Well that’s a mouthful of a title isn’t it?! And I even paraphrased what was actually on my dinner plate.
Really I could have named this meal Crispy Lemon Butter Breaded Pork Chops with Tomato and Green Chili Mashed Chickpeas with a Roasted Jalapeno, Red Onion and Tomato Puree.
How about that for the win?! Okay, okay…I’ll stick with my original title.
In all seriousness, this meal was worth every ingredient in it. Usually I just focus on one aspect of a meal when I post a recipe; either the main dish, the side, a salad, or some kind of sauce.
But with this dinner, all the elements were so good that I couldn’t just choose one to highlight.
So Merry Christmas! You get them all in one simple post…well at least as simple as I get.
I’ve made these breaded pork chops before but wasn’t quite satisfied with the sauce I made to go with it. In fact, now that I think of it, I can’t even remember what sauce I made the first time. Must really have not been memorable. Guess that’s why I didn’t post it.
But the pork chops…they were amazing! Perfectly crisp, tender and juicy. Here I am raving again about pork chops (check out my Slow Cooker Tomato and Artichoke Heart Braised Pork Chops) when only a few months ago they were one of my least favorite meats. Goes to show cooking something well makes all the difference.
These pork chops have so much flavor! Not only do I coat them in my homemade breadcrumbs, but I also crisp them up in little bit of lemon butter before baking them in the oven. Delish!
When Ben and I were in Utah we took advantage of the free family babysitting to go out on a double date with a longtime friend of mine. You bet we chose someplace nice to eat since we didn’t have our kiddos.
Side note: If you ever visit Salt Lake, make sure to check out Trio. Yummy food for sure!
Anyway, Ben ordered salmon that came with citrus flavored mashed chickpeas. Mind blown! They were so good! Who would have thought???
So when thinking of a side for my breaded pork chops I thought it would be fun to play around with flavors in a mashed chickpeas side dish. Diced tomatoes, green chilis and a splash of white wine were the winning combo.
And then for the sauce. You just can’t eat breaded anything without some kind of sauce. Since I was going the slightly spicy tomato route, I figured a roasted tomato and jalapeno puree would pair nicely with the pork chops and chickpeas. I also added some honey to add a bit of sweetness and tone down the spice.
My two year old, Emry, downed that sauce. I think she would have drank it if I poured a glass. She dipped her pork chops in that sauce the same way she tackles a French fry in ketchup. That says it all!
Well how to you like that? One post, one full meal. Well personally, I would also add in a side salad or some fruit to really make it complete, but you’re more than halfway there. And tell me, are mashed chickpeas not the bomb?! I’ll definitely be experimenting with those more often.
Have you made anything with chickpeas before?
- For Pork Chops:
- 4 boneless pork chops, medium thickness and fat trimmed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- juice of one lemon, about 1½ tablespoons
- ½ cup gluten free flour, I used quinoa flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk, or milk substitute
- ¾ cup gluten free bread crumbs
- salt
- pepper
- For Sauce:
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 large jalapeno, or 2 small
- ½ red onion, cut into wedges
- 2 garlic cloves
- olive oil for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup almond milk (or milk)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- dash of cinnamon
- For Mashed Chickpeas:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ can (15 oz.) petite diced tomatoes*
- ½ can (4 oz.) diced green chilis*
- ¼ cut cooking white wine
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 oz. cream cheese
- salt
- pepper
- Prepare sauce by preheating oven to 350 degrees. Cut red onion into wedges. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread tomatoes, jalapeno, onion and garlic cloves on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss vegetables to coat evenly. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through and last 5 minutes to avoid burning.
- Remove jalapeno and place in a sealed plastic bag to sweat for at least 5 minutes. Peel skin from jalapeno and discard. Cut off stem and slice the jalapeno in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and discard.
- In a food processor combine jalapeno, tomatoes, and red onion. Peel away skin from garlic cloves and add the paste with the other veggies. Add remaining ingredients for the sauce to the food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare for pork chops by keeping oven at 350 degrees and heating a large saucepan over medium high heat. Arrange three wide bowls and fill with the following: 1) gluten free flour 2) eggs and milk 3) gluten free breadcrumbs. Beat the milk and eggs together in bowl #2. Coat the bottom of a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Trim fat from and salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops.
- Take each pork chop and coat both sides in flour, then dredge in egg mixture and coat both sides in bread crumbs. Place pork chops on a plate until ready to cook.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter to heated saucepan to melt. Add half the juice from 1 lemon to the pan. Once butter is melted and hot, place pork chops in saucepan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp, adding the second half of the lemon juice to the pan once you flip pork chops to the other side.**
- Transfer pork chops to baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Only cut halfway through one to test for doneness.
- To make mashed chickpeas, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. Add rinsed and drained garbanzo beans and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, green chilis, white wine, garlic powder and oregano. Continue to stir and sauté until liquid reduces. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add 1 oz. cream cheese, salt (I used about ¼ teaspoon), and pepper. Mash with potato masher or fork to desired consistency.
- Assemble plates by scooping chickpeas onto plate and topping with a pork chop and tomato sauce.
**Occasionally push the pork chops slightly in the skillet to avoid burning, about every minute.
