Letting go

Last week at work, we went around in a circle and shared something we are grateful for in our lives. At that moment, my response mirrored those of many of my colleagues. However, a weekend away from the city provided the perfect opportunity to more deeply reflect on what I am truly grateful for and to incorporate a recent lesson from my yoga class. My yoga instructor introduced the notion of Fall as a season of “letting go.” She shared examples of how tree’s let go of their leaves as summer transitions into autumn, similar to how the tomatoes let go of the last of their fruit, ripening on the vine and easily falling off with a slight pull or nudge. This has deeply resonated with me. Last year was a stressful year in terms of work, health, and overall well-being. This new year and new season has brought with it clear strands of change and opportunities to practice “letting go” over and over again. I am grateful for the opportunities to change and being able to let go of those situations, feelings, and thoughts that have weighed me down this past year.  I am also thankful for allowing myself to embrace change as it presented itself, as we are all constantly in need of opportunities to let go and move forward in whatever form that may take.

The recipe I am sharing embodies this new season of Fall. I first tasted this dish as a child in my family home. I believe it was my brother who first came across this recipe and made it every so often with the help of my parents. This recipe did not stand out to me back then but for some reason I had a strong aching to make it when my in-laws brought over a huge bounty of homegrown apples a few weeks ago.

Pork & Apples with Thyme (GF)
Adapted from Cooks.com
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
1/2 C All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Salt & Pepper, to taste
3-4 organic, thin loin pork chops
4 T olive oil
Large handful of fresh thyme, rinsed
2 Granny Smith or McIntosh apples, unpeeled, cut in 1/4″ slices

Directions
Combine the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the pork chops into the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Saute the pork chops for approximately 5
minutes on each side until cooked through. While the meat is cooking, place some of the thyme underneath each pork chop. Once the pork chops have been flipped, add the apples and a little extra olive oil, if needed, to prevent the apples from sticking to the skillet. Cook the apples for 2-4 minutes until soft. Arrange the pork chops and apples on plates and serve with a side of roasted vegetables or a salad.