Bruschetta Topped Pork Chops

Well Europe is truly around the corner, only two days away!  I have been feeling so many different emotions in prepping myself for this trip of a lifetime, I go from super anxious and nervous to ecstatic in a matter of minutes.  I am very thankful that our first stop is Iceland because it will be a calm and serene introduction to our trip, as for Germany not so much.  If you have been paying attention to the news lately Germany is taking in a lot of refugees and while it was suppose to be about 5,000 it turned into 18,000 over last weekend.  And Oktoberfest is about to start which attracts 6 million people and now the minister fears there will be violence between the two groups (read article here).  So as you can see our second destination in Munich will be a little more crazy than Iceland.  Anyway around it I can't wait for all the amazing food, cathedrals, museums, gardens, palaces, picnicking, and shopping!  Now if these workdays could go a little faster I would be in heaven.  I adapted this recipe last week and it was a delicious, filling, and healthy meal.

Serves 4

The Ingredients
4 boneless pork chops
2 large, firm, tomatoes (I used Marianna's Peace and yellow cherries), diced small
½ large red onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for basting
1½ tbsp good balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzle
½ tsp salt
fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced thick
salt to taste
pepper to taste


The Process
1.  Preheat your grill on high for at least 10 minutes.

2.  Make your brushetta topping by gently tossing together the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and basil leaves. Set aside.

3.  Season your pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Just before placing on the grill, lightly baste with olive oil to prevent sticking. Grill for 3+ minutes per side depending on the thickness of your chops. Remove the meat at 140℉.

4.  Top chops with mozzarella cheese and place under your broiler for about one minute, until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let rest for at least 5 minutes to redistribute juices.  Top with a heaping spoonful of the brushetta mixture, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.