We're back - better late than never! It's been crazy trying to figure out Suzanne's new schedule and juggling our other multiple commitments. But we got to hang out on Monday night and it was good to get back into a semblance of our routine.
We decided to go with a menu that would be a good (healthful) alternative to the traditional Easter menu. Suzanne is generally weary of pork tenderloin, but we decided to try it anyway. We were able to pick up the piece of meat, which was nearly 2 pounds, for $5 on sale at Kroger. We took a shortcut and got the Ore Ida Steam and Mash potatoes - they cook in the microwave in 11 minutes, and then you mash them up with milk and butter. If you want to lighten them up a little more, you can change the milk for chicken broth (as long as you don't have any vegetarians at the table). Instead of a creamy veggie casserole, April found a great roasted veg recipe that doesn't use any oil.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
from http://www.weightwatchers.com/
1 spray(s) cooking spray 2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme
2 tsp dried oregano, or 2 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp olive oil
2 pounds lean pork tenderloin
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.
Combine thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
Rub oil all over pork. Sprinkle thyme mixture all over pork and transfer to prepared pan.
Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork reads 160ºF, about 30 minutes.
Let roast stand 10 minutes before slicing crosswise into thin slices. Serves 8 with a PointsPlus value of 3 each.
Suz: I loved it. This was so easy and it cooked in 30 minutes. The pork was flavorful, moist and the pepper gave it the right amount of zip. If serving this for small children, you might want to cut the pepper back to 1/2 teaspoon. I will be making this for Easter!
April: I like the flavor a lot. The seasoning was a nice touch without being too spicy or dry. So easy to make.... it will be done again.
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
1 bag Ore Ida Steam and Mash Potatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the potatoes according to package directions. Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Suz: I love these - so easy. The potatoes also come in sweet potatoes and red potatoes. Thanks to my Mom for the tip! )
April: I must say my son hates potatoes but he ate these and even asked for more. I remember his first Thanksgiving I thought I would sneak and give him some mashed potatoes. He hated them and has never liked them, Nor soup or anything other than a french fry. I am totally shocked at home he gobbled them up. I like them too and so did my daughter. So these are a must have around here.
Baby Carrots 'n' Broccoli
From http://www.tasteofhome.com/
This was in the lowfat recipe section.
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Nature's seasoning blend
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
In an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan, combine the carrots with remaining ingredients. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 7-9 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring once. Yield: 4 servings.
Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Morton's Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend.
Suz: I didn't know that April had pre-boiled the carrots - I was amazed that they were cooked after only 9 minutes! Love broccoli, carrots weren't too bad (considering I don't like carrots). Yum - loved that the flavors carried through the pork and into the broccoli and carrots - just a little spice, but not too much!
April: This was so easy to make. I heart easy cooking. I cut up the broccoli and measured out the carrots during nap today. Then whipped it up while I straightened the house. So easy. I thought the broccoli was going to be dry but it was perfect. My son ate these as well. He didn't like the carrots because of the seasoning and yet ate the broccoli.
**We couldn't find Mortons Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend. Instead we used a McCormick Pinch seasoning.
Banana Split Dessert Recipe
from http://www.tasteofhome.com/
This was in recipe section for low fat and or diabetic recipes.
2 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 10 whole crackers)
5 tablespoons reduced-fat margarine, melted
1 can (12 ounces) cold reduced-fat evaporated milk
3/4 cup cold fat-free milk
2 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 medium firm bananas,sliced
1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
5 maraschino cherries, quartered
Combine cracker crumbs and margarine; press into a 13-in. x 9-in. dish coated with cooking spray.
Spread pudding evenly over crust. Layer with the bananas, pineapple and whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Top with cherries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting. Yield: 15 servings.
April: I thought this would be a great after school project. The babies were playing on the floor and I had this all ready and set out for my after school kids... Well one didn't come and then my son decided he would rather play trains so instead I ended up entertaining a six month old instead... This was so super easy to make. The only way I can describe how easy it was is to say there were four babies in the room while I got this ready and made it. Took me less than 15 minutes after prep time.
I really enjoyed the taste of it. I think it had a bit too much of a pudding without the crunch feeling to it. So I might want to add vanilla wafters to it or more graham crackers to give it more of a crunch. The chocolate is really what gave it the banana split feeling. It otherwise seemed like a banana pudding with a special kick to it provided by the pineapple.
Suz: Loved it. The bananas and the pineapple were perfect, and the chocolate sauce added the right touch of sweetness. It would also be good with chocolate shaved on top, if you don't have any chocolate syrup on hand. I agree with April, I think it could have used a little bit more graham cracker crumb goodness.
No comments:
Post a Comment