Keeping it Simple

Eric and I finally got a Sam's membership. It sounds good doesn't it?

Nope. Not good. AMAZING. Let me tell you why.

I bought the most ginormous pork chops at Sam's. 9 chops, about 2 inches thick, for $15! I couldn't believe it. We fixed our first batch the other night and they were just as good as I imagined, although most of that was due to the talented chef cooking them (thanks, Eric!). We had a wonderful dinner, healthy and flavorful, and it was so easy!

First Eric seasoned the chops with a pork rub we got in Albuquerque from a local vender. It was spicy and sweet, almost apple-y. In other words, I couldn't stop drooling. Then he tossed them on the grill pan for a few minutes until both sides and the edges were golden brown. They baked the rest of the time. Absolutely delicious. To go with our pork, we heated up some broccoli, garlic mashed potatoes (just boiled, added butter and garlic powder), and-- here's the real treat-- sauteed mushrooms and onions in red wine.

Sauteed mushrooms are one of those side dishes that instantly make a meal seem fancy. They are so quick and easy and there are several different ways to go. I usually opt for either red wine with onions, or white wine with garlic and lemon. To make the red wine and onion version, we just tossed about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, over medium heat. I added a clove of chopped garlic, and about 2 slices of onions that had then been quartered. I let those simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms had released their liquid. At this point I added about ¼ to ½ a cup of red wine and let the mushrooms simmer until all the liquid had cooked down. 

We served the mushrooms over the chops and proceeded to enter food nirvana.