COOKING WITH Z SPICE: New Month, New Blog

Well, I have honed my writing skills and now I am working on my photography skills. I am once again changing the way I am doing my blog and I now feel that I am on the right track for what I am trying to accomplish.

As you will notice I have added a couple of new items on the right, A joke of the day, A quote of the day and a tip of the day. I hope you will find these items not only put a smile on your face but also help to make your day a little bit better.

As many of you know I am working on writing a series of cookbooks, the first one in the series is geared toward easier recipes for the "Non-cook". That does not mean that those of you that are way more experienced, and know what a kitchen is used for, can't try them out yourself. I will, on occasion, put in a more complicated and time consuming recipe for the more daring cook.

So let's get started and have some fun. As always, remember I welcome feed back and comments. Let me know what you may have changed in the recipe to make it your own or if you made it just as I posted. Well let's get cookin'.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium tart red apples, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
6 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chops, 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until both sides are evenly browne. Remove from skillet and place in a pre-heated 200 degree oven.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet.

Add the apples to the skillet. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or just until the apples are tender. Remove apples with a slotted sapoon and arrange on top of chops; place them back into the warm oven. Continue cooking mixture in the skillet, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.