Friday, January 09, 2009

Pork Slow Cooker Recipe: Cherry Cranberry Pork Chops

I modified this recipe from the classic cherry pork chop recipe that uses cherry pie filling.  By using plain, unsweetened, uncolored, unflavored canned cherries, I made the recipe healthier and more appealing for my husband in particular.  Paired with Easy Cranberry Rice, this recipe was a real winner tonight.

Cherry-Cranberry Pork Chops (a 6-quart slow cooker recipe)

Ingredients

1 can of tart cherries packed in water, uncolored (I use Oregon Fruit brand)
3/4 c sugar
1/3 can cranberry sauce, jellied
1/2 c apple juice, unsweetened
6 bone-in pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
2 TBSP vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
Salt for sprinkling
Ground black pepper for sprinkling
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 TBSP corn starch
1 c milk

Combine cherries (with liquid), sugar, apple juice and cranberry sauce in a medium pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Cranberry sauce may not dissolve- that is OK. Set aside.

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat your oil in the largest pan you have. Brown pork chops over medium-high heat in the oil. Brown the chops n batches if necessary.

Place chops in crock then pour mixture over the top.

Cook on high for 3 hours or until chops are tender.

To make the sauce for spooning:

Drain juices out of crock into a medium saucepan, being careful to remove any bones that may have become dislodged from the chops during cooking. I find it easiest to spoon the juices out, leaving the crock and meat in place because they will be very hot. I can get most of the juices out just fine this way.

Next, dissolve the corn starch in the milk. Add the milk mixture to the juices and heat over medium-high setting, stirring often until the juices have thickened. Add salt and pepper to the sauce to taste.

Spoon the juice over each chop as you are serving and spoon some over the Cranberry Rice (see below) as well.

This a tasty tangy and sweet treat that looks nice too.

Rice Cooker Recipe: Cranberry Rice

Ingredients

1 1/2 c brown rice
1/2 tsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 c water
1/3 c dried, sweetened cranberries

Place all ingredients in the rice cooker and press start. When finished, fluff the rice with a fork and serve with a rice paddle.

This recipe is so easy yet so good. The little extras like a small amount of butter and salt and added cranberies make accepting brown rice a lot easier for this family! I also served this with Oatmeal Apple Bread, made in the bread machine.

See below a listing of shopping list suggestions and ingredients and equipment I use. Click on the link to find reviews, prices and ordering information. We belong to Amazon Prime which gives us free shipping (on items shipped directly from Amazon only). Also, receiving items in bulk by mail saves me much grocery shopping time.


Amazon.com Shopping List
Oregon Fruit Pitted Red Tart Cherries in Water, 14.5-Ounce Cans (Pack of 8)

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar, 16-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 12)

Grown Right Organic Jellied Cranberry Sauce, 16-Ounce Can (Pack of 6)

Morton Iodized Kosher Table Salt - 4lb. box

Tone's Spices Restaurant Black Pepper (18 oz) - Large Restaurant / Food Service Size Shaker Container - Best Value per Ounce

Free Range Grass Fed Organic Pork Chops - 4 Pounds - Fresh (Not Smoked)

Corn Starch, 1 lb.

RiceSelect Organic Texmati Brown Rice, 36-Ounce Jars (Pack of 4)

Ocean Spray Craisins, Sweetened Dried Cranberries, 48-Ounce Units (Pack of 2)

Panasonic SR-G06FG 3.3-Cup Rice Cooker/Steamer

Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker

West Bend 41200 Programmable Bread Machine, Stainless

Let me know what you think!







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