Prep Time |
Cook Time |
Total Time |
Makes |
Calories |
5 min. |
30 min. |
35 min. |
4 |
0 |
Spiced Pork Chops with Creamy Garlic Lentil Pureé and Apple Herb Gremolata
This is a great dish that's fast and filling. Serve with a side salad and you have this dish on the table in 1 hour.
Ingredients:
| 2 cups of lentils (green, brown, red, yellow) |
| 3 cups of vegetable broth |
| 1-2 smashed garlic cloves |
| Fresh ground black pepper to taste |
| 1/3 cup of half & half (added after the lentils are cooked) |
| Dash of salt (1/2 tsp.) |
| Apple Gremolata: 2 ripe apples de-cored and diced, 2 tbsp of fresh green fennel prongs, 1 fennel bulb diced thin, 1 tbsp. of olive oil, salt/pepper to taste, 1 tsp. of oregano leaves, 1 tsp. of cardamon, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, 1 tsp. of ground ginger, 1 tsp. grated nutmeg, 1 garlic clove minced, and 1 tsp. of lemon thyme leaves. |
| 8 Thin Pork Chops w/ spices: 1 chopped green onion (white part only), 1 tbsp. of olive oil, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp. of coriander, 1 tsp. of cumin, 1 tsp. of ginger, 2 tsp. of fresh ground black pepper. |
| Chopped parsley to garnish |
| 3 tbsp. of white wine or vermouth (to deglaze) |
Instructions:
| 1 | Heat vegetable broth in a medium sized pot on med-high heat. Bring to boil, and lower to a med-low heat. Add the lentils, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Cover with a lid for 30 mins until lentils are tender and most if not all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat to cool. |
| 2 | While the lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium-large skillet on medium heat. Add the spices and onion to the pan. Once onions are translucent, add the pork chops and cook through until each side has seared brown marks and the inside flesh is white (no pink.) Remove chops and place on a large platter near the stove top to keep warm. Add the olive oil, garlic, fennel, and spices for the apple gremolata. Once spices are heated and fennel is sizzling, add the apple and stir/scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the white wine or vermouth, scrape the bottom of the pan again until the dark bits and pieces of the spices and seasoning come up off the bottom of the pan. (5-7 mins.) Turn heat off and add the gremolata to the top of the pork chops. |
| 3 | Pureé your lentils (be careful that the lentils are not piping hot, anything hot added to a blender or food processor will expand and can splatter if a lid is not securely placed on top of your equipment.) Once pureéd add cream and pulse one last time or stir until absorbed. Spoon 1/3 cup or 4 tbsp. of lentils onto each serving plate. Add two pork chops with gremolata to each serving plate and garnish with a couple sprigs of parsley. Enjoy while hot! |
