After taking the weekend off to do some other work I am back with a great weeknight meal that I got from Cook’s Country. Weeknight meals can be the worst for busy families. You just feel like you never have enough time to be a home cooked meal on the table with work, school, homework, afterschool activities, chores and more, which can lead us to settling for takeout meals that aren’t good for us and are expensive. I always try to come up with meal ideas that can be made during the typical weeknight fast so it is something you can put together after you get home and have a meal on the table in under an hour. This one fits the bill for speed, taste and it is inexpensive to make. While the recipe calls for boneless pork cutlets, I had 3 bone-in chops on hand and decided to use those instead. It took a few minutes longer to cook because of that, but the taste results were the same to me.

Pork Cutlets with Sweet Potatoes and Maple Pan Sauce

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons ground cumin

8 (3-ounce) boneless pork cutlets, 1/4-inch thick, trimmed

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Combine the sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl. Cover the potatoes and microwave them until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 7 minutes. Set the bowl of potatoes aside.

Meanwhile, combine the garam masala, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a bowl. Pat the pork cutlets dry with paper towels and season them with the spice mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add 4 of the cutlets to the skillet and cook until they are well browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to a plate and tent the plate with aluminum foil. Repeat the process with the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the remaining 4 pork cutlets.

Add the potatoes and garlic to the now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a platter. Add the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar and any accumulated pork juices to the now-empty skillet and simmer over medium heat until the mixture has thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork cutlets to the platter with the sweet potatoes and pour the sauce from the skillet over the top. Serve.

I really liked the flavor of the sauce and what it added to both the potatoes and the pork. Maple syrup and sweet potatoes just seem to go really well together and it was even better with the spice mixture on the pork. If you do not have garam masala on hand or can’t find it in your local grocery store, you can use a mix of ground  coriander, cumin, ground cardamom, pepper and ground cinnamon and get the same flavor. It is a fast recipe that gives you great taste and all you need to do is add a vegetable or a salad and you are good to go with your meal in about 30 minutes.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I have a big work project I am working on right now, so I am going to try to get on here every day if I can to share some more ideas, recipes and more. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!