Gluten Free Pork Chop and Rice Casserole

Way back when I used to have this awesome neighbor who lived across the street from me named Shar. Shar was so great because she was like a walking encyclopedia of domestic goodness. She knew how to grow perennials and roses and always had her husband building retaining walls and digging more flower beds for her so she could add to her garden collection. She loved to cook and had tons of great recipes like Benihana fried rice and other great dishes that always involved lots and lots of my favorites: vegetables. Her spice rack was like an encyclopedia of flavor. One year I got to go with her husband to pick out her Christmas gifts which were expensive knives, a pot rack, and fancy pots and pans to hang on the rack. I was like a kid in a candy store watching all of that kitchen goodness in front of me. When I had my second child I was really really sick (which I now know were celiac symptoms) and I was so depressed about my health that I relied a lot on Shar to make me good food that I would actually eat. That was another great thing about Shar: she was unfailingly generous with her time, her ingredients, and her knowledge. We were polar opposites when it came to food, because she loved the hot and spicy stuff and I was so into bland food that my appetite looked like a slice of Wonder Bread. She taught me to embrace new flavors and not to be afraid of a little spice. We used to eat at this crappy little Mexican restaurant for lunch called Mariposa and she would always get the spiciest thing on the menu. And then she'd go home and host a Cinco de Mayo party and try to recreate the recipe herself...this was new to me. Making up a recipe? What? How could you even do that? This recipe of Shar's was one of my favorites, and now I know why: it's a naturally gluten free recipe! There's not one speck of wheat in this recipe, so it made my tummy very happy. I made this for dinner last night and I added a few things to Shar's original recipe, and my husband, who doesn't like my pork chops, actually said he thought these pork chops tasted great! Success all around!

Gluten Free Pork Chop and Rice Casserole

• 3-4 pork chops
• salt and pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 small chopped green pepper (optional)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice
• 1 5/5 ounce can of V-8 juice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chops with salt and pepper. Add oil to a large skillet and heat to medium heat. Brown the chops in the oil on both sides, remove. Add onion and pepper to oil and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. In a lidded casserole dish, combine rice, V-8 juice and water. Spoon cooked veggies over the rice, add the pork chops and sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes, remove lid and bake for 15 more minutes to absorb any extra liquid.

Luckily, I was the beneficiary of not only great food from Shar, but great times and lots of laughs together. That's the essence of friendship, isn't it?

Happy eating!