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I pinned this recipe with high hopes of something different to make for dinner last week.  I scanned the ingredients and figured it was simple enough and sounded tasty.  So I planned it for one night in our weekly dinner menu.  It wasn't until I sat down and prepared to make it that I started reading the online reviews for the recipe which were nothing stellar to say the least.  The words "bland", "lacking" and "disappointing" overwhelmed me but I was in too far to turn back as I had already begun preparing the ingredients.  That's not to say that there weren't also several good reviews.  It was just the bad ones that caught my attention.  So I carried on, pushed through, and made the dish anyway.

I won't say it was the best pork dish ever.  And maybe Paprikash in general  is just not my thing.  But it wasn't bland or disappointing by any means.  Joe enjoyed it and the kids both cleaned their plates (Aubrey only after giving her customary whiny "what is this?! I don't want this, it looks groooosss!" that I've come to expect on a regular basis.) In my book that's a culinary success.  It's just not one that will likely be asked for again and again.  The salad, however, may be a different story.  Something simple and easy and so full of flavor.  It's a keeper for sure and will be added to several dinners to come.

*original recipe courtesy of Cooking Light*

Pork Paprikash
1 (1.5 pound) pork tenderloin cut into one inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sour cream

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Brown pork in a large skillet in 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove pork from pan.  Add remaining tablespoon (3 teaspoons) olive oil to pan, reduce heat to medium.  Add onion, pepper, garlic and remaining salt and pepper.  Saute 4 minutes.  Add flour, tomato paste, thyme and paprika.  Cook 30 seconds.  Add wine, broth and vinegar, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.  Add pork and continue cooking 5 minutes or until meat is heated through.  Add sour cream and stir.  Serve over rice or noodles.


Apple Salad with Mustard Dressing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium Fuji apple, thinly sliced
1 (5 oz) package mixed spring greens

Place greens and apple slices in a bowl.  Mix remaining dressing ingredients together, whisk well and pour over salad.  Toss to coat.

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I love seeing so many new recipes out there involving quinoa.  What an amazing little grain (and tasty too!) packed with protein and nutrients.  So when I wanted something different to serve with my chicken fajitas, I remembered pinning this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked like the perfect pairing.  And while the fajitas were delicious, this beautifully colored protein packed salad was what had me going back for seconds.  I took my first bite and announced  to my family (rather shamefully with a mouthful of food) "oh my gosh, this is amazing! you're going to love it!" But I really had to sit and savor the beauty for a minute too.  I mean, look at all those colors.  Almost too pretty to eat!  It's a wonderful side dish for really any main course meat.  Or eat it for lunch on its own.  But pair it with a mexican main dish (tacos? fajitas? burritos?) and you won't be disappointed.

*original recipe from mysaladrecipes.com*

Southwest Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small mango, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Toast the dry quinoa by placing it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stirring until it becomes fragrant and begins to crackle (about 3-5 minutes.)  Rinse quinoa under cold running water and drain through a fine mesh sieve.  Return to saucepan with 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, mix remaining ingredients through green onions in a medium bowl.  When quinoa is done, add to bowl and toss all ingredients together.  Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over salad.  Toss to coat.

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Being a mom comes with a hectic schedule sometimes.  Not wanting to sacrifice healthy eating, I've had to adapt my weekly menus to accommodate the various activities that the kids have going on during the week.  Mondays we typically have swim lessons from 4-5 which leaves me without much prep time for dinner.  Enter... the slow cooker... and dinner is ready when we walk in the door (with the exception this night of having to roast the carrots...)! The #1 reason I love my slow cooker :)  And while some crockpot recipes can require some tedious prep work, this one was simple, quick, and smelled amazing upon opening the front door!  Choose any accompanying veggie but these butter roasted carrots were fairly easy and to die for.

Creamy Turkey Ragu

1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg (20 oz) lean ground turkey
2/3 cup Philadelphia reduced-fat Italian Herb Cooking Creme
1 box enriched Rotini (spiral pasta) cooked, following package directions

Spray slow cooker bowl with cooking spray.  Stir in tomatoes, onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, sugar and salt. Crumble in ground turkey and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours.

Stir in cooking creme until evenly incorporated into sauce.  Pour cooked pasta into slow cooker and stir to coat pasta.  Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

*Courtesy of Family Circle magazine*

Butter-Roasted Carrots

4 cups diagonally cut carrot sticks
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss to incorporate evenly.  Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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Smoked Salmon Quiche

1 refrigerated pie crust
1 cup shredded reduced fat swiss cheese
1 tablespoon flour
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 oz smoked salmon fillet, flaked
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan.  Trim and flute edges.  In a small bowl, combine flour and cheese, transfer to crust.

In a large skillet, saute tomatoes and onion in oil just until tender.  Remove from heat; stir in salmon.  Spoon over cheese mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

*Courtesy of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking*


Salad with Cherries, Goat Cheese and Pistachios

4 cups mixed spring greens
2 cups baby spinach
1/3 cup thinly, vertically sliced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pitted halved fresh cherries (I used frozen sweet cherries, thawed and cut in half)
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup salted dry-roasted pistachios

Combine greens, spinach and onion in a large bowl.  Combine juice, mustard, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.  Arrange 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 salad plates.  Top each serving with 1/4 cup cherries, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon nuts.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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I'll start out by saying that the reason for the name is that it calls for 4 teaspoons of minced garlic (equal to about 6-8 cloves)... garlic keeps vampires away... hence... Vampire Steak.  This one took me several times reading through it for that thought to finally *click*... sometimes I can be slightly oblivious.  And who knows, maybe you would have gotten it off the bat.  But I thought I'd save you the feeling of idiocy as you wondered who on earth would give a recipe that name and why?  That being said, if you like flank steak, this rub gives it a nice robust flavor that even my kids enjoyed.  Paired with grilled zucchini and Oven Fries (recipe follows) for a nice hearty meal.


Vampire Steak

4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika (you can use regular, it just won't give it a "smoky" flavor)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 (1 1/2 lb) flank steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients.  Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak (about 1/8 inch deep); rub juice mixture evenly over both sides.  Cover; refrigerate one hour.

Preheat grill to high heat.  Sprinkle both sides of meat with salt and pepper.  Place steak on grill rack; grill 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove steak from grill; let stand 5 minutes.  Slice steak across grain into thin slices.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

Garlic and Herb Oven Fries

Preheat a roasting pan and oven to 450 degrees.  Cut 2 pounds baking potatoes into 1/4 inch matchsticks; toss with 1 tablespoon canola oil.  Arrange in preheated pan; bake at 450 for 10 minutes.  Turn oven to broil. Broil 10-15 minutes or until browned, turning once.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet.  Add 1 minced garlic clove; saute 30 seconds.  Add fries; cook 1 minute.  Toss with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper.

*Courtesy of Cooking Light*

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Little individual servings of goodness. If you've never had (or made) popovers I suggest you do it now. This savory version is a perfect pairing as a side to almost any meal. I describe the texture as being similar to that of a crepe... silky, smooth, egg-dominating feel and taste. The only resemblance to a muffin being its size and shape. High in protein (8 grams per popover) as eggs and milk are the two major ingredients. Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat individually for 15 seconds in the microwave for a yummy snack.

*Recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers: 3 WW Points per (1 popover) serving*

Cheddar Green Onion Popovers

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This dish was absolutely fantastic. Especially with the lemon-garlic green beans on the side! Of course, there wasn't much "peachy" taste to the meal. I would have enjoyed a bit more sweetness and would probably add a little more of the preserves next time. Husband and children at every last bite as they sang my praises :) Delicious and easy... this one's a keeper.

Peachy Pork with Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (brown or white)
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (you can use store bought or refer to my recipe here)
1 cup salsa (I used Pace Mild Chunky Salsa)
3 Tbsp peach preserves (I used apricot because I couldn't find peach and would probably use about 1/3 cup or more!)

Cook rice according to package directions (substituting broth for water if more flavor is desired.) Meanwhile, place pork in a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with taco seasoning; toss to coat.

In a large skillet coated with coking spray, cook pork for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in salsa and preserves; heat through. Serve over rice.

For Lemon Garlic Green Beans:
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir 1 lb fresh, trimmed green beans in 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat 10-13 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add 2 minced garlic cloves; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Garnish with grated lemon peel if desired.

*Courtesy of Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking*

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While reading a friend's blog, I ran across her posting for a DIY taco seasoning and realized it was the perfect time for me to post the one that I use. Especially since tacos were on the menu for the week anyway. I suppose it's true that making your own seasoning is healthier... no MSG and all that. But the truth is that I went searching frantically for a recipe when I was browning meat for tacos one evening and realized I hadn't bought any packaged seasoning. And so this became my go-to recipe and I now prefer it to the store-bought stuff. The Mexican Rice is a perfect pairing to any Mexican meal and tastes just like the stuff in the restaurants. Here's a secret *it's incredibly easy too!*


Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, sugar and cornstarch
1/2-3/4 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Brown 1 lb meat (I use lean ground beef or turkey.) Drain if necessary. Add seasoning and 1/4-1/2 cup water to meat. Heat 1-2 minutes longer or until slightly thickened.


Easy Mexican Rice

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup tomato sauce

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Add water and remaining ingredients. Cove and simmer 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

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I made this "casserole" as a side dish to accompany a grilled flank steak dinner and it was definitely a winner. The kids cleaned their plates, Joe was full of compliments and the leftovers didn't last long. A little time consuming but worth it in the end. The flavors were fantastic.


Bacon-Potato Bake

8 cups thinly sliced peeled red potatoes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

2 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water and bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour, eggs, sour cream, 1 tablespoon butter and salt. Spoon over potatoes and toss to coat. Place half of the potato mixture in a greased 2-qt baking dish; top with half of the cheese and half of the bacon crumbles. Repeat layers.

Toss bread crumbs with remaining butter; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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