Dinner for Two

Sometimes I am so grateful that I'm only cooking for two.  :)

This meal was a great end to the weekend. Simple, but really, really delicious. 

Bone-in Center Cut Pork Chops

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Sautéed Zucchini with Garlic

We'll start with the Bone-in Center Cut Pork Chops. 

• Pre-heat oven to 375°
• Rub both sides with a spice rub of kosher salt, pepper, and dried sage. 
  
• Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature on a clean surface (or the butcher paper they were wrapped in).
  
• Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet until hot; add chops.
• Sear both sides of the pork chops for 4 minutes per side, until dark brown.
• Place skillet into the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the chops are cooked through.

I know you were probably taught that pork has to be cooked until it is completely white (and dry and tough for that matter), but it's really okay if there's a little pink in the center. 

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

The truth is, these are the same mashed potatoes from the previous meal. But to kick them up a bit and make them less like leftovers and more like incredibly good mashed potatoes, I added some "caramelized" onions. And honestly, they aren't true caramelized onions, which take hours to prepare. Instead these are onions that are first browned in a pan, then baked until dark brown. Not quite as good as the real thing, but certainly delicious enough.

• Slice a medium yellow onion into 1/8" slices.
• Toss into a pan with hot olive oil, and sauté for 10 minutes, or until brown, like this:

• Bake in a 350° - 375° oven for about 20 minutes, or until dark brown and soft. They will be sticky and sweet.
• Mix onions into a batch of mashed potatoes (use your favorite recipe, or this one if you don't have a favorite) and serve.

Sautéed Zucchini

Unlike the par-boil/sauté method described for vegetables like green beans, I like to simply sauté zucchini and other squash in a pan with a little oil and garlic.

• Quarter the zucchini lengthwise into spears
• Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan
• Add one clove minced garlic, and fry for a minute.
• Toss zucchini spears in the oil and sauté for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Add a splash of white wine (or water, if you must) and cover for a few minutes until the zucchini is tender.

It's that easy.

Enjoy everyone! 

Seth