Pork Chops and Taco Salad

As I've mentioned many times, when preparing meals I always make enough for several meals.  That way you don't have to cook so much.  Plus, because there's something ready in the refrigerator, it cuts down on the urge to cheat.

Taco Salad - Lunch

Start by browning ground chuck; I used 12 ounces for me and 16 ounces for my hubby.  That's enough for two meals (one for later).  Then I added taco seasonings and 3/4 cup of water to make a sauce.  Next, I put a cup of shredded lettuce in a bowl, added some fresh tomato salsa I purchased in the dairy case, an ounce of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and topped it with 6 ounces (8 ounces for hubby) of the meat mixture.  It was yummy and very satisfying.  In fact, it felt like I was cheating.  NOTE:  To take this meal to Level 1, you can add sliced black olives.

Pork Chops - Dinner

I will admit that before Suzanne Somers, I wasn't the most creative cook on a daily basis.  Usually, when I made pork chops I threw them in the pan and fried them until browned.  But, tonight I made them the Suzanne Somers way and they were fabulous!  Maybe I've just been cooking under a rock, but I've never been told to add olive oil to the pan.  Jeeze, they've got enough fat coming out of them during the cooking process!

It doesn't make sense, especially when you're dieting, to add more fat.  But, this is healthy fat, according to Suzanne, so I went with it.  Mix together 1 Tbl. olive oil, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, and a teaspoon of thyme (pg. 172 in the book).  Then, get your pan screaming hot, baste one side of the pork chop and place it basted side down in the pan.  Then, baste the top side with the remaining mixture.  Then, turn the heat to medium and let it rip until both sides are browned and the inside is done.

We couldn't believe how moist our pork chops tasted, not to mention the fabulous flavor.  Usually, pork chops tend to be a little dry.  But eating these made us feel guilty and silly at the same time.  Yum-oh!

Oh, and our veggie side dish was fresh cauliflower that I tossed with a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil),  balsamic vinegar, and marjoram.  I put it in the oven (450 degrees) for 10 minutes, then sprinkled 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese on it and baked for an additional 5 minutes.  Plain old cauliflower never tasted so good.  What a great compliment to the pork chops.

Can't wait to eat everything again, as leftovers!