Wine and Garlic Pork Chops

I'm always looking for new main courses that involve proteins other than chicken. Don't get me wrong, I love chicken, but sometimes I get a little bored with chicken, so it's great to have back up options ready. Robert isn't normally a big fan of pork chops, so I knew any recipe I tried with pork chops needed to really bring a punch.

Enter garlic and a bottle of syrah to the rescue! This recipe involves quite a bit of reducing liquids but don't skimp on the process, the pan sauce drizzled over the pork is well worth the effort. And don't forget the garlic! I know it may sound strange to eat whole garlic cloves with your meal, but these are so delicious you won't want to miss out. Between roasting in the olive oil and soaking in the wine reduction, these cloves are unlike anything you've ever tasted.

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Wine and Garlic Pork Chops


Ingredients
5-6 boneless pork chops with medium thickness
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper
1 and 1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1 whole bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
18 whole peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon additional butter

Instructions
Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over high heat.

 Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and sear on both sides until golden about 2 minutes per side. You won't cook the chops all the way though at this time, they'll finish cooking later.

 After searing, remove the pork and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium high and throw in the garlic cloves, stirring around for a few minutes until nice and golden.

 Pour in the red wine and add the bay leaf. Stir and reduce until nice and thick.

 Stir in the beef broth and add the pork chops back to the skillet.

 Cook the chops for a few more minutes then stir in the balsamic. Continue cooking until the chops are done.

 When done, remove the chops to a plate and set aside. Add the last tablespoon of butter and reduce the liquid some more.

 Arrange the chops on a platter and pour the sauce over the chops to cover.

Enjoy with some healthy sides like salad or roasted cauliflower.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Garlic Rice Pilaf

My favorite meal as a child was a chicken and rice casserole that my mom made with Lipton's Onion soup mix. I actually still love this meal, but Robert feels that it's too salty so I never make it. When my mom made this meal, she mixed together water, chicken bouillon cubes, margarine, rice and the soup mix together in a pan and set chicken breasts on top and baked it. The absolute best part of that meal was the rice. I would often eat a bowl of that rice for a snack and be completely satisfied.

This garlic rice pilaf is almost as good as the rice from that beloved casserole and it's better for me without all the margarine and sodium in the chicken bouillon and soup mix. This pilaf is a great side dish to accompany any main course protein you have on your menu. Add to its great flavor the fact that its easy to put together and doesn't require a lot of hands on cooking time really make it a great choice for your next dinner party.

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Garlic Rice Pilaf


Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup long grain brown rice
3 large garlic cloves pressed
2 1/2 cups chicken broth divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the butter over medium high heat

saute the rice and garlic until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in one cup of the chicken broth and the salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a boil.

Pour into a prepared casserole dish and bake, covered for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining cup and a half of chicken broth and bake, covered, for 45 more minutes.

Serve with your favorite main course.

Source: Adapted slightly from Annie's Eats