Friday, December 23, 2011

Smothered Pork Chops

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
6 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 (10 & 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sage (or thyme)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup fat free sour cream

Directions
Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Cook pork chops for 4 minutes on each side.
Remove pork chops and set aside. In the same skillet, cook onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes, stirring.
Stir in soup, water, soy sauce, sage and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return pork to skillet and cover with sauce. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes, turning pork chops occasionally, until cooked through.
Stir in sour cream. Stir until hot. 

Enjoy!

Very hearty and filling!
Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Tomato Turkey Stew with Gremolata

Total time: 50 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
Stew:
1 Tbsp. olive oil (Can use 2 Tbsp.)
6 green onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
21 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 lb. ground turkey (can use 1 lb. boneless skinless turkey breast cut into cubes)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Gremolata:
1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Add green onions, carrots, garlic, celery and lemon peel. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add turkey, cook 10 minutes, until browned.
Add tomatoes (with juice), wine, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and Simmer 10 minutes longer or until sauce thickens.
To make gremolata, combine parsley, lemon peel, garlic and salt. 
Sprinkle over each serving of stew.
Enjoy!
I really like the combination of flavors, especially the wine with the lemon!

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thai Chicken with Basil


Total time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp. soy sauce (or fish sauce)
1 tsp. sugar (I used Splenda)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp. chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken garlic and chiles for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
Stir in soy sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil, mint and peanuts.
I served with shelled edamame over brown rice.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Greek-Style Beef with Mint Cucumber Sauce

Total time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 container (6-8 oz.) Greek plain yogurt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped, unpeeled cucumber
1 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh mint
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak
1/2 tsp. Greek seasoning

Directions
For sauce, combine yogurt, cucumber, red onion, mint, sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside. 
Sprinkle steak with Greek seasoning. Grill steak until desired doneness. (145 F for medium-rare, 160 F for medium).
Slice steak and serve with sauce. 
Served here with a Greek salad and Greek potatoes.
 Enjoy!
Sauce is delicious! I was eating it on everything. The sauce and steak would be good served in a pita.

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Sicilian Rotelle



Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
4 cups (about 12 oz.) uncooked rotelle (or other spiral pasta)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil (or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil)
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups julienne (matchstick) carrots
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, quartered
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
Cook and drain pasta according to package instructions.
In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add basil, pepper, carrots and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in pasta, beans, tomato sauce and artichokes. Cook 5 minutes, stirring.
Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!

I really enjoyed this dish. The beans really make up for not having any meat. 

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Zesty Mexican Soup

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (11.5 oz.) vegetable juice or tomato juice cocktail
1 can (15.5 oz.) corn, drained
1 cup salsa
1 can (4.5 oz.) diced green chiles
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions
In a 3 qt. saucepan, mix all ingredients except cilantro. Heat to boiling over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in cilantro. 
Serve with cheese or sour cream. Enjoy!



This is a very simple dish with a lot of flavor!

Nutritional Information per 1 cup serving
Calories: 190
Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 22 g
Protein: 16 g
Fiber: 2 g

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Sweet and Sour Pork Noodles

Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless pork loin chops, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp garlic-pepper blend
1 & 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce
2 Tbsp. chili sauce
1 & 1/2 cups (or 3 oz.) uncooked medium egg noodles
8 oz. fresh sugar snap peas
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1/4 cup cashew pieces

Directions
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add pork, sprinkle with garlic-pepper blend. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring, until brown.
Stir in broth, sweet and sour sauce, and chili sauce. Heat to boiling. 
Stir in noodles. Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
Stir in peas and bell pepper. Cover and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables and noodles are tender. Sprinkle with cashews.
Enjoy!

Very delicious, I will definitely be making this again.

Nutritional Information per 1 cup serving
Calories: 360
Fat: 11 g
Protein: 29 g
Carbs: 37 g
Fiber: 3 g

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Monday, December 5, 2011

Tuna Wraps

Total time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients
3 (5 oz.) cans light tuna in water, drained
2 Tbsp. reduced fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. chopped celery
2 Tbsp. minced carrot
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash of hot sauce
Iceberg lettuce

Directions
Combine tuna, mayo, green onion, celery, carrot, cilantro, sesame oil, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Stir well.
Place tuna mixture into lettuce, wrap and enjoy!



Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Cheesy Potato Chowder

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hr
Serves: 8

Ingredients
5 russet potatoes, washed, unpeeled and cute into 1/2 inch cubes
1 (32 oz.) carton chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (12 oz.) bag frozen broccoli cuts
1/3 cup flour
1 cup fat free milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
4 green onions, chopped
2-4 sliced of bacon, cooked and chopped

Directions
In a 5 qt Dutch oven, place potatoes, add just enough water to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain. Reserve 1 cup potatoes, return remaining potatoes to Dutch oven. In a small bowl mash reserved potatoes with a fork, return to Dutch oven.
Stir in broth, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Add broccoli, return to boiling, cook uncovered 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium.
In a small bowl with a wire whisk, stir flour into milk until well mixed.
Add milk mixture to potato mixture, stirring constantly. 
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and boils. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Stir in sour cream, green onions, and bacon. Heat through.

Enjoy!



Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com

Salsa Chili

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. spicy pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. sugar (or Splenda)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Toppings: sour cream, cheese, green onions

Directions
Cook beef, sausage, and onions in 4 qt. Dutch oven until meat is thoroughly cooked, drain and return to Dutch oven. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except toppings. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. 
Serve with toppings, and enjoy!





I love chili and I think this has been my favorite chili recipe so far. I love how there are always leftovers that I can easily pack for lunch.  Hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com