Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/ Purple Passion Aspararagus and Savory Herb Potatoes

Dinner Tonight: Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/ Purple Passion Asparagus, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Savory Herb Potatoes





For my Breakfast I toasted an Eggo Waffle, topped it with a Poached Egg, and had that morning cup

of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. Big change in our weather again. We went from a high near 60 degrees yesterday, to a high of 30 with a snow flurries and high winds today. Ohio weather is never boring! After Breakfast I headed up to McDonald's and picked up Breakfast for Mom and Dad. Finished up cleaning out the "junk drawer" and then started on the pantry. So for dinner tonight I prepared a Cumin Spiced Pork Chop w/Purple Passion Asparagus, Roasted Butternut Squash, and Savory Herb Potatoes.

While at Meijer I picked up a Center Cut Pork Chop from the Meijer Meat Counter. I really love the Meijer selection and quality of all their meats.











Then to prepare my Chops I’ll need; The Cumin Spiced Rub which consists of; 1 tbsp Roasted

Cumin, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika, 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper. To prepare it preheat oven to 400°. Combine all the ingredients; rub it all over the pork chop. Let stand 20 minutes. Start by heating the Extra Virgin Olive oil in a Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat. Add Chops to pan; cook 3 minutes, browning both sides. From the stove to the oven and bake at 400° for 15 minutes until the thermometer registered 150° (slightly pink), turning after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Fantastic combo of Spices, which makes one incredible Crust on the Chop with the inside being tender and moist! Love this seasoning on Pork.




For a side dish I had picked up some Purple Passion Asparagus at Meijer the other day. I had never tried this before so I was looking forward to giving it try! They said it like Green Asparagus but it's less fibrous and sweeter due to a higher sugar content. I prepared it the same way as the Roasted Asparagus I've made before. I'll need; 1 bunch of Purple Asparagus (fibrous bases removed), 1 Tablespoon of Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits, Ground Garlic Salt, Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and 1 tbsp Extra Light Olive Oil.

To prepare it is easy; Preheat the oven to 400F. Place asparagus in a baking tray sheet. Add the bacon, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool a couple of minutes and serve! I'll have to get more of this, really like it. It came out tender and had a slight sweet taste to it.










I hadn't planned on Roasted Butternut Squash but its one of Mom's favorites so I prepared a package

of that also. I had purchased 2 small packages of Diced Butternut Squash at Kroger and had them in the fridge.. They sell packages of it that they dice up. This is a lot easier than peeling and seeding one yourself, especially if you don’t have a good knife to cut it. I’ll need; 2 packages of Diced Butternut Squash, 2 tablespoons Extra Light Olive Oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Grinder Sea Salt, and 1 teaspoon McCormick Grinder Peppercorn Medley.







To prepare it; Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. I baked this as I was baking the Asparagus.  Place

the Squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with the Olive Oil, Salt, and Peppercorn and toss well. Arrange the squash in one layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the Squash is tender, turning once with a spatula. And done, very easy to prepare. With the small amount of Seasoning and Olive Oil, it really brings out the flavor of Butternut Squash!

While at Meijer I picked up a package of the Little Potato Company Savory Herb Potatoes. I had these a few times now and really enjoyed them. The Potatoes come in a microwavable tray. Just pop the tray in the microwave for five minutes and mix in the seasoning pack and you have a nutritious and tasty Potato Dish. These are definitely a good item to have in the pantry! So easy to prepare and no clean up. Chops, Purple Asparagus, Butternut Squash, and Potatoes tonight. I really enjoyed this Dinner, doesn't get much better than this! For Dessert later a Weight Watcher's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bar.

Pork Facts….
One serving of pork is 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. An image of the portion size is important because a thick pork chop can be twice that size and without realizing it you can eat double the calories. You’ll get 137 calories and 4 grams of fat from a 3-ounce pork chop. Pork is similar to chicken, with 3 ounces of chicken breast containing 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. A pork chop has 65 milligrams of cholesterol, compared to 72 grams in chicken breast, but they both have just 1 gram of saturated fat.







the Little Potato Company – Savory Herb
HERBS AND SPICES, WITH A HINT OF BACON

Evoking all the cozy feelings of home-cooking, the Savory Herb flavor combines a fun mix of red and yellow Creamer potatoes with a comforting blend of savory herbs, earthy spices and just a hint of bacon flavor.

Simply pop the tray in the microwave for five minutes and mix in the seasoning pack and voila! – you have a nutritious taste of home. This is cozy dish on its own, or combine it with other ingredients to take your meal to a whole new level of down-home goodness.

You may also want to try our Garlic Parsley or Zesty Italian flavors.

*CALORIES PER SERVING 85
* GOOD SOURCE OF POTASSIUM
* SOURCE OF FIBER
* SOURCE OF VITAMIN C
* NATURALLY FAT-FREE

Microwave

In three easy steps, you have perfectly steamed and seasoned potatoes!

1. Simply remove the cardboard sleeve and seasoning pack. The plastic film stays on to aid in steaming the potatoes.

2. Place the convenience tray in the microwave. Cook on high for 5 minutes*.

3. Let the tray rest for 2 minutes then carefully remove plastic film and stir in seasoning pack. Caution – the contents will be very hot. If desired, add 1 tbsp. of butter or olive oil.

Serve and enjoy!
*Cooking times may vary.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size
Per Serving % Daily Value*
Calories 85
Fat 0%
Saturated / Trans Fats 0%
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 175 mg 7%
Potassium 510 mg 15%
Carbohydrate 20 g 7%
Fibre 2 g 8%
Sugars 2 g
Protein 2 g

http://www.littlepotatoes.com/en/products/savory-herb/







Purple Passion Asparagus

Purple asparagus is a similar in appearance and flavor to both white and green varieties as its original cultivar came from green asparagus. Its differentiated by its violet hued stems and conical crowned tips, however its feathery foliage is still green. It is inherently less fibrous thus more tender than other asparagus types. Also, its preferred sweetness is due to its twenty percent higher sugar content than other asparagus varieties.
Purple asparagus' color comes from the high levels of anthocyanins in the spears. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidant flavonoids that have protective and preventative health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.