Chili

It's a cold and snowy night, which means it's perfect for chili and cornbread! It seems like every time I make chili, I use a new recipe. Some are good, some are great, and some are pretty damn worthless. But this one, is delicious! It's easy, quick, very chunky, spicy and pretty much perfect.

I did make a few changes, as per the suggestions of fellow readers on Allrecipes, and added 2 links of pepper/onion pork sausage. My changes are noted below. The chili starts off pretty thick, so it's great for a weeknight when you only have a few hours, vs. an entire day to let the chili thicken up. We served it with a side of cornbread, of course! And that recipe is also below.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (I used 1 lb ground beef, and 1/2 lb pepper/onion sausage)
  
• 1 (23 fluid ounce) can tomato juice (I used 23oz tomato sauce)
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (I used a 15oz can of diced tomatoes, drained)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
  
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  
• 1/4 cup chili powder
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  
• 2 cups canned red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  

Directions

1. Place ground beef & sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and put back in pan.
2. Add all ingredients to a large kettle. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Meatloaf

It's always so difficult to find the perfect meatloaf recipe. One that's not too dry, not too wet, not too chunky, but just chunky enough, not too sweet, but not too spicy. This time, I think I've found the winning recipe! It's from Allrecipes, of course. The original recipe calls for buffalo meat, but I used a meatloaf mix (pork, veal and beef) instead. It was delicious! Full of flavor, and chunky with veggies, not too sweet, and just a little spicy. I served it with some Texas Toast and steamed veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 slice multigrain bread
  
• 1 pound ground buffalo meat (I substituted meatloaf mix and it was perfect!)
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 dash ground black pepper
  
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Crumble the bread slice into crumbs and set aside. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Thoroughly mix ground buffalo meat, onion, egg, ground mustard, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
3. Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape about 8x4 inches and place into the middle of the baking dish. Apply ketchup to the top and sides of the meatloaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven until meat is no longer pink and ketchup forms a glaze over the meatloaf, 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet & Spicy Pork

This is probably one of the easiest marinades I've ever made, and it's full of flavor! We used it on pork loin, but I think it would be equally delicious on chicken, especially if it's grilled. The marinade only has 4 ingredients, but it's full of flavor -- sweet, spicy, smokey, and slightly salty.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you can buy these in a can in the International aisle, and they last forever)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into blender or small food processor. Process until smooth.

I used a pork loin, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, and marinated it in this for about 2 hours. Then I cut up an onion and stir fried everything together, serving over rice. Next time, I'm going to marinate chicken and grill them! Yum!

Thai Pork Salad

It's been pretty hot and humid these past few weeks, so while I was at the library, I picked up a fantastic cookbook that's all about salads, called Simply Salads, by Jennifer Chandler. The beauty of the book is that each salad can be made with a package of mixed salad greens and just a few ingredients. Also, there are a ton of recipes for freshly made salad dressings. The first salad we made was a Thai Beef Salad, but I used pork loin instead of beef. The marinade was good, but I didn't like the dressing, so I made something different. The final product was very light, and full of flavor, perfect for a hot Summer night.

Ingredients

• 1/2lb pork loin, trimmed, and cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1/4 small onion, sliced thinly
• 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint (I really didn't taste much mint with all the other ingredients, and would probably omit it next time)
• 1 bag Hearts of Romaine
• 1/2 cup corasely chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts

Marinade

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 T grated ginger (I used 1 tsp ginger paste)
  
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
  

Directions

1. Place the pork in a shallow dish. Pour 1/3 of the marinade over the pork and marinate 2-3 hours. Reserve the rest of the marinade for use later.
   
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and cook pork 3 minutes. Add onions to pan and continue cooking until pork is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook it!
   
3. In a large bowl, combined sliced pork, cucumber, onions, cilantro, mint and lettuce. Add dressing to taste, and toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve immediately.

Thai Pork Springrolls w/Peanut Sauce

This was sort of done on a whim, in order to use up a pork loin that had been in the fridge for a few days. Justin really wanted to make spring rolls, and we had some wrappers leftover from our last attempt a few months ago, so we gave it another shot. I also made a light peanut sauce to drizzle over them. They're not the prettiest things, but they were delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
• pepper
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 head green cabbage, sliced thinly
• 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
• 2 carrots, julienned
• fresh basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• hot sauce
• 6 spring roll wrappers (the kind you soak in hot water before using)

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in large saute pan. Add pork and ginger, stir-frying just until cooked. Be careful not to overcook! Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In same pan, add cabbage and onions, cooking approximately 3 minutes until slightly wilted but still crunchy. You may need to add a smidge more oil to your pan to keep the cabbage from burning. Once cooked, remove cabbage/onion mixture and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, sesame oil and soy sauce until a thin sauce is formed. I used approximately 2T peanut butter, 2 T sesame oil and 1T soy sauce, but I kept adding a little of this and a little of that, so those amounts may not be entirely correct. Just keep adding those 3 ingredients until you have a sauce that's thin, but not watery. And add a few drops of hot sauce to kick it up a notch!
4. Prepare springroll wrappers according to package directions. Mine said to soak in hot water for 15 seconds, then place on a damp cloth and blot dry. Then I added the cabbage/onion mixture, pork, drizzle of sauce, raw carrots, and basil. Wrap each roll like a burrito and slice in half before serving.

Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa

This recipe is originally from Allrecipes. It took about 10 minutes to prepare and about 30 minutes to cook, so it's perfect for a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time. The pork is tender and juicy and just a tad bit sweet, while the salsa is sweet and spicy. I used hot sauce instead of jalapeno peppers, because I didn't have any peppers, and it turned out perfectly. We had a side of couscous with it and the salsa complimented the couscous as well.

Ingredients

• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
  
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

Salsa

• 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
• 1/3 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (I used Sriracha hot sauce instead)
  
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (I tripled this as we are big cilantro fans)
  
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Place pork on a greased rack in a foil-lined shallow roasting pan. Combine the brown sugar, mustard and ginger; spread over pork. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
2. In a bowl, combine the salsa ingredients. Serve with pork.

Korean Spicy Pork

I found this on Allrecipes, and while I don't know quite how authentic this recipe really is, it's damn tasty and very easy to make. A little sweet, a touch spicy, and very garlicky. Just the way the Bickford's like their food! I marinated the pork overnight in the sauce, along with the green and white onions, so that all I had to do was stir-fry it when I was ready to make dinner the next night. Super simple, full of flavor, and definitely going on our "staple" list. While stir-frying, there was a lot of water that came out, I guess from the onions? So I'd recommend draining it halfway through and getting rid of all that extra liquid.

This would also probably be very tasty with flank steak, cut into thin strips and stir fried. It's on my list to try in the next few weeks, and I will update the post after I do!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup gochu jang (Korean hot pepper paste) (I didn't have this, so I used about a teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce in stead)
  
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root (I cut this in half and it was plenty gingery!)
  
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick rings
• 1 (2 pound) pork loin, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• canola oil

Directions

1. Stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar, green onions, and yellow onion in a large bowl. Mix in the pork slices, mixing well until completely coated. Place into a resealable plastic bag, squeeze out any excess air, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.
2. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir fry until the pork is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remember to drain the liquid halfway through cooking, if it seems like there is an excessive amount of water in the pan. Serve over white rice.

Yogurt Marinated Pork Chops

For some reason, Justin had been CRAVING yogurt marinated pork chops. Not sure where it came from, but he wanted them. So I found a quick recipe online and off I went to defrost some pork and start the marinating process. These really couldn't be easier. Marinate for 4 hours, stick in the oven. Done. We broiled some Brussels sprouts too, so the whole dinner took about 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook. Fantastic, if you ask me!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
  

Directions:

1. Rinse and clean the pork chops. Trim any attached fat.
   
2. In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, salt and chili powder. Add the chops to the marinade and mix gently till all sides are evenly coated. Refrigerate the marinated chops for 2-4 hours, turning the pieces once in between.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 350.
   
4. Lift the chops from the marinade and place on the baking tray coated with tin foil. Bake 40 minutes or until done.

Other Brother Dave's Pork Tenderloin

Since we both have brothers named Dave, I commonly refer to Justin's brother as "Other Brother Dave" to avoid confusion. This is his recipe for slow cooked pork tenderloin, and it's quite delicious. He first made it for us at Christmas, and I was shocked to find out just how easy it is to cook. Four ingredients, in the slow cooker, and 7 hours later you've got a full meal on the table. yum! I love the sweetness of the cranberries, and the tang from the mustard. It's a perfect compliment to the pork.

Ingredients

• 1 16oz can of cranberry jelly
  
• 3 T of fresh lemon or orange juice (I prefer orange)
  
• 4 T of dijon mustard
  
• 3 T of brown sugar
  
• 2 pounds pork tenderloins

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients, through brown sugar, to form a sauce. Place pork tenderloins in slow cooker and cover with sauce.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or high 4-5 hrs
3. Add potatoes and carrots, if desired, about 3 hours into cooking process. I also quartered an onion and threw that in the crockpot for some more flavor.

Pork Tenderloin with Mango-Soy-Ginger marinade

Mangoes were on sale this week at the grocery store, and I just couldn't resist. It's been so long since we've cooked with them, so I bought 2 and figured I'd find a way to use them later! Of course, there's a Costco pork tenderloin in the freezer, as always, so I started looking up recipes for a mango pork tenderloin. Came across this one, that looks darn tasty. I made the marinade a day in advance so the pork could sit in it overnight and soak up all those yummy flavors.

I served this with some rice, that I cooked with 2 tablespoons of the Paprika Spice Blend I made the other night for pork. It gave the rice a nice smokey, sort of spicy flavor that paired nicely with the pork.

Ingredients

• 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons pure olive oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup mango chutney (I chopped up a fresh mango instead and it was perfect!)
  
• 1 12-16 oz. pork tenderloin

Directions

1. Heat oil until shimmering and then add onions. Turn heat to low and cook onions until very tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine the cooked onions and the rest of the ingredients except for the pork. Stir well to combine and then pour into a Ziploc bag. Put the pork tenderloin in the bag and seal. Shake well to thoroughly coat the pork. Allow pork to marinate for at least six hours, or up to 24 hours.
3. About 45 minutes before dinnertime, start your grill. When the coals reach medium heat (when you can just stand to hold your hand over the grill for about 5 seconds), put the pork on the grill. Turn frequently, cooking until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 140F, about 35 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, take the remaining marinade and heat it in a saucepan on the stove. Bring the sauce to a full boil until it is reduced to a nice thick sauce. Pour it into a little bowl and set aside.
5. When the pork is ready, remove from grill and let it sit. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for the first few minutes, and then it will begin to cool and the juices will absorb back into the tissues. After about 10 minutes, when the meat has begun to cool a little, carve into 1/2 inch thick slices and fan 4-5 slices on each plate. Pour the carving juices into your bowl of sauce, swirl to combine, and spoon the sauce over the pork.

The pork looks pink, and raw towards the top right of the picture, but it's actually just from the smoker we used to cook it. We've found when we smoke meats, especially the pork tenderloin, they end up with a bright pink color. It's fully cooked though, don't worry!!

Pork Tenderloin & Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes

Yet another 2 recipes from Cooking Light -- November 2008 edition. Costco has such a wonderful deal on pork tenderloins, we always have at least 1 in the freezer. So I'm always on the lookout for new recipes that use pork tenderloin, which is one of our favorite cuts of meat. This recipe is so quick and easy, it's a great recipe for weeknights when you're short on time. Full of flavor, easy to cook, and goes well with just about any side dish you might have on hand. I chose to pair it with the Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes, which is also a quick and simple dish.

Paprika Spice Rub

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 T salt
• 2 T ground cumin
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 T ground black pepper
• 1 T garlic powder

Combine all ingredients; store in airtight container.

Pork Tenderloin with Paprika Spice Rub

• 1 tablespoon Paprika Spice Blend
  
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Rub Paprika Spice Blend over pork. Place pork in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 500 degrees for 20 minutes until it reaches 155 degrees.

Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes

• 3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 T butter
• 3/4 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 3 T chopped fresh chives (I used green onions instead and thinly sliced them)
  

Directions

1. Place potatoes in saucepan and cover with cold water to 2 inches above. Add 1/4 tsp salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 min or until tender; drain. Return the potatoes to pan over low heat; add remaining 1 tsp salt and butter to pan. Mash potatoes until desired consistency.
2. Add cheese and pepper to potato mixture; stir until cheese melts. Stir in milk; cook 1 min until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in chives.

Quick Ribs

You guessed it...back ribs were on sale! $1.49/lb instead of the usual $2.99/lb. So I picked up a rack and found a recipe on allrecipes.com that sounded pretty good. They were quick and easy to make, and surprisingly tender for only cooking for 2 hours. I usually cook ribs all day in the oven, so this was a nice change.

I served it with some garlic & basil polenta that I just fried in a bit of oil. We had a big lunch, so we weren't super hungry by the time dinner rolled around...

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef back ribs
• 1/2 cup ketchup
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
  

Directions

1. Cut ribs into serving-size pieces; place in a large kettle and cover with water. Simmer, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes (I recommend 90 minutes) or until tender. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain ribs; place in a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Cover with sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.

Saucy Pork Stir-Fry

This recipe is from the free Kraft foods magazine that comes quarterly. I love pork stir-fry dishes, so of course we had to try this one. I was a bit skeptical, because there aren't a ton of seasonings in it, but it actually came out very flavorful and saucy, just like the recipe says!

We served it with Cauliflower Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 oz sugar snap peas
• 3 green onions, diagonally sliced
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger - I was so not in the mood for ginger, so I used some sesame oil instead!
  

Directions

1. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add peppers and peas; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onions; cook and stir 1 minute.

2. Mix soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger until well blended. Add to meat mixture in skillet; cook 1 minute, or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Serve over rice, if desired.

Pork Chops with Yams and Peaches

This is a very Fall-esque dish, but it sounded tasty, so we made it anyway! Justin LOVES sweet potatoes, and anything having to do with them, so I knew this would be right up his alley. And we had a can of peaches in the cabinet from a prior roommate, so it was just a good way to use them up and make something new and different. I loved the flavor of the dish. The sweet potatoes and peaches go well together and made for a sweet, but not sticky sweet, sauce.

However, we are not fans of pork chops. The cut is just too tough for our liking. So next time, I'd probably make it with a tenderloin chop or something a little more tender. It was still juicy and flavorful, but just too tough.

The recipe is from WW, Cook It Quick and was super easy to prepare. The original recipe called for pears, but also said you can substitute pineapple or apricots in place of the pear, so I used that can of peaches we had laying around.

Ingredients

• Oil
  
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 pork loin chops
• 1 15oz can yams in light syrup, drained
• 1 15oz can peach slices in peach juice, drained (reserve 1/2 cup of juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. In a large sealable plastic bag, mix the flour, curry powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add the pork and shake to coat.

2. Transfer the pork to the skillet; saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.

3. Meanwhile, cut the yams into bite-size chunks; add to the pork with the peaches, reserved peach juice, thyme, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 5 minutes; uncover and simmer until the pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.

Sesame Pork over Couscous

I got bored with some of my standard cookbooks, so a quick trip to the library temporarily fixed that. I picked up the Cooking Light book, "Low-Fat Ways to Stir-Fry." Just from flipping through it, there seem to be quite a few good looking recipes in a variety of ethnic origins (Italian, Asian, Greek, and a few more).

Tonight's recipe was delicious! I marinated the pork for about 3 hours and it was so tender and flavorful. The original recipe calls for shrimp, but due to a food allergy, I had to substitute something else.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into strips (original recipe says 1 pound unpeeled medium-size fresh shrimp)
  
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3.5 cups canned no-salt-added chicken broth, divided
• 1.5 cups couscous, uncooked
• 2 cups fresh broccoli
• 1 cup julienne-sliced sweet red pepper
• 1 cup fresh snow pea pods, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. If using shrimp, peel and devein. Combine shrimp/pork, green onions, and next 4 ingredients in a bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2. Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in couscous; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; set aside, and keep warm.

3. Coat a wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat at medium-high. Add shrimp/pork mixture; stir-fry 4 minutes or until cooked. Remove from wok, and set aside.

4. Add broccoli, sweet red pepper and snow peas to wok; stir-fry 3 minutes at medium-high. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth; stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to wok; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

5. Stir in shrimp/pork mixture and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. For each serving, spoon 1 cup shrimp/pork mixture over 1 cup couscous and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds. Yield 4 servings.

Pork Pad Thai, kinda?

This recipe looked so good in the cookbook (WW Take-Out Tonight), I had to try it. I'm not sure I can technically call it "Pad Thai" because I didn't use the peanuts, but whatever, it was darn tasty and I'll definitely be making it again no matter what it's called!

The original recipe calls for shrimp and peanuts, but I am allergic to shellfish (substituted pork) and don't really like peanuts in savory dishes, so I omitted them. The final dish was sweet, slightly spicy and really flavorful. The rice stick noodles are so easy to cook with and not nearly as heavy as traditional Italian pasta.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound rick-stick noodles (I used 1 6oz package)
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used pork loin and cut it into very thin strips, about 1/4 inch wide)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon hot chili sauce (I used 1/2 T and it was plenty spicy!)
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 Tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Place the noodles in a large pot and add enough hot water to cover; let stand until the noodles are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Drain, transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water to cool, and drain again. Set aside. (I boiled water, added the noodles and turned off burner. Drain, pour cold water over noodles, drain again.)

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the shrimp (or whatever protein you use). Cook until shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the egg whites, stirring gently, until they begin to set, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and soy sauce; cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Add the drained noodles and the bean sprouts; cook, tossing gently, until mixed and heated through, 2-3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Roasted Sesame Pork & Garlic Broccoli

For Hanukkah, I got a fabulous new cookbook. Weight Watchers, "Take-Out Tonight." I was hoping for some great Chinese food recipes, Thai and Italian, and this book definitely delivers. Tonight I made a Thai Sesame Pork and paired it with some Chinese Garlic Broccoli. Both dishes were excellent!

Roasted Sesame Pork
Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1lb pork tenderloin
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover roasting pan with foil.

2. Combine soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger and garlic in bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, then add to soy mixture and turn to evenly coat.

3. Place pork in roasting pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roast to 160 degrees, about 20 - 25 minutes. Transfer pork to carving board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (found in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups broccoli, cut into florets

Directions

1. Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through sugar) in small bown; set aside.

2. Heat nonstick wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, then garlic. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens, about 1 - 2 minutes.

Pan Seared Pork Loin & Couscous

I wasn't brought up eating any pork products for the most part, so cooking pork loin is a whole new thing for me. I seasoned this one with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Then pan seared it and finished in the oven. I have to say, it was pretty darn tasty! And easy to make too.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp crushed rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub pork tenderloin on all sides with olive oil. Mix remaining spices together in small bowl, and gently massage into pork.

2. Heat cast iron skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Sear pork on each side for 1 minute, just until brown.

3. Move skillet from stovetop to oven and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through. I cook pork to 150 degrees which leaves it slightly pink on the inside and very juicy.

I served it with a side of garlic couscous and a few pomegranate seeds for a slight tartness. The pomegranate actually complements the pork very nicely, even though it sounds a bit odd!

Easy Italian Stew

Another Kraft recipe. This is definitely a hearty and warming dish for those cold or dreary nights. It's full of flavor and would work well with some red wine and crusty bread. This makes about 5 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Ingredients

• 2 T Italian Dressing
• 1 lb Italian Sausage
• 2 cans chicken broth (I only had 1, and it was plenty. 2 would've been too runny)
  
• onions, peppers, or other stir-fry vegetables (I used peppers, onion and snap peas)
  
• 1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup macaroni, uncooked
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (I only had Asiago and it complemented the dish quite nicely)
  

Directions

1. Heat dressing in large saucepan on medium heat. Add sausage; cook 8-10 min or until cooked through, stirring occasionally to break sausage into small pieces.

2. Add broth, stir-fry vegetables, beans and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8-10 min or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Ladle into 8 serving bowls and top with cheese.

Slow Cooked Root Beer Pork

Original recipe from Allrecipes.com. My husbands FAVORITE thing in the world is root beer, so when I saw this recipe online, I knew we had to try it. We served this with a light salad on the side and for a hot Summer night, it was perfect. And what's easier than throwing 2 ingredients into a slow cooker for 6 hours?! I don't think I can find a simpler, better tasting dish. By the way, this definitely doesn't taste like root beer. The soda just makes it tender and a tad bit sweet.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 6 ounces root beer
• 1/2 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
• 2 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Shred pork using 2 forks. Stir in BBQ sauce and serve on hamburger buns.