Chinese Pork Tenderloin with Garlic-Sauced Noodles

CHINESE PORK TENDERLOIN 

with GARLIC-SAUCED NOODLES

(this has only about 300 calories per serving!)

2 (1-lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed

1/4 cup soy-sauce, divided

1 Tblsp hoisin sauce

1 Tblsp tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tblsp seasoned rice vinegar

1 tsp dark sesame oil

8 cups hot cooked Chinese-style noodles

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

3/4 cup green onions, sliced

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

9 lime wedges

• Place tenderloins in a 5-qt electric slow cooker. Combine 1 tblsp soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); drizzle over tenderloins. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-1/2 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker and place in a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid in slow cooker. Let pork stand 10 minutes.
• Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and keep warm. Shred pork with 2 forks (or use THIS method).
• Return cooking liquid to slow cooker, stir in remaining 3 Tblsp soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Cover and cook in HIGH 10 minutes. Turn slow cooker off. Add pork, noodles, and next 3 ingredients, tossing to coat. Spoon noodle mixture into bowls; sprinkle with peanuts and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.

Avocado-Corn Chowder with Grilled Chicken

AVOCADO-CORN CHOWDER WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

2 ripe avocados, divided
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion

• Peel and coarsely chop 1 avocado; place in a blender. Add water, orange juice, honey, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper; blend until smooth.
• Heat a grill pan over med-high heat. Brush chicken with oil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place chicken in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; rub chicken with cut sides garlic halves. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.
• Pour avocado mixture into medium sauce pan over low heat.
• In same saute pan that chicken was cooked, saute corn, bell peppers, green onion and cilantro until tender. Pour corn mixture and chicken into the avocado mixture. Let cook for 3-5 minutes, or until soup is heated through.
• Spoon chowder into bowls (or bread bowls), and top with more sliced avocado and cilantro. Serve with crackers.

Sesame Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps

SESAME FLANK STEAK LETTUCE WRAPS

1 lime, zested and juiced
5 tblsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 tblsp brown sugar
2 tblsp sesame oil
2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper [optional]
1 flank steak (2 pound)
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into leaves
Toppings: matchstick carrots, bean sprouts, sliced water chestnuts, sliced green onion, fresh cilantro leaves, steamed white rice

• In a medium bowl, stir together lime zest and juice, and next 6 ingredients.
• Place steak in a resealable plastic bag. Add half of lime mixture; seal bag, and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Cover and chill remaining lime mixture.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade and discard the marinade.
• Grill steak for 8 to 10 minutes per side or until meat thermometer registers 155 degrees F or desired doneness. Remove from heat, let stand for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain.
• Serve steak in lettuce leaves with desired toppings and remaining lime mixture.

recipe from "Cooking with Paula Deen" July/August 2012 issue

Lamb Pizza

LAMB PIZZA

This pizza will take about2-1/2 to 3 hours to make, so plan accordingly!

For the Dough:
1 (1/4 ounce) packet of active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup semolina flour [or use another cup of the all-purpose flour]
2tsp fine salt

For the Topping:
6 tblsp EVOO
1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
6 tblsp tomato paste
1 pound ground lamb [you can also use beef!]
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
kosher salt
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the Sauce:
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine the yeast, sugar, olive oil and 2 cups warm water; let stand 5 minutes.
• Whisk both flours and the salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Place in a bowl brushed with oil, cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, MAKE THE TOPPING: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lamb, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, allspice and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 1 minutes Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro and parsley; season with salt.
• MAKE THE SAUCE: Stir the yogurt, mint, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
• Preheat the grill to medium. Cut 12 9-inch square pieces of parchment paper. Stretch each peice of dough into an 8-inch round, brush with olive oil on both sides and stack with the paper in between.
• Invert the dough onto the the grill; remove the paper. Grill in batches until golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and spread each round with 1/4 cup lamb mixture, leaving border. Continue grilling until the dough is charred in spots and cooked through, about 3 minutes. 
• Transfer the pizzas to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the sauce.

this recipe is from "Food Network Magazine" September 2012 issue

Peppers & Pierogies

Made this from a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook "101 Hearty Recipes Cookbook"

PEPPERS & PIEROGIES

10-oz package frozen potato and onion pierogies
16-oz package frozen stir-fry peppers and onions
8-oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

• Cook pierogies according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid; cover pierogies to keep warm. [I cooked them on my grill skillet, so I didn't have any reserve juice. I used just a 1/2 cup of water instead]
• Spray a large skillet with non-stick vegetable spray. Add frozen vegetables; cook until tender and golden and most of the liquid is cooked off.
• Still in tomato sauce and reserved liquid; heat through. Toss vegetable mixture with pierogies; season with salt and pepper. Serves 3 to 4.

Lettuce Wraps

This is another recipe from a small package! I found this at the World Market store. I've had many lettuce wraps, and my favorite are from PF Changs. The ones I've made, come in a close 2nd. It was so good, and SO SIMPLE! Even better! =)

LETTUCE WRAPS

Brown ground pork in a tad bit of oil. Toss in chopped green onion, carrots and water chestnuts and cook for a few minutes. Then add sauce from the package and heat through. Serve on lettuce "wraps"! (You can substitute the pork with ground chicken or maybe ground lamb)

Holy cow, so good. I could eat them all day long. And it makes a lot too!

If you see this little package, grab it--its GOOD!