When I’m cooking for myself, I usually take one of two extremes — scrounge for leftovers or make something new and off-the-wall. Tonight, as a new dusting of snow started to fall, I chose the latter. My taste buds were calling for sweet and spicy. I had the Red, White and Blueberry BBQ burger at Scotty’s Brewhouse on Friday night, but it left my taste buds wanting something similar, but spicier. After that monster of a meal, I also needed something healthier — the boneless pork chops in my freezer fit the bill.
I created the BBQ sauce by blending two Serrano peppers, a cup of frozen blueberries (thawed), and a cup of bottled maple brown sugar BBQ sauce. I’ll admit seeing the peppers and blueberries together in my Ninja blender cup made me wonder if I was headed down the wrong culinary path, but I had faith in the final product.
Once the sauce was ready, I sauteed a medium onion (cut into rings) and garlic (3 Tbsp.) in olive oil until the onions were translucent. I temporarily removed the onions from the skillet, and added six small boneless pork chops. Once the chops were browned on both sides, I added the onions back to the pan and seasoned it all with generous amounts of black pepper.
Once the pork chops were cooked through, I basted them on both sides with the blueberry Serrano sauce, then added another cup of the sauce to the skillet between the chops. I simmered on low to allow the sauce, oils, and seasoning to combine before serving.
I plated two of the chops and spooned extra onions and sauce on top. A roasted beet (fresh beets, olive oil, and sea salt in a foil pouch cooked at 425F for 30 minutes), feta, and balsamic greens salad made a simple side and nice taste contrast to the chops.
Sometimes, these solo riffs end up being something I enjoy but wouldn’t serve to guests, but this success is definitely one to share. If not for my waistline, I could have easily gone back for seconds … and maybe even thirds.
This recipe weighs in at just under 800 calories, with two 3oz. chops.
#FoodIsLove. Creating it allows me to bring joy & health to those important to me, including myself.
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