Hunan Green Beans and Pork

When browsing my new cookbooks and magazines for weekly recipes, I had marked this one. Kevin is always wanting pork chops but I am not the biggest fan of them. I decided to try this one because green beans are one of the only vegetables he likes, plus it had pork chops. I am glad I tried it because it was very good! I made 2 changes - one was using onion powder instead of the onions because I ran out, and the other was using red wine + an extra 1/2 tsp. sugar instead of the dry sherry, because that is what I had. One of the recipe suggestions was to serve it "southern-style" over cornbread, so I made a pan of cornbread (another one of Kevin's favorites) and we ate it with that.



Green Beans & Pork Hunan-Style
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Frances Price

Ingredients (For 2 servings):
1 pound of fresh green beans
6 oz. lean boneless pork chops
1/2 cup dry sherry or apple juice
1/2 cup defatted chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green onions, sliced

Snap the stem ends from the beans, then snap the beans into 2" lengths. Immerse them in lukewarm water, then turn them into a colander to drain.

Cut the pork chops into strips about the size and shape of the green beans.

In a large measure, combine the sherry or apple juice, broth or water, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and pepper flakes (if using); stir to dissolve cornstarch and sugar.

Place a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, then the pork and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the beans and garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in the broth mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer, or until the sauce is translucent and thickened. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, or until the beans are crisp-tender. Stir in the green onions and serve hot.

Deep Dish Cherry Cobbler

This dessert came from one of the healthy cookbooks I got for Christmas. I really like this book because it gives the amounts for the recipes for two different servings - either 1 or 2 servings, or 2 or 4 servings depending on the recipe. It is geared toward the 1/2 serving recipes, making it ideal for just Kevin and I, and it also gives nutrition information for a serving. Most of the ingredients are either items I usually have in my cabinets, or meat/produce that I buy weekly anyway, so the recipes are pretty low-cost and low-fuss.

I wanted to make a dessert to end our "nice" New Years Day dinner and this sounded pretty good - and it was! Not the most decadent dessert out there (I mean, the fact that there is no chocolate rules it out automatically), but for a "light" fruit dessert it was very tasty. It was the perfect finish to our relatively heavy meal and took no time to throw together.



Deep Dish Cherry Cobbler
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Frances Price

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1 cup canned water-packed pitted tart cherries, with liquid
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup reduced-fat biscuit mix
2 tablespoons 1% lowfat milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Measure the liquid and add water, if necessary, to make 1/2 cup, and set aside.

Spread the cherries in the bottom of a 3-cup shallow casserole or baking dish.

In a small saucepan, mix the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the liquid reserved from the cherries. Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the almond extract (if using) and pour the thickened liquid over the cherries.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the biscuit mix and milk until just blended. Divide the dough into 2 biscuits and spoon over the cherries.

Bake the cobbler for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are browned and the cherries are bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Luau Turkey Loaf with Pineapple Chutney

One of my new Christmas cookbooks is Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Francis Price. I immediately went through the entire book and marked recipes that I wanted to try, so when we were brainstorming the menu for this week I turned to the book and looked back at what I had marked. Kevin is always wanting meatloaf but I just don't care for it, but the flavors in this Luau Turkey Loaf actually didn't seem too bad. I had some leftover ground turkey in the freezer so on the menu it went. This dish actually was pretty good, though the pineapple chutney that accompanied it made the meal in my opinion. Kevin liked it pretty well so I have a feeling I will be making this again when the man wants some meatloaf.



Luau Turkey Loaf and Pineapple Chutney
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Francis Price

For 2 servings:
1 tablespoon pineapple or orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped onions
1/8 small sweet green or red pepper, chopped
2 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
6 oz. lean ground turkey
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg white

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the pineapple or orange juice, soy sauce, onions, peppers, and ginger. Process on medium speed until the vegetables are finely pureed. Pour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the turkey, bread crumbs, and egg.

Lightly coat a small baking sheet with no-stick spray. Blend everything well with your hands and pat the mixture into a loaf shape on the baking sheet. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the loaf is brown on top with no trace of pink in the center when you pierce it with a sharp knife.

Let the loaf stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve hot or cold.


Pineapple Chutney

1 can (8 oz) juice-packed crushed pineapple (with juice)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped red or green peppers
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons golden raisins (I omitted)

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the pineapple (with juice), sugar, vinegar, onions, red or green peppers, ginger, and pepper flakes. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins and microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the chutney stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold.


MA! The meatloaf!!!
...sorry, couldn't resist ;-)

Roasted Potatoes

I have had this Cooking Light recipe in a stack of "things to try soon" for about a month now, so I decided to make these for a side for my family's Christmas dinner at my grandma's house. There are about 30 people in the family so we eat a LOT! I made a 5 lb. bag of potatoes and they were gone in under 5 minutes... guess I didn't make enough because not everyone even got some! I know I for one could not wait to eat them, because for the hour drive to Grandma's house all I could think about was how my car smelled like Chicken Shack potatoes (which are amazing, for you poor people who never lived near Detroit and experienced them first-hand)!! I made the vinaigrette in a separate container and put it on the potatoes after I reheated them, right before serving. These were really good and I am making some for tomorrow night's dinner for Kevin and I to enjoy, since we only got a taste last weekend.



New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Source: Cooking Light, November 2008

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I omitted since I cannot stand any sort of mustard flavor, and used a dash of Worcestershire sauce and an extra dash of salt and vinegar instead)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and potatoes in a roasting pan or jelly-roll pan; toss well to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender, stirring after 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze garlic cloves to extract pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chives, vinegar,, and mustard into a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add potatoes to bowl; toss well to coat.

Yield: 8 servings (about 3/4 cup)

Italian Chicken Pitas

Another easy, quick one pan meal! You can also use this filling for wraps, or just eat it plain!

Italian Chicken Pitas
Source: Weight Watchers Recipes

3/4lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut in thin 1" slices
1 small Zucchini cliced (1/2 cup)
1 small Carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
1 small Onion, slice in rings, then halve them
1/4 tsp dried Oregano, Basil and ground Pepper
1 med Tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
3 pita pocket breads, 6", warmed & halved
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 dash garlic powder per sandwich (optional)

Stir fry chicken with non-stick cooking spray until cooked, no longer pink inside. Add Zucchini, Carrot, Onion, & Seasonings. (Add a little water if needed) Stir fry 2 - 3 min, until crisp tender. Remove from heat & add tomato just before filling warmed pocket breads. Sprinkle fillings with cheese.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

I have not measured the volume that goes into each pita, but I would estimate the filling volume around 1/2 cup. Add lettuce to cooled mix for a little more volume.

These pitas are a great way for me to sneak vegetables into Kevin's food, since he usually doesn't eat them. He claims to not like any of the ingredients in these except the chicken and carrots, yet somehow he will eat every bite when you put them all together!

Spicy Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil

This is one of Kevin's favorite pasta dishes because of the shrimp, and one of mine because of the fresh basil!

Spicy Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Basil
Source: Unknown

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced italian-style tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorrino Romano

Directions: Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red pepper flakes and canned tomatoes (in their juice) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes and basil.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain; reserving 1/2-1 cup cooking water. Transfer pasta to serving bowl. Add reserved cooking water, tomato sauce, shrimp, basil and parmesan cheese, and toss. Serve immediately.

I printed this recipe out ages ago, probably from a Weight Watchers message board, but I am not really sure where it came from. I usually make a half recipe of this without the cherry tomatoes for the 2 of us. One other thing I do is crush the tomatoes with the back of a slotted spoon after I dump the can in, because Kevin doesn't like chunks of tomatoes and they cook down a little better this way.

Chicken Noodle Soup

There is nothing like chicken noodle soup on a cold winter day, or when you are feeling a little under the weather. This recipe from Taste and See makes a huge pot of soup that can be frozen into individual bowls for whenever you need a comforting little pick-me-up.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Source: Taste and See

Ingredients:
3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Enough water to fill up half your stock pot

2 bay leaves
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3-4 chicken bullion cubes

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp garlic powder
1 package egg noodles

Directions:
Fill half the stock pot with water. Trim all visible fat from chicken and place in water. Place bay leaves, carrots, celery, bullion, onions, salt and pepper in water also. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is cooked throughout. Take chicken out and shred or cube. While chicken is out of the pot, place the noodles in and cook according to the back of the package. While the noodles are cooking, taste the broth and season accordingly (if needed). Shred or chop chicken. Once the noodles are cooked, place the chicken back in the stock pot.

As Maryanna said, this soup is one where you can just "dump" ingredients in... no measuring required! Just make it to your taste, and enjoy!

Low Cholesterol Scalloped Potatoes

I have never made scalloped potatoes and I haven't had them in a long time, so I made this to go along with the crispy yogurt chicken. I have had this recipe saved for a while as a "healthier" recipe to try so I just went for it.



Low Cholesterol Scalloped Potatoes
Source: Spark Recipes

Ingredients:
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons low cholesterol margarine
1 1/2 cups skim milk

Directions:
1. Layer potatoes and onions in casserole, sprinkling flour between each layer.
2. Heat milk and margarine and season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Pour sauce over all layers.
3. Bake 1 hour covered at 350 F. Remove cover and bake additional 30 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.



These turned out pretty good. I overcooked them just a tad so the edges were really dark, but they were nice and moist and flavorful in the middle. I tweaked the recipe a bit since it was only the two of us- I used 1 large baking potato, 1/4 of an onion, and 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of margarine for the sauce. The proportions were right on and it could have fed about 4 people as a side dish.

Pioneer Woman's Crispy Yogurt Chicken

This was another one that has been floating around on the message boards for awhile, and a lot of people seemed to rave about it! For me, it was an easy weeknight dinner that came out great. It was very crispy, which I was happy with because some people had trouble getting it crispy enough. I will definitely be making this again - but I found it to be a bit bland, so I think I will add some stronger seasonings next time.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken
Source: Pioneer Woman

Chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless breasts)
2 cups plain, unflavored yogurt (I used fat free)
2-3 cloves garlic
Parsley
The juice of one lemon
Salt
Butter
Approx. 2 cups Panko bread crumbs



-Mix the yogurt, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice together in a bowl.
-Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt.
-In another bowl place the bread crumbs. Give them a sprinkling of salt too and then stir.
-Butter a baking dish. With tongs place the chicken, one piece at a time, into the yogurt mixture. Turn it over thoroughly to coat. Then roll the chicken in the Panko brad crumbs. Cover each piece thoroughly wiht bread crumbs and place in the baking dish.
-Finally, place a slice of butter over the large part of each chicken piece. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of the cooking. When the chicken is nice and golden, remove from the oven and enjoy!



Since I read about the problems people had getting it crispy, I made sure to get the excess yogurt off before I dipped in the bread crumbs. Also, I forgot to cover it with foil, but I think this was part of the reason mine got so crispy. It ended up only taking an hour without the foil.