Hugh and Sarah Kent truly work to make meals happen around the dinner table, almost every night.
“We always have all our meals at a large dinner table so that all attending can enjoy interacting with each other about their day or their needs,” said Hugh. “Scheduling each of our lives is hectic and involves us all communicating together to ensure we are all on the same page.”
Hugh has worked for the State of Florida and served in the U.S. Army, the Florida National Guard, and the Alabama National Guard over a combined 23 years, including seven combat tours. He has been an Engineer and Leadership Instructor in the U.S. Army Reserves for the past three years and has traveled and instructed at various schools across the nation. He plans to slow down and wrap up his military service within the next 18 months, so he can spend more time with his family.
Sarah has been a fully accredited Kindermusik educator and business owner since 2016. She is known in the greater Pensacola area as a developmental guru. She has practiced pediatric occupational therapy, early intervention, and infant massage instruction for over 20 years.
The Kent’s have six children but only three remain at home – Brody (17), Delaney (16), and Twila (8). The family does many unique activities together such as singing and playing music, bird watching, camping, attending church and worshiping together, and gardening.
“Sarah and I enjoy cooking together, equally viewing it as time being spent together,” Hugh shared. “The older kids enjoy cooking and have taken over a night a week to cook entirely themselves for the family. That usually is Street Taco Tuesday. They also clean up afterward as one of their family chores.”
The Asian-Inspired Pork Chops the Kents are sharing with us are at the top of the list when it comes to family favorites.
“This recipe originally was conceived as an easy prep ahead, take-a-long, quick-cook meal for the first evening of a camping trip and we have since incorporated it into one of our regular household meals,” said Hugh. “It has a sense of fall and winter and is a great relief sign of the end to the sweltering summer.”
Asian Inspired Pork Chops with Wild Rice
Pork Chop Ingredients:
- 3 lbs. boneless or bone-in Pork Chops
- ¼ cup Asian Zing Wing Sauce
- 1 Tsp Kingsford Sweet + Salty Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Garlic Butter Seasoning powder
Wild Rice Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Rice Select Royal Blend (Texmati, Brown, Red, and Wild Rice)
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- ½ Cup Water
- ½ Tbsp Garlic Butter
Pork Chop Directions:
- Season with the Sweet + Salty Seasoning and Garlic Butter seasoning powder.
- Add the seasoned pork chops and Asian Zing sauce to a large Ziplock bag and marinate for 30 minutes.
- While the pork chops are marinating, prepare your grill.
- When the grill is preheated, place the chops on the grill and cook until they are 145 degrees with a meat thermometer. Flip pork chops 2-3 times to evenly cook.
- Once the pork chops are done, remove them from the grill and allow them to rest for a few minutes.
Wild Rice Directions:
- In a quart pan with a lid, heat chicken broth, water, and butter to a rolling boil.
- Add the rice mixture.
- Cover with a lid and immediately turn the heat to low and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Do not remove the lid until everything else is done and you are ready to plate.
- We love to serve this dish with roasted root vegetables.
