Rachael and Ina make a perfect couple!

Can you imagine a more schizophrenic duo in the kitchen than Rachael Ray and Ina Garten? I mean, there's Rachael, giving things a "shimmy shake" and declaring every single dish as "YUM-O." And then there's Ina, the Queen of Cool, high energy never ruffling her calm demeanor. I can't imagine that smile disappearing from her face even if the dog ate the $200 prime rib she had purchased from a personal friend who runs a farm raising heirloom beef.

Can you picture those two in the kitchen together? How long do you think it would be before someone’s Santoku knife “accidentally” entered the eye socket of the other? Nonetheless, we had an excellent dinner tonight that combined recipes from both of these ladies.

Our main course was Rachael’s Pork Chops with Spiced-Apple Pan Sauce and Roasted Broccoli, paired with Ina’s Roasted Winter Vegetables. Rachael’s pork chops were browned, then lifted out of the pan long enough to sauté apples and onions with cinnamon and nutmeg before being finished with a splash of lemon juice and a handful of chopped parsley. While the pork chops simmered on the stovetop, the broccoli roasted in the oven with a wisp of garlic until the broccoli florets developed into crispy, browned, caramelized goodness.

However, before I even started on Rachael’s recipe, I had popped Ina’s Roasted Winter Vegetables into the oven. Within 20 minutes, even though the vegetables had nothing on them but salt, pepper, and EVOO, the house was redolent with the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. It smelled like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and gGrandma’s house, all rolled into one. I pulled the winter vegetables out while the broccoli roasted, then popped them back in the oven for a few minutes before plating dinner.

Not only was dinner delicious, I felt like we were doing our bodies a huge favor with the nutritional double whammy of the broccoli and the beta-carotene rich winter veggies.



We finally got the rain that we have been waiting for, so this was a great night to have something that calls up some vague ancestral memory of a farmhouse after harvest. Of course, we were going to have chili, but the store I stopped at didn’t have the fire-roasted tomatoes I wanted. Don’t you hate that? For the sake of one ingredient, the whole plan has to change. Of course, I could plan ahead, but where’s the fun in that? Actually, I do plan for a week at a time, but sometimes I just don’t want what was on the menu, or something isn’t thawed out (like the pot roast that’s been in the refrigerator for five days now).

Also, I’ve now posted the recipes for Ina’s Real Meatballs and Spaghetti, along with my own spaghetti sauce that a friend of mine very much wanted to see. Good luck with that, Mr. K. You know that no one makes it like Mom, right?

Pork Chops in Spiced-Apple Pan Sauce with Roasted Broccoli Spears

Copyright 2005 by Rachael Ray
30-Minute Get Real Meals

1 large head or 2 small heads broccoli
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 boneless pork loin or rib chops, 1 ½ inches thick
2 tablespoons butter
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 4 or 5 sprigs, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
2 pinches ground nutmeg or fresh grated nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chicken stock or broth
A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the very end off the broccoli stems. With a peeler or a paring knife, remove the thick fibrous outer layer of the Broccoli stems all the way up to within an inch of where the broccoli shoots off into its florets. Cut the broccoli lengthwise into large spears. On a baking sheet, toss the broccoli spears with the garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of EVOO. Place the broccoli in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. The florets become brown and crispy and a little nutty tasting.

While the broccoli is roasting, preheat a large skillet over high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Liberally season the pork chops with salt and pepper and sear on both sides for 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove the chops from the skillet and reserve. Add the butter to the pork skillet, add the onion, thyme, sliced apple, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion and apples are tender. Add the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer. Add the pork chops back to the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, or until the chops are cooked through. Add the parsley and lemon juice to the chops and stir to distribute.

Serve the chops topped with the spiced-apple pan sauce alongside the roasted broccoli spears.

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Copyright 2006, Weight Watchers: Take Out Tonight

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons rice wine or sake
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into florets (4 cups)

1. Combine the broth, sake or rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Heat a nonstick wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in the oil, then add the garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds, then add the broccoli an stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute.