One Pot Dinner...YUM!

Things are C-R-A-Z-Y around here right now...we're in the process of moving.  You know, selling...buying...packing....entertaining children...AHHHHHHH!  It becomes absolutely necessary to make easy dinners these days unless I want my family to survive on fast food alone.  This is one of my all-time fave EASY meals...I have had it for years and I have no idea where it originated from, but it's TASTY!!!

One Pot Dinner:

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 C chopped celery

3/4 C chooped green pepper

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt (optional)

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 C uncooked no-yolk egg noodles

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes

3/4 C water

1 beef bouillon cube

In a large saucepan, cook meat until no longer pink; drain.  Add onion, celery and green pepper and cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add Worcestershire sauce, salt, basil and pepper.  Stir in egg noodles, beans, tomatoes, water and bouillon.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer 20 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 5.

I've had a LOT of requests for this recipe lately, so here you go everyone!

P.S.  This is a super-easy meal to take to a new mommy or someone in need of a home-cooked meal...just whip up some cornbread muffins and you've got a complete meal!

Yummy, Yummy, To My Tummy...COOKIES!!!

I made these super-yummy Chocolate Andes Cookies for a cookie exchange party last night with the girls...soooo fun!  They turned out really good and were really simple to make, so I'm sharing the recipe for anyone interested. 

The recipe originally came from Jackie Schmidt at AllRecipes.com:

Chocolate Andes Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 C butter

1 1/2 C brown sugar

2 T water

2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 (4.5 oz.) packages of Andes mints

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan, cook sugar, butter and water until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.

2.  Pour chocolate mixture into large bowl and beat in eggs, one at a time.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt and stir into chocolate.  Cover and refrigerate dough at least 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets.  Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

4.  Bake for 8 minutes in the oven.  When cookies come out of oven, press one Andes mint into the top of each cookie and let sit 1 minute.  When mint is soft, swirl with the back of a spoon to make a pattern with the green filling of the candy.

5.  Let cool.  Makes approx. 40 cookies.

Enjoy!  :)

Recipe: Easy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Can you say, "COMFORT FOOD"?!?!?!?!?!

When I was a school-based speech pathologist in Oklahoma, I worked with a lady who was a FANTASTIC cook...she always came to the lunch room with some heavenly-smelling dish leftover from the night before and made our ramen noodles and Lean Cuisines seem like dog food.  :) One day she came in with a dish of chicken & rice casserole and as it was heating in the microwave, the most delicious-smelling aroma began filling the room...

I asked her for the recipe and she told me she didn't really have a "recipe" but rather just threw things together.  So I had her make me a "recipe" of the things she just threw together and I've been making this version of chicken & rice casserole ever since.  Thanks Terri!!!

Here's what you'll need:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can (after emptying soup) of white or sherry wine (I prefer sherry)

1 can (after emptying soup) of long grain rice

1 stick of butter

1 pound of chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 small can sliced mushrooms (this was my addition!)
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Splash of Kitchen Bouquet

Shredded cheese

To make the casserole:

Place chicken cubes in a 9x13 dish.  Melt the butter in a skillet; add other ingredients except chicken.  Stir to combine and then pour over chicken in dish.  Cover with foil and bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  When done, sprinkle with cheese and re-cover with foil for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.  That's it!  It's sooooo easy and soooooo good!  I've also made it with water instead of the wine and it was still really tasty. 

The photo above does NOT do this dish justice!  Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think!  I know you'll be hooked!!!  :) 

Best Ever Banana Nut Bread!

Photo from http://www.donutstodelirium.com/

Thought I'd take a break from the papercrafting for a moment and share with you a FABULOUS recipe.  I was sitting at the table eating dinner tonight and noticed the extremely over-ripe (i.e. black) bananas in my fruit basket.  It reminded me of my most favorite banana bread recipe which I haven't made in forever!

This recipe is originally from a lady named Margot Ross, who submitted it to the Tulsa Ballet Theatre Guild for an annual cookbook (I suppose for a fundraiser for the ballet) called Nutcracker Sweets in 1983.  My mom had this cookbook and cooked from it occasionally and so did my grandma.  When my grandma passed, this was one of the cookbooks I was given.

I've made this recipe so many times that the book automatically opens to this page!  The best part about it?  It's E-A-S-Y!!!  I can barely type right now as I'm inhaling the aroma of this heavenly treat...  :)

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas

1 C sugar

1/2 C shortening

2 eggs

1/2 C water

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 C flour

1 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 C chopped pecans (I use walnuts)

Mash bananas with sugar and shortening (I use my Kitchenaid mixer).  Mix in all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a greased loaf pan (I use three mini-loaf pans).  That's it! 

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Accordion Gift Purses

I needed to make a fun combination birthday/Christmas gift for two of my BFFs and found some wonderfully aromatic rosemary bushes at my local grocery store.  So I decided to give them both a rosemary bush, with a little recipe holder and some recipes featuring fresh rosemary.

I was visiting Vicki over at Wizard's Hangout and she linked this amazing project idea and tutorial over at Stampin Inspirations!  It's made of just cardstock and patterned paper (plus a piece of sticky-backed velcro to hold it closed!  Super easy and super cute.  I also like the flower embellishment that Vicki linked to as well, at Wendy Smedley's Blog.  This combination was perfect for the recipe card holder!

I used some paper from My Mind's Eye and matted it with green/blue cardstock.  I used my Cricut to cut the 2" circles for the flower embellishment (George cartridge).  Then I just tied some coordinating ribbon on the handle and inserted the recipe cards.

P.S.  They loved them!  :)

Thanks for looking!!! 

Yoplait (Only-Tastes-Sinful) Delights...can you say, "Yum"???????

I saw a commercial for these and knew I had to try them....OMG can you say, "YUM"?????  Yoplait has recently introduced these Delights Parfaits...they are low-cal but taste sooooooo yummy!  I've tried both of the above varieties (chocolate raspberry and lemon tort) and they are both TO DIE FOR!!!

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Seriously, if you are on a diet, or just want a low-cal satisfying snack, take my word for it and go get some when you head to the grocery store.  I'm licking the inside of one of the cups as I type...and contemplating having a second...   :)

Recipe: The CEO's Shrimp Tacos :)

I treid two new recipes this week...the chicken stroganoff (YUM!) and another recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook called "Spicy Shrimp Wraps". However, when it came time to start preparing and cooking the shrimp wraps, I decided to modify the recipe to suit our taste (it calls for mango to be put in salsa...not our thing) and a couple of other things I decided I didn't want to use. So I basically just used the base of the recipe for the shrimp and then modified it to be "my own". :) So here is my recipe:

The CEO's Shrimp Tacos

1 C salsa
1 small avocado, pit removed and chopped
1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 T olive oil
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 small flour tortillas, warmed
1 C shredded cabbage
6 T reduced fat sour cream
garnishes: sliced olives, shredded cheese, tomatoes, etc.

Combine salsa and avocado. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a ziploc bag, combine the oil, taco seasoning and shrimp. Toss/shake to coat.

In a non-stick skillet, cook shrimp over med-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until pink.

Top tortillas with cabbage, shrimp and salsa mixture. Garnish with sour cream and other garnishes as desired.

SUPER-quick, SUPER-easy!

6 servings

Enjoy!

Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff

OMG...I was looking through my Taste of Home cookbook for something new and I found this recipe...I looked at the ingredients and thought, "No way is this going to be good." NEWS FLASH: DELICIOUS!!!

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This stroganoff recipe is made with chicken which cuts the fat. It also uses fat-free sour cream and no-yolk noodles. I made this recipe even better for me by substituting olive oil spray for the butter and using reduced-sugar ketchup. And you definitely don't miss the full-fat sour cream...you can't even tell it's fat-free!

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Try this one tonight....yum yum!

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CHICKEN STROGANOFF

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, chopped

2 T butter (I used olive oil spray)

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch strips

1/4 C browning sauce

1 1/3 C reduced-sodium beef broth, divided

1 C white wine

2 T ketchup (I used reduced sugar)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

3 T flour

1 C (8 oz.) fat-free sour cream

6 C cooked no-yolk noodles

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Saute mushrooms and onion in butter in a non-stick skillet until tender. Remove; set aside.

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In same skillet, cook chicken with browning sauce until cooked through. Add 1 C broth, wine, ketchup, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

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Combine flour and remaining 1/3 C broth until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Add reserved mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream; heat through (do not boil). Serve over noodles.

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6 servings:

Only 7 grams of fat and 535 calories per serving!!!!!!

Enjoy!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Spaghetti

I have to admit that until about a year and a half ago, I was an Italian Sausage "Virgin". I'd never had the stuff. I always thought when a recipe called for sausage, it meant that smoked stuff that's in a "U" shape by the hot dogs (excuse my while I vomit)...I didn't realize that sausage actually came in a fresh variety in the meat case!!! I remeber the first time I made a recipe with "sausage" in it (you know, the U-shaped stuff) and was so proud to serve it to the CFO. He was a gentleman and said it was great...but when I asked if it was like his mom used to make, he politely informed me of the other, Italian variety.

I must say that now that I've had the opportunity to cook with REAL Italian sausage, I'm a fan...LOVE it!!! Soooooo tasty. Anyway, once I started on my diet, I decided to try Turkey Italian Sausage...still VERY good and a lot less fat! Depending on the recipe, sometimes you can't tell the difference! I've been cooking Italian sausage links in the skillet and then pouring jarred spaghetti sauce over it for spaghetti. Pretty good (especially if you use Rao's Homemade Sauce....TO DIE FOR!!!)... But then I saw this recipe here and decided to try it. It was REALLY good, though I do have one complaint. It says to put the sausage links in water and simmer for 10 minutes before putting in the Crock Pot. Ummmm, I can't really describe exactly what happened, but when I checked on them mid-way through the simmering, there was this "foam" junk on top of the water. GROSS!!! The only comfort I had by seeing that nasty stuff floating in the pan was that at least I knew I wouldn't be ingesting it now that it had "boiled off" of the sausage. Maybe it was because I used turkey sausage instead of pork...I don't know. Anyway, I will say that I do prefer the flavor and texture of sausage cooked in the skillet. Next time I make this I will cook the sausage like I normally do, then transfer the crock pot. No more effort or time involved, but a much better flavor in my opinion.

Anyway, try this recipe for an easy weeknight dinner (and by the way, I halved the amount of ingredients because, if you're like me, you're not feeding an entire army, and the halved amount makes a good family-size amount of food):

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Spaghetti

1 lb Italian sausage--sweet, hot, or mild (I used turkey)
24 oz spaghetti sauce (can't beat Rao's!!!)
3 oz. tomato paste
1/2 green pepper sliced thin
1/2 lrg onion sliced thin
1/2 T Parmesan cheese (I used reduced fat...can't tell the difference)
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/2 C water

Place sausage in skillet and cover with water; simmer 10 minutes; drain. (Again, I prefer to cook it in the skillet...see below) Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Add (drained) sausage and cover; cook on Low for 4 hours. Increase to High and cook 1 more hour. Cut sausage into bite size pieces/slices and serve over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.

Last note: When I cook Italian sausage in the skillet, this is how I do it: I take it out of the freezer, put on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds...just enough to be able to break them apart. Then I use a sharp knife and cut them into thin slices. I put a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the slices until browned. They cook really fast this way and brown on all sides, giving it a really intense flavor! :)

Recipe: Marinated Flank Steak

I've had the Weight Watchers My Turn Around Program Cookbook for a while now. But I'd never tried this recipe until last week. The marinade makes the steaks absolutely loaded with flavor...delicious! I usually double the marinade recipe to make sure it completely covers the meat when marinating...and I would recommend marinating AT LEAST four hours (preferably overnight) to really let the flavors soak in. The recipe calls for broiling the steak, but given that it's August and prime time for grilling outside, I choose to put this masterpiece on the grill...but I'm sure it'd be great broiled, too!

On a side note, this was the first recipe I ever used that called for shallots. I thought they were some fancy ingredient I wouldn't be able to find at the grocery store. Or, maybe they're just miniture onions. :)

Try this one next time you grill (and cut of steak) and see what you think:

Marinated Flank Steak

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
3 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. dired oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 (1 pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Combine garlic, shallot, soy sauce, vinegar, oregano and thyme in plastic bag; add steak. Squeeze out the air and seal bag; turn to coat the steak. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Spray the broiler rack with canola nonstick spray and preheat the broiler.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper and place on broiler rack. Broil 5 inches from heat until instant-read thermometer reads 145 degrees for medium, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak on an angle against the grain into 12 slices.

4 servings

This will make my life SOOOOO much easier!!!

A light bulb went off last night...a rare occasion lately. :) While I love to cook and especially try new recipes, planning a weekly dinner menu is just overwhelming to me. It takes me forever to go through all my cookbooks, try and remember where "that one recipe" is and make the grocery list to get everything I need to make the meals happen... So this light bulb moment made me realize that it just doesn't have to be that difficult...all it takes is a little time on my part now, to reduce the time it takes me later.

I made up a monthly "dinner menu" (based on 4 weeks). Each day of the week will have a "theme" (i.e. salad night, Italian night, etc.). No recipe is repeated in the four week time period. Each week, I will leave two days open for new recipes or one we haven't had in a while that we really like. That way, there is minimal planning each week and I don't have to spend hours flipping through cookbooks over and over and over to try and come up with seven meals (well, make that six...we do go out or order pizza once a week!).

Each day on the calendar lists the entree and any sides that go with it. At the bottom of each day, in a smaller size font, I listed the cookbook each item is found in for easy reference. My daily "themes" each week are:

Monday: Italian
Tuesday: NEW Recipe
Wednesday: Salad
Thursday: NEW Recipe
Friday: Sandwiches/No Fuss Meals
Saturday: Take-out/go out to eat
Sunday: 'Meat and Potatoes" (The Household CFO is a self-proclaimed "Meat and Potatoes kind of guy")

The other thing I'm going to make to go along with this monthly menu are set weekly grocery lists for each of the four weeks with the ingredients needed for that week's meals (except for the few items I'll need to make the two new/variable meals). All I'll have to do is print it off, add a couple of things and off I go...

So, here is my calendar. I'm going to try it for four weeks and see how it goes. I have high hopes that this will just make life simpler...at least when it comes to feeding my family! :)

Recipe: Spicy Szechuan Steak Salad

Oh how I love a yummy asian-inspired salad. Though I have to admit that I'm not the biggest "steak on top of a salad" kind of girl. Until I found this little gem of a recipe (The Most Decadent Diet Ever by Devin Alexander)...YUM-city.

I will warn you though...when it says "spicy" it means it! No wimps will be able to handle this one (unless of course you cut back on the szechuan sauce and/or hot mustard)! :) It's a combination of two recipes, so you can make the steak one night and then use the leftovers for the salad.

Salad:
4 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 C finely slivered red bell pepper (I substituted slivered cucumbers)
1/2 C finely slivered carrots
1/2 C slivered Chinese snow peas
1/2 C bean sprouts
3 T Szechuan Dressing (recipe follows)
1/4 C chopped whole green onions
4.75 oz. Spicy Szechuan Steak (recipe follows), slilced into thin strips

Combine lettuce, bell pepper (or cucumber), carrot, peas and sprouts in large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Sprinkle onions over top and add steak strips (see recipe below). Serve immediately.


Szechuan Dressing:
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T Szechuan sauce
2 T honey
1 tsp. prepared hot mustard
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

(whisk together or shake in dressing shaker...use immediately or store in refrigerator up to 5 days)


Spicy Szechuan Steak:
2 T Szechuan sauce
2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 pounds trimmed London Broil

Combine first 4 ingredients and rub over steaks evenly. Place in bag and marinate in fridge at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill steaks to desired doneness (I pan-grilled them on a stove-top grill pan). Place on platter and loosely cover with foil for 10 minutes. Slice into thin slices against the grain and serve.


Salad: 1 entree-size serving, or 2 appetizer-size servings
Steak: 4 servings

Recipe: Wendy's Spicy Chicken Fillet

I recently purchased the "Fast Food Fix" cookbook written by the Devin Alexander, the same author as the Decadent Diet book I've mentioned before (and author of the Biggest Loser Cookbook). I have only tried two things so far. Last night, I made the "Spicy Chicken Fillet" sandwich that I used to crave on a regular basis and typically get at least once a week at Wendy's. :) I have to admit that both the CFO and I agree that it did not taste like the original. Nonetheless, it was still a VERY good sandwich!!! Very crispy coating, just enough spice and super-easy (and a ton less fattening!!!)...

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Fillet

1 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of tumeric
3 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded 1/3" thick
olive oil spray
1 egg white
1 tsp. fat free milk
3 1/2 T panko bread crumbs
ground black pepper
1 kaiser roll (I used whole wheat)
1 leaf romaine lettuce
1 slice tomato
1/2 T light mayo

1. In a bag, combine the first 7 ingredients. Shake to mix. Add chicken and shake to completely coat. Place in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly mist a nonstick baking sheet with oil spray. Set aside.

3. Combine egg white and milk in bowl. Beat until smooth. Place panko on a small sheet of waxed paper. Dip chicken in egg white mixture, coating completely. Allow excess to drip off. Dip into panko and coat completely. Repeat dipping into egg white mixture and then panko. Place on baking sheet. Lightly mist both sides with olive oil spray. Season both sides with black pepper.

4. Bake for 6-8 minutes on each side or until breading is crisp and chicken is cooked.

5. Meanwhile, toast kaiser roll, open side down, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

6. Place chicken on roll, top with lettuce tomato and mayo.

1 serving

Recipe: Southwest Turkey Burgers

This is another recipe from my new favorite Cook Yourself Thin cookbook. I have always been hesitant to try turkey burgers...for some reason they just never sounded appealing to me. :) But when we had some friends over for the Fourth of July and decided to cookout, I knew I needed something low calorie instead of the foods I typically eat at a get-together like that. I found this recipe and tried it...soooooo yummy! Even one of my guests ate it and raved about it!!!

1 1/3 pounds lean ground turkey
4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2-3 spritzes canola oil in spritzer
3 ounces 50% reduced fat pepper jack cheese, cut into 8 slices (all I could find was fat free and it was still delicious!)
4 whole wheat kaiser rolls
Romaine lettuce leaves
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced

1. In a large bowl, mix turkey with chiles and season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and refrigerate until ready to cook.

2. (I omitted this step and just threw them on the grill!) Heat a large grill pan or skillet on medium heat and spritz with oil. Add the turkey patties and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the juices run pale pink, about 4 more minutes. Top with pepperjack cheese during the last minute.

3. Toast the rolls in over or toaster over. (Or grill them 1 minute on each side!)

4. Place burger on roll, top with lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado slices.

4 servings

Honey-Glazed Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Another one of my favorite cookbooks is "The Most Decadent Diet Ever" by Devin Alexander, who also authors the Biggest Loser Cookbook. This recipe combines both sweet and spicy, and looks good enough to serve to guests...they'll never know it's diet-friendly! The Household CFO loves this one, too!

Ingredients:

2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1 1/4 pounds trimmed pork tenderloin

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 T + 1 tsp. honey

1 T fresh minced garlic

Olive oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a fork to mix paprika salt, pepper, onion powder, chili powder and cayenne in small bowl.

2. Rub tenderloin evenly with the olive oil. Then rub spice mixture evenly over it until thoroughly coated. Cover loosley with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk honey and garlic in a small bowl.

4. Place a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. When hot, mist with oil spray. Cook tenderloin 1-2 mintues per side, on until just browned on each side.

5. Place tenderloin in roasting pan. Use a pastry brush to evenly coat meat with the honey mixture. Roast, uncovered, for 16-18 minutes, on until just barely pink inside (I like mine well done, so I cooked it a little longer), or until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees.

6. Remove from over, loosely cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a cutting board. Holding knife ata 45 degree angle, slice tenderloin into thin slices. Serve immediately.

4 servings

Best Pasta Sauce Ever!

I recently discovered this pasta sauce at our local grocery store...it's dynamite! A little pricey compared to the common brands of sauces out there, but so much tastier! And, since we're not going out to eat as much now that I'm dieting, it's still cheaper than a meal out at a restaurant, so I let myself splurge on this. It's all natural, no artificial ingredients. I always get the "Southern Italian Pepper and Mushroom Sauce"...try it, you'll love it!

Oh, and it's sugar-free which is great for the low GI diet! :)

(click on title above for Rao's webpage)

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

My new favorite cookbook has to be the "Cook Yourself Thin" cookbook, after the "Cook Yourself Thin" show on Lifetime TV. LOVE IT!!! All recipes have just half the calories of the original dishes. My most recent discovery was the "Sweet and Sour Pork Chops". Sooooo good...even the Household CFO raved about this one!

Ingredients for Pork Chops:

1 T sherry

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 T low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 lb. (1-in. thick) boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat, and cut into 1 in. cubes

2 T pineapple juice

1 T ketchup

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

3 T canola oil (I used olive)

1 red onion, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1 in. cubes

2 red and/or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 in. cubes

Ingredients for the Brown Rice:

1 1/2 C brown rice

3 C chicken stock

1. To make rice, bring stock to a boil in a saucepan and add rice. Cover with lid and let simmer 20-230 minutes. Using a fork, fluff and serve.

2. To make the pork, combine the sherry, pepper, 1 T soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. of the sugar in a bowl. Add pork and gently toss to coat. Let marinate in fridge.

3. Stir together pineapple juice, ketchup, vinegar, remaining soy sauce and remaining sugar in a small bowl.

4. Heat 1 T oil in nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, but still a little crisp, about 2 min. Transfer to a large dish. Heat another T of oil in same skillet. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still a little crisp, about 3 min. Transfer to same dish.

5. Heat remaining T of oil and add pork cubes, arranging in single layer. Cook, undisturbed until a golden-brown crust forms on bottom, about 1 1/2 min. Turn cubes over and cook until golden-brown on the other side, about 1 1/2 min. Return onion and peppers to pan and toss to combine. Add pineapple juice mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce evenly coats everything and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Recipe: Fajita Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette

This is a recipe from the Weight Watchers "Take Out Tonight" cookbook, under "Viva Mexico". Definitely doesn't taste like a "diet" salad. The dressing is absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
4 (1/4 lb.) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 T cajun seasoning
1 tsp. olive oil
4 C. mixed salad greens
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped

1. To make vinaigrette, puree the salsa, onion, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, mustard and salt in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the cajun seasoning. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the chicken and cook until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Then slice into 1/2 inch thick strips.
3. Place the salad greens and bell peppers in a large bowl. Top with chicken strips, tomato and avocado. Serve with the salsa vinaigrette.

4 servings