Sweet Pork Salad with Garlic Lime Rice and Beans

I love Cafe Rio or Costa Vida for eating healthy.  This is also a great thing to make at home.  I have found a skinny dressing that I feel comfortable with as well.  This is filling and versatile enough for everyone in the family - from quesadilla's to burritos to salads.

I layered mine as follows:

Sweet Pork

Brown Rice

Garlic Black Beans

Mozzarella Cheese
Romaine Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes (or you can use pico de gallo)
Skinny Tomatillo Dressing

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Shredded Sweet Pork  

Slow cook a 3-5 lb roast. (about 6- 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...

3/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup or combination.  

1 c red enchilada sauce

If not sweet enough - add 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Let cook for about an hour.

Serve in Salad, burritos, or quesadillas. 

Skinny Tomatillo Dressing

1 package of Hidden Valley buttermilk Ranch Dressing or 3 Tbl.

1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk powder
1/2 cup Best Foods light mayonnaise

2 tomatillos (they look like green tomatoes, but they are NOT!  You may substitute 3 Tbsp of prepared salsa verde)

cilantro (1/4 bunch)

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup lime juice

1/8 tsp. Tabasco - optional

Combine all together in blender or with whisk and let thicken.  Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Serving Size 2 Tbl.
Calories 35
Total fat 1.4 g
Sodium 193 g.
Total Carbs 4 g.
Carbs from Sugar 3.5 g
Protein 1.6 g.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

5 1/2 c water
1/2 c lime juice or additional 1/2 c. water

1 c. uncooked brown rice

1 Tbl. olive oil
2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 onion
1/2 can green chilies

1 Tbl.

3 Tbl fresh chopped cilantro

1. In a large saucepan (one you have a lid for) combine oil, garlic, 1/2 cup lime juice, chicken bouillon and water.  Bring to a boil.  
2. Meanwhile blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor, rinse rice in colander with paper towel (to prevent losing rice through holes). 
3. When water comes to a boil, stir in rice and cilantro-onion mixture. Boil and cook uncovered for 30-35 minutes, until rice is tender. 
4. Pour the rice into a strainer/colander and drain for 10-15 seconds then return it to the pot off the heat.  Stir in 1 Tbl. lime juice and 3 Tbl fresh copped cilantro.
5. Immediately cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.  If your lid isn't really tight, place a kitchen towel over the pot before putting the lid on.  Let the rice steam for 10 minutes before uncovering the pot and fluffing the rice with a fork.  

Garlic Black Beans

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/3 c tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp)
1 tsp cumin
1 Tb olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb chopped cilantro

 Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm.

** Sweet Pork Quesadilla from Costa Vida is actually what convinced me to search for and make my own sweet pork recipe.  My boys are not big on salads, so we often make quesadillas instead.  I cook a pork roast for sunday dinner and then with the leftover roast I add equal amounts of red enchilada sauce and honey or brown sugar.  Broil a tortilla topped with cheddar cheese.  Top with warm meat, fold in half, and top with light sour cream and pico de gallo.  Delicious!

Sweet Pork Quesadilla - photo from http://www.costavida.net

**The meat freezes well.   Make a large roast and divide into smaller portions and freeze.  Makes dinner easy. 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

I know that there are about a million different recipes out there for this, but this is my go-to. It is great for parties and potlucks or just to have on hand. I can throw this together in about 5 minutes, but give it a couple hours in the refrigerator for the flavors to combine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Makes about 8 cups of salsa
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2 Cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 Can of Corn OR 2 Cups Fresh or Frozen (I use frozen)
1 Can of Rotel (Diced tomatoes with green chilies)
1/2 of a White or Red Onion chopped
1/2 bunch or so of chopped cilantro (I actually have used a few tablespoons of dried cilantro)
Diced Avocado (I omit this because I am mildly allergic to avocado, that is why it's not pictured)

Combine all above ingredients in a bowl.
Make vinaigrette and pour over salsa. Serve with Tortilla Chips.
Tastes best when refrigerated for a few hours or overnight.

Vinaigrette
1/4 c olive Oil
4 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime or about 1 Tbsp.

Whisk together.

Easy Fried Rice

Easy Fried Rice (better than takeout!)
submitted by Jenni Lee
Adapted from Life-in-the-lofthouse.com
3 cups cooked brown rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)
3 tbs sesame oil,
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed and cooked in microwave),
1 small onion, chopped,
2 tsp minced garlic,
chopped, cooked chicken breast,
2 eggs, slightly beaten,
1/4 cup soy sauce
optional - 1 cup pineapple, 1 cup chopped ham

Saute onion and garlic in sesame oil and then add brown rice and stir-fry until warm.  Add chicken and peas and carrots. Push to the side and scramble eggs in the same pan.
Then mix together with 1/4 c. soy sauce.  Stir in pineapple and ham as desired.

 

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes and Pesto

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes and Pesto

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Found at Gina's Skinny Recipes

Servings: 4 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Pts: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts

Calories: 148 • Fat: 12 g • Carb: 9 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 3 g

Sodium: 102 mg (without salt) • Cholesterol: 4 mg

Ingredients:

For the Pesto:

• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• kosher salt & pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the zoodles:

• 21 oz (3 medium or 4 small) zucchinis
• 1 cup heirloom grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing. Set aside.

Spiralize the zucchini, cut it into smaller strands if they are too long and place them in a work bowl. Toss with the pesto and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper as needed.

**I combined all of my favorite end-of-summer garden vegetables and created this simple, raw, vegetarian spiralized zucchini and pesto dish.

As much as I look forward to the Fall, I'm not quite ready for summer to be over. Having fresh herbs at my fingertips is what I'll miss the most, so I'm taking all my basil and making skinny pesto with it to freeze and use throughout the year.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions

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You will love this yummy Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions recipe. It's sweet, onion-y and incredibly delicious.

PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 25 MINS TOTAL: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

2 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick coins

1 onion, quartered then cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt (or more or less to taste)

shake on Montreal Steak Seasoning as desired

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with a spoon until vegetables are evenly-coated.

Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray. Transfer vegetables to the baking sheet, and spread so that they are evenly spaced in a single layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until onions begin to crisp and brown, and sweet potatoes are cooked through.

• optional: additional seasonings (see note below)
• toss with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (when tossing with the olive oil)
• toss with various seasonings before roasting
• Italian seasonings (oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.)
• smoked paprika
• chipotle and/or chile powder and cumin
• after roasting, top with…
• chopped fresh parsley
• toasted slivered almonds
• freshly-grated Parmesan

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This delicious recipe brought to you by GIMME SOME OVEN

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-onions/

Quinoa Sweet Potato Patties with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Quinoa Sweet Potato Patties with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

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Found on Fabtastic Eats

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 2-4 Patties, depending on the size

Quinoa & Sweet Potato Mashed together to form the perfect base for Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and a drizzle of BBQ Sauce!

Ingredients

• 1 Teaspoon Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Butter
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 3-4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to instructions
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce, divided
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and oil, heating up until shimmering
2. Add the onions and mushrooms, toss to coat, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 30-40 minutes more, stirring often, so they don't stick and burn to the bottom. Set aside.
3. While the caramelizing is going on, Scrub your sweet potatoes, poke with a fork, and pop in the microwave for 10-12 minutes, or until soft all the way through.
4. Peel away the skins of the sweet potato and mash it together in a bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, flour, paprika, 1 Tablespoon of the BBQ Sauce, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix together and form into patties.
5. Re-heat the skillet to medium-high heat. Carefully place patties on it, cooking each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flipping one time, carefully.
6. Place on plates, top with caramelized onions and mushrooms, drizzle with a little BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Crustless Zucchini Pie

Crust-less Zucchini Pie

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Gina's Skinny Recipes

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts

Calories: 125.3 • Fat: 4.8 g • Protein: 8.1 g • Carb: 13.1 g • Fiber: 2.0 g • Sugar: 2.5 g

Sodium: 420.1 mg

A simple savory pie made with summer zucchini, shallots, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. If you're looking for a tasty way to use up your summer zucchini, this is it!

It makes a wonderful side dish to any meal or serve it at a potluck or brunch.

To make shredding the zucchini easier, just throw it in the food processor. You'll want to put the zucchini in a cheesecloth and give it a good squeeze to take out all the moisture.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz shredded zucchini, all liquid squeezed out
• 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
• 1/4 chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (King Aurthur)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• cooking spray (I used my misto)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray or your misto. Combine zucchini, shallots, chives, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl.

Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Combine with zucchini mixture and pour it into the pie dish.

Top with parmesan cheese and bake 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Russets

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2 medium sweet potatoes cut into fries (skins on or off)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste or I prefer to toss with Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cut potatoes and put in large tupperware. Add olive oil and shake to coat. Spread in single layer on cookie sheet. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 425-450 degrees. Flip once during cooking. The time depends on the size of your fries. Continue cooking until brown and crispy on both sides!

Makes 4 servings: Per serving 120 calories, 3 grams of fiber.