Morrocan-Spiced Pork Chops with Apricot Couscous

Awhile ago, during our African food period, Judy prepared the dish that we are featuring in today’s posting.  She had been looking for a recipe that included Pork Chops as its main focus.  We had also been enjoying several meals, during that time, where we had utilized Couscous as a side dish. When Judy found a recipe that included both Pork Chops and Couscous her search was done.

Morrocan-Spiced Pork Chop with Apricot Couscous

You’ll find a wealth of flavor in this dish as it combines Cinnamon, Cumin and Coriander as the primary marinating spices for the Pork Chop. When paired with the Apricot Couscous and drizzled with a “Special Sauce” of my own creation, your taste buds with dance with enjoyment at the very first bite.

From our kitchen to yours…

Moroccan-Spiced Pork Chops with Apricot Couscous

Ingredients

½ tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp ground Cumin

2 tsp ground Coriander

1 pound lean Pork loin, 4 Boneless Chops, ¾ inch thick

2 tsp Olive oil

10 oz Couscous, uncooked, whole wheat

2 cups fat-free Chicken Broth

8 ½ oz Apricot Halves, Water pack canned, unpeeled, chopped. Or 8 fresh Apricot halves

1 Tbsp Cilantro, fresh, chopped

Instructions

In a resealable plastic bag, combine Cinnamon, Cumin and Coriander.  Add Pork to bag, seal and shake until well-coated; allow to marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes, up to overnight.

Heat Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook pork, turning once until cooked through and an internal temp of 160°F is reached, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare Couscous according to the package directions using Broth instead of water.  Fold Apricots and Cilantro into cooked Couscous and mix to combine.  Serve Pork over Couscous and drizzle with sauce.

Sauce Ingredients and Instructions

Mix together (1) Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce, (1) tsp ground Ginger, (1/2) tsp ground Cinnamon, (1) Tbsp Honey in small microwave safe bowl.  Heat in Microwave, on medium, for 25 seconds.

Yields 1 Pork Chop and about 1 ¼ Cups Couscous per Serving.

Weight Watcher PointsPlus Value per serving is 12, including Sauce. It’s 9 points without sauce.

Level of difficulty is Easy. Prep time is 14 minutes. Cooking time is 10 minutes.

Weight Watchers is a trademark of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.        www.weightwatchers.com

 

Photo by Barry Baruh