Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

Cherries add flavor to pork chops.

Ingredients:
2 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (used 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/3 to 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Dried red pepper flakes, to taste (used 1/8 teaspoon pepper)

Directions:
Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add pork shops; brown well, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to plate. Add onions to skillet; cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, dried cherries, orange marmalade, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; boil rapidly on medium heat until broth is reduced by half. Reduce heat. Add pork chops to pan to heat through, 5 to 6 minutes. (Cook pork chops longer on lower heat, if pork chops are very thick or if they have a bone in them.) Internal temperature of the pork should be about 160 degrees. Add chicken broth or water, if needed. Serve pork chops with cherry sauce spooned over them.

 

Turkey Spiral with Onion-Dried Cherry Stuffing

 

Ingredients:
Onion Cherry Stuffing:
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup diced yellow onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups diced, day-old bread
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried tart cherries
1/2 cup turkey or chicken broth
2 eggs beaten

To form Turkey Spiral:
1 whole turkey breast, bone-in weight 5 to 6 pounds
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Add bread, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, celery seed, hazelnuts, and dried cherries. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add broth and eggs, stirring well to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

To form Turkey Spiral: 1 whole turkey breast, born in weight 5 to 6 pounds, stuffing from above, 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted Bone out Turkey breast lobes, keeping skin intact. Lay each lobe onto work surface, skin side down. Cutting from where center breast bone was, butterfly breast open. Open up butterflied turkey breast, keeping skin side down, and pound lightly to even thickness to about 1 inch overall. Divide stuffing mixture in half; place on flesh side of each turkey breat lobe. Spread mixture evenly and pat into place. roll up turkey breast, jelly-roll style, so the skin end up on the outside of the roll. Repeat with other lobe of turkey breast. Place each turkey spiral onto a large piece of aluminum foil. Brush turkey all over with melted butter. Tightly seal up turkey breast in foil. Place foil wrapped spirals onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 30 minutes. Open up foil to expose top of spiral and baste with accumulated pan drippings. Bake another 30 to 45 minutes basting occasionally, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Then slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve. This also makes beautiful turkey sandwiches!

Makes 12

Nutrition Info:
Nutrition Facts per serving of stuffing: 153 cal., 9 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 15 g carbo., 50 mg chol., 3 g pro., 1 g fiber, 273 mg sodium. Daily RDA values: 15% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 4% calcium, 6% iron

Nutrition Facts per serving of turkey and stuffing: 466 cal., 24 g total fat (9 g sat. fat), 15 g carbo., 178 mg chol., 45 g pro., 1 g fiber, 398 mg sodium. Daily RDA values: 15% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 6% calcium, 20% iron