Trying a new fruit....

....juice!

So, wanting to try something new and exciting for dinner, I stumbled upon a recipe for Pomegranate-Ginger Glazed Pork. I asked the Hubby if he likes pomegranate seeds...he said not really, but he likes the flavor of pomegranates. So, with a slight alteration, I made the glazed pork minus the pomegranate seeds!

~Pomegranate-Ginger Glazed Pork~

(Adapted from We Are Not Martha)

8 oz. POM Wonderful Juice

1 c. sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

6 tbsp. soy sauce

6 tsp. ground ginger*

6 tsp. garlic, minced

2 lbs. boneless pork chops (about 6 chops)

In a med pot, over med-high heat combine the POM Juice, sugar, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Simmer over med heat until a thick syrup forms, about 10 min. Stir every now and then to make sure it does not burn. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Stir to combine and set aside. In a large frying pan, add a touch of olive oil, and bring to med heat. Place 3 pork chops in the pan and top with a spoonful of the soy sauce-ginger-garlic mixture. Cook for 4 min. and then flip and repeat with another spoonful of the soy sauce mixture. Cook for another 4 min. or until cooked through and remove from pan. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 pork chops and the remaining soy sauce mixture. In the same pan you cooked the pork chops in, turn off the heat and add the POMegranate syrup. Stir the mixture to incorporate all the pork bits and thicken it a bit. Add the pork chops back into the pan and coat with the mixture. Plate the pork chops with a generous amount of the syrup. Serve immediately! 

*You can also used fresh mined ginger as well. Ground is what I had on hand.

You can also chop and see a pomegranate and top the pork chops with the seeds before serving.

This meal was very very yummy. The sauce was sweet at first, but then there was a subtle heat from the red pepper flakes. It was not spicy by any means, but the heat was very pleasant and subsided after a while. The pomegranate flavor was not over powering either, so if you are not a huge pomegranate fan, you might like this recipe anyway!

I served this meal with some cooked broccoli. The sauce ended up mixing with the broccoli and made it taste quite good! It now pulls double duty for both meat and veggies. I will be making this sauce again soon! I would like to try it on some chicken breasts next...

ENJOY!

Asian Pears & Pork

I experimented with a new local ingredient! Asian pears. Asian pears are huge! They look almost like an apple and are very similar in look and crispness. I found out that it is NOT a cross between an apple and a pear, just similar in shape and what not. It is much more crisp and does not cook down quite as much, so when you do cook it, it still remains quite crisp! And it tastes like a pear, and has a pear grainy texture.

Being inspired by this new fruit and taking stock of what was in my fridge, I decided to combine the pears with some pork! And....make it spicy! I found a wonderfully easy recipe and it turned out to be really good and flavorful.

~Asian Pears & Pork~

(adapted from Coconut & Lime)

2 Asian pears, peeled and sliced

1-2 lbs. pork cutlets

2 white onions, chopped

2 tbsp. five spice powder*

1/4-1/2 c. white wine

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle the pork on all sides with the spices. Heat a good amount of olive oil in a lg. stockpot or oven-safe dutch oven. Add the onions and pears and saute until the onions soften and start to brown. In a separate lg. skillet, quickly brown the pork, about 1-2 min. per side then ad them to the pear and onion mixture. Add the wine (more if you want a "broth") and move to the oven. Roast for about 20 min. Stir and serve with white or brown rice. 

*NOTE: I did not have five spice powder so I used a combo of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, and cayenne pepper to give it a kick!

This recipe was quite yummy and I am looking forward to experimenting with other new local ingredients! Im excited for the purple sweet potato!

ENJOY!