Shredded Pork Tenderloin Pockets

Tonight was not planned.  I was out of town for a few days - and this weeks meal plan went out the window.  I did however throw this together with a handful of ingredients, and about 40 minutes total - and it was fantastic! 

Shredded Pork Tenderloin Pockets
1 pork tenderloin (you know, the long kind in the meat dept at the grocery?) pick your favorite flavor - but preferably something that goes with BBQ
8 whole wheat dinner rolls (think "sliders")
1/2C favorite BBQ sauce (I use the reduced sugar type)
1/3C apple cider vinegar

Bake or Braise pork tenderloin according to package instructions (generally 30-40 min or until internal temp has reached "done-ness")...and again, I braised so trap as much fluid in there as possible.
Take tenderloin out and place on cutting board, shred.
Add 1/2C BBQ sauce and 1/3C apple cider vinegar to drippings in skillet.  Add shredded pork, stir to fully coat, and let simmer for 5 minutes or until hot.
Cut dinner rolls in half and squish them so they "hollow out"
Fill with shredded pork and serve with your choice of sides!

Sausage Frittata

Had a great "breakfast for dinner" night!  We had a turkey sausage frittata with fat-free blueberry muffins from Krusteaz (you can find them at your local grocer.)  Easy, delicious, and under 200 calories per serving!

Sausage Frittata
turkey breakfast sausage (I grabbed the tube from Wal-Mart)
3oz shredded reduced fat cheddar
6 egg whites
2 eggs
1/2C light ricotta cheese
1.5C broccoli florets (you can use froze, but I'd recommend fresh)
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1/2 green bell pepper diced

in 9-10in skillet, spray generously with non-stick spray
cook turkey sausage, broccoli, onions & green pepper until sausage is no longer pink.

In a separate bowl, whisk ricotta, egg and egg whites until very few lumps are left.
Once sausage is cooked, pour egg mixture over the top (you may have to spread). Cover, and cook for approx. 7 minutes or until mixture begins to set.
Sprinkle cheddar and cover for another 2 mintues to melt cheese.
Once egg has set, slide frittata out of skillet, cut into 6 servings and enjoy!

Cobb Salad Style Sandwiches

There were so many flavors exploding in my mouth with every single bite, this was probably one of the most enjoyable dishes I've had so far this year!

Cobb Salad Style Sandwiches
2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) cut in half horizontally
2 slices of low-sodium deli ham
1 tomato sliced thinly
1/2 avocado sliced
red-leaf or romaine lettuce leaves (only need 2)
whole grain bread (I used the whole grain sandwich thins by Orrowheat)
fat-free mayo & dijon mustard mixed together

Cook chicken breasts in skillet with olive oil spray until there is no more pink in the center (when they're done)  Remove chicken from skillet and add two slices of ham, cook until they start to lightly brown.
toast bread
Layer as follows:
toasted piece of bread
1tsp mayo/dijon mustard mix
lettuce
tomatoe
ham
chicken
avocado
toasted bread

ENJOY - there seriously is just SO MUCH FLAVOR packed in this little sandwich!  I chose to serve mine with a tomato mozzarella salad tossed in basil and balsamic.

Simplicity - thy name is Roasted Turkey Tenderloin & Roasted Cabbage

Yum, Yum, YUM!  This was yet another simple and completely filling "comfort" food.  It was a bit more time consuming, but not in prep time, in baking time.

 Roasted Turkey and Roasted Cabbage
1 turkey tenderloin (I chose rotisserie)
1 head of green cabbage
olive oil

Preheat over to 325*
Place turkey tenderloin in foil lined baking dish (I used 8x8)
add whatever herbs your heart desires

Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165*

Crank up the heat to 400*
Lightly brush (or spray) a cookie sheet (with a lip) with olive oil or olive oil spray
cut off butt of cabbage, slice cabbage into 1" circles
arrange on cookie sheet
lightly brush tops with olive oil
sprinkle with sea salt & pepper (I used spicy sea salt, pepper, garlic powder)

Bake for 40 minutes or until cabbage has turned a light brown and is tender.

ENJOYYYYY!

Roasted Salmon & Steamed Asparagus

This was clean, it was simple, it was amazing.  This follows the "Clean Eating" principles, which means no processed food - just FRESH FRESH FRESH!

Roasted Salmon
4 6oz salmon filets
sea salt, pepper, thyme, dill, parsley, chives
green onion, chopped
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450*
place salmon on baking tray or dish
brush with olive oil
sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, top generously with green onions, squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon on top
Bake for about 10 minutes (I wound up having to cook mine for about 12 minutes)

Sprinkle generously remaining herbs - serve hot.  I chose to serve mine with tender crisp asparagus - sprinkled with the remaining half of lemon juice.

Turkey Waldorf Salad - Lunch.Dinner.Whenever!

This.was.amazing.  I really enjoyed this, and would recommend it for lunch, or for dinner.  This even makes an easy lunch to take to work with you if you're so inclined (just make sure you pack bread separately - or even better - take a few romaine lettuce leaves for a low-carb lettuce wrap!)

Turkey Waldorf Salad
1.5lb extra lean turkey breast (I used the turkey breast cutlets)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1C red apple, peeled and cored, chopped
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1/2C chopped walnuts
1C grapes, quartered
1C fat free mayo, or yogurt cheese
bunch of romaine lettuce for "wraps" (they actually turn out more like tacos, haha.

cook cutlets until done (no pink), let cool, chop into small chunks (think approx the size of your thumbnail)
combine all ingredients and stir until coated
Serving size 1C (don't overstuff your cup, or the servings will not work out to 6)
6 servings

Poached Bay Scallops

This was  quick, easy, and super light dinner!  I served this over brown rice, and combined them with a steamed cauliflower/broccoli/carrot vegetable blend.  The smells, and the tastes made me pine for a day on the east coast with a nice glass of Riesling!

Poached Bay Scallops
1/4c dry white wine or lemon juice
1T minced shallots or scallions (white part only)
1lb bay scallops

Over medium heat in large skillet combine liquid and scallops.  Cook for approx 3 minutes and add scallops.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 4-5 minutes or until scallops are tender and loop opaque.  Drain.
Serve with whatever you decide to serve it with and enjoy.

 

Skillet Meatloaf

Ok, we all live and learn right?  Tonight was the first night I had a recipe not go as I had planned.  The good news is, it's a simple fix that I get to share with you, so you don't have to go through the same "ACK!" moment that I did....you're welcome :-)  Without further adeux, I give you....

Skillet Meatloaf
2oz reduced fat (or fat-free) shredded cheddar cheese (I bought a block and shredded my own)
1 medium sweet potato peeled & shredded
1 small onion chopped
1C reduced sodium tomato sauce
2lbs extra lean ground beef or 99% FF ground turkey
1/2C egg substitute
salt & pepper & all your other favorite "go to " seasonings (I prefer onion powder, garlic powder and a generic no-salt "table blend" seasoning)

Mix together meat, shredded potato, onion, 1/2C tomato sauce, 1/2C egg substitute, and seasonings.
Pat down into a 10inch skillet (that has a lid)
Cook on medium heat for 35 min. or until meat thermometer reads 170* (well done)
Remove lid and add shredded cheese.  Let cook another 5 minutes to melt cheese.
***Before serving: DRAIN fat from skillet!!  If you are able to remove meatloaf from skillet do so, and serve on a platter, cut into 8 servings and enjoy!  I paired this with a mashed sweet potato (a nice alternative to regular mashed potatoes.)

Week 1 Grocery List

This week was full of delicious, amazing new foods. And you know what the best part is?  I never had that bloated "oh my gosh I'm SO FULL" feeling.  I felt content.  I didn't feel bad after a meal one single time.  I LOVE having that feeling, knowing I didn't overeat, and I didn't load my body up with high-sodium, high-calorie, high-fat food!  My body certainly thanked me for it! I was down 5.8lbs on the scale this morning!  Drinking plenty of water, being more active (wearing my pedometer again) and being aware of what I'm putting in my body for fuel has made quite the initial impact!!  With that being said, if you'd like to try this weeks recipes, listed below is the grocery list you'll need to take to the store with you to accomplish it! (Please keep in mind, this is only for the main dish, any side dishes you prepare with this are not included in this grocery list)

8oz top sirloin steak
8oz cod fillet (please buy fresh if you have access, if not frozen will do just fine)
6 chicken breasts
8oz salmon fillet (fresh or frozen)
1 bag of 40-55 medium shrimp (cooked)
4 pork tenderloin chops
egg substitute (one container of egg beaters or generic equiv. will do fine)
16oz diced ham
1 "bunch" of green onion
1 green pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 medium russet potatoes
1 medium sweet potato
2 medium vidalia onion
1 small bunch of fresh Italian parsley (or regular parsley if your grocery doesn't stock the Italian version)
bag of carrots
2 bags of spinach
bag of lemons (these are always handy to have around, I buy them every week!)
craisins (you can use any of the "flavored" varieties as well)
1 container of mushrooms (I used sliced)
2 cans of chicken broth (buy reduced sodium)
2 slices of deli-swiss cheese
low-fat ricotta cheese
small bag of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese (or I recommend a very small block to shred yourself)
Small block of 2% reduced fat cheddar (or lower if you can find it)
can of navy  beans
1 box of cornbread mix
8 small whole grain tortillas (small means fajita sized, nothing bigger!)
2  small cans of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes

Pantry Staples
These are things I already had in my pantry - and you might too!! If not, please include them in the grocery list:
Paprika
Steak Sauce 
Olive oil
salt & pepper
minced garlic
garlic powder/salt
NoSalt - or other salt-free seasoning alternative such as Mrs. Dash 
Rosemary
Nutmeg
Balsamic vinegar
Fiber One original cereal - this makes a fantastic "breading" substitute
Bay leaf
BBQ sauce
dried minced onions


Please let me know if you've made any of my recipes listed this past week - I'd love to hear about your experience with the dishes - I sure hope you had as much fun in the kitchen, and in your mouth!

Ole! Clean Eating Chicken, Spinach & Ricotta Quesadillas

This posting is from a fellow blogger, mommy, meal-planner and friend - Katie Statler who is writing her own healthy eating blog at 365 Opportunities a Year .  Please take a moment to go check out her blog, follow her! She's got GREAT recipes, and we bounce ideas off each other all the time.

Chicken, Spinach & Ricotta Quesadillas (Clean Eating)

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

2.5 tsp olive oil

sea salt & fresh pepper

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 bag spinach (6 to 8oz)

3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup navy beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley and rosemary) -- I actually used dried, a pinch of each

Juice of 1/2 lemon -- again, I used the pampered chef juicer, TOTALLY worth the money!

pinch of nutmeg

8 small whole grain tortillas

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly coat chicken with half teaspoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place chicken on parchment-lined baking sheet and roast 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in large saute pan. When oil is hot, add onion and red pepper, stirring frequently until softened - 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach to pan and stir to combine, until spinach is slightly wilted. Remove mixture from pan, and pour into paper towel lined bowl, set aside and allow to cool.

In large bowl, combine ricotta and beans, mashing beans slightly. Add mozzarella cheese, herbs, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice into half inch pieces, and add to cheese mixture. Then add spinach into cheese/chicken mixture.
Lay out tortillas and scoop about 1/3 cup mixture into one side of tortilla. Fold over, pressing slightly. Bake 10 minutes at 350, until heated through.

In Katie's words "The quesadillas were AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING! Seriously, make them. You won't be disappointed. They were the perfect dinner to eat while watching the wildcard playoff games! :)"  On that note, I will be eating these at the end of the month when I have 3 free-days I haven't planned a meal for - you can count on that!

Potato Ham Skillet

Ok, this has to be one of my favorite recipes not only this week, but that I've ever tried! I was amazed at home much the flavors just POPPED in your mouth.  Delicious enough to be enjoyed for breakfast, or dinner.  We chose to eat this as is, as it is pretty filling.  You COULD pair it with some delicious whole grain toast and sugar-free jam/jelly, or perhaps a small bowl of fresh fruit!
I can already tell a difference in how I feel this week now that I've been focusing on what I'm putting into my body, and every day has been a very conscious effort towards my diet.  I can't wait to see what the scale says tomorrow!  I should also mention that I'm drinking 100oz of water a day (or more), and eating 4-6 small meals throughout the day to keep my metabolism going strong.  I've started working out again, and wearing a pedometer - so this healthy cooking adventure is just a key piece in the big puzzle.

Potato Ham Skillet
2 medium russet (or any) potato
1 medium sweet potato (this is CRUCIAL to this recipe's flavor index!)
7 green onions chopped
1/2 vidalia onion chopped
1T butter (I use the kind made with olive oil)
1/2C reduced fat or fat-free shredded cheese
1.5C diced ham (they sell these in little packages at the grocery in the deli meat section)
1C egg substitute
salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

Peel 3 potatoes and slice thinly (this is key, if they are too thick, they won't cook enough in the time allotted)
Chop all onions, shred cheese if you didn't already buy shredded
Melt butter in 10in skillet over medium heat
Layer HALF of potatoes, ham and onions. Add salt, pepper, garlic.  Repeat layers including dry seasoning.
Cover and let cook for 10 minutes.
Pour egg substitute over potato/ham/onions and recover, cook for 3 minutes or until eggs have started to set.
sprinkle cheese over the top, cover and cook an additional 3 minutes or until eggs have fully set.
Let cool for about 5-10 minutes, cut into 6 servings, and EN-JOY!
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 17 minutes
I'd love to know what YOU think of this dish after you enjoy it as well!

Southwest Summer Pork Chops

I could easily picture myself sitting on a patio under the stars dining on the fresh, light, and a hint of spicy dish!  I paired it with a fresh and crispy side salad and fat-free ranch dressing - my palate is wishing for the warm months of summer already!
Southwest Summer PorkChops
1lb boneless center cut pork tenderloin chops
1/4C BBQ sauce (I use a reduced sugar version)
entire lemon's worth of juice (approx 3-4TBSP)
4 tsp chopped dried onions
2tsp dried cumin
1tsp cornstarch
1 tsp chili powder
1t garlic powder
1/2t dried oregano
1/2t paprika
1/4t cayenne pepper

Mix all dry seasonings together, rub on both sides of chops.  In large ziplock back, mix BBQ sauce and lemon juice. Add pork chops.  Let marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge.  (I did not remember to do this and they still turned out great!) Discard marinade, and here you can either grill them, or bake them at 350* for 25 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160*. Enjoy y'all!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

È squisito! Chicken Marsala

Viva Italiano! Chicken Marsala was on the menu today - I felt exquisite eating it, it was delicious, and it was restaurant quality! It was a snap to prepare, and actually BAKES for the most part, so the actual cooking process wasn't very involved, so that left plenty of time for easy clean-up.

Chicken Marsala
20oz worth of chicken breasts - tenderize to 1/2" thickness
1C fat-free italian dressing
1lb sliced mushrooms
3T fresh chopped parsley
1C Marsala cooking wine
2T olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic
2T flour
paprika, garlic powder, No-salt & pepper (add as much of each as you'd like, this coats the chicken)

Tenderize chicken breasts to 1/2" thickness (I did this by putting chicken in a gallon ziplock and beating the feathers off of it with a rolling pin...great stress relief!)
add 1 C italian dressing and let marinate for 8 hours or overnight
When it comes time to cook:
take chicken out of ziplock with marinade, place on plate
sprinkle both sides of chicken with flour and seasoning mixture
place in pre-heated skillet with 2T olive oil, cook for 3 min or until browned on both sides.
remove chicken from skillet.  Add Marsala wine & scrape bottom of skillet to get up any "tasties" that were stuck to the bottom.
bring to a boil, boil for 3 minutes. drain into a separate bowl, add mushrooms to remaining oil in skillet and sautee until they get soft.  Combine sauce with mushrooms, heat until warm.
Place chicken in an 8x8 baking dish and pour sauce/mushroom mixture over the top.  Sprinkle 3T fresh chopped parsley and bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until juices in chicken run clear.
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 20-30 min.

I chose to serve this with steamed broccoli with fresh lemon juice squeezed on top - it was a perfect complement! I don't have any pictures as this was whisked away to my husband at work, and by the time it occurred to me to try and snap a picture, we had all devoured our food - there were no leftovers - I'll take that as a compliment to the chef!

Ahoy! Seafood Soup!

Seafood soup...the name nearly intimidated me right off the bat, but I told myself "this is about trying NEW things, new recipes, what's the worst that can happen?"  It turned out AMAZING, and is going to be a comfort-food go-to in the future.

Seafood Soup
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 carrots coined
1 garlic clove minced
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4C white wine
2C chicken broth (I used sodium free organic)
1 bay leaf
1/2t dried oregano
1/4t dried basil
1/4t pepper
1/2t No-Salt
3T minced fresh italian parsley
2 4oz salmon fillets cut into small chunks
1 bag of medium shrimp (cooked or raw, de-veined, just take the tails off of them)

Sautee onion, green pepper and parsley in stock pot with 2T extra virgin olive oil.  Once onion and green pepper start to get tender, add garlic and carrots.  Sautee for 3 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, white wine, chicken broth and all seasonings.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer, cover - cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add salmon & shrimp, cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until fish is fully cooked (stir occasionally)

I served this with a cornbread made in a cake pan.  GREAT for a cold winter night.

Oven "Fried" - say what?

How many of you know you can "fry" things in the oven?  That's right! You can give some of your favorite foods a "fried" flavor by simply baking them - it's awesome!  This time I decided to make oven "fried" fish nuggets.  I chose to serve this over a bed of fresh organic spinach with cherry craisins, torn up half slice of Swiss cheese (leftover from the balsamic steak recipe) and a homemade lemon vinaigrette.  The flavors just POPPED in this dish, and it was just a real delight to eat.

Oven "Fried" fish nuggets With Spinach Salad
4 3-4oz cod fillets thawed and cut into 2" chunks
2C fiber one original cereal ground up finely
3T low-fat Parmesan cheese
1/2t No-Salt
1/4t pepper
garlic, and any other seasonings you really like (I added garlic powder, and onion powder and Mrs. Dash table blend)
Butter Flavored cooking spray

In shallow bowl or pie pan, combine ground cereal, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray as well.
Spray each individual chunk of fish with cooking spray, dredge through dry topping to coat evenly, place on cookie sheet.
Bake in pre-heated 375* oven for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes easily with fork.

Salad
As much fresh spinach as you desire
1/2C per serving cherry craisins
1/2 slice per service swiss cheese, torn into tiny pieces
Vinegarette
 1/3C extra virgin olive oil
2T fat free or light mayo
1.5 lemons juiced (approx 1/4C juice) or 1/4C white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
pepper (to taste)
(blend all ingredients in a shaker and drizzle over salad)

This was all so wonderful especially with some fresh lemon squeezed over the top - great, refreshing and best of all, HEALTHY!

Balsamic Steak

My first episode into healthy cooking started New Years day.  I decided Balsamic Steak sounded delicious, and I'd never had balsamic anything - so it seemed like a nice adventurous way to start things off. I decided to pair this with a baked Russet potato with fat free sour cream, some NoSalt & pepper.
(please be aware, all measurements are approximate...I don't really use measuring spoons/cups)
Balsamic Steak
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t steak sauce (I used A1)
(2) 8oz boneless top sirloin steaks  (sirloin is a good lean cut that requires little to no fat trimming)
1 slice of deli-swiss cheese cut in half

In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar and steak sauce.  Rub steak down with coarsely ground pepper.  I then decided to tenderize my steak, and place it in a tupperware container with the vinegar/steak sauce mix and let it marinate all day.  If you're in a pinch, it will be fine without marinating. If you marinate, make another batch of vinegar/steak sauce to drizzle over steak while it's cooking.
When it's time to cook the steak:
Turn on broiler - place steak on broiler pan and drizzle mixture over steak.
Broil for 7 minutes
Turn steak over, drizzle more sauce
Broil another 5-7 minutes depending on your desired doneness.  Mine broiled for another 5 for a lovely medium. (Medium rare 145*, medium 160*, well done 170*)
Take steak out, add half slice of swiss cheese to each piece of steak, stick back in oven and broil for 1 minute to melt cheese.

You choose how to serve this. You can cut it in slices, you can cut each steak in half for the perfectly sized portion!