Quick summer dinners: Pork chops with apple-mustard gnocchi

I like to seize summer as my opportunity to foist as much cooking on my unsuspecting husband as possible.  I like to pretend I can't use a grill and therefore I need his big, manly self to cook meat for us girls.  I like to think it makes him feel useful and necessary.

Thus, here is my favorite winter staple adapted for the grill.  As you will notice, I'm not a cook who believes in using "quantities" or "measurements".  (Those terms are for wimpy cooks, and you are not a wimpy cook!)  I believe in winging it!  Thus, a sizeable percentage of what I cook can turn out all wrong.  But still, this one is fail-safe, I promise....


Pork chops with apple-mustard gnocchi


Ingredients

Pork chops
Salt and pepper
Apple juice or apple cider, your choice
Dijon or country mustard
Heavy cream
Package of gnocchi (usually found in the pasta aisle)

Directions

1. Instruct your husband (or significant other of choice, hereinafter referred to throughout as "your husband") to fire up the grill.
2. Instruct your husband to salt and pepper the pork chops.
3. Instruct your husband to grill said pork chops, preferably WITHOUT closing the grill cover.  This takes a little bit longer, but tends to produce juicier chops.  Don't ask me why.  If you must know, I suggest consulting your handy grilling manual/Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, a/k/a my food Bible.
4. Meanwhile, salt and boil a pot of water.  When the water is boiling, throw in your gnocchi and prepare according to the package directions.  Pretty much this means boil for *2* minutes, or until the gnocchi starts popping up to the surface, whichever comes first.  DON'T OVERCOOK THE GNOCCHI!  A) This is supposed to be a quick dinner.  Overcooking foils that objective.  B) It turns the gnocchi gummy.
5. And in a second pan -- shallow, but large enough to hold the cooked gnocchi -- start simmering some apple juice/apple cider.  Whisk in a teaspoon or so of mustard.  Once you get a nice rolling boil, pour in some heavy cream -- just enough to make a nice creamy sauce.  Cook it down if you prefer, or add some cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce.  When you deem it "ready", remove the sauce from the stove and throw in the cooked gnocchi.  Toss until the gnocchi is nicely coated.
6. Plate your chops, add gnocchi on the side, and if there's sauce left in the bottom of the pan, drizzle it over your chops.  Done!

Given that I'm trying to foist work onto my husband, I like to have him cook the veggies while he's at it.  So I like to serve this dish with asparagus roasted on the grill.  Take some aluminum foil, throw in your asparagus, drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic, and salt and pepper generously.  Provide to husband and wait until cooked!