Grilled Molasses and Orange Glazed Pork Chops, with Roasted Root Vegetables, and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette Slaw

Wondering what to make for dinner tonight after a long, hard day of work and on a night when your kid's school project is due? Well, wonder no more. Here's a great meal idea that is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. It's my grilled molasses and lemon glazed pork chops, served with baked sweet potatoes, beats, and carrots, and a side of slaw with a lemon and honey vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Pork Chops:
What You Need (for 4 servings):

• 4 Pork Chops (bone-in, thin cut recommended)
• 1/2 a cup of Molasses (or use honey if you don't have Molasses)
• Juice from 1/2 an orange
• Zest of 1 orange
  
• 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
• 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds (not necessary, but adds extra flavor)
• 1 Tablespoon of light soy sauce
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary (use dry rosemary, if you don't have fresh)

1-2-3 Step Before Grilling

1. Rinse, pat dry and season the pork chops with salt and pepper
2. Combine all the remaining ingredients to make a glaze
   
3. Pour the mixed glaze onto the pork chops

Voila! Grill the pork chops (you can use the oven if you don't have a grill or if it's cold out)

Roasted Vegetables (you can substitute any vegetables you like roasted)
What You Need:

• Sweet Potatoes (w/skin cut into bite size pieces)
• Fresh/Raw beats (peeled and cut into bite size pieces)
• Carrots (peeled and cut into bite size pieces)
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (just to coat vegetables)
  

Place cut-up vegetables onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, mix some olive oil on vegetables. Then, roast in a 375-degree oven until tender (about 20 minutes)

Slaw w/Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
What You need:

• 1/2 a package of shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 package of shredded carrots
• 1/2 package of shredded red cabbage
• Juice from 1/2 of lemon
• 1 Teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

What To Do:

• Mix the shredded vegetables in a medium bowl
• Combine remaining ingredients in a jar w/lid (old jelly jar works great; or whisk in a bowl)
• Pour the vinaigrette on the vegetables
• Mix and serve

Recommended Wine? Frei Brothers Reserve Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA 2007). This wine is has a deep purple color. Its flavor components are berries (maybe Blackberries and Cherries). It is a wine that is ready to drink now, but can be saved for a couple of years. It is complex on the tongue with each sip, but has a long-lasting finish. This wine is typically $22 at Safeway, but I bought it recently for $11. Enjoy!

Until next time . . . Cheers!

ZinAdel