Juicy pork chops, citrusy lentils and peach muffins
The merry month of June has arrived on our calendars with graduations assuring that Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” heads all charts for the most played music of the month. Mendelsohn’s “Wedding March” probably comes in as a close second. The lilacs are finally blooming in our yard though the daily temperatures remain reticent to welcome the approach of summer and dinner is more likely to be eaten indoors.
Pork chops make an easy dinner main course, though it requires a bit of care to keep them juicy and not overcooked to a leathery state. Bone-in thick pork chops with a good marinade, make this possible.
Marinated thick pork chops
This is a marinade useful for both pork and steak. Combine: ½ cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce and 1 tbsp. minced garlic.
Salt and pepper two or four 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops and marinate in a plastic bag with the above sauce for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil to hot in an oven proof pan. Remove pork chops from marinade, dust with paprika and fry in hot oil for 2 minutes to the side. If frying in batches, combine all back in the pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the chops once and continue baking for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve. Thicker pork chops will require additional time in the oven to reach the done temperature of 145 degrees.
Citrusy lentils with feta
Citrusy flavors meld well with pork, hence the citrusy lentils for serving with juicy pork chops. Rinse 1 ¼ cups gray lentils.
Sauté 1 large, chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 diced celery stalk, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. coriander, ½ tsp. turmeric, cook for 2 minutes and then stir in 4 cups low sodium chicken broth. Bring to boil and cook on low heat for 40 minutes with occasional stirring until the lentils are soft. Add a bit more broth if the lentils become too dry. Stir in juice of ½ large lemon and grated zest of the same. Dice 4 oz. feta and stir into the mixture to blend. Serve warm with pork, chicken or sausage. Any leftovers can be diluted to taste with more broth for a tangy and delightful citrusy lentil soup.
Peaches are just appearing in our supermarkets. If you are lucky to find juicy Georgia peaches, fresh peaches are a delight. Unfortunately, others picked too early often disappoint by not ripening to a sweet juicy state on the sideboard. Faced with 3 such recalcitrant performers I relegated them to a cooked state, supported by dried cranberries in muffins with delightfully tasty results.
Peach-cranberry muffins
Line a 6 place very large muffin pan or spray with baking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine and mix 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour with 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. nutmeg and ½ tsp. salt. In a large bowl beat 2 eggs with 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp. lemon flavor, 1 tsp almond flavor and 1 cup sugar, ¾ cups milk and grated zest of ½ lemon. Stir the flour mix in the liquid and beat until just smooth. Wash and pit peaches (no need to peel them) and dice them in 1/3-inch dice. Toss peaches with 1 tsp. cornstarch and stir them and ½ cup dried cranberries in the batter. Fill batter in the lined cups. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar and slivered almonds. Bake for 35 minutes with the liners and use a toothpick to test if they are done. The time for baking will be less with smaller muffins or in a pan with baking spray instead of liners.
You don't have to wait for poorly ripening peaches to make the muffins. Ripe peaches will have even more flavor!
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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