Glazed Pork Chops with Roast Potatoes, Apples, Chorizo & Olives

This dish has a slight Spanish inspiration with the orange zest, vine tomatoes, olives and sherry vinegar.  Tamarind paste is an Asian ingredients and if you can't get it something simple like balsamic vinegar or worcestershire sauce will be equally fine.  Again if sherry vinegar is not handy just grab some white wine vinegar or even better some cider vinegar. Leaving the skin on the apples and potatoes adds a little more fibre to the dish, while being strict and only eating the centre medallion of pork will seriously reduce the saturated fat content of the dish. A little chorizo goes a long way here so again be very vigilant in your portion control. This meal is very filling and satisfying all the while including a few veggies. The rapeseed oil produced in Donegal is a great Irish product and we should encourage Irish and local where possible, instead of imports.
Overall this dish and a great idea if having friend around for dinner as the pork can be marinated over night and all the veg prepped just to pop in the oven.

Ingredients

Serves 2 

2 Free range pork chops

Marinade

1 tsp local honey

1 tsp tamarind paste / balsamic vinegar ( 2 tbsp )

zest 1 orange

1 tsp wholegrain & 1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp extra virgin oil ( try donegal rapeseed oil )

3 tsp Spanish sherry vinegar

2 medium sized potatoes

100g olives

50g chorizo

1 apple

1/2 red & 1/2 green pepper

1 large red onion

4 cherry tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

2 handfuls flat leaf parsley

Method

1. Prepare the meat marinade - combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Trim the fat off the pork chop or if you prefer score the fat and remove when the dish is ready to serve - but absolutely DO remove the fat. Spread the marinade over the pork. Set aside
2. Preheat the oven to 200o C
3. Wash the potatoes well. Don't peel if possible. Cut into half and parboil for 7 mins. 
4. Cut the chorizo into cubes.
5. Peel and deseed the peppers. Cut into chunks.
6. Leave the skin on the onions and quarter.
7. Peel and crush the garlic.
8. Wash, (leave the skin on) remove the core and cube the apple.
9. Quarter or half the tomatoes ( depending on the size )
10. Cut the parboiled potatoes into smaller cubes.
11. Spritz a large baking tray with spray oil. Spread the potatoes, chorizo, red onion, peppers, garlic, apple and olives on the tray.  Spritz and bake for 15mins.
12. After 15 mins heat a griddle pan and sear the pork chops. If they begin to stick deglaze the pan by splashing on a little sherry vinegar. Transfer to the oven for 10 mins.
13. Remove the pork, cover with a little foil and allow to rest for 5 mins as the roast potato and apple tray crisps up.
14. Stir the flat leaf parsley through the apple and potato roast tray. 
15. Serve and enjoy

Creamy Seafood Pie

I love seafood pie - when i started developing this recipe i began with the hard core traditional recipe including bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots and celery. Then one day due to a lack of ingredients in the fridge and a hunger for dinner this quick,ultra easy recipe emerged.

When looking for a selection of fish don't make it a big deal - especially if its for a weekday dinner - frozen fish is fine (defrosted obviously)or some supermarkets do a prepared seafood pie mix. I don't particularly like squid and mussels in my seafood pie - however i do feel the prawns are worth the little extra luxury.Liquid fish stock concentrate is great and if not a stock cube is perfect. The dried dill actually works surprisingly well.

When poaching the fish be careful not to boil the milk as it will split. To poach simply means to keep it at a medium to low heat and have gentle bubbles breaking the surface. If it does split its not the end or the word - take it off the heat and stir through the cream cheese.

Serves 4

200g smoked haddock

200g cod

200g salmon

200g prawns

800ml skimmed milk

20g cornflour

1 fish stock cube

50g extra light cream cheese

1 tsp dijon mustard

15g fresh/ 5 g (1tsp) dried dill

2 handfuls frozen peas

50 ml skimmed milk

1 tsp low fat butter

8 potatoes

salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC. Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

2. Peel and half the potatoes. Boil for 25 – 30 mins. (Alternatively steam in the microwave for 12mins)

3. Dice the fish into large cubes (2cm x 2cm)

4. Pour the milk into a shallow frying pan. Crumble in the stock cube. Add in the fish and bring to a simmer for 6 mins.

5. After 6 mins – using a colander over a bowl strain the milk and fish.

6. In a small ramekin blend 20g of corn flour with 3 tbsp of the warm strained milk until it forms a smooth paste.

7. Pour the milk back into the saucepan and continually stir in the corn flour paste until the milk thickens into a smooth sauce. Gently stir in the dill, mustard peas and all the fish. Taste and season with a little black pepper. The stock cube has already added salt.

8. Strain and mash the potatoes. Gently warm the butter, milk, salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. (small bowl in microwave) Stir into potatoes.

9. When transferring to the oven proof dish try to pour as much of the creamy sauce to the bottom of the dish as possible. Add in the fish. Dot small amounts of mashed potatoes over the top and gently spread out. Score the back of a fork - clean down the edges of the dish.

10. Bake in the oven for 30mins until bubbly and golden brown.