One reason (of many) that I started The Earthfood Experiment is that I love to be in the kitchen. I can lose hours in there just playing around with food stuffs (especially when I am preparing them for people I love) However, I do have other things that must get accomplished during the day, so spending hours in the kitchen on a daily basis is just not feasible...
Not to mention the fact that I'm inherently sporadic, flitting about from one sparkly thing to the next. Sometimes I can spend days in the kitchen then quite instantly, decide that I'm tired of cooking, moving onto another whim for the next week or two until the urge to return to the kitchen reemerges.
(This tendency of mine to weary abruptly of an activity reminds me very much of Forrest Gump. Remember when he, one day quite suddenly 'for no particular reason' without any forethought or warning, starts running and continues to do so for many years across many states and to many shores, in the process mystifying all who's paths he crosses, until one day he stops running abruptly only to say "I think I'm tired now" ??? First of all, I'm just sayin'... there might be a similarity here. And secondly, how was that for a run-on sentence.)
Anyhoo, all of this mumbo jumbo is leading me to the cooking hiatus I have been on as of recently, and only just yesterday felt the need to return from.
Out of necessity created by my inconsistent nature, I have decided to start exploring SUPER easy, low fuss, healthy recipes to arm myself with for the next time something shiny should happen to catch my eye and I am distracted from the kitchen yet again... because I suppose my peeps might still like to eat in the meantime. Plus, I know you all are super busy and don't have the time or maybe even the desire to spend hours in the kitchen.
So, you will surely understand my excitement when I came across a collection of 3 ingredient recipes in one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple. As I was perusing the pages of this glorious recipe section I had the realization that a lot of the foods I make for my family already include relatively few ingredients. I don't usually write about these because in the back of my mind I think that maybe they are not special or exciting enough. However, judging by my own excitement over the recent 3 ingredient recipe collection discovery, I'm beginning to think that maybe these simple fares are the most special of all.
Here is a 3 ingredient recipe for Apricot Glazed Pork Chops that I found in this magazine of mine and consequently made for Sweets and Miss M as supper last night. I do not get hugely excited about meats of any sort (unless it is seafood... does that qualify as meat?) but they thought it was pretty darn good.
Here are the ingredients:
- Bone in Pork Chops
- Apricot Preserves - 1/2 Cup
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon
Now that you have your olive oil, heat a couple teaspoons of it in a skillet over med high. Generously salt and pepper your pork chops while you are waiting for it to heat up. Why not go ahead and mix together your balsamic and apricot preserves while you're at it.
Throw your meat into the skillet to cook. Okay, maybe throwing pork into hot oil is a bad idea.
Gingerly lay your lovely chops into the bubbling bath of oil a la olives. Better?
Here they will remain for 6-8 minutes on each side after which you will dump your apricot sauce over the top and let cook for a few more minutes until nice and glazy. Done.
OH!! so easy.
I then served with a side of steamed broccoli that I flavored with the juice of one lemon and a palm full of crushed red pepper and some salt. (3 ingredients!)
And... Pecan Rice
Another 3 ingredient recipe (also to be found in Real Simple) that you make like this:
This whole 3 Ingredient thing is fun! Can't wait to make another tonight.
Peace & Love,
Chandra Nicole
