Creamy Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Slightly tangy, slighty spicy.

• 1 lb. Pork Tenderloin
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tbl butter
• 1 1/2 tbl all purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 chicken bullion cube
• 2 tbl fat free sour cream

1. Add the bullion to the water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir to combine.
2. Slice the pork tenderloin into approximately 1/2" slices
3. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the pork
   
   
4. Sautee the sliced tenderloin over medium high heat in a sprayed pan for 2-3 minutes per side
   
   
5. Remove the pork to a plate and keep warm
6. Add butter to the pan, let melt, and scrape the frond, mixing into the butter
   
   
7. Add the flour to the pan and mix into the butter. Let cook for about a minute to create a light roux.
8. Add the bullion/water mix to the flour and stir and heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
   
   
9. Add the dijon mustard and sour cream and stir to mix.
10. Add the tenderloin slices back into the creamed mustard mixture and heat.

Serves 3, 7 WW points plus per serving

Mini Curry Burgers

I'm doing this without pictures for now because I forgot to take any when making dinner tonight.  I'll add them the next time I make it.

• 1 lb lean hamburger
• 1 zucchini shredded
• 2 tbls of shredded onion
• 1 tbl yellow curry paste
• 1/2 cup salsa

Combine the burger, zucchini, onion, and curry paste.  Make 8 burgers and cook on a griddle.

Serve 4 burgers each with 1/4 cup salsa

4 WW Points Plus per serving

Rosemary Chicken

My mother-in-law calls this dish "Paul's Chicken".

• 6oz chicken breasts (3 of them)
• 9 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 1 tbl butter
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup of white (or pink) wine
• 2 tbl fresh rosemary, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Notes on the ingredients:

• There is an old adage that says "Don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink".  This recipie may be the exception to that rule.  Mind you, I used to *love* Beringer's White Zinfindel.  For many years, that particular wine would have been the #1 on my list of wines.  Then I grew up.  That said, there is something about the sweetness and raw fruitiness of white zin that complements the rosemary and garlic well.  If you just can't be seen purchasing such a pedestrian beverage, go with a buttery chardonnay.
• Fresh garlic please.  Buy a head and break it up a few minutes before you toss it in the pan.  It comes out soft and mild, like roasted garlic.
• Fresh rosemary please.  Rosemary is about the simplest herb to grow -- if my black thumb can keep it alive, anyone can.
• Like before, I use the mexican style chicken bullion cubes ("Caldo de Pollo") from Knorr mixed with 3/4 cup of water.
• You are going to want to brown the garlic in butter, but it doesn't have to be exclusively butter.  Feel free to use olive oil and add in just a touch (1 tsp) of butter.

Let's get cooking:

1. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts
2. Melt the butter over medium high heat and toss in the garlic cloves.  Cook for about 2 minutes, moving the garlic constantly.  You want to get just a HINT of color on the garlic at this point.

3. Add the breasts to the pan.  Brown on one side for about 2 minutes, then flip the breasts AND the garlic cloves and brown the other side for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the broth and wine to the pan.
5. Sprinkle the rosemary over the breasts.

6. Bring the fluids to a simmer, then reduce heat and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes, turning the breasts half way through.

7. Remove the chicken and garlic from the pan, then reduce the fluids by about half (until they start to thicken).

8. Serve one breast with 3 cloves of garlic, topped with the reduction.

Serves 3 -- 6 WW Points Plus per serving

Lime Curry Tofu Stir Fry

This one originally came from Allrecipies.com (a site I heartily recommend spending some quality time on), but I've modified it enough that I feel fairly justified in listing it here on this little blog.

• 16 oz extra firm tofu
• juice of two limes (seperated)
• 6 tbl soy sauce seperated
• cold pressed coconut oil or peanut oil for stir-frying
• 1 tbl fresh minced ginger
• 1 ro 2 tbl thai red or yellow curry paste (red if you like it hotter)
• 1 pound uncooked zucchini
• 1 medium red sweet pepper
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (Chinese basil if you can find it)

Some things to consider on the ingredients:

• The tofu should be as fresh as possible.  If you can find a local source, go there before you take what you get from the "weird items" section of the grocery store.
• As this is a Thai-style dish, coconut oil will be better.  I know what you're thinking -- "Ooh, isn't that stuff bad for you?"  Well, it depends.  First, we are talking about COLD PRESSED coconut oil.  There are studies that say that even though cold pressed coconut oil, being a tropical "palm-type" oil is higher in cholesterol that the cholesterol may not be as bio-available as it would be in prepared, heat treated or homogenized form.  If you do choose to go with coconut oil, expect it to be (unless you live in a hot area of the world) solid in the package.  It has a melting point not too far above comfortable room temp, but a fairly high smoke point (which is what makes it good for stir fry).  If you are still freaked out about using this, or you just don't want to, then go with peanut oil.  The taste difference won't be that much different.
• Curry paste is found in the US marketed primarily under the Mae Ploy brand.
  
  It comes in a tub in various flavors, noted by the color.  Red curry paste has red chili peppers as it's difference and is hotter than yellow which uses tumeric.  For a really interesting culture shift, consider "Massiman", which has an Indian influence to the added spices.  Here's the rub -- there is great inconstistancy between batches of Thai curry paste.  My previous tub of red curry paste was mild enough that I added about 1.5 - 2 x the amount called for in any given recipe.  My current one is hot enough that I mix it with yellow to cut the heat a little bit and use pretty much exactly the amount called for in any given recipe.  Your mileage may vary.  If you are timid on the heat, start with 1 tbl and add as needed.  One thing to consider is that step 15 is there because the flavors come out more when they are heated in the presence of oil.
• Maple syrup means "REAL" maple syrup.  Grade A or B doesn't really matter, as long as we aren't talking about Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth's.  Don't try the old trick of mixing maple flavoring in corn syrup either.  
• Coconut milk in the US is a crap shoot.  You want something that sounds liquid in the can and has something on the label that leads you to believe that there was a coconut involved somewhere in the process.  Thai Kitchen's light variety is usually a pretty good choice.  Coconut water is not an option, and neither is Coco Lopez, Coco Casa, or anything else that you find in the "Mixer" section of the grocery store.
• I like to use a mexican style (Knorr) chicken bullion cube in a 1/2 cup hot water for the broth -- it makes for a double strengthed broth -- but canned works too.

Preparing the tofu:  The idea here is to squeeze a bunch of water out of the tofu, then marinating it to replace the water with yummy goodness.  This is a pretty good practice to use whenever you want to force some extra flavor into tofu.

1. cut the tofu into slices about 1/4" thick
2. place several layers of paper towel on a cutting board large enough to hold all of the tofu slices in a single layer
3. lay the tofu slices on the paper towels

4. place more layers of paper towel on top of the tofu.  Top with another cutting board equal or larger than the bottom one.  Add weight to the top (I use a cast iron dutch oven, but 3-4 large cans, or maybe a 1/2 gallon of milk or oj -- you get the idea).  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

5. In the mean time, in a 9x13 pan (or something big enough to hold all of the tofu in one layer), squeeze out one of the limes and add 3 tbl of the soy sauce.
6. Remove the weight and pull out the tofu.  Cut in to bite sized cubes and toss into the marinade.  Toss to make sure that all of the tofu pieces are coated and in a single layer.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Mise en place:  Get everything ready so that you aren't trying to cut/measure/prepare stuff once the heat is on.

7. remove the ends of and dice the zucchini.

8. cut the pepper into 1/2" squares.
9. chop the basil
10. juice the lime
11. Measure out the liquids
12. remove the tofu from and reserve any marinade left over (there may not be any)

Let's get cooking:  

13. Heat the wok and add the oil.
14. When the first wisps of smoke show up, add the tofu and stir fry until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes).  Remove the tofu to a plate draining as much of the oil back into the wok as possible
15. in the still hot wok, add the curry paste and ginger.  Stir fry until fragrant (about a minute)
16. Add the zucchini and yellow pepper and stir fry for about a minute 
17. add the coconut milk, the lime juice, the remaining soy sauce, the syrup and the left over marinade.
18. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
19. Add the tofu back in and cook for another 2 minutes
20. remove from heat, stir in the basil

Serve in a bowl over some brown rice.

Serves 4

7 WW Points Plus per serving

Plate-Licking Good Maple Dijon Chicken

Really good, fairly healthy chicken dish.  Called "Plate-Licking Good" for a reason.


Ingredients:

• 2 (6 oz each) chicken breasts (or 12 oz of chicken cut into chunks)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Mexican style chicken broth cube
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (that's REAL maple syrup, not "pancake" syrup)
• 1 tbl Dijon mustard
• 1 tbl Herbes du Provence (can substitute basil, thyme, parsley, or a mix thereof in a pinch).
• 1 tbl chilled butter
• 1 tsp apple cider or balsamic vinegar

1. Spray a pan with non-stick spray and brown the chicken breasts (or chunks) over medium heat until cooked through.  Remove to a plate and keep warm
2. add the water and chicken broth cube to the pan.  Stir to combine and deglaze the pan, then bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2
3. Add the syrup, mustard and herbs to the pan and mix well.  Let simmer for 3-4 minutes.
4. add the butter and vinegar and stir to mix -- the sauce will start to thicken in the presence of the butter and vinegar (magic?!?!?)
5. Once the butter is completely melted, add the chicken back to the pan and coat

Serves 2.  goes well on brown rice with  your favorite veggies!

9 WW points plus per serving.

Warning:  After you have finished eating this, your plate may look clean enough to go back into the cabinet, but wash it anyway.