Delicious Dinners!

I made some tasty {and super easy} dinners this week.  I'm not a huge cook or baker by any means, but I've definitely got the spark in me over the last year and have made some pretty delicious grub.

I found these recipes in July's addition of Real Simple.  I picked out a few and realized they all have the same ingredients, for the most part - which is why it was EASY PEASY!  Going to the store for 5 new recipes that all call for millions of spices and sauces, etc that I don't have can be intimidating to begin with {and exhausting!}  For these, I had to get a few new items that worked in all the recipes.  I must admit, I tweaked them quite a bit to make it work with what we had, and they all turned out great {which is why I'm so excited} Enjoy!

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick; about 2 1/2 pounds total)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side.
2. Add the apricot preserves and vinegar to the skillet and cook, turning the pork once, until the apricot mixture coats the pork, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Red Curry-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 5-ounce pieces salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Heat broiler. Place the salmon on a foil-lined broilerproof baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the curry paste, oil, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Dividing evenly, brush the salmon with the curry paste mixture.
2. Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes.

**For this one, I omitted the Thai red curry paste (defeats the whole purpose?  That's what I was afraid of too, but...) It was fantastic!  To be honest, this was one of the ingredients I couldn't find at the store, and it worked out perfect.  We loved this salmon with the salt, pepper, brown sugar and oil glaze and BAKED for 12 minutes (not broiled). Yum!

Chicken with Lemons and Olives

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. To the skillet, add the lemon slices and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Mix in the olives and serve over the chicken.

Grilled Sesame Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the canola oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Grill the potatoes, covered, until tender and lightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Drizzle with the toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

**I omitted the sesame oil and sesame seeds simply because I was in a rush, I only had the seeds, and they tasted great as-is, right off the grill (or George Forman in my case).  This recipe was really a favorite since I wasn't sure how it'd turn out and it ended up being over and beyond good!  I used way too much seasoning though (I doubled the recipe), so next time I know to follow the recipe.  :)

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."

-George Bernard Shaw