(51) Barbecued Pork Chops

I am officially in love with pork chops on the bone! They end up much more tender than boneless ones, and for me, the tradeoff of a few more calories is worth it!! This recipe was so simple to put together. I wasn't quite sure how the flavors would work - especially that much sesame oil. But it was amazing how much flavor the chops had after just 30 minutes of marinating. They were spicy and sweet and a little smokey all at the same time. Very intriguing!

I will say that I failed to properly do the glaze. OOPS. I was washing dishes while the chops cooked and the sauce simmered. It was so little in the pan and 2 seconds too long = sauce glued to the pan. I was able to save a little bit, though! These are pork chops that I will definitely make again!!

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Barbecued Pork Chops

A simple 8-ingredient marinade, made with mostly pantry staples, brings out the vibrant flavor of these chops. Pair with kimchi-style slaw for a flavorful duo and a quick cooking dinner solution, ready in about 40 minutes (including a 25-minute marinade).

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons sake (rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) bone-in pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; add pork to bag. Seal; marinate at room temperature 25 minutes.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove pork from bag; reserve marinade. Sprinkle pork with salt. Cook pork 3 minutes on each side or until done. Pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes or until thickened. Brush pork with reduced marinade; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

CALORIES 195 ; FAT 9.4g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.9g; SODIUM 433mg; PROTEIN 17.7g; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1mg

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(38) Pasta e Fagioli

I know I say that a lot of the recipes I cook are quick and easy, but this one should be put at the top of the list! There was nothing difficult about this. I minced my own garlic, which took 2 seconds as did opening the cans. Soooo, easy!!

I used regular spicy Italian sausage (not turkey - the plain was on sale!) and used 2 links. It was plenty spicy - certainly didn't need any extra red pepper! If you don't like spice, go for the sweet Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes until the heat is right for you! I wasn't sure if this was going to be filling enough, but it definitely was! We give this two thumbs up for sure!

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Pasta e Fagioli

Source: Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2000
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
1 1/2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic
1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked small seashell pasta (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
Minced fresh parsley (optional)
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until browned, stir-ring to crumble. Add water, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, 1/4 cup cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes or until pasta is done. Let stand 5 minutes; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Garnish each serving with parsley and red pepper, if desired.

CALORIES 353 (26% from fat); FAT 10.2g (sat 3.1g,mono 4.1g,poly 2.3g); IRON 4.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 177mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6g; SODIUM 742mg; PROTEIN 20.5g; FIBER 4.5g

(37) Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Another excellent quickie for a weeknight dinner! I have to take this moment to tell you that I DESPISE garlic in the jar! Use the real stuff (ginger, too!) - it's so worth it! I used 4 cloves of garlic to get 1 Tbsp of minced. The sauce was not runny, but just sticky enough (like you get at the local Chinese place!) and very flavorful! If you don't like spicy things, cut the red pepper flakes down to 1/8th of a tsp.

I served this over rice and with some mini-eggrolls.  In the time it took the rice to cook, this dish was ready! This is a repeater for sure!

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Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Source: Cooking Light, JANUARY 2008
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Stir-fry a zesty shrimp dish for a quick weeknight dinner. Spoon over basmati or jasmine rice. Try the recipe with chicken or steak, too.

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup vertically sliced onion

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Add shrimp to pan, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp mixture from the pan.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan. Add broccoli and onion to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add shrimp mixture and broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

CALORIES 220 (27% from fat); FAT 6.7g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.4g,poly 1.9g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; CALCIUM 105mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.8g; SODIUM 577mg; PROTEIN 26.2g; FIBER 2.8g

(33) Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine

Oh my heavens, this was good!! This truly took less than 30 minutes to prepare and was so yummy! I have a salt-free creole seasoning blend that I made at some point in the last year (I don't remember when, or why, but it's good!) and I used that. Any salt-free cajun seasoning would work, though. It was adequately spicy, but not on fire. The serving size was very generous and it didn't taste light at all!! My favorite kind of recipe, really!!

My only suggestion is to save a little bit of the pasta water for emergency purposes. I left the pot on a touch too long after adding the half and half and if I had saved the water (which I did not), I could have used a little splash of that in with the cream (or more cream, which defeats the purpose of light!). In any case, it was delish and I will make this again!!

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Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine

Source: Cooking Light, September 2006
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Shrimp and pasta combine with a creamy sauce for a quick and delicious dish. Round out the meal with a Caesar salad.

1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Combine 1 cup water and broth in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Break pasta in half; add to pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until shrimp are done; drain.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and pepper to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add flour, seasoning, and salt to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in half-and-half; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add pasta mixture and parsley to pan; toss.

CALORIES 365 (27% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 5.9g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.8g); IRON 4.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 194mg; CALCIUM 101mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38.1g; SODIUM 685mg; PROTEIN 27.4g; FIBER 2.2g

(31) Mike's Amazing Queso Dip

Whenever we gather with my husband's side of the family, my father-in-law, Mike, makes this insane dip. Everyone stands around the counter, hovered over the mini-crockpot, inhaling this dip! I made it for the first time the other day and I had to keep track of what exactly went into it so I could share it with you! WARNING: This stuff is addictive and not low-fat. Sorry :) We love this with the tortilla chip scoops, but it's also great with Frito scoops, too!

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Mike's Amazing Queso Dip

3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced green pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tube of bulk (breakfast) sausage - you can use mild or hot
1 (15 ounce) can Hormel chili - with or without beans, your choice (I like beans!)
16 oz brick of Velveeta - use Pepper Jack or Mexican
2 Tbsp diced jalapenos (or more if you like the heat!)

1) Heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and pepper until lightly brown and soft. Spoon the vegetables into the bottom of the mini crock-pot or dish you will be preparing the dip in.

2) In the same skillet, cook the sausage until browned. Spoon out into the dish with the vegetables (avoid as much of the fat as possible).

3) Cut Velveeta into large cubes and add to the sausage and vegetables. Pour in chili and diced jalapenos. Cook over low heat until the cheese has melted and ingredients are well combined. Enjoy with tortilla or corn chips!

(16) Moroccan Chickpea Stew

This one's a shout out to my veggie friend, Paige, who's inspired me to add more meatless mains to the rotation!!

This was INCREDIBLY flavorful and filling! I loved the different textures - hard chickpeas mixed with the soft tomatoes and potatoes. Our bowls were closer to 2c/serving - for only 250 calories!? Woohoo! I kept some of the seeds in the jalapeno so it would have a little kick (we like it spicy!), but if you're not a spicy fan, just take all the seeds out. This took 45 minutes from start to finish (which, coincidentally, was the time that it took the brown rice to cook in the microwave!). I was going to make green beans, but got lazy, and I'm glad. It didn't need a side, although a nice piece of naan or some sort of flatbread would have been yummy!

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Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2007
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups stew, 1/2 cup rice, and about 1 tablespoon yogurt)

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve over whole wheat couscous instead of brown rice, if you prefer. For milder heat, seed the jalapeño.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup diced carrot (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato, about 1 large
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
3 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in potato and next 7 ingredients (through broth). Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Serve over rice. Top with yogurt.

Wine note: With spicy ethnic cuisine, seek out the German grape gewürztraminer, which yields wines with floral and lychee aromas, as well as natural sweetness that makes a perfect foil to the jalapeño and cumin in the stew. Chateau St. Jean Gewürztraminer 2006 ($15), from Sonoma, California, offers classic honeysuckle and melon aromas, with a spice-friendly sweetness and snappy acidity that adds texture to the dish. -Jeffery Lindenmuth

CALORIES 251 (14% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.9g,poly 1g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 97mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.5g; SODIUM 401mg; PROTEIN 7.3g; FIBER 6.8g

(112) Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans

I made this for a chili cook-off and I am so glad to have discovered the recipe! It's not quick, but it is fairly easy to make. We really enjoyed it! The bacon makes this dish very smokey and flavorful! I will certainly make this one again!!

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Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans

Yield: About 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10.
Source: Cooks Illustrated, March 2003.

Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne--or both. The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

8 ounces bacon (about 8 strips), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
table salt
2 limes cut into wedges

1. Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

(108) Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens

I might live in Florida, but I was raised in Virginia - Southern Virginia, to be exact. I grew up eating collards and Smithfield ham and biscuits and corn pudding and all those other yummy southern dishes *drool*. I don't normally make collards following a recipe, but I had pulled this one out to try.

I made a few changes - I added 3 cups of water when the collards started cooking. I also added 2 more cups of water at the 1 hour mark. I cooked them 2 hours on a really low simmer. They were fine at 1 hr, but in my opinion, collards are one of those things you can't cook too much!!

PS: They were spicy, so if you dont like the heat, cut the red pepper down to 1/4 tsp or less!

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Bacon and Brown Sugar-Braised Collard Greens

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Cooking collard greens in a lightly sweetened braising liquid curbs their bitter bite. This Southern-inspired side dish is great with grilled pork chops and corn bread.

2 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (16-ounce) package prewashed torn collard greens

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion and garlic to drippings in pan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crumbled bacon, 2 cups water, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Gradually add greens. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Calories 60 (42% from fat); Fat 2.8g (sat 0.9g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.4g); Iron 0.2mg; Cholesterol 4mg; Calcium 90mg; Carbohydrate 7.2g; Sodium 208mg; Protein 2.3g; Fiber 2.4g

(95) Amy's Big Batch Chili

I recently made chili for our annual pumpkin carving gathering. I adapted this recipe from one from Cooking Light. I made my own tweaks on it and quadrupled the recipe. It was nicely spicy and very filling!

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)
Source: Amy's adaptation of a Cooking Light recipe

4 pounds ground round
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
2 cups dry red wine or water
4 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
4 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed with your hands
1 can original Rotel (diced tomatoes with chiles)
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos
6 oz shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cook the ground round in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until brown, stirring to crumble.

2. Add chopped onion and the next 7 ingredients (onion through garlic), and cook for 7 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Place meat mixture in an electric slow cooker, and stir in beans and tomatoes. Cover with lid, and cook on low-heat setting for 4 hours. Spoon into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

4. Note: The chili can be made on the stovetop if you don't have a slow cooker. After adding the beans and the tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 1 1/2 hours.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:
CALORIES 243(21% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 25.5g; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 154mg; SODIUM 637mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 4.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.9g

(73) Spicy Basque-Style Chicken

I'm always my own worst critic when it comes to meals. I'll say something is good, but I rarely say "HOLY COW, I just cooked a killer dinner". Tonight, I said just that. And lots of Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm and a !MEOW! thrown in for good measure. I made this exactly as written. Do not leave out any of the items. They all are important in their own right.

I served this with yellow rice and steamed broccoli. While the rice was cooking, I made the chicken. This is truly a 30 minute meal, start to finish. If you can't find smoked paprika in your grocery store, check out one of my favorite places to shop, Penzeys!

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Spicy Basque-Style Chicken

Smoked paprika is a traditional ingredient in Spanish cuisine. Serve this dish with saffron rice to soak up the tasty sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken, about 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tablespoon prosciutto, and 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2007

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced green olives
2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Combine paprika and pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Turn chicken over. Add olives and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with prosciutto and parsley.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 264 (31% from fat), Fat: 9g (sat 1.6g,mono 4g,poly 2.2g), Protein: 36.2g, Carbohydrate: 8g, Fiber: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Iron: 1.4mg, Sodium: 876mg, Calcium: 92mg

(67) Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

These were not hard to make at all, but they were a little time consuming. SO worth it in my book. YUM. As I mentioned in the sauce recipe, it was spicy, but the flavors were awesome and the texture so creamy. Will make these again for sure! (oh and I don't know why I always feel compelled to say this, but I left out the bay leaf *blech yuck spit phewweee blech*)

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Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

New Mexicans prefer these over the beef enchiladas associated with other Southwest cuisines. Prepare the sauce and the chicken mixture up to two days ahead, and refrigerate separately until ready to assemble the enchiladas.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, December 2007

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
3 cups Green Chile Sauce
Cooking spray
16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine broth, 1 cup onion, and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; chill 15 minutes. Reserve broth mixture for another use. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken, remaining 1/2 cup onion, and sour cream in a bowl, stirring well.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread 1/4 cup Green Chile Sauce in the bottom of each of 2 (11 x 7-inch) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place 8 filled tortillas, seam-side down, in each dish; pour 1 1/4 cups of remaining Green Chile Sauce over filled tortillas in each dish. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture evenly over filled tortillas in each dish. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 308 (30% from fat), Fat: 10.1g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.6g,poly 2g), Protein: 27.2g, Carbohydrate: 29g, Fiber: 3.4g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Iron: 1.2mg, Sodium: 382mg, Calcium: 198mg

(66) Green Chile Sauce

Either I didn't take enough care removing the seeds or I just had hot chiles. This sauce was make-your-nose-run kind of spicy. But I love that kind of stuff, so it was a.ok in my book! YUM! This recipe makes just enough for the enchilada recipe!

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Green Chile Sauce

Fresh Anaheim chiles--long, slender, pale green peppers--have mild heat. The sauce pairs well with chicken or pork, or serve it as a snack with baked tortilla chips.

This recipe goes with Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3 tablespoons sauce
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, December 2007

6 Anaheim chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preheat broiler.

Place chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 14 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 7 minutes. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile. Remove and discard seeds and tops. Chop chiles to measure 3/4 cup.

Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add chiles, coriander, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place half of chile mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed chile mixture to pan; stir well. Remove from heat; cool completely.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 23 (39% from fat), Fat: 1g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.6g), Protein: 0.7g, Carbohydrate: 3.3g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.2mg, Sodium: 114mg, Calcium: 9mg

(50) Teriyaki Pork and Vegetables with Noodles

This is a weeknight dinner winner FOR SURE! In the time it took me to boil the water and cook the noodles, dinner was ready!! Flavorful, easy, and filling. Even the baby liked this one :) She's definitely my kid!! Oh and the spice factor was medium. It wasn't on fire, but it wasn't a sissy dish!! If you're a wimp, go for less of the chili sauce and you'll be a-ok!

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Teriyaki Pork and Vegetables with Noodles

The sweet-savory flavor of teriyaki sauce is a centuries-old mixture of soy sauce and mirin (sweet cooking wine). Over time, Japanese Americans added ginger, brown sugar, pineapple juice, and green onions, elements of the bottled teriyaki sauce Americans know today.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2007

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
4 green onions
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
3 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick), cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 (3 1/2-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce
4 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; keep warm.

Remove green tops from green onions; thinly slice, and set aside. Mince white portions of green onions; set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced green onions, bell pepper, pork, and mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes or until pork is browned. Combine reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid, teriyaki sauce, and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta and teriyaki sauce mixture to pan; toss well to coat. Stir in sliced green onion tops.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 444 (27% from fat), Fat: 13.5g (sat 4.1g,mono 4.6g,poly 2.7g), Protein: 26.3g, Carbohydrate: 51.9g, Fiber: 3.1g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Iron: 3.4mg, Sodium: 633mg, Calcium: 40mg