One great thing about the changing weather is that comfort food, like my delicious Baked Pork Chops and Apples, is back on the table.  

I really like this recipe for Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it’s quick and easy (of course). But if you hit the farmers markets, you’ll find an amazing assortment of apples that can really make this an interesting dish.

I don’t know why pork and apples play so well together. Maybe it’s because pork needs the sweetness of the apples to bring out its flavor. Or maybe, if the pork is cooked properly, the apples add just the right amount of moisture to the meat to make the flavors pop.

And speaking of overcooking your pork— don’t!

If you like it dry and white and hard, that’s fine (yes, I’m judging). But, really, there’s like zero chance of you getting trichinosis or some other wild disease if your pork chops are slightly pink in the center. They’ll be moist and delicious and taste like they should, not like a cooked shoe.

I’ve added a little apple cider vinegar to my Baked Pork Chops and Apples because it brings a little brightness to the dish.

What is brightness? It’s that little mouth spark that you get when you first bite into something delicious that makes you want to keep eating it.

Meat needs a bit of brightness because it has very little natural acid. And acid (think lemon juice) helps enhance flavors.

Fall has fallen. Cooler weather is on the way. But there’s comfort in what I’ll be putting on the table over the next few months.

       Print this recipe.    

Put down that bottle of Mint Jelly… those lamb chops are screaming for something much sexier: Mint Chimichurri.

C’mon, you know what chimichurri is, right? It’s that tangy, garlic-infused parsley-based sauce-like condiment that is a must-have on every table in Argentina. For a split second a few years back, chimichurri was the darling of every chef and on every menu in every restaurant everywhere.

Okay, I’m exaggerating a little. But, I’ve just made standard chimichurri a bit more interesting by substituting fresh mint for the parsley to create an easy to make Mint Chimichurri. The mint brings a sunny, spring-like freshness to this sauce while still keeping the heat. And, yes, it IS gluten-free!

Double this Easy Mint Chimichurri recipe because, once you taste it, you’re going to want to slather it on everything from scrambled eggs, to hamburgers to roasted asparagus!

And if you need help with the lamb chops, here’s my recipe for Roasted Rack of Lamb.

       Print this recipe.    

The perfect holiday dish: Pomegranate and Mint Lamb Chops. The ruby-red Pomegranates and bright green mint combo make this really festive, don’t you agree?

The lamb rib chops I use in this recipe are  “Frenched.” Frenched means the meat is cut away from the end of the rib or chop so that part of the bone is visible. Not only does this make the chop look deliciously elegant, it also helps the meat cook evenly.

This Pomegranate and Mint Lamb Chop recipe is gluten-free and paleo-friendly… and incredibly easy to pull together. I used my Hamilton Beach® Stack & Snap™10 Cup Food Processor to make the marinade, which includes pomegranate syrup or molasses (which you can find at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or ethnic markets).

Here’s a link to this delicious recipe, perfect for this time of year… (or on the grill this summer!).

And just in case you missed it… here’s how to open a pomegranate, without staining everything in site!