Archives for posts with tag: cherries

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

You only have a few, short weeks to enjoy cherries. As much as I love to just snack on them, it is also fun to cook them. This New York Times recipe calls for letting the pork chops sit with a rosemary, garlic rub over night, but I forgot and just did it while I was preparing the rest of the meal. It was great despite that slip up.

Pitting cherries may seem like a pain in the butt, but just grab a Starbucks straw and push it carefully through the cherry – the pit will pop right out.
Pork Chops w Cherry Sauce

4 pork loin chops, preferably bone-in and at least 1 inch thick
1 TB. minced fresh rosemary
1 ts. salt, plus more for the sauce
1 ts. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the sauce
1 ts.  finely minced garlic
3 TB. butter
1 TB. minced shallot
1 cup cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved
½ cup fruity red wine

Pat the chops dry, and rub them all over with a mixture of the rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Cover, and marinate for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the chops back to room temperature before grilling.

If you are using a grill, heat one side of a charcoal or gas grill, and put the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Cook the chops over the hottest part of the fire until well seared on both sides, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Move them to the cool part of the grill, cover and cook until done, anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes, depending on the heat of the fire and the thickness of the chops.

If you are using a grill pan, heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook pork about 4-5 minutes per side.

The pork is done when it’s just firm to the touch, its juices run just slightly pink and the meat is rosy in the center, or when an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees in the thickest part of the chop (the temperature will continue to rise as the chops rest). Transfer them to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let them rest while you make the sauce.

Put 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallots, and cook until soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the cherries, wine and whatever juices have accumulated around the pork chops; cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces into a thin syrup, 5 or 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a little at a time, until it’s incorporated into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chops, and serve.

Sugar Snap Peas
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1 lb. sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1 pat of butter
salt and pepper

Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add sugar snap peas and butter to boiling water and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the peas are bright green but still crisp. Drain and season with salt and pepper.

Last time I was 8 months pregnant the average temperature outside was 32 degrees. I felt pretty good, and my biggest complaint was that I didn’t always get a seat on the subway because I had to wear a big, winter coat which made it hard to tell that I was pregnant. Now, it’s a different story. It is hot and humid and I feel HUGE. I pretty much always get a seat on the subway, but I am exhausted!

Meanwhile, the markets are packed with produce and I am dying to cook. This week alone, I’ve picked up blueberries, cherries, nectarines, cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes and even the first corn. It is awesome, but some nights after work I am just too tired to make anything. Fortunately, fruits and vegetables this time of the year are so delicious and fresh that you don’t have to do too much to enjoy them. Hopefully easy summer recipes will get me through the next few weeks!

Endless Bounty

The kitchen counter will look like this for the next few months.

Meal #1: Soy Lemon Skirt Steak with Arugula + Salted Potatoes
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus
Meal #4: Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items: 

broccoli – 1 large head
shallot – 2
garlic – 1 head
lemons – 5
sugar snap peas – 1 lb.
cherries – 1 cup
arugula – 1 bunch
asparagus – 1 large bunch
potatoes – 1 1/2 pounds
rosemary – 1 bunch
eggs – 1 dozen
white wine
red wine
low-salt chicken broth – 1 cup
butter (if you don’t already have it)
brown sugar (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
garlic powder (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
butter (if you don’t already have it)
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person), skin removed
skirt steak – 1 1/2 pounds
skinless, boneless, thin chicken breasts – 1 1/2 pounds
pork chops, bone-in – 1 per person, approx. 6-8 oz each

I’m not going to lie, I’ve waited over 22 months for this day. Ever since I got pregnant I’ve had fantasies of cooking and baking with my child. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve making chocolate with one of my Grandmas and baking cookies with the other. So, when the day came when I thought Eliza would not only stand still long enough, but actually enjoy baking with me I went for it!

This brownie recipe from an old Everyday Food was perfect for this adventure.

To start, I got all of the ingredients ready while she was safely in her highchair having a snack. Then, she crawled up onto the step stool, I put her adorable apron on her and we got to work! You can see that she was a natural at mixing the melted chocolate and butter together.

Eliza couldn’t help sneaking a taste of the chopped almonds before they went into the batter.

 

Fresh from the oven! All of the ingredients are mixed in the same pan that you bake the brownies in, which is convenient, but really messy. Flour, sugar and eggs go everywhere when you are mixing, especially when the mixer is a 22 month old! Next time I would probably prepare the batter in a bowl and then pour it into the pan for baking.

The recipe says that you can eat the brownies right out of the oven, which Eliza demanded, but they crumble just a bit too much. Let them cool, put them in the fridge for a couple of hours, and then cut them into squares. The almonds and cherries throughout are beautiful and delicious. Eliza approves!