Spicy Caribbean Pork Chops w/ Rice & Peas
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you already know how much I love trying new exotic flavor combinations. The weirder the combination, the more interested I seem to be. I’m not sure why this is but it’s kind of funny to me now because I was such a picky eater as a kid and never was interested in trying new things. The only vegetables I ate until about high school were peas, corn and mashed potatoes… how things have changed.
This specific recipe was probably one of the strangest combinations of flavors I have ever seen, but also one of the most delicious! I stumbled across it while browsing Tablespoon and had to make it. I usually change recipes a bit to fit my desires, but this one was too interesting to change. The bananas in this recipe are the foundation of the sweet, smooth topping and the green chiles add an after-kick to spice things up. These Caribbean flavors are a perfect pairing of sweet and spicy.
Spicy Caribbean Pork Chops w/ Rice & Peas
Ingredients
- 1 8-oz. package yellow rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 4 pork chops
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups frozen peas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups onions chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 firm ripe bananas (peeled & thinly sliced)
- 2 4.5 oz cans chopped green chiles
- 1 7 oz jar roasted red bell peppers (drained & chopped)
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp orange zest
- 1/3 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Cook the yellow rice according to the package directions.
- Coat the pork chops with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes).
- Heat the peas in the microwave until warm (about 1 minute) and stir into the rice. Set aside and keep warm.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and cilantro and sauté until they begin to soften (about 3 minutes).
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn to low and let simmer until thickened (about 5 minutes), stirring periodically.
- To serve, place rice and peas on plate, cover with a pork chop and top with the banana mixture. Serve with avocado slices if desired.
