Date Night or Any Night - This Is Perfect!

So, I came up with this really on the fly. I was at a loss for stuffing. I knew I had some great thick cut pork chops - I just didn't know what I wanted to stuff them with. I had fresh spinach - that was definitely on the list. A little thinking and chatting with some folks and I had it. Pan-seared, stuffed pork chops with spinach, leeks, and feta! The perfect accompaniment? A roasted green been and cherry tomato salad with a perfect home made red wine vinaigrette. Please people - don't buy the bottled stuff. You can make your own for a fraction of the cost and it tastes much better!

Oh - for a special treat - take a few leeks and season them with salt and pepper. Then coat them in cornstarch and deep fry them for about 45 seconds. It's a mini onion ring that goes great as a garnish (if they make it that far - I was snacking on them and they were really good).

Let's get cooking!

Pan Seared Stuffed Pork Chops with Spinach, Leeks, and Feta
4 thick cut pork chops
1 cup (about) leeks, rinsed, dried and chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 cup of feta cheese
4 ounces (1/2 pack) of low fat cream cheese
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 table spoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
toothpicks
1/4 cup of flour

Simple! First preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Insert a pocket in the pork chops and liberally season with salt and pepper. Put to the side. In a sauté pan, coat the bottom with oil and sauté the leeks and spinach until wilted and soft. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool and in add to a bowl. Once cooled, add cream cheese, feta cheese, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper (be careful with the salt - feta cheese has a high sodium content). Mix well and stuff chops with mixture. Use toothpicks to close pork chops. Coat with flour and sear until golden brown on both sides. Don't worry about cooking the chops until their all the way done. Once golden brown, place in the oven to finish cooking - approximately 8-10 minutes.


Roasted Green Been and Cherry Tomato Salad
1 pound of fresh green beans, picked, cleaned, and washed
1 pound of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients above and place on a cookie sheet. Roast for approximately 12 minutes or until the green beans are tender and the tomatoes begin to release their juices. Let cool and toss with homemade red wine vinaigrette (recipe listed below)


Red Wine Vinaigrette
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup of really good olive oil
4 tablespoons of red wine vinaigrette
1 table spoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper
A good squeeze of lemon juice

Combine all ingredients above really well - that's it!


Prepping the beans and tomatoes














The red wine vinaigrette-please stop buying it and make your own!















Spinach, leek, and feta stuffing - see the red pepper flakes?















The stuffed chops...ready for coating and cooking!















The finished salad - ready for the dressing!















My plate - click on the pic to enlarge it!















Happy face plate - it was GOOD!