Red Chile Pork Tacos with Caramelized Onions

Having this tonight. I love the onions. They are so sweet. This is one of D's favorite dishes.
I think we are having it with bean, rice and cheese casserole.

Red Chile Pork Tacos with Caramelized Onions

Sweet, succulent onions are the perfect foil for this savory pork taco filling. Ancho chile powder gives the meat a mild, slightly fruity chile flavor.

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cups thinly sliced onion
8 hard taco shells
1/2 cup chopped tomato
8 teaspoons chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 3 ingredients; rub evenly over pork. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove pork from oven; let sit 5 minutes before slicing.
While pork cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Uncover and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Fill each taco shell with about 2 ounces pork, 3 tablespoons sautéed onion, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 teaspoon green onions.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

CALORIES 304 (30% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 2.2g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 26.9g; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 46mg; SODIUM 444mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2003

Chicken Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

We couldn't find the sausage they mentioned so we got Roasted Pepper and Garlic. This was a pretty good dish. Reminded us of baked ziti. I think different flavors of tomato paste, canned tomatoes and sausage would vary the taste. But we liked it. Of course we had it with Caesar salad.

Chicken Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 (12-ounce) package sweet basil and pine nut chicken sausage (such as Gerhard's), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Cooking spray

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Combine pasta and tomato mixture; spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 453 (30% from fat); FAT 15.3g (sat 6.6g,mono 5.7g,poly 2.1g); PROTEIN 24.4g; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 319mg; SODIUM 954mg; FIBER 4.6g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55.3g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Breadcrumbs

This is one of D's favorite meals. He says it is easy. The only thing that we have a problem with is the serving size. It says the size is for 4. We each always eat 2 servings, because cutting a breast in half is dumb.

We had it last night with cauliflower.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Italian Sausage and Breadcrumbs

1 (4-ounce) Italian sausage link
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 (1 1/2-ounce) slice sourdough bread, toasted and crusts removed
1 garlic clove, halved
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Remove casing from sausage; crumble sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned and onion is golden. Add wine to pan; cook 1 minute or until most of liquid is absorbed.

Rub each side of bread with cut sides of garlic; discard garlic. Coarsely crumble bread; add to sausage mixture. Stir in parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed; toss to combine.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place half of stuffing on one side of each chicken breast half, leaving a 1-inch border around sides. Fold remaining half of each chicken breast over stuffing, and secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add stuffed chicken breast halves to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Add chicken broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove the wooden picks; slice breasts in half. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 chicken breast)

CALORIES 233 (29% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 21.9g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 774mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.5g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2005

Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans

I make this when we are having sausage some other time during the week, and there will be left over. So far, I have tried Italian Sausage and Bulk Sausage. The original recipe called for neither, but I thought it would be good and I was right.

I like the thighs better than breasts, but have used breasts when they are left over as well.

The biggest pain of it is cutting the pepper, onions and celery. Otherwise the recipe is easy.

I wouldn't consider this a filling dinner dish, but it is for lunch

Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans

POINTS® Value: 7
Servings: 6
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Course: light meals Yield 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)


Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup green pepper, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1/4 pound bulk sausage
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp McCormick Ground red pepper
• 4 clove garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz Bush's Light Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell pepper, red onion, and celery to pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and sausage; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in rice; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Creole Shrimp Rémoulade Po Boys

So D made these the other night and we watched NHL All-Stars Skill Stuff. It is adapted from a CL recipe but it wasn't a Po Boy, and I thought it should be. So remove the arugula and add some bread and there you have it.

D loved it. I didn't like the raw onions in the sauce, and next time will remove them. I liked everything else.

We had with French Fries (Ore-Ida).

Creole Shrimp Rémoulade Po Boys

POINTS® Value: 9 Servings: 2 Course: main meals

Ingredients

• 4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp ground red pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 serving Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp McCormick Mustard seeds
• 10 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 Tbsp Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• 1/2 Tbsp Zatarain's Creole Mustard
• 1 TBSP Hellmann's Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp onion(s), finely chopped (will omit next time)
• 1/8 cup Dole Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Cobblestone Mill Wheat Sub rolls

Instructions

To prepare shrimp, combine water, red pepper, mustard seeds, thyme , 1/4 tsp salt and bay leaf in a large saucepan ; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; cook 2 minutes. Drain; discard bay leaf.
To prepare sauce, combine green onions, onions mayo, mustard, ketchup, vineagar, oil, Worcestshire, hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl;.
Slice rolls open and put sauce on each roll. Divide shrimp between the 2.

Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach

Wow. I'm in the minority. Cooking Light Fans rated this 5 stars for the most part.

D made these last night and both of us thought they were gross. The lemon was overpowering, and both of us ended up taking the filling out of the pork and just eating the pork. A true disappointment. We will not make again. We had with a Caesar Salad and pan fried potatoes with Greek Seasoning which both of ate.

Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach

Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
5 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat broiler.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses and rind.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork. Arrange pork on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well. Brush half of mustard mixture over pork. Broil 6 minutes; turn pork. Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)

CALORIES 232 (33% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 32.1g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; CALCIUM 186mg; SODIUM 640mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.2g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Porcini-Dusted Chicken Scaloppine

Well D and I have had this twice now. Pretty good. This time we had it with egg noodles. I don't recall what we had it with last time. Watch out for the serving size. It says something about 2 pieces, but it serves 4 and you only have 4 pieces of chicken. So I'm not sure what that is all about.

D says it is easy to make.

Porcini-Dusted Chicken Scaloppine

This dish puts dried porcini mushroom powder to use as a flavorful coating for chicken cutlets. If fresh porcini or chanterelle mushrooms are available, use them for the sauce.

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons minced shallots (about 1)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups sliced wild or cultivated mushrooms (about 1/2 pound) (used baby bellas)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (we used fat-free sour cream)
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (we used none)

Place porcini mushrooms in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Slice chicken breast halves in half horizontally. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with porcini powder, shaking off excess powder.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken pieces to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until chicken is lightly browned and done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining 4 chicken pieces.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 3 cups mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add broth to pan; simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in sour cream; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken pieces, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

CALORIES 269 (25% from fat); FAT 7.3g (sat 2g,mono 3.1g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 43.2g; CHOLESTEROL 104mg; CALCIUM 49mg; SODIUM 469mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.1g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007