Yummy Pork Chops and Potatoes

Now that I am on maternity leave I have some time to plan meals and make some yummy new dinners for my blog. I lately bough the book Skinny Italian by Teresa Giudice of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I am actually not a huge fan of the show, but when I saw an episode where they were canning their own tomatoes for sauce, I got curious about her cooking and decided to buy the book from Amazon.com. It turned out to be a really good book, I'm glad I bought it. It has a lot of good recipes that don't use a lot of fat, just a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Last night I decided to try her Pork Chops Alla Salvia and Rosemary Potatoes recipes. Both turned out really good, but the potatoes were a huge hit. My husband and Nate both loved them and wanted seconds (which I didn't have), so next time I'll be making a bigger batch!

Pork Chops Alla Salvia

From Skinny Italian

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Four 8-ounce center-cut pork loin chops, on the bone (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup tomato or marinara sauce

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Sprinkle the pork with the salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sage.

3. Add pork to skillet and cook, turning once until browned on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side).

4. Add the tomato sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sage and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until the pork is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the pork, the juices will run clear).

5. Serve hot with the sauce

Rosemary Potatoes

From Skinny Italian

Ingredients

6-8 Red-skinned Potatoes, washed and unpeeled

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Directions

1. Pierce each potato a couple of times with a fork and place in a microwave-safe baking dish and cover with plastic wrap.

2. Microwave on High until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Carefully remove the plastic wrap (it will be very steamy), and allow the potatoes to cool. Cut potatoes into quarters when they are cool enough to handle.

4. Heat the oil and rosemary on Medium-High heat until the oil is hot

5. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until crispy and golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Nate loves his pork chops and potatoes!!

Zesty Tomato Bruschetta

I love a nice crispy piece of french bread covered in a tangy tomato bruschetta. I learned to make this years ago from my Mother but I have changed the recipe recently because of some great bruschetta I got at BJ’s Restaurant.

For the tomatoes, I use whatever looks the best at the grocery store that week. It’s usually a roma or vine tomato, I find the beefsteak tomatoes to be a big bland for this recipe. I don’t use canned because it can make the bruschetta soggy.



I start out with cutting two tomatoes into quarters and squeezing out the seeds into the kitchen sink. I will then chop them into small pieces and set them aside in a bowl





I will then finely chop three garlic cloves and add them to the bowl with the chopped tomatoes



Then, chop about 2 tbsp fresh basil and add it to the bowl



Add 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the good stuff) then add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar



Gently stir the mixture until all ingredients are combined



Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve