Glazed Pork Chops with Apricot-Ginger Sauce

This is a recipe from my "Our Best Bites" cookbook. I love this cookbook, because there are pictures for every recipe, and there aren't super weird ingredients (I mean, they have a few things that you might not have on hand, but once you get that spice, you're all set), and I'm not a big cookbook person. Anyway, just wanted to give them credit for the recipe. It's a super yummy way to switch up your pork chops:

Glazed Pork Chops with Apricot-Ginger Sauce

3/4 t. salt (they say to use kosher, but I just use regular)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. black pepper (they say to use freshly ground.)
4 pork chops
2 t. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger (or bottled minced ginger) [I've just used the powder one that is in the spice section, and it turned out fine.]
1/2 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup bottle apricot-pineapple preserves (I used just plain apricots sans pineapple)

1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. While the pan is heating, combine the salt, garlic and onion powders, and peper. Sprinkle half of spice mixture over one side of pork chops.
3. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Place pork, spice side down, in the hot pan. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture on the top of the pork chops. Cook pork for 3 minutes and then flip and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm (one of the times  I didn't do this and it made things take longer harder further along in the recipe, so don't be lazy like me and do it :)
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When melted, add the garlic and ginger (if you're using the powder kind, add the ginger when you put in the chicken broth). Saute for ~30 seconds wile stirring. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Use a spatula to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and continue to simmer for 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the preserves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and return the pork to the pan. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
6. Remove from heat and let pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve over white or brown rice and spoon sauce from the pan over each piece of pork.

Mushroom Pork Chops

8-10 Pork Chops
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms, pieces and stems
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

Place pork chops in slow-cooker. Spread remaining ingredients over chops, using salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours. Carefully remove chops to serve, as they will fall away from the bone easily. Serve with sauce.  *Debbie G. Harmon, Slow-cooker Cookbook, pg. 17

Notes: I tried this one out when I was visiting Mom last week. I halfed the recipe, except for the mushrooms, and I used frozen chops--I didn't even thaw them. I put them in the crock-pot and then we headed out for the day, so we used the low setting. We ate the chops and sauce with rice. They were SO good! The pork fell right off the bone, and the sauce was pretty good over the rice--and neither one of us are rice people. This recipe is awesome if you are going to be out and about right up until dinner time. Super quick to throw together before you step out the door, and probably some of the best chops I've eaten.

Teriyaki Pork

1 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Oil
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Garlic (I like to use minced garlic that you can find in the refrigerated produce section)

Mix ingredients together.  Separate in half.  Put half on top of about a pound pork to marinade.  I like to put it in a Ziploc bag so I can turn it over several times throughout the day.  After you cook the pork boil the other half to use as a sauce to top rice, peas or other veggies, the pork, pretty much your whole meal.  YUMMINESS!

This recipe can also be used for chicken, beef, whatever.