Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops with Applesauce

For years I tried to cook pork chops and I was disappointed over and over again. Then I tried this recipe and it became my go-to recipe for pork chops. It has great flavor and if you're careful you can get really tender, juicy pork. It's really easy too!

 

I grew up eating applesauce with my pork chops and now applesauce is an absolute necessity whenever I eat pork. After making applesauce from scratch I vowed to never buy it again because making it is so easy and cheap. This particular batch I threw in the freezer so I just took it out the day before and then warmed it gently on the stove when I was cooking dinner.

It took a while to decide what to serve along the pork  and applesauce and I finally decided on risotto. Tyler and I both go nuts over risotto and it's pretty easy even though it has a reputation of being fussy and difficult. For a while I was weirdly mystified by risotto, I don't know if it was the reputation it has or the fact that I couldn't yet buy wine with which to make it. Now I have it down cold and it's nothing to be scared about. It's really more of a method than recipe. Anything that makes you come back to the stove to eat it directly out of the pot has to be a good thing.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

• 2-4 pork chops (bone in or not, I buy whatever is on sale) 
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the green can stuff)
• 2 Tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Mix the garlic, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Salt and pepper one side of the pork and place seasoned side down in hot skillet. Let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and turn over. Evenly divide the parmesan mixture over the pork. Place into oven for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops. I use a thermometer to make sure the pork is cooked to 160 degrees. For the last 5 minutes I turn the oven off and turn the broiler on high to crisp the cheese on top. When it's done let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Applesauce

• 5-6 apples (doesn't matter what kind)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Peel and chop the apples into small pieces and place in saucepan. Add the cinnamon, water, and sugar (if using). Heat over medium-low until simmering. Let cook for about 30 minutes, until the apples are tender. Mash. If it seems loose it will tighten as it cools. You can mash as much as you want for a smoother or more chunky sauce. I like mine on the chunkier side. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to a week or freeze for longer.

Flourless Nutella Cake

Last night was me and Tyler's second anniversary. We went to a wonderful restaurant and I had the best lamb chops I've ever had. Ever. In my life. These lamb chops were life changing and life asserting and transcended space and time. Words failed me as I smiled at Tyler through a mouth full of lamb while my eyes rolled back in my head. Unfortunately I had no room for dessert after I practically licked the plate clean and gnawed the last bits off the bone. Just kidding, it was a classy establishment so I did no gnawing although I did contemplate it.

So to make up for our lack of dessert last night I threw this cake together this afternoon. It was a very simple cake, as flourless cakes often are. It starts with a stick of melted butter. It would be good to use a double boiler but I was in a rush so I just used the microwave. Into the warm butter I put a cup of semisweet chocolate chips and a cup of nutella and stirred until combined. I had to microwave it for a few more seconds just to get it perfectly smooth.

I added a cup of sugar and a half cup of almond meal. The recipe called for ground hazelnuts but I was plumb out so I improvised. The recipe also said you could substitute 2 Tblsp of regular flour for the ground nuts but that would make it a flour-full cake instead of flourless. By the way, this cake is gluten free as long as you don't use regular flour.

After I mixed the sugar in I mixed in 4 eggs one at a time. I poured the batter into an 8 inch cake pan and sprinkled a few more chocolate chips over the top and put a few dollops of nutella on the top and swirled it in. Then I put it into a 350 degree oven. It took about 40 minutes to bake.

Serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream should be required. On the Boyfriend Scale, from 1 to 5, this cake got a 10! The cake is moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside, like a good brownie.

FLOURLESS NUTELLA CAKE
Adapted from sugaryandbuttery.com

1 stick butter

1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup nutella

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup ground hazelnuts or almonds OR 2 Tblsp all purpose flour

4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir in the ground nuts and sugar. Stir in the eggs one at a time.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9 inch cake pan sprinkle with chocolate chips and swirl a few dollops of nutella into batter, bake for about 30 minutes or until the top cracked.

Bonus kitty picture!