guest blogger: pork lo mein

Guest Blogger: Coco Kapusta (My mom!)
My mom tried this new recipe out, and wanted to share it with you all! She even made it for me last weekend, so I could try it first before I blogged it (awwwww!) This was fantastic! We hardly eat pork, because we are always making chicken dishes. But I am definitely going to make this for Chad soon....I bet it would be great for leftover's too! It uses whole wheat linguini noodles, and lite-soy. Better yet it is a Weight Watcher's recipe too! I know you will love it, my dad is obsessed...enjoy ;)

ingredients:
~8 oz. lean pork tenderloin, cut in thin 1/4-inch-wide strips
~3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, divided
~1 tbsp. minced garlic
~2 tbsp. ginger root, fresh, minced
~8 oz. uncooked linguini (she used Barilla whole wheat linguini)
~1/8 tsp. table salt, or to taste (for cooking pasta)
~1/2 cup(s) carrot(s), thinly sliced
~1 tsp. canola oil
~4 oz button mushrooms, or shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
~1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
~1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
~1/3 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced

instructions:
In a medium bowl, toss pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic and ginger; let stand 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook linguini in a large pot of lightly salted water according to package direction; add carrots to pot 5 minutes before linguini will be done. Drain; set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and pork. Increase heat to high; stir-fry until mushrooms release their liquid and become lightly browned, and pork is cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Add drained linguini and carrots, broth, remaining tablespoon of soy sauce and sesame oil to skillet; toss over low heat until combined. Remove from heat and stir in scallions; serve immediately. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

POINTS®
Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min

apple topped bourbon pork chops

My husband Chad, found this recipe in his Men's Health magazine last year. We have only made it twice before, & this recipe seemed perfect to eat on a lazy sunday with a baked potato! According to Men's Health you are supposed to add at least 6 of these powerfoods below to your meal plan each day...and since I am getting back into working out 3-4x a week, I thought this would be a great blog entry to start the new week off!

Powerfoods:
Almonds, Beans, Spinach, Dairy, Instant Oatmeal (I really like Starbuck's perfect oatmeal w/ brown sugar & mixed nuts), Eggs (see egg white omelette recipe under breakfast), Turkey, Peanut Butter, Olive Oil, Whole Grains (breads & cereals; see recipes with Barilla Plus pasta) , Extra-protein powder (whey), Raspberries (and other berries; see healthy smoothie under drink category, made with light apple juice).

apple topped bourbon chops
Ingredients:
~2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
~1 small garlic clove, crushed (I used crushed jarred garlic)
~2 thin-cut boneless pork chops
~1 small red apple, such as Gala or Red delicious; cored & diced (we used honey crisp)

~2 tsp balsamic or red-wine vinegar
~1 tbsp bourbon (we use Knob Creek)
~1 tbsp grainy mustard; such as Grey Poupon)
~salt & pepper to taste

Serves 2: (we tripled this recipe to make 4-6 chops)

Combine the oil + garlic in a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Place the chops in the center of the skillet. Toss the apple with the vinegar + bourbon, and then add the mixture to the skillet between the pork & the edges of the pan. Cook 6 minutes, turning the pork once and the apple pieces a few times.

When ready to serve, top the pork chops with the mustard. Season to taste with salt & pepper. We served our with a idaho baked potato + salad, enjoy ;)