Pork Chops with Orange Onion Marmalade

This is not an actual South Beach dish but it is one that has ingredients in it that are all approved for Phase 2. It was inspired by this Giada Delaurentiis recipe. The flavors sounded good but I wanted to make my own quicker version. The method is similar but can be done in under an hour making it much easier for a week night meal.

Pork Chops with Onion Orange Marmalade
Inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis
serves 2

PORK
2 boneless pork loin chops
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary - chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1 Tbsp garlic grapeseed oil

ONIONS
2 medium onions thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (I used I Can't Believe It's not Butter Light to be South Beach friendly)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried thyme
2 1/2 Tbsp Orange Marmelade (I use Sugar-Free to be South Beach friendly)
salt & pepper

1. In a non-reactive bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper. Place pork chops in the marinade and let let sit for 10-20 mins, while you begin to prep and cook the onions.
2. In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat. Add sliced onions and lower heat to medium. Let cook until onions begin to soften. Add salt, pepper, thyme and balsamic. When onions begin to get translucent add 2 Tbsp of orange marmalade. Let continue to cook covered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat garlic oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Press some of the garlic cloves and rosemary from the marinade into the pork and then add it to the heated skillet. Cook approx 7-8 minutes per side until cooked all the way through and a nice caramelized crust appears.
4. Remove pork from skillet to individual plates or serving platter. Mix remaining 1/2 Tbsp of orange marmalade into onions and serve atop pork.

The orange marmalade in this recipe makes it more of a Phase 2 dish, so I cheated a bit in making it while still in Phase 1 of South Beach. But it's so tasty and something I haven't made in awhile, that I couldn't resist, plus I knew it would pass the boy's test for a tasty dinner which has been tough while on this diet. It was a staple while I was living with my sister and something we both really enjoy. The one change I made was to pan fry the chops, as opposed to grill them and that was merely because we are in the middle of a serious cold spell and have no gas for the grill. Using the garlic oil to pan fry them added lovely flavor and when I am bale to use the grill I think I will try to incorporate it into the marinade. Enjoy!