Low in Calories – High in Flavor

My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch.  I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories.  Here is the meal we had this week.

This dish is reduced in fat and calories and is a good choice when trying to lose a few pounds, but just by making the servings larger, you get a really good flavorful meal for anybody at the table.   This is my meal of choice after having Marinated Pork Tenderloin for Sunday dinner (see recipe here).

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

• Servings: 5
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• 1 cup dry pasta
• 1 oz. pine nuts
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. pork tenderloin slices, marinated and grilled, cubed
  
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in pieces
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta 9-11 minutes until tender.  Drain, do not rinse.

While pasta is cooking, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts until golden brown (watch them – they burn easily) and transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, heat olive oil, add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.

Add broth, vinegar and oregano to same skillet, bring to a boil.  Cook 4-5 minutes until liquid is reduced about half.  Return vegetables to skillet, add artichokes and grilled pork.  Simmer on low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Yield:  5 servings

I’ve been making this dish about 10 years, adapted from one on Weight Watchers Light & Tasty software.

Nutrition count based on 5 servings per Diet Power software:  251 calories, 10.7 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 306 mg sodium, 151 mg potassium, 21.5 g carbohydrate, 1.27 g dietary fiber, 2.6 g sugars, 5.9 g protein

Weight Watchers:  5 points 

I got the idea for dessert from several recipes on the All Recipes web site.  I made the cake from an angel food cake mix and baked it in three 7-3/4″ loaf pans.  I used one loaf for this recipe and wrapped and froze the remaining loaves for another time.  Of course, you can also use a bakery or store-bought cake.

Make the dessert the night before serving so the flavors can blend together well.

TOFFEE ANGEL FOOD DESSERT

• Servings: 6
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• One package angel food cake mix (Betty Crocker)
• 1 cup whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip Lite)
• 1/4 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Prepare cake according to package directions.  Pour into three ungreased 7-3/4″ loaf pans.   Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes for the 7-3/4″ size.  Leave cakes in pans and set pans on sides on a rack until cakes are cool.  Remove cakes from pans.

Take one cake and divide into 12 slices.

Place a slice of cake in each of 6 dessert dishes.

Mix together Cool Whip and toffee bits.  Take half of this mixture and spoon about one tablespoon onto each of the 6 cake slices.  Place another slice of cake on top of the Cool Whip mixture and divide the remaining portion of mixture to spoon on top of second cake layer in each dish.

Wrap dishes and refrigerate overnight.

Yield:  6 servings 

The dessert looks a little messy, but it sure is good.

Nutrition based on the above ingredients and 6 servings per Diet Power software:  173 calories, 4.67 g fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 247 mg sodium, 26.7 mg potassium, 31.3 g carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 21.3 g sugars, 2 g protein.

Weight Watchers:  5 PointsPlus

This was a very tasty and satisfying lunch.

A November Sunday Dinner

In the past 9+ years, I’ve been able to find Concord grapes at my supermarket only twice.  This past Friday was one of those days and although I had told my daughters we wouldn’t be having pie for Sunday dinner until after Thanksgiving (to whet their appetites for holiday pies), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one of my favorites.  I posted about my Streusel Concord Grape Pie back in 2007, when I had just begun blogging.  It’s a messy looking pie, but the flavor of the grapes is just incredible.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, my husband and I lived on a two-acre plot of land that included every type of fruit that grows well in our southwestern Ohio area, including Concord grapes.  I used to have five-gallon pails of them setting in the kitchen waiting for me to cook up something delicious.  The grape jam and jelly were good but the pie was a family favorite from the beginning.  It takes some time to make, but is well worth it.  Check out the recipe.

Streusel Concord Grape Pie

Our meal was also an old standby – grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties, and Spinach and Mushroom Casserole.

Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I did try out a different recipe for a marinade, based on one I saw on All Recipes.  It was delicious.

PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE

• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tblsp. liquid smoke
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• Grating of black pepper

Mix ingredients in a 9×9 square baking dish.  Add 1/2″ thick slices of pork tenderloin and toss until coated.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from marinade and grill – I use a stovetop grill.

Above recipe is enough to marinate about 2 lbs. of sliced pork tenderloin.

I served dinner with some fresh homemade potato rolls and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day with my family.

Easy Potato Yeast Rolls

A Good Autumn Meal

One of my favorite meals in the autumn or any other time of the year consists of marinated pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties and Spinach-Mushroom Casserole.  I marinate 3/4″ thick slices of pork tenderloin in Italian dressing for about four hours, then cook on a range-top grill.   Sweet potatoes are microwaved until tender, allowed to cool, then peeled and mashed with a little salt and pepper.  The potatoes are formed into patties and browned in olive oil. The Spinach-Mushroom Casserole is based on a recipe for Mushrooms Florentine from a wonderful Cincinnati Junior League cookbook, I’ll Cook When Pigs Fly. I changed the ingredients a bit  to reduce the fat and to have more spinach and less mushrooms.  It makes a great side dish.

SPINACH-MUSHROOM CASSEROLE--Reduced Fat

• Servings: 6-8
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Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. bag of fresh spinach
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• Butter flavored spray
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of garlic salt
• 4 oz. low fat Colby cheese

Saute mushrooms in oil.   Place spinach in a sprayed large flat casserole (mine is about 10″ square).  Spray the spinach with butter flavored spray, add the cooked mushrooms, and sprinkle the dried onion, salt, pepper and garlic salt over the surface.   Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.