Pork Cutlets in a Savory Cherry Sauce

July 10, 2009 by Pam

We bought a big box of cherries at the Farmer’s Market last week, and I was trying to decide what to do with them in a new and interesting way.

I thought about how I have incorporated fruits of all kinds into pork dishes and all of the sudden, a dish sprung to life in my mind.

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I had some pork cube steaks in the freezer that were screaming to be a part of this, so I obliged. Boneless Pork chops would have worked in their place beautifully.

I served them on a bed of Taboule – I cheated and used a box complete with spices. I didn’t follow their preparation directions – I mixed in a splash of olive oil and some of my blueberry pomegranate red wine vinegar, and added about 1/2 a cup of dried blueberries, to tie everything together. The blueberry undertones ran throughout thanks to the vinegars and tart-sweet flavors melded wonderfully.

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The flavors were fantastic together. Hubby loved it, too.

Its a nice break from the ordinary, and perfect with the cherry season being in full swing!

Pork Cutlets with Savory Cherry Sauce

A Lobster and Fishsticks Creation

1-2 pounds of cubed pork steaks or boneless pork chops
2 cups of pitted fresh cherries
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar – I used blueberry balsamic
salt and pepper to taste

pit cherries and cut in half and place in a baking dish

dice onion and add

add balsamic vinegar and toss to coat

lay pork over mixture

salt and pepper the pork

cover with foil and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until cooked through

remove foil and turn off oven and leave dish in the oven to slightly brown pork for 5-10 mins

serve over taboule or brown rice

Posted in healthy, healthy cooking | Tagged cherries, healthy, pork | Leave a Comment »

Low Fat Blueberry Scones

July 9, 2009 by Pam

I hope you can stand another blueberry recipe, y’all!

I got an itch to do some baking, but needed something simple and healthy to fix. I thought about all of my blueberries in the freezer and decided on some scones.

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I found a recipe that seemed nice and simple – once they were mixed, you shape the dough into a disk and you don’t even cut all the way through them until they are baked.

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Of course, I had to make them a scant healthier and altered the original recipe. I was hoping I didn’t alter them too much to ruin them.

They smelled great baking. We could hardly wait for me to pull them out of the oven before we had to sample them.

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As it turned out, the adjustments I made made the scones lighter and more tender than any scone I had ever had. They were awesome! I’ll deifinately be making these again!

Blueberry Scones

adapted from The Food Network

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup Splenda
1/3 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 egg white
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine flours, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Beat yogurt and egg white together and add to dry ingredients. Stir with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Gently fold in blueberries with rubber scraper. Turn out on a floured surface and knead gently about six times to form a ball. Pat dough into a circle about 3/4-inch thick. Carefully place on greased baking sheet. Mark off eight wedges with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.

Break into wedges and serve hot with butter.

Posted in baking, blueberries | Tagged blueberries, healthy, scones | 1 Comment »

Garbanzo Summer Salad

July 8, 2009 by Pam

I was very excited to see my next issue of Food Network Magazine come in the mail yesterday. I was even more excited to see what the 50 recipe pull out was this time around – 50 Simple Salads! Each issue has a pull out booklet that basically Cliffs Notes 50 recipes in a specific category, and I always enjoy them – helps me brainstorm.

I found one salad of particular interest to me, so I put my own spin on it, toyed with the amounts and mixed and matched ingredients to create the Garbanzo Summer Salad.

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The flavors are great together and the varying textures – the crunchy peppers and onions, the meaty garnabzos, the creamy avocado chunks are fabulous together.

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This is going to make an awesome side dish to the flounder I am broiling for dinner. (Not to mention made a nice light, fresh lunch for me today!)

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Garbanzo Summer Salad

a Lobster And Fishsticks creation

1 can Garbanzo beans, drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed and diced fine
1 medium tomato, diced fine
1/2 small red onion, diced fine
1 avocado, diced
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp dried parsley, or 2 tbsp fresh, minced
3/4 tsp cumin

mix lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and seasonings together, set aside

place all other ingredients in a bowl, pour dressing over and toss to coat

chill to allow flavors to blend before serving

Posted in Salad, avocado, healthy cooking | Tagged avocado, garbanso beans, healthy, Salad | Leave a Comment »

Healthy Creamed Corn

July 6, 2009 by Pam

A few weeks ago at the Farmer’s Market, I came across a steal fo a deal of a bushel of sweet white corn for $13.00. How could I resist? I spent the next few days shucking corn and putting up about 16-18 pounds in the freezer.
Hubby loves creamed corn, but I naturally have not bought any since we have begun on our healthy journey. I decided with all of the corn in the freezer, I would try my hand at making some that was healthy.

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I found a recipe and based mine from that one. I wanted a little bit more flavor to compensate for the lack of heavy cream, so I added some red and black pepper for a little heat, and also added some parsley to freshen it up

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It was nice to have that comforting creaminess without the guilt. And, its nice to be able to reintroduce a side that my hubby enjoys.

The freshness of making my own versus canned is unbelieveable. There is no way to describe the difference. I have a feeling that more than one bag of corn that is in our freezer is destined to a creamy ending!

Healthy Creamed Corn

3 cups corn kernels, fresh or thawed
1 can (12 oz) skim evaporated milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste

place 2 cupsof corn, the cornstarch, and 8 ounces of the milk in food processor and puree

place in a saucepan with remaining corn and milk, along with seasonings, and cook on medium until thickened and corn is tender – about 10 minutes.

Posted in healthy cooking | Tagged corn, healthy, vegetables | 1 Comment »

Red White and Blue Coleslaw

July 3, 2009 by Pam

The fourth of July has always been special in my family. In fact, for my Mom growing up, it was the only Holiday other than Christmas that her family made a fuss over – they always had watermelon and a huge 5 gallon drum of ice cream, and my grandfather would always shoot off sticks of dynamite. Um, yes, I did say dynamite. He worked in the coal mines in West Virginia and was a blast man, and would sneak a little bit home at a time for a while just before the 4th each year.

Now, I am all grown with my own family and hope to instill a sense of patriotism in my son as he gets older. Being in the south helps a lot with this, and right now, being in a Navy town is a second bonus.

Tomorrow, we’re celebrating with a cookout at my parent’s, where I offered to bring the coleslaw, and opted also to make mini brownie bites with white icing and a cherry half and a blueberry atop each one. I found a recipe for a nice, patriotic slaw that I was dying to whip up, so this was the perfect time.

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Before I got married, I could not make coleslaw…at all. Trying to figure out the balance between the acid and the sweet was just impossible. Then, I marry a man who loves cole slaw. I mean, I could literally make it every night, regardless of what the meal was, and he’d eat it. Needless to say, after nearly 4 years of marriage, I can make cole slaw with my eyes shut.

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This is a non traditional no-mayo slaw that uses olive oil to make the dressing, which otherwise has the same components as you would typically see in a slaw – the vinegar, the sugar, salt and pepper. Nice and simple, a clean flavor palate.

The Red and the White in this coleslaw is the green and red cabbage. The blue is a nice surprise of blue cheese. Blue cheese is another of hubby’s favorites, so this slaw has definitely made his day!

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The colors go so beautifully together and the flavors are magic together. This will definaltely be filed away for when I get tired of making just plain ol slaw!

So, to all of my fellow Americans, I hope your Independance Day is a safe, happy, and healthy one, full of family, good food and wonderful memories!

Red White and Blue Coleslaw

adapted from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar or Splenda
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 small head of green cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, sugar and Olive Oil with some salt and pepper. Stir the crumbled blue cheese into the dressing, then add the cabbage and onions to the bowl and toss well.

Can be served immediately or chilled.

Posted in healthy | Tagged healthy cooking, cole slaw | Leave a Comment »

CEiMB: Breakfast Cookies

July 2, 2009 by Pam

This week’s recipe was chosen by Natalie of What’s for Supper? - Breakfast Cookies.

Daniel, my two year old, loves Natalie! His favorite food right now is cookies, and now, thanks to this pick, he can have them for breakfast! 100_2263

I used regular whole wheat flour and a tiny bit of cake flour, hoping to compensate for the lack of whole wheat pastry flour, which I know I am going to have to invest in before I start by holiday baking. I also omitted the cereal – we didn’t have it on hand. I used dried blueberries that I dried myself instead of raisins – they gave a nice, tart-sweet flavor that was a wonderful surprise. I also added 1/4 cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips.

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I doubled the batch, because if there is anything I learned from my Mom, its to always double cookie batches, if not triple or quadruple them. I only bought one jar of baby food carrots, so I added some applesauce in place of both the second jar, and in place of some of the oil.

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The only complaint I have is that I tried to follow the size of the dough drops and got enormous cookies. Next time I make them – and there will be a next time – I plan on making them smaller to accommodate a toddler’s hands and tummy.

Other than that, they were awesome – moist and almost cakey, not too sweet, and hearty. I plan on making them as part of my Holiday cookies this year, they were so well received by everyone who tried them.

Thanks, Natalie, for the great choice!

Check out what everyone else thought!

Breakfast Cookies

adapted from Ellie Krieger

1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lite spread (I used Smart Balance Light)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 small jar strained carrot baby food
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 applesauce
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another, mix together

add blueberries, walnuts and chips

Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or sprayed aluminum foil.

Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft.

Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Posted in CEiMB, baking, cookies, healthy | Tagged breakfast, CEiMB, cookies | 10 Comments »

Blueberry Banana Bread

June 30, 2009 by Pam

After putting up all of the blueberries from the last few weeks, and getting a deal on some bananas a few weeks ago, when I came across a recipe that used both I knew I would have to give it a whirl.

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This is a very yummy bread, for sure. I altered a few ingredients out of necessity more than anything, since it was already from Cooking Light.

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Its a nice twist on traditional banana bread, and I plan on making some mini loaves at Christmas! I think you could mix it up a little, too, adding some chocolate chips or walnuts for an even different taste. The oats makes it so much heartier.

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Blueberry Banana Bread

adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons oil
3 tablespoons fat free plain Greek Yogurt
2 cups mashed ripe banana
2 cups blueberries
4 eggs
Cooking spray

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, grits, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine oil, yogurt, banana, blueberries, and eggs; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist.

Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Posted in baking, healthy cooking | Leave a Comment »

Black Bean Burgers

June 29, 2009 by Pam

We established a long time ago when we wanted a fast food fix, we could run to Burger King and get a Veggie Burger. Without mayo they only have 7 grams of fat in them! It made me want to try to make our own version of a veggie burger, although I am not ready to dive into experimenting with tofu. When I found this recipe for Black Bean Burgers, I knew I found it.

They came together very easily, so I can see this becoming a fast, go to dinner, for sure.

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The flavor was great and you never missed the meat! I am not typically a fan of black beans in general, but these I can really get behind. I will be mincing the onions much smaller next time and adding a touch more bread crumbs – the texture was just a bit too soft overall, and the onions stayed crunchy. I reflected these changes in the recipe below.

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Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from Whole Foods

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg
1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
1 3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Ground Jalapeno powder

Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork. Add egg, yellow onion, bread crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well to combine then shape into patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange patties in a single layer (working in batches, if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to buns, top with favorite burger toppings and enjoy!

Posted in healthy cooking | Tagged healthy, black bean burgers, beans | 1 Comment »

Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

June 26, 2009 by Pam

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Hubby loves Banana Pudding, and he loves peanut butter, so when I came across a recipe that incorporated both together, I knew I would have to try it.

I am definitely more of a peanut butter gal, so this was something I was definitely exited to try. Not to mention I needed a lower fat version to replace my other Banana Pudding Recipe.

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I altered the recipe a little. Since it was almost entirely fat free as is, the only adjustment I made was to use reduced fat peanut butter and some PB2. If you have not heard of PB2 yet and you are watching your calories and fat, I implore you to look here. It is the most awesome stuff that ever was!

This was a wonderfully decadent treat worthy of making you feel like you are cheating, but you’re not! Its so light and fluffy in texture as opposed to the creamier texture of traditional banana pudding – perfect for a summer dessert -you must give it a try!

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Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

from The Peanut Butter Boy

8 oz nonfat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) - I used regular nonfat yogurt and about 1/4 c. less milk to compensate for the extra liquid in the yogurt
2 cups skim milk – again, I used about 1 3/4 cups
8 oz nonfat frozen whipped topping, thawed for 30 minutes
2 small packages nonfat instant vanilla pudding
2-3 bananas, in 1/4″ thick slices
1/2 (16oz) box reduced-fat vanilla wafers or graham cracker sheets – I used chocolate graham crackers
1/3 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter – I used 1/4 c. reduced fat PB and two tablespoons PB2
shaved dark chocolate, to garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the greek yogurt and peanut butter. Then whisk in the whipped topping and milk until no clumps remain. Stir in the instant pudding until well incorporated and mixture begins to thicken.

2. In a large glass serving dish or trifle bowl, form a layer of vanilla wafers, flat side facing up. Cover with a thin layer of pudding, followed by a layer of banana slices. Add another thin layer of pudding and repeat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Posted in banana pudding, healthy cooking | Tagged peanut butter, healthy, dessert, banana pudding | Leave a Comment »

Slow Cooker Thursdays: Low Fat Chicken Florentine

June 25, 2009 by Pam

I love Chicken Florentine. What I don’t love is the heavy cream, butter, cheese calories that accompany it.

I decided I wanted to try to make a low fat version, and then I thought why stop there? Make it in the slow cooker and have a double winner!

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We have gotten into the habit of buying an enormous bag (usually about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds) of spinach each week at the Farmer’s Market, so I had plenty to use.

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I layered my ingredients together and forgot about it until about an hour before I was to serve, when I added the “cream” to it. I taste tested it and was in love! The flavors were perfect – classic and clean. The sauce didn’t really thicken as much as I would have liked, but I think a little extra cooking would have cured that. The broth was yummy just the same!

Hubby loved it too – this is a definite keeper!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the great recipes that were shared this week!

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