Is there any ingredient in your kitchen that you probably have too much of? In my kitchen it's spices. I have way too much. In fact, my spice collection has taken up one of the largest drawers I have in the kitchen and another small basket in a cabinet. Thankfully I don't have large quantities of any one kind of spice or spice blend. Instead, I tend to have small amounts of several {too many?}spices. So when I'm faced with what to make with any given protein {beef, chicken, pork, seafood, or even vegetable}, I try to use the spices I have  for flavor. The other night I had a couple pork chops to work with and I came across this recipe for Spiced Rubbed Pork Chops. Coriander, cumin and brown sugar blend together to create a slight glaze that's flavorful and compliments the pork. It was quick and easy, making it a great choice for a no-fuss weeknight dinner. I served it with a Golden Nutty Rice Pilaf which paired perfectly...


Coriander is one of those spices I purchased because I needed a small amount for another recipe. It's a spice I don't use very often but when I came across this recipe, I was happy to find another application for it. Together with cumin, it reminded me of the Mediterranean flavors with a slight sweetness. You could even spice your pork beforehand rather than just before cooking to allow the pork to absorb the flavor longer.


2 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt. Combine coriander, cumin, and sugar in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over 1 side of pork. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan, spice side down. Cook 2 minutes or until browned. Turn pork over, and cook 4 minutes or until done.