Tag Archives: spinach

Honey Glazin

26 Apr

I had to use both a pork loin and shrimp by the same day and, unfortunately, I found myself on that day.  I’m always nervous about letting food go past expiration dates, but pork and seafood are on the top of my fearful list. I had a Weight Watchers recipe for a honey glazed pork loin so I figured I’d just double the sauce and use it for the shrimp.  It works great for both!  So much flavor for just 4 points.  We paired it with some garlicky spinach and quinoa. Nom Nom Nom.

Pork loin is so easy to cook and so tasty!

The shrimp in the same sauce was also sooooo tasty.

Full pot of raw spinach and garlic:

Reduces to tiny bit of cooked spinach and garlic in the same pot.

(I’m always so impressed with how the volume of raw spinach reduces to the volume of wilted spinach)

Full plate with quinoa.

The sauce was soooo good over the quinoa!

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RECIPES
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Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Just use the same sauce for the shrimp!)
4 points!

Ingredients:

  • 16 ounces Extra Lean Port Tenderloin
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium
  • 2 cloves garlic — minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

    • 

Instructions:

  1. Trim excess fat from pork. Tie it to make it even shape. Place in a heavy plastic bag.
  2. Mix the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add to bag. Coat pork well. Marinade for 2 hours or over night in refrigerator.
  3. Remove pork from marinade. Pat dry.
  4. Combine honey and sugar. Brush over pork. Coat with sesame seeds.
  5. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees F.
  6. Slice thinly and serve.

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Chicken stuffed with grapes, hazelnuts, and parm

12 Mar

I have an absolute LOVE for white meat and fruit combined.  Add in nuts and cheese, and I’m sold!  When I saw this recipe for chicken breasts stuffed with grapes, hazelnuts, and parmesan, I knew I was making this… and soon!

I even faced my fears of raw chicken and voraciously cut a pocket in the thick chicken breasts and stuffed all the goodies in.

They suggested the chicken be held together with toothpicks.  I was a bit concerned they’d catch on fire, but they made it through without incident.

We also wilted some spinach with garlic, onions, and mushrooms.  So easy and so delicious!

I decided to top the chicken with some more of the stuffing (since it was a bit more than I could fit inside).  This wound up being one of my favorite parts. It browned nicely and gave it just a little more crunch.

The dishes complimented each other nicely.

This was a great, easy recipe and I recommend it wholeheartedly. 

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RECIPE
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Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Grapes, Hazelnuts, and Parmesan

Ingredients:

  • 3 or 4 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (we went boneless due to availability and skinless to be healthier)
  • 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, skins removed (if necessary), toasted, and roughly chopped (I just used chopped ones out of the bag)
  • 1/2 cup chopped, purple grapes
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
  • more salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Combine the hazelnuts, grapes, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add one tablespoon of softened butter and pinch with your fingers to combine the ingredients.
  3. Pat chicken breasts dry, and make a deep slit along the meatiest side, cutting far into the breast to create a pocket (but not slicing all the way through).
  4. Stuff small handfuls of the grape and nut mixture into the pockets, dividing it between the breasts. You should have enough stuffing for four small breasts or three medium to large ones.
  5. Stick two or three toothpicks through the open edges of the chicken to keep the stuffing from falling out.
  6. Loosen the skin on each chicken breast, and use your fingers to push small bits of the remaining butter under the skin of each one.  (we went skinless and skipped this step and rather topped the breast with the extra stuffing, which was EXCELLENT since it got a little browned and crunchy)
  7. Sprinkle the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper.
  8. Place on a foil or parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the skin is brown and crispy.
  10. Remove toothpicks before serving.

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Rack of Lamb and Creamed Spinach Gratin

29 Apr

A lovely sale at Fresh Direct on Frenched Australian Rack of Lamb inspired Mike and I to cook another thing we had never cooked before.  I searched for recipes and found one that sounded tasty.  Mike suggested we make a creamed spinach, and I found one that sounded a little fancy and delicious. 

The meal turned out ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.  One of the best in our cooking history if I do say so myself.



The leftover spinach made for a FABULOUS brunch the next day when paired with an omelet and bacon.  The whole meal was easy every step along the way.

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Rack of Lamb for Two

2 tablespoons coarsely ground cornmeal1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves1 clove garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) saltFreshly ground black pepper, to taste1 rack of lamb for two (8 or 9 chops), cut in half1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


1.Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.Combine the cornmeal, rosemary, garlic, coarse salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and mix well.
3.Lightly brush the fat side of the racks with the mustard. Then coat the mustard with the cornmeal mixture.
4.Arrange the racks on a baking sheet, and cook 25 minutes for medium-rare. Slice the chops apart and serve immediately.
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Creamed Spinach Gratin

From “Real Simple Magazine” Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish1 clove garlic, halved5 shallots, thinly sliced crosswise 5 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, thawed (it’s a whole lotta spinach, be prepared)8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk1 cup grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese 1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Heat oven to 375°F. Rub the sides and bottom of a buttered 8-inch baking dish with the garlic; discard garlic. In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside. Squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, Gruyère or Swiss cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shallots. Transfer to dish. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and lightly golden, about 25 minutes.
Tip: To make the gratin ahead of time, assemble it but do not bake it. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat as directed, allowing an extra 30 minutes of baking time.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 362(76% from fat); FAT 31g (sat 19g); PROTEIN 15mg; CHOLESTEROL 97mg; SODIUM 425mg; FIBER 6g; CARBOHYDRATE 12g

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