Seared to perfection? Maybe practice makes perfect.

Every month when my trusty Real Simple comes in the mail, I start by flipping to the end of the magazine to check out the recipes featured in the back-of-book. I usually pick one or two from every issue to try out, and depending on the results (and time/ease of preparation), the meal will sometimes make its way into our regularly repeated repertoire. I’ll admit that I’m typically drawn to the recipes that are semi-familiar (meaning they use familiar ingredients prepared in a familiar way). But this week I was feeling a little adventurous. Maybe it’s the New Year. Maybe it’s an aftershock from the inordinate amount of caffeine and sugar I consumed over the holidays. Whatever the reason, last night found me in the kitchen taking a second-in-my-lifetime attempt at searing meat in a tiny pan on the stove in my so-small kitchen. Yep, I’m Evel Knievel with tongs.

And just what was our our dinner of the hour (or the dinner of 17 hours ago)? Roasted pork chops and butternut squash with kale. I can only recall one other time in our marriage when we ate pork chops, and it was a cinnamon-filled disaster (witnessed by first-time dinner guests. What were we thinking?!?), so this was treading on unsteady waters from the get-go.

The recipe also included a few other new-ish-to-us ingredients:

Butternut squash: We do a lot of yellow squash in the summer and did a bit with acorn squash this fall, but the butternut guy was a first. Let me tell you, if you don’t like squash, you’re out of your gourd (bahahaha!). But really, this stuff was amazing. Roast it for 35 to 40 minutes with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, and you’re good to go.

Sage: We used sage in our dressing for Thanksgiving this year, but our experience ends there. Its velvety leaves weird me out a little bit (though I have no problem with peaches. Hmm…), but it adds a really nice warm-and-cozy flavor when roasted.

Kale: This one is 100 percent a first for cooking and eating. The good news is it was super easy to prepare. And green and leafy is always a good addition, right?

And now, onto the recipe:

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Roasted pork chops and butternut squash with kale
From Real Simple, January 2011

• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 bone-in pork chops (about 2 pounds total)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a large-rimmed baking sheet (I lined mine with foil for easy cleanup), toss squash with sage, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes (toss once about halfway through cook time).

When squash has cooked 20 minutes, heat about a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet (large being the operative word) over high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper, then cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Place pork on baking sheet with squash, and roast until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

In the meantime, return skillet to medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add garlic, and cook while stirring for about 30 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Add the kale, ¼ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scrapping brown bits from bottom of pan, until kale is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with pork and squash.

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The verdict? Overall, the dinner was great, and I can guarantee that we’ll be preparing butternut squash that way for many moons to come. Unfortunately, my searing capabilities, though successful in the end, left us with a smoky apartment (we had to open all our windows to the 25-degree evening air for a solid hour afterward) and oil splatters all over the stove, counters, coffee pot, microwave, tea kettle … I gave Jared a grill for his birthday a few years ago to avoid situations like this. As a clean-as-you-go kind of cook, the crazy chaotic means of preparation make me extremely uneasy, and it’s so nice when Jared grills the messy (not to mention overly fragrant) foods outside where I don’t have to watch.

So oil splatters across the kitchen: I suppose that’s what I get for trying to be adventurous (or for not using an appropriately sized skillet to maintain the oily mess). Ho hum.

Still, we ate like kings and expanded out culinary horizons. Thanks, Real Simple. You’re simply the best.

XO,
Katrina