Honey Mustard Pork Chops

What you will need: bone-in loin pork chops, 4 t honey, 1/4 C dijon mustard, 1 t cider or wine vinegar, and a zip lock bag


Pour your honey in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 30 seconds to liquefy


Pour your 1/4 C of dijon in the zip lock bag


Pour in the 1 t of cider or wine vinegar


Pour in the 4 t of heated honey


Mix the marinade around together


Place the chops in the bag and mix the bag around to coat
Marinade in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight and remove the chops from the fridge 30 minutes before broiling


Place the chops in a baking dish and preheat the broiler


Place the chops on the broiler rack or under the broiler 3-4 inches from the heat until cooked through which will take about 6-7 minutes on each side


Here is the finished product
The chops are only 4 WW points and good too!!

Roasted asparagus

Cut off the hard ends of the asparagus (if you bought a bundle of asparagus and are only using some of it you can put the remainder in the fridge in a cup of water to keep fresh for a day or two until you use them)


Drizzle some olive or grapeseed oil over them and mix around to coat


adding in some optional lemon rind


I also chopped up some shallots, and squeezed the juice of the lemon together


pour over asparagus


mix together to coat and cook at 450 for about 7 minutes or until they are at the level of tenderness/crispness you like

chicken tomato spinach pasta

For this part you need a crockpot, fresh spinach, chicken breast/s ( I just make one for me and michael), and dijon mustard.


Lay your chook in the pot and cover it with a thin layer of dijon mustard.


Then cover with spinach leaves, use more than you think you need because they shrink up a ton. Then cover the pot and turn on low heat or high depending on how many hours you are leaving it. Ok let me insert here, I realize this does not sound good so far, nor does it look good. Furthermore, the first time I made this I got home and my house smelled not so good. Which is one thing I like about cooking in the crock pot, the great aromas, this did not smell good, and it looked sick too... ok lets move on- because there is a happy ending!


For the next part you need a can of tomatoes, an onion or shallot (optional), balsamic vinegar, and the whole wheat pasta of your choice.


Drain the tomatoes and pour in a large pan


Then put in your chopped onion if you choose to use it. (normally i saute' the onion in olive oil and then put in the onions, but I forgot this time, either way works)

then add a splash (or three) of the balsamic vinegar and mix together and let cook on high heat (until the juices evaporate) while you move on


take the chicken out and pull apart with two forks, it will be super tender


then pour the chicken and spinach into the tomato mixture, mix, and let cook together while you make sides or the pasta I haven't talked about!

I forgot to mention, before you start the tomatoes, begin boiling some water, and cook your pasta while you are simmering the sauce.


Serve on top of pasta, and viola!
Our take:
LOVE IT!
Michael said: add this one to the repertoire!
and in the last month we have had this 3 times! So although it starts out not looking so good, it is very tasty, and only about 4 WW points per serving!

Easy tasty chicken

This chicken is super easy, you can cook it while you work, and is perfect for a healthy salad, sandwich or in pasta.

You will just need a Crockpot, "free" Italian dressing, and however many chicken breasts you need. I just use one for me and Mitch when making a salad. Set your Crockpot on low, and leave all day while you work or do whatever you do.


Place chicken in pot and cover with the dressing. Set your Crockpot on low, and leave all day while you work or do whatever you do.


Then after hours of slow cooking the chicken is super flavorful and tender. Chop up the chicken (or not if you want it on a sandwich). For this salad we used baby spinach leaves (because they conveniently come in a bag and don't have to be washed or chopped, and are super high in nutrients), carrots, avocados, cooked whole wheat pasta, and the chicken. Then use whatever kind of low calorie dressing you like!
Super easy and super good!

Smothered Pork Chops

Some dishes are hard to cook just for one or two people, this is a dish that can easily be made for a few people, and is a favorite in our home.


The cast: thick cut pork chops, can of tomatoes, garlic, potato, spinach, shallots, mushrooms


Chop up the shallots (from the onion family, but milder and smaller so I don't cry a river)


Saute' the shallots in olive or grape seed oil on high heat


Place chops in pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side on high heat. Sprinkle some Italian seasonings or herbs on top


Turn the heat down to low and cover each chop with diced tomatoes (petite diced are best)


Chop up some potatoes and place them in the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 45 min on low heat.


While that is cooking chop up some mushrooms. After the dish has cooked for about 20 minutes add in the mushrooms.


Then add some fresh spinach for some green (or don't if you don't like it). The dish is ready when the chops are cooked through and the potatoes and mushrooms are soft.


Dish up and serve the chops with the potatoes, mushrooms and spinach. Great with a side of green beans.
(If you or others you are serving don't like tomatoes they can be taken off and the chop alone is tender and tasty!)
This whole meal is only 8 WW points!

Saute'ed green beans

First bring water in a pot to a boil. Then add fresh green beans and boil until tender (5-7 min)
While that is boiling saute' some shallots (or onions or garlic) in a pan of olive oil.

After boiling blanch the beans (this will stop the cooking process and leave the beans a little crisp)

Then saute' the beans in the pan for about 3 min, add lemon juice and lemon zest and cook another minute. Serve immediately.
YUM YUM!

Coconut Cupcakes

I recently made these delish cupcakes for a friend's birthday. The recipe is from the cooking class I did at W-S .

The team of ingredients for the cakes: flour, sugar, coconut, plain yogurt, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt

First measure out the flour in to a bowl 1 3/4 C


Then add 1.5 t of baking powder & 1/4 t of salt and mix together


Then in a mixer (or a bowl using a hand mixer) add together 1 stick of butter, 1 C sugar, 1 t vanilla. Mix together on a low speed until creamy. Then add the eggs, mixing in one at a time. (Notice in the picture I messed this part up).


Beating everything together.


Now add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the wet mixture


Then add 1/2 C of plain, unflavored yogurt


And then 1/2 C of shredded coconut


Let the mixer go to work, and mix just until blended.


Now line a muffin tin with paper liners, and fill all 12 with equal amounts. (You will pretty much fill each cup to the top).
Cook at 375 for about 20 minutes (or until a toothpick comes clean, mine cooked a bit faster, so check before 20 min)


Now for the YUMMY icing. The cast of characters as above: coconut extract, vanilla, butter, coconut, heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and salt.


You will need 3 C of powdered sugar


1 t vanilla and 1 t coconut extract (the recipe just calls for 2 t vanilla if you don't have any coconut on hand, but the flavoring is great!)


Add in 2 T of the whipping cream


AND MIX (my fav part!)


After the cakes cool, then ice using an icing spatula or a knife and try not to lick the ENTIRE bowl!


Then roll the cakes in shredded coconut to top.
VIOLA!! These babies are delicious! This picture does not do justice. (These are the cupcakes I made at Easter and topped with green colored coconut and jelly beans to make a "birds nest")
But watch out they measure in at a whopping 8 WW points!
Click here for a printable recipe