Tuscan Pork Chops and Lime Pepper Asparagus

I have never met a recipe that I did not think could be improved or put my own stamp on it. My sister is pretty much the same way.

Last night I decided we would  go to Italy. Tonight I prepared a twist on the familiar Tuscan Chicken. This is a very easy to prepare and there are no exotic or difficult to find ingredients.

I learned to prepare Tuscan Chicken while in High School at Rossetti’s Restaurant. The owner was a tough and load Italian named Geno Rossetti. He did a lot of yelling, but you knew how to do it right when he finished and darn sure would not repeat the mistake.

Ingredients

1/4  cup  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  salt

3/4  teaspoon  seasoned pepper

2  (1-inch-thick) boneless pork chops

1  tablespoon  olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 large roma tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers

 

Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper in a shallow dish and dredge the pork chops to coat evenly, yet lightly.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and pan fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the skillet.

Add the garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomatoes and capers.

Return the pork chops to the skillet and bring the sauce to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 4-5 minutes to reduce the sauce and cook pork chops through.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce poured over them.

To complement the pork chops I prepared Lime Pepper Asparagus.

The problem most people have with asparagus is that the majority of recipes out there direct you to ruin all taste and nutritional value by boiling it for like 5 to 10 minutes (Yuk!). Don’t, just don’t boil this lovely vegetable. You can stir fry it in many different ways, steam it, roast it or even grill it (which is one of my favorite). Once you eat asparagus properly prepared you are likely to never go back and find yourself staking out the produce section of the market for fresh deliveries.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of fresh asparagus
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter
• Lime Pepper Seasoning to taste*

snap or cut the ends of the asparagus, discarding the woody ends and keeping the tender tops.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Place the asparagus tops into the butter and sprinkle with the lime pepper seasoning. Stir occasionally as you heat the asparagus through for 3-4 minutes. It should be warm and crisp.

Serve immediately

.* I prefer Tone’s Brand Lime Pepper seasoning, it is one of the few spices I will buy in large containers since I use it so often it does not have a chance to age. As an alternative you can add a little fresh lime juice and ground pepper.