Almond Panko Crunch Dijon Pork Chops w/ Arugula Shallot Salad
- Info Desk
- Aug 19, 2015
- 3 min read
Pork chop Wednesdays are actually a thing at my house. Packed with flavour, protein with almost half the amount of saturated fats found in red meat. We are always trying to find ways to keep pork interesting. This was awesome, tons of flavour.. and if you're lucky that panko crust will fall onto your arugula salad... so. good.
Why is this good food good for you?
Pork vs. beef. To diversify our menu and to keep on track of having a heart healthy diet, we introduced pork and now have it weekly. Lean cuts of pork are better for you and have less than half the fat than beef. Pork is not only affordable to have on the regular but packs a lot of flavour and a lot of protein.
Spice vs. sugary sauces. Use herbs and spices to make your meat taste good. Adding sauces like barbeque or ketchup adds a ton of sugar to your meal. Sugar is a major contributor to heart disease. So, spices it is, and for this dish I added some extra crunch and flavour with almonds and dijon mustard.
Good fat vs. bad fat. We stopped paying attention to "fat" in foods or ingredients. Specifically, we paid more attention to the "type" of fat in ingredients. There are foods which seem high in fat that are very good for you and even better, help fight the bad fat in your body. Guess what, nuts, specifically almonds, are a great source of the "right" fat. Just like olive oil, they are rich in monosaturated fats and help reduce cholesterol. Almonds are rich with potassium and vitamin E. It's a great snack to have on-the-go too.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs
3 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups arugula
1 sliced shallot
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 pork chops, bone in
8 Easy Steps (Instructions):
Step 1: Combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, onion powder and cumin in a bowl. Generously coat the pork and let them sit.
Step 2: Preheat oven for 425.
Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together mustard and olive oil. Then add panko, parsley, thyme and almonds. If too dry, add more olive oil, if too wet, add panko. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Prepare a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking oil and sear both sides of the pork chops until lightly browned.
Step 5: Place seared chops on a lined baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Flip the chops and spoon the panko mixture on top and bake for another 7 minutes.
Step 7: Prepare salad by whisking oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together. Add arugula and shallots.
Step 8: To serve, place chop on plate with salad. Cut into the juicy chop and put in mouth. Yum.
Enjoy! Nutritional facts and printer-friendly version of this recipe here.
Comments