Cooking Done Light

The only thing you will need to round out this generous robust meal is a steamed “green” of your choice. I like baby spinach, kale, or Swiss chard sprinkled with some toasted slivered almonds – but broccoli, string beens, brussels sprouts or asparagus are all fantastic choices also. This easy dinner takes only twenty minutes from start to finish, so you can enjoy it any day of the week. It calls for quite a bit of garlic, but the taste really mellows when it is cooked, so it is not at all over-powering. These pork chops taste great alongside the fragrant basmati (or slightly more mild American Texmati) rice. It adds just enough of a different flavor to perfectly balance the tastes of this dish.

4 (4-6 ounce) boneless, center cut pork chops

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (apple cider, white, or even balsamic vinegar will work fine if you do not have red wine vinegar)

1 cup Texmati or basmati rice

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the rice according to the package directions (cooking times for these rices can vary greatly so read the package directions carefully; if you can’t find a brand that cooks in 15 to 20 minutes or less, substitute a quick cooking brown or whole grain rice instead).

While the rice cooks, combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl; coat both sides of each pork chop with this rub mixture.

Melt the butter (you can substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil if you prefer) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chops over and cook until browned and cooked through (about 3-4 minutes more); transfer pork chops to a plate and cover to keep warm. To the same skillet, add the chicken broth, garlic, and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes (until the amount of liquid in the skillet reduces to almost half of what you started with). Return the pork chops to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes (1 more minute per side), until heated through. Serve with the rice.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving (1 pork chop and 1/4 of the rice): 321 calories, 9 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 33 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 29 g protein, 229 mg sodium, 79 mg cholesterol