What's for Dinner?

This seems to be the question that A.P. and I sigh about the most. I am responsible for feeding us on a daily basis, but I can't tell you how tiring it gets. It seems like every night A.P. asks me what's for dinner, and every night we have to figure out what we're eating. I love to cook, but I'm always so tired after work that cooking is sometimes the last thing I want to do. So I'm always on the hunt for a quick and easy recipes. I made a variation of this recipe from Martha Stewart for us the other night and the results were delicious!


Here's my variation on Martha's recipe:

Pork Chops with Parsnips and Carrots

Ingredients:

Pork Chops (whatever cut you prefer)
Parsnips (2 large)
1 cup baby carrots
1/4 c. chopped parsnips
1/8 c. cider vinegar
Sea Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Heat 1 tablespoon or so olive oil in a large dutch oven or lidded frying pan. Salt and pepper pork chops and cook over over medium to high heat until brown on one side (about five minutes). Meanwhile, peel and chop 2 good sized parsnips into rounds. Quarter the larger pieces. Flip pork chop and brown for 1-2 minutes. Add parsnips and 1 cup baby carrots, adding additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook until vegetables brown slightly, then place lid on pan and lower heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove lid, and stir in 1/8 cup cider vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, and remove pork chops. Continue cooking vegetables until cider vinegar is reduced. In the last 3o seconds, add the chopped parsley and stir around. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

I wanted to make a mushroom barley risotto to go with this, but this took so little time, that I didn't end up having time. This was so delicious that A.P. gobbled it up! I didn't omit the shallots on purpose, I just sort of forgot about them. I'm sure this variation would be good with shallots, too.

Now if only I had taken a damn picture!

(Photo via Martha Stewart)