
*I’ve found that it’s tough to find good-looking pork chops. This recipe calls for bone-in.
*I was afraid that I would either overcook or under-cook the pork. Trust your instincts and follow the directions.
*The winter squash puree recipe calls for frozen, cooked butternut squash. I’ve never, ever seen this in my markets in Southern California. I didn’t have any problem cutting up fresh butternut squash and roasting it myself though, so that’s what I did.
*I don’t know about putting maple in both the pork chops AND the winter squash puree. The squash is so good on its own with just a little butter, orange rind & chicken broth. Next time I’d skip the maple syrup and save the calories.
*I was pleased to find that these pork chops turned out absolutely perfect. My whole family gobbled them up in no time at all- not dry or tire-tread-like in any way. I finally found a recipe for pork chops that works!
Did this recipe deserve the cover spotlight? Definitely. It was really simple to make, and I was very happy with the end result. It fit the theme of “healthy, quick, comfort favorites.”
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a beautiful meal! My husband loves pork chops and I recently discovered a few ways of preparation that avoided the dry, rubbery pork chops we all hate. I’ll have to try this one now too
this looks fantastic! i also live in southern california and i’ve found frozen winter squash puree at the vons/pavilions in my neighborhood.
i am also afraid of pork…might actually have to try this one!
I’m a huge fan of anything pork and mustard! Though I love the healthiness of boneless porkchops, cooking them on the bone will make them juicy nearly every time! I am definitely trying this one.
I’ve had this Cooking Light sitting beside my bed for a while and I keep looking at this dish. It looks so great… After reading your review of it, I think I’ll have to finally give it a try!
I still haven’t made this recipe, but it caught my eye, way back in February, when I first got the March issue! I really have to find the time to make this. It looks and sounds so good! I love green beans, too. I’m not sure I can find frozen butternut squash, either. I’ll have to look. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I found it on another blog and they also liked it!
I’ve throughly checked the ingredients of this recipe as I plan to cook this soon. I have checked other recipes before with pork and mustard combination, and I am certain that these two (pork chops and mustard) can be put together harmoniously.
Looks great! I’m in San Francisco, and I usually find squash in the section of fancy organic frozen veggies.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! There were a couple things I did differently though…I dredged the pork chops in sesame seeds before pan-frying them. The sesame adds a rich nuttiness to the pork which complements the sweetness of the sauce quite nicely. I also kept the mash super simple. I used sweet potatoes instead of squash and only added salt, pepper & butter.
Sooooo good.