Pork Chops with Mushroom Bourbon Cream Sauce and Mushroom Pasta Salad

My meat of choice is usually chicken. Ever since I was a little girl, chicken has been my go-to. I went to New York once with my mom when I was in high school and for the week I was there, every meal I had was chicken.

I have very little variation in my diet, clearly.

But I made a change with this dinner! I actually really like pork chops, but for some reason I just don't make them very often. I don't really have a reason for my lack of pork in my diet, except that I just am drawn to chicken most of the time.

This dinner was such a success though that I think I need to change things up!

The biggest success of the dinner wasn't the pork itself actually. It was the fact that the breading on the pork was the best breading I've ever had on a piece of meat that I cooked. It didn't flake off, it didn't stick to the pan, it didn't leave spots of exposed meat.. It just worked.

The pasta salad was a nice accompaniment (though it seems to be upstaging the pork in the picture).

Pork Chops with Mushroom Whiskey Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup white cooking wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp Jameson Irish Whiskey

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

2 tbsp water

2 pork chops

all-purpose flour

2 cups bread crumbs

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet until the mushrooms are browned, about 15 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to high and add the white wine. Boil for about 4 minutes, until the liquid creates a glaze. Add the chicken broth and whiskey. Boil and reduce by 2/3. Add the cream and simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken.

3. Whisk the egg and water together in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip the pork in the flour, the egg mixture, and then the bread crumbs. Make sure the pork is thoroughly coated in bread crumbs.

4. Heat the 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the pork chops and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until brown. Place the pork chops in a preheated oven set at 400 for 8 minutes.

5. Serve the pork chops with the sauce on top.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 518 calories

Mushroom Pasta Salad

Ingredients

4 oz dry pasta

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup snow peas, chopped

1/4 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 yellow bell pepper, chopped

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Rinse in cold water and drain.

2. In a large bowl mix the vegetable oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, oregano, thyme, and mushrooms. Add snow peas, peppers, and pasta. Mix to make sure everything is covered in the flavors evenly.

3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

* serves 3

CALORIES: 100 calories