Pork chops, hold the applesauce

Tonight we had pork chops stuffed with goat cheese and spinach, and couscous pilaf with carrots/celery/mushrooms/onions/garlic.

Notice anything similar to last night's meal? Oh, right...pretty much the same ingredients. Originally the reason I bought carrots and celery was to make a beef stew. Well, then I realized we were going out of town this weekend and the leftovers would go to waste. Besides, the weather was MUCH hotter than I thought it would be this week, so not really weather for soup or stew.

Stuffed tenderloin, chicken, flank steak, chops, etc. are always my "go to" when I need a dinner idea because you can fill them with whatever you have sitting in your fridge. And as you know, there is always goat cheese sitting in my fridge :)

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Pork chops stuffed with goat cheese and spinach

2 boneless pork chops
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped or torn
Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1-2 oz. goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add .1 tsp. olive oil. Cook onion until translucent. Stir in garlic until fragrant, and then add spinach to wilt. Take off heat.  

Stir in goat cheese, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning to taste.

Pound chops slightly and slit a pocket in the side of each chop. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stuff with equal parts of the spinach mixture.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in a skillet. When hot, brown the pork chops for about 2 minutes per side.

Move skillet to oven and finish cooking, until internal temperature is about 150, around 15 minutes. 

Veggie Couscous Pilaf

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 oz. mushrooms, sliced or diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock (or amount required by your box of couscous)
1/2 cup couscous

Heat olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms and saute until tender. Add garlic, stirring until fragrant.

Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add couscous and stir to combine. Cover, and turn off the heat. Let stand about five mintues. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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