Easy & delicious recipes for glazed pork chops & orange-scented green beans

I don’t cook very often. I hate being in the kitchen for very long, preparing food that I just want to eat already. It’s a rare day when I’m in the mood to go further than warming up something already prepared, and even then the recipe needs to be easy and quick.

The other day I ventured to make glazed pork chops with orange scented green beans, and I surprised myself with how delicious both were without too much work! I got the recipes from the the Food Network. It’s pretty simple to search the site by whatever main ingredient you want to use.

GLAZED PORK CHOPS

1/3 cup olive oil
2 (12 to 16-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

In a large oven-safe saute pan over high heat, heat the olive oil until oil ripples. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Sear the chops, presentation side down, until browned. Then flip and cook until the other side is browned. If the chops are more than 2 inches thick, sear them on the sides as well, using tongs to hold them.

Once a uniform sear is achieved, remove the pan from the heat and pour the syrup over the chops. Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm to the touch. A meat thermometer should register 150 degrees F.

When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven and place it over a burner on high heat for a minute to thicken the glaze. Flip the chops so they are evenly coated and serve immediately.

ORANGE-SCENTED GREEN BEANS

Peel of 1 orange (I grated it)
2 pounds trimmed green beans
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

Fill a pan with 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Add orange peel and beans. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, beans should remain bright green with a snap to them. Drain beans and return to pan. Remove peel. Toss with butter, salt and chives then transfer to a serving dish.

I steamed the green beans instead of boiling them (because I
I wish I’d taken a picture of the pork chops because they came out beautiful as well as yummy. The red pepper flakes are spicy up against the maple syrup sweetness. So good, and not hard at all!