Pork chop with squash puree.
Entrées,  Recipes

Maple-Mustard Pork Chops with Winter Squash Puree

This was in a section of Ellie Krieger’s recipes in the latest issue of Cooking Light (and the cover recipe). It’s a classic combination – pork, maple and Dijon – that we always love. The pork was incredibly moist, and the squash puree was vibrant with a hint of citrus from the orange zest. It was a really nice meal. This was another recipe that we would give 4 1/2 stars if we gave out 1/2 stars, but since we don’t, it’s getting a 4. It’s a pretty easy recipe to put together, and it was definitely a hit!

Pork chop with squash puree.
Maple-Mustard Pork Chops with Winter Squash Puree
Cooking Light March 2010

4 (6-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Remove from pan; keep warm.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling pan to coat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. Cook pork 1 minute on each side or until thoroughly heated (be careful not to overcook pork). Serve pork with sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 tablespoon sauce)

CALORIES 283 ; FAT 15.1g (sat 6.3g,mono 6.2g,poly 1g); CHOLESTEROL 84mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.2g; SODIUM 456mg; PROTEIN 27.1g; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.1mg

Quick Winter Squash Puree

This easy side comes together quickly with convenient frozen winter squash. Pair with Maple-Mustard Pork Chops or roast chicken for a simple, colorful, nutrient-rich dish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (12-ounce) packages frozen cooked butternut squash
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place broth and squash in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add butter and remaining ingredients; stir until combined.

Calories: 100
Fat: 3g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g)
Protein: 2.4g
Carbohydrate: 19g
Fiber: 4.9g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 204mg
Calcium: 37mg

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars

Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.

4 Comments

  • Joanne

    I’m always wary of Ellie’s recipes because I feel like sometimes she skimps on flavor to save calories. This looks lovely though! Two of my favorite things – pork chops and winter squash. Yum.

  • Redheaded

    Make sure you use 6 ounce pork chops. I got mine from Trader Joe’s and I didn’t notice they were each 10 ounce pork chops. They took a lot longer to cook and are still pink in places. Given that it’s pork, I don’t want to undercook it. I’m also concerned I could overcook it, too, given that the timelines don’t apply anymore. I’ll post again when we taste it.

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