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I think Friday probably has to be my favorite day of the week.
Something about a week full of stresses finally signed & sealed with a weekend full of relaxation ahead…you just can’t top it!
On Friday nights, we always like to play around with new takes on recipes
that have been longstanding family favorites:
unique burgers, fun pizzas, piled high nachos… you get the idea.
(Sort of like our #throwbackthursdays, but not quite)
This week, winter has come back full force (ugh!),
so we decided to make a play on pork & applesauce.
Hearty, comforting, soul-warming food.
Does it get any better?
Of course, we had to make it figure-friendly!
We amped up flavor with stone-ground Dijon mustard, a dash of nutmeg,
and a quick swirl of real maple syrup.
Mm-mmm! Doesn’t get much better than this!
And at 9 SmartPoints per serving…it tasted decadent but was downright healthy!
Served with whole wheat couscous, Cranberry Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (thanks, Ree!),
and sauteed bacon green beans, the sides tacked on an additional 9 SmartPoints.
But y’all, this meal was seriously ‘have-the-boss-over-for-dinner’
or ‘impress-the-in-laws’ worthy, so it was totally worth it!
{And the SmartPoints would have been considerably lower if I didn’t
have such a love affair with bacon grease! Darn its deliciousness!}
The recipe calls for boneless center cut pork chops.
But as you can see in the picture, we chose to use bone-in.
Why?
Partly because meat cooked on the bone is more flavorful and dries out less easily.
Partly because it instantly classes up your meal.
And partly because we bought these beautiful frenched racks of pork
from Zaycon foods for a STEAL!!
They currently don’t have the frenched racks available {sniff}, but they do have these gorgeous center cut pork loin chops & premium pork tenderloins.
I buy ALL of our meat from Zaycon foods and I have never been disappointed.
The prices are low and the servings are HUGE!
{Or should I say ‘yuuuuuuuuge’!} 🙂
Full transparency: Buying from Zaycon can be a chunk out of your grocery budget at one time,
but once you build up a nice freezer supply …dinner just goes on autopilot!
OK!
Enough ‘talking’ about the meal…let’s eat!
Here’s the handy dandy printable or you can find it here on my ‘eats’ page!
- 3 slices bacon, sliced into lardons
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 12 ounces sliced Honeycrisp apple (1 large apple)
- ⅓ cup unsalted chicken stock
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookie sheet in oven to warm.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced bacon & cook until fat is rendered.
- Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, leaving NO MORE than 2 Tbsp. drippings in the pan.
- Sprinkle pork with salt & pepper; add to skillet.
- Sear pork on both sides until nicely browned (about 2 mins. per side) and then transfer to cookie sheet in oven until done.
- DO NOT discard pan drippings. You will need them for the sauce!
- Add 1 tablespoon butter and apple to pan; sauté 2 minutes.
- Add stock and nutmeg; bring mixture to a boil. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
- Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, syrup, Dijon mustard, and parsley; cook 1 minute.
- Salt to taste.
- Remove chops from oven, divide chops among 4 plates; top evenly with apple mixture.
- Serve, eat, and enjoy!
Serve with whole wheat couscous, brussels sprouts, and green beans.
This recipe was adapted slightly from our Cooking Light Diet
and is definitely #weightwatchers friendly!
The whole meal came together super fast, was utterly delicious,
and earned mucho thumbs ups from my family!
What other comfort food meals do you wish were ‘skinny-fied’?
Chances are, I dream about them too.
Until next time…
I’m linking up to these great parties!
Again, please forgive my lousy cell phone photos!
@ZayconFresh @weightwatchers @CookingLight #CLD #cookinglightdiet #familyfavefridays #zayconbacon #zayconpork
Thanks for linking this up at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
Tina