Satuday Eats - A Special Supper Before Mom Leaves to Visit Her Dad

Abby T. Lab says "Click to Enlarge - I double dog dare ya!"

This is a fairly easy dinner to put together for a special family meal (I'm leaving my husband at home next weekend, to celebrate my dad's 96th birthday the following week, too long of a visit to leave Abby with dog sitters)  I made a reduced fat version of my normal "Red Lobster Ripoff Recipe" Cheddar Garlic Biscuits and posted on the healthy eating blog, but it was too good not to share here as well.

You will need: four pork chops or uncooked meat substitute such as firm Tofu or Tempeh
Balsamic Vinegar
a cup of cheese
An onion or veggie of your choice to roast
and baking mix, flour and herbs and spices.

To start:

Chop a large sweet onion (or other vegetable you'd prefer to roast) into one-two inch pieces while the oven preheats to 425 F.

Make seasoned flour (yes, you can use a premade kind but most of them have MSG, something my husband is very sensitive to),  Besides, this is tastier and WAY cheaper.

1 cup flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. sweet  paprika
1 tsp. Penzey's Chili 9000 (or plain chili powder)
1 tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or substitute rosemary)

Make Biscuits: (these taste JUST like the yummy ones at Red Lobster restaurants)

In a blender or food processor pulse several times (until butter is the size of tiny peas)
2 and 1/2 cups  Heart Smart Reduced Fat Bisquick  baking mix
1 cup grated  Cabot reduced fat cheddar
1/4 stick cold butter (or you can cut in with a pastry blender, no food processor required)

Stir in 3/4 cup cold milk just until combined.

Drop by 1/4 cups on non stick cookie sheet and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a 10 inch cast iron pan, and saute onions for about 4-5 minutes on medium, just until they are starting to soften and fall apart, then place them around the edges of a 13 x 9 pan. Put cast iron skillet back on stove and set pan with onions aside on the counter.
Whisk an egg in a bowl, dip 4 pork chops into it, shaking to remove excess, then roll pieces in seasoned flour., until lightly coated

Raise heat on pan to medium/high and sear the pork pieces in the remaining oil from the onions for 1 minute per side, then place in the 13 x 9 pan with the onion.

Do not wipe pan clean, and place back on stove, medium temp..

Set oven timer for 20 minutes.

After the pork has been in the oven a couple of minutes, put biscuits in oven (they'll cook about 1-18 minutes).

Deglaze pan on medium with about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, reduce to low and stir for a couple of minutes, incorporating any drippings from the meat or veggies, then turn heat off.  A few minutes before pork is done, drizzle over the pork and onions, then return to oven.

Pork should be done at  145 degrees F. internal temperature, but let sit at least 3 minutes when out of the oven, as the temperature then will go up a few more degrees without the meat getting tough

Top biscuits with 3 Tablespoons of butter melted in a cup in the microwave with 1 T Parsley (optional, the peeps don't always like it) and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or other savory such as rosemary if you don't use garlic)

Sit back and enjoy!

You made a biscuit for me with the gluten free Biquick and NO Garlic or green stuffs? (garlic is very toxic for dogs)

I LOVE YOU MOM!