Chili-Lime Pork with Corn Salad

Source: Everyday Food

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 small jalapeno, seeded if desired, minced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
4 T Olive Oil, divided
2 limes
coarse salt and pepper
1 t chili powder
2 - 1lb pork tenderloin, cut into six 1-inch-thick medallions

Directions:
1. Toss corn with jalapeno, scallion, cilantro, avocado, 2 T oil and juice of 1 lime. Season with salt.

2. Combine chili powder, 2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper and 2 T oil. Flatten medallions with your hands so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Brush both sides with chili mixture.

3. Heat grill to med-high. Grill pork 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and squeeze juice of remaining lime on top. Top with corn salad. Serve.

Verdict:
This was super yummy.  I served it with tortillas, heated on the grill, on the side. We also made tacos out of it.  So easy and so yummy!

Slow Cooker Jerk Pork with Caribbean Salsa

Source: skinny taste . com

Time: 5 minute prep in morning, 15 minutes for salsa in the evening
Servings: 10 or more

Ingredients:

• 3 lb boneless pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 - 3 tbsp Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning (I used mild)
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 lime, squeezed
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Note: I didn't have time to buy the seasoning and couldn't find the McCormick's version at HEB either, so I used a Weber grill mix jerk seasoning packet. I found it near the marinades and BBQ sauces. 

For the Caribbean salsa:

• 1 haas avocado, diced
• 2 large ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (or jarred mango - saves time to not have to peal it, but they are mushier)
• 1 1/2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pork and stuff holes with half of the crushed garlic. Combine the remaining garlic, jerk seasoning, and salt, rub all over pork (you may want to wear gloves). Place in a large container, pour the lime and orange juice over the pork; cover and refrigerate 5 hours or overnight, turning pork occasionally so the marinade covers all of pork.

The next morning, put everything in the crock pot and cook on LOW for 9 hours.

Remove liquid from crock pot and reserve. Add shredded pork back to the slow cooker. Add about 1 cup of the liquid back into the crock pot and taste for salt and pepper. Let it cook an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the Caribbean salsa: combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate salsa until ready to serve.

Verdict: 

This was delicious! The salsa is what made it really good. Both kids (and adults) gobbled this up. I served it over brown rice. 

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

source: skinny taste.com

Servings: 6
Total Time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped and steamed 3 minutes until soften
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast 
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 4 oz shredded  sharp cheddar 
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

Note about chicken: I cooked 3 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot all day while I was at work for the cooked, shredded chicken.  Place in the crock pot with salt, pepper, a quartered onion and 2 inch pieces of cut celery. Cover with water and cook 8-9 hours on low. Use the cooked water as the chicken broth!

Directions: 

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Verdict: 
This was really good. It's a lot like making mac and cheese, so a little time consuming, especially for a week night. Allison is kind of against broccoli right now, but did eat the noodles. I liked it and since I'm the cook, I get to pick if we have it again. We will. 

Weekday Thanksgiving

source for turkey: Kathleen

Servings: Lots! It's Thanksgiving after all
Total Time: 15 minutes prep (for everything) + 8 hours crock pot time

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

• 3.5 lbs boneless turkey breast
• 1-14oz can of chicken broth
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 T Worcestarshire sauce
• 1-2 t thyme

Directions: 

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry. Season with salt,pepper, olive oil and thyme. Place in crock pot. Pour chicken broth over turkey. Cook on low for 8 hours. Make gravy from juice when done. 

I served our turkey with canned green beans and stove top stuffing. Who knew HEB only sells the good bag stuffing during holidays! Next time I'm stocking up!

Verdict: 
This recipe produced a really good, moist turkey, even after cooking for 8 hours plus warming for another 1.5 hours. I'd never cooked just a turkey breast before, it was so easy. And how awesome is it to get Thanksgiving dinner in 15 minutes or less prep time! Y.U.M.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

source: skinny taste.com

Servings: 6
Total Time:

Ingredients:

• 1 package ground turkey (I think it's 1.25 lbs) or ground chicken
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped fine (I used jarred mushrooms found in the Asian aisle)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 3 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tsp sugar
• freshly ground white pepper, to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed (careful not to break)

For the Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauces:

• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp chili sauce (I used Sriracha)
• 1 tbsp warm water

Directions: 

Combine ground turkey, mushrooms and water chestnuts into a bowl.Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, 1.5 tsp sesame oil, rice wine, sugar, and pepper in a bowl. Pour this mixutre over chicken and marinate for 15 minutes. 

Heat remaining sesame oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, about 10 seconds. Add chicken mixture; stir fry until browned, breaking the chicken up as it cooks, about 5-10 minutes.

To serve, spoon 1/4 cup of the chicken into each lettuce leaf. Garnish with scallions and a spoon a little Spicy Hoisin Dipping Sauce onto each one.

Verdict: 

This was really good. Allison loved eating her "taco" of lettuce. I added rice to the lettuce wraps to make it more of a meal. 

Italian Sloppy Joe's

Source: skinny taste.com

Servings: 6 or more
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes 
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

For serving:

• 6 whole wheat buns
• 6 slices provolone 

Directions:

In a medium non-stick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks into small bits until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes.     Add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 25-30 mins. 

To serve, place heaping 1/2 cup of meat on a roll, top with cheese and broil for a few minutes to melt cheese.  

Verdict: 

The kids loved this one. I made them one sandwich to split, Allison ate her entire half and asked for (and ate!) a second half. 

Honey-Teriyaki Salmon

source: skinny taste . com

Servings: 4
Total Time: 20 minutes + marinating time

Ingredients:
3 T low sodium Soy Sauce
3 T Japanese Sweet Rice Wine (Mirin)
3 T sake (I didn't have sake, so I used Sherry)
2 T honey
1.5 lb salmon fillet, cut 4 into 6 oz pieces
2 t cooking oil

Directions: 
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake and honey into ziploc bag. Add salmon and mix to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour to 8 hours. I put mine in to marinate in the morning before I left for work.

Remove salmon, reserving marinade. Heat frying pan over med-high heat. When hot, swirl in oil. Sear salmon, 2 minutes per side. Turn heat to low, add in reserved marinade. Cover and cook 5-6 minutes until cooked through.

Verdict: 
The was similar to some of the other salmons I've made before and was just as good. It's nice that this one cooks on the stove top instead of the grill. My kids love salmon so they both ate this one right up.