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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Rosemary Porkchops

My mom and me on the gondola in Vail, Colorado
Chicken has long since been my favorite main dish- I like it fried, baked, grilled, battered, stuffed, and shredded.  But what about "the other white meat?"  Pork chops are called "the other white meat" due to being high in protein, low in fat, and moderate in cholesterol.  Essentially, pork chops are almost as good for you as chicken, but chicken packs a little bit more protein.  The average raw pork chop contains 33 g of protein- more than half of the recommended daily value for adults.  Like chicken, they are low in fat, and they are very versatile.  Pork can be used in pork tenderloin, fried pork chops, baked pork chops, or grilled pork chops.
My mom and me on the beach in Jamaica, February 2008
When I was younger, my mom would offer to cook one of the following meals almost every night: chicken fajitas, spaghetti, chicken fettuccine, steaks and baked potatoes, pork chops and macaroni and cheese, or pork chops and rice.  Like mother, like daughter- I have inherited both her cooking skills and (most of) her meal preferences.  The one of these recipes I have replicated the most is baked pork chops and rice.  My mom would bake the pork chops (Baked Pork chops recipe coming soon) with onions and rice all mixed together, making for a juicy, succulent meal, each part of which complimented another.  My mom would make the Rice-A-Roni Chicken flavored rice, and now I buy the same one, but the version with 1/3 less sodium. 
My mom and me at my 5th birthday party at Tillery Park in Fort Worth
with one of the horses from Benbrook Stables, June 1991

The recipe below is not for my mom's baked pork chops, but instead is a spin on them with the help of the fresh rosemary from my garden.  In my signature Katherine in the Kitchen style, I have taken a comfort food recipe from my childhood, but I have added my own healthy twist.

Rosemary Pork Chops
Servings: 2, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 5


Rosemary Porkchop
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp rosemary
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 chops (106 g each) lean, boneless pork chop
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  1. Combine lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, and oil in a small bowl
  2. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper
  3. Rub 1/2 the rosemary mixture over the pork
  4. Put the pork on a plate, then cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or up to several
  5. Grill over medium heat for appr. 6-7 mins on each side
Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

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