Recipe(tried): Spicy Pork Chops, Potatoes, Fondant and a Salad with Yogurt-Mint Dressing.

Hey everyone!

Hope all is well out there. We are rather soggy here in the NYC area, although the weather forecast is more promising for later today the garden has never looked so good!

Last night was a rather hectic evening. My partner has started night classes at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens after a full days worth of work. On the other hand, I find myself doing typical daily activities to keep our lives in working order, training our adolescent puppy in obedience, and trying to stay above it all.

I decided to try a few new recipes. Comfort and warmth seemed to be the theme last night amongst the rainy interludes.

I served Spicy Pork chops with Potatoes Fondant and a spinach,cucumber salad with a yogurt-mint dressing. All of these recipes came from the latest issue of Fine Cooking.

I love potatoes and I got to say this recipe is amazing! I don't think I have ever prepared potatoes this way on the stove top, but it has an oven roasted flavor that is unbelievable. The name "fondant" sounds a little fussy, but in actuality, it is a very easy process, and one that I will use more and more. Lately I have been finding a lot of recipes call for a sprig or two of rosemary in the boiling liquid when doing potatoes. I never really realized how much flavor a sprig of rosemary can impart, and what a dramatic impact it has on the flavor.

The Pork chop recipe is also very good. It has a nice warmth that is not TOO spicy, and since I used dried chipolte peppers that I ground to a powder in a mortar and pestal it had a smokey flavor that add some interest.

Finally the cool yogurt-mint dressed spinach, cucumber and red onion salad became the perfect salad to serve with the chops.

ENJOY!
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Spicy Porkchops

4 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch thick, rib chop cut or center cut pork)
2 Tablespoons of Olive oil.

For the RUB:
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon freshly cracked coriander seeds
1 Tablespoon ground dried chile pepper. I love Chipolte. You may use ground ancho, New Mexico or even a mild chili powder)*** see my foot note.

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon freshly cracked pepper

1. Combine the cumin seeds, cracked coriander, ground chile, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and rub each side evenly with the "rub" or spice mixture.

3. Heat the olive oil in a very large saut pan over medium-high heat until hot but NOT smoking. (If you do not have a saut pan large enough to fit the chops without crowding, use two smaller pans, heat 1 olive oil in each and cook two chops in each pan.)

4. Cook the chops until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes.

5. Turn and cook the other side until the meat is done, about another 4 minutes. (If they start to burn, turn down the heat slightly.) To check for doneness, make a small cut near the bone. Look inside it should have a hint of pink. If its still red, cook for another minute and check again.)

6. Transfer the chops to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*** I found chipote chili flakes in my grocery store but was not able to find "ground" chipolte. So I used my mortar and pestal and freshly ground it myself. It actually worked like a dream and I will use my chipolte flakes more often now that I know what I am doing. I also used the mortar and pestal to freshly crack the coriander seeds.

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Potatoes Fondantes

A non-stick skillet is crucial so the potatoes don't stick to the pan as the liquid evaporates.

2 pound baby Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes (20 to 25 potatoes, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 cups of homemade or low-salt chicken broth
2 Tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons of thinly sliced chives to garnish.

1. Trim the potatoes of any eyes or damaged areas and wash well in cold water. Arrange as many potatoes as will fit in one layer in a 10-inch nonstick skillet. (there should be a little room to spare; since you will later "crack" them open.)

2. Add the rosemary, chicken broth, olive oil, butter and salt.

3. Bring to boil over HIGH heat. Then reduce the heat to MEDIUM, and cover the pan but leave the lid ajar. Boil the potatoes about 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. The liquid should still be about halfway up on the potatoes; if it is not, add a little more broth or even water, until it does.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and press each potato with a small measuring cup, until the potato just "cracks" open.

5. When all of the potatoes have been cracked open, Set the pan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and cook, UNCOVERED, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the potatoes have browned on one side. (about 10 minutes)

6. Gently turn the potatoes and brown the other side. (about 5 minutes more)

7. Remove the pan from the heat and let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

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Yogurt-Mint Dressing

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey

3 Tablespoons whole milk yogurt
5 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice and honey, until the honey is completely dissolved in the juice.

2. In another bowl, whisk the yogurt and olive oil.

3. In a thin stream, slowly add the yogurt mixture to the lemon-honey mixture, whisking constantly until incorporated.

4. Add the mint, and salt and pepper to taste.

*** This dressing is great served as follows

In a large bowl place about 8 cups of baby spinach greens, that have been washed and dried. Then add cucumber and red onion prepared as following. Gently toss with above dressing and serve.

Take 2 medium cucumbers, peel, slice in half and using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Then thinly slice crescents of cucumber about 1/8 inch thick.

Take one small red onion and halve. Carefully and VERY THINLY slice. Put in as much as desired.