NEW RECIPE: Herby Pork Chop with Sauteed Veg and Diamond-Baked Potato (Valentine's Day Special 2016)

Valentine's Day is the perfect day for you to showcase your cooking skills to your significant other. Nothing is more impressive than cooking a delicious meal that looks amazing! It doesn't need to be fancy ingredients either, as this recipe showcases. 

I used this recipe to do some work on my food plating skills, so I add some "chef-y" twists to the meal that obviously don't need to be done if in a rush, but make the plate look even more amazing. The pork chop is coated in an awesome blend of Italian herbs, and the mushrooms and greens are mixed with herbs and a light amount of Parmesean for just the perfect boost of flavor. The potato is a simple baked potato, but scored into a diamond to give it a fancy appeal. 

The plate itself in the photo is dusted with dessicated lemon peel, but you can use other spices that fit the flavor profile and your plate as well! Paprika is great for a white plate, for example. 

Anyways, this is overall a tasty, simple, and cheap meal that is just pimped up with simple cooking techniques and methods to make it look and taste absolutely delicious! 

Recipe serves 2 people.

Ingredients:

7-8 oz pork chop, thinly sliced
1 Russet potato
1/2 lb cromini mushrooms, quartered (any mushroom works for this)
1/2 lb fresh mixed greens (I went for a blend of arugula, kale, and chard, but even just spinach works)
Salt and pepper to season
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp toasted onion powder
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove minced garlic
Fresh Parmesean and dried lemon peel to garnish

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Take each potato half and score diamonds in it. Brush the halves with a half tablespoon of olive oil each. Season, and place onto a baking tray. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender.

3. While the potato bakes, heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium high heat. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, onion powder, basil, and oregano. Cook for 2-3 minute on each side.

4. Wipe out the pan, then add in another tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme until brown, about 3-4 minutes. Toss in the greens, then plate.

5. For plating, place a mound of the sauteed vegetables in the center of your dish and dot with tiny flecks of the Parmesean cheese. Lay the pork chop (s) on top, then dust the plate with your spice of choice. Add the baked potato in the back, and serve!

This dish is incredibly simple to prepare, but tastes like a million dollars and looks incredibly impressive. Pair it with a glass of white wine to really make it a fancy dinner. There is nothing better to impress your significant other than a home-cooked meal - and this one takes all of the fuss out of making it! 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)