Quinoa Maple Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (bone in)

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked

• 1 cup fresh sweet corn

• 1 cup green apple, remove core and chopped

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 5 fresh sage leaves, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup maple syrup (glaze)

• Salt and black pepper to taste.

Directions

Stuffing:

1. In a large deep sided frying pan, add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

2. When pan is hot, add onions and apples. Saute until soft.

3. Add corn and cooked quinoa to the pan.

4. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

5. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

6. Leave half the stuffing aside for garnish. Set aside

Pork Chops:

1. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously over the chops (both sides) and rub with fresh sage and garlic.  Season well with salt and black pepper. Make a slit in the side of each chop. Stuff each pork chop with stuffing.

2. Preheat oven to 450 F.

3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and sear pork chops on both sides until browned (3 to 4 minutes). Transfer pork chops to a large greased baking dish. Glazed the top of each chop with maple syrup. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked. Glaze chops throughout cooking time. Turn chops over halfway and continue glazing until all the maple syrup is used up.

4. You can also use pan drippings to glaze the chops because that’s where all the great flavor is and color. Remove from heat and allow to rest before serving.

5. In a large serving platter, cover the bottom with stuffing and arrange pork chops on top.  Glaze the chops with pan drippings and garnish with fresh sage or herbs of your choice.