A Lonely Clementine and Some Pork Chops

I spotted a clementine in the fruit bowl sitting next to a lemon and knew I had to use it in my meal tonight before it shriveled up and died.  So I bought some pork chops with the clementine in mind along with some spinach, cauliflower and ingredients for the chocolate cake I'm going to make later in the week for my stepson's birthday celebration.  Looking around the fridge, I took out scallions, green and black olives, potatoes, half a pomegranate, some mango puree, a half-can of artichoke hearts and a piece of fresh turmeric. I then pulled the tomatoes from the basket on the counter along with an onion, a hot red pepper and some garlic. Chicken broth and a bay leaf followed from the cabinets. I finally grabbed an apple and a pear with an idea for a chutney to go with the pork.




ON THE CUTTING BOARD: Hormone and antibiotic-free pork chops, 4 cups shredded cauliflower, spinach,organic chicken broth, small onion, fresh garlic, scallions, hot red pepper, green and black olives, bay leaf, fresh turmeric, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, apple, pear, pomegranate.

OTHER PRINCIPAL FLAVORS: olive oil, vegetable oil, mango puree, butter, kosher salt, pepper

STEP ONE:




Place 2 cups of shredded cauliflower in a saucepan with a cup of organic chicken broth. Let simmer for about 10 minutes until softened. Add more broth if needed. Shred in a one-inch piece of fresh turmeric and then puree with a hand-held blender.  Saute the remaining 2 cups of cauliflower in a T. of olive oil. Chop a quarter of the hot red pepper (or to taste) and add to the cauliflower. Add pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook for several minutes but do not overcook.  The cauliflower should have some crunch. Set aside.  While cauliflower is cooking, cut potatoes into quarters and boil until a knife pierces easily.

STEP TWO:
















Cut half an apple and half a pear into slices and saute in a scant 1T. butter.  Mix 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c. mango puree and 1/4 cup dark brown sugar in a small bowl. Add a pinch of cinnamon and ground cloves.  When apples and pears are nearly soft, add the vinegar mixture and allow it cook down until it is nearly absorbed into the fruit. Turn off the heat.  This recipe is adapted from The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.  I didn't have apple cider so I used what I had on hand: mango puree.  I must say it was a delicious alternative!  Oh, and I added the pear.  TIP: add one of these guys to your dark brown sugar to keep it soft.



STEP THREE:

















Cut onion into slices.  TIP:  Hold knives by end of the blade along with the handle for better control.
Cut a couple of scallions in half and smash about 4 garlic cloves. Cut the unpeeled clementine into slices.

STEP FOUR:





Heat 1 T. of vegetable oil in a large pan.  Sprinkle kosher salt on the pork chops and generously douse with freshly ground pepper. Add the chops to the pan; they should create a robust sizzle. Add the onions, scallions, garlic, olives, bay leaf and clementine on top.  Allow the chops to nicely brown on one side. Flip the chops after 5 minutes and scatter the vegetables and fruit around the pan. Cook for another 5-8 minutes.





STEP FIVE:

When the pork chops are cooked and the onions and clementines have a nice char, take off the heat and let the chops sit for 5 minutes.  Heat up the cauliflower, potatoes and the apples and pears.  Arrange the sauted cauliflower on a platter and mound the pureed cauliflower on top. Place the chops on the platter to the side and arrange the vegetables/fruit on top. Spoon the apples and pears to another side of the platter along with the potatoes. Make a salad with the spinach, tomatoes and  pomegranate. Drizzle with olive oil, a splash of vinegar (any kind--I used champagne), a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Adorn with the artichoke hearts.

Enjoy!

This meal is made with very little fat and sodium.  It has protein, vitamins, minerals and a variety of flavors. It's easy to make and tastes great.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!