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I have a confession. 

I am not the type of cook that makes her own pasta. Even if I had a cuisinart and the right attachment, I still think I would go for the boxed stuff. I use pre-mashed ginger and chili paste. I love the already washed, ready to eat spinach you can buy at the Kroger. I am a cut-corners cook, and frankly I don't see anything wrong with that. Why spend three hours slaving over homemade noodles when the 15 minute option is just as good? As long as it tastes good and is good for you, meaning no artificial god-knows-what holding all the little molecules in the form of food, I feel like practicality beats perfection. My new favorite way to cut corners with all manner of meat can be summed up in one delectable word: 

Preserves. 

Preserves and jams are absolutely the most fantastic glazing shortcut for fish, pork, poultry, and even shellfish. I don't usually leave them alone, of course - that would be too easy - but as a base, they make fabulous sauces. Here's the basic formula to feed four: 

4 pieces of whatever white or light meat you choose

1/2 cup preserves

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 tsp cayenne

salt and pepper

Apricot, fig, and blackberry preserves are the ones that I use most often, primarily because they don't have the peanut butter and jelly or breakfast biscuit associations as much as grape and strawberry. Currant, mint, and orange marmalade work a little better with heartier meats such as veal, lamb, or tuna.  I found this one Dalmatia Fig and Apricot spread in the deli section of the grocery store the other day that is my new favorite base for all things pork. DELICIOUS. 

As for vinegars, I usually use apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Both have a little bit of natural sweetness that complements the fruit flavors, though white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, and even rice wine vinegar have all worked well. The cayenne is to cut the sweetness more than to add spice, and it really does round out the flavor so well. 

The key to making this glaze nicely is the oven. You can either broil (with fish) or bake (with pork or poultry), but the heat is what melts the preserves into a gloriously tasty sauce. So today, on this note, I am going to post my two most highly praised recipes that go along on this theme: pork chops with magic purple onions and an apricot-fig glaze and tilapia with a black currant glaze. 

Pork chops 

4 boneless pork chops

salt and pepper

Onions: 

3/4 cup good tawny port

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 tsp sea salt

Glaze: 

1/2 cup dalmatia fig and apricot spread (if you can't find it, apricot preserves will do just fine)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne

Preheat oven to 350

In a small saucepan, combine onions, salt and port. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until onions are completely glazed by port. 

In a small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients. Mix well, and set aside. 

Place pork chops in a baking dish. Salt and pepper each side liberally. Coat with the glaze mixture, then bake for 20 minutes until internal temperature is about 150. Top with onions. Serve hot. 

Tilapia with a Black Currant glaze

2 Tilapia filets

Glaze: 

1/4 cup black currant or blackberry preserves. This is also good with apricot. 

3 T apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp ginger paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat broiler

In a small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients. Set aside. 

Salt and pepper tilapia in baking dish. Spoon half of the preserve mixture over the fish. Broil for 4 minutes. Flip and spoon over the other half of the mixture. Broil for another 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Both of these recipes are extremely easy and very popular. Make them for dates, for friends, or just for yourself. 

Enjoy!