Cherry-Port Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I love pork in the fall. This roast was especially easy to make and full of flavor.

Serves 12 ( 3 oz. pork = 5 points +)

• 3/4 c. ruby port ( or any red wine)
• 1/2 c. cherry preserves
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 ( 3 lb.) boneless pork loin
• 1 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 425.
Bring port to a boil and cook until reduced to 2 T. ( about 10 minutes). Stir in cherry preserves; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in thyme.

Combine garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub over pork.
Heat oil in a cast iron ( or nonstick ) pan. Brown pork on all sides. Place cast iron pan in the oven (if you don't have a cast iron pan, transfer pork to a jelly roll pan ). Cook for 20-30 minutes or until thermometer registers 135 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

"Cooking Light"

Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze

This banana bread tastes just like grandma's old-fashioned recipe, but with the added bonus of chocolate glaze! We all loved it!

Serves 16 ( 5 points +)

• 1 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1/4 c. skim milk
• 1/4 c. reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 egg whites
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2-1/2 T. half and half
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped ( I used mini chocolate chips)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray

Combine sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and beat until blended well. Add bananas, milk, sour cream, and egg whites.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat until just blended. ( do not overbeat). Spoon batter into loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cook in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Place half and half and chocolate in a microwave -safe dish. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Cool slightly. Spread over bread.

"Cooking Light"

Zucchini- Carrot Muffins

This recipe slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour is delectable! I made this recipe twice in two days because these muffins disappeared that quickly! I opted to use dried cranberries, but you can use any dried fruit you like. 

Makes 8 ( 5 points +)

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. grated zucchini
• 1 c. grated carrot
• 1/4 c. dried fruit
• 1/4 c. ground flax seed
• 3/4 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and salt. Stir in zucchini, carrot, and dried fruit. 
Add flax seed, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir until just combined. 

Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray or use paper liners. Spoon batter into muffin tins to fill 8 cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! 

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

No-Bake Peach Pie

Ahh! The lazy, warm days of August~ a perfect time for a no-bake pie,  and what better pie to make this month than peach? This pie is a snap to put together, but does require a few hours of chilling time.

Serves 10 ( 5 points +)

• 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs ( about 5 sheets)
• 1/4 tsp. salt. divided
• 1 T. butter
• 3-1/2 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 5 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. frozen Cool Whip Free, thawed
• 2 T. peach preserves
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 medium peaches, pitted and cut into wedges

Combine crumbs, 1/8 tsp. salt in a food processor; process until combined. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, stirring until chocolate is smooth. Add to the processor; pulse until combined. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Freeze 20 minutes or until set.

Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Gently fold in Cool Whip.
Carefully spread filling over bottom of crust.
Place preserves in a large microwave safe bowl; microwave 30 seconds or until bubbly. Stir in remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and lemon juice. Add peaches and toss to combine.
Arrange peach wedges over pie. Chill for 3 hours before serving.

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Honey Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

My niece recently returned from Spain and brought me a jar of the most delicious honey. I knew I wanted to try them out for this recipe! This recipe is a variation of the "Tuscan Lemon Muffins" on my blog. They are the ultimate summery muffin! The ricotta makes these muffins light and airy and full of flavor. I hope you like them. The adapted recipe came from a site called " Table forTwo ".

Makes 12 muffins ( 5 points +)

• 1-3/4 c. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. part-skim ricotta
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 2 T. chia seeds
• 2 T. honey, melted

Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix together, ricotta, water, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a wooden spoon. Add chia seeds and gently fold into batter.

Divide batter evenly into muffin tins. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 5 minutes then brush with melted honey. Cool completely.

Black Bean- Cilantro Rice

serves 4 ( 1/2 c. rice and 2/3 c. bean mixture = 5 points +)

• 2 c. cooked rice
• 3/4 c. chopped onion
• 1 T. crushed garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 T. olive oil
• 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. fat-free chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. salt1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
• 2 T. queso fresco, crumbled

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno,  garlic,  and cumin. Cook until onion softens. Add beans and chicken broth. Cook 6 minutes. Lightly mash with a fork. Top rice with bean mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco.

"Cooking Light"

Peach Glazed Chicken

Serves 4 ( 5 points +)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves ( 4 oz. each)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 T. canola oil
• 1/2 c.  fat-free chicken broth
• 1/4 c. peach preserves
• 1 T. white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Heat a large nonstick skillet. Add oil and swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook about 4 minutes per side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add chicken broth, preserves, vinegar, and mustard to the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid reduces and thickens to form a glaze. Spoon glaze over chicken.

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Cherries and Shallots

We had company for dinner last night and I wanted to make sure there was enough, so I quadrupled this recipe, but only doubled the cherry mixture. We had plenty! This pork was very moist and juicy and the cherry topping is perfect for this time of year.

Serves 4 ( 3 oz. pork and about 2/3 c. sauce = 5 points +)

1 T. canola oil
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 ( 1 lb) pork tenderloin
3 shallots, quartered
8 oz. fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 c. fat-free chicken broth
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425. Heat a large cast iron skillet ( or oven-proof skillet) over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. oil Swirl to coat. 
Combine 1/2 tsp. salt with the remaining spices. Rub pork evenly with spice mixture. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn pork over and place pan in oven for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140-145 degrees. Remove pork from pan; place on a cutting board. Let pork stand 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices.

Add shallots and cherries to pan and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt. Add broth, vinegar and brown sugar to pan. Place pan back in the oven and cook 15 minutes or liquid is syrupy.

Serve cherry mixture over pork. 

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Pork Tenderloin With Mango Salsa

Easy and delicious!

Serves 8 ( 3 oz. cooked pork with mango salsa = 5 points +)

• 2 ( 1 lb each) pork tenderloins
• salt and pepper
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 c. chopped red onion
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. chopped, fresh cilantro

Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add pork. Brown on all sides and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with a dash of salt. Serve with pork.

Blueberry Buttermilk Panackes

I tried this recipe today for breakfast. The pancakes are fluffy and taste delicious! The original recipe was found on this site.

serves 8 ( 2 pancakes = 5 points +)

• 1 c .fresh blueberries
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 T. sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. low-fat buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine flour with next five ingredients ( through sugar). Place blueberries in a small bowl and toss with 3 T. flour mixture.
In another bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and lemon zest. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberry mixture. Let stand 5 minutes.

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Add batter by 1/4 cupfuls. Cook until golden brown on one side, flip and cook until done. Repeat with remaining batter. 

Serve with syrup if desired.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

A great pasta salad to serve with any Mexican dish or grilled entree.

Serves 8 ( about 3/4 c. = 5 points +)

• 1 c. uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 c. frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 24 grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 ( 15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 c. low-fat buttermilk
• 3 T. chopped, fresh cilantro, divided
• 3 T. fresh lime juice
• 2 T. fat-free sour cream
• 2 T. light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp. crushed garlic
• 1 peeled, diced avocado
• 1 T. fresh, chopped parsley

Cook pasta; drain and rinse in cold water. 
Place orzo, corn and next 3 ingredients ( through beans) in a large bowl; toss.

Combine buttermilk, 2 T. cilantro and next 7 ingredients ( through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture; toss. Gently stir in avocado. Garnish with remaining 1 T. cilantro and 1 T. parsley.

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Curried Chicken Salad With Cashews and Grapes

Another great recipe adapted from the cookbook " Eating in Color" by Frances Largeman-Roth. This is perfect for a luncheon or light supper.

Serves 8 ( 2/3 c. = 5 points +)

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 c. low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 T. grated lemon zest
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. red grapes, quartered
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/3 c. chopped cashews
• Romaine lettuce

For dressing, whisk together yogurt, mayo, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and curry powder. 
Place cooked, chopped chicken in a large bowl. Stir in dressing to coat. Add celery, grapes, cranberries and cashews. Stir gently to mix. Serve on top of Romaine lettuce leaves. 

Lemon Berry Trifle

A couple of weeks ago, I tried a recipe for lemon pound cake. It was easy to make and tasted awesome. I decided to make it again, this time using it in a trifle. A trifle is a traditional English dessert made with layers of cake, some kind of custard or whipped cream, berries, etc. Since it is spring, I thought lemon would be a nice flavor to try.

Serves 16 ( about 2/3 c. = 5 points +)

• 1 lemon pound cake ( recipe here)
• 2 small boxes lemon, sugar-free, fat-free instant pudding
• 3 c. skim milk
• 1 ( 8 oz) container Cool Whip Free
• 4 c. berries of your choice. I used raspberries and blackberries.

After your lemon pound cake is made and cooled, cut into cubes.

For filling, whisk together pudding and milk until thickened. Let stand 2 minutes to thicken more. Fold in Cool Whip.

Place about 1/2 c. filling in the bottom of your trifle dish. Top with 1/3 of cake, 1/3 and remaining filling and 1/3 of berries. Repeat twice. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Peanut Butter Chicken Salad

A nice light luncheon or dinner entree, the ingredients for this salad can be prepped ahead of time and put together right before serving.

serves 8 ( 1 c. chicken mixture on top of a bed of spinach = 5 points +)

• 1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
• 1 large English cucumber, cut into thin sticks
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 can ( 15 oz) bean sprouts, drained
• 1/4 c. reduced-fat natural peanut butter
• 1/2 c. fat-free chicken broth
• 4 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 T. olive oil
• baby spinach

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.
Place carrots, cucumber, onions and bean sprouts in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, chicken broth and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with pepper.

Pour the peanut sauce over the vegetables. Add cooked chicken and toss to coat.

Place a handful of spinach on top of each plate and top with 1 c. chicken mixture. Serve immediately.

Lemon Pound Cake

What a delightful spring-time dessert this was! This is fairly easy to make and is very versatile. Serve it with berries or ice-cream, use left-overs for toast or French toast. This is one recipe you will want to make again and again!

serves 12 ( 5 points +)

• 6 T. butter
• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 325 and spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice in another bowl and set aside.

Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar in two additions beating until blended after each. Add the sour cream mixture and mix. Add half of the flour mixture and mix again. Stir in remaining flour mixture by hand.

Transfer dough to loaf pan. Bake 45-60 minutes or until lightly golden and springs back when touched.
Cool completely in pan.

adapted from the cookbook: "Eating in Color" by Frances Largeman-Roth

Maple and Soy Glazed Flank Steak

The marinating time on this recipe is fairly short, making this a good weeknight choice.

serves 4 ( 5 points +)

• 1 ( 1 lb.) flank steak
• 1/4 c. less-sodium soy sauce
• 3 T. sugar free maple syrup ( I used Log Cabin)
• 2 T. dry sherry or white wine
• 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp. Sriracha ( Asian hot chile sauce)
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preheat broiler. Pierce steak gently on both sides. Combine steak and remaining ingredients in a shallow dish; turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Remove steak from marinade and reserve marinade. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with nonstick spray. Pour reserved marinade in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring well. Cook about 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

Brush steak with half of glaze; broil 5 minutes. Turn steak over, and brush with remaining glaze; broil 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut diagonally across grain into thin slices.

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Lemon Blueberry Waffles

We enjoyed these healthy, home-made waffles for breakfast this week. The original recipe comes from a site called "The Gracious Pantry"www.thegraciouspantry.com". I have adapted it slightly and I cut the recipe in half since there were only a few of us for breakfast that morning. These can also be made into pancakes if you do not have a waffle maker.

Makes 5 waffles ( 5 points + each. Add additional points for syrup)

• 1-1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 2 c. vanilla almond milk
• 1 egg
•  1 egg white
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• zest of one lemon
• 1 c. fresh blueberries

Whisk all ingredients together, except for blueberries in a large bowl. Stir in berries.
Spray your waffle maker well as blueberries can stick. Cook as you normally would cook your waffles.

Winter Salad

Blood Oranges, Mango and Pomegranate make this a perfect winter salad. The colors are so bright and cheery that they will lift your mood, and the fruits and mixed greens are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants making this a very healthy choice. For the dressing, I used an orange- infused olive oil and a white balsamic vinegar. Feel free to substitute whatever flavors you like for olive oil or vinegar, though.

serves 8 ( 5 points +)
Salad:

• 1 c. pomegranate arils
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 3 blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly
• 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
• 5 oz. mixed salad greens

Dressing:

• 2 oz. orange olive oil
• 2 oz. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 T. honey
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Place mixed greens in a large bowl. Top with remaining salad ingredients. 
For dressing, place all ingredients in a jar with a lid. Cover and shake well. Drizzle dressing over salad right before serving and toss gently to coat.

Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops

Citrus fruits are at their best in Mid-winter and add a pop to roasted meats, desserts and salads. Oranges, limes and orange marmalade are used in this recipe. 

serves 6 ( 5 points +)

• 1/2 c. fresh orange juice ( about 2 oranges)
• 2 T. orange marmalade
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. canola oil
• 6 ( 4 oz) boneless, lean pork chops
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
• 2 T. lime juice

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine orange juice, marmalade and mustard in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until syrupy.
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over meidum-hig heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook 5 minutes or until browned. Turn pork. Add onion to the pan. Pour juice mixture over pork Bake for 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 140. Remove onion from pan. Return pan to medium-high heat; add lime juice. cook until mixture is syrupy. Transfer pork to a platter and drizzle with sauce.

adapted from "Cooking Light"

Orange Cranberry Wheat Germ Muffins

I love the combination of orange and cranberry. The key to making muffins that are moist rather than dry and stiff is not to over mix them. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just moist.  These muffins are hearty, healthy, and delicious!

Makes 12 ( 5 points+)

• 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. wheat germ
• 1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind
• 1/2 c. fresh orange juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 T. Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375 and spray or muffin cups with nonstick spray.

Combine flour and next seven ingredients ( through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
Combine brown sugar, oil, orange rind, juice and eggs; stir until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when center is touched.

"Cooking Light"