Juicy Pork Chops with Acorn Squash Mash and Fiddleheads

Ok, I love pork, so let's get that out of the way....AGAIN. This is a simple pork recipe to try out and make your own. Also, I tried some Fiddleheads for the first time and wanted to share it with you in case you came across them on any of your shopping trips. They are from the family of ferns, and if not prepared properly, may cause illness. This reminds me of Ackee in Jamaica, it's our national dish and causes similar illness if not done right, so pay attention to everything noted below. And, the Acorn Squash Mash is pretty fantastic, too.

  

Ingredients

1lb of Fiddleheads

1 Acorn Squash (peeled and diced )

4 pieces of Pork Chops

Your favorite white meat sauce 

Assorted Bell Peppers (optional)

2 Tsp Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

3 Tbsp of Butter

1Tbsp of Brown Sugar

Salt

Garlic salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder

Blueberry Juice Infused Craisins

Method

Pork

Season pork in advance with garlic salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder and let marinate for at least an hour. Overnight is better so if you have your week planned out and know that Thursday is pork chops day, season them before bed on Wednesday. 

Brown pork chops and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. In the last 20 minutes, the fun begins. Baste with your favorite sauce, cook for 10 minutes and then flip the meat and cook for another 10 minutes . I used a sweet and sour sauce with a honey teriyaki glaze. You can use a sauce that you love and is just hanging out in the kitchen.

Acorn squash

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make. I hosted dinner recently for a mix of vegetarians and carnivores, and this was the favorite of the night. :)

Peel, dice and boil acorn squash in salted water until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes on medium heat. Remove from water and mash with 2Tbsp of butter, brown sugar, and then stir in the craisins. Add salt if needed.

Fiddleheads

You have to spend some time to wash these ferns properly. Rinse in cold water and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Wipe along the inside to ensure that you remove any debris. Add cleaned Fiddleheads to salted water and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from water and shock immediately with cold water to preserve its bright color. In a saucepan, add enough olive oil to coat the entire pan. Once heated, add remaining butter, Fiddleheads, garlic salt and minced garlic. Sautée for a few minutes on both sides and remove from heat. So freaking good!!!!!!!!

There was nothing special about the peppers, I like fun and colorful dishes so I diced some up and sautéed with them olive oil and some salt. 

Ok, so now your dish is ready for plating. Make it fancy if you're having guests over or just dig in!!!! Enjoy your country of VT meets everyday cooking dish. 

BNW~