Springtime Meal - Pork Loin Chops in Red Wine Sauce, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

March has finally arrived, and we are on the cusp of Spring. I felt optimistic seeing the sun shine brightly over the still frozen Chicago ground today and melt the last bits of remaining snow.  So, I decided to add some fresh asparagus to our risotto this evening, and it added just the right flavors. Try this risotto recipe with the pork chops and you won't be disappointed. Credit to the cookbook "Tastes from a Tuscan Kitchen" by Madeline Armillotta and Diane Nocentini for their Pork Chops with Sage and Chianti recipe that I adapted here.

Pork Chops in Red Wine Sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
5 pork loin chops
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp ground sage
12 ounces of cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup red cooking wine (Holland House brand is gluten free)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, browning the pork chops. Add the minced garlic, parsley, and sage and saute with the chops. Add the cooking wine and cherry tomatoes and simmer for 30-45 minutes, allowing sauce to reduce and pork chops to tenderize.

Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio Rice (Rice Select is one brand that is gluten free)
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white wine
4 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (Pacific Foods, Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock and Swanson's Natural Goodness are all gluten free brands)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bunch roasted asparagus (chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 10 oz. package of mushrooms (chopped)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees for roasting the asparagus. They can roast while the risotto is cooking. For risotto, saute onion and mushroom in oil until onions are translucent. Add rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the white wine. Add 1 cup of broth to the pan and continue stirring until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until all liquid is absorbed. While risotto is cooking, wash and pat dry asparagus. Lay asparagus on cooking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss asparagus to make sure all spears are lightly coated with the oil. Place in preheated oven and roast until crispy soft (approx. 10 minutes). Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and slice into bite sized pieces. When risotto has absorbed the last remaining broth, add the asparagus pieces and gently stir into risotto before serving.