O-M-GOOOOOODNESS

I'm nothing if not consistent: I didn't cook a lick all summer and into fall, but today is cold and windy with slight showers and I absolutely had the URGE to cook up a nice hearty feast, with a nod to the season of eating ahead. I even had the urge to cook meat-which I almost never do. (To date, that remains firmly planted in the hubby's territory.)

I made, if I do say so myself the most fantastic meal tonight (and I do...but the hubby confirmed it, and he wouldn't necessarily say he didn't like something, but he would eat only enough to be polite--and he cleaned his plate and asked for seconds).

Best part? It took 30 MIN (yes, that's right) from the start (as in washing veggies) to finish (as in my fork delved into this delish meal). And that included cleaning as I went for the most part.

I dived right into my latest Cooking Light magazine and made these Pork Chops (only I substituted cuts of small pork loin, cooked 4 min per side, quadrupled the portion of seasoning and oil rub per loin, adding a dash of red chili flakes into the mix and substituting a mix of dry Italian seasoning for fresh rosemary (bc I had it on hand)). I'm very pleased with myself because this was my first time EVER cooking lamb and it was PERFECT: soft-melt-in-your-mouth texture, juicy, not undercooked but no where near overdone, and super yummy flavor.

I also made the mashed "maple hazelnut sweet potatoes" featured in the magazine with the pork chops, only I used yams, slightly increased the amount of maple syrup, and added a quarter cup of shredded parma-reggiano, and eliminated the hazelnuts (opting to throw them in the salad instead)--SO creamy and delectable! Jacob, who claims not to like yams, practically licked the bowl clean after finishing his portion.

Maple Yams
Pierce 2 sweet potatoes with a fork, wrap with a wet paper towel and microwave until done. Let stand 5 minutes then peel skin, mash to desired consistency, add 1/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/4 cup shredded parma-reggiano, 1 teaspoon sea salt. Combine and serve.

Then I whisked together an adapted version of the salad dressing recommended in the magazine, but put my own salad mix together:

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette (so good, so easy, so cheap)
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon cracked lack pepper
1/4 tablespoon salt
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil (gradually whisked in)

Mixed Mediterranean Style Salad
I bought a tin of organic mixed baby greens and added 1/2 thinly sliced Fuji apple, 1/2 cup red Holiday grapes-halved , a little under 1/4 cup crushed whole dry roasted hazelnuts, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, and about 8 large spiced blood orange marinated green olives (available now at Whole Foods) and poured in the marinade into the salad before drenching with the salad dressing and mixing. Oh MY GOSH. SO. DANG. GOOD.

Try it. You'll be glad you did. It wasn't super cheap, but it wasn't super expensive. Admittedly I had the seasonings and grapes on hand, but the portion of food used for the meal was about $18 total. Though it cost more than that at the store for the lettuce and cheese particularly, I have enough of those left for at least 3 more salads.

Recommended preparation:
While the yams cook, prepare the seasoning and rub down the lamb, prepare the vinaigrette.

While the yams cool, cook the lamb, toss the salad, and finally, prepare the mashed the yams.

Finis!