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.

Chicken Satay Salad

CHICKEN SATAY SALAD

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
7 tblsp Thai peanut sauce [recipe below]
3 tblsp vegetable oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tblsp fresh lime juice
1 head romaine lettuce, sliced
1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
3 tblsp chopped roasted salted peanuts

• Preheat grill to medium high. 
• Slice the chicken breasts 1/2 inch thick and toss with 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce, 1/2 tablespoon veg oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
• Whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons peanut sauce and 2-1/2 tablespoons veg oil, the lime juice and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Add the lettuce, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper and cilantro and toss.
• Season with salt and pepper and divide among bowls or plates. Top with chicken, peanuts and more cilantro.

PEANUT SAUCE [if you can't find the jar!]

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 garlic clove, finely minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

• Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

recipe from "Food Network Magazine" September 2012 issue

#6 PB & J Thumbprints

PB & J THUMBPRINTS

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup cocktail peanuts, chopped finely
Creamy Peanut butter
Jar of grape jelly

• In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined. Then beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer, then mix in the remaining by hand. 
• Cover and chill for about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Grease cookie sheets. 
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll ball in beaten egg white and then roll in chopped peanuts.
• Place balls 1-inch apart on cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make indentation in each dough ball.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
• Fill each thumbprint with 1/2 teaspoon creamy peanut butter and then with 1/2 teaspoon grape jelly. Serve immediately.

If saving for later use, store cookie without the filling in the middle stacked in an air-tight container with wax paper between layers.

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition

#2 Dark Chocolate Candy Bar Bark

DARK CHOCOLATE CANDY BAR BARK

(that's a mouth full, huh?)

6-oz chocolate-flavor candy coating, chopped
6-oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 T shortening
2 cups assorted chocolate candy bars or candy (english toffee, malted-milk balls, goobers, snickers)
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped

• Line baking sheet with heavy-duty foil; grease. 
• Melt together chocolate candy coating, chocolate and shortening (double boiler or microwave). Stir in 1 cup of assorted chopped candy bars and peanuts into melted chocolate mix. 
• Pour into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly in a layer about 1/4 in thick. Sprinkle with remaining candy bars, lightly pressing them into chocolate mix. 
• Chill for about 30 minutes or until firm. Use foil to lift candy out of pan. Break into pieces.

White chocolate candy bar bark: substitute with vanilla-flavor coating, white chocolate squares, and toasted almonds (instead of peanuts).

The recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine Dec 2011 edition

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS

I hosted a Pampered Chef party, so I made a bunch for goodies to snack on from their selection of recipes. I came across this one in their "Season's Best" book, and was amazingly surprised to how good it was!

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH BARS

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, crushed
3 cups mini pretzel twists, coarsely crushed, divided
3 cups crisp rice cereal
3/4 cup butter, divided
1 bag mini marshmallows
1/2 light corn syrup
1 bag peanut butter morsels
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

In a large bowl, mix together the crushed peanuts, 2 2/3 cup mini pretzels (reserve 1/3 cup for top) and rice cerel.

Place 6 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 60-90 minutes, or until melted. Add marshmallows and microwave on HIGH for 60-90 seconds. Stir until marshmallows and completely melted. Immediately add marshmallow mix in mixing bowl with nuts, pretzels and cereal.

Spread evenly and firmly press mixture onto a jelly roll pan that has been greased.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and half of the corn syrup in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 60-90 seconds or until melted. Stir in peanut-butter morsels, and mix until melted. Mixture will be stiff. Spread over crust.

For ganache, place remaining butter and corn syrup in bowl, microwave on HIGH 60-90 seconds, until melted. Stir in chocolate morsels' mix until smooth. Spread ganache evenly over peanut butter mixture.

Sprinkle with peanuts and reserved pretzels.

Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes or until set.

Cut into squares or desired shapes.