A Day Late, A Dollar Short

Not really a dollar short, but a day late nonetheless. I'm kind of flip-flopping here. I actually made dinner last night and am not cooking the next couple of nights (basketball: cue heavy sigh), but I also went out for dessert with some gfs and therefore didn't have a chance to report on last night's culinary adventures.

Because I knew it was going to be a rushed evening event, I decided to whip out the crock pot. I'm always a little challenged to find crock pot recipes that somewhat meet my eating requirements (healthy, low-sodium, blah blah blah) but I happened upon the "Diabetic Slow Cooker" book a while back and find it full of appealing recipes. PLUS it also notes portion sizes! Can I have a woot woot?

Asian Pork Sandwiches
Source: Diabetic Living Online Slow Cooker, Winter 2012

Ingredients:

• 1 2.5-3 pound pork shoulder roast
• 1 c. apple juice or cider
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1.5 tsp five-spice powder
• shredded cabbage, green onions and buns

Directions:

• Placed roast in slow cooker. Combine juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and five spice powder. Dump over roast. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.
• Shred pork. Place meat on bun, top with shredded cabbage. Reserve cooking liquid from crock pot and top with chopped green onions for dipping (didn't do that).

Yield: 8 servings (one sandwich with 3oz meat and 1/4 c. cabbage topping)
Per serving: 282 cals; 7g fat (2g sat); 61mg chol; 478mg sodium; 27g carb; 26g protein

We also had:
Fried Brown Rice with Edamame
Source: The Carb Lovers Diet Cookbook (from Health magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (used canola)
• 2 c. cooked brown rice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 c. coleslaw mix (just used plain cabbage from above recipe)
• 1 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1/4 c. cilantro (skip)
• 1/4 c. chopped peanuts

Heart healthy ingredients: edamame, brown rice

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add rice, cook until heated through, approx. 1 min. Stir eggs into rice, cook 30 sec. Stir in coleslaw mix, edamame, soy sauce and Sriracha, cook 2 mins or until eggs are cooked and edamame are heated through. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

Yield: 4 servings (1c/serving)
Per serving: 318 cals; 16.3g fat (2.1g sat, 5g mono, 6.6g poly); 93mg chol; 14g protein; 30g carb; 429mg sodium

Reviews:
There was so much to love about this meal. So I'll break it down for you:

• Crock pot super simplicity
• No chopping of anything
• The longest prep step? Cooking the brown rice. And I could have bought pre-cooked brown rice to make it even easier.
• One pot meals
• And it all tasted delish

Ranking:
Four Forks

Game Changer

I did something tonight that I almost never, ever do.

I deviated from my meal game plan.

Originally, I was going to make a lovely salmon meal, but then I came across a BOGO pork cutlet deal at the local market. And I always love a BOGO! That got me thinking about said salmon, and my complete and utter lack of desire for it tonight. So I changed it up, quickly found a recipe (in the same cookbook) for pork, and away we went. The salmon has been shelved for another week.

I really don't have anything else to say. How's the weather in your neck of the woods? This song will make you feel all warm and sunny. One of the best songs ever. EVER.

Breaded Pork Chops
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, by Dick Logue

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• 1/2 c. low-sodium bread crumbs (used whole-wheat unsalted)
• 1 tbsp parsley (skip)
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp white pepper (skip)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Heart healthy ingredients: cayenne, sage, thyme

Directions:

• Moisten chops with water. Combine bread crumbs and spices in a plastic bag. Add chops and shake until evenly coated. Spray a baking sheet with veggie oil spray. Place chops on sheet and spray chops with spray.
• Bake at 350 degrees until done, approx. 20-30 mins, depending on thickness of chops.

Yield: 4 serving
Per chop: 315 cals; 20g protein; 21g fat (8g sat, 9g mono; 2g poly); 11g carb; 62mg sodium

Mushroom Rice
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, by Dick Logue

Ingredients:

• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (skip)
• 1.5 c. uncooked rice (used brown)
• 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 1-1/3 c. water
• 1/4 c. dried milk powder (WTF? Skip and added a teeny bit of 1 percent at the end)

Directions:

• In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms in butter until brown. Add the spices and rice and continue cooking until the rice begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
• Add the chicken broth and water; cover and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until rice is tender and liquid absorbed, about 20 mins.
• Stir in the milk powder (again - WTF?!).

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving: 111 cals; 4g protein; 4g fat (2g sat, 1g mono); 15g carb; 52mg sodium

We also had asparagus and the boys gnawed on some Alexia rolls.

Reviews:
Much like my mood tonight - the dinner was meh. Good. Not great. Not bad. Just OK. I think we all felt the same way. I added low-sodium bbq to my pork chops. I liked the rice more than the boys liked it. The overall prep was a cinch.

Of course, the more I listen to "Dear Prudence" the better I feel. Seriously - doesn't that song just put you in such a good mood? How can it not?
Ranking:
Two forks

To Err is Human...

And yes, bloggies, I have erred. In a big-time way.

Last night, after another semi-successful dinner I was filing away my recipe and marking the date when I noticed a scrawled date in the upper corner. Which indicates that I had made the recipe once before, during the challenge. (At least I ranked the recipe the same both times!)

And with that, My Great Big Recipe Challenge comes to an end.

Or does it? In all honesty, I did not repeat the recipe on purpose. I have no clue why I didn't notice that it was already marked until long after the fact. But I can tell you it annoys me to no end. It was actually one of the first things I thought about this morning when I woke up. At the obscene hour of 3:30. And in case you are wondering, the other things I thought about were: I wonder which Buffy episode is on right now and I don't feel like working out. (As an FYI: Buffy was "Two to Go" - excellent - and yes I did go work out an hour later, per usual. Yes that is 4:30a).

Moving on.

So where does that leave this challenge and the blog? After I confessed this grievous error to my co-worker (and all-around sparklette HK), she reminded me that "to err is human." Sure. So I'm just going to keep on keeping on, and perhaps add six months of the challenge as my penance. Do you have any thoughts on this all-important matter? Obvs it is right up there with the economy and world peace...

This also takes away from my original blog post, which was going to be about a NEW COOKBOOK I received last week! Given the size of "The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook" I could probs keep the challenge going for another 10 years with recipes from this resource alone. Howevs, given the pain-in-the-ass factor of tonight's meal, that probably isn't going to happen.

Stir-Fried Pork and Edamame with Classic Brown Stir-Fry Sauce
Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Notes (I'm not typing this all out): This had too many pieces parts for my liking during the week. If I had a sous chef it would have been a snap, but such is not the case.
Heart healthy ingredients: Red bell peppers; edamame

Easy Baked Brown Rice
Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Heart healthy ingredients: Brown rice

Reviews:
As noted, the stir fry had multiple steps, making it a pain to get on the table super fast. Ultimately, the dish turned out pretty tasty - a little too saucy for my liking - but overall good. It was well-received by the boys, although I don't think the kid enjoyed the edamame as much as I did. The baked brown rice received mixed reviews - I liked it although the 65-70 minute bake time was kind of ridic - the hubs did not love it. It did make a ton.

Ranking:
Two Forks - less for taste, more for hassle

At least I didn't forget the picture tonight!

And We're Off!

Hello 2012!

I hope you had a glorious celebration! I started off the new year in a completely and totally unexpected way - I slept in until 9a! Many of you know that my typical wake-up time (sans alarm) is around 4/4:30a, so this was certainly a surprise to me. Of course, going to sleep around 2a might have a little something to do with that.

A word about resolutions: I don't make them. I used to - but to me, they are pointless. So you aren't going to read about any heady goals or resolutions on my blog. I am going to just keep on truckin' along, which means eating and cooking clean most of the time, working out at obscene hours, and trying to do my best as a mom, wife and PR hack.

Anyway - back to the point of this blog - the food. I decided to whip up a little breakfast for the fam before heading out and meeting an old bud for coffee. I also managed to throw together most of our dinner during this time. Hooray for the multi-task!

Breakfast
Monkey Bread Minis
Source: Rachael Ray Magazine, no clue date

Reviews:
I did not have time to try these fresh out of the oven because I was running a little bit late for my aforementioned coffee date. The boys did like them - the hubs popped about four in - and I tried a teeny piece several hours later. I will tell you that this was kind of a hassle to make, partly because I didn't have much time to focus.

Dinner
Pushed 'N' Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Source: Prevention Guide Slow Cooker Recipes, Winter 2012

Reviews:
The pork ended up good - very tender and easy to pull with a fork. Taste-wise, it was really no different from most pulled pork/slow cooker recipes. IMO, the all kind of taste the same. It makes a ton (the recipe calls for 4lbs bone-in pork), so we have a lot of football-watching-sandwich-eating leftovers, which was kind of the intent. The boys both approved of this one.

Smoky Three-Bean Bake
Source: Cooking Light, July 2011

Reviews:
Yum! Best part of the meal for sure. The recipe was easy to throw together - the "toughest" part was cooking the bacon and onions. Otherwise, I just mixed up the rest of the ingredients and popped it into the oven for 60 mins. And you know I love my beans! The kid did not like this at all - but he is not beany, despite my best efforts to entice him with fun, bean-related songs. The hubs also thoroughly enjoyed the bake.

Working It Out

I have noticed that one cooking "technique" I am particularly bad at is sauteing meat. I can saute veggies with the best of them, but when I bread and coat meat of any type, it typically turns out a little uneven or over-cooked.

So I was initially kind of excited to happen upon tonight's main selection, which I thought called for a simple oven bake, only to find that I accidentally skipped the "saute for two minutes" line in my recipe review process. Ooops. Not being one to give up (or deviate from my plan), I forged ahead with said saute.

Of course, once again I ended up with unevenly sauteed pork medallions. But, rest assured dear readers, I am going to continue to work on this little issue I have and one day, my family will enjoy perfectly golden sauteed meat of some sort.

PS: John makes me laugh in this video.

Crispy Pork Medallions
Source: Cooking Light, November 2011

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Dijon
• 1-lb pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 medallions
• 1/2 c. panko
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (skip)
• 1/8 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper (skip)
• 2 tbsp EVOO

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub mustard evenly over pork medallions. Combine panko, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge pork in panko mix. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add pork; saute 2 mins or until golden brown.
• Place skillet in oven; bake at 450 degrees for 8 mins. Let stand 3 mins.

Yield: 4 servings (2 medallions/serving)
Per serving: 210 calories; 9.4g fat (1.7g sat; 5.8g mono; 1.1g poly); 24.5g protein; 5.1g carb; 74mg choles; 329mg sodium

Reviews:
This was like all of the other panko-crusted saute/pan meals - fine, nothing special. No exotic flavors, similar to many other recipes out there. I did like the pork medallions. The hubs and kid also had whole wheat rotini, and the kid and I added steamed broccoli. Per the hubs: "The meal was OK. Solid." I concur.

Ranking:
Two Forks

Where oh where did my panko go?

Turn Around

As you now know (assuming you are a faithful reader of said blog), the hubs has an aversion to vegetables. I usually try to force Meatless Monday on him, however, because our weeks are kind of screwed up for the next few months due to schedules, Meatless Monday isn't always going to happen. However, vegetables will continue to happen.

It is because of this weird issue with veggies that the hubs decided long ago that he did not like Chinese food of any kind, except for a random egg roll or fried rice. Which probs doesn't really count. He thinks that all Chinese food has way too many veggies for his liking. However, since I embarked on my clean eating adventure a few years back, I have discovered many stir-fry-type recipes that he has now embraced. One might even say that he no longer despises Chinese food. And while we won't be frequenting a Chinese restaurant anytime soon (the sodium!), I do take full credit for this turn around.

Oh - and that's not the only turn around happening here. How 'bout my Buckeyes and our new coach? Our sub par season will surely be a distant memory come next year. (You knew I'd weave in Ohio State somehow, right?)

Hoisin Pork Stir-Fry
Source: Weight Watchers Make It In Minutes, 2001

Ingredients:

• Rice
• 3/4 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 c. broccoli florets
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. orange juice
• 1/4 c. hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp honey

Directions:

• Cook rice.
• Combine the pork, sherry, soy sauce and cornstarch in a bowl.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the broccoli and red pepper and stir-fry for 2 mins. Add the pork and stir-fry for 4 mins. Add the oj, hoisin sauce and honey, and cook until pork is cooked through. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings (1 c. pork mixture, 1/2 c. rice)
Per serving: 313 cals; 6g total fat (2g sat); 54mg chols; 453mg sodium; 43g carbs; 22g protein

Reviews:
I thought this was a little sweet for my taste - and although the recipe says that it is under 500mg sodium/serving, I kind of feel all sodium-bloaty right now. In case you are wondering, I also feel pretty tired right now too. Anywho, I did like how the broccoli and red pepper turned out. The boys both enjoyed it - the kid finished pretty much his entire serving, and there are plenty of leftovers.

Ranking:
Two Forks (sodium bloat!)

Will sweat out the sodium at spinning tomorrow 5:30a!

A New Type of Challenge

Aaaaannnd I'm back.

So, there's something you should know about me. I'm super competitive. As in, I hate to lose at pretty much anything, be it trivia, Scrabble, sports, the lottery (haha), bets of any kind. Type A, anyone?

That means I also love a good challenge. Like this little recipe thing I have happening. So, that's why for this week I have decided to roll out my personal "time" challenge.

I see so many recipes that are supposed to be FAST and EASY and TIME SAVERS. And they very rarely live up to the hype. Therefore, when planning my menu for the week, I decided to select recipes from three of my newest pubs promising stress-free meal prep and put it to the test. Kind of like my own Top Chef Quick Fire Challenge, except without the cooking talent or chef-y competitors at my side. But, with the fun addition of some kind of competition! I bet you are tingling in anticipation!

Side note: I have kind of gone a little recipe magazine mad, scooping up a good half-dozen or so new ones in the past week (including what I already subscribe to). Yes, I'm addicted.

On to tonight's challenge: Everyday with Rachael Ray's "Deviled Pork Chops with Apples and Squash."
(November 2011)

The promise? "15-Minute Dinner Deals"

Ingredients:

• 4 thin cut bone-in pork chops (about 4oz each) - used boneless
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 c. panko
• 3 tbsp veggie oil (used 2 tbsp canola)
• 1 tbsp butter (used no-salt added)
• 2 fuji apples, sliced (chopped them up)
• 1 10-oz bag frozen, cubed squash

Directions:

• Season chops with salt/pepper, brush with mustard then coat with panko.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil to med-high. Add the chops and cook, turning once until browned, about 8 mins.
• Meanwhile, in a med nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender, approx 3 mins. Add squash and 1/4 c. water. Cover and cook until just heat through about 3 mins. Serve with chops.

Nutritionals: RR does not provide them. Which is annoying. And I don't feel like looking them all up.

Reviews:
Well, this meal is certainly very fast. I actually had to stall until the boys got home from basketball practice. I did cheat a little - my chops were thicker than what the recipe call for, so I pan seared them first, then finished them off in the oven. I also let the apple/squash combo get a little mushier than the recipe called for (on purpose - baby food, peeps). I liked the apple/squash combo a lot - the kid did not like it at all, and the hubs dealt with it. The chops themselves were OK - not super flavorful, but easy. But, the recipe 100 percent did live up to its promise of 15 minutes.

Ranking:
Two Forks

More colorful in real life

Sour Cream Issues

I am totally uninspired for tonight's post, so this is about as creative as I can get. No fun alliteration for you. My guess is my brain is on the verge of fried-dom - or I am completely distracted watching Glee with tonight's particularly brillz banter.

Fun fact about me: For the longest time, I had a very strange, almost unreasonable hatred of sour cream. I couldn't touch it, let alone cook with it. Of course, my father's staging of a sour cream fight whilst I was in middle school and shoveling a load of it in my face probs didn't help (I actually threw up). However, my advanced age has also brought a newfound maturity when it comes to the white stuff. I can now cook with it. I still don't like it on its own, and I still get a little skeeved when I see people eat it by the spoonful, but at least I can deal.

Hungarian Pork Chops
Source: American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook (3rd Edition, 2006)

Rub Ingredients:

• 1 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp dillweed, crumbled (used dill seed - made purchase error)
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Other:

• 4 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed (about 4oz each)
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. fat-free or light sour cream
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions (skip - forgot to buy)

Directions:

• In a small bowl, stir together rub ingredients. Rub half the mixture on one side of the pork.
• Lightly spray a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium, add pork and cook with seasoned side down for 4 minutes. Rub the top side with the remaining mixture, turn pork over and cook for 4-5 minutes or until barely pink. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
• Increase the heat to high. Pour in the water, scraping the skillet to dislodge any browned bits. Boil for 1-2 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to 1/4 c. Reduce heat to low.
• When boiling stops, whisk in the sour cream and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through, whisking constantly. Don't let it boil.
• To serve: spoon sauce over pork, sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (3oz pork + 3 tbsp sauce)
Per serving: 199 calories; 6.5g fat (2.8g sat, 0.5g poly, 3g mono); 72mg chol; 7g carbs; 26g protein; 221mg sodium

Review:
I was a little concerned with the sauce situation (see note above re: sour cream issues), but I went ahead and loaded on about 2 tbsp (3 was too many for a 3oz portion). Luckily, the sauce didn't really have a strong sour cream flavor. The kid did not like the sauce at all, and the hubs thought it was OK, if used sparingly. In his defense, he's not usually super keen on lots of sauce (vs. me, who loves it). We also had roasted asparagus and butternut squash risotto from Trader Joe's. Neither of the boys liked the risotto, with the hubs proclaiming it to be "too sqaushy" JUST before the kid took his first taste. So, you can obvs imagine how that went down.

Ranking:
Two Forks. Since neither boy really loved the sauce, and since the pork on its own was OK, I don't know that I would make this again. On the other hand, I really liked the risotto.

Saucy

You Know You're An Adult When...

... purchasing new cookware and appliances is super-exciting!

After doing some deep soul searching (and receiving my new Cooking Light chock full of recipes) I decided I was in dire need of a real, honest-to-goodness Dutch oven. So off I went to Crate & Barrel, where I picked up a fabulous new red Mario Batali 6-quart dutch oven.

Another stellar pic: Dutch oven in action

And, feeling flush with excitement, I also picked up a new blender, which I have every intention of using very soon. I have dreams of pesto and soup and smoothies running through my head, peeps. (I vow to you: This will not be repeated: http://mygreatbigrecipechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/09/confession-and-promise.html)

And while cookware and appliances may not be as thrilling as a hot new pair of shoes or fabu bag (coming my way as soon as I hit the mall), this blog is about my cooking, not about my super-materialistic tendencies, so we'll go with it.

Soy and Cola-Braised Pork Shoulder
Source: Cooking Light, October 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
• 1 (3.5 lbs) bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (skip)
• 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (used refrigerated)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cola (such as Coca-Cola)
• 1/2 c. hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar (I use sodium-free)
• 1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
• 1 c. sliced green onions (skipped -didn't feel like it)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Heat a Dutch oven (wheee!) over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt. Add pork to pan; saute for 8 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove pork. Add ginger and garlic, saute; saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cola and the next 3 ingredients (through soy sauce); bring to a boil.
• Return pork to pan; bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Remove pork from pan and let stand for 10 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid.
• Place pan over medium-high heat; bring cooking liquid to a boil. Cook 15 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups, stirring occasionally. Combine pork and 3/4 c. sauce in a bowl, toss to coat. Top with onions. Serve pork with remaining 1-1/4 c. sauce.
•  Note: You can serve this on a bun, roll, in tortillas or just on its own.

Yield: 10 servings (3 oz. pork, 2 tbsp sauce)
Per serving: 316 calories; 18.3g fat (6.4 sat, 8.2 mono, 2.8g poly); protein: 24.3g; carb: 12.8g; fiber: 0.7g; chol: 91mg; sodium: 574mg; calc: 39mg

We also had:
Corn Bake
Source: Heart Healthy Living (not sure of date; FYI: This magazine is no longer published)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large red sweet pepper, chopped
• 1-15.25oz can no-salt added whole kernel corn, drained
• 1-14.75oz can no-salt added cream-style corn
• 1-8.5oz package corn muffin mix
• 1/3 c. refrigerated egg substitute
• 1-8oz carton light sour cream
• 1/2 c. reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2oz)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, heat over medium heat. Cook onion and red pepper in hot skillet for about 8 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking rectangular baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine whole corn, cream-style corn, corn muffin mix and egg substitute. Stir in cooled veggies. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream and cheese. Spoon in small mounds over corn mixture. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 16 servings (1/3 c. per serving)
Per serving: 134 calories; 4 g total fat (2g sat); 7mg chol; 155mg sodium; 22g carb; 1g fiber; 4g protein

Reviews:
The kid gagged his way through tiny two bites of the corn bake - which was super endearing, btw - but honestly, I thought it was delish (and might have had a teeny bit more than one serving), as did the hubs. We all liked the pork shoulder, although shredding it was kind of a hassle. The boys ate theirs on buns with some cheese, I went plain (so I could have more corn bake). And no, the thrill of my new Dutch oven hasn't totally worn off yet.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Does the corn bake really look gag-worthy?

And Baby Makes Foul

On Saturday, we just rec'd the go-ahead to give our 9-month old "real" food. While she's been happy to munch away on those little baby puffs, we are all pretty geeked out to let her begin chowing down - and of course, contributing her opinion on my cooking skills.

Tonight is the first night we've had a chance to sit down with all four of us at dinner. The babe started off with an appetizer of said puffs, then I gave her a couple of plain whole-wheat egg noodles that accompanied tonight's dish.

Um, except I totes failed to rip them into tiny-enough pieces, and after she tried to shovel one in, promptly gagged and spit up her entire bottle. Oops. This caused the hubs to almost gag right along with her as he attempted to clean this up. Surprisingly, I usually am the one who can't handle any sort of throw up, but the kid and I were fine and even proceeded to continue to discuss this incident, causing the hubs to turn various shades of green. You may now call me Ms. Sensitive.

And with that visual in your mind, here's tonight's main event:

Noodles with Roast Pork and Almond Sauce
Source: Cooking Light, October 2009

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 8oz uncooked fettuccine (used whole-wheat egg noodles I had on hand)
• 1/4 c. almond butter
• 2.5 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (note: I always use a no-salt added variety)
• 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger (used 1/2 tbsp of refrigerated)
• 1.5 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 c. thinly sliced onions
• 1/3 c. finely chopped mint (skip)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Drizzle oil in an ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle pork with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper; place pork in pan. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Turn pork over and bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155 degrees. Place pork on a cutting board, let stand 10 minutes. Shred into small pieces. (FYI - I skipped the oil, salt, pepper, shredding, etc. - just baked some pork and cut it into little pieces.)
• Cook pasta according to directions and drain, reserving 2 tbsp of pasta water. Keep pasta warm.
• Combine almond butter, 2 tbsp pasta water, remaining salt, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls, top evenly with pork, sauce, onions and mint.

Yield: 4 servings (I assumed 4oz pork); about 1.5 cups
Per serving: Calories: 398; fat 12.7g (sat 1.9g; mono 7.2g; poly 2.3g); protein: 22.7; carb: 49.3; fiber 3.7g; chol: 34mg; iron: 3.7mg sodium: 763mg

Reviews:
Based on my major mom foul, I was a little worried about the hubs b/c at one point he wasn't sure he was going to be able to eat. Luckily he manned up and was able to finish his meal. Both the kid and the hubs liked it overall, but thought it was too saucy. I did not think it was too saucy, and I thought the flavor was nice. The kid, hubs and babe all had rolls - and yes, I made sure I ripped the pieces into teeny, tiny bits of bread.

Ranking:
Three Forks: Easy to prepare, good flavor.

PS - I completely forgot to snap a photo tonight, and the one from the magazine doesn't show a ton. Instead, I leave you with this:

This is in no way even close to representative of how the hubs looks, btw!

Channeling Peter Brady

You totally know where this is going with the Peter Brady reference, right?

Pork chops and applesauce. Say it with me.

While we didn't have the applesauce part of the meal, every time I make pork chops, I channel my inner Peter Brady. (Side note, b/c I am neither a middle child nor a boy, my inner Peter Brady is fairly limited to this reference. But I do kind of have a mini-obsession with all things Brady.)

Anyway, after forcing the hubs to eat silly things like zucchini and more zucchini and salad greens, tonight I prepared a meal that I knew he'd like - pork chops and mashed potatoes. Of course, I prepared them my way! The boys also had Alexia rolls, the kid and I added broccoli.

Asiago-Crusted Pork Chops
Source: Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast (2010)

Ingredients:

• 4- 4oz boneless center-cut loin pork chops
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2 c panko crumbs
• 1/4c (1oz) grated Asiago cheese (used Romano - bought the entirely wrong thing)
• 1/4 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1 tbsp evoo (used canola - ran out of olive oil)
• 4 lemon wedges (skip)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme (skip)

Directions:

• Place pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness (about 1/4 inch) using a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet.
• Place egg white in a shallow dish. Combine panko, cheese, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently with fingers to coat.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
• Squeeze lemon wedge over each chop, sprinkle evenly with thyme.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chop per serving)
Per serving: Calories: 253; Fat: 12g (sat 4.1g, mono 5.4g, poly 1g); Protein 27.4g; Carb: 6.2g; Fiber: 0.6g; Chol: 71mg; Sodium: 297mg; Calc: 83mg

Microwave Smashed Potatoes
Source: Cooking Light June 2011

Ingredients:

• 4 6-oz baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (didn't peel - I like the skin)
• 1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 c. 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives (skip)
• 1/2 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

• Place potato pieces in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, cut a 1-inch slit in the center of plastic wrap.
• Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes.
• Add sour cream and remaining ingredients to bowl; mash with a potato masher.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Per serving: Calories: 225; Fat: 4.5g (sat 2.5g, mono 1.1g, poly 0.2g); Protein: 5.6g; Carb: 42.6g; Fiber: 2.8g; Chol: 13mg; Iron: 0.8mg; Sodium: 333mg; Calc: 78mg

Reviews:
The kid - who has finally figured out that I'm doing this whole challenge and "website" - told me the pork chops were OUTSTANDING and AWESOME. The potatoes, however, got two mini-bites and a look of disgust. The hubs and I both thought the overall meal was good. What I liked was that the smashed potatoes cooked while I prepared the pork chops, so it was all done at approx. the same time. That's a big deal for me - I like serving HOT food and having it all done at the same time. I don't know how different the pork chops would have tasted if I hadn't screwed up and bought the wrong cheese, but the hubs didn't complain one bit.

Yum!

Sweet Mother of Pork

I don't cook pork very often, for no other reason than I just usually forget about it. I know that the right cut can in fact be a very healthy option. According to the National Pork Board website, lean cuts of pork rival lean cuts of chicken in fat, calories and cholesterol.

I found tonight's pork recipe in the Eating Well magazine I picked up at Mustard Seed the other day. I used to subscribe to the magazine, but my subscription lapsed and I keep forgetting to renew it, which is kind of dumb considering I more often than not buy it anyway.

Thyme, Pork Chop & Pineapple Skillet Supper
Source: Eating Well, July/August 2011

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp pineapple or apricot preserves or jam or orange marmalade (I used pineapple preserves)
• 3 tbsp OJ, plus more if needed
• 2 tsp stone-ground or Dijon mustard (I used Dijon)
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 4 fresh or canned pineapple rings (1/2-inch thick), cut in half, any juice reserved
• 2 tsp butter
• 4 4-5oz boneless pork loin chops (1/2-inch thick), trimmed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (didn't use fresh)
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided (skip)
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper, divided (skip)

Directions:

• If the preserves are chunky, chop any large pieces. Combine preserves, 3 tbsp OJ, mustard, ginger and curry powder in a small bowl, set aside.
• Pour pineapple juice into a measuring cup, if necessary, add enough OJ to equal 1/3c total. Set aside.
• Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Immediately turn them over and sprinkle with another 1/2 tbsp thyme and the remaining salt and pepper.
• Cook the chops, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until browned, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the reserved juice to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the chops are cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
• Add pineapple, the reserved sauce and the remaining 1 tbsp thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring until hot and bubbly, 1-2 minutes.
• To serve, spoon sauce onto the chops and pineapple.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 257 cals; 8g fat (3g sat, 3g mono); 72mg cholesterol; 25g carbohydrates; 8g added sugars; 22g protein; 2g fiber; 388mg sodium; 434mg potassium.
Nutritional bonus! Vitamin C (78% daily value)

We had brown rice (serving - 2/3 c) and peas (serving - 2/3 c) with the meal. The boys also had Alexia ciabatta rolls.

Reviews:
I mentioned in a past blog that I don't love skillet cooking, and this recipe is one example why. I feel like it took much longer to cook the pork chops all the way through. Plus I feel like I smell like the meal. The meal was by no means burnt because I'm not THAT bad of a cook, but it was not even close to the pretty, light picture shown in the magazine. The sauce was kind of sweet (um - pineapple, more pineapple and OJ - duh), and the kid didn't like it, although he did like the pork chop. The hubs liked the pineapple sauce more than the (plain) peas - he refused to eat them. But, that has less to do with this dish and more to do with the fact he sometimes simply behaves like a little kid! Would I make this recipe again? Probably not.

OK, maybe a teeny bit of burnt action happening