Pork Chop with fennel and capers AND pork chop with mustard and capers

Danny has been loving capers lately so I wanted to cook something with them. I saw Giada De Laurentiis cook this on her TV show on the food channel and it looked sooo good I just had to try it. I have not cooked with fennel in years and was not sure if Danny would like it, so I looked up another recipe with capers just in case he didn't like the fennel he would have something to eat..LOL. I found one on Food and Wines web site and it looked really good too. They were both so good, I can't wait to cook both of them again.

I chopped up some fennel, onions and some of the fennel fronds. The recipe said to use shallots but I didn't have any. I think the onions worked out fine.

I browned the pork chop reall good on both sides in the olive oil.

I took it out and added the fennel and onions.

Let that cook till soft and a little browned. Then I added the fennel fronds and some chopped parsley and let cook a few more mins.

Then I added the tomatoes and let cook for a few more mins.

Then I added the pork chop back to the pot with some chicken stock. The recipe called for white wine but I just added the stock.

I let it cook for a good 30 mins, I had to add some more stock a few times while it was cooking. When the fennel was cooked till soft, I added the capers, lemon zest and more parsley. Let it cook for just a min or two.

It was soooo good !! Danny loved it too : )

Recipe

1 pork chop
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 fennel bulbs chopped
1 med onion chopped
Chopped fennel fronds
1/2 cup chopped parsley..divided
14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock or white wine
1/2 lemon zested
3 TBS capers

Salt and pepper the pork chop and brown in olive oil over med high heat.
Take chop out and add fennel and onions and cook about 10 mins.
Add fennel fronds and 1/2 of the parsley and cook about 5 more mins.
Add tomatoes and cook just a few mins to heat up.
Add pork chop back to the pot and add chicken stock.
Lower fire and let simmer about 30 mins till pork chop and fennel are tender. Add more chicken stock when needed.
Add lemon zest, capers and rest of parsley and let heat up for just a min.
YUM

The other pork chop was way too good too. Pork chop with mustard and capers. They were both so easy to cook.
Season a pork chop with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil on both sides over med high heat.

Take it out and add the capers and chopped rosemary and let cook for a min.

 Add water and chicken boullion. Let cook for about 5 mins.

Add the pork chop back to the pan and let cook about 20 mins..adding more water as needed.

When the chop was tender, I took it out and I thought the sauce was a little too thin for me so I mashed together 1 TB of butter with 1 TB of AP flour and when it was mushed together real good, I added it to the sauce in the pan.

I wished it in and let cook for a few mins to thicken the sauce. You don't have to do this, i just like a thicker sauce. Then I added the mustard and wisked it in.

I added some chopped parsley and let heat up.

I put the chop back in the pan to heat back up. It was sooooo good !!

Recipe
1 Pork chop
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 knorrs chicken boullion cube
1/3 cup drained capers
1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 TBS dijon mustard
1 TBS chopped parsley
IF NEEDED...
1 TBS butter
1 TBS AP flour
Mixed together and added to the sauce if needed.

Season pork chop with salt and pepper and brown over med high heat in the olive oil and butter till browned reall good on both sides.
Take the chop out and add the rosemary and capers and let cook a for about a min.
Add water and chicken boullion and let cook for a min till the boullion is melted.
Add the pork chop back to the pot and cook for about 20 mins till tender.
Take chop out and add the butter and flour mix if you want a thicker sauce.
 IF NOT, just add the mustard and wish in and let cook a few mins.
Add the parsley and let cook for a min.
Add the chop back in and let heat back up.
YUMMY

This is the bread that I make that I served with it. Dannys favorite...He snacks on it all the time.
Slice the french bread and put on baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Add the canned OR freash parma cheese and top with dried parsley.

Back at 350 till browned.
Its a great way to use up stale bread..BUT make a lot cause it gets eaten fast !!

I took some mac-n-cheese I had in the freezer out and baked in the oven and we ate it with the pork chops. They were both very good. If you love capes, you need to try one or both of these : )