Cranberry Walnut Stuffed Pork

Anytime is a good time for these great fall flavors. It's a great recipe to increase and make a bunch to freeze, so then you have a great dinner anytime you need it in a pinch. 

I used a box of stuffing mix just to save time. Somehow, that's still okay in my book. You can certainly break up bread and make your own. I do it all the time but I enjoy the simplicity of making this dish quickly. I'm not exactly sure why some things are okay and others are not for me. If I ever use a cake or brownie mix though, you can call me a traitor!

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp dried cranberries

1 package stuffing mix

(and ingredients according to package)

2 celery stalks

1 shallot, chopped

6 center cut boneless pork chops

Pound your pork chops flat with a mallet and lay out on cutting board or counter. 

Heat water or chicken broth for stuffing. You will cook according to package directions, except add the celery and shallot to the pan before it boils. 

When your stuffing is done, scoop about 1/3 cup of it into a mixing bowl. Add walnuts and cranberries and mix with a fork. Spoon out about 2 Tbsp of filling running down the center of each pork chop. Roll them up and stick a toothpick in them to keep closed. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

I lined a casserole dish with the remaining stuffing and placed the pork on top to bake. 

These also freeze great. Lay them in a covered casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray and freeze. Then, you can pop them into freezer bags and just pull out however many you need when you want them.

Confetti Couscous

This is a great side for a holiday feast, yet simple enough to make on a weeknight. The colors make this a beautiful and tasty dish. I'm a big fan of couscous over rice.

 

1 cup water or chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous
3 minced celery stalks
1 minced carrot
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Recipe Adapted from Sisi's Kochen Und Backen
 

Cook couscous according to package directions. You can buy the large canister if you plan to cook it a lot or simply buy a single serving to try it and discard the spice sack. You can, of course, cook it in water but, why would you cook anything in water when you can infuse it with broth?

 

Toast the almonds in the oven at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until they slightly brown. This will bring out the taste in the nuts. Chop vegetables while these items are cooking and then simply mix together. Fluff and mix with a fork only, you don't want to mash and mangle the couscous. If you aren't serving this right away, toss in 1-2 Tbsp of flavored olive oil to keep it from sticking together.