A perfect fall meal

Psalm 104:14
He makes grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate- bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.


Some blessings are undeniable. I believe that a good meal is definitely one of those blessings.
I love being able to eat out, to taste foods i have never heard of , to stretch the culinary imaginations of my family and friends.  I have had the privilege to taste some of the worlds finest foods, and work with some of the freshest and best ingredients known to man. Still nothing is more exciting to me than being able to share my experiences with my family, I love being able to make a good meal at home.  To be completely honest this has not happened on a regular basis... ever. Phil and I don't eat poorly, i've come to grips with the fact that people just find meals that work for them, especially when life gets busy. Once in a while though, I get the itch, the undeniable desire to create something different (from our day to day). Aside from the recent strudel, there hasn't been much of a stretch of my culinary mind at home; though i do intend upon doing so little by little.
 Tonight's dinner was one of those  meals that just had to have a little something extra. There was nothing entirely special, or technical about it, but it was delicious, and in case anyone is searching for a perfect fall meal I am sharing this one with you.

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Apple Chutney, Asparagus and Wild Mushroom Risotto, Roasted Winter Squash, and a whole wheat roll 

(why yes that is a tiny plate for such a hardy meal... the picture was an after thought and i didn't feel like having to wash another large plate. Lazy, yes. Do I regret it, no not really.)
 First of all I did not make this all in one night. Lets just get that straight.
The Risotto is actually leftovers from the other night, but it was a perfect compliment to the pork. Personally, I think risotto is the perfect compliment to anything. This was Phil's 1st experience with it, and i am pleased to say that he really enjoyed it.


The Risotto is Alton Browns recipe. (we <3 AB)
recipe here


The Squash
was simply peeled like a potato (you will need a good sharp veggie peeler for this one),
seeds and yuck removed,
chopped into generous bite-sized pieces,
tossed in oil,
sprinkled with salt and pepper
spead out onto a cookie sheet and bake in 350 F oven for about 20 min (till softened)


The Chutney
recipe here
I made it without the orange peel.
the end result was a bit to vinegary for me so i stirred in about
1tsp honey


The Chops
for 4 chops, i mixed:
1/4 tsp ground corriander
1/4tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
salt and pepper
sprinkled this mix on both sides of the raw chops
 browned them on both sides in a pan with some veggie oil
finished them in the oven 350 F for about 10 minutes
(they turn from pink to a whitish gray color and their juices run clear when fully cooked)

So there you have it. A perfect fall meal.  It happened to be 85 F here in Raleigh today, but its fall in my heart.

Eat Happy!