Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops & Paying Homage to a Foodie Goddess Next Week

Another week is almost at a close. I actually did some cooking last weekend, this is just the first opportunity I have had to post.
Please forgive me... I recently got back into school at DePaul, and between work and school/school related time (IE studying, reading course material, working on a team project)it's been hard to find the time to do all the cooking and blogging I want to. It's been almost a month since I have created a video recipe, and I'm really hoping to break that habit this weekend.
This weekend, I'm making a very special recipe. I have never made this before because my hand at French cuisine is shaky, and ruining this recipe would be like dishonoring the woman who's recipe and method I will attempt to duplicate. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Not everyone believes that. Julia Child didn't believe that, and when Julie Powell wrote a blog that followed Learning the Art of French Cooking by Julia, she was less than thrilled. Unfortunately Julia is no longer here, so I don't have to worry about the proverbial smack down if this recipe fails.
So next week, I will bring you Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguigon. Keep your fingers crossed for me foodies :)
Now that I'm done talking about whats up next week, lets discuss what went down last weekend...Apricot Glazed Pork Chops. This recipe was so easy, and delicious I know I will keep it on hand to experiment with lots of different flavors. So here are the images and recipe from Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops.










Easy Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

• Two 10 oz bone in center-cut pork chops
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup apricot jelly
  
• 1/3 cup white wine
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions
Sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over chops. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork. Cooks on each side until browned (About 5 minutes per side).
Remove Pork chop from pan, and keep warm. Combine preserves, wine, and ginger in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add preserves mixture to pan; simmer 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Return pork to pan; cook 1 minute, turning to coat.
Serve immediately with rice.

Grilled and Breaded Pork Chops with the Family!

I'm having some family over for dinner tonight so I needed a recipe for a few more people than usual. This is a great bone in pork chop recipe that's always a favorite with my family. I think I'm going to make some macaroni and cheese from scratch to go with this...it's just too good of a comfort meal to pass up!

Ingredients

• 4 cups fine fresh bread crumbs (from 10 slices firm white sandwich bread)
  
• 3/4 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
  
• Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 8 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) bone-in center-cut pork chops (4 1/2 lb)
  
• 1 cup olive oil

Recipe Directions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread crumbs in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until dry but not golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Cool bread crumbs completely, then stir together with cheese, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or a 9-inch pie plate. Lightly season chops with additional salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Put oil in another shallow bowl or 9-inch pie plate. Dip each chop in oil, letting excess drip off, then dredge both sides of chop in bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere, and transfer to baking sheet. Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Grill chops on well-oiled grill rack, covered only if using gas grill, turning over once or twice, until pork is cooked through and crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes total. .
Source:Grilled and Breaded Center Cut Pork Chop Recipe