Pork chops tasty with baby broccoli

The apricot quotient in this pork chop recipe is apricot jam, and the combination plays nicely on pork's well-known affinity with fruit. It results in a tasty dish with a bonus: You can get it on the table in about 25 minutes.

Also, note that the pork's crispy bread-crumb crust is baked, not fried, in this recipe, which is from the January-February issue of Everyday Food magazine. This smart cooking technique is not only quick and easy but cuts calories and fat without losing flavor. In this process, before baking you moisten the bread crumbs with a little oil, then coat pork, chicken or fish. Bake until golden and the crust will turn out just as crispy as if it had been fried.

Baby broccoli with orange sauce would be a complementary side to serve with your chops, if you wish. The following recipe takes about 25 minutes, but if you're making the pork, too, total cooking time for dinner may be a little more.

If you don't see baby broccoli in your market, use 1 pound regular broccoli; make sure to trim the tough stem ends, and cut the broccoli lengthwise.

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CRISPY APRICOT PORK CHOPS

(Preparation 10 minutes, start to finish 25 minutes)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for baking sheet

2 slices multigrain sandwich bread

4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick), patted dry

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 teaspoons apricot jam

Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil; set aside.

Tear bread into large pieces; place in food processor. Pulse until large crumbs form. Drizzle with oil; pulse once or twice, just until crumbs are moistened (you should have about 1 1/2 cups crumbs).

Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; spread one side of each chop with 1 teaspoon jam. Dividing evenly, sprinkle bread crumbs over jam, and pat them on gently.

Transfer pork, coated side up, to prepared baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden and pork is opaque throughout (meat should register 150 F on an instant-read thermometer), 14 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 404 cal., 20.4 g fat, 37.7 g pro., 15.3 g carbo., 1 g fiber.

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BABY BROCCOLI WITH ORANGE SAUCE

(Preparation 10 minutes, start to finish 30 minutes)

Coarse salt

2 bunches baby broccoli (about 1 pound), untrimmed

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook baby broccoli until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes; drain. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, combine orange juice, shallots, vinegar and pepper flakes, if using; simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon sauce over baby broccoli; toss gently.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 71 cal., 0.1 g fat, 4.7 g pro., 13.8 g carbo., 1.4 g fiber.