Parmesan Breaded Pork Chops, Spinach and Tomato salad, and my new backsplash!

Another weekend, another renovation project. While our master bath is at a standstill until the professionals can help with important things like plumbing, Joe couldn't let the weekend go by without another project, this time it was the kitchen backsplash.

While my mom asked the obvious question - "Why are you starting another project when you're not done with the first?" (we are sooo alike sometimes) - what can I say? The man is in a tiling mood.

So while the project was relatively easy, it wasn't until Sunday night that I actually got my kitchen back - and I love my new backsplash! Since Joe's been working so hard, I indulged him by combining his two favorite foods: cheese and pork.

I got this recipe from the Food Network, and was surprised because Nigella Lawson has never been one of my go to girls like Ray Ray or Giada, I may have to start trying her recipes more often.

This was very tasty and I'll definitely be making it again. The salad is very light and fresh, a great compliment to the heavy pork chop.

Source: Nigella Lawson, Food Network

Ingredients

Pork chops:
2 pork chops, approximately 8 ounces each
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup ground nut oil or similar, for frying

Garlicky spinach and tomato salad:
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Trim the thick white fat off the pork chops, cutting carefully around the outside edge. Lay the chops between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and, using a mallet or a rolling pin beat them until the meaty part of the chop is half as thick. You will need to beat around the bone, so turn them over once as you go.

Beat the egg in a shallow wide bowl with the mustard, oregano, and salt and pepper. On a large plate or platter, combine the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan.

Press each of the chops into the egg mixture, coating either side. Then dip the eggy chops into the bread crumbs, covering them evenly. Let them lie on a cooling rack to dry slightly while you heat the oil in a large frying pan. When a small cube of bread sizzles if dropped into the oil, then the oil is hot enough. Cook the chops until they are a deep golden color, about 5 to 7 minutes a side (depending on how thin you've managed to get them and how cold they were before going in the oil).

Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes and take out the seeds, then cut the shells into strips and dice them. You can take off the skins, too, if you prefer, by steeping the tomatoes first into a bowl of just boiled water for 3 to 5 minutes. Combine the diced tomato, minced or grated garlic, oil, and lemon juice in a bowl, and season well with salt and pepper.

When the chops are ready, toss the spinach in the tomato mixture until well coated and divide the salad between 2 large plates, putting each chop alongside.

***I followed her recipe closely, but of course had to add a carb, and also when breading the pork chop, I dredged in flour before the egg.