Apricot and almond stuffed pork chops

A few years back I was fortunate enough to visit New Zealand and I reveled in their simple, straightforward food. Even before I had heard of things like Paleo, Primal or low carb, I could see that the simple clean way that the locals were eating was clearly beneficial to their health. While traveling I always drink the local brews. I fell in love with Speights beer and popped into one of their restaurants for a bite to eat. The dishes were very hearty, not too heavy and worth of praise while remaining simple. I grabbed a copy of their cookbook and made that my souvenir. The best part is the photography in between each of the recipes. Beautiful! One of the recipes called for a apricot stuffed chicken with goat cheese. I had been making it that way for quite a while until our diet shifted and now I have a whole new approach. Equally delicious, equally simple to create. 

Ingredients:

• Pork chops
• Dried apricots
• Slivered almonds
• Salt and Pepper
• Cooking oil
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 tbl Red wine vinegar

Prep:

Heat a skillet to a medium-high heat and heat the oil. Take the pork chops and slice a pocket into the sides. Be cautious not to go all the way through. Take the apricots and slivered almonds and layer them neatly inside the pork pocket. Salt and pepper the outside. I used to use toothpicks to hold this closed but if you are gentle on the stove, you won't need them.

Cook:

Place the stuffed chops in the pan and don't move them for 2-3 minutes. This ensures the get a nice caramelized outside. Flip them over once you see that the raw pink has gone mostly white to the slit. Repeat on the other side. I often place a lid on the pan once they are flipped to create a little steam to finish off the middle and add extra juices for a sauce. Once the are complete, gently remove the chops and set aside. Pour the chicken stock and vinegar in the pan. Stir constantly while this reduces down. You may need to crank the heat up but be watchful that it does not burn.

Once the sauce is reduced, pour over your creation and enjoy. I served mine with a layered veggie bake. This one had potatoes, green bell pepper, zucchini, squash, garlic and sweet onion layered with thyme, olive oil and cracked pepper. 450F for 45 minutes.