Soda Pop Chops with smashed potatoes

These were soooo good!! I'm very hesitant to post the N.I. for them but keep in mind that it INCLUDES the smashed potatoes. I used pork chops from tenderloin so they were much lower in fat and decreased the sodium when I could (read lesser amount in the breading). Also, the N.I. takes into account the use of the olive oil for browning purposes. That being said, this was excellent and I'll make it again for sure! Even the kids LOVED it which is virtually unheard of.

Soda Pop Chops with Smashed Potatoes
TOH Simple and Delicious Magazine


1-1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
1 cup root beer (I used diet root beer)
1 cup ketchup (I used low sugar ketchup)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 bone-in pork loin chops (7 ounces each) ( I used boneless pork loin)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the root beer, ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder; set aside. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add pork chops, one at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, brown chops in oil. Add root beer mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until meat is tender, turning once. Remove pork and keep warm.
Bring sauce to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile, drain potatoes; mash with butter, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper. Serve with pork chops and sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 pork chop with 1/2 cup potatoes and 1/3 cup sauce equals 637 calories, 29 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 112 mg cholesterol, 1,222 mg sodium, 59 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 36 g protein.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

This was super easy and quite tasty. Taken from the cookbook "Eat what you love" by Marlene Koch. I loved the BBQ sauce because it was homemade and low in calories/sugar/fat/etc. I'd definitely make this again. Next time I think I'll BBQ the breasts on the grill and baste with the sauce during the last few minutes of cook time. Either way this is a delicious, low calorie/sugar/fat dinner that everyone liked.

Slow cooker BBQ chicken

Makes 6 servings

Sauce
1 cup sugar-free root beer*
1 cup reduced-sugar ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika

2 1/2 to 3 pounds skinless chicken breasts and thighs

*Sweetened with sucralose

1. To make the sauce, whisk together all the sauce ingredients (through the paprika) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Place the chicken in a slow cooker and pour 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce on top. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 7 to 8 hours on low. Heat the remaining barbecue sauce for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve with cooked chicken.

Or try this: For Oven Root Beer Barbequed Chicken, brown the chicken piece in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and coat with 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350˚F, or until the chicken is completely cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, simmer the remaining sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Baste chicken with sauce before serving.

Marlene Says: Most barbecue sauces average 12 to 16 grams of carbohydrate (with 9 to 12 of them coming from sugar) per typical 2-tablespoon serving. To reduce the amount of sugar, make your own, or look for a reduced-sugar brand like KC Masterpiece Classic Blend.

Nutrition information per serving (1/6 recipe): Calories: 210; Carbohydrate: 6 g (Sugars: 3 g); Total Fat: 7 g (Sat Fat: 2 g); Protein: 29 g; Fiber: 1 g; Cholesterol: 90 mg; Sodium: 420 mg

Food Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat
Carbohydrate Choice: 1/2
Weight Watcher Point Comparison: 4

Asian Chicken Burgers

These are awesome!! My husband actually thought it was beef. So if you have a beef lover out there, give this recipe a try with the ground turkey and I guarantee they won't be able to tell the difference! Love this recipe!

Asian Chicken Burgers

• Cooking spray
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small red onion, halved
• 1 pound ground chicken (I used ground turkey)
• 1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
• 4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons hot Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek (omitted this, had no idea what it was or where to get it)
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced (omitted)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (omitted)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 whole-wheat sesame hamburger buns

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Grate the carrot and 1/2 onion into a large bowl. Add the chicken, panko, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, the ginger, 3 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sambal oelek and mix until combined. Shape the chicken mixture into 4 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

**I grilled these babies on the gas grill. This is how I would suggest doing it**

Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining 1/2 onion. Toss with the mushrooms, sesame oil, lime juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce and 2 teaspoons sambal oelek with 1 tablespoon water in another bowl.

(I omitted the entire sauce portion. I used what was called for in the meat mixture but that's it)

Warm the hamburger buns in the oven. Serve the burgers on the buns with a drizzle of the hoisin-sambal sauce and some of the mushroom mixture.

Per serving: Calories 360; Fat 14 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 75 mg; Sodium 1,143 mg; Carbohydrate 40 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 24 g

Chicken Fajita Pasta

This was delicious! Taken from the "Eat what you Love" cookbook by Marlene Koch, this recipe tastes like a full fat restaurant dish with a fraction of the calories. It also warmed up the next day very well. As always, my changes are indicated in parenthesis.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

6 oz (@ 2 1/4 cups dry) Penne or Fettuccine pasta

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, sliced into little strips (I used sweet onion)

2 medium green peppers sliced into little strips (I used red peppers)

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 in. strips (I used the raw chicken tenderloin pieces)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 C low sodium chicken broth

juice of 1 large lime

2 tsp cornstarch

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 C reduced fat Mexican blend cheese (I omitted this)

Cook pasta according to the package directions while preparing the sauce and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chicken strips and saute for 3-4 more minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked through Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes over the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, lime juice and cornstarch. Pour over chicken and vegetables and cook for 2 more minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is no longer pink inside. Add the cooked pasta, cooked tomato and cilantro to the pan. Turn off heat and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese if using.

NI:

Cal 330 Carbs 40G (sugars 7g) Total Fat 5g (sat fat 1) Protein 30 Fiber 6g Cholesterol 45mg

Sodium 510mg

WW point value: 7

Tuscan Tortellini soup

I made this soup "as written" and it was quite delicious. In the future, I'll omit the bacon (and grease) for olive oil to lighten the calories/fat content and include some italian spices to make up for the flavor loss of the bacon. This would be fabulous with some warm crusty bread with a slathering of butter. Mmmmmmmm.

Tuscan Tortellini Soup

1/4 lb bacon cut in small pieces

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of fresh spinach, chopped

16 oz. of crushed tomatoes

1 red pepper, diced

1 can of white beans

4 cups chicken broth

8 oz. cheese tortellini

Saute bacon and garlic until bacon is brown. Remove from pan. Cook spinach in pan drippings until wilted. Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta and simmer until pasta is al dente.

Sixteen Minute Beef and Bean Burritos with Mexican Rice

Picture courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

I made The Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos tonight. It took way longer than 16 minutes but I'm sure that was due to my chaos in the kitchen. The end result was a very yummy burrito. I used ground turkey and couldn't find the Mexican tomato sauce so I used good 'ole enchilada sauce. Other than those two changes, everything else was according to the recipe. I have to say that the Mexican rice I made to go along with the burritos was absolutely delicious. Just like an authentic Mexican restaurant if you ask me.

16 Minute Beef Burritos

2 pounds Ground Beef
½ whole Medium Onion
1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans
¾ cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas
Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
Cilantro Leaves, Optional
Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.
Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.
Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.
Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Creamy Baked Ziti

OK so I made quite a lot of changes to this recipe but only because I didn't have half the stuff to make BUT this turned out GREAT! I'm not a big fan of baked ziti (who knows why) but I'll make this again to be sure! I added my changes and omissions for your viewing pleasure.

Creamy Baked Ziti

4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked (I used whole wheat, low carb penne)
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce (used another 1/2 jar to make up for lack of diced tomatoes)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (omitted only because I didn't have any)
6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed ( I used 8 0z Laughing Cow Cheese in place and it was GREAT!)
3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream (omitted because I don't care for cooked sour cream)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (I'd go lighter on this myself. Maybe 1/2 C max)
1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese (omitted only because I didn't have any)

HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.
LAYER half the pasta mixture in 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.