This was one of those throw-together recipes that was borne from my general laziness. I was planning on making something with spinach last Thursday, but was so exhausted that I made it a breakfast for dinner day instead. That led to me never actually making the thing I was going to make with spinach. I had some pork chops in the freezer that I wanted to use for another recipe, but I was only going to use half of them. So I needed to come up with something using pork chops and spinach. I still had several tomatoes from our garden that needed to find a home as well. Add some basil pesto and some cream, and an idea was born.
This is a really simple recipe, which is nice for a Sunday night after I’ve been cooking all day and stressing over the Bills game. It only has a few ingredients and comes together in less than 20 minutes. It goes perfectly over frozen mashed cauliflower, so you don’t need to worry about sides. And finally, it’s only 4 net carbs per serving, with really high protein, so it’ll fit well into pretty much any macros.
Start with a stainless steel skillet. I like stainless here because it promotes browning, which is important since the chops have a fairly short cook time at first. Heat it up to medium to medium-high heat and use 1/4 cup of whatever oil you like, as most of it will end up getting poured off before the next step. I used olive oil and butter for flavor. Be careful not to hit the smoke point if you do that, because it can quickly go from delicious to gross. Err on the side of lower heat. For an easier time, use avocado oil. Salt and pepper two pork loin chops (about 1/2 pound total) and fry them in the oil for 3 minutes per side. You should be just developing a nice brown crust on both sides. When the chops are browned, remove them from the pan and pour out the cooking oil.
Return the pan to the heat and add 5 ounces of baby spinach, along with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss the spinach until it’s just wilted, then add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of prepared basil pesto. Stir it until the pesto and cream combine. When the sauce starts to bubble, turn it down to a simmer and add the pork chops back to the pan, with the ugliest side down. Top each chop with 1 slice of provolone cheese, then put a lid on the pan for three minutes to melt the cheese. I use this awesome vented universal lid for my pans, since it fits everything from 7 to 12 inches in diameter.
To serve, put a serving of mashed cauliflower on the plate, then spoon the sauce evenly around it. Place the pork chop on top of the cauliflower, then top with tomato slices or chopped tomatoes. I used slices because I had two Roma tomatoes that I needed to use up, but if you don’t have Romas, one medium chopped tomato should be good for two pork chops. Top with more salt and pepper and you’re good to go.
Caprese Smothered Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pork loin chops about 1/2 pound total
- 1/4 cup cooking oil of choice see notes above
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tbsp prepared basil pesto sauce
- 2 slices provolone cheese
- 6 slices roma tomato
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the pork chops, then cook them for approximately 3 minutes per side, until a brown crust begins to develop on both sides. Remove the pork chops to a plate and discard the remaining cooking oil.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the spinach and a couple of pinches of salt. Toss the spinach until it's just wilted, then add the cream and pesto. Stir until it's fully mixed and the sauce begins to bubble, then reduce the heat and return the pork chops to the pan. Cover each chop with a slice of provolone cheese, cover, and cook for another 3 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- To serve, divide the sauce evenly and top each pork chop with three tomato slices.
- Macros per serving: 500 calories, 4 grams net carbs, 35 grams protein, 37 grams fat.
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