Pork with Mustard Thyme Butter and Roasted Kale and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. butter, room temperature
6 oz. kalettes (or chopped kale)
1 small red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
3 sprigs of thyme, stemmed
2 boneless pork chops, fat trimmed
2 tsp. course ground mustard
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Spread the kale and onion in an even layer on the prepared sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the kale is cooking, season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a medium size pan at medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Place the pork chops on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 6-8 minutes until fully cooked. Let rest while getting the plates ready.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, mustard, thyme and 1/4 tsp. pepper together. Add the kale and onion to the plate, pork chops next to the salad, and then top each chop with half of the thyme butter.

Hummus Roasted Veggies

This recipe for yummy roasted vegetables uses something that is always in our refrigerator, which is hummus. It can be so versatile, using olive hummus, garlic, black bean, roasted red pepper or garlic. The hummus caramelizes on the outside of the vegetables making them slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. hummus (I used roasted beets and garlic)
Broccoli florets
Baby carrots
Mini bell peppers, cut in half
Onion, sliced in wedges

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Preheat the pan lined with parchment paper for 10 minutes in the oven while it is preheating. In a large bowl, mix the cut vegetables with the hummus. If the hummus is too thick, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Use your hands for this part. Spread the veggies out on the heated pan and roast for 20 minutes, flipping over half way through.

Easy Beef Bourguignon

The weather, although still very warm for us here in Michigan and still with no snow, has been starting to cool down a bit. It is officially time to bring out the slow cooker to make life easier. This easy Beef Bourguignon recipe is the perfect comfort food for colder weather!


Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless beef top sirloin steak, trimmed
1/2 c. flour
4 slices reduced sodium bacon, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
8 small red potatoes, unpeeled, cut in quarters
8 oz. container of mushrooms, sliced
1 bag frozen pearl onions
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. reduced sodium beef broth

Cut the beef into 1 inch pieces and place in a medium size bowl. Add the flour to the meat and toss until every piece of meat is coated in flour. If you have remaining flour, shake of the excess. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and stir until the bacon is about half cooked, then add the beef. Brown the beef as well as you can on all sides.

Layer the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and seasonings in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the beef mixture on top. Pour the beef broth over everything and cover. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Mini French Onion Meatloaves

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 egg
1 c. Panko
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. Ketchup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Spray with nonstick spray. In a medium size bowl, mix together the turkey, egg, Panko, onion soup mix and pepper. Form into two equal size ovals. Place on the tinfoil and spread the top of each with Ketchup. Bake for 40 minutes. Let slightly cool and serve.

Brown Sugar and Mustard Pork Tenderloin

 

This way of cooking pork tenderloin keeps the meat SO moist while cooking and leaves it being fork tender rather than chewy. The onions melt in your mouth and the thyme oddly goes very well with the brown sugar and mustard. And it was so easy! The only thing that gets messy is the knife to cut the extra fat off, and then tinfoil that you throw away at the end of the meal!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, excess fat removed
1/4 c. whole grain mustard (or stone ground)
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. fresh thyme (plus more for topping)
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the mustard, brown sugar and thyme with a fork or whisk until everything is mixed well. Place a sheet of tinfoil (big enough to roll the edges up later) on a flat work surface.

Lay the onions in a thin layer about the size of the pork tenderloin on the center of the tinfoil. Place the pork on top. Spread half of the mustard mixture on top. Fold the tops of the foil down, followed by the ends to seal the pork in a packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and open the top of the packet. Brush the top of the tenderloin with the remaining mustard mixture. Broil for two minutes to allow the mustard to form a crust on top. Let the meat rest for at least ten minutes before slicing. Place the sliced pork on your serving platter and spoon the onions and mustard sauce on top to keep the pork moist. Sprinkle a small amount of fresh thyme on top.

Spinach and Caramelized Onion Egg Cups

Ingredients:

10 eggs
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. Fontina cheese, shredded (or use sharp white cheddar)
1/4 c. onion, caramlized
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Place 3 or 4 spinach leaves at the bottom of each cup. Crack an egg on top of the spinach.  Top the uncooked egg with about 1 teaspoon of both the Fontina cheese and onion. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the yolk is fully cooked through and the cheese is golden brown on top. (If you want a runny yolk, cook for about 10 minutes or just until the whites are cooked).

Use a spoon to gently remove from the pan. I like to sit them on a paper towel for a few minutes to drain any grease from the cheese that is at the bottom. These are also amazing with a few dashes of hot sauce!

* These egg cups are only 2 weight watchers points per egg, and the recipe makes 10 servings.

Leftover Pot Roast Hash

Ingredients:

Potatoes, onion and celery from the Crock Pot Roast recipe
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
1 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Heat a skillet to medium low heat. Spray with non stick cooking spray. Add the leftover vegetables and heat through (about 3-4 minutes). Season with Lawry's and stir together. Sprinkle with the shredded cheddar and mix everything together until the cheese is melted.

Great when served as a side dish with eggs for breakfast!

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 lb. beef arm roast, boneless

salt and pepper

2 c. fat free beef broth

1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced

2 c. mushrooms, sliced

5 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 red potatoes, quartered

Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet to high heat and brown all sides of the meat (roughly 4 to 5 minutes). Place your veggies on the bottom of a crock pot. Place the meat on top. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, thyme and garlic to the pot (you do not need to mix the ingredients together). Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

Remove the meat to your cutting board and slice against the grain. Serve with the vegetables on the side, along with the cooking liquid for a sauce. You can add cornstarch to the sauce if you wish to thicken it (make sure you mix cold water with the cornstarch before adding). 

(Makes 12 servings. 5 WW points per serving)

Check out some recipes using the leftovers!

Leftover Pot Roast Pasta

 Leftover Pot Roast Hash

"Greek" Baby Pasties

 

Ingredients:

1/2 of the crust recipe from my Baby Pasties recipe

2 Tbs. fresh dill

4 c. spinach, stems removed

1 block reduced fat feta cheese, cubed

1 1/2 c. caramelized onions

Make the dough from the baby pasties recipe. Take half of the dough out (save for another recipe) and add the fresh dill. Mix in well. On a floured flat surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick (I divide the dill dough in half and do half at a time). Use a circle cookie cutter and cut out the dough. Repeat for the remaining dough until you are left with the dough that is too stiff to roll out again. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take one dough circle and add about 1-2 tsp. of filling into the center. Fold one side over, and pinch the edges to seal the filling inside. Place on parchment paper. Repeat for the remaining dough circles. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes until golden brown on the outside. Let cool slightly before serving. 

 

Spinach Feta Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 Tbs. water
fresh cracked pepper
salt
1 c. raw spinach, stems removed
1/2 c. caramelized onion
1/4 c. block reduced fat feta, cubed

Spray a frying pan with non stick cooking spray. In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs, water, salt and pepper together until well combined, and set aside. On medium heat, cook the spinach until it starts to wilt (about 2 minutes). Add the caramelized onion, egg, and feta cheese. Scramble with a spatula while the eggs are cooking. Let cool slightly before devouring.

This combination of ingredients almost tasted like Spanakopeta, which I love! You could also add dry or fresh dill.

(Makes 1 serving, 7 WW points)

BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1/4 c. rotisserie chicken, or chicken breast, chopped

2 Tbs. caramelized onion, chopped

2 Tbs. of your favorite BBQ sauce

1/4 c. shredded reduced fat Mozzarella

1/4 c. shredded reduced fat Cheddar

2 Tbs. tub butter

2 pieces of your favorite bread (oat is shown in the pictures)

Mix the chicken, onion, BBQ sauce and cheese together in a small bowl (as shown in picture above). I like to mix my cheese in with my filling, because then you get everything in one bite, and the fillings don't slide off of the cheese. Butter one side of both slices of bread. Heat a flat skillet to medium heat and place one piece of bread down, butter side down. Spread the filling on top in an even layer. When you see that the cheese is starting to melt, add the second piece of bread, butter side up, and flip the sandwich over. Continue to cook until the middle is melted through, and the bottom side is golden brown. Let cool before slicing.

Caramelized onion and tortellini soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

5 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

3 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth (plus 1 can water)

1 1/2 c. diced celery

1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 bottle Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy beer

1 1/2 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix (dry)

1 c. mini cheese tortellini

In a dutch oven, set to medium heat, drizzle the bottom with the olive oil and then place the onions on top. For about 15-20 minutes, let the onions cook and break down, stirring frequently. When they look translucent and slightly brown, add the fresh parsley, beef broth, water, celery, pepper, salt, basil, beer and dressing mix. Cook on medium low heat for 35-40 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook for another 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. 

This recipe is great with a dash of grated Parmesan on top. Served with my Feta and Cherry Tomato bites pictures below.

(Makes 8 servings, 4 WW points per serving)

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

 

Ingredients:

1 pkg. chicken thighs, boneless skinless (about 5-6 in a pack)
1 1/2 c. mild salsa
1 small red onion, chopped

Place the onion on the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with the salsa. Place the chicken thighs in a single layer on top of the salsa. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, then turn down to low for an hour. Take the chicken out and shred. Place back in the sauce and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

This shredded salsa chicken is a great base for any number of dishes. One of my favorite Mexican type of foods is tacos. So in the picture below, I used white tortilla, shredded salsa chicken, Sargento Bruschetta Jack cheese, "corn off the cob", cilantro, cubed avocado, and Parmesan Ranch dressing.