Roasted Garlic & Mustard Pork Chops with Creamy Mash

Can flavours determine love? This was the subject of an email that landed in my inbox recently and I was instantly intrigued! New research conducted by Knorr which spoke to 12,000 people in 12 countries has shown that a whopping 78% of people say that they are more attracted to people who enjoy the same flavours as them. I can relate to this - there are very few things that I do not eat (I could probably count my food dislikes on one hand) and living with an extremely picky eater is not my idea of a good time.

Then the research was taken one step further. Watch what happens in this short film, "Love at First Taste", where complete strangers are paired together based on their flavour profiles. 

I was invited to discover my own flavour profile using this nifty little quiz on the Knorr website. There are 12 profiles in total such as Melty Indulger (cheesy and proud of it) and Gracious Grazer (all about light, fresh and green flavours). It took about a minute to finish the quiz and as for the results - well, put me in a corset and call me Xena, it turns out I am a Meaty Warrior!

Naturally I just had to find out what my husband's profile was. When we met as students we had very different tastes in things like music and movies, but food was always our common ground. As I peaked over his shoulder while he was doing the quiz I was not too surprised to see that he chose almost exactly the same answers as me and is a fellow Meaty Warrior. Aw, aren't we sweet?

So it is in the spirit of meatiness that I am sharing this week's recipe. It is a fabulous, hearty mid-week supper option taking less than hour to prepare. And it is totally delish of course! 

Which flavour profile did you get? Let me know in the comments section! 

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ROASTED GARLIC & MUSTARD PORK CHOPS with CREAMY MASH

Serves 4 

Image courtesy of Knorr

4 pork loin chops, trimmed of any excess fat
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 large red apple, cored and sliced

1 KNORR Garlic & Rosemary Cook-in-Bag

4 medium potatoes (about 500g), cubed with the skin on 
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp warm milk

2 handfuls green beans (about 200g)

Step 1.) It is not necessary to preheat the oven. Rub the mustard into the pork chops. Place them in the bag along with the apple pieces and the Knorr spice mixture. 

Step 2.) Seal the bag, then gently massage the spices into the pork chops until they are evenly coated. Place the bag on an oven tray with the pork chops in a single layer. 

Step 3.) Bake the pork chops at 180°C for 40 minutes on the lowest shelf in your oven. (Note: leave enough room for the bag to expand without touching the sides of the oven and make sure that the grill is off!)

Step 4.) While the pork chops are in the oven you can start preparing the veggies. Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling, salted water until soft. Drain, add the butter and milk and mash until creamy and smooth. (Think of this as your pre-dinner workout!) Season to taste. 

Step 5.) Top and tail the green beans and cut into 4-5cm pieces. Steam and then season to taste. 

Step 6.) At this point your kitchen should be smelling amazing! Carefully open the bag and pop the pork chops and apple onto warmed plate. Spoon the juices from the bag over the chops. Serve with creamy mash and steamed beans. 

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Knorr. Words and images, unless otherwise stated, are my own.