Chopped!

As we get busier with work, and the winter weather makes remaining indoors more and more appealing, M and I have gotten infinitely better at meal planning and shopping for the week. The initial input of energy that comes with deciding what to eat ahead of time is more than compensated for by how economical the whole outing ends up being.

Buying the week's groceries, and planning meals around them, also gives you the liberty to experiment in the kitchen and to cook recipes that require small amounts of ingredients with particular flavors. Enter dill.

Dill isn't an herb that M or I have ever cooked much with. Its strong, sharp, bright flavor gives it limited versatility, and the sheer size of the bunches sold at the grocery store mean that we always, always, end up wasting more than we'd like to admit.

Tonight's delightful main attractions, which put to good use the oodles of dill we had left in the fridge, were made extra-economical by the use of pork chops that we bought on sale. The breaded crust is crunchy and oh-so-savory, full of the pungent aroma of garlic, with an interesting, nutty texture from 12-grain bread to boot. The mild flavor of the pork held its own superbly against the mustard-based crust, which helped the meat remain juicy through baking. The dill-laced chops paired beautifully with the potatoes; those vibrantly beautiful, creamy, crispy little gems melted our culinary hearts.

Crunchy baked pork chops

Adapted from here

Ingredients

Breaded coating:

- 4 pieces of white or multigrain bread

- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 1 small shallot, minced

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

- 2 tbsp dill, chopped

- 2 tbsp olive oil

Pork chops:

- 5 large pork chops, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat (about 1 kg)

- 1/4 cup + 6 tbsp all-purpose flour

- 3 egg whites

- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves 5

**Note: breaded pork chops can be frozen for up to 1 week; simply increase the baking time to 35-40 minutes**

1. Preheat oven to 350F and position rack halfway down the oven.

2. In a food processor, pulse bread until coarsely ground (yields about 3 cups of crumbs). Place into a large bowl and add shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil; toss until well combined.

3. Spread crumbs across a large baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven, return to the large bowl and mix in dill and Parmigiano-Reggiano; set aside.

4. Increase temperature in the oven to 425 and re-position rack to the top third of the oven.

5. In a large bowl, whip egg whites together with Dijon mustard, and mix in 6 tbsp flour until a thick paste forms.

6. Spread the remaining 1/4 cups flour across a large plate.

7. Spray a baking rack well with cooking spray, or oil well, and place atop a large baking tray

8. Place 1 pork chop in the all purpose flour, ensuring all sides are coated; then, dip floured chop in the egg white/mustard paste, and coat well. Finally, dredge chop in the breading mixture, ensuring that a thick coat of breading covers the entire surface of the chop evenly. Place on the oiled baking rack, and repeat until all of the chops have been breaded.

9. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until pork is cooked through at the thickest part.

10. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Roasted multicolored potatoes with dill and olive oil

Ingredients

- 20 small potatoes, scrubbed, skin-on

- 1/2 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 tbsp dill, chopped

- salt and pepper, to taste

Prep time: 5 minutes

Bake time: 25 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Slice potatoes into quarters and place in large bowl. Add olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper, to taste, and toss well.

3. Spread across a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and crisp on the outside. Remove from oven and serve immediately.