Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

This one goes out to intrepid commenter Alison! Note that there are only five ingredients besides salt and pepper.

I wanted to make our favorite grilled pork chops tonight, but we are living through the third blizzard of the season down here in Georgia, so grilling was out. This recipe is adapted from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. I added mushrooms and just a bit more butter and adjusted the cooking time.

Served with roasted mixed vegetables and parmesan polenta, this was a meal everyone loved!

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

4 4-ounce boned loin pork chops, about one inch thick (mine were closer to 1 1/2 inches thick)
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (break up the bigger ones)
2 T. flour
1/2 t. salt (can use a bit less)
1/4 to 1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided (I mixed a splash of heavy cream with skim milk)
1 T. butter

1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large zip-top bag. Add pork; seal bag, and shake to coat pork with flour mixture. Remove pork from bag, reserving reminaing flour mixture. Place flour mixture in a small bowl. Gradually add 3/4 c. milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and pork; cook chops 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Add milk mixture; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Uncover pork and turn to the other side. Stir in 3/4 cup milk and cook uncovered 10-15 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Check to be sure chops are cooked through - I let them get to 160 degrees to be sure. Thinner ones will obviously cook faster and will tend to dry out if you're not careful. Spoon gravy over pork to serve. Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 264 Fat: 12 g. Protein: 28.4 g

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

I made these delectable dumplings for my sister once, and she really liked them. When I made them for her, I was doing it from memory, so I'm sure I left a few things out. They're on the menu for this week, so it's a good time to post them.

The first time I made them was before Jack was born. I was cooking lots of freezer meals for us to have after the baby was born, and these were great. It was easy to take out just the number we needed and cook them - no need to thaw. They taste good dipped in soy sauce mixed with a bit of hot sauce and green onion, but just soy sauce is good, too.

Oh, and they're from Cooking Light, so they are quite healthy!

Pork and Peanut Dumplings

1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1/2 cup diced mushrooms (can omit)
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
30 (3-inch) gyoza/wonton skins

Cook pork, gingerroot, diced mushrooms, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return pork mixture to skillet.

Combine chicken broth and cornstarch; stir well. Add to skillet; cook over medium heat 30 seconds or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, peanuts, green onions, soy sauce, and sugar.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to keep them from drying out), spoon about 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water.

Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet; cover loosely with a towel to keep from drying out.

To cook, heat a tablespoon of oil in a saute pan. Place dumplings 1/2 inch apart in pan, and cook until bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover with a pan cover or aluminum foil, and steam for 3-5 minutes, turning down heat to medium-low. Uncover and cook until water has evaporated.

Yield: 30 appetizers (serving size: 1 dumpling)

CALORIES 41 (29% from fat); FAT 1.3g (sat 0.4g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.5g; SODIUM 71mg; PROTEIN 2.5g; FIBER 0.2g