Friday Night Dinner For Two – Pork, Sweet Taters, and Sprouts
Dinner for two, it’s been a while since I have had one of those, let alone had to prepare one. I had a bunch of pork loin chops that I had cut from a few pork loin roasts I got on sale; so I decided to take a trip to the Whole Foods market to jog my creativity for this meal. Sweet potatoes quickly caught my eye… I love them… adore them…. I could eat them every day. Looking around the produce section a bit more… I noticed how beautiful the brussel sprouts looked… I hadn’t had those in a while… Picked up a pound.
I dashed home, happily with fresh produce and orange juice in hand…. When I announced we were having brussel sprouts, he gave me the deer in head lights look… stating his mother used to make them when he was a kid, and how much he hated them. I pointed out she boiled them until mushy most likely, just like my mom used to. He nodded and I had to smirk as I told him.. “these ain’t your momma’s brussel sprouts…” He now has a new love for baby cabbages.. 😛
This is a quick, delicious, dinner for two. It is also a “frugal” recipe, even if it tastes like a million bucks. You can easily make these for more people. Kids also seem to enjoy it.
For dessert, I made traditional flan, using the 2 serving changes and used two individual ramekins.
Dinner For Two – Orange Onion Pork Chops, Roasted Rosemary, Garlic and Parmesan Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts Recipes
Dinner 4 Two – Orange and Onion Pork
Orange and Onion Pork Chops
I made this recipe for two, you can make this for more ppl, I am going to do both the for 2 serving ingredient count and the (4 serving) ingredient count on this post, you can double it for more servings. (I made the sauce for two the same as I would for 4, I plan on using the left over sauce for another dish.)
This recipe is also good with boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Want to make this Paleo friendly? Use a paleo sweetner such as honey instead of the brown sugar.
2 (4) boneless pork rib or loin chops, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
2 TBSP Olive oil
Pepper to taste
Kosher or other salt to taste
1 half Med Onion (1 med onion), thinly sliced in rings.
1/4 cup Orange juice
2 TBSP packed brown sugar (I make my own brown sugar, 2 TBSP normal sugar, drizzle in enough molasses to make it a nice caramel color, between light and dark brown sugar.)
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sprinkle your chops or chicken breasts with black pepper and a little salt. Cook chops for 6 to 8 minutes, until brown on the outside and slightly pink in the center. Turn chops once to brown both sides and cook evenly. Remove chops, cover and keep warm.
In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat until tender and they have a nice caramelized color to them. Push onion aside, remove skillet from heat. Add orange juice and brown sugar. Return to hit and cook and stir for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Stir onions into the sauce.
Spoon onions and sauce over chops or chicken.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
Again, you can make this recipe in larger quantities. This recipe is for two people. Just double your ingredients. This is one of my dab of this dab of that recipes, and based off a my favorite sweet potato chips flavor.
If you would like this Whole 30 Compliant, omit the cheese!
1 large sweet potato
1/4 lb brussel sprouts
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Fresh Parmesan Cheese.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish.
Wash and slice sweet potato (leave the skins on)
Wash and cut brussel sprouts in half lengthwise.
Combine the sweet potato slices and brussel sprouts together in your prepared baking dish.
Drizzle over a little olive oil, sprinkle on a little salt, rosemary and about 1 clove of garlic (all this is to your taste)
Bake for 30 minutes, checking and stirring to cook evenly, drizzle more oil if needed. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are tender, and the outter leaves of the sprouts are crispy. (total cook time can take up to 45 mins, depending on altitude and oven.)
Remove from oven, sprinkle about 2 TBSP to 1/4 cup of Fresh Parmesan Cheese across the top. Serve.
Optional add ins: Fresh sliced mushrooms, sliced onions.
That dinner looks great! I have not tried brussel sprouts since school *shudders at the though* I will have to give them a try cooked this way.
Sprouts are best roasted in my opinion. Also steamed so they aren’t mushy, I have also grilled them on the grill and cooked them with some butter and garlic in a frying pan. Mushy is bad VERY BAD!! LOL