random ingredients ftw!

For the last couple of weeks, I've been trying my best to use up anything that's been kept in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. I don't particularly like moving food between houses, so anything I could use up in advance is important. This has led to some strange concoctions.

For example, last night's dinner was pork chops, corn on the cob, and fruit salad. I was short on time, so I decided to do the meat on the stove instead of the charcoal grill. Looking for something to make it a little more tasty than just plain meat, I pulled out a jar of cinnamon-cranberry chutney that'd been on the shelf since I impulse purchased it at Target a while ago.

Most of the jar went into the pan. I added a couple tablespoons of butter, balsamic vinegar, and worcestershire sauce. When the meat was done and the corn had just a couple minutes to go, I pulled out the meat and set to making a pan sauce with a tablespoon or two of cornstarch in cold water and what was left in the pan. A generous sprinkling of garlic powder and a couple minutes to thicken and it looked like gravy!

It turned out to be extremely tasty! The leftovers even reheated well for lunch today. I know I'll never be able to pull off the exact same thing again, but it was an experiment well worth doing.