What's Cooking in My New Kitchen: Pork Chops with a savory goat cheese stuffing

I decided it was high time I tried stuffing a pork chop. It sounds yummy enough, but for some reason, I have never attempted it until now. Pork is very tricky to cook because it can become dry so quickly. Having the stuffing helps to keep them moist, as well as cooking them fast over high heat.

So, for the stuffing, here is what you will need:

Fresh basil, chopped (I probably used a good handful)

Fresh spinach, chopped (another handful)

Fresh parsley, chopped (yes, another handful as well)

1 Tsp garlic powder

1 Tsp onion powder

1 Tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

about ½ - ¾ cup of goat cheese

In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with all of the other ingredients. Set the stuffing aside and get the chops ready to stuff...

What I did was make a slit, all the way through to the bone. I basically divided my stuffing evenly, so that each one had a fair amount.

Once they are all stuffed, I sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat your skillet to medium high and add a touch of olive oil. Brown each side for about 3-4 minutes. You want the pan hot enough so that they will get nice and brown in a short amount of time.

Once they are browned, place them in a broiling pan, cover with foil and keep in a low oven until you are ready to serve them.

I wanted to make a pasta to go with them, and after raiding my fridge, I came up with fresh corn, panchetta, and asparagus. I cooked the panchetta, then added the corn.

I turned off the heat and cooked my egg noodles. When they were almost done, I added the asparagus. Drain and set aside.

To the panchetta and corn, I add a container of Fage plain yogurt (normally I would have added heavy cream or sour cream, but this yogurt does the same thing and is so much healthier!) Add about a ½ cup of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.