A one pot meal is always a good thing in my book.

Things have been shaping up nicely around here and my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party preparations are in full swing.  I still have the cake and a few last minute things to handle, but I'm started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I really enjoyed working on all the decorations, especially the cake stand; a tire rim in honor of my dad the car guy.  I have to keep all the party talk hush-hush around my dad because he was scoffing about us not doing too much.  As if I would do such a thing, crazy talk I tell you.

Between work, trying to get in some exercise, and working on the party decorations I haven't had much time for anything else, especially cooking complicated meals.  Several nights last week I was lucky if I had a hot meal at all.  So tonight I went with a perennial favorite; the one pot meal.

This was so quick and easy to make it actually left me with a few minutes left to write the recipe down.

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled, and finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin (use 1/2 teaspoon if you don't like a lot of spice)

2-4 pork chops (depending on how many you want to feed)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup basmati rice

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

3 baby bok choy bunches, cut in large pieces

2 1/2 - 3 cups vegetable stock

In a large deep-sided skillet add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the veggies are starting to become translucent.  Add the garlic and stir for a few minutes.  Add the cumin and stir.  Push the veggies to the sides of the pan and add the pork chops. Salt and pepper the chops and add more salt and pepper to the pan.  Add the rice to the sides of the chops.  Place the tomatoes and bok choy on top of the rice and pork chops, cover the whole thing with vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to medium and cook with the lid on for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender.

You could easily sub out chicken or whatever protein you'd like.  I like how spicy the cumin makes the rice, if you don't like spice at all; sub in some Italian seasoning.  

Enjoy,

Gina