Grilled Pork Chop with Rosemary Plum Sauce and Arugula

prugna/plum

I am now in full swing with my new jobs. While they both are very different, they are both pretty decent. By day, I work in a kitchen that prepares 5-7 thousand meals a day. All the tasks are quite laborious because recipes include hundreds of pounds of ingredients. Today, I cooked 2400 pieces of Jerk Chicken and 700 fillets of Pecan Encrusted Tilapia while the rest of the Chefs did their thing. Holy moly!

By night, I prepare desserts at a midtown bistro. This Sunday is recipe testing with the other Chefs. Why? Opening for the dinner shift is a new venture starting April 1st and, while we met to solidify the menu, its important to make sure our ideas all mesh. Ya know? Fun stuff!

There are some other things in the works I am excited about, but will fill you in when/if they ever jump off the ground. No need to spill the beans just yet. In the meantime, I am just excited to be back on a routine – which really needs to include the gym again! Since I am back on my eating plan again, the gym will definitely help me get back in shape.

Part of my recent revival of healthy meals? Grilled Pork Chop with Rosemary Plum Sauce and Arugula. (Minus the garlic bread, this meal is only about 310 calories.) The dish came about after I made a really great sauce the other night, if I do say so myself. And, I owe it all to my new family member.

I mentioned several times over the last year that my handy, most loved food processor died. Dead as a doornail dead. But, other “things” bumped the purchase of a new one. Then, I received a box at my doorway on my birthday a couple of weeks ago…and look what arrived!

Thanks mom! She shouldn’t have, since I don’t celebrate my birthday. (I call her and thank/celebrate mom, though.) So, She shouldn’t have…but I am really glad she did! heeee!)

It may not look as appealing as it tastes, because of its color, but yum!

Rosemary Plum Sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup onions, rough chopped
1 cup prunes
~ 1 tsp each sea salt & freshly ground pepper
3-4 cups prepared chicken base or chicken stock
2 cups white wine
1 cup rice wine vinegar*
2 Tbsp. Agave nectar*
2-3 Tbsp. rosemary, rough chopped

Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, Agave, and rosemary; set aside. In a large pot over medium high heat, heat oil and sauté onions until translucent. Stir in all other ingredients, including the agave mixture and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a low and simmer until the prunes are rehydrated and plump.

In batches, blend the mixture in a food processor or blender until it turns into a sauce. If it is too thick, add water.

* I wanted to use balsamic, but didn’t have any. (Blasphemous, I know!) I didn’t have sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar with which to substitute, either. Bummer!

Serve with a protein of your choice, like chicken, pork, duck, or lamb. Serves about 4-6.