I gave myself a low cost meal challenge for supper tonight and hit the Westside Sobeys without a shopping list. My plan was to walk through the departments and pick only a few key ingredients that were on sale, to put together a delicious meal.
At home I knew I had apples, herbs, vegetable broth, vegetables and a variety of spices to work with; so I took enough sweet potatoes to feed the family and some fresh boneless pork chops. That’s it, just two ingredients for a fresh meal. I was pleased and so were the kids. I told the twins it would be “just a quick trip to the grocery store”, but I don’t think they believed me.
My spontaneous dinner came together quite quickly; proper and simple coking techniques really do make the difference. The sweet potatoes are dead easy. Simmer until tender, peel and mash with seasonings. The resulting flavour is sweet and smoky.
Pan roasting is a technique I like to use when I want dinner relatively quickly, with good colour and a flavourful pan sauce. The pork and apples are started together in a hot pan, before aromatics and the cooking liquid are added. The whole lot then goes in a medium oven until cooked through. The resulting cooking liquid and roasted apples make an incredible sauce while the pork chops get a rest before serving.
Just in case you were curious about the cost of this tasty meal, let me break it down for you:
$2.80 for 2 large Sweet Potatoes
$8.44 for 4 center cut boneless Pork Chops
Total Cost = $11.24 or $2.81 per person. I even had a few scraps for Bruce our Newfoundland Dog, he really likes my cooking!
Because I had planned around some of the ingredients I had at home I was really able to maximize my pantry staples and keep the shopping to a minimum.
All of the following ingredients were already on hand:
• Butter
• Smoked Paprika
• Salt and Pepper
• Canola oil
• Gala apples
• Compliments Fresh Thyme
• Vegetable, Chicken broth or Water
• Compliments Liquid Honey
Roast Apple Pork Chops
Makes 4 Servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp (5 mL) unsalted butter
1/2 tsp (2 mL) smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 center cut boneless pork chops, 1 inch (2 ½ cm) thick
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped Compliments Fresh Thyme
1/3 cup (80 mL) vegetable or chicken broth
1 tbsp (15 mL) Compliments Liquid Honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) cold unsalted butter
- Cook the sweet potatoes whole with the skin on in simmering salted water until tender, about 20-25 minutes depending on size. Drain and let cool slightly. Peel the sweet potatoes, mash them in a bowl with the butter and smoked paprika. Season to taste and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Rub the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Sear the pork chops on both side until golden brown with the apples. Sprinkle with the thyme, add the honey and broth. Transfer to the oven and cook for approximately15 -18 minutes, and the chops are cooked through.
- Remove the pork chops from the pan and let rest on a plate. Puree the apples and pan juices in a food processor with the cold butter until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Divide the sweet potatoes evenly between four plates, top with a pork chop and spoon the roasted apple sauce over the pork. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme and a pinch of smoked paprika.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Energy: 420 (kcal)
Protein: 32 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 95 mg
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 760 mg
Potassium: 876 g
