Beauty In Brown Eggs: "PORK CHOPS... and applesauce"

If you are repeating the title phrase "Pork Chops... and Applesauce" in your head with the correct tune and “rhythm”… you’ve just dated yourself!!! (Brady Bunch)

Anyway, I love to cook. I’m hoping to share a few ideas and simple recipes in Beauty in Brown Eggs. I’m going to try to keep the ingredients seasonal… because I think it’s a beautiful way to focus on the bounty we have been blessed with. Have you ever noticed how the foods that are ripe in their natural environments during each particular season truly “fit” the feel of the season?? How refreshing a watery slice of melon or juicy strawberries are during the heat of summer when you are parched?? But come fall, when a chill is in the air… oh my, the rich density of a butternut squash just meets our needs, physically and emotionally. Our bodies naturally crave the foods that are natural to the area we live in. SO, let’s focus on enjoying what grows by us naturally…. seasonally. If you like the idea of cooking with seasonal foods and are into “clean” eating, there’s a cookbook I own called “Clean Food” by Terry Walters. There are 4 sections, one for each season… utilizing clean ingredients.

First off: APPLES. There are endless uses for apples obviously. I discovered a new and delicious use for them the other day… on pizza. We had a pig roast at work awhile back, and I was trying to find uses for the leftovers. I had a hankering for pizza… so when the thought of bbq chicken pizza popped into my head I wondered, why not bbq pork pizza?? From there came the idea of caramelizing some onions to put on top… and then I remembered the notorious combo: pork chops and apple sauce. Onions and apples are a beautiful combination as well… and apples and cheese are a classic. So… why not try it?? With that, “pork chops and applesauce pizza” was born.

Ingredients are:

Pizza Crust (my favorite are the “Tiseo’s Frozen Pizza Dough Balls” in the frozen bread section

Pulled Pork (if you don’t have leftovers and can't find in your grocery store, you can purchase it in freezer-ready packages at Blue Star Meats: www.bluestarcatering.com )

Sweet Baby Ray’s “Sweet and Spicy” BBQ Sauce

One Large Onion (I used ¾ of the one in the picture)

Apples (used 2 of the size in the picture)

Italian Cheese (used the majority of the 2 cup size pkg)

Blue Cheese Crumbles (use sparingly, but i like the pungent taste against the sweetness of the apples)

No exact directions, but this is what I did: put BBQ Sauce on the crust to the same thickness you would a pizza sauce. Saute the thinly sliced apples and onions in a little olive oil and butter on med-low until caramelized. Top with Italian cheese and then sprinkle a bit of blue cheese on top. Bake at 450 for approx.. 10-12 mins.