Heavenly. Truly heavenly.

I found this recipe awhile back while perusing Tastespotting.com. It’s one of my favorite spots to look at food porn.  Don’t go there unless you have a couple of hours to sit and do nothing but drool at your computer and make yourself starve; which will then result in you having to get up and go in the kitchen and fix yourself something to eat. Ugh. The same thing happens to me when I get sucked into those Diners, Drive-ins and Dives marathons in the afternoon. Geesh, why does EVERYTHING on that show look amazing?  Thank goodness I have a DVR because I have to pause and rewind like 20 times during every episode.

Which brings me to a random side note. I am convinced that the DVR is the most magical invention ever. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE indoor plumbing, but the DVR might just be my favorite. If you have children and you don’t have one, you need to get one immediately. It is so nice that you don’t have to yell at your kids to “PLEASE be QUIET” for the one-millionth time, you just hit pause. Back in the “olden days” when my son (who’s 14) was little we didn’t have cable or a cell phone. Can you imagine? It is so great that your mind can forget such terrible atrocities. Just kidding. Seriously, I could probably do without a cell phone, but not my cable and HBO.

I pretty much love anything that has cilantro, garlic and lime in it, so when I saw this picture, I immediately clicked on it. I wound up at a blog called The Skinny Taste and fell in love with this recipe for this amazing meal.

My mom’s birthday was back in July and I had invited a few friends over for dinner to celebrate and I thought this recipe would be perfect. It turned out so good. In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t made it again. Everyone loved it and the whole recipe is gluten free, so even you celiac-ers can enjoy it! I have a special place in my heart for my gluten free friends who have taught me how to cook more healthy meals for my family!

You want to plan this one out ahead of time so the pork chops can marinate in all this goody goodness for awhile. I was cooking for a large group of people, but you can just adjust the amount of chops you need according to how many people you have.

Garlic Lime Pork Chops

• boneless pork chops, 6-8 oz each
• minced garlic
• cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper
• zest of one lime
• juice of one lime
• 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil, for pan

Season the pork chops generously with garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Squeeze over the lime juice and zest and let it marinade at least 20 minutes.

If you have a preferred method of cooking chops, please feel free to cook them however you like. I find that I always have the best success with chops if I cook them in a skillet on the stove. I add about 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil to my large skillet, once it’s very hot. Squeeze in all the chops and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. Then I put the lid on them and cook them on low for about another 3-4 minutes, or until they are cooked through and you have no pink juice. When I cook them like this they always turn out super juicy and aren’t ever dried out.

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• zest of 1/2 lime, chopped fine
• juice of one lime
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3-4 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

I never used to be able to cook rice. Seriously, I was completely rice illiterate. It was only in the last couple of years that I finally figured out a way that worked for me. I have a large heavy stainless steel skillet and a large (very old) iron skillet that I use exclusively to cook rice in. I think rice likes to be exclusive.

Heat a pot, pan, skillet, whatever you prefer,  over medium heat. Add your butter, oil and salt to the pan until melted and then add in your rice. Stir the rice around so that it is coated in the butter/oil and let it cook for about 1 minute or two. Then add in your water, lime zest, and juice. Give it a good stir to make sure that everything is coated and then cover it and turn the heat to low. Cook for 18 minutes without disturbing it, then open up the lid and stir it to see if it is done. Sometimes mine needs another minute or two.

Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.

Serve the pork chops over the rice and enjoy!