Kick the Ick

I love fall.  I really do.  If I could find a place in the world that were fall all year-round, I'd go there and never ever come back to this pit of humidity on the Ohio River.  But, the first week that fall is here, I get the crud.  I feel like pure doody -- sore, scratchy throat, coughing, asthma attacks, the sniffles, fever, the whole nine yards.  It's pretty ridiculous.  I've been sick the past 3 days, but I finally woke up without a fever.
My original plan for tonight was to cook some comfort food, because what's better when you're under the weather?  (Haha, I rhymed there.)  But, my idea changed when I had Taco Bell for lunch.  Seriously....I caved.  Sometimes you've just gotta have the grease!  So, I got to thinking....I needed something light and fluffy for dinner...something that when it digests, brushes the cholesterol from my arteries as it travels through my system.
My wonderful hubby suggested a pork dish we had found online the other day, but I wanted to do it my way (of course.)  I present to you Grilled Sweet & Tangy Pork Chops with a Baked Sweet Potato and Steamed Broccoli.  Voila!

The best part of this meal is that there is NO MEASURING!  I really don't measure much anyway, but with this one, you can just throw stuff together.

1.  You need pork chops.  Why grocery stores sell them in quantities of 3, I will never understand.  That is so stupid.  But, it was either this, 2 massive bone-in chops for twice as much money, or a pack of 10 thin chops, which I didn't need.  So, lucky #3 all the way.

2.  You need the Sweet & Tangy.  Yep, you see it right:  Zesty Italian Dressing (I prefer Kraft, but you can use what ever strikes your fancy), and Apricot Preserves.  Yummmmmmmm.

3.  You need to mix this all together.  Use what ever balance of dressing and preserves you like.  Poke your pork with a fork a few times, throw it in the mix, cover it, and pop it in the fridge while your potatoes are baking.

4.  You need to bake your sweet potatoes.
     Wash 'em!  You don't want gritty, dirty taters.
     Stab 'em!  Poke some holes so the juice can escape a little bit.
     Oil 'em up!  Like a Greco-Roman wrestler.
     Foil 'em up!  Wrap those yams like a baby in a foil blanket.  I jab a few holes after the foil is on, too.  Just for kicks.
     Cook 'em up!  425-degrees for a solid hour.  Trust me.

5.  When you have about 15 minutes left on your sweet potatoes, start grillin' up your pork.  I have a trusty stove-top griddle that I got on clearance at Target a few months ago (score!)  I cooked my pork about 5 minutes on each side...and then I get the incessant need to flip and baste until I like the color on the outside.  You'll know when you see it.

6.  While your pork is resting, steam yo broccoli!   Throw it in a bowl with a dash of salt and a teaspoon of butter, and yummo! (My pork rested on this Diane von Fancyberg plate I got at a thrift store for $3.)

7.  Plate it up!  Add a dollop of butter, and a dash of cinnamon and sugar onto your sweet potato.

                                                                      PICK IT UP!