Crockpot Maple Sugared Pork

This is my new favorite pinterest inspired recipe! I love sweet meat, especially pork, and this has enough sweetness without being TOO much.

Ingredients: 2 lbs pork tenderloins, 3 minced garlic cloves, 4 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp grade b maple syrup (the darker, the better), 1 tbsp corn starch, 1 tbsp water.

Directions: Mix all ingredients and pour over pork in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hrs on low for 7.

Almond Crusted Tilapia

As a new mom I still want to cook gourmet but now lack the ability to make repeated trips to the store for special ingredients and the time. So I've returned to my oldies but goodies...apologies if this is a repeat post, I'm working off limited sleep these days (and yes, I'm going to use that card as an excuse for everything from now on!)

Ingredients: 3 tilapia fillets (I use 3 to feed 2 since they're small and thin, grey poupon or other similar mustard, chopped almonds.

Directions: Chop almonds until fine but still have good sized nut chunks and place in a dredging dish. Squirt mustard, usually about 1/4- 1/2 cup in a dredging dish. Dry talapia fillets then salt and pepper them. Dredge in the mustard covering both sides completely, then dredge in the almond mixture covering completely. Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes each side. Be careful, these cook fast!

Adapted Version of Chicken Cordon Blue

I prefer gorgonzola cheese to blue and prosciutto to ham so I made up this version of chicken cordon bleu. Baking instead of pan frying, using less cheese, and panko crumbs instead of bread crumbs make this a healthier alternative to the regular recipe.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts- fat trimmed and pounded until thin, 4 slices of prosciutto, 2 tbsp gorgonzola cheese crumbled, 4 tbsp panko crumbs,  4 tbsp flour, 1 egg beaten.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the chicken breast flat and top with prosciutto and 1 tbsp cheese then roll it up like a jelly roll. Make separate dishes of flour, egg, and panko crumbs. Roll chicken in the flour, then in the egg, then dredge in panko crumbs. Repeat with second chicken breast. Spray a olive oil on top for a nice browning. Place on a cookie sheet or oven safe plate and cook for 20-25 minutes, turning the chicken half way through. Cut through the center to make sure chicken is cooked all the way through. MMmmmmm!

Boston Cream Strata

I have to admit, this was a pinterest inspired recipe but the recipe had a complex and fattening, probaby more boston cream like center. This one has 3 ingredients, well 4 counting the milk to make the pudding, and is easy (and fun) enough for kids to make!

Ingredients: graham crackers, box of vanilla (sugar-free if you want to limit the sugar in this recipe) pudding, cup of milk to make pudding, chocolate frosting (I prefer dark chocolate frosting, but use whatever you like).

Directions: Make pudding according to instructions on box. Line a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of a 9X13 dish (or feel free to use any size dish to add or shorten the amount). Layer half of the pudding on the graham crackers then top with a second layer of graham crackers. Layer the rest of the pudding then top with a third layer of graham crackers. It's easiest to put the frosting on the crackers before adding the last layer so spread the frosting on the graham crackers evenly then top. Place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes before serving, the pudding softens up the graham crackers for a delicious layered Boston Cream-like dessert!

Meatball Stroganoff

Sorry no picture on this one!

It's a quick, easy, and healthier version of one my husband's favorite dishes. Pre-made meatballs saves time, greek yogurt substitutes heavy whipping cream cutting fat without losing flavor, and using turkey meatballs cuts even more fat off the recipe.

Ingredients: Package of meatballs (beef or turkey), 1 package of egg noodles (I used the ones from Trader Joe's), 1-2 c of mushrooms (optional- added vitamin D), 2 c low sodium beef broth, 2/3 c sour cream, 1 c plain greek yogurt, salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: Brown meatballs and mushrooms in skillet on medium heat until cooked through. You can use a tbsp of olive oil or 2-3 tbsp of water to cook these in. While they're cooking, boil water and cook noodles according to package. Remove meatballs and mushrooms from pan and boil beef broth then reduce it til it thickens. Whisk in the sour cream and greek yogurt on low heat. You can add a small spoonful of flour if you want the sauce thicker. Add meatballs, mushrooms, and sauce to noodles and salt and pepper to taste. I topped with a sprinkle of parmesean cheese but herbs such as oregano are nice too.

Healthy Power Cookies

Cookies without flour, sugar, and eggs?! Cookies that give you long lasting energy not just a spurt before a crash?! Since our new baby boy arrived time is of the essence and I can barely find time to make a smoothie, let alone a good healthy breakfast. But I'm breast feeding and getting enough nutrients is a must so this recipe has become my new quick breakfast or 3am power snack.

Ingredients: 2/3 c of unsweetened applesauce, 1/3 c of peanut butter, 2 mashed bananas, 1 1/2 c of rolled oats, 1/4 c favorite nuts (optional), 1/4 c. chocolate chips (optional), 1 tbsp flax seeds (optional- I just sneak these in whenever I can), 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix peanut butter and bananas together well. Add apple sauce. oats, vanilla, flax seeds, nuts, and chocolate chips. Let sit 10 minutes then scoop spoonfulls onto cookie sheet and press with a fork. Bake 30 minutes.

Light Chicken Saltimbocca

I have an extremely high standard when it comes to Italian food, thanks to growing up with frequent access to Boston's North End. This is one of my faves, with way less fat and still the amazing tastes.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (pounded to make a little thinner and more even), fresh sage leaves, at least 2 oz of prosciutto, 4 tsp olive oil, about 3 garlic cloves chopped, 1/3 c low sodium fat free chicken broth, 1/4 c fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp corn starch.

Directions: Rinse and dry chicken, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in skillet on medium heat with crushed garlic. Place sage leaves on the chicken then wrap prosciutto around the chicken. Add chicken cooking both sides about 3-4 minutes or until cooked all the way through (depends on thickness of chicken). Remove chicken and add broth, lemon juice, corn starch, and 2 tsp olive oil to the pan. Stir constantly until sauce thickens. Pour over chicken.

So light and fresh this is going to be a new regular.

Raspberry Oat Bars

I like sweets for breakfast and this recipe is the perfect combination of sweet flavor with substance to hold you til lunch. Truthfully, this is a dessert, but while I'm pregnant, it's my breakfast. I like to sneak in flax seeds and nuts to this recipe for their great nutritional value, but feel free to omit these if you want. In contrast, I love me some chocolate, especially with fruit, but if you'd like to go without, it doesn't change the recipe at all. Another little bit of advice: splurge on a good fruit preserve. DO NOT attempt to use jelly.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 c flour, 1 1/2 c oats, 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tbsp ground flax seeds, 1 c butter softened, 3/4 c your favorite fruit preserve, 1/2 c of your favorite nuts (walnuts, almonds, and macadamias are really good with these flavors) chopped, handful of chocolate and/or white chocolate chips (this recipe is already sweet so you don't need more than a handful).

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, flax seeds, salt, and 1/4c finely chopped nuts. Cut in butter and reserve 3/4 c of the mixture in another bowl. Press oat mixture into a greased casserole dish until flat and even. Spread preserves on top (I use more than 3/4 c and end up using an entire small jar to cover the oat base. Sprinkle with optional chocolate chips and the rest of the nuts. Pour the remaining 3/4 c of oat mixture on top and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cappuccino Pot Roast

This is my xmas eve or holiday party go-to when serving a lot of people. It's hearty and has that warm comfort food feel that's perfect for the cold holidays. 30 min prep time then leave it all day! I like to add veggies to everything, especially meals like this where they can hide in the meat and potatoes goodness, so the veggies below are optional and not part of the traditional recipe.


Ingredients: 3 lb. beef chuck roast, 1 lb carrots- chopped, 1 lg onion- chopped, 3 stalks of celery- chopped (optional), 2 large potatoes- peeled and chopped, 1 pkg sliced mushrooms (optional), 4 garlic gloves- minced, 1/2 tsp cayanne pepper (optional), 1 c strong brewed coffee, 1 1/2 oz beef stew seasoning mix, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 chipotle or beef bouillon cubes, 1 bay leaf, 8 oz. light sour cream.

Directions: Trim fat from roast; sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on meat. Set aside. In 6-quart crock pot combine carrots, onions, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Place roast on top of vegetables. Place potatoes, celery, and mushrooms on top of roast. Combine coffee, seasoning mix, balsamic vinegar, bouillon, and bay leaf. Pour over roast in crock pot. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high for 5-6 hrs. Scoop out some sauce (1-2 c. if you can) and stir in sour cream in a separate bowl. Cut up (or pull apart) the roast into smaller bite size pieces. Then pour sour cream mixture back on top.

Heirloom Gazpacho

Not sure what to do with all those tomatoes in your garden? Make gazpacho! Such a good way to get tons of veggies in 1 meal and it's cool for those hot summer nights.

Ingredients: Lots of tomatoes (about 6 depending on size) and a variety is best, 1 large cucumber, 1 green pepper, about 2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, fresh juice from 1-2 lemons. I keep all the skins on the veggies for those added nutrients but peel whatever you don't want. Also, add cayanne pepper or green chillies for a spicy kick!

Directions: Combine all ingredients in food processor to desired smoothness (I like mine a little chunky) and chill before serving.
Top with:
Sour cream
Chopped cucumbers
Croutons
Chives
Crumbled bacon
Chopped hard boiled egg
Chopped cilantro
Chopped chilis

Spinach and Crab Stuffed Portabellas

You can tell I'm from the east coast when all my summer recipes include seafood! I actually had a version of this at Sushi place and tried making it home. Here's what I came up with.

Ingredients: 2 portabella mushrooms, 1 can of real crab meat, 1 bunch of fresh spinach chopped, 3 tbsp of whipped light cream cheese (feel free to use more or less as desired), a few tbsp of parmesean cheese, olive oil.

Directions: Lightly drizzle olive oil on washed mushrooms. Bake at 425 degrees for 4 minutes, then flip and cook other side 4 minutes. While baking, mix together crab meat, chopped spinach and cream cheese. Scoop on top of mushrooms and sprinkle with parmesean cheese (or your favorite shredded cheese) then bake for about 5-10 minutes (until bubbly, mushroom is tender all the way through, and cheese is melted).

Mango Shrimp Stir Fry

So healthy. So yummy. So simple.

Ingredients: shrimp, mango, edamame, red peppers, black beans, cashews, olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, soy sauce.

Directions: Cook shrimp on low until pink (about 3 minutes) and red peppers in a tbsp of olive oil and a fresh squeezed lemon. Cook edamame according to directions (usually boil for a few minutes). Drain and rinse black beans and microwave for 30 seconds until warm. Chop up mangoes. Mix all together with a tbsp of soy sauce and top with a small handful of cashews.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Salmon

This is so easy and common I probably shouldn't put it on my blog, but with summer ending and watermelons in bounty, here's a push for another great salad.

Ingredients: romaine lettuce and/or spinach, diced up watermelon, crumbled feta cheese, and a fillet of salmon.

Directions: Chop up lettuce and watermelon. Sprinkle on feta. Cook salmon in a skillet on medium heat for about 3 minutes each side. (I cook with a LITTLE bit of butter on the pan and keep it covered so it stays moist). Great with an Asian dressing.

Asian Steak Lettuce Wraps

This is the epitame of balance to me...Great protien with vegetables in something that ISN'T a stir fry. Warning, I'm not putting exact measurements on these recipes because I think it's good to cook what you need and want.

Ingredients: flank steak, red peppers, onions, sliced carrots, asian dressing, romaine lettuce

Directions: Grill steak flipping after 2 minutes (it cooks quick since it's thin). Slice red peppers, onions and carrots and steam in a pan over medium heat with a few tbsps on water until cooked (I like them a little crunchy so I don't cook all the way through). Clean lettuce, break off white ends, add steak and veggies and top with a drizzle of an asian dressing (my favorite is a lite soy ginger).

Variation: Add mango for a sweet twist!

Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt Cake with Oreo Crust

I couldn't even get a picture of this before it was almost gone and melted! This is a ridiculously easy recipe taking 2 pre-made ingredients and putting then together to create a summer favorite.

Ingredients: Your favorite frozen yogurt, a pre-made store bought oreo cookie pie crust. I love fruit and chocolate so that's the combo I went with but you can use strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt and graham cracker crust, mint chocolate chip and oreo crust, oreo and oreo, maple walnut and graham cracker crust...the possibilities are truly endless.

Directions: Put frozen yogurt in a bowl and mix until soft and soupy. Pour into pie crust and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Wild Rice with Dried Pomegranates and Cashews

This is embarrassing to post as a recipe, but it's a good alternative to a simple, healthy, side dish.
Ingredients: wild rice (in box or bag), 1/3 c. of dried pomegranates, 1/3 c. of cashews
Directions: Cook wild rice according to instructions. Add dried fruit and nuts. Done and done!

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

Not your ordinary potato salad! This is what I love about cooking...taking a recipe that I've seen a million times, especially as a child in the summer, and adding something different to make it a whole new world.

Ingredients: 6-7 red bliss potatoes, 1/2 c. mayonnaise, 1/2 c. light/no fat sour cream, 1/3 c. blue cheese crumbles, squirt of lemon juice, scallions. The real "red" in the name comes from chopped bacon pieces so add if you like, but you can't call low fat anymore.

Directions: Wash potatoes thoroughly (you can keep skin on or not). Boil water and cut potatoes into small cubes. Boil until cooked soft (about 7 minutes). Drain and rinse in cold water for a few minutes. Mix in sour cream and mayonnaise, a squirt of lemon, chopped scallions, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Adjust ingredients according to taste- I prefer less "dressing" but others prefer adding a little cayenne pepper or tabasco for some kick.

Curry Chicken Salad

Spice up your typical chicken salad with this flavorful variation.

Ingredients:1 1/2 c. chopped chicken breasts cooked, 1/3 c. of your favorite nuts (almonds and walnuts work best), 1/3 c. of your favorite dried fruit (I love dried cherries), 3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise, 1/2 stp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp curry powder, sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Directions: Cook chicken in sauce pan with 2 tbsp of water and cover on over medium heat until cooked all the way through. Chop chicken into small cubes. Once cooled, mix in nuts and fruit. In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder. The mix into chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve over spinach as a salad or in a sandwich. Also good over (whole wheat) English Muffins as an open faced sandwich.

Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

I've been dreaming of having a really nice food processor to make homemade pesto forever and the joy of having a registry has made that dream come true! I honestly like the original pesto better, but Jase is a boy and doesn't have to worry about fat so he likes it creamy. This forced me (shh, don't tell him) to find a recipe that didn't include butter and/or heavy whipping cream and I must have done a good job, because he didn't notice. I cheated and bought the tri-colored gnocchi making this a super easy recipe.

Ingredients: 1/3 c. walnuts finely chopped, 1/2 c. olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 2 c. fresh basil leaves, 1 8 oz container of low fat sour cream, 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, 1 pkg of gnocchi.

Directions: Cook pasta or gnocchi according to instructions. Pulse walnuts until fine pieces then add basil, garlic, and olive oil pulsing until smooth. Move mixture to a skillet and heat on medium heat then add sour cream and parmesan cheese. That's it!

Other Options:
Skip the sour cream and cheese all together. The original pesto is fabulous.
Mix into mashed potatoes or pour over a baked potato
Stir in a risotto
Use as a sandwich or burger spread
Add to scrambled eggs
Mix original pesto with cream cheese and spread on a bagel
Make brushetta and top with pesto and tomatoes
Add to grilled veggies
Use as a chicken marinade
Dollop over a nice grilled fish

Guiltless Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries and White Chocolate

I don't throw the words "guiltless" and "chocolate" together easily or without caution. This recipe was inspired from (or copied from) the TV show "Cook Yourself Thin" and has an amazing secret ingredient. We've all heard the healthy adaptations that blow kid's minds when you tell them their chocolate cake has zucchini in it or their cup cakes have apple sauce...this recipe will do the same!

Ingredients:
1 c fresh raspberries, 2 c. butternut squash peeled and finely grated, 1 handful of white chocolate chips if you want to keep this guiltless (2 if you don't care), 1 c. ground almonds, 1 1/4 c. sugar, 3 medium eggs, 1/4 self rising flour, 1/2 c cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pan with cooking spray, or use parchment paper to save calories. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until BIG and fluffy. Add butternut squash, ground almonds, flour, salt, and baking powder until well mixed. Pour half of this mixture into pan and sprinkle raspberries and white chips on top. Cover with remaining brownie mixture. Cook for 20 minutes then cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

Need an amazing way to save time on this recipe? Buy Trader Joe's No Pudge Brownie Mix, all you have to do is add vanilla yogurt. This is a much thicker recipe so you'll need to use a small square pan to spread 1/2 the mixture, add the raspberries and white chocolate, then add the other 1/2 of the mixture and spread the best you can.