Pork chops for dinner!

You know how sometimes you just run out of ideas for what to cook for dinner? Happened to us last night. We were scratching our heads trying to figure out whether we felt like eating out or having a meal at home. Noon said we had long beans in the fridge and I remembered watching a cooking show on the telly a few days ago about grilled pork chops on a bed of beans. And so we came up with.... orange marmalade and balsamic glazed pork chops, on a bed of beans and sweet potato mash!

First thing we did was season the chops with a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then seal and brown both sides of the meat on a lightly oiled pan. The glaze/sauce was a mixture of orange juice (2 oranges), orange marmalade (2 tablespoons), brown sugar (1 tablespoon), and a generous dash of aged balsamic vinegar. After the meat was browned, we poured the sauce into the pan and turned the meat to coat. We then left the whole thing to simmer on a very low heat for 40 minutes to reduce the sauce and slightly stew the meat.

We brought Sam and Rosie out for a walk to the park while we waited. When we got back, it was time to get the beans ready. We boiled them whole for just a few minutes...

...before plunging them into iced water to stop them from being overcooked and to retain the bright green colour.

While that was being done, Noon got the sweet potato cooked in the microwave and then proceeded to mashing it up.

And with all that done, it was time to plate up! The beans went on the plate first...

Followed by the sweet potato mash...

And finally the chops went on top, along with a generous drizzle of the now thickened sauce!

Opened up a nice bottle of wine and sat outside on the deck for an al-fresco meal :) The meat was nice and tender, and the sauce was tangy and fruity. Definitely something we will repeat in the future!

Not bad, eh? From not having a clue about what to eat to whipping up a nice little meal for ourselves!