Stephen Takes Roving Lemon's Challenge - Chipotle Porkchops & Ecudorian Potato & Cheese Patties

OK, so I dove in to Roving Lemon's Cookbook Challenge today and decided to further randomize my cooking experience by asking Lele (my better half) to select a recipe from my assigned cookbook (The All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook) for dinner tonight. He selected the Chipotle Marinated Pork Chops with Chimichurri Sauce (p. 346). I picked the Ecudorian Potato & Cheese Patties (page 528) to go with it. Lele refuses to eat anything with a beak so he reminded me that I would need to substitute the chicken broth for something else. I obediently used vegetable broth. I'm going to share the recipe below so you can try it at home. We both really enjoyed the meal and are happy we have some leftovers. I think that we were expecting the pork to have more of a chipotle taste but it really is overpowered by the chimichurri sauce. The recipe calls for raw shredded carrots and onions, but I ended up cooking them in olive oil for a few minutes before adding them to the chipotle sauce. I think I would stick to that method if I made this again. The other thing that is important to stress is the oil really needs to be very hot for the Ecudorian Potato and Cheese Patties to get a crispy exterior. I really enjoyed the chimichurri sauce over the pork. It's very flavorful and jazzes up what would be just a boring pork chop. I think that next time I would probably use more than just one chipotle pepper and might let the pork chops marinate a bit longer than the 2 hours. All and all, I'm happy I have this cookbook. Not all of the recipes are as light as you might think, but they are certainly healthier than some other choices and are never boring. So, thank you Roving Lemon, you've helped me discover a new favorite! I will be picking some more recipes from this cookbook during the rest of the month and will share them here.

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Chops with Chimichurri Sauce
(from The All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook)

• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 1 drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 4 (6 ounce) center-cut pork chops
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 2 tablespoons of extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot (I cooked the carrot with the onions in olive oil)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh onion
• Cooking spray

1. Place 3/4 cup chicken broth and chipotle chile in a blender; process until smooth. Combine chile mixture and pork chops in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove chops from bag; discard marinade.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Place parsley and next 7 ingredients in a blender, process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; stir in carrot and onion.
4. Place chops on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chimichurri sauce. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1/4 cup sauce).

Calories: 311
Fiber: 1.6 g
Fat: 19.2 g

Ecuadorean Potato-and-Cheese Patties
(from The All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 medium peeled baking potatoes, quartered (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) of Monterey Jack cheese, queso fresco
• 2 tablespoons of minced green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 cup julienne-cut red onion

1. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and potato in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Cool.
2. Add cheese, green onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to potato mixture, stirring well. Divide potato mixture into 6 balls (each about 1/2 cup per ball). Flatten balls into 1/2-inch thick patties (about 3 inches in diameter) Place on baking sheet; cover and refrigerate 20 minutes or until firm.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place potato-and-cheese patties in pan; cook 5 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Turn patties, cook 3 minutes. Remove patties from pan. top patties evenly with tomato and red onion. Yield: 6 servings (serving size 1 patty)

Calories: 157
Fat: 4.6 g
Fiber: 2.1 g