Ptomaine Wednesday- Stuffed pork chops

I need to be upfront about this: I have a newfound respect for Rachael Ray. Three weeks ago, I thought she was a hack who got by on her charm, not her cooking skills. This was solely based on comments I have read, made by her, about what a hack she is. For instance:
"If you spent one day in a cooking school, you would most definitely see that I do not chop an onion correctly," she says, "but I get my jobs done fast. I'm not a chef. I don't cook like a chef."
I had seen a couple of her shows which led me to believe that she makes a lot of sandwiches for dinner, which honestly, sounds more like lunch to me.
But in the spirit of trying something new, and having something to blog about, I gave her cookbook a fair shot.
And I am glad I did, because I discovered the most delicious stuffed pork chop recipe, ever.
The recipe has been published on-line, here it is.
Like I said, the stuffed pork chops are amazing. I used a Fuji apple instead of whatever she called for, because that is what I had- but that's how Rachael rolls. She's okay with it. She also calls for two store bought corn muffins, but I made my own. (Rachael hits her 30 minute mark by buying things that need to be baked. I've got time to bake.)
She calls for fresh herbs, as usual. Using fresh herbs in January is expensive, ($2 per handful) so it isn't something I will do every night, but it makes a huge difference. I can't wait to get an herb garden growing.
The cream cheese potatoes were a hit with the family as well. 2 and a half pounds is a LOT of potatoes, though. Spencer discovered that they are tasty fried the next morning.
Speaking of enough to feed an army, 2 pounds of peas is enough to feed eight or nine people. I ended up throwing the leftovers away, because they are so delicate they they would be gross reheated.
This meal was so good that I couldn't wait to try the next one I had planned, Minestrone and panzanella.
The soup recipe alone is worth the price of the book. It is that good. It's a green minestrone, there are no tomatoes, but I did not miss them. Again, fresh herbs and prosciutto provide ample flavor. This is a recipe I will make again and again and again.
Now, about the panzanella. Panzanella is bread and tomato salad. It sounded good. It called for day-old crusty bread, which I had... but it was a loaf that I had baked before I realized that I forgot to put salt in the dough. So maybe that was the problem.
The first instruction is to cube the bread, and soak it in water for three or four minutes, then wring it out gently.
It kinda grossed me out, but I did it.
I chopped the tomatoes and dressed the salad as she directed, and it turned out okay. I guess it sorta tasted like bruschetta on wet toast. I probably won't make it again.

So what's the take-away? Rachael Ray is alright in my book. I think I will use her book a lot more in the summer, when fresh herbs, vegetables and tomatoes are available in the backyard.
Here are my pork chops.
Next week, I'll try a "light" recipe.