The last two weeks we’ve been enjoying cooking from our BlueApron.com food boxes (no, this is not an advertisement, we pay for the service). While we love to cook and use our imaginations in the kitchen, we - like many other working people - sometimes struggle with deciding what to cook for dinner. What we’ve discovered with Blue Apron are new ways to create things we already love and inspire our cooking with little effort (all the ingredients are conveniently shipped to you!). One ah-ha moment was with their Dukkah-Crusted Cod recipe we cooked last week. I love dukkah, a wonderfully flavorful Egyptian spice blend, I just never thought to encrust fish with it! Brilliant.
You can follow their instructions to the letter or mix it up a bit to your liking, like we did with this pork chop recipe (we mixed the kale with the mashed potatoes Irish colcannon-style rather than plating it separately). This dinner is hearty, wholesome and takes little effort to prepare. It serves two people, so for a family of 4 simply double it.
Spiced Pork Chops with Kale Mashed Potatoes, Peas and Goat Cheese
From Blue Apron
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25-35 minutes
About 700 calories per serving
Serves 2
Olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium), quartered
1 shallot, finely diced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
6 ounces English peas (frozen is okay)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 center-cut pork chops
1 bunch kale (about 3 leaves), ribs removed and finely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 teaspoons Pork Chop Spice Blend (recipe follows)
Pork Chop Spice Blend:
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground powder
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, finely dice the shallots, destem the kale and finely chop the leaves.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly, return to the pot but remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and mash with a fork to your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside on low heat.
In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned and softened, stirring occasionally, about 1 to 2 minutes, Add the peas and ½ cup of water; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until the water has cooked off, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels; season with salt, pepper and the spice blend on both sides. In the pan used to cook the shallot and peas, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pork chops and cook 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board, leaving any browned bits (also known as “fond”) in the pan. Set the cooked pork chops aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
While the pork chops rest, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to the pan of reserved fond; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the kale and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale has wilted and the water has cooked off. Mix kale into mashed potatoes.
Slice the pork chop crosswise against the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Divide the kale mashed potatoes between two plates, top with sliced pork, the cooked shallot and peas, and garnish with crumbled goat cheese.
