Apple Maple Pork Chops and Grilled Asparagus


The apple maple jam from the share this week is amazing!  I opened it up thinking I would add some seasonings and olive oil to make a glaze for some pork chops but then I tried it.  I may or may not have tried it a second time too.  In fact, after putting the jam into a bowl, I may have even made sure the jar was clean!

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 There was no way I was going to change the consistency and flavor too much.  I decided to serve the pork chops with the jam right on top.  With the delicious chunks of apples it is similar to a sweet compote.  All I did was add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the jam to thin it just slightly and cut the sweetness a touch.  Perfect for pork.

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My my family loves millet so I got some of that going too.  Millet is a gluten free grain that is light and fluffy similar a rice.

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Like rice, millet is a great vehicle for flavor.  I peeled a clove of garlic and let it come to a boil with the cooking water.  I then lower the temp and added the millet.  You cook it just like rice, until the water is absorbed.  Feel free to use other liquids as well like stock or even a tomato soup that has been thined out, it adds so much great flavor!  I removeD the garlic clove and disposed of it, it’s job was done, and I add about 2 tablespoons of butter.

Since I was getting the grill going for the pork chops why not toss the asparagus on the grill as well, I love the smoky flavor it imparts.  To prep it I tossed it in olive oil to prevent sticking on the grill and also to keep the flavorings on the veggie.  I tossed this simply in some onion powder.

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Onto to the grill they went……  When you are grilling asparagus and you don’t use a grill basket for your veggie, you simply place the asparagus horizontally across the grates.  That way you don’t loose any down into the grill.  Be careful with cooking times of asparagus on the grill.  If you use a bunch that have both the skinny stalks and the fatter stalks the cooking times will vary, just remove the thin ones a bit earlier.

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A short ore while later, off of the grill they came…

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Put it it all together, a beautiful day for grilling and enjoying a nice meal on the deck.  

Looking forward to Sunday night dinner tomorrow at Jess’s house.  Until tomorrow Springdell friends!


About Sarah

Sarah is a trained chef and owner of Whisk Baked Goods. She lives in Chelmsford with her husband and two active boys. Sarah is passionate about food, loves eating local, and cooking gluten free foods.

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