Escape to Little Saigon…
Donna Wares’ new Great Escapes: Southern California hits shelves in May, offering up twenty-three short getaways and weekend trips throughout SoCal. I was delighted to hear about Little Saigon–home to the world’s largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. If you’re willing to venture just 15-minutes past Disneyland, you can stop in to sip some pho or visit one of the 80-odd beef-noodle restaurants in the neighborhood. If you’re hankering for a distinctive getaway this weekend, drop in on Little Saigon with the help of this sample chapter from the book.
You can check out Donna’s Great Escapes SoCal blog here.
Jump Start on Grill-Season
As winter drags on in our neck of the woods (even more snow for Vermont!), BBQ is starting to sound quite good. Here’s a sinless indoor alternative from our forthcoming EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (May 2008).
- OVEN-BARBECUED PORK CHOPS
11⁄2-13⁄4 pounds bone-in, 3⁄4-inch-thick pork rib chops,trimmed
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄3 cup orange juice
1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a
large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook
until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook,
stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring,
until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the
liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce.
Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with
the sauce.
4.Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely
pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F,
6 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS.
PER SERVING:
270 calories;
10g fat (3g sat, 5 g mono);
69mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohy drate;
26g protein; 1 g fiber; 547 mg sodium;
473mg potassium.
NUTRITION BONUS: Selenium (57% DV), Vitamin C (25% DV).