Table Talk » Weeknight Saviors Archives

February 4, 2008

Fast (and Healthy) Pork Chops with Apples and Thyme

I write a column called Fast (and Healthy) for Applaud, a local women's magazine. The column provides a quick and healthful recipe and some information about the health benefits of ingredients used in the recipe. This article appeared in the Winter 2008 issue.

In the fall, I like to use local apples in my cooking. Apples not only taste delicious, they provide many health benefits. I’m sure that you’ve made apple desserts, but apples can also be a part of a fast and healthy dinner.

Apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps aid digestion and promotes weight loss. When you snack on an apple, you are getting five grams of fiber, virtually no fat, and no cholesterol. Apples are delicious snacks that are good for you. When you snack on apples, it’s a good idea to eat apples with their skin. Almost half of the vitamin C content is just underneath the skin.

The fiber and phytonutrients in apples have been shown to help in lowering cholesterol. Studies indicate that two apples a day reduced the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol.

Apples can help fight cancer. Studies have linked apples with reduced cancer risk in several studies. A Mayo Clinic study indicates that quercetin, a flavonoid in apples, helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells. A Cornell University study indicates that phytochemicals in the skin of an apple inhibited the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43 percent. The National Cancer Institute has reported that foods containing flavonoids like those found in apples may reduce the risk of lung cancer by as much as 50 percent.

So grab some apples and let’s make dinner.

pork chops with apples and thyme

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Posted February 4, 2008 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

November 4, 2007

Weeknight Savior

I always have canned diced tomatoes, capers, white wine, shallots, and garlic in my pantry. These ingredients pair well with chicken breasts to make a quick weeknight dinner. I've added this recipe to my list of Weeknight Saviors, recipes that I can make out of the pantry when I need a quick weeknight dinner.

I love the sharp and salty flavor of capers and it just takes a few capers to perk up a sauce.

This dish is delicious served over pasta and can be made in the time that it takes to cook your pasta. Toss some green beans with minced garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil and roast at 400 for 8-10 minutes and you'll have dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.

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Posted November 4, 2007 1:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2007

Spicy Basque-Style Chicken

Another weeknight winner from Cooking Light. The Spicy Basque-Style Chicken from the June 2007 issue was my test kitchen recipe this week. It's quick, easy, and full of flavor. In the time it takes to cook the rice to accompany it, you'll have dinner on the table.

Spicy Basque-Style Chicken, Saffron Rice, Roasted Asparagus

I forgot to buy green olives, so I used capers. I really liked the dish with capers and will keep that change. The bottled minced garlic was replaced with fresh minced garlic. When I made this, I added the prosciutto, but I thought the prosciutto got lost in the dish so I omitted it from the final recipe.

I get my smoked Spanish paprika from Penzeys. I've been buying herbs and spices from Penzeys for over 20 years. When I first started ordering from them, their catalog was a newsprint catalog; it was long before they had a web site and retail stores. Smoked Spanish paprika adds a smoky spicy flavor. Try it, you'll love it. Good paprika is nothing like grocery store paprika. When you buy Penzeys' Smoked Spanish Paprika, add some Hungarian sweet paprika and Hungarian half-sharp paprika to your order. You'll never buy grocery store paprika again.

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Posted July 13, 2007 9:15 PM | Comments (2)

July 8, 2007

Salmon for Supper

This super speedy recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. It's based on Cooking Light's Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce. I don't care for the texture of tilapia, so I made it with salmon. Red curry paste can be quite hot, so I add 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the heat level of the dish is right for us. In this dish, 1 teaspoon of red curry paste gave us the perfect heat level. We love ginger and garlic, so I used more than the original recipe called for. Adding more brown sugar can temper the heat of this dish if you unwittingly add too much curry paste. I also made just two portions of salmon, but the full amount of sauce.

I served this with Brown Basmati Rice with Edamame. I use the pasta method to cook brown rice, then toss in the edamame for a minute once the rice is cooked to the desired tenderness, about 25 minutes.

The extra sauce was much hotter the next day when I had it for lunch served over the leftover brown rice with edamame.

Broiled Salmon with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce and Brown Basmati Rice with Edamame