Recipe: Lemon Chickpea + Quinoa Salad with Garlic Butter Pork Chops

Consider the spring season a state of mind in Alberta. No matter what the weather looks like, Albertans put away the mittens and winter parkas with the dream that warmer days are ahead! This chickpea salad recipe is full of bright, spring flavours that will have you believing that the last dump of snow is behind you. Bring it to the first BBQ party of the season, or serve it alongside these garlicky pork chops for an easy weeknight meal. Hello, Spring!

Lemon Chickpea + Quinoa Salad with Garlic Butter Pork Chops

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 cups cooked quinoa

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves

¼ cup chopped pistachios

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

For the pork chops:

4 1-in thick bone-in pork chops

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

3 garlic cloves, minced

 Instructions

1. In a large jar, add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover and shake well. Add the chickpeas and stir to coat, then set aside for at least 10 minutes to marinate.

2. In a large serving bowl, combine the quinoa, red onion, parsley and mint. Pour the chickpeas and marinating liquid over the quinoa mixture and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Remove the pork chops from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Dry them well with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

4. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Using your hands, massage the oil into the chops, making sure all sides are coated. When the pan is hot, add the chops and allow to sear for 4-5 minutes, until a golden crust forms.

5. While the chops cook, mix together the butter, parsley and garlic. Flip each pork chop and dollop the top with the butter mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 F.

6. Remove the pork chops to rest on a platter tented with foil for about 8-10 minutes.

7. When ready to serve, top the salad with pistachios and feta. Serve the pork chops alongside the salad and enjoy!

Recipe and Photo credit: Erin Walker