Today was my first day back at work, after being away for 5 months. It almost felt like the first day of school, when you’re so excited about the new adventure in your life but so anxious about what to expect, at the same time. Not only is it a completely new post, senior, but it’s a completely different department as well. As of today, I’m working for the South African Army. I won’t be giving away any national military secrets though…:) They actually made me sign a contract stating this.
Anyway, enough about my long but exciting first day at work. It’s time to resume my other jobs, being a mom, wife and a good cook :). It’s dinner time.
Dinner tonight is a piece of miss piggy: Duck fat fried pork chop served with a carrot puree, caramelised onions with fragrant coriander basmati rice and sweet pepperdew sauce.
But it looks like I only have 1 chop! Oopsie!
Contingency plan; 2 meals, 1 member of the family has a pork chop and 2 will have beef dhania sausage, served with their meal.
What do you need? serves 4
- 4 Pork chops OR in my case 1 chop and dhania sausage.
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Basmati rice
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Veggies- 6 pepperdews, onion, spring onion, carrots, garlic
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Herbs- coriander, bay leaf
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Spices- salt, pepper, cinnamon
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Liquids- beef stock, coconut milk, apple juice, duck fat
Method
- The rice- In a hot pot with 1 tbs olive oil, add chopped half onion and soften, then chopped spring onion and garlic. Add the basmati, roast with veggies for 5 min, then add boiling water and salt. Cook until soft, then drain water. Back into the pot, add another chopped spring onion and 2 tbs of fresh coriander. Mix well with the rice, seasoning with salt.
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Rub the pork chops with cinnamon and coriander powder, salt and pepper. In a hot pan with duck oil, place the pork chops. Brown both sides then pop into a preheated 230 deg oven for 7 min for a medium done chop.
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Sausage – There’s no need to season these as they’re perfectly pre-seasoned. Place on a hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil, brown, then add onions cut into rings for a few min, then also pop into the 230 deg oven with the pork. For 7 min as well.
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Carrot puree- boil chopped carrot in a pot with 200 ml of beef stock and 2 bay leaves. Cook until tender, then add 50 ml coconut milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, salt and pepper. In 5 min, puree the mixture until smooth.
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Pepperdew sauce- in a pan, add chopped onion and soften, then 1 tsp of garlic and spring onion. Add chopped pepperdews, 50 ml of Apple juice. Reduce down to 3/4 of initial amount, then add 25 ml beef stock. In 5 min add 25 more ml of Apple juice, season with salt, pepper. Leave to simmer for 2 more min then strain the sauce.
Then serve.
And dinner is ready! Bon appetit :). Cheers to my first day back at work and my attempts at being super woman :)!!
Nowhere close to healthy tonight, but everyone deserves a treat now and then, right? This was totally worth it :).
