Baked Creamy Leeks with Pork Chops and Greens

I have been looking forward to trying these baked creamy leeks for a little while now. I love a good leek. Who doesn't?  I decided to pair them with a nice hearty pork chop and side salad with grapes and feta cheese. Of interest is that, according to my doctor and contrary to all of the TV commercials, pork is actually considered a RED meat. Dr. Eveleigh says that red meat = animals on all fours whereas white meat = animals that fly and swim. According to our Canadian Food Guide, we should only be eating red meat about once a week. I was really surprised by this! Instead, we're encouraged to eat tofu, lentils, beans and other alternatives.  For this week though, on with the pork chops...

We like a pretty non-fuss kind of pork chop - just throw em' in the pan with a dab of olive oil and a sprinkle of Adobo seasoning and you're all set to go. I know that I have blogged about Adobo seasoning before, but if you're new, I'm quite happy to share one of my favourite cooking secrets with you. "Adobo" is Spanish for 'sauce' or 'marinade' but it is also a brand name by Goya for an all-purpose seasoning that you can buy at most grocery stores. It's delicious, easy, can be thrown on anything and comes highly recommended by yours truly. 

Final comments on the leeks: they were delicious. Super creamy, bold tastes and a really elegant side dish. I used some leftover raclette cheese instead of mozzarella so the dish was pretty darn intense. If you like strong tasting cheese, go for it! If not, stick with a milder cheese as suggested. Bon appetit! 

Directions for the baked leeks:

Ingredients:

3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed, and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

some fresh thyme, if you have some, the leaves off one sprig, chopped

1 cup grated Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese, divided (I used raclette cheese instead as had some leftover)

3/4 cup half and half or full cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

2. To prepare the leeks, cut the really dark green tops off of them. Then slice in halfway lengthwise not quite to the root end. Then turn and slice lengthwise again (so you’ve sliced them in quarters, but they’re all still attached at the root). Wash under running water to remove any dirt and grit. Then slice crosswise so you end up with a rough dice. (Alternately, you can slice off the root end, chop them up and rinse really well in a colander.)

3. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add the butter and oil. Add the garlic and cook just a minute and then add the leeks and thyme. . Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until the leaks have softened up a bit. Salt and pepper the leeks to taste, then stir half the cheese and the half and half. Mix it together and transfer to a small baking dish.

4. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Tada! Final product: Baked Creamy Leeks