Happy Thursday! It is all about the letter “P” today. Pork, Peppers, Pasta and Parsley together to make this quick and easy dish on a weeknight.

I don’t know about you but I am always looking for ways to make satisfying, healthy meals in short order.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love to cook and be in the kitchen. However, after a day at the office there are times I just want to relax on the couch and watch an episode of “house hunters”.  You may laugh but I do love that show (except for all the repeats lately)!

Back to the task at hand.  Everyone wants quick and efficient meal ideas and this recipe will not let you down. As long as it takes you to cook some whole wheat spaghetti – this meal is ready to roll. Serve this with a slice of fresh warm beer bread and you are set.

Ingredients

• 2 Boneless Pork Chops
• 2 Servings of Spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Red Pepper (Sliced)
• 1/2 Orange Pepper (Sliced)
• 1/2 Yellow Pepper (Sliced)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
• 1 Cup Mushrooms (Chopped)
• 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tsp. Rosemary
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tsp. Minced Ginger
• Parsley for Garnish

Method

1. Prepare vegetables according to ingredients list.






2. Cook pasta according to directions.
3. Preheat saute pan to medium high heat.
4. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, rosemary and ginger to a bowl and form a paste.










5. Add olive oil to pan and immediately add garlic and pork.  Cook for a minute, moving constantly.
6. Add paste and cook until meat is opaque.



7. Remove meat from pan and add mushrooms and peppers.  Stir around and add lemon juice to remove the bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Cook for 3 minutes, then add meat back to the pan.  Stir together and adjust seasoning.
9. Remove finished pasta and top with pork and vegetables.
10. Finish with fresh parsley.



11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When stir frying vegetables and looking for a brown texture, do not add too much at one time because overcrowding will cause steaming to occur. This will prevent the food from frying properly.  This is especially true if you are cooking water dense vegetables like mushrooms. Nothing will brown if the mushrooms go in first – be sure to add them after.

I hope you have a great Thursday.  Weekend is almost here… hang in there.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Ever have a craving for Nachos but you are tired of the store bought salsa?  Not anymore!  Try this super simple salsa recipe and you will be eating more nacho chips than you know what to do with.  I love salsa in many different forms and on a variety of foods.

In the past I have used it on chicken nachos and most of all I love it on stunning quesadillas.  It is really easy to make and stores very well in the fridge as well.  Let me know what you think of this quick addition to any Mexican Fiesta.

Ingredients

• 8 Cups tomatoes, chopped finely
• 1½ Cups onions, coarsely chopped
• ½ Cup green pepper, coarsely chopped
• ½ Cup red pepper, coarsely chopped
• 6 -7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ Cup coriander, finely chopped
• 2/3 Cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp black pepper

Method

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium once it comes to a boil.
3. Simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
4. This tomato salsa recipe makes 6 – 2 cup jars.
5. ENJOY!

This is really that simple and yet tastes so good.  Feel free to play around with the flavors and add some heat if you would like.  I like to keep out the jalapenos in case the crowd is not a big fan.

Zesty Tip: If you want to store the salsa in the fridge, simple sterilize some glass bottles and then add the salsa to the bottle, seal it and add it to a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes.  That will allow it to store in the fridge for a while.

I hope everybody has a great Friday and we will see you back on Monday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty