Friday, March 27, 2009

Ranch Pork Chops

1 tbl canola oil
4 boneless pork loin chops
4 red potatoes, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free)
1/2 c. skim milk
1 packet ranch salad dressing mix
1 tbl paprika

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Brown the pork chops on both sides, then remove from skillet. Add the soup, milk, dressing mix and paprika to the skillet and stir well. Add the potatoes and pork chops and stir to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 min. or until chops are cooked and potatoes are tender

4 servings

Seafood Imperial

2 green onions, chopped
8 oz imitation crabmeat, flaked
8 oz cooked shrimp, shelled & roughly chopped
1 tsp dried dillweed
1 10-3/4 oz can condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup (98% fat free)
4 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese
2 tbl light mayonnaise

Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Saute the green onions over medium heat 2 minutes. Add the crab, shrimp, dill, and soup. Stir to combine. Heat until it's bubbly. Add the cheese and mayo and cook until the cheese melts and is well combined.

Serve over toast or noodles, if desired.

4 servings

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Orange & Lemon Salad

4 navel oranges
2 lemons
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 tbl lemon oil or olive oil
8 fresh mint leaves, finely shredded

Peel the oranges and lemons with a sharp knife, removing the white pith. Cut the oranges into thin crosswise slices, discarding any seeds. Finely chop the lemon pulp, discarding any seeds.

Arrange the orange slices in a shallow serving dish and top with the chopped lemon. Sprinkle with the salt, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Scatter the onion on top. Drizzle with the oil.
Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

4 servings

Celery & Caper Salad

1 tbl lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl chopped fresh dill (or 1 tbl dried)
2 tbl capers, drained, rinsed & drained again
2 pounds celery, washed & trimmed

Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, oil, and dill together in a bowl.

Cut celery into 1/2"-thick slices on an angle. Steam for 5-7 min. or until tender crisp. Add to the dressing in the bowl. Add the capers and toss. Cover and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for 1-2 hrs.

6 servings

Shrimp & Blue Cheese Spread

2-1/2 lb cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined & chopped
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tbl chopped freshly parsley
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients until well blended. Cover and chill 4 hours. Serve with cut-up raw veggies or pita chips.

Makes about 5-1/2 cups

Asparagus with Gremolata Dressing

2 tbl minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbl lemon juice
1 tbl orange juice
6 tbl olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and rinsed

Whisk the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, juices, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Steam the asparagus 3-5 min. or until tender-crisp. Transfer to a serving platter.

Whisk the dressing again and pour over the asparagus. Roll the asparagus spears around in the dressing to coat completely. Let the asparagus cool to room temperature for 30 min, rolling the spears in the dressing from time to time. Serve at room temperature or chill.

6 servings

Onion Berry Melt

2 tbl butter or margarine
2 lbs sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Maui), sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
2 tbl raspberry vinegar
1/2 c. black currant or raspberry jam (reduced sugar is OK)

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, and black pepper, toss to coat the onions. Cover and cook 10 min, stirring occasionally. If the onions seem to dry out, sprinkle a few drops of water in the skillet.

Uncover and cook another 30 min, or until the onions are brown and soft. Add the vinegar and jam and cook for 5 min, to melt the jam.

6 servings

Lemon Olive Relish

Serve with meat, poultry, or fish.

1/2 c. water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp crushed hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
16 green Mediterranean olives, pitted & chopped
8 thin lemon slices, each cut into 8 pieces
2 tbl lemon oil or olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tbl finely shredded mint leaves (optional)

Combine water, garlic, cumin, fennel & pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 c, about 5 min. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Add onion, olives, lemons, oil and salt. Let stand at least 10 min. or up to 2 hrs before serving.

Just before serving, stir in the mint.

makes about 1-1/4 cups

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Marinated Pork Chops

2 tbl Dijon mustard
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
1/2 c. maple syrup (sugar-free works fine)
1 lb pork loin chops

Combine mustard, oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and maple syrup in a bowl.

Put the pork chops in a zip-lock plastic bag. Pour the marinade over them, seal bag, and squish the bag to distribute the marinade over the chops.

Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Remove the chops from the marinade and place in the baking pan. Bake 20-25 min.

If desired, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Serve the chops drizzled with the heated marinade (do not use the marinade as a sauce without boiling it first).

4 servings

Gyro Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Meatballs:
1 lb ground meat (turkey, beef, or a combination)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1-1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tbl skim milk
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into balls or patties (2 tbl of mixture per ball).

Spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs or patties until browned on all sides.

6 servings

Tzatziki Sauce
3/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
3 tbl light sour cream
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded & finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill
salt and peper to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheesy Zucchini & Artichoke Bake

2 small zucchinis, sliced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 c. shredded reduced-fat cheese (cheddar or mozzarella work well)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Put the zucchini in an even layer in the casserole dish. Scatter the garlic on top of it. Put the artichoke on top of that, then scatter the onion on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 20-30 min.

4 servings

Hot Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

8 oz imitation crab, flaked
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbl butter
2 tbl flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
2 cups skim milk
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
6 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 oz Velveeta 2% cheese
8 oz 2% cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add milk and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened. Add garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Velveeta, Parmesan, and 6 oz of cheddar cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese has melted. Remove from heat.

Add crab, artichokes, and spinach to the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 oz of cheddar cheese. Bake 12-15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.

5 servings

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground meat (turkey or beef or a combination)
1 green pepper, seeded & chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. BBQ sauce
1/2 c. water
4 oz Velveeta 2% cheese, cubed

Brown meat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; drain. Add green pepper and onion, cook 5 min, stirring occasionally.

Stir in BBQ sauce, water, and Velveeta. Cook 2 min. or until Velveeta is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

Serve on split rolls or in a bowl like chili.

4 servings