Recipe Tuesday: Blackberry Pork Chops, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

Blackberry Pork Chops:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops (3/4-inch thick)
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup blackberry preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash cinnamon
dash curry powder
1 cup fresh blackberries (optional, rinsed)

1. Preheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of pork with steak seasoning. Coat both sides of pork with cooking spray; place on grill (wash hands). Close lid (or cover loosely with foil).
2. Grill 4–5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
3. Combine remaining ingredients (except blackberries) in small saucepan. Bring just to boiling on medium, stirring occasionally, to liquefy preserves. Cover and remove from heat.
4. Ladle sauce over pork chops and garnish with blackberries. Serve.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) package refrigerated mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon horseradish

1. Place potatoes in microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on HIGH 3 minutes.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Microwave 3 more minutes on HIGH or until thoroughly heated. Stir and serve.

Green Beans:

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh snipped green beans (rinsed)
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon cooked bacon pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan on high; cover and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are desired tenderness. Serve.

Of course, the only thing I actually tried from this batch was the potatoes, and they were awesome. I love horseradish - I even use it in my egg salad sandwiches. Also, one (semi-annoying) customer gave me a great idea: he came up and asked, "Is this tofu?" EVEN THOUGH there was a big sign on the front of my booth that clearly read "PORK" AND I had the recipe cards (with the names of the dishes) prominently displayed in front of the food. So I was like, (exasperatedly) "No, sir [meaning: moron], it's pork chops." And then I thought, "but I bet tofu would be awesome!" So now I'll have to try that sometime.