I started the recipe, by draining the pineapple chunks of their juice. Next, I made the sauce with the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, cayenne pepper and pinch of sugar. The pork chopped are cooked over medium-high heat in a cast iron frying pan. When done, the pork chops are removed to a rimmed dish or platter and the sauce is poured over the meat. Cover the meat to keep warm. Using the same skillet, set the heat to medium and cook the pineapple until golden and charred. This should only take 2 to 3 minutes. Place the pineapple among the pork chops before serving. You can garnish with chopped cilantro, or in my case, fresh parsley. Make sure to drizzle the sauce over the pork and pineapple when serving. I must say this was a delicious meal. The pork was moist and tender and the flavors were well balanced. It was a nice change to have pork with pineapple instead of the more common apple. This being Lent, I prepare meat free meals on Friday’s. This past Friday, I made Citrus Skillet Shrimp with Shallot and Jalapeños from Yasmin Fahr. For the recipe you’ll need a navel orange, two limes, one shallot, one jalapeño, ground cumin, kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), fresh cilantro (I substituted parsley), fresh shrimp, smoked paprika and olive oil. I purchased fresh, wild caught North Carolina shrimp at my local Wegmans. If available, I prefer fresh over previously frozen. This recipe, like the first, starts by making a sauce using the juice and zest of both citrus items, sliced shallot, finely chopped jalapeño, cumin, salt and chopped cilantro/parsley. The clean and deveined shrimp are tossed with salt and smoked paprika. I used a non-stick skillet with neutral oil to cook the shrimp. When the shrimp are just pink, the pan is removed from the heat and placed on an empty burner. The citrus sauce is poured into the pan and tossed with the shrimp. You can garnish the dish with additional chopped cilantro/parsley before serving. I served the shrimp over rice to round out the meal. This was a wonderful dish. You had the lively flavor from the orange and lime, a bit of heat from the jalapeño and smoked paprika. Overall, this was a perfect Friday night meal. My husband found a recipe he wanted me to try for Ham Hock-and-Black Bean Soup in the January/February 2023 issue of “Southern Living Magazine.” The recipe was adapted from the book, “300 Years of Black Cooking in St. Mary’s County Maryland.” For the recipe you’ll need dried black beans, 6-8 ham hocks, unsalted butter, a large yellow onion, celery, a carrot, flat leaf parsley, lemon juice and zest, cold water, flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper and kosher salt. At times, it can be difficult to find smoked ham hocks let alone fresh. Although not truly a quick meal, I made a few adjustments based on my experience with a split pea soup recipe that I make. Instead of fresh ham hocks, I found a freshly smoked hock at a local butcher shop. Instead of soaking the beans overnight, I did a quick soak method. You do this by placing the beans in a colander and rinsing under cold water. Check the beans for tiny stones. Place the beans in a saucepan and cover the beans by two inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and let them sit for one hour. Drain and rinse before cooking. The soup starts by sautéing chopped onion in butter. When softened, I added water, the beans, ham hock, celery, carrot, parsley springs, lemon zest and juice and simmered for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. I used eight cups of water for this recipe. After the soup is done, a slurry of flour and water is added to thicken the soup. Also added are the black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt. Although the soup cooked for such a long time, the beans remained intact. I used my immersion blender to puree the soup. The one drawback to the soup, was that it was too spicy from the black and cayenne peppers. To tame the heat, I added a cup of chicken stock, which helped a bit. I could have used two smoked ham hocks for additional ham flavor in my adapted recipe. Needless to say, we powered through and finished the soup. I had some leftover rice in the refrigerator that my husband added to his bowl of soup to absorb the heat. An online search revealed to cut through the spiciness a squeeze or lemon or lime juice, vinegar or dairy products, such as milk, sour cream or plain yogurt, would work. Who knew? Citrus Skillet Shrimp with Shallots and Jalapeños Yasmin Fahr The New York Times, “Here to Help,” February 28, 2023 Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings INGREDIENTS 1 navel orange, zested and juiced (see Tip) 2 limes, zested and juiced (see Tip) 1 medium shallot, cut into thin rings 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Kosher salt ½ packed cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems 1½ pounds large peeled, deveined shrimp (tails on or off) ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil PREPARATION
“Tip - To maximize the amount of citrus juice without using (or cleaning) a press, insert a fork into an orange or lime half, and move it up and down like a lever while squeezing the citrus. Pulp is welcome.” 
Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Charred Pineapple Ali Slagle The New York Times, “What to Make Next Week,” February 25, 2023 Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 hot green or red chile, thinly sliced, or ½ teaspoon ground cayenne Granulated sugar 6 thin (½-inch) boneless pork chops (about 1½ pounds total), patted dry Salt 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as grapeseed) 3 cups of 1½-inch pineapple pieces (from ½ a pineapple) Handful of cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped, for garnish PREPARATION
Ham Hock-and-Black Bean Soup Theresa Young “Southern Living Magazine,” January-February 2023 “300 Years of Black Cooking in St. Mary’s County Maryland” Adapted with permission from 300 Years of Black Cooking in St. Mary's County Maryland. St. Mary's County Community Affairs Committee, 1983. Active Time: 45 minutes Soak Time: 12 hours Additional Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes Total Time: 18 hours, 45 minutes Servings: 8 Ingredients 2 cups dried black beans 6-8 smoked ham hocks 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 large yellow onion, cut into medium cubes (2 cups) 2 celery stalks, cut into medium cubes (1 cup) 1 carrot, cut into medium cubes (1 cup) 2 (6-inch) flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus fresh parsley leaves for garnish 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons) 3 Tbsp. cold water 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. kosher salt Directions
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