This is a great recipe for Cooking Live because it is so quick. It's definitely the kind of meal that can go from nothing to the table in under 30 minutes - provided that you have the ingredients, of course. Fortunately, the ingredients are things that you are likely to have around the house, so if you pick up some pork chops on your way home from work, you will be good to go. First, we'll prepare the rice and as it cooks, we can cook up the pork chops. Serve the pork, with a bit of sauce, over the rice and add a small side salad and you have a delicious and simple meal.

The recipe for the pork is adapted from the November 2005 issue of Cooking Light magazine and I've made it several times. As for any quick-fix meal, it will not be very quick if you have to stop what you're doing to search for ingredients, so try to have everything nearby when you start to cook. The total cooking time for the meat might be a bit longer than specified below if you are using a thicker cut of pork, so feel free to peek under the lid from time to time.

Basmati Rice
1 cup basmati rice (long grain)
2 cups water
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

Spiced Pork Chops with Dried Cherries
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4-1 inch thick pork chops
2 tsp olive oil
1 large shallot
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dried cherries

1. In a small sauce pot, combine rice, water and ginger, if using. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

2. Combine cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a fork or spoon to distribute the ingredients evenly. Sprinkle half of the mixture over one side of the pork chops. Heat the olive oil in a large (12 or 14-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops spiced-side down. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture on the unspiced side of the pork chops. Cook 2 minutes on each side, until browned.

3. While meat is browning, mince shallot. Once the pork has been browned, add shallot and butter to the pan, cooking for 30-60 seconds, until butter is melted. Add white wine, chicken broth and cherries to the pan. Turn pork to coat. Cover the pan with a large lid and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until done.

The rice should be done at about the same time as the pork. If it is done sooner (or when I start my rice a little too early), it can be kept in the pot, covered, for a few minutes. Fluff rice with a fork before spooning it onto plates. Top each serving of rice with a pork chop and a large spoonful of sauce and cherries. Pork cooked this way generally stays fairly moist and has a great, spicy flavor to it. Cinnamon may not seem like an obvious choice to pair with pork, but the flavors work deliciously.

Serves 4.

[Photos by Nicole Weston]