Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops with Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

If you are ever in need of a 30 minute meal that tastes like day-long, traditional home cooking, this is certainly a great choice! I first found this recipe for Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette in the newest issue of Everyday Food magazine and knew it was one that would be great on a crisp salad. As I continued to browse, I found the pork chops marinated in the vinaigrette and the perfect pairing of rosemary potatoes. I was a bit weary of the potato recipe as it is cooked in the microwave, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the finished product. The entire meal was easy to prep and cooked within 20 minutes. It is definitely one I will hold onto as a quick, weekday meal.



Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops

4 bone-in pork rib chops (I used a simple thick cut chop)
course salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Place pork in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over pork, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to a day). Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Remove pork from marinate (letting excess drip off); place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Broil, without turning, until opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes. (If chops are browning too quickly, turn them.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.



**I had to turn mine to keep the browning even and too cook evenly.



Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette


1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil



Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender, blending until smooth. With machine running, add olive oil in a thin stream, blend until creamy. (To store, refrigerate up to 2 weeks.) Makes 3/4 cup.





Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1.5 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper

Combine oil, garlic, and rosemary in a 2 quart microwave safe baking dish with a lid. Cover, and microwave on high until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in potatoes. Cover and microwave on high until potatoes are tender, 13-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Everyday Food Magazine (March 2009)