APPLE AND PORK RECIPES: Chops with Cider and Apples . . . Cinnamon-Apple Muffin ‘Pies’ . . . German Spare Ribs with Apple-Prune-Bread Dressing . . . Northwood School Apple Crisp

Chops with Cider and Apples

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 center-cut boneless pork chops, 6 to 7 ounces each

¾ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 shallots, minced

2 cups hard or sweet cider

1 cup dried apple slices

3 tablespoons whipping cream

2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; season chops with ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Cook chops in skillet, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet.

Add shallots to skillet; cook over medium heat until translucent, 2 minutes. Add cider; heat to a simmer. Add apple slices; cook until apples are soft and cider is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream, mustard and remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt; cook until slightly thickened. Taste sauce for seasoning. Return chops to skillet; heat until cooked through.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 441 calories, 46 percent of calories from fat, 23 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 105 milligrams cholesterol, 31 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 729 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Cinnamon-Apple Muffin ‘Pies’

4 slices white or wheat bread, crusts removed

¼ stick butter

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored

¼ lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece of bread as flat as you can. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a glass dish in the microwave for 10 seconds. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. If the peeled apple pieces aren’t already cut in bite-size pieces, carefully do this. Pieces about 2 to 3 inches will be perfect — you want to be able to easily pile them into the muffin tins. Put the apple pieces in a bowl and squeeze the lemon quarter over them and toss with a spoon. This will keep the apples from turning brown.

Take a brush, dip it in the bowl of melted butter, and “paint” the 4 muffin tins with the butter, making sure to go up the sides. Now, very gently press each piece of bread into the buttered muffin molds (there will be extra bread sticking up on each side; don’t worry about this).

Pour the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture over the apples and toss to coat. Now add the melted butter and toss again. Divide the apple pieces among the 4 muffin crusts. Slide into the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. Eat these warm or cold. These are great served with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per pie: 170 calories, 7 grams fat, 26 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 16 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber, 35 percent of calories from fat.

German Spare Ribs with Apple-Prune-Bread Dressing

4 pounds lean, meaty pork spare ribs

12 prunes, cut up, with pits

8 apples, pealed and cut up

8 slices dried bread, broken in pieces

Cinnamon to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Place ½ of ribs in the bottom of a roasting pan. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Mix prunes, apples and bread and season with a little cinnamon. Place on top of ribs.

Place the remaining ribs on top of prune mixture and season with more salt and pepper. Add water to pan and cook for 3 hours at 350 degrees.

Northwood School Apple Crisp

6 cups apples

1 cup flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup butter

Cinnamon to taste

Put apples in a 8-by-13 inch baking dish. Cover with white sugar and sprinkle cinnamon on top of mixture.

Mix the remaining ingredients to form the topping. When mixed thoroughly, put crumble on top of apple mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until desired crispness.

Tags: life, food, recipes, apples, pork