Cranberry Apple Pork Loin
Cranberry Apple Pork Loin
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 – 50 minutes
Estimated values per serving:
Calories = 415 Fat = 9 grams Points: 6
Cranberry Apple Pork Loin
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 pound (16 ounces) boneless pork loin
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried) – finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 apples – cored, peeled and chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 can (16 ounces) whole cranberry sauce
½ cup fat free chicken broth
Directions:
- Combine nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper and rub on pork roast.
- Heat skillet on high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add pork to skillet and brown for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove pork, cover and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add apples and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add brown sugar, cranberry sauce and chicken broth and cook, scraping any pieces from the bottom of the pan. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil
- Add pork, reduce heat and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes. Pork should reach 160o when cooked. Remove pork, cut into 8 slices and place on serving platter with sauce.
Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Serves 6
Preheat oven 350o
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Estimated values per serving:
Calories = 350 Fat = 7 grams Points: 6
Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients:
24 jumbo pasta shells
6 ounces fresh spinach – chopped
8 ounces fat free ricotta cheese
3 ounces low fat grated mozzarella cheese
2 ounces grated parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Sauce Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon low calorie butter spread – melted
8 ounces fat free chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh parsley – chopped
Directions:
- Boil a large pot of water and add jumbo shells. Boil shells for 3 – 4 minutes (they should be slightly softened). Drain hot water and add cold water. Keep shells in cold water until ready to stuff.
- Combine spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and parsley in food processor and pulse until well combined.
- Combine all sauce ingredients and pour into a 9X13-inch baking pan.
- Stuff pasta shells with spinach mixture.
- Place pasta shells in baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, covered.
Mexican Lasagna
Mexican Lasagna
Mexican Lasagna
Serves 6
Preset Oven 375o
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving (not including sour cream):
Calories: 285 Fat: 4 grams Points: 6
Ingredients:
½ cup onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
½ pound ground turkey breast meat
½ pound ground 93% lean beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 jar chili sauce
5 small soft tortillas
¼ cup low fat grated Mexican cheese
Gat free sour cream for serving (optional)
Sauce Ingredients:
¾ cup skim milk
1 tablespoon flour
¾ cup low fat grated Mexican cheese
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and browned.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground turkey and beef and sauté for about 7 minutes until browned.
- Mix taco seasoning with chili sauce in a small bowl then add to meat mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare cheese sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add to a small saucepot and heat on medium, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly.
- Remove from heat and stir grated cheese until cheese is melted.
- To assemble:
- Cut tortillas into 2-inch thick strips. Spray a 9 X 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the baking dish with half of the tortilla strips so that they cover the bottom completely.
- Spoon half of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas. Pour cheese sauce on top.
10. Add the final layer of tortilla strips on top of the cheese mixture.
11. Spoon the remaining meat on top.
12. Sprinkle the ¼ cup reserve grated cheese on top of the meat mixture.
13. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Korean Chicken BBQ
Korean Chicken BBQ
Korean Chicken BBQ
Serves 4
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 195 Fat: 5 grams Points: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons minced green onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Dash of pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sake (or white wine)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Directions:
- Cut chicken breasts half so that they are half the width.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, soy sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, sesame seeds, sake and sesame oil.
- Pour marinade over chicken and let stand for 20 – 50 minutes.
- Heat a large grill pan on high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken breast meat and grill for 5 – 7 minutes on each side until cooked.
- Serve hot.
Roast Pork with Cabbage
Make Ahead Tip:
- Assemble dish the morning of or night before, refrigerate and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. All your prep work and most of your cleanup is done; just cook and serve. Nice and easy, that’s a good deal for a weeknight.
Enjoy!
For those who like sweet and spicy:
Roast Pork with Cabbage
Roast Pork with Cabbage
Serves 4
Preheat oven 350o
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 310 Fat: 9 grams Points: 6
Ingredients:
½ head small red cabbage – sliced thin
1 large onion – sliced thin
1 – 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes – chopped with juices reserved
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
2 – 3 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin roast
Salt and pepper to season
2 cloves garlic – minced
Directions:
- Combine cabbage and onion and place in a large roasting pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes and juice, ketchup, water, brown sugar and Tabasco sauce. Pour sauce on top of cabbage and onions.
- Rub garlic, salt and pepper on pork and place pork on top of cabbage and onion mixture.
- Cover roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 450o, uncover roasting pan and cook for another 15 minutes until meat is browned, basting occasionally.
- Remove roasting pan from oven, remove pork from pan and cover for 10 minutes before carving.
- Spoon cabbage and onion mixture onto a serving platter and place pork on top. Top pork with a bit of sauce and serve.
Poached Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce
The recipe listed below looks like it is very high in fat (about 35%), instead of the lower fat dishes I usually post. However, the only fat grams in this recipe are from the salmon itself, which is a very healthy fish to eat. So don’t be shy about having poached salmon. Sometimes it is ok to eat something with a little higher fat content as long as it’s coming from a natural source (ie. fish, nuts, vegetables).
Poached Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Refrigerator Time: 2 hours
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 335 Fat:14 grams Points: 7
Ingredients:
1 small seedless watermelon
2 cups white wine
6 springs plus ¼ cup fresh dill – minced
1 to ½ pounds salmon – cut into 4 fillets with skin removed
1 small cucumber – peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
1 cup fat free sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Cut watermelon and remove the rind. Cut watermelon into large pieces. Place watermelon in a food processor and puree until liquefied.
- Measure 2 cups of the watermelon juice and pour into a large deep skillet. Add white wine and dill sprigs to the skillet and heat on high until boiling.
- Add salmon fillets to watermelon/wine mixture and poach for about 10 minutes until salmon is firm.
- While salmon is poaching, measure ½ cup of the watermelon juice and pour into food processor; discard or store the remaining watermelon juice. Add cucumber pieces and lemon juice to food processor with the watermelon and puree the mixture. Add sour cream and pulse until mixture is combined.
- Pour mixture into a bowl, add salt and chopped dill and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When salmon is cooked through, remove from the skillet and set on paper towels to dry. Transfer salmon to a platter, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to serve.
- Serve cold salmon with sauce on the side.
Penne with Vodka Sauce
Penne with Vodka Sauce
Penne with Vodka Sauce
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 ½ hours
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 275 Fat: 2 grams Points: 5
Ingredients:
½ small onion – minced
1 clove garlic – minced
½ cup white wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil – finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper
¾ cup vodka
½ cup fat free half and half
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound high fiber penne pasta
Directions:
- Heat a large saucepot on medium heat, spray with cooking spray and add onions. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes until softened and browned. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add wine and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
- Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper and simmer for about 60 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and cool sauce. Pour sauce into a food processor and puree.
- Pour sauce back into saucepot, add vodka and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While sauce is simmering, cook penne in a large pot of water, about 8 minutes, then drain.
- Stir half and half and cheese into vodka sauce until the cheese is melted and blended. Add drained penne to the sauce and toss to coat then serve.
Make Ahead Meal – Day 7
Tips on Making Ahead:
- Cook eggplant and meat and arrange in casserole. Refrigerate until 45 minutes before serving, cook sauce and pour on top then bake.
- Cook entire recipe, refrigerate then reheat in oven and serve.
- Cook entire recipe, refrigerate, cut into individual serving sizes and heat in microwave.
Eggplant and Meat Casserole
Eggplant and Meat Casserole
Serves 6
Preheat oven 375o
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 250 Fat: 5 grams Points: 4
Ingredients:
2 eggplants – sliced ¼ inch thick
½ onion – chopped
½ pound ground turkey breast meat
½ pound ground 93% lean beef
2 cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
1 cup crushed tomatoes from a can
1 tablespoon fresh basil – chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley – chopped
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
Directions:
- Arrange paper towels on a board and sprinkle with salt. Spread eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle salt on top then top with paper towels. This can be done in layers to conserve counter space. Allow eggplant to “sweat” for about 20 minutes then rinse well under water and discard paper towels.
- While the eggplant is “sweating”, heat a large skillet on medium heat, spray with cooking spray and add onion. Sauté 2 – 3 minutes until slightly softened and browned. Increase heat to medium high and add turkey and beef and sauté until browned. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Lower heat to medium low and add wine, tomatoes, basil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- After rinsing the eggplant, heat a large skillet on medium high heat, spray with cooking spray and add eggplants. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until softened.
- Spray a 9 X 12 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange half of the cooked eggplant on the bottom. Spoon meat on top, then spread the bread crumbs. Top with the remaining eggplant.
- Cook sauce (recipe below) and pour on top.
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until top is bubbling and slightly browned.
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Sauce Ingredients:
1 ½ cups skim milk
½ cup fat free half and half
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- In a saucepan, whisk together milk, half and half, flour, egg substitute and nutmeg.
- Heat stovetop on medium heat and, while stirring constantly, cook mixture until bubbly and thickened. Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Make Ahead Day 4
- Cook the entire recipe in advance and refrigerate overnight. When ready to heat, cut into individual serving sizes and microwave.
- Assemble the casserole and refrigerate overnight. Either remove the casserole from the refrigerator a few hours early to come to room temperature before baking or bake for about 45 minutes right from the refrigerator (extra baking time may be necessary if you place the cold casserole in the oven).
Baked Macaroni with Meat
Baked Macaroni with Meat
Serves 8
Preheat oven 350o
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 320 Fat:4 grams Points: 6
Ingredients:
½ onion – chopped
½ pound (8-ounces) ground turkey meat
½ pound (8-ounces) 93% lean ground beef
¼ cup water
½ cup wine
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ pound (8-ounces) penne pasta (*)
½ cup egg substitute
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Cream Sauce:
2 cups fat free half and half
2 cups skim milk
½ cup flour
¾ cup egg substitute
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat, spray with cooking spray and add onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft and browned.
- Increase heat to medium high and add turkey and beef and sauté until cooked and browned.
- Add water, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, nutmeg and basil and simmer until half of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat, spoon into a bowl and cool.
- Boil water in a large pot and add penne. Cook until al dente (about 5 minutes).
- Drain, rinse and add to bowl with meat mixture. Stir in egg substitute and parmesan cheese.
- In a saucepot, whisk together half and half, milk egg substitute and nutmeg.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
- Pour half of the sauce into the meat and pasta mixture.
10. Spray a 13-inch X 9-inch casserole with cooking spray and spoon in meat mixture.
11. Pour the remaining cream sauce on top and bake for 30 minutes until browned.
(*) Use high fiber pasta
Make Ahead – Day 2
Tips for Cooking Ahead:
- You can cook the vegetables and pasta, and sauce and combine in the casserole dish to bake later that day or the next day. If you refrigerate the casserole overnight, take it out for several hours before baking it so that it can come to room temperature. This will reduce the baking time to 30 minutes.
- You can bake the dish just before broiling the parmesan that morning and leave out. Heat for 10 minutes, covered, then broil for the last 5 minutes right before serving.
- You can bake the casserole the night before and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, take it out several hours before baking it so that it can come to room temperature then bake for 15 minutes, covered, add the parmesan cheese and broil for 5 minutes.
- You can cook the entire recipe that morning or the night before then divide into individual serving sizes and microwave.
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 6
Preheat oven 450o
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Estimated Values per Serving:
Calories: 320 Fat: 4 grams Points: 5
Ingredients:
1 eggplant – cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 zucchini – cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper – cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion – cut into 1-inch pieces
Olive oil cooking spray
12 ounces penne pasta (*)
¼ cup flour
3 cups skim milk
¼ cup egg substitute
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup + ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese – separated
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place towels on the countertop and sprinkle generously with salt. Add eggplant pieces on top, sprinkle more salt on top then cover again with paper towels. Let eggplants sit out on countertop to “sweat” for about 20 minutes.
- Rinse eggplant well with water and add to a large mixing bowl with zucchini, peppers and onions. Spray with cooking spray and toss.
- Spray a large baking pan with olive oil. Spread vegetable mixture in a single layer on baking pan and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and soft. Reduce oven heat to 400o.
- While vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil and add penne pasta. Cook until al dente for about 5 – 6 minutes. The pasta should still be firm and slightly cooked.
- Drain penne and add to a large mixing bowl. When vegetables are cooked, add to the penne and toss. Set aside.
- In a large saucepot, whisk together flour, milk, egg substitute nutmeg, ½ cup parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Heat stovetop to medium low and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture has come to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat.
- Spray a large casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray and add the vegetable pasta mixture. Pour half of the milk mixture in and toss. Pour the remaining milk mixture on top, cover and bake at 400o for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover from the casserole, sprinkle on ¼ cup of parmesan cheese and broil on high for about 5 minutes until the top is bubbly and browned.
- Remove from oven and serve hot.
(*): Use high fiber penne
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