Pork Chops with Black Mission Figs & Pomegranate Sauce

The container of dried Black Mission Figs caught my eye at Trader Joe's and I immediately thought of serving them with pork. Trader Joe's has some nice pork chops so I picked them up and imagined all day the sauce I'd make. I'm happy with how it turned out - sweet and hearty - and so was my family, minus my four-year-old who is back to eating two bowls of cereal a day. Let me know how you like this. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but special enough to serve to guests.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 shallots
• 8 Trader Joe's dried Black Mission Figs
• 4 Trader Joe's pork chops
  
• 1 cup Trader Joe's chicken broth or stock
• 2 tablespoons Trader Joe's pomegranate glaze (optional)
  

Preparation:

1. Peel and finely chop shallots, set aside. Remove stems from figs and chop into small pieces, set aside.
   
2. Trim pork chops of all visible fat and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a heavy bottomed skilled over medium high heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. When oil shimmers, add the pork chops seasoned side down and allow to brown for 3 minutes undisturbed. Turn over and brown on the other side, then remove to a plate and cover with foil.
3. Lower heat to medium and add 1 teaspoon oil to pan if it's dry. Immediately add shallots and cook 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add stock, raise heat to high, and stir to mix in any bits stuck to pan. Once it comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and add pork chops. Cook until pork chops are firm to the touch and cooked through, another 4 to 5 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add more stock. If the chops are of uneven size, remove smaller ones first so they don't overcook. Place chops on plate, add pomegranate glaze to pan if using, stir to combine and pour over pork chops. Enjoy!
   

Stir Fried Tofu and Baby Bok Choy with Trader Ming's General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce

That title is a mouthful! Sorry! No pun intended. This is one of those meals I like to make when I have to run out to a PTA meeting and have about a 30 minute window to cook and eat with the family just after my husband gets home. I cook the rice ahead so it's sitting in the rice cooker all ready when I'm starting the stir fry. It's one less thing to think about. I cut up the tofu and trim and clean the bok choy and have them sitting on the counter with the jar of sauce. When I see his car heading into the driveway, I turn the heat to high on my largest burner and heat up my prize possession, an All Clad 13" braiser that he bought me as a gift! It's excellent for stir fries.

My husband thought this sauce was a bit sweet, as did I, and we could not name one authentic Asian dish that it reminded us of, even though it was supposed to mimick the flavors of General Tso's famous deep-friend Hunan style chicken. As a side note, that dish was conceived in the US by a Taiwanese Hunan cuisine chef who added sweetness to please American palates. Hunan dishes are not sweet, but searingly hot. (Yes, we studied Chinese cooking in school.) This sauce is quite sweet and mildly hot. That being said, it was still very good, the kids loved it and it sure beats making your own sauce. Leftovers are going to school tomorrow!

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 1 package Trader Joe's tofu
• 1 pound baby or Shanghai bok choy (small green plant that is tender and mild; Trader Joe's carries it but it is much cheaper in Asian grocery stores
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
  
• Trader Ming's General Tsao Stir Fry Sauce

Preparation:

1. Prepare tofu by removing it from the package and placing it on a cutting board. Slice horizontally into 8 equal sized slices, then cut each slice the long way into 3 equal pieces, then rotate knife 90 degrees and cut into cubes. Place in a prep bowl.
2. Trim the root end of each bok choy so that only the tender stem and leaves remain. Rinse well in a salad spinner until free of sand. Set aside.
3. Heat a pan suitable for stir frying, like a braiser or wok, over high heat and add 2 teaspoons of canola oil. When oil glistens and coats the bottom of the pan, add the bok choy all at once and stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until it begins to wilt and turn emerald green. At that point, add the tofu and half a bottle of sauce and stir fry until the they are heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how hot your stove gets. I recommend tasting the dish to see if it's heated through and cooked enough. The bok choy should retain some crunch. Do not cover the pan or the food will steam and release copious amounts of water and leave you with a soupy mess. If the tofu releases a lot of water anyway and your sauce is too thin, remove tofu and bok choy with a slotted spoon into serving bowl and reduce sauce over high heat until thickened. Pour over tofu and bok choy in serving bowl. Serve with steaming rice.
   

Soy Ginger Chicken Breasts with Korean Spinach Salad and Basmati Rice

This is a meal I have made a million times for my family and friends and it never fails to please. This is simple and healthy Asian cooking that includes my mother-in-law's recipe for Korean spinach salad or shigumchinamul. You can make this 100% from Trader Joe's ingredients in no time at all. I recommend marinating the chicken first and letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Turn on the rice cooker to make the Basmati rice starting about an hour before you want to eat. Then make the Korean spinach salad because it has to chill.

Ingredients for Soy Ginger Chicken:

• 4 Trader Joe's all natural or organic chicken breasts
• Trader Joe's Trader Ming's marinade

Ingredients for Rice:

• Trader Joe's brown Basmati rice

Ingredients for Spinach Salad:

• 2 bags Trader Joe's fresh organic baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

Preparation:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in at least 1/4 cup marinade so they are evenly coated. Store in fridge until ready to use. Do not marinate more than 3-4 hours.
2. Prepare rice by placing 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water in a rice cooker and set to "cook". Or make it on the stovetop by bringing it to a boil and then lowering it to a simmer and cooking until done, about 45 minutes for any brown rice. Or buy Trader Joe's precooked brown rice!
3. Make Korean spinach salad by steaming or blanching spinach, squeezing out most of liquid and adding soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. When ready to eat, remove chicken from marinade, place on foil lined heavy duty baking sheet and broil on high for 3-4 minutes per side. Keep an eye on them because they can burn easily. When they begin to color, flip them over and cook on the other side until done. Place on a cutting board and slice thin. Arrange on plate with steaming rice and cold spinach salad and enjoy an Asian feast. Of course, a little kimchi would complete the meal!