Strawberry Sage and Thyme Glazed Pork Chops

Nothing tastes better than combing fall flavors with spring ones. One of the best recipes you can use to do that is a strawberry sage and thyme glazed pork chops recipe. It is simple to make and provides the body with a good source of protein and antioxidants.

The ingredients necessary for making the recipe?

The ingredients necessary for making the strawberry sage and thyme glazed pork chops are:

• 4 to 6 thick center cut pork chops
• ⅛ cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup of strawberry preserve
• ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon of dried ground sage
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Tablespoon of Butter

Step for Making the Recipe

1. Grab a large skillet pan and toss a tablespoon of butter into it and melt it down on medium to high heat.
2. Once the butter is melted, grab your pork chops and place them into the pan. Sprinkle the pork chops with some salt and pepper. Cook on both sides for about 10 minutes each.
3. As the pork chops are cooking go ahead and grab a mixing dish and measure out and pour the balsamic vinegar, strawberry preserve, thyme, ground sage, black pepper and salt into it. Next, combine the ingredients together well to form a thick strawberry sage and thyme glaze.
4. Once the pork chops have about a minute or two left of cooking you will want to spoon the glaze onto them and allow it to melt into them. The pork chops will come out coated in a beautiful pink strawberry sage and thyme glaze that will have a sweet berry and herb taste to it that will remind you of spring and fall.
5. Once the dish is ready, go ahead and serve it up with your favorite side dishes. Some of the best side dishes to put with this meal is sweet corn, garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread, green beans, or a nice healthy leafy green salad.

What are the health benefits this meal can provide to the body?

Protein is essential for the body to have plenty of energy and to stay fuller longer. Without plenty of protein you tend to crave junk food, which doesn’t help with keeping a trimmed waist line and healthy heart. Pork chops provide a good source of protein along with complex B vitamins that are important for preventing cancer, fatigue, our DNA, eye health, heart and brain.

With that said, to receive the most nutrients from pork chops it is wise to get grass fed pork only. Nothing is worse than meat filled with preservatives, antibiotics and flavorings.

This recipe also contains strawberries. Strawberries provide melatonin to the body. Melatonin is essential for fighting insomnia and keeping our hormones balanced. Strawberries contains vitamin C as well and we all know vitamin C is excellent for keeping the immune system healthy.

Another benefits to strawberries is that they contain antioxidants that help against inflammation and they have fiber that helps keep the digestive system running the way it should. Fiber is also important for stabilizing our blood sugar levels.

Sage is another ingredient in this recipe that packs a punch of antioxidants into our body. This herb is a potent diurient, stimulant and expectorant making it perfect for detoxifying the body of substance that pollute it and cause illness. It also contains antioxidants that combat hair loss and beautiful the skin from the inside out.

However, it is always best to use organic ground sage or fresh sage if you have access to it in order to receive these health benefits from it.

Thyme is flavorful and adds so much spring flavor to the dish, but it also provides the body with antioxidants that fight off the free radical cells in our body that causing aging and cancer. The herb contains antifungal properties as well making it the perfect food to eat for fighting off fungal infections naturally.

Another ingredient that provides a depth of flavor to this recipe along with health benefits is the balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar contains a wide range of minerals and acids, which are beneficial for stimulating the digestive system so it can nourish and expel waste from the body properly. Best of all, this ingredient does wonders for lowering high cholesterol levels.

Next we have sea salt. Sea salt contains tons of minerals that are vital for overall body health. Sea salt helps balance out hormones, keeps our skin and nails healthy, protects the cardiovascular system, fights fatigue, protects our teeth and mouth from disease, and can relieve harmful inflammation within the body.

Then, we have black pepper. Black pepper is a natural pain reliever and digestive stimulant.

However, in order to receive these benefits from it you must use freshly ground organic black pepper.

Last, but not least is butter. Raw butter provides fat and fat is essential for supply energy to the body, but most importantly the brain. The brain is made up of mostly fat so if it doesn’t have the fat it needs it cannot help the body’s systems run the way they were design too. Fat is also extremely important for keeping us fuller longer so we aren’t snacking on junk that could cause illness and disease such as diabetes.

Where is the best places to find the freshest ingredients to make this recipe?

The best places to find the freshest ingredients to make this recipe is at a butcher shop for the pork, farmers market, herbal garden for the herbs, or a whole food organic grocery store.

However, if you aren’t able to get these ingredients from these local places go ahead and grab them from your local grocery store, but make sure you purchase them in organic form so they contain the most beneficial nutrients for your body.

The last thing your body needs is to be filled with preservatives, flavorings, dyes, and pesticides. These types of ingredients cause physical and mental stresses on the body that cause illness, disease and cancers.

What are some end thoughts to keep in mind when making this recipe?

Now, if you do not have pork chops on hand, but have a pork tenderloin instead you can use that. Just place the pork tenderloin into a crockpot and pork the strawberry sage and thyme glaze over it.

Next, turn your crockpot on medium to low heat and allow it to slow cook for about 4 to 6 hours. Once it is done it will still have tons of beautiful spring and fall flavor and taste amazing with any side dish of your liking.

Another thing you can use to make this glaze is a homemade strawberry preserve you made instead of a store bought one. Fresh homemade strawberry preserve always enhances the flavor of this recipe and makes it taste so much better.

Remember when you are making this recipe to make it with love. Love is always the secret ingredient in every recipe that makes dishes taste so much better.

Sources Used to Create this Content:

1. Natural Food Series: 11 Health Benefits of Black Pepper 
2. The World’s Healthiest Foods: Sage
3. Organic Facts: 7 Amazing Thyme Benefits