Pork Tenderloin Studded with Rosemary and Garlic

Tender, moist, and fragrant, this hearty main dish is a breeze to prepare. Strip rosemary leaves by running your fingertips along the stem in the opposite direction from which the leaves grow.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine the rosemary and garlic. Make several 1/2-inch-deep slits in pork; place about half of rosemary mixture in slits. Rub pork with remaining rosemary mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork.

Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until the thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink) or desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Nutritional Information

Calories:147 (26% from fat)

Fat:4.2g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:24.2g

Carbohydrate:1.5g

Fiber:0.1g

Cholesterol:67mg

Iron:1.6mg

Sodium:342mg

Calcium:23mg

No-Bake Haystack Cookies

Another not-so-healthy-but-can't-resist recipe from a fellow food blogger and friend, Beth!

1/2 cup butter
1 and 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (regular pb works fine, too)
3 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon vanilla

In a medium sized saucepan, mix together the first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Add in remaining ingredients and then use a teaspoon to drop the mixture onto cookie sheets lined with waxed paper. Chill until set. Keep in refrigerator.

Sour Cream Chili Bake

The next two are recipes that are tried and true, but not necessarily very healthy!

1 lb ground beef
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 (10 oz) can hot enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. instant onions
1 (6 oz) pkg corn chips
1 c. sour cream

In skillet, brown meat. Stir in beans, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, 1 c. shredded cheese, and oinion. Set aside 1 c. corn chips; coarsely crush remaining chips. Stir crushed chips into meat. Place in 1 1/2 qt casserole. Bake at 375 for 30 min. Spoon sour cream on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. cheese. Sprinkle reserved chips around edge of casserole. Bake uncovered, 2-3 min. or until cheese melts.

Italian Style Mac-N-Cheese

1 lb Penne
1 lb Italian sausage
2 T EVOO
1 T butter
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced (I use a whole 8 oz package organic, sliced mushrooms)
2 T flour
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. heavy cream (I've used Fat-free Half and Half and it's okay, but way better with real cream!)
2.5 c. shredded Italian cheese (I just use one bag-about 2 c.)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta.
Brown and crumble sausage, drain off grease and set sausage aside.
Return pan to heat, add EVOO, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, saute 3-5 minutes until mushrooms are golden.
Preheat broiler to high.
To mushrooms, add flour, stir and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring to bubble then add 2 cups Italian cheese. When melted into sauce, add tomatoes.
Combine cheese sauce with pasta and sausage.
Transfer to baking dish, sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining Italian cheese. Broil until brown.

Snicker Salad

1 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding
8 oz. reduced fat or fat free Cool Whip
1 1/3 c. skim milk
6-8 apples, peeled and diced
1 large bag mini Snickers, halved

Mix pudding and milk together in large bowl. Add Cool Whip and stir until combined. Add apples and Snickers to pudding mixture and chill!

**This is one of the easiest summer desserts I make. It's always a hit!

Grilled Herb Chicken with Roma Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/4 c. chopped and seeded plum tomato (I used 6 Roma tomatoes)
1/2 c. dry red wine
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Olive oil spray

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, wine, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon basil.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Combine thyme, remaining 1 tbsp. basil, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 1/8 tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Coat chicken with olive oil spray; sprinkle with thyme mixture. Place chicken on grill; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with tomato mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 200
Fat 6.7g
Protein 27g
Carb 7.1g
Fiber 1.7g
Chol 70mg

**The first time I made this it was good, but needed something to go with it. I served with fettuccine noodles tonight and it was perfect.

Red Potato and Green Bean Saute

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes; cook about 15 minutes, or until almost tender. Add beans; cook about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add potatoes, beans and salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 2 minutes, or until heated through, tossing to coat. Add basil and toss once more before serving.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 115
Protein 3g
Carbs 18g
Fat 4g
Fiber 3g

**This was super easy and the garlic/basil was a great taste combination. I cooked potatoes a little too long so they were a too soft, so I would probably cook 11-12 minutes instead of the 15-16 that I did.

Mexican Beef and Rice

We eat Mexican variation foods a lot because we find that Kallen really likes them...occasionally, she does a dance while singing "tacos!" I found this recipe in a Parenting magazine, so it is "kid friendly" to prepare!

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 envelope low sodium taco mix
• 1.5 cup water
• 1 cup chunky thick salsa (as hot as you like it)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1.5 cup uncooked instant rice
• Black pepper
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• 1.5 cup washed, dried, and shredded lettuce
• 1 large tomato chopped

1. Brown hamburger, drain off grease. Add taco seasoning, water, salsa, and corn. Cook uncovered, stirring until mixture boils.
2. Stir in rice and pepper, cook for one minute. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for about six minutes.
Fluff misture with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts. Uncover and serve with lettuce and tomato.

Yield: 4 large servings

Spicy Chicken Sandwhiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Ingredients

• Mayo:
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  Chicken:
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 
  Remaining ingredients:
• 4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
• 12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
• 4 lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

419 (28% from fat)

Fat:

13.2g (sat 1.7g,mono 6.1g,poly 3.4g)

Protein:

28.1g

Carbohydrate:

46.8g

Fiber:

2.6g

Cholesterol:

49mg

Iron:

3.2mg

Sodium:

759mg

Calcium:

101mg

Walnut-Crusted Pork Chops with Autumn Vegetable Wild Rice

**This takes a while to make, but well worth the time spent!! Kallen even liked it!!

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 4 (8-ounce) bone-in center-cut pork chops, trimmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup walnuts, finely ground
• 1 bacon slice
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 
  Rice:
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 2 teaspoons diced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups finely trimmed chopped Swiss chard
• 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, place chops in a shallow dish; drizzle evenly with Worcestershire. Combine salt, sage, and black pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 3/4 teaspoon salt mixture. Add walnuts to remaining salt mixture; toss well. Press walnut mixture onto both sides of pork chops. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Cook bacon slice in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add pork chops to drippings in pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan.

3. To prepare rice, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cover and cook 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in reserved 3/4 teaspoon salt mixture, chard, mushrooms, and apple. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until carrot is tender. Stir in rice and 1/2 cup broth. Bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in bacon. Place 1 cup rice mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 pork chop. Drizzle each serving with pan drippings, and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

379 (35% from fat)

Fat:

14.7g (sat 3.5g,mono 4.4g,poly 5.5g)

Protein:

29.1g

Carbohydrate:

34.6g

Fiber:

5g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

2.6mg

Sodium:

600mg

Calcium:

65mg

Tex Mex Calzones with Black Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 8 ounces ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fat-free fire-roasted salsa verde
• 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) preshredded Mexican blend cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

**I usually double the recipe because ground turkey comes in one pound portions. The leftover meat mixutre would be great on nachos or on softshells (if you like leftovers). That, and the recipe only yields four servings.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Remove turkey mixture from heat; stir in salsa.

3. Unroll dough; divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6 x 4–inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture on one side of dough. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese; fold dough over turkey mixture, and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned. Serve with sour cream.

Black Bean Salad

• 1 (15-ounce) can rinsed and drained black beans
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium bowl

Combine all ingredients; toss well to coat. Serve cold.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

416

Fat:

14.1g (sat 6.1g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.6g)

Protein:

25.7g

Carbohydrate:

46.2g

Fiber:

2.5g

Cholesterol:

44mg

Iron:

2.5mg

Sodium:

771mg

Calcium:

195mg