Boneless pork chops foundation of easy dinner

A sweet red pepper sauce flavors boneless loin pork chops for this easy dinner. Without the bone and less fat, the pork chops can become dry when sauteed. Here’s a way to keep them moist. I brown them on one side, turn them over and cover the skillet with a lid. This traps the moisture in the chops.

The sauce is made with canned sweet pimentos that are pureed in a blender or food processor. To save time, instead of pureeing, you can cut the pimentos into small pieces and mix the sauce ingredients together, making a chunky sauce. Either way is fine.

Tangy arugula adds a little bite to a rotini side dish. It’s tossed with the pasta after it is cooked, warming and wilting the arugula.

Helpful Hints:

• You can use any short cut pasta such as penne, farfalle or macaroni.
• You can also use the sauce for chicken or fish.

Skillet Pork Chops With Sweet Pepper Sauce

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1/2 cup canned or jarred roasted red peppers, drained

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 pound boneless loin pork chops

Olive oil spray

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add pimento peppers, balsamic vinegar, honey and garlic to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside. Remove visible fat from the pork. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add pork chops and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chops over and cover skillet with a lid. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees. Remove pork to two dinner plates and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove skillet from the heat and add the sauce. Stir to warm the sauce in the hot skillet. Spoon sauce over the pork.

Per serving: 278 calories (24% from fat), 7.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated), 96 mg cholesterol, 41.1 g protein, 12.9 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g fiber, 155 mg sodium.

Rotini and Arugula

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1/4 pound rotini pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups arugula

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and boil for 8 minutes. Test to make sure it is cooked through. Remove two tablespoons of the water to a bowl. Add the olive oil to the bowl. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with the arugula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and divide between two dinner plates.

Per serving: 276 calories (25% from fat), 7.7 g fat (1.2 g saturated, 3.4 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 8 g protein, 43.3 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g fiber, 8 mg sodium.