When the leaves begin to fall and it’s dreary, dark, and damp outside sometimes we need a truly comforting meal to bring our thoughts and minds out of the impending winter doldrums. Ellie Krieger’s simplistic Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple Slaw requires minimal kitchen efforts especially if you take advantage of the sacks of pre-shredded Cole Slaw readily available in your grocery store. Not that shredding cabbage is particularly difficult, but after sloshing home from a long day at the office in the rain any steps I can streamline in the dinner making process are generally appreciated. Plus, the smell of sage cooking creates such a calming space that you might just want to trade in that evening glass of Pinot Grigio for a tender and juicy pork chop instead. Now don’t get hostile…it was just a suggestion!

Season	Slice
Cut a Few Corners	Brown
Rest	Soften
Add the Slaw	Bury the Pork
Warm	Warm Up & Cheer Up

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw (Originally published by Ellie Krieger)

NOTE: To make this quicker and easier you can use one 16-ounce bag of pre-shredded carrots and cabbage, called “Slaw Mix” instead of starting with whole cabbage and carrots. This dish can also be a one-pot-meal if you need to swap around. Just serve with some nice brown bread or whole-grain or whole-wheat bread.

4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (3/4-inch) bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each)
1 large onion
1 large Granny Smith apple, cut in 1/2, cored
1/2 head green cabbage, cored
3 large carrots
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Combine the 3 teaspoons of the fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Rub this mixture all over the pork chops and let the chops sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion, apple and cabbage and julienne the carrots (very thin sticks).Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan until hot but not smoking. Add the chops and brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove.

Carefully wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining teaspoon oil over moderate heat and add the onion, apples and remaining teaspoon fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is soft and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until the cabbage and carrots begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and return the pork chops to the pan burying them in the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook just until the pork chops are just slightly blush in the center, 5 to 7 minutes longer.

To serve, arrange the warm slaw on individual plates and top with a pork chop and pan juices.

If Amazon is correct than It looks like Ellie Krieger has a cover for her new cookbook, The Food You Crave. I think Ellie is probably the only person who can pull off that bright orange cashmere, but it does blend well with the artfully arranged plate of spaghetti and meatballs she’s tempting us with. I wonder if those meatballs are the same ones I made back in January? If so, they’re pretty fabulous in a sandwich.

I’m a new fan of Anthony Bourdain, only having begun watching his show on The Travel Network this past summer. However, I’ve quickly become hooked and he’s rightfully earned a place of glory in the TiVo season pass hall of fame right next to Ugly Betty and The Office. Tonight, Anthony will be featuring Tuscany as his destination of the hour and you can’t imagine how excited I am to watch. I’ve had an obsession with all things Tuscan since watching Bertolucci’s film Stealing Beauty when I was 16. I’m definitely interested to see how Anthony Bourdain attacks the Italian country side, most likely one bottle of wine at a time.

Sometimes people bake and cook the most delicious creations and it just makes me wish that there were more hours in the day and more calories to spare:

The Kitchen Wench whipped up some savoury scones that even her picky sister raved about.

Nicole at Pinch My Salt made biscuits that might possibly put my grandmother out of business.

The Newlyweds in Dubai were able to pick up some much loved American grocery items and decided to create the infamous Planet Hollywood Captain Crunch Chicken.

And Anne, The Good American Housewife, made me infinitely jealous with her tasty Ricotta Gnocchi.

For the most part I try to bring my lunch from home, but on Friday’s I like to go out and leave the office far far behind. After all, a girl can only handle so many Amy’s Frozen Dinners and Lean Cuisines in a week. I tend to take the T to The Pru and meet CK on these days. Lately we’ve been having a lot of lunch dates at PF Changs.

I’d describe PF Changs as the asian Olive Garden. It tastes good, the portions are large, and the wait staff tempts you mercilessly with sinful deserts. Just wait until they wave the Great Wall of Chocolate cake in front of your eyes (all 2200 calories of it). It’s painful to decline, but a necessity since the lunch portion of basic Beef and Broccoli packs a whopping 900 calories (without the rice). I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to consume that many empty calories they better be wine or cheesecake based.

So Asian take-out dishes are a “no no” and will cause much internal grief by forcing you to choose between rice or Happy Hour…not if you make Ellie Krieger’s Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu. You can eat a cup and a half of this dish (if made to exact specifications) and you’ll only consume 400 calories. Plus all of the tofu, brown rice, and vegetables are incredibly filling and I guarantee that you won’t experience post lunch hunger pains (damn you Lean Cuisines!)

Never cooked with, bought, or looked at Tofu before? Well neither had I! Yes, this was my first foray into cooking with Tofu. It honestly couldn’t have been easier, just drain it and slice. I actually used the whole 14 ounce block of Tofu in this recipe (as opposed to the 6 ounces called for). Mostly because I had no idea what I was going to do with half a block of leftover tofu and I hated the thought of it just going to waste; so into the rice it went. And for once I’m looking forward to a non-Friday lunch!

Dice & Slice	Make Rice
Slice the Tofu (Don’t Be Scared)	Heat Garlic, Ginger & Scallions
Add Rice, Veggies & Tofu	Scramble the Eggs
Stir in Soy Sauce	Actual Serving Size

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu (Originally Published by Ellie Krieger)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 cups leftover cooked brown rice
3/4 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, corn
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

I was so excited this morning to read about Ellie Krieger’s new cookbook which is scheduled to be released early next year. It’s pretty hard to miss that I’m a huge Ellie fan and I love making her recipes. In fact, the positive reaction to my Chicken Cacciatore post last summer, that was featured on the front page of Vox in the “This is Good” section, was a big catalyst in my decision to create this blog. Hopefully the new book will include a number of new recipes and not just those that she’s made on her Food Network show.

Who else is super excited about Food Network being available in HD? I’ve been waiting for this day since we bought our HDTV last summer. Comcast kept me in such suspense! And just for all of you people who reach my blog by searching for “Giada’s Breasts” I’d like to point out that yes, her lovely chest is available for viewing in all it’s glory. The only downside so far is that Sandra Lee in HD is positively frightening! OK…I totally just squealed out loud when a commercial for Nigella’s Feast came on. I love this! Hopefully Ellie Krieger will get the HD treatment soon as well.

I made a phenomenal steak the other day for Chris and Anna and now I’m a huge fan of the “rub.” The rub I’m gushing over actually consisted of chili powder, coriander, mustard, brown sugar, espresso and salt & pepper — who knew such an odd assortment of flavors could taste so incredibly amazing! Well apparently Ellie Kriger did, and Cowboy Steak was born. A great addition to this fabulous dish are Ellie’s Garlic Fries. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to slice the potato correctly (and a mini consultation with Chris), but they turned out delicious, spicy, and very crispy. I think these fries are destined to become a weekly staple in our home now.

Heat Oil & Garlic	Strain
Slice	Coat
Combine Spices	Rub
Grill	Flip
Toss With Garlic & Parsley	Yee Haw