dn's Pork Chops With Mango And Apple

A couple of months ago, I was in one of those creative cooking moods. I wanted to try something different. I had set out pork chops for supper, but didn't know what I wanted to do with them. I had lots of fresh mango on hand, as I'd gotten them on sale a few days earlier. I searched the net, but didn't find anything that really combined the two in a way that appealed to me, so I decided to invent my own recipe.

I've made this three times now and have kept track of all the changes in ingredients and quantities. As I noted in the recipe, I have even made this with chicken breasts rather than pork chops! Both are delicious! I even had a good friend try making the pork version. She loved it!


"dn's Pork Chops With Mango And Apple"

2 pork chops (boneless)
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1Tbsp minced garlic (bottled type)
1 medium mango peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 medium apple, cored and diced ( about 1 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup orange juice or 5 Alive Mango
1 Tablespoon Cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 teaspoon low sodium Soya sauce
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Prepare the onions and red pepper then set aside.
- Prepare the mango and apple (toss the chopped apple in a Tablespoon of the orange juice to prevent discoloration), then set aside.
- In a fry pan, brown the pork chops using a little bit of oil and margarine. Remove the pork chops to a 1 1/2 Liter baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam.
- Add the onions and red pepper to the pan that you browned the chops in. Sauté lightly for a minute or two then add the garlic. Sauté another minute.
- Add the apple and mango and stir.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and stir over low heat just until all the pan drippings are lifted from the pan then pour the entire contents on top of the pork chops.
- Cover and bake in a 375F oven for about 40 minutes.

Serve over brown rice with a green veg or salad on the side.

Notes:
- This recipe also works well with boneless/skinless chicken breasts.
- This recipe could easily be doubles and baked in a 9"x13"x2" baking dish covered with foil.
- Start a casserole of brown rice in the oven while the chops are browning. Spray a 2 Liter casserole dish with Pam. Add one cup of brown rice, 3 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons margarine or oil. Cover and bake for about 55 minutes in a 375F oven. Leftover rice can be frozen in individual portions for future use.

Enjoy!

dn