Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

Apron is back! my apologies for being MIA, the past few weeks have been filled with work, travel, tennis, fun and of course, cooking! This was a meal that I whipped up after a night of tennis in no time. It's simple, but the flavors really pop.

Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shallots, diced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Warm olive oil in pan, then place pork chops in skillet, cooking 4 to 5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Heat butter in skillet and saute shallots about 3 minutes. Add orange juice, mustard and salt and pepper to taste to deglaze plan. Place pork chops back in pan for another minute, then serve with sauce

I served this with a simple side salad dressed with some of the marinade from my Fresh Fig and Brie Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. I tossed the figs with spring greens, the marinade and pistachios. Yum!

All Star Fiesta Salad

I have several go-to ingredients that if I pick them up at the store, I know I can make something delicious out of them. They include:

Avocado

Red Onion
Garlic

Bell peppers

Lime

Cilantro

Mango

Chicken

For last night's thank you dinner, I made salmon. Jacala, my friend and Megan's roommate, doesn't like salmon, however, so I grilled her a nice piece of chicken for the pineapple teriyaki glaze. That meant I had leftovers, so I decided to make a festive salad for tonight! I made sure to pick up my go-to ingredients last night (well, most of them), along with a few other all stars :) This salad is inspired by a recipe for work that our spokesperson Ingrid Hoffmann created, Mango, Chicken and Avocado Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (shameless plug, but I can't help where inspiration strikes!)

All Star Fiesta Salad

Grilled Chicken, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper (about 1 to 1/2 cups)

2 mangos, peeled, pitted and diced

1 avocado, cubed

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and diced

1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed and slightly roasted

1 roma tomato, diced

1/2 can black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted

4 ounces romaine lettuce

Olive oil

2 limes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and divided

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil with the zest and juice of 2 limes and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Add in additional olive oil as needed for correct consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste along with a dash of cayenne pepper. Toss into salad and add remaining cilantro. Serve with crushed up tortilla chips for added crunch!

Obviously ingredients can be removed or swapped as desired. I rarely make the same salad twice, but I love trying new flavor combos. I love the pistachios in this recipe for the added crunch!


Now I have a question for you: What's in your all star salad?